2026-06-10: The "Student Discount" at Peacock Silk
- Log: 2026-06-10: The "Student Discount" at Peacock Silk
- Cast: Yuuki Hoshizora, Yanagi Nagisa, Saika Kikuchi
- Where: Peacock Silk, Shimokitazawa, Tokyo
- OOC Date: June 10, 2026
- IC Date: Sunday, Nov 18, 2012
- Summary: Yuuki visits Peacock Silk and meets Yanagi and Saika. They discuss matters of Ateliers, fashion, and spice.
<Pose Tracker> Yuuki Hoshizora has posed.
It's late afternoon on Sunday. Tomorrow, Yuuki Hoshizora starts school at Seven Sisters. Why, then, is she in Shimokitazawa?
She came to Peacock Silk to buy a few clothes. She could have gone to any number of outlets in Sumaru, but a few pictures of clothes they sell -- she was interested in fashion -- picqued her interest. And something about it had stuck in her mind; when she confirmed her plans to move into the area, she knew a visit was in order. Something, on a fundamental level, appeals to her.
Besides, she came with one large suitcase. She needs a few more outfits.
The door to the interior opens, with a soft clatter as it closes. Yuuki's eyes sweep across the room. She has a dark blue jacket and lighter blue skirt on; the teenager also has a bag adorned in space mission patches. They date from recent to older; the Apollo 11 patch features prominently. She looks about, before she takes a couple of plaintive steps inside.
"Hello...?"
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
No one answers Yuuki at first. Peacock Silk, being an independent boutique with an eccentric staff, does not take 'normal' hours, and does not necessarily advertise when they are and aren't open.
However, there is soft classical music playing from a radio deeper within, and slightly above it, someone is humming along. It's a cheery sort of sound coming from further within, just around the corner.
When Yuuki approaches, she'll find a young woman in a silver strappy dress with a poofy skirt and strings of faux pearls and more silver looping around the bodice. A long sheet of gauze drapes over her back and along her arms, and her shoes are set with silver ballerina-esque slippers. It is absolutely not late fall wear.
It is beautiful, though, and it matches her pale, ash-gray hair, falling in wavy cascades over her shoulders, kept in check only by a pair of mother-of-pearl hair clips on either side of her head. Although she's overall quite skinny, her calves are surprisingly... 'engorged' might be the best word for it. They certainly aren't muscular.
This young woman, who also has lightly applied make-up and carries a polished walking cane with a strangely trigger-like handle, is currently messing with one of the store mannequins. She's setting it up so it's staring straight into the hallways and reaching out towards it... It'd be a hell of a scare for anyone just casually shopping.
As Yuuki approaches, the woman takes the mannequin's arm and has it wave at her. "Hello!" she intones in a playfully low voice. "Come closer, come closer, so I may tear your face off and make it my own~!"
A sort of Homunculus-esque statement, even as a joke, but maybe it's just a coincidence...?
<Pose Tracker> Yuuki Hoshizora has posed.
Yuuki had expected to find someone working the front. For a moment, she wonders if the store is actually open -- but she got in -- until she hears the music, with someone humming along. She starts walking, hand clutching the strap of her bookbag. She rounds the corner, and she pauses as she sees the young woman and her memorable outfit and hair the color of ash. She pauses, eyes briefly on the mannequin.
And the threat--
It reminds her of Murakami-sensei, and how he changed. Of the Homonculus that replaced him. Yuuki makes a half-squeak and takes a step back. Then, her expression screws up into a frown. "H-Honestly!" she stammers out.
"You... you could have given me a real fright," she says. "Um. Hi?"
She brushes some of her teal hair back and tries to act like she didn't get a reminder of an unfortunate event.
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
"Hohohoho~~" the woman makes the faceless mannequin laugh, comically deep, before giggling in a higher, more natural pitch. "That was the point!" she chirps.
In an ideal world, Yanagi would twirl around to greet Peacock Silk's latest potential customer. She instead slowly, carefully turns, her cane tup, tup, tupping as she goes. There is a stiffness to her motions that implies pain, but her smile is just as bright. (It's been a while since she saw Mr. Tomi last. She could stand to go for another Gold Finger special massage...)
"So what brings you here?" she wonders as if she hadn't just made Yuuki uncomfortable. (She knows she did. It just doesn't matter to her.) "Clothes? Shoes? Jewelry? Feel free to browse if you aren't here for anything in specific~"
Which is not an invitation that the employees of Peacock Silk necessarily give to just anyone. However, Yanagi can tell that Yuuki is a fellow Persona User, and therefore one of their preferred clientele.
<Pose Tracker> Yuuki Hoshizora has posed.
"I-I'm not sure what to say to that," Yuuki sighs.
She watches Yuuki move. There is a blink; she sees the stiffness, the implied pain, but she doesn't remark on that. She instead nods, quickly, at the question. "Yes. Um... I just moved into the town, for awhile. While my parents are... overseas," she says.
The lie is still new and she is still getting used to it.
"I didn't bring my full wardrobe. And--ah--I'd heard about Peacock Silk's clothes, and I'd like to get some more." She sighs. "Besides the school uniform..."
There is something about Yanagi. She can't say what -- and she hasn't been a Persona User long enough to realize that feeling comes when she meets another. She smiles, after a second, though. "And I love the designs here. I saw several pictures and had to see for myself."
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
Yuuki says a key word and something awakens upstairs. (the key word was 'uniform' in this case)
STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP
Wow it was *right* over her head. Except the stomping is moving away from her... phew! It fades more or less to the distance in the building. Maybe it's just an older building? It's definitely got a kinda classic look to it.
"oiiiiii" comes a sound from the back of the shop. "is it a student? tell 'em about the student discount!"
There's a student discount? Maybe it's worth staying this close to the mysterious realm of stomping and face-rending horror. Depends if it's over 10%.
What is emerging from that direction is a figure wearing...
... is that...
Is she wearing a comforter?
No! It's been sewn together and hemmed in at the arms to resemble something more like a very poufy parka. It's not even going down all that far - it stops at about the line of SAIKA KIKUCHI'S hip joints.
Yes! It is literally the kind of warm fluffy quilted surrounding comforter you would find around a kotatsu.
Underneath it she is wearing bike shorts and -- actually it's not possible to see her feet right now because she's behind the counter, potentially indicating there is a horror left unshown.
Sweeping around one puffy-clad arm, she gestures: "That bag is perfect, no notes. Welcome to Peacock Silk!!"
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
"Oh, I see," Yanagi says of Yuuki's home situation, taking it at face value. "Does that mean you live alone?" She smiles brightly. "Then that means you're free to do as you please!"
That's one way of looking at it, certainly.
"They are wonderful, aren't they? Tsumugi makes all the clothes--they're the owner here--" This is the point at which STOMP STOMP STOMP happens. Yanagi, without missing a beat, remarks, "Ah, and that's Saika! If you also want new shoes, you're in luck."
She only misses a beat when there is a call about the student discount; this prompts a confused look. "We had a student discount?" Tick... tick... tick... "Oh! That student discount!" she utters, raising her free hand to her mouth. She smiles brightly, tilting her head and squeezing her eyes shut. "Yes! We have a 'student' 'discount'!"
She is not winking with outrageous obviousness. She may as well be, though.
Saika makes the scene then! She looks incredibly comfortable and warm. Yanagi sighs wistfully at the sight of her. "That parka always looks so warm and comfortable..."
Her own outfit definitely does not look warm. She wears it nonetheless. In the world of haute couture, beauty is pain.
<Pose Tracker> Yuuki Hoshizora has posed.
Yuuki turns her head. For a moment, she just stares at Saika. She knew this was a place of fashion. She is not sure how wearing a comforter -- no, it's more like a very enhanced winter coat? -- is fashion, but she decides the employees here would know better. Her mouth opens.
Then it closes.
Then she smiles at Saika. "Ah... thank you!" she says. "I've bought as many mission patches as I can. Though... not as many the last few months." She shakes her head. She looks back at Yanagi, then she shakes her head. "No, I'm staying with a friend of theirs for several months."
She looks at Saika, then, and her eyes light up. "Some shoes would be nice," she says. She pauses. "And I... er... can take a student discount, if it wouldn't be a problem...?"
A beat. "You said... someone named Tsumugi makes the clothes?"
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
"Yeah, Tsumugi's role is kind of a little scope-variable," says Saika, making some dramatic hand gestures. "Because on the one hand they do do most of the work with fabric and the question becomes, at which point does it come from being textiles to being clothes, you know? I mean," here Saika pat-pats her comforter-shroud, "look at this, right? When did it become clothes?"
"You want one? I honestly should've asked," Saika asks Yanagi, beaming at her. But Yuuki is here and is a CUSTOMER, so the focus rests on her.
"Nice! Where'd you get 'em? Online? Science museums? Man," Saika muses, "I haven't been to a science museum since fourth grade. Didn't that one museum in Sumaru burn down the other day?" And then her expression lights up and Saika comes to walk around the counter and crouch down low to *look at Yuuki's feet*.
Or rather, the footwear she has on right now.
It is thus revealed that Saika is wearing 1460 Doc Martens boots with chrome spikes, neon-orange laces, and extra-thick platforms.
"I work with leather," she adds to Yuuki, looking up. "Which is a really good component for shoes obviously. I was actually dressing new hides most of the morning. So tell me what you're thinking as far as that goes," Saika concludes, which is also addressed to Yanagi, though that part might not be as obvious.
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
Yuuki doesn't know the half of what fashion can be. Perhaps one day, she'll scope the Met Gala and get enlightened. For now though, she's just looking for regular but stylish clothes--presumably.
"Oh?" Yanagi tilts her head the other way as she considers Yuuki's living-with-a-family-friend situation. "Hmmm..."
And then, when the topic of Tsumugi comes up and Saika elaborates, just like that, she drops it. It's hard to say if that's freedom or not.
She does brighten when Saika asks if she too wants a comforter coat. "Ooh! That would be nice. Not right now--this new dress is just too cute not to wear right away!--but later!"
When Yuuki and Saika discuss mission patches--something Yanagi knows basically nothing about--she tilts her head yet again the other way as she stares at Yuuki's bag. So this is the sort of thing Saika adores...
"I believe it was exploded," she remarks absently of the Aerospace Museum. She says this in such an offhanded way that it might take Yuuki a moment to fully absorb the comment. Leaving her work with the mannequin behind, she tup-tups over to her work station at the jewelry counter, leaving Yuuki and Saika to discuss footwear. It might've been addressed to Yanagi too, but of everything she's wearing right now, her slippers are the least problematic.
"So how do you intend on paying?" she wonders once she settles onto her seat and hangs her cane on the side of her station. "We take cash, of course, if there's anything your trade-ins don't cover, but we'll also take checks and cards."
...
'Trade-ins?' So Yuuki might be wondering.
<Pose Tracker> Yuuki Hoshizora has posed.
"Um..."
Saika raises a question that Yuuki hadn't given much thought to. She hasn't really considered the construction of clothing (besides spacesuits) in detail. Her face scrunches up for a second.
"...I'm not sure," she says. "Intent matters, right? On when something becomes clothes?" She pauses for a moment, then, and she smiles. "Some online, some from museum shops, and one from JAXA when I was--" And then Saika is inspecting her feet. (They're in regular brown faux leather shoes, suitable for going to school in.)
"Ah!"
It takes a second after her yelp to find her answer. "Erm--um--something... maybe... better than these? I'd like something that I can wear to school, but not so... normal." A pause. "And if they can have a little star or comet or something worked into the design, that would also be nice."
Yuuki knows what she likes.
She looks sideways at Yanagi. She frowns, then. "That was sad," she says, then. "All of the artifacts there, being destroyed. But... at least people got out, safely."
She looks back at Yanagi -- following as she walks back to the counter. "Well--I have some cash. I."
A beat.
"Erm. Trade-ins...?"
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
"True," Saika concurs with Yanagi's assessment about her own dress. She turns her attention back to Yuuki's bag then, musing about it. "Ah, true," she agrees after. "Exploded. Foolish of me to confuse the two..."
After this she rises upwards. It's a slow movement, entirely from the legs, her back held perfectly straight as she r i s e s upwards, coming to her full not-that-astonishing height. At the mention of paying, Saika's eyes cut back towards Yanagi for a moment, then return forwards.
"Hmmm... yeah, stars," Saika muses, looking down at the shoes again. "Those are vegan leather, right? I mean I guess you're not going to call it that, that's just like the market name." Her eyes lift up towards Yuuki without raising her head. "You don't want leather? I can do work with that, I just need that yes or no. Leather or not to leath, that is the question."
Her lips purse for a moment at the question of all the stuff being destroyed. "I guess from one perspective you got all this irreplaceable history and stuff that's never going to happen again, because it's never going to *be* 1922 again, or whatever... but on the other hand, it means whatever's left is more precious. And on the other other hand," Saika tilts to the left five degrees, "We're makin' artifacts right now, right?"
"And yeah, you know," Saika adds, walking up to the counter more or less alongside Yuuki. "Stuff. Leftovers. Items. Materials. You know?"
Saika looks at Yuuki and deliberately closes her left eye. Then opens it again. That was a wink.
"Ne," she adds then, "Yanagi, do you know if we have any of that cloth-of-gold stuff? I'm getting an idea for her piece already but it's gonna need some distinctive stuff..."
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
"Words matter!" Yanagi chirps at Saika.
Maybe it's sad that those artifacts got destroyed. Saika expresses her opinion on the matter eloquently, though, and Yanagi nods in agreement. "All things come to an end one day," she adds.
"Yes. You said you wanted the 'student' 'discount,' didn't you? Surely you have goods you've collected from that hour? Oh! Or did you not realize? We'll take those in place of money! It's part of our business," Yanagi says matter-of-factly, before she brightens. "Oooh! You said you just moved here, didn't you?" Swiveling her chair around to face Yuuki, she claps her hands and leans forward eagerly. "Do you by chance have a unique realm where you came from? If you have anything we've never seen before, we can give you an excellent value for it!"
The question of the cloth-of-gold gets a thoughtful hum out of her as she taps a finger on her cheek. "I thiiiink Tsumugi still has some in the back materials closet? I'm sure I saw some recently there, but Pernelle might have gotten into it... You know how he loves anything that glitters."
<Pose Tracker> Yuuki Hoshizora has posed.
"I... think so," Yuuki says, as regards to 'vegan leather.' "Fake leather. I'm fine with leather, these are just... um... they weren't very expensive. Something to hold me over, since school starts tomorrow." And she doubts that Saika can be finished that quickly.
She pauses at the reasoning about the museum. Yuuki considers it -- then she nods. "We... are, I suppose. And--well, what survived will be more precious. And there'll always be more things, too."
She looks at Saika, initially with a confused look. What are they talking about? But then, Yanagi talks about that hour and a 'unique' realm. Her parents discussing hunting for materials suddenly clicks into place. She blinks.
Then, she pulls out something odd from her bag: a quintet of glossy travel brochures. They show sweeping vistas at nighttime, with painterly vistas of the night sky... except they appear to be photographs, with hillsides that are something one would see in nature. The text is all nonsense; scribbles of something that looks like text.
"I found these in something called an Atelier," she says. Her tone becomes more serious -- almost solemn. "One in Chofu, before I came here."
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
"But they're associated, right? They're cognate to each other," Saika tells Yanagi, "even if they're not exactly synonyms. Whenever you see a big exciting thing that makes you think 'explosion!' it's gotta be full of fire and smoke. Right?" Having emphasized this, she looks to Yuuki, "And explosions are what drive the internal combustion motors on which our modern lives rely!"
Saika turns a hand over. "But, we overlook a lot of other explosions. There's no fire if you're popping popcorn but that's a whole bunch of little explosions. A tire blowout! That's explosions too. Now I'm really making myself sound more and more ignorant, huh."
Is this normal?
After this, though, Saika leans on the counter and watches Yuuki. Who seems puzzled. This confusion on Yuuki's part seems to please Saika in some obscure way, although the slight smile on her lips doesn't really cross into unfriendly. This is not the only boutique in Shimokita where you get this sort of customer service.
Her eyes turn down when the 'paintings' come out.
Saika cranes her head to look in. She thinks of Van Gogh, but of course I would (thinks Saika) cuz I'm being basic as hell and I knew who Van Gogh was in MIDDLE school. Her lips purse for a moment at the scribbles. "Russian, maybe?" Saika guesses quietly, almost more to herself than seriously asking.
And then Yuuki explains the truth.
"Mind if I see one?" Saika says, holding out one hand - and while it comes at a sassy little flip of an angle, her fingers spread wide in anticipation, she doesn't reach for them. They are, after all, Yuuki's -- FOR NOW.
"Chofu, though, huh...?"
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
"Hmmm, that's true. When something explodes, it does usually burn too!" She taps her cheek, looking thoughtful. "Actually, is there ever a time when a building explodes that there isn't some burning involved too? Hmmm, maybe if it collapses on itself first..."
Saika brings up other explosions. She sits up straight. "Oh!! You think popcorn is an explosion? It's more of a 'pop' to me! That's why they call it popcorn! But I suppose it is popping so hard it turns inside out. Hmm, maybe that is a kind of explosion?" She shakes her head vigorously. "Not at all!! You're making me thing so many new things as always, Saika!"
Well, it's normal for Peacock Silk, anyway.
However, the instant Yuuki presents something she claims is from an Atelier, Yanagi grabs her cane and pushes her wheeled chair (distinct from a wheelchair) away from her desk with it. For all that she approaches without warning, though, she doesn't try to just take them either. She simply leans over them and their lovely pictures and gibberish text.
"Ooooh," she murmurs, looking them over. She pauses. She looks at Yuuki. She looks over at Saika.
"...Does this count as materials? I don't think I can turn travel brochures into jewelry..."
She leans back, though. It makes sense, given what she'd just told Yuuki, that she'd specify where the Atelier's Eye was, but more important is... "Whose Atelier is it?"
<Pose Tracker> Yuuki Hoshizora has posed.
Yuuki looks between the two women as they talk about the nature of explosions. She blinks a couple of times, not quite sure what to make of the exchange. This... really is a unique place, isn't it?
"The Shadows there had them. I found them after I defeated them, if... that counts," she says. Her nose wrinkles for a moment, before she looks at Yanagi.
She hesitates for a second.
"Satoru Murakami," she says. "He used to be a teacher in Chofu. But he... left. Or, rather, the Homunculus did. I've been looking for it."
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
On popcorn, Saika smiles, with the air of the big sister. "It's tiny explosions," Saika says, with a little flip! of the first joint on her left ring finger. "Pop! Pop! But they add up, right?"
She tilts her head, looking at the brochures from some slightly different angles. "Hmmm... This is pretty hefty stock for something on gloss print... I have a couple of ideas you could do with 'em. Like you could do cutouts or put 'em on a cloche thing. Or like a puzzle mosaic. Or papier-mache."
With brochures??
"And there's always shreddin' for filler or various effects," Saika concludes. Her lips purse. She assesses Yuuki. Neither words, nor frowns, nor even smiles. It's a sober expression. No false energies.
And Yuuki is forthcoming. What does this bring from Saika? A slight nod.
"Atelier still there, to your knowledge?" she asks, and her voice is quieter, too. Though still quite focused.
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
It sure it! Welcome to your sexy new life, Yuuki. <3
"Hmmmm..." Yanagi touches her chin in thought. "Shadow drops normally would count, but..." However, Saika has a different angle on the brochures and shares some ideas on what they could use for them. She brightens. "Oh! I hadn't even thought of that! You're so smart, Saika!" Yay! "I'm so glad you have a use for them!" ...yay?
Look, it's not like there's a lot of use for papier-mâché in jewelry. Yanagi doesn't really get how one could use them for shoes or bags or other leather goods either, but if Saika does, so much the better for Yuuki!
When Yuuki explains that she got them from the Atelier of one Satoru Murakami, parasitized by a Homunculus, though, the mood does change. Yanagi's energy is always true to her, but this is a serious topic, and her expression is serious--before she smiles bracingly.
"You're in luck, then. We happen to be experts in dealing with Homunculi," she informs her with the matter-of-fact confidence of a professional. Yanagi nods to Saika and her question. "As long as the Homunculus hasn't fully taken over, there's still something that can be done." So professional!
Another deeply serious, deeply focused, deeply professional look at Yuuki.
"By the way, who are you?"
<Pose Tracker> Yuuki Hoshizora has posed.
"I, um... suppose it is...?" Yuuki says to Saika, in regards to the way that popcorn is made of tiny explosions.
She does have a slightly disappointed expression at the fact the brochures might not be useful. She doesn't have much else. But Saika does, so she sighs with relief. "Thank you."
Then she glances at Yanagi. Her eyes widen -- but she nods. "I'm... um. I'm glad. I'd like to help Murakami-sensei. I'm... a former pupil."
There is more to it than that, but she keeps that part to herself.
Is the Atelier still there?
Her expression darkens for a moment. The girl doesn't quite make eye contact with either woman. "...Yeah. Sort of. The Atelier's--um, its... Eye was a broken down minibus. But..." She sighs. "...the Homonculus got it moving again. So I'm not sure where it is, now. It was seen in Sumaru, so I've been looking."
She looks back at Yanagi, at the question. She blinks -- then her eyes widen. "Oh--I'm sorry, where are my manners?" She does a short bow. "Yuuki Hoshizora."
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
"There's tons of ways you can use basically everything," Saika says brightly. "You just have to get creative. They use every part of the buffalo in America!"
True in terms of time, questionable in terms of total buffalo throughput!
And kind of morbid. But then she nods along with what Yanagi is saying, and she smiles, and then Saika leans her head in at the end of it, because Yanagi really did drop what needed dropping at the end there. It's at this point that Yuuki might see that the smile is on a face that is not entirely Gentle.
Yuuki speaks her name. And then -- well no, reverse it. Yuuki expresses her purpose. THEN she expresses her name. When she speaks, and bows, Saika answers by bringing one hand up...
... to gently clap Yuuki on the shoulder. "That's the way," she says. "You've got a good heart with an outlook like that. And he must've been a pretty fuckin' sick teacher if you're giving this much of a fuck of him, right? Man, I wonder what he used to be like!" Then she glances at Yanagi, raising up her eyebrows -- maybe she doesn't Know.
"A minibus... this could be pretty aesthetic. Tell us about the situation in there. Tell you what, while I'm at it. You hungry?"
What a non-ominous statement.
"Anyway, I think these brochures are good for - hm -" She leans over to do some speculation with Yanagi, quietly, confidentially. Though you can only be so speculative. She seems to be estimating 'most but not all of the cost of the accessory, but about half for a main piece.'
Though she adds, "Like she said a moment ago, Saika Kikuchi. It's great to meet you."
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
"Oh my! How..." Yanagi searches for the word. She is a high school dropout; Saika and Tsumugi have both done much to help Yanagi expand her vocabulary, but sometimes you run into something you just don't know. "...good-at-using-everything that is!" She pauses. Case in point: "What's a buffalo?"
There's more to Yuuki's motivations, but just the part of being a former pupil of Murakami's makes Yanagi give her a distant sort of look. She doesn't say anything, though, and her expression soon shifts to thoughtful when Yuuki explains the Eye is--
"A minibus? How novel! That would make it rather difficult to track down, wouldn't it?" She meets Saika's knowing look. "But it shouldn't be a problem if you already know it."
For Peacock Silk, it's literally no problem at all, but Yuuki doesn't need to know that. Yanagi is honest to an agonizing fault, but that doesn't mean she blurts out every secret that crosses her head--especially a big trade secret like that.
She nods along vigorously when Saika asks for more details about the Atelier. She leans in close to Saika, pushing her wheely-chair with her cane to help, as the two of them work out the price. Yanagi's input is 'I'm okay with whatever you decide because you're the one using it.' Most but not all of the price of an accessory and about half for a main piece is A-OK by her.
Then she leans back and smiles brightly again at Yuuki. "I'm Yanagi Nagisa! It's so interesting to meet you, Yuuki~ Tsumugi and Pernelle will be thrilled too!"
...even if how Tsumugi expresses being "thrilled" isn't what one would normally expect. Everyone in Peacock Silk is a weirdo like that.
<Pose Tracker> Yuuki Hoshizora has posed.
Yuuki blinks again, but she nods. It takes her a second to remember what on earth a buffalo is -- but... she isn't sure what that means.
"A sort of... American cow, I think," Yuuki says. "It's really hairy, if I remember right."
Then, she frowns -- but nods. "Yeah... I'm seeing what I can find. I'll find it, sooner or later."
When Saika claps her on the shoulder, she blinks her eyes once. She smiles, for a moment. "Thank you," she says. "I--um... w-well, he was a good teacher, but I wouldn't want anyone--er, he was a really nice teacher but he had money problems. The Homonculus is, um, selling 'stargazing experiences' to rich people and quit his job."
She rubs between her eyes for a moment. "I could take some food. And... uh, I went in with two veteran Persona Users. Things went bad, and I escaped, but... they're still there." Her eyes turn down. "...So I want to rescue them, too."
She looks at Yanagi, then, and back at Saika. She smiles, though it's dampened. "It's good to meet you, too. And I'm...um, sure I'll meet Tsumugi-san and Pernelle-san some day too."
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
"Mhm," Saika concurs, about Buffalo, when Yuuki speaks some knowledge. Back to Yanagi. "They're really shaggy and they've got a big hump on their front legs. Over them? They're really distinctive. There were American tribes that would live their whole lives hunting them on horseback! And before they had horses, on foot. Which kind of takes balls, I figure, even if I don't approve in specific, because if you've ever seen a cow, like."
Saika pauses.
"Bigger than you think," she concludes. "Bigger than you'd think."
One might wonder just how threatening a cow could be, given that they have, at most, been considered a threat in some kind of organized cow movement, where one might be trodden underfoot. But be ye warned, reader: if it could, a cow would eat you, and everyone you love.
Buffalos are cool though.
"'Stargazing experiences.'" Saika says, eyes widening. "Wow. That sounds really amazing. Like it's instructional, and educational, and it also sounds," her voice lowers in a way that Yuuki may hate, "romantic," normal voice again, "so yeah, that's the kind of shit a Homunculus is going to do."
She must have decided it's time to swear. "You should tell us about the situation so we can put a plan together... hm, do you think we should try to call Tsumugi? I think at this point it's pretty preliminary," and now Saika is walking around the counter again, "and it kinda depends how hot the situation's gotten already... Anyway, hold on for a minute, alright?" she tells Yuuki.
Then she goes upstairs for a moment.
Upon returning, she has... a generously-chunked piece of okonomiyaki on a plate with a happy little star of creamy sauce on top! Along with a fork, a napkin, and a cup of tea!
The tea is black, not green, but still decent for 'stuff you'd get.'
The okonomiyaki is vegetarian (which isn't obvious) and has chopped Indian green chiles in it (which is going to be really obvious, depending on Yuuki's spice tolerance, though if she doesn't eat it Saika disposes of it pretty quickly).
"Sorry to change topic, but were you thinkin' shoes or something else?"
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
"Oh my goodness!! They sound so cute!!" Yanagi utters, splaying a hand over her mouth as her eyes sparkle and shine.
She is absolutely picturing something far closer to a Highland cow than a buffalo. She is absolutely not listening to the 'bigger than you'd think' part in a meaningful way. Bigger just means more to hug!
Money problems... So the Homunculus has become money-oriented. "Hmmmm," Yanagi murmurs thoughtfully. Saika's weigh-in on the topic gets a laugh out of her, breaking that soft sound of hers. However, she blinks when Yuuki shares that the Persona Users she went in with are still in the Atelier, though. "Oh my," she repeats, but somewhat more subdued. "How did that happen?"
Saika suggests maybe they should call Tsumugi. "Definitely. They'll want to know about this," she says firmly. "Pernelle too, but definitely Tsumugi." When she goes upstairs to fetch food, Yanagi smiles again at Yuuki. "Saika's a wonderful cook. You're in for a treat, probably," she gushes.
Don't worry about disposing of the spicy okonomiyaki, Saika. Yanagi will eat it--no matter how awful the spiciness might be. Now, it might rapidly take her out of the conversation, but at least Yuuki's not here for a piece of jewelry.
<Pose Tracker> Yuuki Hoshizora has posed.
Yuuki has only seen a couple of cows on a farm. Still, she nods; that field trip made an impression on her.
"Um, well, it's not that," Yuuki says. "There's... wine pairings. And you can pay extra for a guided meditation." Her eyebrow twitches a little at the mention of it being romantic -- and then she nods her head. She looks at Yanagi, and she hesitates. "I... was new to all of this, and they were trying to keep me safe. We got overwhelmed."
A guilty look crosses her face, then.
"If you can help... I would appreciate it," she says. "But I still have to find it."
She waits for a moment -- and then her yes widen at the okonomiyaki. "That smells delicious," she says. She takes it, but before she digs in, she nods. "Shoes," she says. "I can make up whatever difference there is."
Then she takes a bite of the okonomiyaki. Her eyes, a moment later, go wide.
"Hot," she stammers out, face turning red.
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
"They are! I'll get you some pictures later," Saika tells Yanagi.
They are indeed cute. But don't touch 'em.......
But either way, the food is shared. Saika comes back down with the okonomiyaki and it seems she heard everything, because she's grimacing about the wine tastings in particular. "Trying to make some kind of fancy-ass spectacle out of watching the stars? Hmf."
"I mean you can make anything fancy," she asides to Yanagi. "Nothing is WRONG with fancy, but you know what I mean?"
Saika's eyes swing back to Yuuki then as she begins to dig in. She takes a bite - crisp! vegetable forwards! but savory! and oh yeah
there's the heat
it creeps up on you
coating your tongue and throat
bringing your sinuses to a misery of purifying flame!
Saika blinks a couple of times, and looks back to Yanagi. "Oh, she's not used to them." Back to Yuuki, "Deep breaths! I'm gonna get you a Yakult, that's better'n trying to drink the tea for it, don't slam it down! It's pretty hot, actual hot!"
Fortunately the yogurty beverage is not upstairs. It is handed forwards from inside of some dinky little minifridge in the back. (Secretly, this is where the overstock for the vending machine outside is kept.)
"I'll take a thousand off for putting you through that," Saika continues, "which means it's going to be" wow just about exactly half off! Big score?? And free... food...??
"Tell us about the other two," Saika continues. "Actually, lemme get some paper to take notes. They're probably fine but you're the one who's gonna have context on how they acted beforehand and you know, can't be too careful."
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
Yanagi has never been to a farm. One of these days. She sparkles even more at the promise of pictures. Buffalo are not Highland cows, but they're still plenty hairy, and there's room for cuteness there.
"Wine pairings?" she echoes Yuuki. It's clear from her tone and her blank expression that she has no idea what wine pairings have to do with stargazing. Her pink-painted lips purse when Yuuki says her companions got overwhelmed. She smiles in amusement when Saika tut-tuts the fanciness, though. "Oh, yes. Homunculi ruin everything, really," she replies conversationally. ...That might not be the point Saika was trying to make.
"Yes, but how did they get trapped in the Atelier?" she insists. "Were they dragged off by Humors somewhere deeper into the Atelier? How do you know they're trapped, anyhow, if you didn't get trapped?" It's a reasonable assumption if Yuuki hasn't seen them ever since, but to Yanagi's view, it's still an assumption. The devil of these details is not one she's inclined to ignore.
She shakes her head then. "You don't. If you already found it the first time, that's enough to enter the Atelier itself," she replies. "Of course, if you want to confront the Homunculus in the real world, that's another matter, but that isn't going to help save Satoru." Not 'Murakami-san,' not even 'Murakami,' but 'Satoru.'
Yuuki eats the spicy okonomiyaki. In a minute or two, Yanagi erupts in peals of laughter at the look on her face. She is only just tapering off by the time Saika returns with the Yakult, and wipes a few jovial tears away.
"Yes, yes, do tell us more," she says cheerily, still giggling in between sentences. "If they are indeed still inside, I ought to be able to track them down!"
To say nothing of Saika's implications.
<Pose Tracker> Yuuki Hoshizora has posed.
"Th-this is really hot," Yuuki answers what Saika tells her. She is fanning her mouth -- but when the yakult is offered, she takes it and drinks. There is a long, pleased sigh of relief then.
Saika asks for her to tell them about the other two. And for a moment, Yuuki is quiet -- considering -- and she finally speaks up. She doesn't lie, exactly. She omits. But the truth -- that these are her parents, that she is worried sick -- is too much to speak aloud right now.
Even to relative strangers who have, she thinks, been kind.
Because if she got them killed, how can she face that?
"Daisuke-san is a gardener," she says. "He... is a nice man. Kind, and he specializes in healing. Naoki-san--ah... she's taller and more imposing, sometimes boisterous..." She looks sheepish, but also wistful for a moment. "She runs in without thinking, a lot."
She looks at Yanagi, then, and considers her question. "We were close to the exit. There was a whole bunch of Shadows--they, um, they pushed me out. The last I saw, they were being overwhelmed. I... um, I was hurt, so I contacted someone I knew. When we got back... the minibus was gone, and there were tire marks."
Yuuki shakes her head. "...they're very experienced. I-I'm... sure they're fine. But I'd like to get back to them soon."
<Pose Tracker> Saika Kikuchi has posed.
Yanagi has the inside loop. She has to, doesn't she? Her mind's admirable. Saika looks at her, rather fondly, as she speaks. Her lips purse for a moment, even as Yuuki powers through. She takes a deep breath and lets it out, leaning against the doorjamb.
"Ahh," she says. "They married? They kinda sound married. Don't they sound married?" This to Yuuki.
"We can take a break from all this dark shit since I figure we ought to wait a minute, see if we catch Tsugumi or if Pernelle comes back in from flirting over in the Ginza." It may be notable here that Saika isn't just speaking rather casually, she is *not* using honorifics at all. It seems purposeful.
"So... here's something more concrete... gimme your shoe size," Saika says, walking around the counter once more. "Because shoes are tricky and we might be havin' to do some adjustments, but let's see if we can nail it the first time!"
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
Yuuki explains about Daisuke and Naoki, but does not remark on Murakami; Yanagi takes this to mean she does indeed need or want to confront the Homunculus in the real world first. People have personal reasons like that, it's fine. (If maybe Yuuki was so mentally wrapped up in discussing her parents' uncertain fate and being worried about them that she missed that part, well, Yanagi certainly couldn't tell.)
"Hmmm... I understand. It is troubling that even experienced Persona Users had trouble with this one." Yanagi shares a knowing look with Saika, though it soon turns nonplussed. "Do they? I suppose I wouldn't know."
Her romantic experience is entirely with someone who is as anti-marriage as one can get.
However, then her friend points out that they really should wait for Tsumugi and Pernelle before discussing this further, and she smiles. "You're right." She waves to Yuuki cheerily and pushes herself back to her station. "I'll leave you two to it, then. Take care, Yuuki~"
<Pose Tracker> Yuuki Hoshizora has posed.
"Ah... yes. They were absolutely married," Yuuki says, and she sighs in that way that only a teenager can sigh about a married couple. She pauses, though, and then she nods her head. She isn't sure why Tsumugi and Pernelle don't get honorifics, but... maybe they're just like that.
She blinks, then. "Less dark... yeah, let's do that," she says. She looks sideways at Yanagi and smiles. "Thank you, Nagisa-san."
Then, she looks at Saika. "So, I'm a size..."