2026-03-14: Two Villains Deny Terrified Children Icecream
- Log: Two Villains Deny Terrified Children Icecream
- Cast: Isabeau Fontaine, Goro Akechi
- Where: Konan - Aerospace Museum
- OOC Date: 2026-03-14
- IC Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 (segues directly into this scene)
- Summary: Isabeau visits the museum, only to find it BLOWING UP?! WHAT THE FUCK?! NO ONE TOLD HER!!!! Despite not needing any help -- even when she and a helpless child are trapped in a tank -- the gorgeous Prince Akechi is there to save her, anyway. How dare he? And why does Isabeau feel like she needs to make up for something, anyway?! This is all so weird and stupid and bad! She's gonna protect these kids and then KICK AKECHI'S ASS! Oh, also, see title. But wait, the title says 'villains', and he's clearly a dashing prince? Don't worry, there were no hints of the horrors to come in here. Absolutely none!
MONAD: A party led by Isabeau Fontaine has begun the event Aerospace Museum.
(|======================== Monad - Aerospace Museum ========================|)
-==== Round 1: The Other Side - Challenge Level 2 ===========================-
| Approach Options: Academics or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Curse - -1 to Group Roll (Per Character), Educational - |
| Academics Up L1, and Terrifying - Guts Down L2 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-
The Konan District's Aerospace Museum is easy enough to find, in part
because it has a life-sized Zeppelin replica attached to the building as
both exhibit and restaurant. Rumor has it that it can actually fly, but well
you can't believe everything you hear, right?
In the lobby, there's World War II memorabilia, including a Mitsubishi A6M
Zero hanging in pristine condition from the roof above. The lobby looks
empty save for a beautiful young man in the Kasugayama High uniform that
some may recognize as Jun Kashihara. He's looking around with a fretful
frown, as if searching for a museum employee; upon spotting you, he
approaches with a letter in hand to say:
"Excuse me--I don't mean to alarm you, but you should leave immediately.
Someone dangerous is coming here..."
The letter in his hand is tightly clenched, but the eagle-eyed can make out
a message like 'cOMe aLOnE tO ThE AerOspAcE MuSEUM oR ELsE <3' in a
scrawled, erratic hand.
No sooner does he start a conversation with you, when abruptly an entire
wall detonates into a great conflagration, as some incendiary device
detonates.
"Kya-hahaha! Welcome to my walk down memory lane. Guess you ran into the
first of my bombs. The next will go off in the stairwell, then the other
floors will go up in flames one by one!"
As flames of expiation light the heavens
The Lion's roar echoes far and wide
"Don't you remember? It's just like the Other Side. There's a field trip
touring the museum right now. If you don't get those kids to the roof,
they'll become barbeque! Better hurry! Kya-hehehe-ahahahaha!"
Your first challenge is rather simple, the voice wasn't kidding about the
stairwell going up in flames next. You have seconds to locate it, and run up
to the second floor before the fastest way to the second floor goes up in
flames.
Can you make it in time?
OOC: The Red Text in this Monad represents Deja Vu moments from 'the Other
Side'. If you've determined that your character was not present in Innocent
Sin, or you haven't decided yet, then you can ignore these moments.
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
Isabeau did not come here with friends.
Neither, shockingly, did she come here to aggress the Joker Killer!
No, Isabeau's here because...
... look, have you MET her dad? She goes to museums for fun, okay?!
Apparently, few other people are this -- nerdy? Awesome -- though, because when she enters the lobby, there just aren't that many people here. "Ugh," Isabeau scowls, folding her padded arms over her chest. "`Philistines. No appreciation for the past...`"
Her dark, French muttering is interrupted by a lovely young man -- in a Kasugayama uniform, unlike the Shujin suspenders she's wearing -- approaching her. "What?" She snaps, in Japanese, turning to him with a scowl. "You have a problem?!"
That confirms she speaks Japanese, at least, though it's a touch stilted. Jun offers her a warning, in turn: "Excuse me--I don't mean to alarm you, but you should leave immediately. Someone dangerous is coming here..."
"Eeeeh?" Isabeau's tone rises, in the precise metre of a (girl) bully, as her green eyes flick to that paper in his hand. She's calculating snatching it up -- even though she can't read much aside from the heart -- when
everything breaks.
"`Shit!`" Isabeau barks, in French -- and 'merde' might even be recognisable, it's quite memetic -- as she hits the deck, and a touch heavily, but it's fine, she's big. The flames roar, and there's something about the sound....
... like a lion...
Atonement is...
They're not quite words as much as a feeling, gripping her, ego-dystonic yet somehow entirely in her own manner; Isabeau listens to that man crowing about the children, and it's not just her own sensibilities, picking her up, despite how she'd been so cruel moments earlier.
"How dare you--?!" She yells, as -- forgive her, papa! -- she grabs a preserved flak jacket from one of the stands and slings it over her, as she charges up towards the stairwell.
She happens to know that these things were first put into regular army use in World War II -- waistcoats of cotton canvas with protective plates sewn into them. They were designed to stop Fliegerabwehrkanone, anti-aircraft artillery... so if that stairwell explodes with her in it, it's the kind of equipment that might just save her.
MONAD: Isabeau Fontaine has acted with Trapper's Tactics toward The Other Side! Focus and Patra!
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Goro Akechi is here today, because he had some idea that this was going down. He is, after all, the Second Coming of the Detective Prince. Right now, he's made several rounds of the perimeter to check around, but mostly he's tailing Jun Kashihara.
He understands that the Joker Killer has a fixation upon him for being special. And while that is infuriating, he doesn't mind using him.
He watches Jun approach a girl, then pulls out his book from a pocket, double checking some details, "... Fontaine." He murmurs. "Fascinating."
He's musing on that, as everything begins to go wrong. As the echo of a Voice on high leads him to fully understand what it means.
The book claps shut, as he double checks an object in his pocket and grasps it in his hand, "Our little game ends tonight."
Eternal Punishment - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Voyvc8c1bTE
The change happens while he's already mid-stride to the staircase. You see, he checked the layout of the place beforehand thanks to suspecting something might happen.
By the time Isabeau is charging towards the staircase, a Princely figure is already there, opening the door for her, with a half bow and a tip of his long-nosed crimson Tengu Mask, "Ladies first, Mademoiselle."
He says with a hint of good humor, before he begins bounding up the stairwell rapidly, like an ink smear shifting from place to place.
MONAD: Goro Akechi has acted with Second Coming toward The Other Side! Focus and Patra!
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
There's someone here already--?! Oh, someone in a Mask. "Ugh, you could have told me this place was Supernatural!" Isabeau issues to him, acerbic, as she transforms, too -- which soundly protects the priceless work of historical art behind her own Victorian sensibilities, at least. Moments after the stairwell is cleared, there's a great explosion behind them -- but Isabeau doesn't lose her footing, this time, as she's running forward.
"There are children up here," she says, and notably is not out of breath as she runs. "We need to get them free!"
Well, at least she's not as much of an asshole as she could have been...
MONAD: Goro Akechi has drawn a new Challenge!
(|======================== Monad - Aerospace Museum ========================|)
-==== Round 2: Worst Field Trip Ever - Challenge Level 2 ====================-
| Approach Options: Proficiency or Guts |
| Conditions: Clumsy - Proficiency Down L1, Educational - Academics Up L1, |
| and Scary - Guts Down L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-
The second floor of the Aerospace museum is already filling with smoke, as
flames from the first floor have already caught hold here, licking along
several particularly flammable spaces. Exhibits about the history of
aviation in Japan and in general are lined up with artifacts of prior
generations.
Fifteen. Fifteen minutes. That's how long you have to find the kids and get
to the roof. You're not sure why you get that instinct.
You've gotta find those kids! Quick!
Unfortunately there are demons coming down the hallway already. Horse-headed
creatures that stand on two-feet. With a whinny of rage, they come at you,
spreading more flames with Maragi spells.
And that's just the first group of them.
You have to search this floor quickly AND thoroughly, fighting demons as you
go, paths that were open before closing off in flame.
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"I could have." The Princely figure says agreeably, "But I had thought the disembodied voice on high was a distinct enough clue on it's own." He says, absolutely not just taking that.
"Then let's be on our way, quickly."
As they burst through the door to the second floor, they find that even this floor has already been set aflame.
Isabeau understands. Fifteen minutes. That's how long they have.
"Let's search the most major exhibit halls first-"
Two horse-headed demons carrying harps whinney, Kimnaras, as their Maragi spells set more of the place aflame.
"It's going to be fun sifting through your ashes-hrk!"
There's a smoking hole in that one's head, from the laser of a ray gun in the Princely figure's hand, he hasn't even turned away from Isabeau.
He made that shot entirely without looking.
"As I was saying..." He continues, "... splitting up may allow us to cover more ground in the short term. Or would you prefer we continue to look together?"
He leaves the other one entirely to her.
MONAD: Goro Akechi has acted with Warning Shot toward Worst Field Trip Ever! Specialty!
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
"Loudspeakers exist," Isabeau does huff, now, though it has nothing to do with the physical activity. Lower, and in French: "`Asshole.`"
She coughs, as they bust into the second floor, and produces a old-fashioned handkerchief from the breast pocket of her longcoat to tie around her nose and mouth. It would make a poor filtration device in reality, but right now, the idea that she's taken steps to keep her lungs clear matters almost as much.
Before she can respond to this Prince's idea of where to search, though, the Kimnaras -- or, in this smoke, would they be more likely called Kinnaras? -- whinney in glee for their ashes...
... and Isabeau snrks, when one of them is interrupted in the middle of his sentence, too. "Nice." She doesn't stand idle, though -- she takes the knife from her belt, and with the press of a switch, its handle telescopes out to form a long metal spear. Agilao comes for her, but her legs bend, and she springs away, up onto the nose of a half-gutted old aeroplane before she dives down on the Demon, spear-first.
"Of course we should split up!" She snaps, angrily. "Do you not understand the situation?! We have only fifteen minutes! We must find the children and get to the roof, now!"
And she's already charging off...
MONAD: Isabeau Fontaine has acted with Parkour Everywhere toward Worst Field Trip Ever! Specialty!
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Oh, you couldn't sense that it was supernatural communication?" The Prince looks momentarily surprised, then adds, "'My mistake'." He replies, in heavily accented of course, but fluent French with a smirk on his face.
'Nice.'
"I do aim to please."
Was the pun intended? It must have been. He watches her dispatch the other as it the Demon is impaled, then melts into the floor. "Well done." Before he adds, "Quite the interesting armament you have there..."
Isabeau of course indicates they should split up, and the Prince notes, "Agreed. Do call if you need-"
She's already charging off.
"-help?" There's a chuckle, then a furrowing of the brow and a pensive expression.
"He never said anything about fifteen minutes."
Food for thought later, he's running off to check the other end of the burning second floor for the children.
(|======================== Monad - Aerospace Museum ========================|)
-==== Round 4: Think of the Children - Challenge Level 1 ====================-
| Approach Options: Guts or Understanding |
| Conditions: Scary - Guts Down L1 and Soft - Understanding Up L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-
Jun Kashihara stands at the door to the next floor, covering his mouth and
nose with a handkerchief as he looks around the smoke-darkened floor. When
he spots your group, he waves you over.
"There's two more groups of kids on this floor, but I don't know where they
are," he says urgently. "Let's work together to find them. You split up to
search the floor and send them my way, and I'll stay here to direct them
upstairs so they don't get lost. We've got to save those children."
You could look for those children as this floor burns. You could also
simply push past him and head upstairs. It all depends on your priorities.
If you have kids with you already, you could also ask Jun to escort them
upstairs while you search the floor in his place for stragglers.
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
Oh, he speaks French! That explains why Isabeau responds to his comment about her spearknife in French: "`My spearknife is a highly technical weapon designed for both short- and long-range combat,`" and she sounds much more eloquent, in her native language.
"`I won't,`" she assures him, still in French, over her shoulder. Need help? Call for help?
Six of one, half a dozen of the other...
Splitting up does help them cover the next floor at speed, though -- and luckily, Jun Kashihara is here to receive the children they find. "Stay low," she barks, to him, which is something like concern as she heads straight for the tank to search for kids.
Kids love tanks, right? Was that just her? Couldn't have been.
Luckily, there are kids hiding beneath that massive turret. "Waaaahhh!" One of them cries, blowing on her hands to cool them down.
"What is it?!" Isabeau snaps, with all the nurturing of a cactus.
"Satoshi-kun hid inside!" The girl wails. "He's gonna cooooook!!"
"`Damn brats!`" Isabeau swears, but nonetheless springs up to the open tank door above them. As she clambers into the (really quite HOT) inside of the tank to find the crying boy inside, though...
... she jostles the wrong thing, and the big, heavy, metal opening clanks loudly shut.
"Wha?!" The boy -- generically dubbed Satoshi -- wails, as he's plunged into greater darkness. "Noooo!!!"
"Calm down!" Isabeau snaps, pushing at the door, but in pitch blackness...
... how is she going to get out of this one?!
MONAD: Isabeau Fontaine has acted with Guts toward Think of the Children! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
'Spearknife' definitely takes a little parsing, but not overly much, "'I see. That certainly makes sense.'"
He's a little rusty, definitely, not having the occasion to speak much French in his day to day, but he's at least rather intelligible.
He doesn't clarify which one she meant.
The Princely figure does locate a room full of crying elementary schoolers, and he directs, "It's just like in the drills in school. Stay low, single-file." And then with a gesture, his crimson Tengu mask comes off.
"Don't worry, the Second Coming of the Detective Prince, Goro Akechi, is here to save all of you."
"Wow!"
"Are you a superhero?"
"Who?"
That last one causes his eyebrow to twitch as he chuckles, "Aha- let's hurry now. We wouldn't want you children to be harmed." He stresses that final word as he takes point, killing a few Demons with ease before they ever come near the children.
"Ah, Kashihara-san. Can you take them? And have you seen Fontaine-san?"
-=-=-
Things may seem dire for Isabeau Fontaine, stuck in a rapidly heating tank with a child. Several kids are yeling when Akechi comes on scene.
"They're inside!"
"The hatch shut and they can't get out!"
"Ah." The Princely figure strolls up to the tank and says, "Fontaine-san, would you mind keeping your head down for a moment? The child's too if you please..."
What is he planning on doing!?
Suddenly the entire top half of the turret is sheered of by a lengthened Blade of Light, which Isabeau will see pass overhead in a flash.
This is then followed by- "Persona!" And Robin Hood appears, prying the turret off with the end of it's bow then shoving it over. "I know this exhibit must have been truly fascinating for you to take a closer look, but shall we be on our way back to the stairs?"
MONAD: Goro Akechi has acted with Guts toward Think of the Children! Base!
(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== Think of the Children - Round 4 =======================================-
Goro Akechi Guts Success
Guts Base Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isabeau Fontaine Guts Success
Guts Base Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Scary-2 and Soft-2
Final Conditions: Scary-1 and Soft-1
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 4/6 |==== | ===================================================-
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
"We're gonna diiiiiiiiie!" Satoshi wails, as Isabeau tries to feel out the latch. "It's getting hotter, Auntie! Wahhhh!"
"I am not your aunt," and Isabeau completely fails to absorb that he's calling her old, as she grits her teeth. "Just calm down --"
There's a din from outside, though, and faintly, she manages to catch the Prince's warning... just in time.
"Get down!" She barks, leaning over Satoshi and ducking his head quite forcibly down as a Blade of Light tears the top half of the turret clear off.
The weirdest thing?
Part of her is upset that he's destroying the exhibits like that...
Just, you know, most of her is busy picking that boy up and leaping out of the opening which Robin Hood allows them. "Ha ha," she scowls, as she puts the boy down. Harsh as she is, she at least makes time to crouch down and ask: "... can you walk?"
"Uh-huh..." Satoshi sniffles, before looking up to Akechi. "Wow, mister... you're really cool!"
"Oh, sure, he is cool," Isabeau grumbles, straghtening up. "Let us go."
(|======================== Monad - Aerospace Museum ========================|)
-==== Round 3: SCREAM for Ice Cream - Challenge Level 2 =====================-
| Approach Options: Charm or Academics |
| Conditions: Clumsy - Proficiency Down L1, Curse - -1 to Group Roll (Per |
| Character), Fairy - Subtract 1 Fatigue on success., and Scary - Guts Down |
| L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-
It's only getting worse as more devices are going off, the hallways are
choked with smoke, and the kids are coughing the whole way.
But! Sanctuary! Glorious sanctuary! You see the outline of a doorway which
leads to a certain money-grubbing fairy's shrine.
Entering the spring is an instant relief. The kids breathe easier. You'll
have to move before long, but any reprieve is welcome.
"Hey rugrats! Nothing in life is free, and that includes fresh air!" Trish
crosses her arms, tapping a riding crop, "Since you're exceeding maximum
occupancy, I'll have you know that I'm charging by the minute. I'd put it on
your tab but... ha! You don't have one. Tabs are for deadbeats and losers."
Then, with a grin, the fairy suddenly goes to stand behind a new fixture in
her fountain, covered by a bright red cloth, which she pulls off with a
sudden flourish, to reveal an ICE CREAM COUNTER and brandishes a scoop.
"Also I'd like to introduce you all to the latest addition to my business,
the Trish Refreshment Stand. Who wants Ice Cream? Only 5000 yen per scoop."
"Me!"
"Please! My throat feels like it's on fire!"
"Is she a real fairy!?" "Nah, it's gotta be a costume."
"That's right kiddos." She winks at them, before looking at all of you.
"Just a costume." She makes a gesture of two fingers rubbing against each
other at you. You start to realize, you've been CONNED! She's definitely
price-gouging in the middle of the raging inferno, tugging on your heart
strings and using the kids as props.
Are you really gonna let these kids go without ice cream?
Maybe you can convince her to be reasonable. That's one big maybe.
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Ordinarily Akechi wouldn't want to destroy history exhibits either but, you know...
... the fire will do that anyway, when the floors give out and the tank gets buried in rubble.
He does preen some when the child calls him cool, "Just doing what any decent passerby would do for someone in trouble." He says with a smile, not even responding to what Isabeau says at all.
As they come up with the children, Jun's already moved on to escort the others. The smoke is getting thicker, and many of the children are now constantly coughing.
"We may have to carry them. They won't last much longer... and there's not enough time for them to crawl."
Fortunately though- "Ah! That door there..."
It opens into Trish's Spring. And the kids pant, as they suck in fresh air.
The fairy dressed sort of like a flying nurse fetishist flies up on fluttering wings with a riding crop in hand.
"Hey rugrats! Nothing in life is free, and that includes fresh air!"
Trish crosses her arms, tapping a riding crop, "Since you're exceeding maximum occupancy, I'll have you know that I'm charging by the minute. I'd put it on your tab but... ha! You don't have one. Tabs are for deadbeats and losers."
"Ah." Akechi sweatdrops, "I'm beginning to remember why I decided not to become a regular of this place."
Then, with a grin, the fairy suddenly goes to stand behind a new fixture in her fountain, covered by a bright red cloth, which she pulls off with a sudden flourish, to reveal an ICE CREAM COUNTER and brandishes a scoop.
"Also I'd like to introduce you all to the latest addition to my business, the Trish Refreshment Stand. Who wants Ice Cream? Only 5000 yen per scoop."
"Me!"
"Please! My throat feels like it's on fire!"
"Is she a real fairy!?"
"Nah, it's gotta be a costume."
Akechi turns to look at Isabeau, "I do believe we've been had." There's a profound sigh, before he steps forward.
"Well if it isn't Akechi-kun! Can I put you down for some genuine Italian Gelato?" Akechi waves a hand with a smile, "Oh no. You see." And then he turns to address the children, "Children, in about... seven minutes, the whole building is going to explode. There's no time for Ice Cream."
The children all groan unanimously, "But-!" Akechi preempts them, "In order for us all to live through this, we have to move on immediately. But I promise you, I'll buy you as much Ice Cream as you'd like after this is over."
As he makes eye contact with Trish, "For actually reasonable prices."
"CHEAPSKATE!" Trish shouts at him, "You're really going to deny these kids ICE CREAM while everything is burning down around you!?"
"To be blunt, yes I am."
"SKINFLINT! I HOPE YOU ALL DIE IN A FIRE!"
MONAD: Goro Akechi has acted with Smooth Talk toward SCREAM for Ice Cream! Focus and Friendliness!
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
"That is fine," Isabeau decides, when Akechi suggests they'll have to carry them. At five foot six, she's wishing for once that she was a little more Japanese-tiny like the other girls in class; she has to lean over to keep from breathing nothing but smoke, by now.
It takes her a few moments, but she at least eventually adds: "... good work, back there." Beat. "Though, I would have been fine on my own."
COOKING ALIVE IN A TANK, ISABEAU!
Akechi sights a door, though, and Isabeau barges in. "Everyone in!" She barks, to the kids, and at least takes a minute to head count and make sure they haven't lost anyone in the smoke.
And inside, there's...
"Bonjour, Trish," Isabeau smiles, apparently already familiar with her particular brand of avarice. She has the waspish sense of a fairy about her, too, but not even her deal with the Pixies is going to save her on this one. Still... she's clapping?! "A marvellous scheme! I am sure you will earn a great amount, today! To use the children is very good. Listen to them!"
"Please!" Satoshi wails, hands mashing into the side of the stand. "I waaaannaaaaaa!"
"I regret I do not have time to enjoy this more," she says, and actually sounds like she does, "but the children are not hardened as the boy or I are hardened. They will die soon, and their spirits would haunt me until my own death. They grow wiser, in death, did you know? They will realise, then, that we killed them with our kindness."
"W--wha?" Satoshi's friend asks, looking up at her as she tears up. "What are you saying, Auntie?! I don't wanna diiiieeee!!"
"Next time, though," she promises her, a hand clapping to her handkerchief-shrouded cheek. "Next time! Come, come," she insists, to the children, as she moves to shepherd them out.
What a weird girl...
MONAD: Isabeau Fontaine has acted with Ghost Talk toward SCREAM for Ice Cream! Amrita!
(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== SCREAM for Ice Cream - Round 3 ========================================-
Goro Akechi Charm Success
Smooth Talk Focus and Friendliness Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isabeau Fontaine Charm Success
Ghost Talk Amrita Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Clumsy-1, Curse-0, Fairy-0, and Scary-1
Final Conditions:
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 3/6 |=== | ===================================================-
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
(|======================== Monad - Aerospace Museum ========================|)
-==== Round 5: Déjà View - Challenge Level 1 ================================-
| Approach Options: Guts or Understanding |
| Conditions: Hard - Understanding Down L1, Heartening - Guts Up L1, Scary - |
| Guts Down L1, and Soft - Understanding Up L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-
You rush into one of the hanging displays in the Aerospace Museum. A
life-sized model airplane hangs from the ceiling over an open floor plan. A
portion of the floor acts as a walkway that leads right up to it. There's no
reason to approach it, given that the place is actively on fire and you
still have a ways to go before you reach the roof.
But... you could swear--some of you--that you hear a young girl screaming
for help from over where the model airplane is. No matter how much you look,
though, there's no one there. Eerie.
Not everyone will hear. Just those who might be getting reminded of a past
that never was, if they were a part of it. Those who wouldn't are simply met
with another empty room.
Whether you hear or not, do you move on, or do you double down? Tick tock...
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Far be it from me to contradict a Lady in the matter. I would never claim otherwise."
His tone is a LITTLE bit sardonic, but he's smiling there at that one somewhat.
Akechi then stands back, hand on his chin as he watches Isabeau utilize her own methods to 'convince' the children.
And when she's finished...
"YOU DAMNABLE AIRHEAD! I'M TRYING TO MAKE A SALE HERE!"
"Well that settles that. Deep breaths. I'd say we should take a quick dunk in the Spring first, but I doubt we could afford that-"
"For a low low price of two million yen-"
"Off we go then!"
"I'LL REMEMBER THIS! THAT IS IF YOU DON'T ALL FRY!"
"-Thank you for driving the urgency of the matter home." Akechi gives a waggle of his fingers towards Trish as he steps out and directs the children.
"This way!"
The door leads to the third floor balcony above the main lobby, which is utterly consumed in flames. The walkway connecting to another stairwell.
"Quickly!"
Akechi finds it quite easy to run by with the kids, but Isabeau may find it less so...
...because the display of the Zero hanging overhead has captured her attention. She may suddenly think another child is trapped on top of it, in need of rescue.
Nooooo! Help me!
The sensation of someone about to fall then- falling.
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
"Good!" Isabeau huffs. She's a little too hot-headed right now to really dig down on the sardony.
You know. Because her head is hot. On account of all the FIRE.
When Trish calls her an airhead, in the spring, though, Isabeau...
... giggles. Like, straight-up giggles. "Excusez-moi!" She chirps, merrily, and that's at least mostly parsable for anyone who's heard some English too.
"Happy commerce!" Isabeau offers Trish, as they depart. She won't forgive her for such a slight... but she's just so cute...
Akechi thanks her for driving the urgency of the matter home, though, and Isabeau nods. "Of course. Spirits are no laughing matter, you know." Aren't they? Well, she's at least taking them seriously enough to follow Akechi when he declares the way forward, instead of insisting on taking her own path.
They spill out onto a balcony. Isabeau takes up the rear, ushering the children forward, but then --
"Huh? Auntie! Come on!" Satoshi tugs at her hand, when she stops.
She wrenches it back, and snaps, to him: "Follow the Prince!"
Why she'd say something like that is revealed, a moment later, as she grasps the balcony and swings herself up over onto the edge of the railing, balancing there, catlike. "A girl is trapped there," is all the explanation she gives, before --
The power of Persona allows one to perform feats they never could in the real world... and in her case, it's because those real-world capabilities are amplified. Flames tearing through the exhibition below, she grasps onto the edge of the wing -- swings, once, twice -- and flips herself up, onto the top of the wing. "I am here!" She cries, as she clambers to the cockpit...
... but even when she climbs inside a space which is only designed for one person...
... she finds nothing, except for the heat of the flames rising up from below. Not even when she climbs to the tail, looks down -- not even when she hooks her legs around the tail to dangle beneath the Zero, looking to see if there's anyone clinging for dear life to the wheels.
She coughs, as she swings herself back up, and the Zero swings precariously as she leaps back to the balcony -- grasping to the railing, swinging herself back up and over.
"There was certainly someone..." Isabeau insists, troubled. "Did she already fall...?"
Never mind that, they have to get to the roof.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Akechi is already over to the next stairwell up. He's checked it as one should, back of the hand, then opened up, propped open by a door stop.
But he's heard the chatter of the children calling out to her, and he looks back, as if perturbed, "Mademoiselle?"
Only in time to see her flip over onto the Zero. In alarm, he rushes over to the side. The floor below the plane is a raging inferno.
"Hold on! I'll come down for y-" Fortunately she flips back up and there is a look of relief. "You're certain?"
He looks down towards the side, into the flames. "Then there's nothing that can be done for them now." He says, pragmatically, "No one could survive that without powers like our own."
Still, it's strange. He heard nothing, and he's certain he's more sensitive than her in supernatural spaces such as this.
When they make it to the stairwell, he takes one last look at the Zero, just in case. "How odd..." He muses, as they move on.
VWOOP!
For Akechi and Isabeau, the world shifts into monochromatic hues. The world stinks like an oil spill makes in a rancid garbage dump, a nausea inducing tableau of awfulness that overwhelms the senses.
Thump, thump, thump.
The heartbeat palpitates in a quickening rhythm. "He's on the roof. Children... we're going to have you stay in this stairwell, at the top. Don't go onto the roof until we say so unless the flames reach this place."
As he then explains, "There's a very bad man out there. The villain who started these fires. He'll kill you if he sees you in the open."
The children are tense now, looking at each other with worried looks, some visibly biting their lips.
He then looks to Isabeau, "Are you ready, Mademoiselle? Have you ever faced the 'Old Maid' before?"
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
"Right..." Isabeau says, though she looks over her shoulder, unsettled.
Born from War, hers to atone...
Why... does she feel like it's her responsibility not to leave them to die...?
The world shifts, and Isabeau is glad for the handkerchief wrapped about her face, as her expression twists with that nausea. "Ugh..."
Akechi explains the very bad man, though, and Isabeau frowns. "The Old Maid? You mean... the Joker Killer? Is that not just a rumour?" Rumour, Isabeau, Rumour, you're in Sumaru, that's a proper noun. "If a serial killer like that is out there," she insists, gesturing sharply, "we cannot leave these children unattended!"
"W--wait, don't leave us with Auntie --" "She's scary!" "But that bad man sounds scarier..." "I don't wanna die..." "I want my mommyyyyy..."
"Be quiet!" Isabeau snaps, to them, before she turns back to Akechi. "I just... feel like something bad will happen, if I do not mind them," she starts, a touch awkwardly. "Like... I must make sure I..." ... but she shakes her head, with a frustrated noise. "Egah! Do not worry on this! Go and put him to the sword, and I will watch the children!"
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"It's not simply a rumor. He's a powerful Persona User." Though he smiles at her a touch smugly, "Though, he's certainly no match for me." His confidence seems to be backed up by his actions down in the museum, at least.
He then nods gravely, interesting. There's more to her than meets the eye... she really does want to save innocent lives, and cares about children.
Well, there is a reason why one should never pre-judge a person.
You know, he grew up loving the idea of heroes. A simple idea of Justice. A black and white, a right and wrong. An ideal.
He loved watching them on the television, growing up, he still does to this day. There was a time in his life, when he wanted to be the hero of Justice.
And that's why he looks as he does right now.
From Me to You - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_jdP_oAMZE
"I understand, Mademoiselle. Please protect them with all of your might."
Taking one of her free hands, he lowers himself for a moment, his lips nearing her hand, then - they make no contact hovering there, before he releases it.
"I'll take care of him, then be back to assist you in their evacuation."
And then he turns, cape fluttering, and opens the door.
He had the opportunity to be that hero of Justice. But he's not. Inside his pocket is what he brought to make certain this ends tonight.
He's a Murderer, and Might decides what Justice is. And also, he's being an ass because he decided he just wanted to see the look on her face when he did that to a girl who prizes her strength and independence that much before leaving for a fight.
<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.
"I see..." Isabeau scowls, thoughtfully. "... I prey on monsters, not men. I do not know what my father would think of this kind of threat," which is apparently important enough for her to dwell on while the building's burning, "but it is clear this Old Maid must be stopped. Give him no quarter, Prince."
She doesn't know just how right she is.
He bids her to protect them, though, and -- takes her hand?! "Ah --" Isabeau starts, her ghostly-white skin colouring across her cheeks, as he threatens, and threatens, and --
-- and then he releases her hand, and she snatches it back. "V-- very funny!" She barks, grasping the hand he held with her other. "See to it you survive, so that I can tear you apart!"
What? Her heart's fluttering? No it isn't. What a ridiculous idea. Her cheeks certainly aren't still burning, either.
"Wow... Auntie, do you like him?" One of the children wonders, as the door shuts behind Akechi.
"He is a -- a -- showing off!" Isabeau exclaims, as she gathers the children. "`Ass!`"
If he dies, she'll kill him!