2026-06-16: Performance Bonus
- Log: Performance Bonus
- Cast: Niko Kirisaki, Miho Ijuuin
- Where: Port Island Station - Main
- OOC Date: June 16, 2026
- IC Date: November 25, 2012
- Summary: Niko puts on a little show for the people passing by Port Island Station, in the process drawing the attention of fellow Persona User Miho Ijuuin. Though they may not know one another's affiliation, there is mutual interest, and their frank conversation uncovers a certain level of like-mindedness.
(|======================== Port Island Station - Main ========================|)
-======================================= Iwatodai City/Tatsumi Port Island ====-
A sunny arrival greets people who ride the monorail to the artificial island
every day, as once off the platform, Port Island Station is open-air, allowing
the sea breeze to spread throughout it. Columns slice a diagonal towards a
curved wall that makes the station take on an amphitheater type appearance.
A vendor at Rafflesia makes the enticing offer of flowers for decorations and
gifts to your sweetheart alike, while Screen Shot Cinema presents matinee
pricing for students getting away from the stress of school and wanting to catch
the latest releases. Police dot the place, stopping people before they might
make a wrong turn towards certain alleys. Of course, you wouldn't know anything
about going to places like that, now would you?
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
A train station perhaps isn't the first thing most people would think of when they think of the word 'entertainment'. Yet on a nice clear and temperate day such as this, one might catch sight of the occasional street performer, generally tolerated so long as they don't cause a disturbance. Most commonly, it will be someone playing an instrument. Today, it's something very different.
A wide half-circle has been formed by over a dozen people of various stripes and ages, witnessing an act that is most unusual indeed. A pink-haired teenage girl in what could be fairly be described as punk clothing is using both hands to swing something about her body, making jingling sounds with every movement. It's not your average rope swing exercise, nor could it be called rhythmic gymnastics. It's somewhere in the middle, a dance all of its own, featuring movements that would be tricky enough using a rope.
But... that's not a rope. It's a lengthy section of chain, swung about with the greatest of ease. One might think it a magic act, considering most would find it difficult to swing about at all, let alone in any sort of controlled manner. Looking at this girl's unusually muscular physique though, perhaps it's not far-fetched to believe it to be real.
This sort of thing might qualify as disruptive, but there is no police interference with this. Mainly because the closest police officer is among the crowd, whistling appreciatively as he enjoys the show. "Gooo, Niko-chan!" yells someone else from the crowd, one of a pair of girls that look about as old and certainly as delinquent as she does. A much smaller boy claps his hands, wondering aloud, "How does she DO that?" A middle-aged man with his arms crossed grumbles, "It's obviously some sort of trick."
Niko chooses that moment to release the chain, her only warning the word, "Catch~" The chain strikes the grumbling man right in the gut, and he doubles over - which, perhaps surprisingly, only prompts laughter from the crowd, the police officer included. Niko smiles brightly as she retrieves the chain and hangs it from her shoulders before taking a bow, drawing applause and a measure of change deposited in a wooden crate placed nearby for the purpose.
With the crowd dispersing, Niko stretches herself out, chuckling to herself as she watches the officer assist the wheezing heckler. "Everyone's a critic... once."
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Miho Ijuuin does come out to Port Island now and then. She's considering quitting her job at the Katou Corporation, but she hasn't done it yet, and there's a certain business meeting she had in the area...
A business meeting that is over, and sees her step back out into the station to pick up some flowers...
And see a show.
Miho is a very tall woman in a black suit. No tie, of course--ties are for men--but her suit is well-tailored and she has a very businesslike aura about her. She watches from away from the crowd, able to see over everyone by virtue of her great height.
So, she catches the police officer's reaction, and--
A trick.
Miho lifts an eyebrow at the way it all shakes out. She considers...
And in that moment, she feels it--the heartbeat-heartbeat sense of a Persona-user, and Niko may feel it, too. Without her wife, Miho doesn't have the capability to hide her own resonance in the same way.
So Miho approaches Niko. "Interesting," she says. "You really had the crowd on your side."
"...Even the officer there."
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
A station's a great spot to run into all sorts of people, going about all sorts of business. That's why this is one of Niko's most common haunts. Sometimes for work, sometimes for fun. This? This was purely for fun. Bit of extra change is nice, but really, she could make money more quickly just beating up on Shadows. She has no clue why they even drop money, but hey, can't demand the supernatural to make sense, why even question it?
Niko did see the tall businesslady back there, kind of hard to miss that height. Niko isn't small herself, but that's still almost a head taller than she is. That's interesting in itself.
When there's a ping of resonance coming from that direction, that's more interesting still. Feels like it's getting easier to pick out where it's coming from in a crowd... though really, her intuition would've said it's the tall lady, either way. That's just the vibe, there.
Still, she doesn't draw particular attention to it, yet. Curious to see whether Miho will make the first move. And she is not disappointed.
"Hehe, you know it," is her only initial response, followed by, "Hang on a sec." Moving to the box of change, she moves to fold the cloth at the bottom together, creating a makeshift sack to collect it all in. Her brows raise as she nods appreciatively. "Bunch of fivers in there, nice." 500 yen coins, presumably.
That done, she turns her attention back to Miho. "What can I say, I've got an adoring public. They know me 'round here. I look like this, but I don't cause no trouble. Not for no reason, anyway~" Or where normal people could see it.
"I'm Niko Kirisaki," she proceeds to the all-important task of introducing herself in a bright tone. "Just call me Niko!" There are limits to who she'll suggest/insist on the -chan suffix, but the familiar form of address, that's always important.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
It's a fair assumption; Miho is pretty intense.
"All right," Miho answers to the request to hold on. She waits; money is important to those who don't have it especially. "Nice," she agrees. But when she's done...
"So you do," Miho agrees. "That's interesting to me. But I suppose there's something to be said for the home field advantage..."
A beat, "Very well. I'll decide how else to address you after we have a chance to speak. I am Miho Ijuuin." She does not provide guidance on how to call her; maybe she's curious if Niko will actually go for her first name in these circumstances.
"They don't know me around here," she contends. "I don't get out here often; I'm just here for the flowers..."
"Though pink isn't the color I was counting on, it seems it might be the order of the day."
She's still trying to 'read' Niko a bit. Maybe then she'll come out with a stab of her own about Personas.
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
Probably not that hard to believe Niko is the sort who'd need money, just from looking at her. It may be easier to believe still that she commonly earns it in a less respectable way than street performances, or at least a less normal way. In so far as THAT performance could be considered normal.
"Home field..." Niko pauses just a little bit too long not to raise an eyebrow at, before she simply finishes the thought with a nod. "I guess that's true enough."
Though she's not thrilled about putting off what to call her (that should be an easy decision, she just said...), Miho's own introduction deflects any sort of objection there might have been, Niko noting with open surprise, "Oh shit, your name sounds similar to my name, go figure. Nice to meetcha, Miho!"
Didn't just go for the first name, but in the most casual way possible, and being a little crude along the way. Can't claim that Niko doesn't give away what she's like right off the bat.
...Also, she indirectly gave away that the name 'Miho Ijuuin' doesn't ring a single bell for her. One supposes that not everybody in Japan would follow the Olympics, but... well, needless to say, she's not going to think anything is off about the claim that nobody would know Miho around here.
"Hell yeah, go for pink, it's a good color," the girl who dyed her hair pink opines, try to act surprised. Casually placing her hands behind her head, she finally decides to press a bit on that point. "Rafflesia's got good stuff, but you can get flowers anywhere. You really go out of your way just for that?"
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Miho can believe both of these things--but prefers to wait for a little more evidence. For now, she notices that pause...
And then the similarity. Miho laughs outright, openly amused at the way Niko just goes for it. "In that case," she says, "I will call you Niko-chan. It's a pleasure."
Miho is not too surprised; Niko doesn't look like she follows the Olympics. But it's still a useful piece of data. And Miho walks along a little further, along the way towards the back of the station instead of out where everyone sees.
"Not at all," Miho says. "I was here on entirely mundane business, and thought to patronize Rafflesia as only slightly out of my way."
A beat, "But that business was boring, and I can delay getting flowers to a woman who deserves them for a little longer to talk to someone who has that particular 'feeling' to them."
"Do you really use the chain just for performance?"
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
This is what Niko calls a Great Success In Friendship Establishment. First name basis, and she gets the -chan out of it and everything!
"Oh shit, really? Nice! Wasn't sure you'd be cool like that, but, hey, sounds like we're on the same wavelength! Pleasure for sure, Miho!" ...she's still not adding a counter-chan in this case. First name, no problem, but Niko's got her limits. The Adult vibe is too strong here for a -chan.
Niko may in fact look more like she has aspirations to be in the Olympics, were it not for Circumstances. Right now one might rightly wonder if she has much of an opportunity to watch TV. Whatever the case may be, she doesn't seem very concerned about it, nor does she have any qualms to follow someone she just met to a spot more out of the public eye.
She seems to have no problem accepting the stated reason. "Business... yeah, you look like 'business'." Whatever that's supposed to mean. She doesn't bat an eye at the flowers being for a woman, but who knows if she caught onto any sort of context with that one.
Once that 'feeling' comes up though, and it's no longer so easy for people to overhear, Niko drops the pretense, though not her casual way of speaking. "Caught your interest, huh?" She takes the chain off her neck, weighing it in her hands. "It's pretty handy for trashing Shadows too. Or, y'know." In a fluent motion, she snaps the chain forward once, before moving to wrap it around her waist.
"Whatever else is in the way." The way she smiles isn't any less bright than before. "Got a feeling you know a thing or two about that sorta thing, am I right?"
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Miho doesn't have to worry as much about respect as some people; she has a strong sense of self-esteem. ...Maybe in other circumstances, she might insist on the proper honorific, but in this case, she was testing Niko for boldness, and she passed with flying colors.
So why punish her for the desired outcome?
Miho can appreciate someone pursuing physical strength. Niko clearly isn't neglecting it. But for now...
"I'm dressed for it," Miho agrees easily enough. And is it so weird, to get flowers for your friend? ...Obviously that's all it is. Obviously*.
"You did." She looks over the chain, and then back to Niko. "I imagine so." Miho doesn't flinch at the snap of the chain. She's entirely serene, it would seem. Or just hard to spook. "Indeed. My preference is a sword," she says, "But something easier to conceal or carry has its merits."
"You are right about that much; many things can get 'in the way' in such circumstances as that."
"...So, Niko-chan," Miho says. "Find anything interesting in those 'somethings' lately?"
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
Boldness, Niko's got in spades. To her detriment, at times, but combined with her general pleasant demeanor, it tends to get her places more often than not. No wonder she is completely unrepentant 99 percent of the time. Just don't ask Niko about how weird, well, anything is. Her standards for that are pretty... non-standard.
Whatever the case, she clearly doesn't just not mind attention, she enjoys the interest, and is pretty interested in turn. Won't think twice about pelting a random onlooker with a heavy chain without saying more than a word to them, but someone with Powers, that could easily be a worthwhile conversation to have.
Clearly someone very used to the way things work, in this case. "Swords, huh? Metal," she comments, perhaps a bit on the nose. "I got this thing," she notes, gesturing to her 'belt', which does stand out as a fashion choice if nothing else. "But I can use my hands just fine. Makin' the best of what I got." (It's muscles, what she's got is muscles.)
When prompted about the 'somethings' that get in the way, one recent encounter readily springs to mind. "Darndest thing. Me and my friends were just minding our own business down in the subway," - she means Mementos, obviously - "And we came across what is apparently literally the Grim Reaper, can you believe it? Fucking thing had guns! What happened to the scythe, is nothing sacred anymore?"
That's what she trips over, in the end?? Well, nobody would claim Niko's brain works like most people's. Though she does rub her now unblemished right shoulder. "Getting shot sucks," in her opinion. Turning her head back to Miho, she needlessly clarifies, "I got better."
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Miho has non-standard standards, too. They just aren't as obvious because she's wealthy, clean-cut, and famous.
"Quite," Miho agrees with 'metal', and she notices both the chain and her hands. "Hmm. Perhaps I should invest more in hand-to-hand training..." Muscles. Miho also has muscles, though they're less obvious in this suit. It's tailored to downplay them, after all; wouldn't want to threaten the men at work. "You clearly don't neglect your own."
But somethings... The subway, of course. Miho doesn't spend much time in Mementos, since that one time. But now...
"Fascinating," Miho reflects. "I've heard of the Reaper, but never met it. I certainly didn't realize it used guns. I suppose it has something to do with the lingering specter of the firing squad..."
Or maybe it's just badass. Who knows?
"It does," Miho agrees, and reaches to tap her left upper arm. "Last time I was shot, it was by someone without a Persona. Almost undignified, given the circumstances... but I've learned to be less reckless since then."
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
If Miho's mode of dress serves to downplay her physique, Niko seems quite the opposite. And yet her response to not neglecting her training is to downplay it in turn. "Eh, you know, I do what I gotta." If it were anyone else, that might be a case of typical Japanese humility. Not something Niko tends to show a ton of.
Where it comes to the Reaper, though... "Don't even care, I just don't want to ever see that thing again. It was like... somehow we all just knew, before we even saw it, there's no way we could beat this thing. Now I know these guys, they're strong and got plenty confidence, just like me. And still, every single one of us, we were just 'nope, gotta run', just based on how it felt. How messed up is that?"
Niko might have been just a little shaken by that ordeal, and looking to talk to someone about it. And sometimes, a stranger who feels like they'd understand seems like the best choice for that sort of thing.
She lets out a breath, finally. And then makes a face, at being shot in the real world. "Damn. That must suck even more, harder to get that healed." At least it probably wasn't Strega, if Miho's sure it was someone without a Persona. That would've been awkward. Though, being reminded of that...
"Y'know, if you still got beef with whoever got that cheap shot in, and you wanna get even... I know a guy who knows a guy."
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"Fair enough."
Miho considers that. "Hmm. That's a healthy attitude," Miho reflects. "But I find myself in a position where 'danger' is a potentially useful matter." A pause. "Maybe best not to seek that particular source, in that case. If nothing else, my... friend, would be distressed to sense such a thing." Did Miho think about setting up Black Mask and the Reaper in the same room somehow? Maybe. But she's not crazy enough to think it'd actually work out in her favor.
"It's quite 'messed up' indeed."
Still, shot. "It was a problem," Miho agrees. "I had to wear a sling for a while. It interfered with my exercise routines, no less. At least it didn't happen until after the competitions."
She considers the offer. "Hmm. While that man is no longer a problem to anyone," she euphemizes simply, "That is a useful 'guy' to know. I might take an introduction sometime, if we continue to get along."
"I do most of my own 'getting even', but one can't have enough methods."
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
"Yeah, I getcha," Niko is quick to agree with danger possibly being useful. "But believe me, if you ever feel what I felt back there, never mind your friend, I know you'd understand too." She grins. "Yeah, I know, I barely know you, but I'm still sure about that. It's like, if you could feel the word 'no', I'm sure that's what it would feel like."
...Hm, maybe this is actually hyping it up, she considers. She didn't mean it to be reverse psychology, but now that she thinks about it, that might work on her. No more of that topic then. Though she's not going to retract anything she said, either. Could be a funny story later, if something did come of it.
Instead, there is a noise somewhere in between a whine and a grumble from Niko, hearing about the sling. "Tell me about it. This guy knocked me through a wall once, had to keep my arm still for three weeks to heal the bone."
...That's not actually very long for an injury like that. But it sure felt like forever to her.
"Competitions, huh?" She did catch that word. But rather than pry, she instead comments, "Never been much for those. If it were up to me..." There's another odd pause, Niko's gaze turning to the sky. "...I'd prefer if everybody wins."
The moment passes like a breeze on the wind, Niko abruptly refocusing on Business. Spreading the word makes Jin happy, so, gotta do her best, even when talking to someone who clearly has her own ways of getting revenge.
"Right on, right on. Well, we all got times we'd rather not get our own hands dirty, right? That ever happen to you, go to Club Escapade and look for the guy with a laptop that makes you go 'this is the most suspicious guy I've ever seen'. Ask him about Revenge Request, he'll hook you up."
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"I've... felt similar," Miho says. "So I believe you."
It could be hyping it up, but at least Miho isn't the type to see a potential 'challenge' and charge straight at it; she prefers to keep her eyes on the prize. ...Whatever the prize happens to be.
Still, "Ouch," she says of being knocked through a wall. "Inconvenient, injury. I prefer to avoid it."
But competitions. Everyone would win, hm...? Miho files that information away for the moment. It's an interesting perspective from someone who dresses like a street punk. Not necessarily strange, but interesting. And now, for Business...
"True," Miho agrees. "...Heh. That's quite the image. I'll remember it."
Then, she reaches into her jacket, and pulls out a card. She offers it to Niko--only one-handed. She is apparently not standing on ceremony.
"I should be about those flowers. I think I will get something pink."
"...But call me sometime, if you find something really 'interesting'."
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
That, in turn, is interesting to Niko. Miho's made a very collected impression, yet she does understand that sort of feeling. She's not sure if that says something more about Miho, or more about what else is out there.
"I hear that," she says on injury. "Or at least gotta make sure there's a healer nearby, who can also actually do the healing thing right then." So Niko's abilities do not include healing, quite possibly the least surprising fact that was learned today. And what may be the most surprising one isn't elaborated on any further, isn't that always the way?
Niko appears a bit taken aback, being presented with a business card. "Uh, shit, I don't have one of those to give in return, that's rude isn't it?" Unlike her speech, that's fine. It also won't stop her from accepting the card, raising it up slightly in acknowledgement. "Sure, I'll give ya a call sometime. If nothing else so you have my number too. Only proper - we're friends now, right Miho?"
It's a rhetorical question, obviously they are. They're on a first name basis, and Miho's taking flower colors on her recommendation. That's friend behavior, Q.E.D.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Miho has met the Black Mask; for all that she has confidence in herself, she knows where sometimes, even her own power isn't quite enough.
"That helps," Miho agrees. Her Persona does a little healing... but only a very little. It's self-sufficient like that. It is definitely the way, though. And at Niko's reaction--
Miho laughs faintly. "It's fine," she says. "The polite approach is to give and take cards with both hands, bow slightly, and offer your own in return, yes. But some things go deeper than manners."
"I'll accept that." A call! And...
"Yes, Niko-chan. It would appear that we are." A beat, "Take care of yourself." She starts off.