2026-04-19: Per Aspera
- Log: ... Per Aspera
- Cast: Umie Akabane, Ren Amamiya, Morgana (played by Ren)
- Where: Mementos Entrance
- OOC Date: April 19, 2026
- IC Date: October 27, 2012
- Summary: ... So Joker goes to Mementos along with Mona. After some investigation, they are surprised by Umie on their way coming back, who is very happy to share some information. However, whatever Umie says may not be as important as the things she doesn't say.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Heavy thoughts require equally heavy activities to wash them back.
Umie doesn't *immediately* make her way to her preferred restroom; with the risk of Ren following her, perhaps to tell her something, or somehow be happening to see her when she tries to slip away, Umie takes no chances.
That is, except for the chance that Ren may also be secretly a Persona User, as well as having had much more proper guidance in the matter of sneaking around.
Or, alternatively, being a Persona User who is also used to slipping into Mementos in their own way, for their own reasons.
A quick stop at her apartment to grab her small dufflebag, a change of clothing, a quick pick me up, and Umie is back out the door, tapping the toebox of her right sneaker against the floor as she locks her door, the keys disappearing into her jacket.
=====
Those same red and white sneakers pad across the vein-y floors further in past the entrance, with a second of attention paid to the left strap of her mask, detangling a strand of ash blonde hair from being pulled into the rubber tie. The change in outfit is still spartan: black leggings, a red turtleneck tunic, and a padded hooded windbreaker, white lined with black, that is zipped up just beyond her chest height.
"...! Right." She draws out her half gloves from her dufflebag and slips them on, flexing her fingers until the fit is perfect, and gives another test of her mask, this time red with white lace over one eye.
Then. "Badb." The pale hooded woman draws herself out from Umie's self, extending red taloned fingers as Umie gathers a clearer view of enemies on the field. "Mmn."
SHe begins walking forward, a slow smile on her face as she charts her way further within. "... Just how deep should I go, this time..." She *could* gather information.
Or she could revel in seeing just how far she can push herself.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Morgana, meanwhile, knows where Ren is and is ready and lounging outside for them when they leave. Ren lets him back into their bag, and they've taken off for Shibuya Station while Umie's on the way to her apartment.
"Just a quick warm-up," they tell their companion when they tap the Meta-Nav. "To get ready for tomorrow."
~ * ~
Going as far as they can go is quick and easy when they have a set of wheels. They confirm that the lowermost door still won't open, and don't linger there--just in case. Instead, they and Mona hang out briefly at the nearest train stop bench.
"If these doors open because the Phantom Thieves gain more notoriety, then the next Palace ought to be enough to push us over the edge," Mona remarks.
"Even if the only person who knows about it is Alibaba?" Joker asks.
"W-well... It's more like... getting more people to have faith in us? Even if it's just the one?"
Mona doesn't sound sure, but then, he is working against his amnesia. They nod once. "Let's hope you're right."
~ * ~
By the time that Umie's charting her way in, she'll be able to sense the two Phantom Thieves making their way out, having already finished their 'warm-up.' The current levels of Mementos have nothing new in particular for either of them, floor randomization aside, and so as she descends, Joker and Mona ascend, the former with hands tucked in the pockets of their dapper longcoat.
"Umie Akabane," Joker states, a touch of surprise in their deep voice, when they spot her. "What a coincidence."
"Oh, it's you," Mona says, padding up next to him. "How's it been?"
(Joker especially couldn't be Ren Amamiya because Ren went home and Joker has clearly been plumbing the depths of Mementos with one of their friends, and never mind the catbus.)
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
What is a disadvantage to Umie turns out to be an advantage for Ren and Morgana, the two of them having plenty of time to wander in while Umie takes time to prepare for what is a solo jaunt through a space more dangerous than Shibuya or some parts of Sumaru City during the Dark Hour.
The preparation is worth it, however; the duffle bag contains many amenities that work well with Umie's abilities, as well as extra supplies for just about everything else.
Ren Amamiya and Joker are clearly two different people, in Umie's mind. The fact that Joker and Mona are walking up just lends more credence to it, if the thought ever passed Umie's mind to begin with.
The thought that they'd be here is also something that didn't cross her mind, as she looks equally as surprised for a moment. She recovers quickly.
"Fall weather makes a person restless," Umie supposes aloud, with a grin. "Good to see you, Joker-san, Mona-san."
How has it been?
She shrugs, huffing a slow sigh. "Phoenix-san's likely filled you in, but in case you didn't know... The one known as the Joker Killer, aka the Old Maid, aka Tatsuya Sudou... he's dead."
Umie finds no joy in her voice, though she can't say she's exactly sad over it, either.
"Black Mask-san killed him, just as he was going to pass into custody."
That doesn't exactly answer Joker's question, but like many things, it's just a roundabout way of avoiding the question. "What about you guys?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Joker quirks a smile back. "The cooling season is perfect for sneaking around in masks and costume."
That smile fades, though, at the mention of the death of Tatsuya Sudou. They nod once.
"We heard," Mona replies gravely. "The one in the black mask killed him, yeah?" Umie confirms that with a little extra detail. He makes a low 'hmmm' noise. "It's hard to say I'm sorry to see him gone, but... it is frustrating he didn't see true justice."
Joker bows their head. "...Indeed."
Maybe Umie doesn't precisely answer the question, but that's fine. She reflects it back at them, and they look up with a shrug. "Ah, the usual. Stealing hearts, taking names... You know how it is. Speaking of Phoenix--you spoke with them by now, did you not?"
No need to specify about what. They've heard from Phoenix about it too, if mostly in passing, but they'd like to hear what Umie has to say as long as they're here.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"Of course." Umie chuckles. "Don't tell me you're leaving. It's not even a proper evening yet!"
It's a vibe the three now share in, despite coming at it from different corners. With Joker's most recent visit with Umie as Ren being so recent, the differences in how Umie acts with them as Joker, versus them as Ren, may be more clearly defined.
There's the same approximate level of fondness in that greeting, given how Umie regards both as friends she'd trust, despite the limits of both their connections.
In Umie's mind, the distinction is clearly defined: Ren Amamiya is a teenager that has no business in the supernatural. Joker is someone whose identity is unknown, but their character is present in their actions, words, and deeds. Someone whose past is secret and future must be protected, and someone who is an equal, but lacking past and future.
Mona being the one to ask helps the transition back into that dim topic. "Yes." Her eyelids lower. "He dragged it out, instead of sniping from afar. Not that he *could*, given we were all in the Zeppelin, but he definitely made sure Sudou had time to suffer."
She grits her teeth. "I could have done without feeling sorry for the asshole... but I guess Black Mask-san needed to tell us all how we're going to be next, if we don't dance to the Order's tune. Holding a child hostage..."
The Persona Users didn't need to feel that.
The reflected question is taken neatly; Umie laughs. "Good, good. That's what I like to hear, but don't wear yourself thin, eh?" She shakes her finger--
Ah, she's getting concerned... about Joker and Mona?
Then again, Umie reflects, in that brief pause, her finger in the air, she's always been, since the group became real to her.
The next question brings Umie back to that quiet mood. She nods. "Yes."
Her expression is neutral now, as she reflects back to the conversation, and how she swore she'd fix things for Phoenix, both to Phoenix themselves and to Hyousuke.
"I've done what I could," she says, after a moment of reflection, sitting down on the steps. "He's determined to be your enemy, so, don't deny him a good fight. He can take it."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"My apologies. We've five more parties to attend after this, and they simply cannot start without us," Joker quips. It is a more clearly defined difference, but that doesn't bother them. If anything, it's interesting to see this different side of her. Maybe one day, Umie will be able to marvel at this different side of them.
The topic turns to the Black Mask, and Mona hisses--that is, sucks a breath in through his teeth. "That's vicious. Which is in character for him," he remarks.
Joker, though, holds a hand to his chin. "He dragged it out? Why?"
"Uh... Because he's a maniac who enjoys violence?" Mona suggests, tail undulating.
"To be sure, but this was on an airborne vehicle with a crowd of Persona Users. Would it not have been more prudent to get the job done as quickly as possible so he could make his escape cleanly?"
Mona kitty-frowns, but looks back at Umie. "Well, Umie? What's the impression you had?" His eyes narrow when she brings up the hostage, but clearly Phoenix told them about that part two; neither of them is surprised.
Joker and Mona both smile at Umie's teasing concern--and so it's obvious when she stops to think about it. It's equally obvious that they've noticed, the way the two of them look at her, but they leave space for her to say or not say what she pleases.
"Why is he determined to be our enemy?" Joker asks quietly. "And if he works for the New World Order, why did he try to pressure Phoenix into picking a fight with them?"
Due to a misunderstanding, Joker at least thinks Phoenix isn't still being coerced, but the fact remains that Shiryuu did try to do that.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"And your dance card's already filled up, on top of it? Then I'll have to curse my luck," Umie retorts back, her voice singsong as she plays along.
One day, the truth underneath the charade will come through, but Joker is no Cinderella (no, that's someone else), and their masks aren't simply decoration, but a matter of life and death.
Phoenix and Vesper, after all, were the only ones that Black Mask couldn't threaten directly.
'Does the prodigal daughter really have to ask,' he had said to Umie.
"To ensure people just how the Order can strip them of anything they hold close," Umie says, bitterly. "And to establish that he is more powerful than a serial murderer."
Mona has a point, however, as Umie considers it. "It's the first time I've seen him that close; compared to other agents I've encountered, I don't think I've seen anyone with that level of enjoyment in their work. They may enjoy their powers, especially if it was because of the Order that they got them, but beyond that, it's a ball and chain."
She taps a finger on left upper arm as she considers, lips frowning. "Then again... maybe he is in that group... He took particular delight in telling Sudou that his 'Voices' betrayed him. He *was* there on behalf of Sudou's father, however, that much he claimed."
A slow breath, as she settles down on the steps. "Tatsuzou Sudou locked him away after his previous crimes, ten years ago. I'm surprised it's taken this long for him to deal with Sudou directly, but I'm completely sure no love was lost."
A small grimace falls on Umie's face at the name. "I may have some additional information on Black Mask, though, if you really want to dig deeper. Beware, though. This guy's on another level."
She has no idea just how well Joker knows this fact.
As for Shiryuu? Umie gathers the possibilities on how to respond in front of her.
She trusts Joker to take and listen to what she says, as well as make his own judgment on what's best.
"... He has a weird way of looking at things. It's a ball and chain situation between the Ryouharas and the Order, sure, but getting the Phantom Thieves involved... I objected strongly to that." Umie's right hand goes for a red charm bracelet that isn't there, on her left wrist.
"I think... it's a means to strengthen Phoenix, though I'd argue that being together as you are is doing a much better job than whatever he's trying."
She looks at Joker. "Don't tell Phoenix this, unless you feel you have to. They're just as paranoid as I am about things, even moreso."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"...I see. So he wanted to make a point." Joker mulls on this for a while longer...
...meaning Mona akes up the slack. "From what we've seen of him, he does seem to revel in his work. As for Sudou Jr., he could teleport, and it was a while before anyone knew for certain who he really was. His father might not've realized he was running in and out of his cell at will for a while. On top of that, it sounds like the NWO made a few attempts before the Black Mask finally got him." At least one that the Phantoms know of, and who knows how many more they don't?
"What are these 'Voices'?" Joker wonders, slipping their hands into their pockets. The warning that the Black Mask is on a level is met with a lack of any expression, though Mona shoots them a glace. "We'll keep that in mind. Rest assured, anything more you can tell us will be put to good use."
The Black Mask isn't the only dangerous NWO operative, though. Joker's eyes narrow as Umie explains Shiryuu's situation. She objected strongly, but he still didn't back down... He might well be of a similar mind as Kurou, then, and hate changes of heart themselves. But... if he wants Phoenix to grow stronger... ...that actually aligns with some things Kurou said to Ren about the Phantoms.
"Just Phoenix? Why them?" Joker asks. It's possible that they're just the only one Shiryuu was able to snare, but what they've heard previously gives them the impression he has an interest in them in specific. They glance at Umie's wrist, but there's nothing there. Hm.
"And what d'you mean by a ball and chain situation?" Mona adds. "Exactly what is their relationship?"
"...assuming you can safely tell us that," Joker chimes back in. They frown when Umie asks them not to tell Phoenix, but they nod once, slowly. That 'unless you feel you have to' will do a lot of heavy lifting, no doubt.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"Yep." It was all to make a point. "Just like when we first saw him."
The moniker of 'Sudou Jr.' is charming, in its own macabre way. Her lips twist in a sideways grin, as Umie leans her head on one palm. "Sudou Jr. suuure could," Umie says, her tone falling a touch sardonic. "But that's a good thing to bring up. I think it's rumors that even enabled it-- specifically, the way rumors work in Sumaru City. As for not realizing... his dad did, most likely. Consider Tsubasa Seki-san's case. The police were more ready to arrest _Seki-san_ than consider anything that happened, despite all the witnesses. At least with my case, it was very clear that I was...." Her voice goes flat. "Just some hysterical woman with a tattoo. There were no witnesses, after all..."
She smiling at the hidden humor, in that.
"The Voices are..." She breathes in, as she considers just *how* to answer. "The Joker has the Mark. This much, I've confirmed since telling you that, as well as showing my own. There's..."
Her fingers reach inside her jacket, subtlely, trying to fumble for that terrible fragment hidden inside the pockets of her jacket. Touching it merely replaces the dread with some unseen and unknown Other. ".... Those are... what call him to do things. He's had them, likely as long as he's had the Mark." The rest of it is... not something Umie will indulge in, as her heart feels that much more fragile as she feels that shard.
She draws her hand back, masking her need to wipe the sweat from her forehead with an adjust of her mask.
Just as well the conversation change. "... I can't say beyond just speculation," she says, in regards to Phoenix. At least, without giving too much away. "I think Ryouhara-san sees something in Phoenix; maybe he knows who Phoenix is underneath the mask. Though..." Umie considers, glancing down with her hand against her chin. "Even if a Mask-san is in a supernatural area," she thinks aloud, for Joker and Mona's benefit, "it doesn't mean you guys are always in your Masked forms. It's possible he knows who Phoenix-san really is."
Seeing Joker's frown, Umie smirks, though the words that follow don't match. "You're a leader. I don't expect you to put my needs above your group's. But I trust you not to do something out of blind loyalty, either. Take what I say to you as you will."
Even if Joker makes a 'wrong' decision in Umie's eyes, she trusts that there'd be some logic behind it. And also, in this case, it's not purely for Umie's needs, but Joker's, to keep Phoenix from seeing Joker as somehow part of an overall conspiracy by listening to Umie. That is Umie's own logic, as flawed as it may be.
"Their relationship... he's kept me out of it, so I can't tell you." It does plant a seed in Umie's mind; maybe, she can learn exactly what it is. "He doesn't like being under the Order; he probably wasn't the one who made the call. I dont know if you met him or not, but he doesn't take things like that lightly."
What else?
"I won't keep you much longer, but I'll give you one thing about Black Mask. Something only a few others know," Umie says, willing her smile to grow as sharp, in defiance of how fallable and fragile her insides feel at that moment, as she places her fingers around the piece inside her jacket once again.
She draws out the crystalline piece, as small as some ornamental piece of quartz. "This is what Black Mask used to kill Sudou. The Voices didn't 'betray' anyone," as much as Umie would wish their ilk would go away, privately, "He's found something that can make it go away. Shadows and demons... they don't like it either."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Umie makes a good point about how the police tried to pin Sudou's Aoba Park arson on Tsubasa. That still doesn't guarantee anything, considering their dad is himself in the NWO; it might've been the excuse he wanted to try to get them under heel. Joker naturally doesn't mention that part. At this point, it doesn't matter anyway. For now, they just nod.
Then Umie explains about the Voices--and how they're connected to the Mark, like what she has. There's an obvious implication there that dawns on Joker and Mona's masked faces.
"Umie, you..." Mona starts to say; he chooses to let that trail off.
"...." Joker and Mona share a grave glance, but say nothing on Umie's supposition that Shiryuu knows Phoenix's true identity. They know for a fact that he and Kurou both do. They might have used Tsubasa to lure the rest of the Phantom Thieves out into the open, but only Kurou showed up for that fight... Somehow, The Phantoms impressed him, but that's probably not enough for Shiryuu himself, especially if he has no plans to back down.
Still, as far as Joker knows (an important quantifier), they haven't gone after Tsubasa again--surely Tsubasa would tell everyone if they had. As long as the Ryouharas don't pick another fight, Joker's content to leave it alone for now, aside of course from keeping an eye on them as Ren. The Phantoms have more important things to worry about.
"I shall indeed," they reply. "Thank you for telling me what you could, Umie Akabane."
A shard of crystal emerges from Umie's jacket pocket, cradled in her hand. Mona leaps up onto Joker's shoulder, and the two of them lean in to get a closer look as Umie explains. They share another glance. This is definitely the same crystal that Phoenix retrieved and handed over to Mona to inspect. Joker leans back and nods again at the information.
"I'd love to know how he got his mitts on something like that," Mona says. "Add that to the list of mysteries about this creep."
Joker gives Umie a thoughtful look. If that crystal makes the 'Voices' go away, and she has 'Voices' of her own... However, they decide not to question her about that directly, at least not for right now. She's already signaled that she's ready to move on, and they need to get going too.
"Fair hunting for tonight, then, Umie Akabane," they say. "We shan't keep you any longer either."
"Take care down there," Mona adds. The two of them move to head on upwards and let Umie plunge deeper.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Indeed, the matter is finished, as far as the Sudous are concerned.
What matters more is the part she leaves unsaid on what's left. Umie says nothing to confirm or deny, her gaze connecting with Joker and Mona's.
She leaves them there for a long, painful moment, a sullen, bitter part of her psyche looking for confirmation of something.
There is nothing, but does that really mean anything? She offered up the clues; if they choose to see her differently, that is their prerogative.
This is part of letting anyone further in, and a timely part, as well.
The switch to Phoenix is one that doesn't feel quite so unwelcome. Glancing to Mona as he perches on Joker's shoulder, Umie shrugs. "Easiest answer is 'the Order', but he seemed pretty proud of it." Her fingers close over it as she pockets it. "It's not great, holding it, so I'm going to recommend you don't try to hold a shard yourself, if either of you come across one--"
Joker gives her a thoughtful look, and Umie, despite herself, finds her lips growing into a lopsided smirk. "Perhaps that's enough excitement for you two, mmn? You got a few parties to crash, while the night's still young." She looks down to Mona, with some softness. "You take care too, Mona-san. You too, Joker-san."
Maybe next time--
Mmn, no, leave it there, Umie Akabane.
Instead, she gives the two of them a casual wink and a salute, beginning her descent downwards anew.
Except, when she gets to the bottom of the stairs, when she thinks she's out of earshot. ".... Just keep being the Phantom Thieves. That's all I'll ever ask for."