2026-06-27: A Concerned Text
- Log: A Concerned Text
- Cast: Ririka Kawase, Jun Kashihara
- Where: Iwatodai Dormitory/Sumaru City
- OOC Date: June 27, 2026
- IC Date: Saturday, December 01, 2012
- Summary: Ririka and Jun previously agreed to keep each other in the loop about supernatural goings on. So Ririka sends him a text to let him know that the rumors regarding new Jokers is, unfortunately, real.
(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.
A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.
There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.
The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.
BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Saturday. A half day of classes and then... freedom. Ririka headed back to her dorm to change--jeans, and a flannel shirt worn over a band tee to help stave off the December cold. She plopped on her bed and settled a purple teddy bear in her lap, pulling out her phone.
She'd promised to keep in touch with Jun, after all. And a few days ago there had been a major development he needed to know about. She started typing.
> Hey Kashihara-san. I hope you're doing well.
> There's something I need to give you a heads-up about. Is now a good time?
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
For his part, Jun is off to cram school. Kasugayama High has been an invaluable experience for its culture, but let's face it: when it comes to actually educating, it is... lacking. Cram school, especially for a high school third year coming up on college entrance exams, is vital.
He's definitely been going to cram school this whole time. Don't question it.
Afterwards, a pair of texts comes in. Jun checks his phone to see new messages from Ririka. He smiles and, as he walks towards the train station, texts her back:
> Yes, I just finished up cram school. What is it?
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka's version of cram school at the moment involves heavy extra piano lessons and lots of assigned practice. Though that's something she's reevaluating, that's for the future and not right at this minute.
But she still knows someh about it, from her older brother.
> I hope cram school is going well!
> Do you remember we talked about the rumor that people who used the Joker rumor would become new Jokers?
> Unfortunately... it's come true. I fought someone like that a few days ago.
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
> It is, thank you. I hope things are going well with you too.
Jun frowns at the next message. There is nothing good he can imagine coming next after bringing that up--and sure enough, it's followed up by a confirmation. He stops on the sidewalk to step to one side out of people's way and grimace. Maybe it would be more conscientious to not show such emotions in public, but even he's got a limit to how thoughtful he can be.
> I'm very sorry to hear that. What happened?
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
ARe things going well for her...? Well, they're going better, but... Ririka frowns as she deliberates over how much to say. She doesn't want to make Jun worry more, after all...
> I'm doing okay. Minus... you know.
That whole fight thing a few days ago. She resettles herself on the bed, sighing a little.
> A woman named Ulala Serizawa locked herself in a room at the GOLD Gym. She refused to open it unless we brought her the person she hated.
> When we finally made it inside... she changed. It was the same weird Resonance that the Joker Killer used to have. Her attitude and her looks changed.
Ririka took a deep breath, and the next message is delayed for a moment as she taps her fingers on her knee to settle herself.
> And she summoned the Joker Killer's Persona. It had a different form, but it felt exactly the same.
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
That's a very reasonable thing to subtract from how well one is doing at present.
Jun's heart jumps when a very familiar name pops out at him--not just a name, but an incident. He'd been there when she'd locked herself at GOLD Gym--even helped go after Makimura, as exhausting and exasperating an experience as that had been. Hyousuke, Shinobu, and Mr. Marlowe had helped with that too, so Jun had left it to them to take Makimura back to Ulala when other matters had popped up for him.
So that's what had been going on. No wonder she'd seemed so odd... Not just that--but she'd summoned (a version of?) the Joker Killer's Persona. A chill runs down his spine as he presses a hand over his mouth. It'd been bad enough when Sudou had been summoning it. It's bizarre to think of other people doing the same, but hadn't that voice that was and wasn't Tatsuya's said? The curse has spread... The Joker won't die.
> How is Serizawa-san now? Is she all right? Or...?
It's hard to imagine that she could be all right. Jun waits in dread for the answer.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka's part of that wild goose chase put her on a train to Inaba. It was definitely not the rest she needed after still recovering from her fainting incident.
Ririka fought the Joker Killer more times than she cared to (read: 'any'), and seeing that Persona again--and not just seeing a 'similar' Persona but to know that it is actually the same Persona--not that she understands how that could even be possible--was... disquieting. She'd clamped down on that feeling in the heat of the moment, focusing on supporting the other Persona Users, but afterwards...
... there were far, far too many questions to be had about that.
And those words had certainly stuck with her too... she'd hoped it wasn't true, but...
> Igor in the Velvet Room was able to help her. He sent it back to the 'sea of unconsciousness', but... also said that it will return when it can. I think she'll be okay, but she'll probably have a lot to think about.
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Jun breathes out a low, long sigh when Ririka gives him far better follow-up news than he could've anticipated, given context.
> I see... I'm glad she's all right, more or less. Any chance to start over is better than none at all.
Because... if she'd transformed into a Joker, that means she performed the Joker Curse, doesn't it...? Is that why she'd demanded Makimura? ...No, now that Jun thinks about it, Makimura was an assumption on their parts. He holds his chin in thought for a moment. No doubt Ririka could tell him, but maybe it's not his business.
He decides to leave it in her court by asking:
> Thank you for telling me, Kawase-san. Is there anything else I should know?
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka is glad Ulala was able to be helped, too.
> Yeah... and the person she actually called the Joker Killer on seemed willing to forgive her, so... hopefully that helps her out, too.
Ririka, like Jun, decides to give Ulala at least a little bit of privacy on some of the finer details.
But is there anything else...? Ririka takes a deep breath and sighs.
> If you end up encountering someone in that state, be careful, because they turn really aggressive.
> The Joker Persona also seems to have the ability to appear in place of other peoples' summoned Personas, so watch out for that, too...
Ririka hugs her teddy bear to herself for a moment, consider...
> I think that's all the most urgent things I can say right now...
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
'The person she actually called the Joker Killer on...' So not Makimura. Given his personality, Jun can't imagine him being so gracious. If Ririka isn't specifying, then she probably wants to respect Ulala's privacy too--understandable, considering this is someone Ulala tried to have killed. Even if she only called the Joker Killer as a joke, not expecting it to be real, there must have been a seed of hatred in her heart to prompt her to test the rumor at all. That would be tough to live with, for her and for the person she called for.
> All right... If you think of anything else, please let me know. I'll keep that in mind for now. I believe I know some people who may have been there too, so I'll touch base with them also.
> Take care of yourself, all right? That must have been a harrowing experience. I know I'd have been deeply rattled if I'd been there...
> I almost was, too. I helped run around searching for Makimura-san after hearing about Serizawa-san in GOLD Gym, but something came up and I had to leave escorting him back there to others.
> I'm not sure if I should be vexed or relieved to hear what I missed.
For now, Jun will continue walking down the street to the train station. He's got much to think about now.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka still isn't sure if the fact that Ulala had been drunk and not really in her right mind when she called makes it better or worse. Let alone that the target was her best friend.
... And she also really doesn't want to try and read anything unintentional into some of what was said, considering.
But for all those reasons, she'll try to protect Ulala's privacy. If others tell Jun... that's not on her.
> I will. And, probably. Suzuki-san was there, at least.
> And... thanks. You, too, okay? I can only imagine you're more likely to run into more of them, considering you're in Sumaru and all... And yeah, it was... disturbing doesn't seem like a strong enough word, but... it was definitely that.
> My friends and I ended up on a train to Inaba somehow looking for that guy... it still makes me tired thinking of it.
> I'm not sure either, but... this probably isn't the last we've seen of the Joker Killers or the Joker Persona or curse or whatever.
> Anyway, take care.
Ririka pockets her phone and gets up to stretch. Nothing to do now but wait and keep an eye out, and get on with the rest of her day.