2026-03-17: Ambush
- Log: Ambush
- Cast: Shinjiro Aragaki, Jin Shirato
- Where: Port Island Station Back Alleys
- OOC Date: March 17, 2026
- IC Date: October 12, 2012 (pushed forward)
- Summary: Jin has a bone to pick with Shinjiro after his last fight with Niko. Shinjiro does not come out of it unscathed.
- TW: Physical brutality
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro has been behaving lately. No solo Dark Hour patrols where he can help it, trying his best to stick with his team, the like.
But he still has friends in the margins, and as such, he still visits the Port Island back alleys sometimes, even if he's started going to school and cleaning up again. Even those who'd grumble about this don't step to him, because he can still fight.
Shinjiro's currently walking down the alleyways to meet a contact. He's in his red coat and beanie, a neutral expression on his face. He has no idea what to expect. Things have been fine, even if his personal relationships have struggled since the Strega attack.
There's plenty of nooks and blind spots, though...
<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
Plenty of them. And Jin just happens to be tucked into one of them. He steps out smoothly into the walkway just as Shinjiro is about to pass, blocking his path. Clearly, he has been waiting. But not for long. Jin was all about strengths and weaknesses, but you never knew someone's strength or weakness without doing some real on-the-ground research first. And that's exactly what Jin did, spending the last week quietly stalking Shinjiro from the rooftops and shadows, analyzing his habits and haunting grounds before carefully selecting an appropriate time and place.
"Didn't expect to see you here," he says, though he knows Shinjiro is here all the time. "I thought now that you're hanging out with your group of goody-two-shoes, you wouldn't lurk around in a place like this."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro stops as Jin steps forward, gritting his teeth. He didn't want to see him. If he was here to threaten him, he wasn't going to play ball. But while he tensed, he did not bring his guard up - he knew Jin was a threat as a Persona User, but he didn't seem like the type to start a fight in the mundane world for no good reason.
"Piss off, Shirato. I haven't forgotten my roots, but neither have I forgotten how your gang of psychos attacked the people I'm trying to protect."
Shinjiro was underestimating Jin. That might be to his advantage, let him get the first blow if he wanted.
<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
Jin doesn't at all look affected by Shinjiro's words, or his attitude. He continues to stay blocked up in front of Shinjiro, blocking him from easily passing in the narrow alleyway. With one quick sidestep, Jin could block Shinjiro if he tried to pass on either side of him.
"Yeah? Seems pretty hypocritical when you're goin' around beatin' up people of our own."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro rolls his eyes. He doesn't try moving as Jin clearly wants to 'talk', but neither does he stoop to violence first.
"I'm not the one endangering civilians. As long as you're working with the Joker Killer, as long as you're killing people, you have no place to scold me about anything."
<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
"Think whatever you want. At least I'm not beatin' on girls." Jin couldn't care less what Shinjiro thought of him. He didn't even even care what Shinjiro thought of him when they were still on friendly terms. If anything, he looked at Shinjiro's turn-heel with disdain and judgment. And that's exactly how he's looking at Shinjiro right now.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro laughed, though it wasn't a cheerful thing. It was frustrated, no warmth to it. "What, is this about my fight with Niko?" No honorific - apparently they're close enough he's actually calling her by that name as she requests.
"She knew what she was getting into when she teamed up with a serial killer. Are you trying to white knight for her? That's kinda creepy, Shirato."
<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
Jin feels a prickle of irritation that only surfaces in a momentary twitch of the lip.
"Maybe someone should try beatin' on one of your team members to see how you'd react. One of the girls? Or maybe the little kid."
Jin's hoping to get a rise out of Shinjiro. Not because he wants one (the logical part of him doesn't), but if he's hoping to inflict some harm on Shinjiro, why not add a little psychological damage to the mix?
"Attacking a kid would be too easy. You know, I already know what route he takes to walk back home from school."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro notices Jin's lip twitch as he starts talking shit. The taller teen frowns, but he pales when Jin mentions Ken, how he might stalk him and attack him.
Psychological damage is one thing. But Jin doesn't know the *extent* of that psychological damage and what Ken means to him. The thought of Ken getting hurt because of him causes him to tense up, his hand twitching being the first sign of what happens next.
Lunging forward, he grabs Jin's jacket, trying to pin him against the wall. Jin might be able to counter or dodge it if he's fast, but either way, Shinjiro only says one thing.
"Shut the fuck up!"
<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
Jin allows himself to be caught by Shinjiro. A smile grows on his face as Shinjiro catches his jacket.
Exactly what he planned.
"I guess I've touched a nerve," Jin says. Shinjiro's so caught up in his theatrics that he's not paying to anything around him. It's the perfect opportunity. Jin knows already that no one sees him as a physical threat outside of the Dark Hour. But having someone underestimate you can be an advantage. Catching someone off-guard so hard that they let donw their defensives is, too.
And Jin likes having the advantage.
Jin knees Shinjiro the second he's close enough for the joint to hit its target. If Shinjiro staggers back, he'll kick him in the stomach after. With any luck, he'll be knocked to the ground. That'll take care of any height or weight advantage Shinjiro has over him. From there, everything should be easy.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro's running on blind fear and anger right now, so when that knee comes up, he doesn't see it coming. He loses his grip on Jin's jacket, staggering backwards. If he had more of his bearings, he'd be able to defend against Jin's kick, turn everything around casually. "Fuck...!"
However, it hits him straight in the stomach, hard enough for him to lose his breath for a second. He drops, not as durable in a mundane confrontation, especially against a foe who's been planning this for some time.
Though while he hits the ground, he's not unconscious, just winded. He's lucky to not hit his head, but it's unlikely he'll be able to get up before Jin can get to work.
<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
"Don't!" Kick. "Fuck!" Kick. "With Strega!" KICK!
It's the first time anger registers on his face since their encounter began. No, it's not anger -- it's fury. He'd never admit it, but he had grown fond of Niko. He never once thought he'd let someone else in outside of his core group of Chidori and Takaya. But somehow she managed to integrate herself into his life and make herself a critical part of it.
And this bastard had absolutely no problems hurting her for it. No way was Jin going to stand for it.
The kicks continue -- each one more brutal than the last as Jin is wrapped up in a frenzied state of adrenaline. For a man who is usually so in control, he's completely lost any sense of it.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro doesn't have a chance to get up. Instead he guards his face with his hands, but that doesn't stop him from getting kicked over, and over, and over again, bloodied and battered and bruised.
It wasn't that Shinjiro had no problem hurting Niko, either. But why would he apologize to Jin for it? He's had to come to terms with that with Niko, that they're on opposite sides. Of course he struggles.
When Jin finally stops, Shinjiro's a mess. He's conscious, because it takes more than that to knock him out, but he's not getting up any time soon.
<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
"You touch one member of Strega outside the Dark Hour and I'll go after the kid next." Jin stomps Shinjiro's stomach. "Got it?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Mm," Shinjiro says, which is close enough to an affirmative while guarding his face, and the intent is clear. He doesn't know if he can actually keep it, though... or if he should. So he'll just have to make sure Ken's safe no matter what happens next. That's all he thinks about, even as he's kicked and beaten.
<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
Jin spits on Shinjiro, then turns on heel. The adrenaline is finally starting to wear off, but he's still feeling wound up. He shoves his hands in his pocket, his fingers twitching.
He needs to get back to the warehouse.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro is left physically worn, beaten, and unable to stand on his own. He has just enough cognizance outside the pain to not shout at him, as he reaches to find his phone and make sure it wasn't broken. Luckily, it wasn't hit, so...
After a long few moments of deciding if it's worth it, he calls someone. Hopefully they'll get there soon. For now, he can dwell on his weakness, unable to defend anyone, not even himself.