2026-02-28: Field Work
- Log: 2026-02-28 Field Work
- Cast: Laurent Fontaine, Shinichi Nagisa, Isabeau Fontaine, Yuri Wakamatsu, Kanae Fuyuki, Ren Amamiya, Katsuko Yoshinaga, Hazuki Nakao, J. Itsuki Hayashi, Kazusa Motojima, Makoto Niijima
- Where: Somewhere four hours away from Tokyo
- OOC Date: February 28, 2026
- IC Date: Tuesday, October 02, 2012
- Summary: In a rare opportunity for Shujin students, a day trip has been arranged to an archaeological site about four hours outside of Tokyo, where a Tokugawa era castle is being excavated. Attendance is mandatory (unless you have somewhere to be). The trip is being joined by Professor Laurent Fontaine of Tokyo University, who will talk about the importance of field work and share stories from his work! And Principal Kobayakawa expects EVERYONE to be on their BEST BEHAVIOR.
<Pose Tracker> Laurent Fontaine has posed.
Ichigoro Castle isn't much to look at.
Shujin Academy's students are here, though, on this Tuesday morning. It wasn't a major castle -- those are generally tourist sites, now -- which means at first glance, it looks more like a hill with some old and ruined masonwork. But, the classical Japanese castle has walls that are visible here and there; it also has stone pathways leading through it. And, built on a hill, and with trees dotting it, it is peaceful and nice.
The bus has just arrived. A four hour drive -- and an early start -- led them here. The students have stepped off the bus; a few teachers, too. Now, the special guest does. Laurent Fontaine stands out for wearing a button-up white shirt, a dark blue tie, and khaki pants. He is a tall, thin man -- and truly tall, towering over the others.
He smiles, then steps up to the front of the group.
He uses the tried-and-true manner of addressing a group of foreign high school students. He thickens up his accent and declares: "Bonjour!"
<Pose Tracker> Shinichi Nagisa has posed.
A field trip.
To be honest, Shinichi doesn't much see the point of it. He's not a big history guy. He feels like he's not doing anything. And doing things is how he lives with himself.
On the way he did some classwork and when he got bored, started scrolling on his phone... at least until the service cut out again.
But hey, they're here, and he looks at the castle. Then looks at Laurent as he addresses them with 'Bonjour!' as he looks at him, and double takes.
"Whoa. Our special guest is a foreigner?"
That kinda surprises him, given that it's an old Japanese castle. Why would they invite someone who isn't Japanese?
He hopes he doesn't start to speak in English as some class exercise for the tour of the Japanese Castle. Not only does it feel weird but his English isn't the greatest.
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
Isabeau Fontaine is one of those students out of the bus, in her Shujin suspenders. She's excited for this trip; she loves history and archaeology, as it happens.
"`Come on, papa, don't tease them,`" Isabeau sighs, in fond French, hearing her father put on a thick accent. (Is she a little embarrassed...?) Her own accent, as it happens, is naturally kind of thick -- which is more obvious when she switches back to her more-stilted Japanese, turning to Shinichi. "Do not underestimate my father! He has forgotten more about history than any of us know!" Her hands plant on her hips, scowling.
<Pose Tracker> Yuri Wakamatsu has posed.
A field trip!
Yuri Wakamatsu - first-year Shujin student, recognizeable at a glance due to her strawberry blonde hair (emphasis on the strawberry, it's pretty red, but a light red) in its customary short tail over the Shujin uniform - didn't exactly have the opportunity to not go, but she wouldn't have taken it if she had. She *likes* history, especially the archaeology part; memorizing names and dates is less interesting than actually getting to see and maybe experience a little part of it.
She actually got some of her course reading done on the four-hour bus trip, too. So, bonus. She gets more free time later.
But now she's out, tucking her book back into her bag, which of course she brought. "Bonjour," she replies, automatically, in clear unaccented French, before switching back to Japanese. Where she also doesn't have any accent, because she's pretty solidly bilingual, having been raised around both.
She had intended to stay a bit away from Isabeau, but she can't help herself: "He's a professor at the university," she says to Shinichi. Of course she knows who Laurent is.
Of course.
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
A foreigner! But not one unfamiliar to Kanae...
"Bonjour," Kanae repeats in turn, in very good French, though she doesn't sound too enthusiastic. The castle should be neat, but...
She doesn't make fun of Isabeau, or say anything rude to her at all, which may be notable. She notices the scowl and, "She's right," Kanae asys. "He knows aabout history."
Is she... being nice???
"Don't worry," she says to Shinichi, "It'll be fun, right?"
She is... not tall. At all.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Four hours is a very long ways to travel for a day trip, considering they'll also have to travel four hours back. Ren wanted very much to skip, but given how emphatic Principal Kobayakawa was about students attending, they decided that they don't want to risk getting expelled over something so utterly stupid as ditching a school trip.
Besides, when they heard that the trip was going to be hosted by one Professor Fontaine, they decided that this might be worth an eight hour round trip after all.
They spent the bus ride uncomfortably napping; they groggily rub their eyes under their glasses when the bus pulls in and people start disembarking. Zombie-like, they shuffle off; their shoulder bag is at least lighter than usual, considering Morgana opted to stay home--just to be on the safe side. When the group is gathered and Prof. Fontaine greets them all with a loud 'Bonjour!', and Ren blinks at him blearily.
Then they reply deadpan, "Nihao."
If they're going to have a Reputation regardless of what they do, they may as well get to be a bit of a shit sometimes. Isabeau will probably yell at them about it in the exact same way she just yelled at Shinichi for being mildly surprised that their special guest for touring a Japanese castle is a Frenchman, professor or not as a couple others point out, but Isabeau yells at everyone about everything, so it's fine.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
Katsuko had not particularly enjoyed the trip over. Such a thing was to be expected. Four-hour bus rides were tedious at the best of times, but she had not the luxury of being able to sleep through it, or plug herself into her phone and allow herself some modicum of entertainment along the way. However, as long as it had felt, those four hours passed nonetheless, and she found herself stepping from the bus with all the restrained dignity and even footfalls one might have expected from someone as insistent on precision as her.
Those that knew her well might have noticed that her gait was slightly quicker than usual. Not out of eagerness - though such a thing might have been hard to tell, with her having all the expressiveness of a small, grey, stone. It was nothing more than relief that she could finally stand up, walk around, and not be confined to a trundling chunk of metal chock-full of stale air. The reveal that their special guest was not only a foreigner, but the father of one of the students in attendance, did nothing to shake her expression - or lack thereof - but did draw a quizzical stare.
"Bonjour." Katsuko replied, her own native accent tinging the foreign word, before inclining her gaze a little towards Isabeau. "I wouldn't dream of it. I only hope to learn a fraction of it while we're here."
It was the politest way she could think to phrase 'Stop shouting at us, I'm trying to listen to him speak.'
<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.
Hazuki is here, which is a problem, because this means we have three nationalities in one castle.
(Not really a problem but.)
The English transfer student was excited on the bus in because of history and castle and foreign stuff. She's in her winter uniform now, as she waves to people as they get off the bus (Ren does not avoid a wave! He is nice!! Neither does Katsuko or Shinichi. Waves for all!)
"Bonjour and `hello`!" She says in both French and English, a little bit gloomy in countenance but piercing through it more than normal.
She will however stick to herself for now. She isn't really *friends* with anyone, just eccentrically friendly.
<Pose Tracker> J. Itsuki Hayashi has posed.
"What, is it that weird?"
Itsuki has rolled up to Shinichi, of course, and remarks on his upperclassman's commentary.
Getting out of class is fine by him: he's an excellent student, but truth be told, he finds school pretty boring. And the ruins of a castle? A real Japanese castle? History's not even remotely 'his thing', but that's pretty neat.
But he glances from Kanae, who also knows... French? Huh. And then he looks over at Ren as they greet the man in turn with, uh. What language is that? Chinese? Is that Chinese? He rubs at his chin, as if in thought. Wait, he thinks he remembers what that means...
And he laughs.
"Hey, good morning," he says, extending his hands.
And then Isabeau chimes in.
"...Wait, that's your dad?" He looks genuinely stunned, enjoy it.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa spent the trip chatting and looking at the internet on her phone. And also passively being a flashing beacon of wrongness to anyone who can sense Resonance, a monster wearing a girl's skin.
... But at least she's a well-behaved monster wearing a girl's skin?
She isn't complaining about having to take the trip, though, or about the long bus ride, instead doing her best to stay positive and pleasant.
She does stretch though as they finally get off the bus, though, and blinks as Laurent greets them, blinking. "Oh! ... Bonjour!"
She says it in a way that makes it clear she mostly only really knows what that one word means.
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
There's been a lot of Field Trips at Shujin this year, first the TV station filming, and today an archaeological site. It's normal for classes to have field trips, but for the entire school to have mandatory attendance, excepting those who have an excuse- say, a sports scholarship or other commitment acceptable to the school.
And with that many students, the Student Council has been pressganged into helping chaperone and organize student. And that, of course, means Makoto Niijima was fundamentally responsible for organizing that part of things with/for Mr Inui, the history teacher.
...That also means she has been stuck next to Mr Inui for the entire bus trip, as he keeps expounding on the merits of various figures and lamenting the horrible turn of events that happened to a certain painter several months ago, while Makoto politely smiles and does her best not to listen to the part of her that says to headbutt the teacher and throw him out a window.
It is, admittedly, significantly easier to do that outside of the Metaverse and when she isn't dealing with her friends getting kidnapped- though the present of the wrongness that is Kazusa Motojima is
At least she manages to get some study done when Mr Inui is taking a breather from talking, as she slides her pre-law textbook back into her bag, and doing a head count of students as Mr Inui takes the lead. "Everyone, be on your best behaviour. When you wear that uniform, you're representing Shujin Academy and we're here for a rare look at Japanese History today. And as you know, those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it after all." The rather by the book history teacher doesn't seem to take up much of a presence- he might be a little handsome, but generally looks like a salaryman- though he does have a genuine passion for history! ...That said, all the French being spoken may send him into a tangent about the equality of the guillotine, and not in an 'eat the rich' way.
Still, with headcount taken and confirming all the students she's responsible for are here, Makoto closes her folder and switches it for a pencil and notebook. Some people might not be taking it seriously, but Shujin's 'robotic' student council president sure is, as she joins the group. She has similar suspicions to Ren- especially once Isabeau confirms the professor is her father. The 'leader' of that group they ran afoul of in Mementos that time.
While some responds with 'Hello', or 'Bonjour' or in one case that gets a slight glare, a 'Nihao', Makoto is more erudite. "Thank you for having us, Fontaine-sensei." Unfortunately for her, if anyone especially represents Shujin while wearing that uniform, it's the Student Council President over there.
<Pose Tracker> Laurent Fontaine has posed.
"Ah, ma chou," Laurent says to Isabeau in French. "Let me have some fun, hm?" He winks at her over the rim of his sunglasses.
He doesn't speak to Yuri -- no need to call her out -- but this is his friends' child. So he looks at her and catches her eye, before he smiles. Then, though, he looks at Ren -- and the flat tone prompts him to laugh at their greeting. A few of them try saying bonjour, too -- and that gets a smile. "Well done, all of you," he says. Though, he knows a little about Kanae and meets her eye. "Madamoiselle Fuyuki. A pleasure."
He looks at Kazusa. There is just a moment where he has a little start, a brief flash of tension. He fights it down, and then he looks at Makoto and smiles. The Student Council President; he was filled in that she'll be helping keep tabs on everyone. "And thank you, Madamoiselle Niijima."
He turns, finally, and addresses the group as a whole. Now that he is speaking, his Japanese is quite good -- and there is an accent, but it isn't especially thick.
"I'm Laurent Fontaine, Professor of History at Tokyo University. While I come from France, I'm a specialist in ancient civilizations. I've studied mysticism, religious beliefs, and ideas about the occult throughout history, across the world." Laurent smiles at that, and reaches up to adjust his tie. He looks around the group with a thoughtful expression.
"This is an active archaeological site," he says. "I'm a historian, not an archaeologist, but I've been assisting them in identifying some artifacts. So, before we begin, there are a few rules we have to cover. First, please stick with the group at all times."
He looks around. "Second, you shouldn't pick up artifacts, climb on the masonry, or do anything that could leave a mark. If you do want to pick something up, just ask. And third..." He smiles. "Try to have fun. It may not look it, but Ichigoro Castle has a storied -- and tragic -- history. I hope you'll find this interesting. Now, any questions before we begin?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinichi Nagisa has posed.
"He's your-" Shinichi stops, thinks better of whatever he's going to say, and just retreats back in his posture, "... Right."
Before he nods at Yuri and Kanae's reassurances, "Oh that makes sense. I just didn't expect it."
For Itsuki, he shrugs and lowers his voice to try and avoid the wrath of Isabeau, "I mean... a little. We usually only have foreigners teach English classes."
He glances sideways at Kazusa, trying to keep just out of conversational range with her, especially after running off. Then the Student Council Prez speaks, and he straightens up as a reflex when someone with authority is speaking.
'Don't worry,'
'It'll be fun, right?'
Shinichi Vision: In This Corner: Someone who gives him the Heebie Jeebies like something out of a horror movie because they used to treat him horribly and one day began to act like she wants to be best friends.
Maybe even more than that.
And In the Other Corner: The floor is covered in eggshells. Isabeau Fontaine is spreading so many more by the second, like caltrops, as she dares him to take a single step.
"... Yeah" He says agreeably, "Something to look forward to." There may be a small droplet of sweat on his brow, but it's probably from the long bus ride without AC.
Thankfully Laurent begins to speak, probably drawing all the potential attention away from him. (He can hope)
He nods along to the rules, then pointedly does not ask any questions.
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
Isabeau laughs, when her father winks at her. "`Okay, okay,`" she smiles, and even if they can't understand French, her classmates can probably hear her cadence being much easier in French.
And she can't help but notice, in all this, that... Kanae... is being nice?! Isabeau is immediately suspicious, as she looks to her, but she doesn't say anything. "Good!" She huffs, instead, to Katsuko, apparently mollified by her polite phrasing. (Ren is spared, because Isabeau... is trying not to start anything in front of her father. Really, this is her attempt at trying.)
Throughout the bus ride here, she's been keeping an eye on Kazusa, as it happens -- which is something she's been doing the past couple of days, generally speaking. She doesn't engage directly with her, much, but she mysteriously happens to be in the area when she's at school... is she watching her?
Perish the thought.
"That is right," she adds, and sounds quite proud of herself, when Itsuki wonders if this is her father. It's something which he confirms when he gives his name -- with the very same surname as hers!
(It's not the surname she had when she was being a jerk to Ren back in Inaba. The reason she was so unwelcome back then... it has everything to do with why Kanae's being nice, now.)
"Artifacts need to be seen in their proper context," Isabeau supplies, helpfully, on the heels of Laurent's explanation. "When they are lifted from where they were found and taken away, we lose most of the information we could have found about them! That is why you must not take anything," she issues to them, sternly.
... before she turns back to her father, all smiles, to confirm: "Right?"
<Pose Tracker> Yuri Wakamatsu has posed.
The other student - actually, the primary student - who Yuri was avoiding was Ren. Isabeau is a bit overbearing, but Ren is...
Well, Ren is a criminal. Everybody knows it. And while nobody's ever seen him do anything to another student at school, *and* Yuri is a bit of an investigator in her spare time, she has no reason to look into Ren and would rather not have their attention focused on her, just in case!
Generally it's not hard, given they're in second year and she's first; their paths don't cross naturally very often. But here and now they do, and Yuri does look over at the 'nihao' before she quickly looks somewhere else instead.
'Somewhere else' happens to be Kazusa, for a moment; there's a very slight frown, though she doesn't feel or respond to the sheer sense of wrongness. Then it's back to Professor Fontaine, as opposed to Student Fontaine. Those rules are easy enough.
Look, SOMEONE has to be well-behaved around here.
...and there's Isabeau being a little overbearing. Yuri edges off to one side a little bit, incidentally closer to Kanae, though her destination is mostly random.
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
"...Thank you, sir." That's Kanae's reaction to Laurent meeting her eyes. She knows about him too, after all. It's not that she doesn't like him... But that she isn't sure what she thinks. Besides, she doesn't want to mess things up for Isabeau.
They may be enemies, but a father is... important.
Kazusa's aura bugs Kanae, but she can put that aside. And Ren--
Kanae suppresses a laugh. She doesn't suppress it very well. She glances at Itsuki, too. And then at Miss President. She's very polite... But she has to be, doesn't she?
She doesn't say a ton to Mr. Inui, either way.
Instead...
"Are you going to tell us about that 'tragic history'?" Kanae wonders of Laurent. She is interested, though she does her best to sound a little disaffected, because a little distance makes a teenager cooler. ...But while she's at it, she steps away from Isabeau, finding herself next to--Yuri!
She glances Yuri's way with a 'yeah?' sort of commiserating expression.
<Pose Tracker> J. Itsuki Hayashi has posed.
He pulls a complicated expression, like he was trying to weigh the consequences of this or that action. "So, sempai, you know I was born in Brazil, right?" He smiles when he says it, like it's no problem at all. "I guess, being in school you don't meet too many people from overseas, though." He shrugs, somewhat expansively. "Anyway, don't worry about it."
There's a reason he used to get in a lot of fights...
But that is her father, as he himself confirms when he addresses them properly in Japanese. "Huh... so her dad's a historian..." An intellectual. When you compare 'medical doctor' and 'historian', he wonders, which one comes out ahead?
Don't climb on the masonry, or touch the artifacts, or horse around at all. Folding his arms over his chest, Itsuki nods as if in thought. "Right, right." He knows not to do that, and in any case, pissing off Isabeau's father is-- not ideal.
But, are there any questions?
Most people take that to mean, 'do not ask any questions or we'll be here longer'. Itsuki, though, is just that kind of guy to do that at the end of class. He raises his hand.
"What tragic history, sir?"
The same thing Kanae has asked after, in fact.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
The entity claiming to be Kazusa Motojima is one of the reasons why Ren's napping was uncomfortable and sporadic, yes.
A glare from a certain Student Council President does get Ren to stiffen up and grimace a bit, eyes hidden behind the glare of their glasses as they rub the back of their neck. However, that just means they shut their mouth and slip their hand back into their pockets as they slouch again. (Those paying attention might see what is effectively Makoto putting Ren in line with a single look.) Laurent himself seemed to find it funny, so at least they're only in trouble with a friend.
At least they listen to what Laurent has to say. ("At least" from a superficial perspective. Knowing this is Isabeau's father, Ren has a lot of reasons, supernatural and non, to want to get a better gauge of the man.) Seems pretty straightforward so far. He doesn't seem unpleasant, but lots of rotten people can cover up that rot with a friendly demeanor. (One good thing about Isabeau: you never have any illusions about what kind of person she is.)
It does stand out to them that Isabeau is a lot brighter and friendlier, though--not just with her father, but with the students in general, if only a tiny bit. They can see her choosing not to pick a fight with Kanae or them. If he's a good father to her, Ren's happy for her, they guess, but... everything about the Wild Hunt still has them wary.
But Kanae chokes back a laugh at their sass. They glance at her sidelong; when they look back at Laurent, the corner of their mouth has twitched up a bit, just for a moment. They're interested in the answer to her and Itsuki's question too. (They also saw Yuri and Itsuki looking at them; they let Yuri not make eye contact with them, and Itsuki also laughs, so that's good for them.)
<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.
Hazuki will never get used to the feeling of a Homunculus. As Kazusa trips her radar, she migrates closer to Shinichi instinctively, trying to find *somewhere* that feels safe. Class prez? Safe! (this may not be the best logic.)
She doesn't have many questions, though, just...
"Understood! How old is the site's story, I wonder...?" She's mostly talking to herself, but she doesn't quiet it down. She'll behave, though.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
And there it was - the other reason for Katsuko's sense of relief. It was one thing to pretend like a long bus ride had not bored her to tears, but to pretend like she couldn't detect the Homunculus puppeteering Kazusa's skin was another thing entirely. It was like sitting across from someone dragging their nails slowly across a chalkboard - every inch of her railed against it, and told her that it was *wrong,* and that she needed to leave before things got worse. At least in the open air, she could maintain some distance, get some fresh air, and focus on what was to come.
Hazuki waved at her, and Katsuko made sure to wave back. It was a polite and unremarkable gesture, intended only as an acknowledgement of the greeting, but Katsuko's gaze lingered for a few moments after her hand had lowered. She did not care much if Hazuki caught her trying to assess her wellbeing. It was a perfectly normal thing to do after narrowly escaping some slavering beast in the midst of someone's cognitive realm, was it not? She thought to move closer, and perhaps discuss plans for another attempt at the Atelier, but a voice cut her train of thought short.
Katsuko listened to Laurent, rapt and attentive, only sparing a quick nod towards Isabeau to acknowledge her response. She was calmer, and Katsuko could actually hear Laurent above her boasts and suchlike. That, she supposed counted as mission accomplished. She pondered whether or not there were any questions to ask, but of the ones she could come up with, few seemed like they would not be better answered by waiting for the field trip to begin in earnest. However, she could not resist asking one question, though whether it was out of genuine interest or a desire to appear engaged was almost impossible to discern.
"What kind of artifacts have you identified so far?"
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa smiles politely at Laurent, showing no outwards signs of the horrible monster he can detect under the surface.
Kazusa certainly can't be anything worth keeping an eye on, right? She looks to Isabeau as she says not to underestimate her father. She smiles pleasantly. "Oh, is he your father? That must be nice for you to get to spend time with him on a shcool trip!"
But there are introductions. "Thank you for taking the time to show us around!" she says politely. And she is listening intently as Laurent explains the rules, nodding to each one. Rules set forth by an adult. Very serious.
Shinichi might be keeping out of conversational range of her, but Kazusa does try to give him a quiet wave if she catches his eye.
Whether Yuri or Itsuki can sense the wrongness coming from Kazusa, it's entirely plausible to know of her reputation before--grade-S mean girl--and after--... whatever it is she's doing now. That might be weird enough on its own.
Hazuki seeks to escape Kazusa... but unfortunately for Hazuki, she has grouped up with another member of their class... and Kazusa naturally starts drifting their way. Probably to both of their consternation. "Nakao-chan, Nagisa-san, wanna walk together?" she asks cheerfully.
Well at least there's another girl there so she can't possibly be trying to start anything with Shinichi, right?
At least this keeps her from addressing Katsuko, for the moment.
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
Being called 'Madamoiselle' seems to be something Makoto did not expect, and she seems to blush a little bit at the usage- but only a little. You definitely have to be paying attention to notice. (You don't have to be paying that much attention, Makoto is unfailingly honest in many ways, and her facial expressions are often one of them.)
Fortunately, she can start taking notes- starting with the rules, written down quickly in the top right of her notebook. The notes also serve to distract her from the pangs of pain as Isabeau and her father have such a seemingly cheerful relationship. Maybe that's just how French families are. Either way, it's a sting the orphaned woman tries not to let get to her. It's not like it's their fault. Isabeau seems just so damn proud of her father, and Laurent seems happy to have his daughter nearby.
For now, she's seemingly content to let her kohai ask questions while she takes notes- honestly it's rare to see Shujin students so enthusiastically asking questions. She does, however, drift a little closer to Ren as the conversation continues- and as a result, that also means she finds herself with Hazuki wandering closer to her. (Apparently 'safe' might be 'very close to the rumoured violent criminal' but Makoto seemingly has no concerns for that.) As a result, she overhears Hazuki's question. "I believe it's from the Tokugawa shogunate, so it could be as much as 400 years." Makoto keeps her voice quiet- she doesn't want to interrupt Laurent- but she doesn't mind answering a little question like that to help another student stay focused. And, well... Makoto did do at least SOME research before the field trip.
<Pose Tracker> Laurent Fontaine has posed.
"Just so," Laurent says after Isabeau's explanation -- and question. But, he does explain more: "I understand the temptation, but where something is... that's very important. Archaeologists spend a lot of time and effort to map where everything came from."
He looks at Hazuki, then, and considers. "Like many sites, it isn't straightforward. About ten meters down, we've seen evidence of Jomon-era habitations. But, the castle itself dates to the early Sengoku era." He looks at Makoto, then nods. "About four hundred years ago, yes."
Then, he looks to Katsuko. "I helped identify some scrolls, some wall decorations, and the like from a monastery inside. I also helped with researching military movements to suggest where to look for parts of the ruins that were buried."
He looks at Kazusa -- and at this point, his reactions are in control. He smiles, politely. "You're very welcome."
He moves towards the front of the group, looking to Kanae.
"Indeed, Madamoiselle Fuyuki. Allow me to explain, Monsieur Hayashi. But--let's see it and hear it. Please, after me!" Laurent says, and he starts walking.
It quickly becomes clear that there will be a lot of walking -- the bus stopped a good distance away, and there is a slight hill to go up. As they do, though, they come to where the ruin of a castle wall is. "Ichigoro Castle was built in the early Sengoku era. My interest in it comes from a small Buddhist sect that engaged in a great deal of mysticism, which once used it as a monastery, until a local daimyo made it his seat."
He shakes his head. "The tragedy began when a descendant of that first daimyo proved to be a local tyrant. A group of locals organized a rebellion, the Crimson Belts. They won support from Tokugawa Ieyasu, in his unification of Japan. Afterward, Ichigoro became their seat."
He stops at a castle wall, and lays a hand on it -- where the wall has crumbled, but also has a massive crack running through part of it. "And, ultimately, became their grave."
<Pose Tracker> Shinichi Nagisa has posed.
"Oh sure." He replies to Itsuki, with an aura of awkwardness, trying to lower her voice "Just, it's different when it's Japanese history right? It's not... typical."
Laurent puts Isabeau in a better mood, which allows Shinichi to be missed within her line of sight. Perhaps she's like the T-Rex. If he doesn't move too much then...
Kazusa waves at him, he locks up, then raises his hand, and a tiny wiggle of his fingers in acknowledgement.
Eyes straight forward, he could be a JSDF soldier with how stiff his posture is right now.
There's a glance at Kanae about tragic history... as he watches Kanae inch towards Yuri. Catching himself looking at the pair, he suddenly puts his eyes front and center again.
Then Itsuki asks too.
At least he doesn't dart him with a glare or anything.
Laurent speaks, and he at least seems pretty knowledgeable? So he listens, and when he starts to walk, walks with them at the sedate pace of a class tour.
Mysticism?
Is he one of those occult afficionados? He wisely doesn't voice that one. He hears Gekkoukan has someone like that...
"How'd that happen?" He asks, in regards to it being their grave. Perhaps it's testament to Laurent's charisma that he got the boy skeptical of someone's knowledge of Japanese history to ask.
<Pose Tracker> Yuri Wakamatsu has posed.
Yuri is aware of Kazusa's reputation (hard not to), but she's another person Yuri isn't close to. She's never been really picked on by her before, and the rumours about her aren't *quite* as dire as, say, Ren, so...
Running into Kanae (not literally, thankfully), Yuri looks a little sheepish, as if to agree: Isabeau is Just Like That. She doesn't know about their interactions outside of school. The world of supernatural hunting is a closed book to her! Even if she has suspicions about *some* of it.
The story's interesting, though. They must have been attacked here, Yuri thinks. It's not like the sieges you read about in books, or (occasionally) see in movies; real ones, she knows, are messier, and a lot less dramatic. She crouches down to look at the wall herself before standing back up, absently brushing her skirt straight as she does.
She spots Shinichi looking over as she stands up, and smiles back before he looks away, back to the explanations.
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
Isabeau is quite happy in the presence of her father. Markedly happier than she normally is at school, that's for sure! Her smile does get a little more screwed-on, though, as she looks to the monster amongst them. "It is very nice," she assures the thing wearing Kazusa's skin.
She is, in fact, having a great time when her father confirms that her explanation is correct, though. Luckily, when Laurent gets them walking, Isabeau has absolutely no problem with the hike -- even uphill. She might be a bigger girl, but apparently that fat's hiding a lot of muscle under there.
Could Laurent be as into ghosts as the Witch herself is? Isabeau's penchant for the unknown is far from unknown itself; some people here have even gone ghost hunting with her. They say that a pale foreign girl like her must surely be able to commune with spirits...
"What did the monks do to the daimyo?" Isabeau wonders, with real curiosity.
She isn't even sighting any of her usual victims for bullying now she's listening to her father... maybe she really does operate by movement, like some sort of t. rex.
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
Ren glances at her, and Kanae briefly meets eyes with them--and hesitates, before Laurent speaks up and she can focus on him again. And Makoto, too. 400 years...
She's okay at (Japanese) history. But the other students tend to assume she's bad at it. It means she has to work a little hrder to make up for the perception...
Still, Itsuki mentions Brazil and Kanae nods. "Yeah," she says. "It's cool."
She thinks so, anyway.
The story is interesting. There is that. And the walk she doesn't mind, trudging up the hill as required of her; thanks to tennis, she's in good shape. But the locals...
"...Monks, huh."
She's interested in religion, hersslef, though she doesn't say that. Instead--
What happened? Someone else has asked. And Kanae thinks about it without answering immediately, or asking more questions. 5r
Yuri's sheepishness is fair, of course. Kanae sticks with her for now.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren's certainly okay with hanging out with the one friend they have in this group. As Makoto drifts a bit closer to them, they do likewise, until it's quite clear the two of them are walking Together. It's a platonically friendly distance, but is that going to stop anyone from gossiping? Especially as Ren leans over a little to check out what notes Makoto's taking before returning their laconic attention to Laurent himself.
(The walking is fine too. Good way to get their exercise in for the day, considering they had to skip their usual morning workout to make the bus. A teenager can only get up so early before it's just unacceptable.)
The lecture is interesting--monks vs. daimyo proves to be a hell of a story, actually. Ren pays as much attention to it as they do Laurent himself--his behavior, his tone, his mannerisms. The fact that he studies mysticism is no surprise given that he's not just a Persona User but the leader of a group of Persona Users.
Maybe I ought to study mysticism more, they reflect as they muse on this fact.
Ren doesn't let eye contact with Kanae linger. They know she's not comfortable with being friendly around them. As much as that hurts, they don't intend to make an issue of it, especially not in public--especially not in front of a group of their teachers and peers. They look over at the crumbling castle wall that Laurent touches, noting that he does so despite having just told everyone not to touch anything.
By coincidence, like Makoto, they muse that it's kind of nice to be part of such an engaged group. Everyone else asking questions--in particular Isabeau's, something they're also interested in considering they're the underdogs fighting back against an oppressor--means they don't have to speak up themself.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
Though Katsuko gave no spoken response of note to Laurent's answer, she nevertheless appeared to be engaged. Eyes focussed forward, a slight nod to acknowledge the information, and a polite 'thank you' all showed that she had taken the information in. It would not have been a stretch to imagine that she looked forward to hearing the rest of it too.
Keep your friends close, the saying went, but keep your enemies closer. Katsuko didn't care enough about anyone gathered to call them a friend more than an ally, and she had no desire to be any nearer to Kazusa than she had to be, but it was a little difficult for her to gather information and assess the situation at such a distance. She did not, as some might have claimed, feel left out. Such a thing was reserved for people without the focus and presence of mind to dedicate themselves wholly to the mission.
"Nakao-san." She said flatly by way of greeting, as was her way. "How are you today?" What to most would likely have been seen as a fairly benign question was, in the context of the previous night's activities, somewhat more loaded. The others gathered nearby were not ignored, however, and she made sure to greet them all with a quick, polite, nod. Though she knew of some, knowing them personally was a different matter entirely, and she was hesitant to get too close. Perhaps endearing herself to Nijima could prove to be useful in the future, though
It was a thought for later. She seemed to be preoccupied with others for now, and the topic of tragedies took her attention.
"Behind there?" She asked simply, glancing to the great crack marring the wall.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa follows along with the crowd, listening to the lecture. The walk uphill isn't too tough for her--she's got all that rhythmic gymnastics practice under her belt, at least. She's doing her best to pay attention, it seems... whatever use a Homunculus might have for the knowledge. Grave... "How terrible," she murmurs quietly.
Isabeau confirms that it is nice, and Kazusa smiles cheerfully at her. "That's great!" Don't worry, Isabeau. she's just your normal classmate expressing something normal and positive towards you.
But Kazusa is also watching the people around them, too, and she notes how Makoto and Ren seem to be interacting. And, well.. while Kazusa seems to be 'nicer' these days that apparently doesn't stop her from being a gossip.
... just a nicer one.
Kazusa leans towards Hazuki and Shinichi for a moment, dropping her voice. "... do you see the way Niijima-senpai and Amamiya-san are walking closely together? Isn't that kind of strange?" At least her tone seems... fairly innocent and innocuous. She's not slinging accusations.
Yet.
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
It seems Makoto was heard even while trying to be quiet, but Laurent doesn't call her out for talking in class. (Once a teacher's pet, always a teacher's pet.) And she is observing the other students as best she can, but the simple fact is she doesn't really know many of them compared to their knowing her by reputation. Still, she does note the way Shinichi freezes up, and frowns a little to herself.
As Ren leans over to look at her notes, Makoto does casually tilt the book their way, and Ren can see how orderly Makoto's notetaking is, segmented and organized- but for once she doesn't expect other students to take notes on a walking tour. Walking and notetaking at the same time is another skill entirely. Makoto is plenty fit, so the walk isn't much of a bother, but it possibly is quite a sight to see the sister of a prosecutor and the local menacing delinquent casually walking together.
Still, Makoto is focused as much on the lecture as she is on the surrounding students, so that means she's not immediately noticing the fact that she's being gossiped about right now. "I'm curious as well," she comments on the topic of 'how did that happen'. "It being a tragedy seems to indicate something different from falling in battle to an enemy."
<Pose Tracker> Laurent Fontaine has posed.
"The daimyo was interested in the teachings of the monks. However, his descendants proved less so -- the pacifism in the wake of the many wars, and the monks' growing fear of war destroying all the knew did... not mix well with ambitious young daimyos," Laurent says to Isabeau. "And thus, the monks were forced out."
He winks. "But, their teachings and stories live on -- and informed local folklore and beliefs in this area for centuries after, to the present day."
He glances at Kazusa -- and realizes there must be some gossiping. He doesn't work with high school students that often, but he knows that happens. Except... she isn't what she seems. He gets distracted, for a moment, and then he looks at Makoto.
He nods to her.
"They were betrayed," Laurent answers Shinichi and Makoto both. "You see... the Crimson Belts overthrew the tyrannical daimyo -- he had abused his people, stolen crops from them, and forced them to serve in his armies. When they rose up, the Crimson Belts killed the daimyo. Afterward, they were heroes to the locals. They even had a few ronin who worked with them and received support from Tokugaawa. However..."
He keeps walking, past the crack in the wall -- and he stops as he motions to the ruin of a tower, that had once been part of the central part of the castle. The roof is gone, with the uppermost stones cracked and burnt. "The Tokugawa Shogunate had just formed, and needed to cement the Shogunate's control over Japan. One thing it could not permit was legitimizing popular rebellions."
He frowns, looking distant for a moment. Ren can spot a regret in his eyes -- it's a sad story. "And so, one night, a group of emissaries from the Shogunate arrived -- as the victorious Crimson Belts were having a victory feast, to commemorate their newfound freedom from a tyrant. They welcomed them."
He looks up at the ruins of the keep, again. "...They did not realize these emissaries were, in truth, a ninja clan loyal to the Tokugaawa. The stones are scorched from the fire they set that night. Their former allies could not allow what they represented to grow, so they snuffed them out."
<Pose Tracker> Shinichi Nagisa has posed.
Yuri looks back, and he blushes lightly as if 'ah caught'. He wasn't intending anything weird, just you know, sometimes...
He starts slightly when Kazusa starts speaking to him, but then her question is benign enough, gossip.
"Could be..." He replies to Kazusa, still pretty stiff in any interaction with her. "... maybe taking it upon herself to rehabilitate him." He whispers.
Some girls are just attracted to dangerous guys they think they can fix. He can't see that being the Student Council President though, right? It's probably just a leadership thing...
... but what if? I mean... it would be very romantic in a sense if it were. Two opposites who become involved, but that kind of thing doesn't happen in real life... right?
Still, Laurent catches his attention again with the history lesson, and the lesson is... "Ah, man. It makes sense but..." It's kind of depressing.
"... Really, ninjas did that?"
Part of him wonders if Laurent is funning him or doesn't have his facts straight. After all ninjas are more myth than anything in how people see them, especially foreigners.
The reality is much more subdued. But still, his skepticism is tempered by the idea that it might really be something like that this time, just because Laurent is selling this history lesson so well.
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
Isabeau knows that's not a normal classmate!! She's not close enough to hear the gossiping, though. Indeed, Laurent may note that Isabeau doesn't really stay close to any of her classmates.
Instead, she's focused on her father's lecturing, which she takes in with full attention. "Huh?" She asks, surprise crossing over her features, as he ends his story. "You mean... there really were ninjas in history? I thought they were just in Japanese animation..."
Did that guy at her last school LIE to her when he said they were all fiction?!
She's going right back to Mikage-Cho right now to kick his ass--!!
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
Indeed, Kanae has... issues about Ren. He could be a big problem for her. Nevertheless, he's not acting like the rumors say he would... mostly. It's easier to ignore him when she has friends or her boyfriend around. Then she can just focus on them...
But ninjas. Ninjas! ...Nah, she's not that into ninjas.
5r"...So they used them and then cast them aside," Kanae says, frowning. But she realizes, after a moment, that if she gets down on Japanese history, then that'll 'other' her even more.
So she says instead, ....I guess wars were pretty bloody," she settles on instead.
But she glances to Kazusa. Who is...
Kanae scowls.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Makoto's notes are as crisp and clean as you'd expect from someone like her. There is a section in the notes that they zero in on, though their expression remains impassive; they catch Makoto's eye and nod slightly at her.
They decidedly do not look at Kazusa as they do so. That happens when she starts gossiping about them and Makoto. Then they give her a side-eye before deciding to ignore her and the other students now gossiping with her. Then they sway a small step away from Makoto as the group keeps walking--still in conversational hang-out distance, but a little more platonic now. They're not going to be controlled by what other people say, but at the same time, they don't want to cause Makoto any trouble. She still has a future as a normal person.
Laurent continues the story of how the rebel monks killed the daimyo with the support of Tokugawa, only to be betrayed by him later. They do catch that distant, mournful look in his eye, which surprises them. It might be ancient history, but it feels like he cares about it.
But then Laurent specifies Tokugawa sent a ninja clan to do the slaughtering... Ren's attention sharpens at that, and they straighten out of their usual slouch. "A ninja clan..." they murmur, low enough for only Makoto to hear. She'll no doubt understand exactly where their thoughts have gone.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
A hard-fought victory, and the masses striking out against those that thought themselves above justice. It was, in its own way, inspiring... and then tragic, when their rebellion was rewarded with a grave of ash and rubble. Katsuko's expression shifted - just for a moment - into something indignant, though she snuffed it out the very second she realised that she had allowed herself to show such a thing.
"To fight for freedom, and to then be denied it..." Despite her best efforts, Katsuko could not keep that thought from being spoken. She wished she could chalk it up to the supernatural's influence on her, and the method of her awakening, but she knew it was something more personal.
Trying to hide it was to shut the barn door after the horse had bolted, and as such, she decided that her best course of action was to lean into it. Score brownie points with the teacher, make herself seem a good student before the council president, and hopefully not bring to Kazusa's attention that she was very much within earshot.
"...It must have been galling for them." Katsuko lamented, doing her best impression of a human being with human emotions. In true Katsuko fashion, it was difficult to even tell that she had displayed emotion, much less faked it.
By chance, she caught sight of Ren, and felt the slightest pang of embarrassment at their first meeting. She hoped to whatever deities were listening that they'd forgotten the particulars of the encounter - her faux pas in particular - because it appeared she would have to go through him to speak with Makoto. And, unfortunately for Katsuko, speaking about the history of the place reminded her of a question she had regarding her own duties there as a third year. Nevertheless, she steeled herself for an opponent far fiercer than any slavering wolf or looming shadow.
Social awkwardness.
"Amamiya-san, Nijima-san, I hope I'm not interrupting anything." It was a genuine sentiment. She didn't much care if she was interrupting something, their personal lives meant little to her beyond how it affected her schemes. But being seen as rude and losing social capital was unacceptable. "I just have a question regarding the latter half of this trip..."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Gossiping? Perish the thought. Kazusa is quick to straighten up and try to look like all of her attention is on Laurent when he glances her way, though, offering a smile.
"That's terrible..." Kazusa says of the betrayal Laurent speaks about, quietly.
But Shinichi suggests taht Makoto is rehabilitating Ren. "Ohhh, that makes sense, since she's the student council president..." she says, seemingly accepting that idea at face value. "Though..." she still keeps her voice down. "... I saw Niijima-senpai holdingAmamiya-san's hand at the summer festival. Do you think that's part of it, too?"
She looks to Shinichi. "What do you think that means?" she asks, innocently.
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
"...so the Shogunate's gratitude lasting only as long as was convenient," Makoto confirms, frowning slightly. It makes sense, of course. It's a story that hits home, in some ways. It's not like taking Kaneshiro or Kamiya off the streets had made the investigation against the Phantom Thieves slow in any way.
She may not have heard the gossip, but she does notice Ren step away a little and Makoto blinks for a moment. Probably just... giving her some personal space, right? Still, she does cast her a slightly confused look- but that gives way as she hears Ren's murmur, and nods, very slightly.
Fortunately, while Ren is more than happy to sit back and not draw attention, Makoto is very good at asking annoying questions. "...Was the ninja clan that the Tokugawa used to betray the Crimson Belts ever identified?" It's an odd question, to ask about the villains of the tragedy as well as the victims, but... Well. Makoto is ever curious, and always wants to know more. "...For that matter, I wonder if the Tokugawa betrayed them too." That bit is less of a question, and more of a musing, but it's out there now.
If they answer turns out to be 'Ryouhara', though, she will certainly not be keen to hear it.
Social awkwardness is an enemy of us all. Don't you worry, Katsuko. (Admittedly Makoto cares less about social capital these days.)
"Oh, Yoshinaga-san, right?" She doesn't know everyone but by god can she memorize a list of names attached to photos. "Of course, if I can't answer it, I can get the answer from Mr Inui." ...It's almost like she *does* like helping people who come to her for student council business. (And it's almost like that because it is like that.) She'll be more than happy to field Katsuko's question.
And she's definitely not in danger from any further gossip just a little away from her...
<Pose Tracker> Laurent Fontaine has posed.
"That's what some records say," Laurent tells Shinichi. Then, he looks at Isabeau, and he smiles a little apologetically. "Now... that may be embellishment -- it was certainly done covertly, not by apparent soldiers. But, it has been cited as an example of something done by ninja, and that's significant on its own."
He looks at Katsuko. "They did. And... they cast aside the ideals of the people, to advance them. A bitter lesson, all around," he says. He looks at Makoto, and then he nods. "Mm. Yes. After that... the idea of the Crimson Belts lived on, inspiring others -- but they did not."
He sighs, then smiles. "Now, then--we'll be splitting into smaller groups. Ahead, there are three large canvases--" He points where there are, in fact, canvas roofs set-up past the keep. "That's where archaeology teams from the university are working. I don't want to overwhelm them, and they agreed to show you what they do and how they do it. Hence, splitting up."
He smiles. "See what you can find and learn. It's an important opportunity to see how history and archaeology intersect."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
As always, Makoto asks good questions. Better that they come from her instead of them; teachers are going to respond more positively towards her, and indeed, Laurent takes her inquiries seriously. It's not that informative, but they suppose that makes sense. Sometimes those details simply get lost to time. It might be something to remember all the same.
Sounds like they're about to split up, though. That's fine by them. Before that can happen, though, Katsuko approaches, and Ren glances over their shoulder at her.
"You're fine," they reassure her, remembering her from that time at Ore no Beko. Katsuko's in luck: their main takeaway was the cafe she recommended to them; as a general rule. they don't hold social awkwardness against someone.
Beyond that, Makoto is here as the Student Council President, so if a student has a question for her, they're not going to get in the way of that. They take another step or two away so Katsuko can have a conversation without them getting too much in her space.
For good or ill, this is about when they hear "Kazusa" intensifying her gossip.
Oh boy. Very good that the group's about to split apart.
<Pose Tracker> Shinichi Nagisa has posed.
"Uhhhhh..."
He rubs the side of his neck at Kazusa's question, a little embarrassed, "Well if they're holding hands." He murmurs, "It probably means they're dating then, yeah. Most girls I know wouldn't let a guy hold their hand in public otherwise."
Wait, but shouldn't Kazusa have come to that conclusion to begin with? Or are they just playing coy to make him answer it and give his opinion on what hand holding means?
Man girls are hard sometimes. Especially when he's worried that she might be coming onto him some. Even if she was always treating him badly, he'd hate to turn her down like that.
"They do seem pretty close, I guess. Not that they'd hold hands here or anything..."
Laurent answers him, that that's what 'some' records say. "Huh, do any records differ at all on it?" He asks, suddenly curious in that regard.
As a kid of course he was into ninjas some. Some. It's just rare to hear anything real about them rather than anime.
But, the group's about to split so there's not enough time to answer. Somehow he's relieved, and hopes they split Isabeau and Kazusa off from him.
He might crack if he has to keep answering romance questions to her this whole trip.