2026-07-12: Royal Reload

• Log: 2026-07-12 Royal Reload
• Cast: Ren Amamiya, Ichika Kawase, Minato Arisato, Ryuji Sakamoto, Minako Arisato, Yukari Takeba, Haru Okumura, Suzume Fukura, Fuuka Yamagishi, Ririka Kawase, Koh Katsuhiro, Moriko Kumamoto, Mitsuru Kirijo, Akihiko Sanada
• Where: Mementos - Path of Qimranut
• OOC Date: July 12, 2026
• IC Date: Saturday, December 08, 2012
• Summary: The leaders of SEES and The Phantoms have agreed to meet each other with back-up in Mementos to feel out the other group's intentions and desires. Will the two teams be able to cooperate going forward, or is this the first step towards war?

---

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Some time ago, Reiya of SEES made contact with the Phantom Thieves via the Phan-Site, which is not run or moderated by the Phantom Thieves but is monitored by them. It's far from the first time SEES has made contact with The Phantoms, but it is the first time it bore fruit in the form of a follow-up: Fox met up with him, and through their discussion, SEES and the Phantom Thieves agreed to a meeting.
    
    It's Saturday night to accommodate all the students in SEES (and The Phantoms, though they don't say as much), with the location one of the train stops in the Qimranut block of Mementos. It's easy to travel to for both groups, and both will be able to make quick exits via the Mementos trains if need be.
    
    Not all of The Phantoms are present--openly, at least. Who can say who might be watching from a distance in case things go sour? They've met with Cardboard Dragon before, and at that time, the one person who was reluctant to ally with them was also--is still also--a member of SEES: Shinjiro Aragaki. Joker had encouraged them at the time to not force an alliance if they weren't all of one mind, and for Shinjiro in particular to not simply go along with something he didn't agree with. If he isn't here tonight, that will surely have its own implications.
    
    In the meantime, Joker awaits seated atop the roof of the covered station benches, legs crossed and booted feet idly kicking. Their friends who are openly attending are presumably nearby. There's background noise from the trains that rush past every so often and the crowds of faceless Shadows that board and depart, but that's on the other side of the platform. It won't ruin conversation--just mask it from any errant other groups who might try to spy.
    
    Once SEES arrives (presumably in force), their masked attention will turn to them, and they'll greet them with a slight, crooked smile. Their gaze skates across everyone collected as they do. They expect to see a number of familiar faces, and they make the effort to keep that recognition off their face. Right now, for now, all of them are equal.
    
    "Members of SEES," they also greet aloud. "So good of you to meet us here." They hook one boot up onto the edge of the train stop, then leap nimbly down to approach SEES on the same level. "We are The Phantoms, Thieves of Hearts. I am the leader, codename Joker." They dip into a theatrical bow, then rise with an outright smirk, though it conveys confidence rather than mockery. "A pleasure, I hope, to formally make your acquaintances."

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

Reiya Aomori isn't here; Ikutsuki happened to have a mission for him tonight at the last minute, which he went off to perform. The details are mysterious...

Ogre is waiting when SEES arrives; when joker comes down and greets the others, Ogre instead steps out of the shadows and nods, dignified.

She's an armored girl in samurai-style attire, except with more modern armor and high-tech shoes, along with spiked gloves--a lot of spikes in general. Her golden mask is that of an oni, cracked with large horns.

"Hey," she says, and has the rough voice of a sukeban or similar. "I'm Ogre," she introduces herself.

"...It's good to meet you properly. I've seen and heard a lot about you guys."

<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.

    It's not the first time SEES has expressed interest, either -- Hitomi expressed that interest to Phoenix, some time ago, but it didn't end up manifesting a meeting. One presumes that this has something to do with Phoenix's impenetrable texting style, which they insist protects them against message interception.

    Phoenix isn't in the greeting party, though. When you're making friends and influencing people, you don't bring the ultra-paranoid guy who leaps to violence as the first and best option to be your smiling face.

    You leave them on a nearby rooftop to leap on Koh out of nowhere with a massive creepy greatsword, screaming wordless fury, the minute anyone steps out of line.

    DUH.

    No: the person actually stepping up to meet the Thieves, today, is Minato. Dressed in his SEES uniform, it offers the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad its own sense of unity, as they step up to the rest stop in Qimranut.

    "Good evening," Minato says, as he and the others step up. "SEES here."

    ...

    "I'm Minato," he adds, helpfully. (His tone has not shifted from atonal; his expression has not shifted from expressionless.) "Minato Arisato. I'm one of our field leaders. There's also..."

    He looks back to Minako -- and Mitsuru. And the others!!

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

Skull is never really thrilled with these meetings. So far the only fruit he saw was a lot of judgement and opinions that didn't understand the full story. Not that Skull could share the complete story but still...

 These Persona groups need to stop being so damn nosy with the Phanton Thieves.

 That was how Skull saw it anyway.

 The blonde thug squats near Ogre and the covered benches. When SEES starts to arrive, Skull stands up, grinning as he looks them over. Finally, he whistles in appreciation for how cool these guys look. They might look cool but they seemed like a bunch of well meaning authority figures... "Sup?"

 He looks over to Joker to make the first move, walking toward the biggest member of SEES (probably Akihiko). Skull stares down this unfortunate member of SEES, using all his punk know how to try to get under the skin of their biggest guy. That way they couldn't intimidate the Phantom Thieves.

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.

It's a diplomatic meeting -- something that feels strange to Minako Arisato -- and that means she is dressed for the occasion. She wears the black uniform of Gekkoukan, with the extra jacket and crimson arm band for SEES' combat uniform. She walks near the head, with a certain determination.

And a certain cheerful smile on her face; like nothing can really faze her. Her crimson eyes look up and then level with Joker as they land.

Huh, she thinks. Cute.

She follows up her brother, on cue. "I'm Minako Arisato," she says to them. "Co-Leader of SEES' combat teams."

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

Saturday Night. One of the few nights of the week where they're free and she'd rather being doing any number of things. But- this is important to her. It's why she brought it up to SEES in the first place.
 
She's comes to Mementos, and of course she's armed, but her bow is slung over the shoulder of her SEES jacket, worn over her pink cardigan. Her Evoker in a thigh holster.
 
It's just practical having it here in Mementos, even if it's a parley. But even if it weren't Mementos, she'd still bring it, as there's always a chance things go very wrong.
 
As she arrives with the rest of SEES, Joker speaks, and after Minato introduces himself and Minato and Minako go- she says, "Hey." In an awkward tone, she's seen them before of course, many times during fights, but she's never actually spoken to them in this way.
 
"Takeba. Yukari Takeba. I think you've all seen me around before? ... Probably."
 
She glances to Ogre who she saw basically yesterday as a boss of Kasugayama High.
 
"Same here." She agrees, "Though, it's hard to separate fact from fiction a little. You all being on the news all the time and all."
 
'Because you all never stick around to talk very long' she might have said, but she's not gonna bring it up.
 
She can understand why a bunch of people who are wanted by the cops and keeping their identities secret would leave very very fast every time.

<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.

Flanking Joker and the other Phantom Thieves is Noir, feathered cap lowered over her mask. Every Phantom Thief's attire seems to reflect a certain era and culture. Noir, of course, reflects that of a noble villainess. SEES has the numbers, so they must impress in their own way.

Nevertheless, Noir gives their guests a polite and cordial smile. "Hello, members of SEES. You may call me Noir." Her voice is surprisingly sugary sweet - and perhaps familiar to some members SEES, as the dreaded Beauty Thief. "It's so very nice to finally meet some fellow Persona users!"

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

Suzume almost missed this meeting for two reasons.

First, she promised Reiya she'd come along with some of his missions, so she nearly got roped into that, but at the last moment everybody realized that - well, this probably wasn't the best time for her to start joining in. Even if she has been seen around him more often than usual, lately.

And second, she really ought to be studying. Which actually makes her *more* likely to go to this meeting than not. Her brain needs a break, or at least to think about something else!

Suzume thought about what she knows about the Phantom Thieves. They do Changes of Heart, she knows about that if not how it's done. She knows they have Personas, too. And she knows they have cool masks to hide their identity.

Suzume briefly considered making a cool mask of her own but, well... having never made a mask before, she is not entirely sure it will come out as 'cool' and not 'amateurish'. So she didn't. She wore the SEES combat uniform, the way she always does: the jacket with big pockets that comes down past her hips to midthigh, swallowtail-cut for maximum leg mobility, similar to Junpei's (though he wears his around his waist, usually) or Ken's. The jacket is short-sleeved so that her tonfa don't tangle in her lower sleeves - it simply doesn't have long sleeves, cuffed just above the elbow. Underneath it she has pants rather than the skirt all her other uniforms have, black and neat but with that bit of stretch to it that gym clothes have. The top is a short-sleeved shirt with polo-style buttons. It's loose-fit, but in a way that looks deliberate rather than Suzume's usual approach to baggy clothes, and seems vaguely sporty even though it is still clearly a uniform.

Critically, the tonfa are currently shoved in loops that are designed for it hanging from her belt, in much the same way you might carry a pair of scabbarded short swords or long knives. She brought them - but she's not wielding them. (Her Evoker is in her inside holster and is much less obvious.)

"Hey," Suzume says, slightly awkward. "Call me Suzume." Because it's her name, but the ones that don't know her personally *might* take it as a codename; it means 'sparrow'. She doesn't feel like giving her family name, though some of them may already know it; she's met Ichika, for instance, though she doesn't recognize her as Ogre.

"I organize some of the trips into Mementos SEES does." She's not really a leader the way Minako or Minato are, but Suzume *has* done squad leadership before... and it indicates she knows stuff about Mementos. Which is true, though she doesn't bring up her research as such, yet. She doesn't much like the feeling that the Thieves know more than she does, and she's tired of feeling like an idiot in front of people.

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

A meeting with the Phantom Thieves... There's a part of Fuuka that's nervous it might turn into something else. But... If they all stay away from each other out of fear, then nothing good will ever happen. Communication is the key to understanding.

Isn't that her role, after all?

They arrive in Mementos on a Saturday night. It makes sense - it's a neutral location, and one with a lot of convenient exits. She can feel the Shadows in the background as they go about their business, currently calm. It makes it difficult to pinpoint anything specific in the immediate area... but this is meant to be peaceful, so there's no reason to probe any deeper than that just yet.

With a dramatic flourish, Joker leaps off the roof of a covered bench to greet them. She wonders how long they've been planning that...

She waits for Minato and Minako to speak first as the combat leaders, then, prim and proper, folds her hands in front of her and offering a polite bow.

"Hello. It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Fuuka Yamagishi." She introduces herself and then straightens up, looking over each of the Phantom Thieves in turn.

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

Ririka first encountered some of the Phantom Thieves in, perhaps, one of the most dire situations she's ever been in. (Personally dire, at least; we won't mention Aoba park.) She knows she might be biased for that reason, but... she also has some reservations about their methods. But she'll do her best to keep an open mind.

She's in her SEES uniform, like everyone else. She's nervous, but... she's trying to channel a little bit of her stage persona (no pun intended) to give herself some confidence.

"Hey. Ririka Kawase." She gives a polite bow. "It's nice to meet you all."

<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.

Koh's last jaunt through Mementos wasn't a particularly good time, but he hopes that the storied Phantom Thieves will be a little less scary than the last thing that he encountered on the subway lines.

But they haven't had a good track record with people running revenge websites either.

Still, Koh is probably closest to Minako in temperament to the eyes of the casual observer: friendly. Or at least relaxed--practiced?--enough to offer a disarming smile as he trails in the wake of SEES two leaders.

"Yo." The curly-haired boy offers. "I'm Koh."

Like the others he wears a Gekkokaun uniform, armband, and uniform. His isn't too different from Minato's jacket aside from the holster for the short sword at his hip.

GAME: Ririka Kawase sets her sees uniform desc!

<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.

Moriko's bringing up the rear. It may have taken some convincing to get her to show up in a SEES uniform and not her biker getup. For various reasons. Mostly because they're comfortable, it's cold out and she likes her jacket. It's fine though.
 
 She has no idea what's going on as she checks the gathered sort. There's enough context clues that she joins her fellow SEES members. Smooths her top and skirt out, then raises a hand and says simply, "Yo."
 
 It then occurs to her, she should probably introduce herself. "Moriko Kumamoto."

<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.

Mitsuru Kirijo has misgivings about this.

This isn't exactly odd, really. Skepticism has been a part of her outlook since before she even hit her teenage years. The world is an ugly and unforgiving place, and exercising due caution is the cornerstone of preparedness. She doesn't like unknowns; she especially doesn't like walking into them. And her typical due diligence has shed little light on the various mysteries surrounding the Phantom Thieves.

But it's not just that. It'd be easier if it was, really; no, this is... personal.

And doesn't that just have a way of complicating things in the most vexing of ways?

Regardless: once Reiya made contact with the Phantom Thieves directly, and an agreement had been reached, Mitsuru had taken point in helping the Arisatos in organizing and making this necessary and long overdue meeting. And she's here now, situated towards the front of SEES as they all filter in to this particular stretch of Mementos' twisting, turning, cognitive corridors. Bright scarlet light illuminates fair features and ignites royal red hair into brighter shades still as SEES' founder descends the stairwell into the train station dressed in that eloquent and streamlined uniform of hers, expression that carefully cultivated, dignified and unreadable neutrality she so often wears.

She has misgivings. So of course she needs to be here. To see - to hope - they're unwarranted.

Dark red eyes lift as Joker leaps and offers their greeting. The dramaticism of it all - the flashy flourish of it - inspires a modest milimeter hike of dark brows.

"Hm."

It was a cool entrance, Joker. Don't worry about Mitsuru -- she's just ruminating on the logistics of it!

All that shows, though, is that cool look focusing on the leader of the Phantom Thieves before it glides, cool and curious, towards Ogre, Skull and Noir next, regarding them all with that inscrutably scrutinizing gaze in turn, before her stare falls back on Joker.

She focuses on the mask they wear for a brief moment.

"'Joker,'" she repeats. A second passes by. "... I see."

Her gaze shuts for a moment. And then she lifts a gloved hand to her chest.

"Enchanté," she offers, before dipping into a bow - shallow but graceful and most importantly, painstakingly formal in a way that seems to come naturally as breathing to her. "My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. President of SEES."

It's technically correct -- SEES, after all, is officially a school club.

Somehow.

"... I appreciate you all taking the time to meet us. This has been long overdue."

<Pose Tracker> Akihiko Sanada has posed.

    Akihiko accompanies the SEES group, in force perhaps, but not making a show of force. He hangs his boxing gloves loosely over his shoulder. Close enough for a Shadow emergency, but far enough that it isn't going to turn into a fight.

    Akihiko's dressed in his winter uniform along with his usual red sweater vest. His Evoker is holstered comfortably under his arm.

    Similarly to Yukari, Akihiko's fought along side the thieves once before too. "Yo." He raises his free hand. "Good to properly meet you. Akihiko Sanada, a third year." Surely even in Tokyo, tales are told of the Undefeated Boxing Champ. He offers a curt nod to Joker, Ogre, Noir, and whoever else greets peacefully.

    The skulled one meanwhile, attempts to step up to the upperclassman. It'd be one thing, if Skull was trying to intimidate Akihiko by himself. The unfamiliarity of the other Persona Users, memory of Strega's attack on the dorms, and the last Full Moon Shadow Operation, is putting Akihiko more on edge in protecting his juniors. He matches the energy, stepping forward too. "Heh, you trying to act tough? Sit back down. You're not gonna want any trouble."

Hitomi Mandai has arrived from Historia: The White Chronicle.

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Joker doesn't look to one side at their companions as they also step forward and introduce themselves; the four of them are a united front. They're open to this becoming a friendly alliance between two groups of Persona Users standing up against the darkness, but they're prepared for this becoming a battle of ideologies instead. They're resolved to maintain their calm no matter what is said.
    
    They meet the eyes of Minato, Minako, and the others in turn as they introduce themselves, some with full names, some not. The Phantoms' codenames are--up to this point, anyway--all in non-Japanese languages, so they don't personally assume Suzume's name is supposed to be a codename. They do note that Shinjiro is indeed not here today, though Akihiko is. Maybe that's a good sign. Maybe not.
    
    They're actually surprised by how many members of SEES they already know. Some of them they'd already suspected but hadn't confirmed, while others they've seen on the battlefield. They're even more surprised by how many more they don't know. If this is only a portion of their membership, and they have two field leaders (and Minako was one of them?!) and a president, SEES must be an astonishingly large group.
    
    Yukari remarks on The Phantoms' mystique. "We make a point of not revealing ourselves to the public," they reply. Indeed, anyone who's ever checked out the Phan-Site will notice that while some change of heart requests eventually get follow-up messages from the original poster thanking them for their help, the Phantom Thieves themselves never post or respond to anyone's messages.
    
    Mitsuru comments on their codename, in indirect fashion. "Fear not. I've no connection to the Old Maid. When he still lived, he was one of our enemies," Joker reassures her, reading between the lines. They don't take her cool reaction personally; after all, are they not offering an unflappable front too? And they appreciate her eloquence and the gracefulness of her bow either way. "Indeed."
    
    Their gaze returns to Minato and Minako. It pointedly does not linger on the latter. "Well then, we assume you all have many questions for us. The most popular one seems to be how we enact our changes of heart." Joker waggles a finger as he winks. "That is a secret. We don't share our methods with others."
    
    They slip their hands into their pockets as they let their playful demeanor fade, though not the theatrical cadence in their deep voice. "However, we can tell you that it isn't brainwashing, hypnosis, or anything of that sort. If anything, it's the opposite. Those we target have a distorted view of the world, themselves, and those around them. What we do is no more or less than stealing those distortions away." He nods to Yukari, who was there at Kaneshiro's Palace after they stole his Treasure. "For example, someone who sees people as ATM machines to be used up and broken henceforth sees them as people."

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

Minato. Ichika knows Minato; Ogre less so. ...So it's best not to say anything there. She glances around at the others as they come, though her attention lingers on the charismatic presence of Mitsuru Kirijo for long moments. She nods back at the bow, as if by gravity.

But when Akihiko answers Skull, Ogre raises a hand. "It's cool, Skull. They're not gonna underestimate us." She nods to Akihiko, too. "Cool."

If Haru is a refined villainess, then Ogre is a beautiful bandit. And SEES certainly do present a united front; Ogre's gaze lingers next onRirika... and then on Yukari. "That's why we're here," she suggests of separating fact from fiction. "Sounds like your job's easier if people don't know you, though."

She regards everyone in turn, but when Suzume mentions Mementos, Ichika nods. "So you got specialists and two field leaders..."

It's an impressive structure. And, of course--a President.

Joker of course handles the first question that's likely to come up--and Ogre nods. "Yeah," she says. "They're the ones acting unnaturally in the first place. It's not just a matter of 'being a bad person'."

She pauses. "So you guys seem pretty organized. I've seen you intervening on a lot of supernatural stuff but..."

"OK. You know what we do. What do you do? What's your 'goal'?"

"You can keep asking us questions too, but thats my first for you."

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.

Minako looks over the different Phantoms. The outfits and the masks are certainly stylish. She glances at Noir and Skull, and then finally back at Ogre. The rough voice stands out to her, though it isn't a familiar one.

"That's smart," Minako says to Joker. "Given what you do and, I'm sure, the people who must have problems with it." She exhales, then, with a nod of her head.

"So... it's not making people see what you think they should?" she asks, looking at them. She looks briefly at Skull and Akihiko. "Hey, hey, let's keep it cool."

Then, she looks back at Joker. "...All of the people who've changed -- and the Palace that I saw, for myself -- were people that needed to change. They were doing horrible things," she says.

Then, she glances at Mitsuru. Ogre's question is a good one. She considers it, and decides to say at least part of the answer. She'll let her brother, Mitsuru, and the others explain.

"We want to stop the Dark Hour," she says. "Above all else. But... we've also opposed the Old Maid and people like that."

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

Skull listens as each member of SEES introduces themselves. He tries to get a read on each one of them as his eyes glance over. They pause on Minako,wondering how Joker is handling it. He gets his answer as he notes how they don't linger too long on Minako. Guess that is still a sore spot from their leader.

 Then something occurs to him. "Oh, right. My bad. You can call me Skull...I'm the---Man, what am I to the group again? Captain? Ass kicker? The Dashing Rogue?" Skull -is- however stupid enough to ask that during a diplomatic meeting.

 Skull turns his head when Akihiko says something, feeling his body tense. The moment passes when Ogre raises her hand. It would see that the monster woman has a leash on skeleton boy. He merely grins at Akihiko and adds, "We'll see."

 However when Minako calls him on it too, the blonde holds up his hands. "Right. Sorry. Force of habit."

 Skull listens to the questions being asked and slouches more in his stance. He wants to ask why they are having this meeting. Why it feels like they gotta answer for what they are doing. For now he just grins, crossing his arms as he continues to scan those gathered. "I guess if we're asking questions...mine is what gives you guys the authority to ask what we're up to? Like I'm sure you're all cool people but far as I can tell, you're all our age. So why does it feel like you got a sponsor or someone giving you guys badge o authority. Guess that's technically two but.."

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

Suzume is such a *normal* name, anyway. She's not fooling anyone!

Maybe she really should have tried to make the sparrow mask, but... it'd probably look like trash, and the last thing she wants is to make herself look like a fool. (Being the Fool is reserved for several other people here.)

She glances over at Skull and Akihiko, and though she momentarily loses her scowl in favour of a grin, she does not get involved on either side. Though she, of course, would have Akihiko's back. She's one of Shinjiro's friends, and she's learned that he's someone to respect, even if their paths don't always cross that much outside of operations.

"Huh," Suzume says, eyes lingering on Joker. They're not going to give away the secrets - annoying, but understandable, it's not like SEES is going to give away everything about themselves either. But the way he puts it annoys her for reasons she couldn't clearly explain. Maybe she just doesn't like Joker's theatrical nature. She feels like he's being smug at her, even though he isn't, really...

"I'm a 'specialist' because I awoke down here," Suzume says, which is not really a secret. "So I wanted to learn about it, and I went out of my way to do it. And here's the first bit of information, but you probably already know: The Mementos rumour is real. You can get in just by saying it five times in a train station mirror... even if you don't have a Persona. I've never caught anyone down here without a Persona personally except me and the person I came in with... but he never got one. So keep an eye out in case you need to do a rescue."

It's like the rescues in Tartarus. No matter *what* Suzume thinks about the Phantom Thieves (and she's still making up her mind about that), the last thing she'd do is not tell them something that might end up leaving someone in Mementos to die.

What's their goal?

Minako beats Suzume to it, but: "This supernatural stuff is dangerous and most people can't do shit about it. It attacks them. We rescue people dragged into supernatural spaces sometimes, or fight off Shadows during the Dark Hour. I've got a power most people don't. I'd feel like crap if I ignored it and someone got hurt because I was hiding in a corner. There's more than that, but I don't know you well enough that I feel like spilling."

She looks straight at Skull: "That's why. 'Cause if you're doing shit, and I'm not saying you ARE doing shit but I'm not saying you're not..." She mimes hitting her fist into her open palm, though she doesn't actually hit hard enough to make a noise. "Some of the people you go after are criminals or... worse," Suzume says, remembering Eiji from Ririka's description. "Well, same deal. Same thing that gives YOU a badge to deal with THEM. And we don't know anything about you except what we see."

<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.

    Misgivings...

    Minato has some of his own.

    Still, he recalls Ogre from Eiji's Palace, too.

    "You look suspicious," he grants them, looking from Noir's villainy to Ogre's banditry to Skull's roguish stepping to Akihiko, and back over to the mysterious Joker -- who, unlike Minako, he does not register as cute, for some reason. "But I've spoken with suspicious people before." Even the leader of the other shadowy website which 'takes care' of problematic individuals...

    (See, that's why he has misgivings.)

    "You have targeted people who were doing a lot of damage," he nods, to Minako. "Though, I do want to know how you verify whether the requests which come from your website are from victims, rather than people who have something to gain. Do you investigate the people contracting your work alongside your targets? That's something which troubles me."

    As for their goal, he nods, to Minako. "We're opposed to using the Supernatural for personal benefit," he sums it up, a touch less roughly than Suzume but with the same general intent. "Where we can neutralise those threats, we will. We work to save people from Apathy Syndrome, and restore their normal lives. We have the backing of the Kirijo Corporation," he adds, looking to Skull, when he asks who died and left them in charge. (Thank God he didn't ask it like that, at least. There's an answer to that question; no one would like it.) Of course, he looks to Mitsuru to explain that.

<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.

Noir gazes upon the members of SEES, eyes dancing around their significant numbers. Numbers aside, they're organized and definitely have the air of a group who knows what they're doing. If the talks go well... they could make good allies. Noir's gaze ends on Mitsuru, who glares at them with scrutiny - and then formally bows - a gesture Noir is willing to follow. She's well aware of the daughter of the Kirijo Group - but she commands a very different presence as SEES' founder.

"Please, it wouldn't do for negotiations to fall through because of a little roughhousing." Noir cautions, as Skull and Akihiko seem like they're about to go at it, but fortunately, there's no need, thanks to Ogre.

"That's exactly why we do it." Noir nods, when Minako notes that every heart they've changed has belonged to a horrible criminal. With the exception of Futaba, but... perhaps she changed her own heart in the end. "We cannot simply stand by and let them harm people... not while we have the ability to do something about it." The Phantoms' motivations, of course, aren't the only thing SEES wants to know.

Minako ultimately explains the goal behind SEES - to stop the Dark Hour. Having Awakened in the first place thanks to the Dark Hour, that does pique Noir's interest. If things had been different, could she ended up with SEES instead of the Phantom Thieves?

"We've experienced the Dark Hour, of course. But my question is... what do you know about Dark Hour?" Noir asks, for her own part.

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

'President of SEES.'
 
"... Well, she is a president." Yukari murmurs, as if trying to parse whether she finds that to be accurate or not.
 
Joker mentions how they make a point of not revealing themselves to the public, and she nods, "Yeah. I get why you wouldn't want to." It just makes things hard when it comes to forming an opinion. After all, what they see is very different from what the public does.
 
But- as Ichika adds something, "Well, people 'know' we exist. They just don't know what we do." There's a shrug, at the distinction. "Most people just think we're a weird school club."
 
'Fear not, I've no connection to the Old Maid.' "But it sure is a popular name..." She says aloud, but quietly, not out of suspicion, but a strange curiosity as to why that might be.
 
'how we enact our changes of heart'
'That is a secret.'
 
At that, Yukari Takeba just allows for a deep sigh to begin with, before looking sideways at Minako, as if surprised, "I mean I don't disagree... just..." She trails off, deciding to save it for a moment.
 
'What gives you guys the authority to ask what we're up to?'
 
"It's not a matter of authority." She counters, "It's just- a part of our own mission. You get that right? Unless I'm missing my mark, no one gives you the authority to change hearts either? You just- do it, based on what you all think is right."
 
She then looks across towards Skull, "And that's why we're here too. It's not just about 'stopping' the Dark Hour. It's about 'erasing' it. And well- you guys have encountered Strega right? People who use their powers to- do whatever they want, to kill people. I'm not saying you're the same."
 
Suzume and Minato make their own arguments, and she listens along, Suzume basically says what she wanted to say, although uh-coarser. But, she decides to address Skull instead.
 
"It's just- each of us has this power, this power that- most people don't have. And- if we were using it on normal people because we thought it was right- and you weren't sure if it was or not- would you look the other way?"
 
She rubs the opposite arm, frowning, as Beauty Thief- Noir, asks about what they know, and she opens her mouth, "That..." Then she closes it, and looks to the others.
 
One might interpret this as her keeping secrets, but- in this case, she's not certain she wants to be the one to tell them, if indeed it's decided they tell them. She instead decides to ask her own question rather than answer.
 
"I know you say you can't tell us about the Change of Heart- but, is there anything you can tell us? When it comes to- targeting people who can't fight back no matter how much we think they may deserve it, it's just, we can't look away."

<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.

"So," Koh muses as Joker explains what he can of the Phantom Thieves work. "All the bad people that way because of distortions? Or, only the bad people you target? Could you have fixed..." A brief mental index is made of the worst people he knows. "...the Joker Killer?"

This is phrased more like a genuine question of metaphysics than a question of the Phantom Thieves authority.

He supplies an answer of his own to Nior, just to be helpful: "It has a big tower." Which they probably know, so he tries to be more helpful: "We don't know what's at the top. But part of SEES's mission is to find out."

<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.

"...and you guys aren't related, right?" Koh motions at the leader of the Phatom Thieves. "I mean. You're named the same."

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

Mitsuru is as regal as ever... The very picture of formality. Seeing her greet that makes Fuuka a little self-conscious about her own posture. Akihiko and the one with the skull mask... Fuuka is a little concerned a brawl might break out then and there, but thankfully the cooler heads on both sides get things under control.

She looks toward Joker, then, as they respond. First about not revealing themselves, then about the similarity in name to the Joker... and then, the changes of heart.

It's a secret, of course. It makes sense that they wouldn't want to divulge the key to their methods to just anyone. What they say about 'distortions', though... Fuuka considers that for a moment.

When someone has a distorted view of reality, they steal it away. They're acting unnaturally and the Change of Heart, however it occurs, lets them act naturally once more.

...Looked at another way, though, that could be viewed as just a justification for what they do... But if she approaches things from that angle, that's as good as an accusation. She does want to try to believe they have good intentions.

"Then... these distortions are induced, rather than their usual behavior. If I may ask..." Fuuka starts hesitantly. "What causes a person's view to become distorted?"

She listens to everyone else's answers - nodding when Minako says they want to stop the Dark Hour. She looks toward Noir, then. The feeling of not being able to stand by...

...That's the same kind of feeling that lead to her deciding to join SEES, at least in part.

"...I can understand that feeling." Fuuka admits. "I can't stand by when I know I can help people with what I can do."

As for the more specific question of the Dark Hour, though... she feels like it's not in her authority to give that information away.

<Pose Tracker> Akihiko Sanada has posed.

    Akihiko tilts his head lightly, to listen to Ogre and Minako's attempt to split him and Ryuji up. He for one, is glad to relent, taking a step backwards to return to his regular standing position.

    "You heard the ladies. We share too many enemies to fight between us."

    Joker explains a little bit of the method of changing hearts, something Akihiko is intrigued by. The reasoning makes sense, and after a moment's thought, Akihiko nods, satisfied. "So, the Palace I've seen, would be manifestations caused by a person's twisted desires?" He guesses.

    Minako clarifies their goal, and Noir asks what they know. Akihiko is glad to answer. "For those who might not know, the Dark Hour is a 25th hour of the day, happening exactly at Midnight. Electronics go down, people turn into coffins, and shadows roam the streets. And our school, Gekkoukan High back in Tatsumi Port Island, turns into a large tower we've been called Tartarus. It's much like Mementos." He taps his foot, as the place they're currently in. "It's filled with Shadows and we believe that scaling it may lead to the end of the Dark Hour. There's too much we don't know about it, though."

    "Then, there's the Full Moon Shadows. When the Dark Hour's moon turns to full, these huge and powerful Shadows appear. Last time, there was one in Sumeru City. They cause a lot of chaos and death, so we've been fighting them. We...also believe, that they're connected to ending the Dark Hour, somehow." It's tough to explain, considering how much they could just be wrong about.

    That's the basic explanation of things. Anything further can be answered in questions, or offered up by the President.

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

She gives a small nod to Ogre, though. So she's with the Phantoms... Ririka had wondered if that might be the case, and now she knows.

But Suzume's thinking about Eiji, and Ririka might inadvertantly remind others of the same. She steps forward a little and gives a bow. "There wasn't really a good chance to say this--" Consider the Palace kind of started to collapse "--but..." She gives a deeper bow than the one she used to introduce herself with. "Thank you. My sister was one of the people you've helped."

Ririka could guess they might know that, especially since she worked with Ogre previously. But it also turned out to be beneficial to her, too, in the end, given what Eiji had intended.

She will leave spilling the beans about their corporate sponsors to others. She takes a step back. She considers the matter of questions, and looks to Joker. "You don't want to answer about the Change of Heart, and I get that... but when I said we needed to destroy the ring that was trying to control all of us... you said it could kill him. Why would that have happened? We've heard about not killing Shadows, but if there's something else that can kill people... that's important to know, so we can avoid it."

<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.

It's strange coincidence, isn't it? That name. Joker's clarification brings Mitsuru to dip her chin in acknowledgment.

"I don't doubt that," she says simply, and it feels sincere enough at least.

Tatsuya Sudou. Son of the foreign minister, Tatsuzou Sudou. Notoriously violent arsonist. He, too, hid himself and all his secrets behind a mask, shoddy as it was. It makes her wonder -- what secrets are hiding behind this Joker's mask?

...

She doesn't voice those thoughts. Yet, at least. Instead, she listens as Joker preempts what must be the first thing on their minds with a cunning and strategic deployment of sore wa himitsu desu~. It's fine, though -- after all, they insist it's not brainwashing. That they only ever go after the people who deserve it.

Dark red eyes narrow fractionally.

For now, though, Mitsuru remains quiet; she trusts Minako and Minato to mediate the possibility of flaring tempers between Akihiko and Skull, after all, and she wants the other members of SEES to weigh their own thoughts, provide their own answers -- ask their own questions. Considering everything, it's the least she can do. And as Minato, Suzume and Yukari offer that sentiment that she holds so close to her own heart?

She can't help the small smile that touches the corners of her lips.

But no; it's not until Noir asks them what they know about the Dark Hour -- and the others like the Arisatos, like Yukari, look her way -- that Mitsuru parts a small exhale, eyes cracking open again. What do they know about the Dark Hour? It's a sensitive question, and a loaded one, for all of them -- some of them in particular. And a question with an answer that Mitsuru has held close to her chest, until recently. Akihiko explains the basics of how the Dark Hour works -- she's grateful to him for that. But as for the rest...

Her jaw sets. And the heiress of the Kirijo Group stares straight forward as she speaks, calmly and confidently:

"... The Dark Hour isn't natural. It is a phenomenon made by human actions and error."

Her answer leaves out the specifics, of course; she's not about to explain everything they know. But the Phantom Thieves need to know this much. Because--

"That's why we must do this. You asked who gave us this authority, but Takeba and" there is a slight pause "--Suzume-san" she doesn't know why Suzume is insisting on a first-name basis but she's going to respect it because she's a respectful person "are correct. No one gives us this authority. But someone must do this. Many people beyond just us have these powers -- you've all seen it for yourself. These powers - these spaces - can be very easily abused, and the unawakened have no way to defend themselves against it."

Strega. Rumors. The Joker Killer. The Full Moon Shadows.

... The NWO.

"If these spaces and powers go unregulated and are abused, it is the people who suffer," continues Mitsuru, shaking her head. "I cannot allow that. We cannot allow that. You're unwilling to tell us how you change these people's hearts. We know when you do whatever it is you do, these... 'Palaces' completely discorporate." After all -- several of SEES' members have been to both Junya and Eiji's Palaces.

She fixes her gaze on Joker, head tilting.

"Can you tell me -- what happens to these people after that? What are the repercussions? The long-term effects, in the cognitive world and the real world?" A frown settles on her lips. "What happens to their Shadow?"

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Joker smirks briefly, and only a little ironically, when Minako acknowledges the wisdom of keeping secrets. When she asks for confirmation? "Correct," they tell her.
    
    They'd deliberately ignored Akihiko's reaction to Skull stepping up to see how the SEES leaders would react, and they're silent as they watch her handle it. Between her and Ogre, that resolves it neatly. They nod slightly in acknowledgement, then glance to one side at Skull. "I'd consider you the strongarm," they comment, tone light, almost jovial. That's a fancy way of calling him the muscle, which is still a fancier way of confirming he's the ass kicker.
    
    When Minako continues, they look back at her in kind. Noir replies eloquently, and Joker nods in agreement. "Not only were they doing horrible things, but the mundane authorities either could not or would not intervene."
    
    Minato says they look suspicious. Joker chuckles quietly and doesn't deny that part. The part they do deny? "It isn't our website. It was made and maintained by a fan of ours. Those who post requests there are not contracting us," they clarify. Yukari asks for more information, whatever information they can give, so they continue, "We do read those requests, yes, but we don't accept every request made. Those we do, we research first. This includes confirming there are real-world victims of their actions, that those victims are powerless to protect themselves, and that they desire their abuser's heart to be changed. We treat changes of heart as a method of last resort; we choose our targets with care."
    
    They consider Koh. "Not everyone distorted is 'bad.' Not everyone bad may necessarily be distorted. As for the Old Maid, we never had the chance to try." They pause at his follow-up question. "The Old Maid is another name for the Joker Killer, which we don't use for obvious reasons. So, no."
    
    Ririka asks about Shadow Eiji's ring. "That is important to know. However, the reason for that is also something we can't share. I apologize," they add, and they do look contrite. "I realize that's frustrating, given the gravity of the topic." They certainly don't mention that they already know they helped her sister, but they do say, "You're welcome, Ririka Kawase."
    
    Fuuka has a similarly dangerous question--but that at least they can answer some. "It differs from person to person. You understand the concept of an inciting incident that sends someone down a dark path, yes? It's like that."
    
    When Suzume stares at them for a moment longer, they meet her eyes calmly. The smirk is gone now, so that might help. It certainly helps when she tells them all the Mementos rumor is true. "I see. Thank you for the information," they reply without batting an eyelash.
    
    Ogre, Noir, and Skull ask their questions--Ogre and Noir about SEES's mission, Skull about the source of their authority. Joker listens quietly to the answers to each. To 'stop' the Dark Hour? Is that a thing that can be stopped? Apparently SEES believes so. The reasons Suzume supplies are quite familiar; Noir's response would already make it clear that SEES and The Phantoms are of an accord on this mark.
    
    Yukari, too, who points out that they don't have authority either, that they act based on what they believe is right. Joker nods. They know that others by necessity can't understand them fully; they've come to accept there will be misunderstandings at time. They fully understand Skull's frustration, but they understand Yukari's caution, too.
    
    The backing of the 'Kirijo' Corporation, though... Joker's eyes flick from Minato to Mitsuru at that part. It's easy to see the connection. She doesn't remark on it, though, only following up on Akihiko's explanations by stating that the Dark Hour was made by human actions and error. ...hmmm.
    
    They frown at Mitsuru's questions. A subtle bead of sweat forms on the side of their face. At least they can answer some of it. "Our first mission was in April, so I admit we have a limited understanding of the long-term effects. However, we can tell you that their Shadows return to their selves in the real world."
    
    They consider her for a moment more. She seems a serious, intelligent lady, and there is something she's clearly leaving out. She hit them with some difficult questions, and it would be remiss of them to treat her like she couldn't handle the same. So:
    
    "Can you tell us what relation the Kirijo Corporation has with the human actions and error that created the Dark Hour, Mitsuru Kirijo?"

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

'You look suspicious'. "We're the Phantom Thieves, not the Phantom Police," Ogre shrugs.

Then, "You're muscle. Big muscle." Ogre grins at Skull. "...Sometimes you can do 'dashing', too." Then she grows more serious. She notably doesn't ask him to pull back from his question, though, despite her intervention earlier. Instead, she looks to Minako at the first answer. "Stop the Dark Hour... Wow. That's a thing someone can do?"

Then she regards Suzume; she's blunt, but then, bluntness has never bothered Ogre as Ogre. "So, you wanna protect people from the supernatural..." She looks to Minato, and then nods. "I see. So, you're worried that we're the 'supernatural' you have to protect people 'from'."

She doesn't answer about investigating; instead... "The backing of the Kirijo Group, huh? ...Man. That's pretty big." She nods to Haru though. "That's it though," she says. "Noir's right. We won't stand by and do nothing when we can help, either."

She pauses, and looks at Yukari. "...'Erase' the Dark Hour? I mean, that sounds great, but it's just... how things are, right? How do you erase time?"

But changing people who can't fight back, is it...? Ogre sets her jaw. "And what about the people who can't fight back against those people? The ordinary people hurt because the police won't do anything to help?"

Koh mentions the big tower--and that SEES is climbing it. "Huh." She isn't smart enough (so she thinks) to answers Fuuka's questions, but she does look to her for a moment.

Akihiko explains in a little more detail... And Ogre is thoughtful. "Big Shadows, huh...? Yeah, I've heard some rumbling about those. Well, somebody's gotta take care of those," she agrees.

Then she regards Ririka--at her thanks, she glances to the side, as if a little embarrassed. "...It would've been harder to pull off if not for everybody who helped," she says as her answer. She looks at Joker at her question, not particularly sure of how to answer.

Mitsuru knows how to answer. Mitsuru reveals that the Dark Hour is man-made, and Ogre's eyes widen underneath her mask. "...Someone can do that?" she repeats from earlier. But she talks of how someone must... And how they can be abused.

Ogre looks to Joker at the questions, but she has her own answers, too. Ogre considers, crosses her arms, leaning on the turnstile.

Joker admits that they're missing some information, so...

"...It's like I said to Takeba-san, though. It's not just the supernatural that hurts people. These 'distorted' people, they're taking those actions in the real world. ...Tangible actions, that hurt people."

"Knowing how to stop them... I can't stand by, either."

"No... I won't stand by."

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

Skull turns his head to look at Suzume, scowling as she explains their 'authority'. "Yeah, yeah. But what we do is in the public. Even if we do it in the shadows, the results are right there. Not saying publicity makes us right but like what we do is right fuckin' there. Questions answered. Which always brings you guys to how and I'm with Joker, we ain't saying that part."

 'You look suspicious.'

 "Yeah. So does the school club walking around like good little soldiers." Skull gives Minato a look before sighing when Haru tells him to cool it. "My bad! I just didn't want them to think we're gonna bend over. I'm not actually gonna fight the guy!...I mean I would and it would be hella cool."

 Skull looks over at Yukari, feeling the first paigns of empathy for this group of 'Special Executioners'. "I mean, yeah I guess I can see your point of view." Skull sighs and scratches the top of his head in thought. "Again, I'm gonna gesture to the people we have dealt with. While we made them confess, all of their crimes were real. It's not like we're making them make false confessions."

 As Akihiko disengages, Skull grins placing his hands behind his head. "Sure thing, big guy." He doesn't so much move back as relax his stance, keeping watched as the proceedings continue.

 The grin grows when Joker informs him that he's the 'strongarm'. "Hell Yeah!"

 He gets even more prideful when Ichika talks him up. "Heh. You know how to talk me up, Ba--Ogre." He coughs as he almost lets the cat out of the bag. A metaphor that might get him into a spat with Morgana if he said it outloud.

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

Suzume gives a thankful nod to those of the Phantom Thieves who seem to be more or less in agreement. "THANK you," she grumbles under her breath, in Noir's general direction.

Regrettably, Suzume's plan to pretend she also has a cool codename has now *completely* failed... but Suzume is too embarrassed about its failure to actually ask anyone to use her full name now, so Mitsuru carefully remembering to not use it makes it worse. At least she got 'san' and not 'chan'. She doesn't think she could take being 'chan'-d in front of the Phantom Thieves.

The tips of her ears burn, though she keeps the flush off her face, somehow. Maybe she should have made the mask anyway. Surely the Phantom Thieves' masks didn't come out perfect on the first attempt? (She has no idea they came with the costume. SHE had to get hers made... or, more accurately, Kirijo Corp had to make it.)

"I don't know if you are or not," Suzume says to Ogre, with a light shrug. "If you're just ... if you're doing what you claim, and not mind-controlling anyone, and you're not responsible for any of the mental shutdowns, then no, I don't have much of a problem with you. Even if I don't really like the way you do things sometimes." She means the Changes of Heart. They seem a little hinky. "But if you are, even if by mistake or without knowing, then... Well, I came 'cause I trusted you guys far enough to try to tell."

Look! She didn't come out swinging! That's a huge improvement!

"Just so you know," Suzume says, directed mostly toward Skull, "the tower? The big tower, with all the Shadows in it during the Dark Hour? That's where our school is during the day." That's not a secret either; anyone who has ever been to Tartarus knows it. "So MYSTERIOUSLY, there's a bunch of us who go to that school who want to deal with it. I mean, the school's got dorms... I *live* there!" Not that the Iwatodai dorms are on school grounds, but hey, she doesn't have to tell them that part.

(Plus, she already asked 'what if Tartarus spreads' once, months ago. She was assured it doesn't do that, but maybe their dorm is a tower-in-waiting.)

As for what 'dealing with it' means - she isn't going to spill those particular beans. While Suzume sometimes lets her mouth get away from her when she's angry or upset (or trying to show off), she's not lost control of her tongue and Mitsuru is, like, *right there*. Which helps. A lot.

"So let me ask you something," she says, suddenly switching trains of thought. Well, they're in a train station; if she's allowed to derail anywhere, it's here. "What do you guys know about Mementos? It's not the same as Tartarus, obviously. Do you deal with it much? Or just the individual Palaces?"

Here, Suzume has a point, or thinks she does; she has some information from experimence in and around Mementos that it may not have occured to them to try. If she can get anything out of them she *doesn't* know...

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.

"It's okay," Minako tells Skull. She opens her mouth to answer, but Suzume has a good answer -- and so does her brother.

Akihiko explains much of what is happening. The explanation -- more involved than usual. She nods her head, before she looks at her fellow members of SEES. They talk about not being able to look away; it's a familiar feeling. It's one she has voiced before.

Whether it makes them allies or something more complicated, though, remains to be seen.

"That's awful," Minako says to Joker, with a frown. It hits close to home; she remembers her uncle and cousin's efforts to hone in on the money left to her and her brother. It took the Kirijo Group's intervention -- a lesson that sticks out, as it wasn't governmental authority that stopped that.

She looks to Mitsuru. She gives her an encouraging nod -- to back her up for whatever course she wants to say. Then, she looks back at Ogre. "We'll try," she says. "As Takeba said... we want to erase it. We're going to find a way. Maybe it's through those large Shadows."

She hesitates, falling quiet for a second. "I can get that. Not standing by, if you see something that's wrong."

<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.

"Hmm." Koh muses, digests the information given.

The girl called Ogre asks how someone erases time, and Koh shrugs. "How do you make an extra hour? People did it, so people can undo it." This he seems fairly optimistic about. "So we're going to do it." He tries to channel the same enthusiasm for doing it as that guy on the home shopping channel every Sunday.

On the topic of the people that did it the first time, he leaves that to Mitsuru. But by the way he glances at the president it's pretty easy to tell she's the on who has the answer.

"I guess we're all trying to do good the way we can, right? Our problems are just...not people." Theoretically.

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

Some answers are given... and others aren't. Including the one Ririka was seeking. She frowns a little as Joker declines to answer, though at least they look contrite about it. "It is..." she says with a slow nod. "... does that mean you also won't explain why you took it with you?" Her tone isn't necessarily accusatory, just... curious. But she has to question the logic of stealing a mind-controlling ring. Even if she is willing to extend a benefit of a doubt.

She's silent as she considers for a moment, her expression darkening. "... actually, there's something else I want to know about, if you can't answer about that. Do you have any information on if Kamiya or his father are connected to the New World Order?"

"That's true," she says to Ogre. "Still, I thought it was important to say."

But she does have something to contribute on the topic of the Kirijo Group. "We aren't in this to do anything for them directly. At least, I'm not. I'm in SEES to support my teammates, and to try and help people where I can." That was what she decided, when Mitsuru's father revealed the truth of the Dark Hour to them.

"I... before I Awakened, there was a night when I was out and the Dark Hour happened. I didn't know what was happening, but... SEES came to protect me. That's why I'm with them, so I can help others."

<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.

"I would enjoy to see that." Noir giggles, when Skull says he could beat Akihiko. "Perhaps once we all get along, we could hold a sparring match?" That's mostly a joke.

Yukari expresses her own concerns - that the Phantom Thieves might be targeting people who can't fight back. "I certainly understand your apprehensions, but... I can't say we're targeting people incapable of fighting back." Noir responds. "Whenever we enter a Palace, a part of them knows we're there and responds with hostility. It's that hostility we draw out with our Calling Cards." She explains, but no further than that.

And Ogre puts it even better - the longer they worry about the likes of Kamoshida or Eiji being unable to fight back, the more people like Shiho or Ichika suffer. "That said, it's not a decision we make lightly. That's how we stick to our ideals."

Noir listens carefully as the members of SEES - particularly Akihiko, and then Mitsuru - answer her question. "Thank you for being forthcoming. I have to admit, I've been puzzled by the Dark Hour ever since I awakened... but it's manmade?" She looks a little surprised by that information. Minako further clarifies that their goal is to put an end to it.

"No matter its origins, I've seen the way people get hurt in the Dark Hour. So... I can respect your goal of ending it." From what she can see, their goals seem fairly compatible so far. "But what would the consequences be, if it one day ended?" Could the Shadows of the Dark Hour spill out into the rest of the day? It seems like both their groups are playing with phenomena they don't understand.

Suzume has a question about Mementos, and Noir feels like it's something they can answer, mostly because they don't know a whole lot either. "From my understanding, Mementos is where the distortions that aren't big enough to become Palaces of their own live. Many of the requests we receive on our website take us here." She explains.

Noir looks to Joker, as Mitsuru asks some of the heavier questions - and they counter with some heavy questions of their own. So this is what the Kirijo Group was really up to...

<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.

    Ogre may better remember Tartarus as 'THAT FUCKING HELL TOWER' which 'I'M GONNA RIP IT DOWN', as Phoenix got incensed by it so many nights while they were staying with her parents. Thankfully, she stopped them from going and picking a fight with... a giant building.

    Perhaps that's more of a mercy than it first seemed, given what SEES is saying here.

    "It isn't yours," Minato agrees, of the Phan-Site. He wonders whether that's better, though.

    When he thinks about that sort of deniable statement, the first thing that comes to mind is money laundering...

    "I wonder how you handle accountability," is what he says of it, rather than making any direct accusations, "since it isn't yours. Though... I am relieved to hear you investigate thoroughly... we've had problems with people who have a similar website, who will take any 'revenge request' for payment." He pauses. "I'm talking about murder," he adds, spelling it out.

    He leaves the explanation of the Dark Hour -- and its erasure -- to the veterans.

    "Have any of the people you've targeted for the Change of Heart been able to fight back?" Is what Minato asks, finally, with a look to Yukari. "That is... did they have a Persona?"

    He pauses, and adds, to Ogre: "We're not the police, but we do work with them." Hearing Skull's defensiveness, he tilts his head. "... I see," he says. "So we're intimidating you... excuse me. I did not mean to make you feel as if you would be 'bent over'."

    He pauses, with a look to Koh. "He's right," Minato says. "The two of us are focused on much different areas... wrongs perpetrated by people, and wrongs perpetrated by Shadowed. Humans might be at at the core of both those problems... but this must make it hard to see each other's point of view."

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

Fuuka continues to listen. Joker has a lot to say - and a lot they can't say. A thoughtful expression crosses her face as they answer the question.

"I understand, yes." She confirms. "So, a significant, life-changing event occurs in someone's life... and that, in some way, induces a distortion. And your methods are able to remove that distortion..."

It feels like she's missing some crucial connective tissue between the two ideas, a direct cause, and how the removal actually happens... but that might be by design. It's not like she can complain, when they aren't divulging everything either.

They're all notably surprised by the concept of being able to end the Dark Hour... much less, the notion of it being something humans caused. She can't blame them - they were all surprised, too.

She listens as Ririka recounts the tale of her Awakening.

"...It's terrifying." Fuuka comments. "For someone to be thrust suddenly into that world. To feel powerless, in the face of it..."

<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.

Moriko has mostly just been taking notes, though at Fuuka's comment, "Still think it was better to go down fighting." Almost in a distracted matter. She hadn't experienced it as that, luckily. She also may have pushed a few buttons that night. That hatchet's been buried. She does however, fully believe that and likely would have at least given a fight, one sided or not with or without.
 
 She's just glad it was with.

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

Yukari's brow knits as she listens to Joker speak about the research they do. Before...
 
Minato asks her a question, and she follows up on something Joker says, "Even if he was incredibly distorted... could you even have changed his heart if you wanted to?" Yukari Takeba asks bluntly, in regards to the Old Maid. "Every time we've seen the Phantom Thieves change a heart- it came from doing something in a Palace, right? ... And he was a Persona User."
 
Joker does ask though, what relation the Kirijo Corporation has with the error that created the Dark Hour.
 
'How do you erase time?'
 
"Because it's- it's not meant to be." She seems to stumble on that, "It's like Kirijo-senpai said. But..."
 
She starts, stalls... like she's trying to think on it, then, sucks in a breath. It hurts, but, if they're going to get anyone to trust them- "...but I wouldn't call it an error, personally."
 
She looks towards Ogre, "It was more an- side effect, of my Dad stopping something terrible that the Kirijo Group was doing. If he hadn't, it would have been much worse but- what he did stopped it, but it killed a lot of people in Tatsumi Port Island too, ten years ago."
 
Her heart thud thud thuds in her chest. Ever since she found out that day, it's hurt to say it out loud, to accept it. It feels like a part of her she's held for ten years is dying, slowly under acceptance of this truth.
 
"What he did- it created the Dark Hour. And his decision changed the world. It might have been the right call in the moment... but..."
 
She closes her eyes, and doesn't finish the statement.
 
Instead taking a shaky breath to try and steady herself. "I get your argument. I do. But- at the same time. You're using the Dark Hour to not just get people to confess. It's more than that, isn't it?" As she looks towards Skull. "'A Change of Heart' is what you call it- do they go back to being who they were before after they confess? Or are they changed forever?"
 
As she gives Skull a discomfited look, then towards Ogre and- "Is a 'Change of Heart' really the only way though?"
 
A beat.
 
"Or is it just the easiest? I've seen you all use your powers- in circumstances similar to how we do. You're saying there's absolutely no way to handle the situation, other than changing who they are forever?"
 
She looks just as uncomfortable, "I mean why not just gather evidence on them using your powers rather than changing who they are? ... I don't even like that really, but- you're Phantom Thieves right? Wouldn't that be an option for you?"

<Pose Tracker> Akihiko Sanada has posed.

    A sparring match! Akihiko tries very hard to not look excited about the prospect. "If we get along, I wouldn't mind a sparring match. I prefer to let my fists do the talking." He says, as lieu of a way to talk himself up. Still, he does give Skull another look, as if sizing him up properly.

    Still. Akihiko nods with Noir's assessment. "We've seen people, and cats, get lost within Tartarus too. We believe that the Dark Hour is connected to Apathy Syndrome, along with a whole host of issues..."

    Noir asks about the consequences. "We're not sure yet." Akihiko scratches the back of his head. "We're hoping that ending the Dark Hour will, in part, return the world back to a semblance of normalcy. It's dangerous after all."

    He pauses, as Yukari confesses that it was the Kirijo Group, and her father in part, that caused the Dark Hour. Akihiko lets out a sympathetic sigh. "It was called by the Kirijo Group, and the responsibility comes down onto the Kirijo Group. Although we have the Group's backing and research looking into the Dark Hour, we can't figure out everything. Shadows tell no tales, after all."

<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.

How do you erase time?

"Shadows have the ability to directly manipulate time and space. Their influence on physical space can be... very profound." That rather harrowing and baffling answer comes courtesy of the controlled voice of Mitsuru Kirijo. One hand on her hip, the other hanging at her side, her gaze drifts towards Ogre as she answers, considering the masked woman quietly.

"... The real world is not as set as stone as we'd like to think. But that also means what is done can be undone."

And in the meantime... she just has to continue bearing the weight of their failures along the way. A soft exhale slips past her lips as Ririka explains how she Awakened -- as Fuuka and Moriko to weigh in on the sheer terror of being awake but powerless in the Dark Hour (or, defiant). Her brows furrow. Memories of her own first time in the Dark Hour bubble up to the surface. Is she strange, that she felt so different about it? ...

"... We were fortunate that we were able to find you all," she says, after a long moment. "SEES does regular patrols around Tatsumi during the Dark Hour. There are some we find who are unawakened, both outside and within Tartarus itself. But... there are many we're unable to save, as well."

And that's just in Tartarus. How could they possibly patrol everywhere throughout the Dark Hour? ... it's just another reason why it's so important to stop it now.

But, Mitsuru has her own questions. And as Joker works through an answer, her brows furrow faintly.

'However, we can tell you that their Shadows return to their selves in the real world.'

"And you've verified that, yourselves?"

She has more she wishes to say -- but Joker has a very sensitive question, all their own, about the Kirijo Group and their stake in fixing the Dark Hour. Mitsuru's jaw sets in the most subtle of tension, her eyes sharp as tacks, her lips a thin line of carefully controlled neutrality. In moments like these, she for all the world looks like the haughty and frigid ice queen the student body of Gekkoukan takes her for.

It masks the way she reminds herself not to look in Yukari's direction as she begins,

"We--"

'We are responsible for it,' is what she intended to say. The Kirijos. Her. Better to say what is true without dragging a good man's name through the mud. But--

'It was more an- side effect, of my Dad stopping something terrible that the Kirijo Group was doing.'

Yukari cuts in before those words can leave Mitsuru's lips. Dark red eyes squeeze out a bemused blink; Mitsuru looks Yukari's way, briefly.

"Takeba, that's not--" she begins, before Yukari continues -- and Mitsuru shuts her eyes slowly.

"... The onus is on my family, ultimately," she makes sure to make perfectly clear, before anything. "They tampered with things they should not have, and whatever the original intent is irrelevant to what happened after. What you - what we are all - dealing with, is not a simple matter of right and wrong. It is action and consequence. And what is done in spaces like these?" Her free hand lifts, gesturing around this fabricated, cognitive space that surrounds them, so saturated with scarlet. "... Have knock-on effects in the real world. There are organizations like the New World Order," she nods to Ririka, "and Strega who would take advantage of this fact. But even good intentions can have unintended consequences on countless lives."

They, after all, should know.

"You have been doing this for eight months now and have changed the hearts of four people," that they know of, "without knowing just what the long-term consequences might be. You say you are not brainwashing them, and I believe that you believe that to be true, but tell me:"

Mitsuru raises her hand. A finger lifts for every name of every terrible human she invokes: "Kamoshida. Madarame. Kaneshiro. Kamiya. Do you believe any of these men would have come to such a profound change in character without your intervention? Do you believe that their behavior after is a natural consequence of their own remorse? Do you know, fully, the power you use on them, and what it means?"

Three seconds pass. And with a sigh, that hand drops.

"... I was hoping we might come to an accord... but I fear the scales are too unbalanced here for that. You know our names, our faces. Why we fight. All we know is your word. And while I do not doubt your intentions... that is precisely what worries me."

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Ogre may not think of herself as smart, but she puts it quite eloquently when she says SEES fears The Phantoms are another supernatural threat they need to protect people from. Joker didn't miss the way Mitsuru narrowed her eyes at them.
    
    When Suzume specifically brings up the mental shutdowns, it becomes clearer what the issue is. "We haven't enacted any mental shutdowns, no. Unlike a change of heart, that's something anyone can do. All you have to do is destroy someone's Shadow."
    
    They focus their gaze to the group at large. "Obviously that is something neither of us desire, but we have encountered those who do. You all already mentioned Strega, and there is an organization known as the New World Order that employs a top assassin who has performed them." Or at least he attempted one on Kaneshiro, and knowing him, if he attempted it there, he's certainly succeeded in the past. "He's often referred to as 'the one in the black mask.' You all know him as the one who murdered the Old Maid. We call him Ruin--a codename he has acknowledged."
    
    Joker JUST gave him that codename, but still. It counts.
    
    Noir chimes in on the matter of Mementos, and they nod to her, adding, "Mementos is itself a Palace--the Palace of the masses. When a person forms an individual Palace, it drops off from here." Also something The Phantoms only recently learned!
    
    They regard Minako. "It is," they agree quietly. They don't know about her personal circumstances, but they know there's much she kept from them--so much so that she broke up with them over the guilt. It's easy to believe she had personal secrets on top of supernatural ones.
    
    Ririka asks a follow-up question. "Correct," they confirm. "We did not keep it, if that concerns you. It has been safely disposed of." ('Disposed of' is not the correct term, but the misdirection there is deliberate.) They frown slightly at her other question, then glance at Ogre. The implication is implicit, or at least will be to her: how much does she want her sister to know? ...They'll let her answer. It's not like The Phantoms know much more, either.
    
    They chuckle when Noir says she'd enjoy seeing Skull and Akihiko spar. She might be mostly joking about it, but that does reinforce a thought they had after recent internal talks about burner phones. "Perhaps they can." They look to Akihiko and the others. "If any of you are willing to share your personal contact information, we can reach out to you directly later, individually."
    
    If they use the group funds to buy burner phones for everyone in The Phantoms, then members besides Joker and Phoenix (who already have burner phones) can have individual meetings much more easily going forward. Whether anyone in SEES ends up agreeing to share contact info or not, they'll be sure to make it happen.
    
    Minato shares his concerns about the Revenge Request website. "I see," Joker replies. "No, The Phantoms don't kill. That's one of our rules. Another is unanimous agreement. In other words, we need to all agree to a change of heart. If even one of us has misgivings, we won't do it. That is how we hold ourselves accountable. As for the Phan-Site, I suppose we can't hold the posters there accountable, but that is why we do our research."
    
    They raise an eyebrow at his question about if their targets had a Persona. Since Minato looks at Yukari, though, and Yukari is in a position to explain, they let her do so. ...except she doesn't do that, instead asking her own question. They bite back a sigh. "As I said, we never had the chance to try." Morgana said that Persona Users don't produce Palaces, but he also said that's because they're inherently self-aware, and he also adds 'maybe' and 'I think' to a lot of his information. Given that Sudou was definitely heavily distorted, it's not impossible they could have figured out a way eventually. Impossible to know now.
    
    Then they look back at Minato. "They did not have Personas. They had Shadows, which transformed and fought ferociously. Yukari Takeba can inform you in detail later about her experience with Junya Kaneshiro's Shadow."
    
    They watch Fuuka as she ruminates on their limited explanation. They said a lot before; they're silent now. Her comment on Ririka's awakening draws a look of sympathy from them. They know Fuuka's speaking from personal experience; no one told them she ended up in the Dark Hour, but they've read between the lines of what they have heard from Minako. They don't comment on that either--or on Moriko's follow-up, though they do give her a brief side-eye. They likewise side-eye Mitsuru when she tenses at the question about the Kirijo Group's involvement.
    
    However, Yukari's detailed explanation about the Dark Hour and her father's hand in it is met with widened eyes, visible even behind the dark inner lines of their mask. They still hear her out to the end. It's clear to them that this is a painful topic to her--and to Mitsuru, who insists her family is responsible, not Yukari's. Akihiko likewise admits that SEES doesn't know everything about the Dark Hour either, and Joker nods once in quiet commisseration. If Apathy Syndrome is related to that too, it's no wonder why they want to erase it.
    
    But... They look back at Yukari. "Let me ask you this in return. You also explored Junya Kaneshiro's Palace; you were there to fight his Shadow after we sent him our calling card. You are part of a group with the backing of the Kirijo Group. Knowing his crimes, why didn't you reach out to their lawyers to use the evidence you witnessed to have him arrested and tried? Had they, could they guarantee he wouldn't have bought his way out of prison and gone right back to exploiting minors and minorities?" With uninterrupted eye contact, they pause for a pregnant moment. Then: "The failure of those with power in the real world to act. That is why we change hearts."
    
    Have they verified that Palace Shadows return to their real selves, themselves? Joker locks eyes with Mitsuru next. "Yes."
    
    However, she has a good point about good intentions and The Phantoms' lack of knowledge of the long-term effects. They still do have some answers--do they believe those men would have changed on their own? "We don't." (Every single time, they were backed into a corner. It was act or let lives, their own lives, be ruined.) Do they believe their confessions are borne of their own remorse? "We do." (If Futaba can act naturally after her own change of heart, then that implies so are the others. They just have to deal with the weight of their crimes.) Do they know, fully, the nature of the power they're using? "...."
    
    They can't know that. They're flying blind in so much. Even their mentor doesn't know how he knows things, or if all of them are correct for sure.
    
    And even if they could guarantee that... Mitsuru has a damning point: the scales are unbalanced. "I see. That's fair," they reply quietly. "And in turn, if we revealed our names and faces, you could do away with us by reporting us to the police. You already admitted you work with them." They shut their eyes briefly. "I respect your hesitation. We dealt with such a group ourselves not long ago, called the Wild Hunt, whose good intentions likewise worry us. At least you all are polite about your disagreement."
    
    They turn sharply, the flaps of their long coat snapping in their wake. Glancing back at SEES over their shoulder, they state, "Then we will take our leave here. Good luck to you all on your mission. We shall continue on with ours."
    
    They face forward and stride towards the down escalators. The Phantoms will find another train station; Mona's bus form will make sure they can outpace SEES on the way there. SEES themselves can make their own way back to the surface.

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

Skull scoffs when Suzume gets salty about the tower coming out of their school. In some ways, Skull wishes it was a creepy ol tower in their school...maybe. He is genuinely kinda out of his depth as far as this Tartarus thing went. Like he knew of the place and tower but....

 He grins at Noir, scratching the back of his head. "Heh. Yeah maybe!"

 Minato's response gets a solid blink from Skull. He isn't sure how to take his answer. Was he trying to goad him? I mean he just said he was intimidating them. "I..." He isn't sure how to respond other than to just sigh loudly. "And we're not intimidated! Just you gotta admit it's fishy when a gang of uniformed teens shows up with all the airs of being the ones Justice sides with. I ain't saying we're perfect but you have all the perks and safeties of a sponsor. You gotta admit that's pretty sus. Especially to people like us."

 Skull sighs when Yukari brings up some pretty good points. "I...I admittedly don't know but the people we deal with....like we don't just do these things without thought. I believe there was no other way" He thinks about every change of heart so far, knowing that they changed some lives with such an act. He just couldn't tell them anything because of the whole secret identities thing.

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.

"Guess that makes sense," Ogre answers Koh. "Still wild to think people could do that..." But then, if you can cretae and erase a whole space... Maybe it's just doing it but bigger? ...Nah. That can't be it.

She grins at Ryuji though. He almost lets the cat out of the bag, as it were, but Ichika for one doesn't like putting cats in bags, so it probably wouldn't be a huge problem.

But Suzume has things to say, too. "Fine with me," she says. "We wanted to hear you out, too. But the mental shutdowns aren't us."

A look to Minako. "...Cool. Well, good luck. Dark Hour sucks."

Then back to Suzume, "I mean..." She glances to Joker, to see if they mind her saying something. Instead, they make it clear themselves--and she works with that.

Tartarus. That Fucking Hell Tower. Yeah, it's best she kept them away from it. Murder, though. "That's a line we don't cross," Ogre says to Minato. "Murder, that is."

Important to say... maybe so, Ririka. Either way, Ogre is gratified to hear why Ririka joined up with SEES. They were able to help her... But with Noir's explanations, Ogre nods. "Right. Their Shadow can and does fight back--they just fight us in the supernatural world, not the regular world."

"Mementos..." Well, if Noir says it, maybe Joker will.

In the meantme, Ogre nods along with Fuuka. "It's scary," she says. "...Really."

Fight back? "Their Shadows fight back," Ogre answers of it. But, --'Bent Over' aside, "So you work with the police... Well, there's this one cop I work with now and then," she allows. "I don't trust most of them, though. They could do a lot to make us unnecessary--but they don't."

The New World Order? Ogre looks with a frown at Ririka.

Yukari explains the nature of the Dark Hour. Ogre of course remembers when they moved here, ten years ago--but what Yukari says...

"...Whoa." She stares around at the group for a moment--but Akihiko talks about responsibility... "...Yeah, I can get that," Ogre allows. "You or your dad caused it, it falls to you to fix it. But... If you broke it once, how do we know your methods are gonna fix it this time, and not just make it worse?"

"...I want to believe in you guys." Why? She doesn't say. "But it's like you said to us; we don't know you, either."

The question about evidence? "Tried that," Ogre says with a shake of her head. "I tried a lot of things, before I finally went to the Phantom Thieves for help. ...The police weren't interested in 'evidence'. He's--Yeah, like Kawase says. He was working with that 'New World Order'. Without a direct confession, evidence didn't mean a thing."

She looks over to Mitsuru again. "..."

She looks to Joker first, as she thinks about her own answer--but when Mitsuru asks about those men--

Ogre curls her hand into a fist. "...There's stuff I don't know," Ogre says. "But I know that everything I've done with the Phantoms, I would do again. I won't hold back from justice because something might go wrong later."

"...Yeah." She thinks about it. But... not without the buy-in of the others. And it would put Ririka in danger...

"I believe in what we're doing. That what we're achieving is 'justice'."

"...But I'll see you guys again. If we ever learn more of those details... Maybe we'll have more to say to each other."

"Good luck out there."

Ogre turns--and strides down the escalator, too.

She won't linger.

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

"What? Like you wouldn't expect to see a lot of people from your school look into a tower that shows up there at night, if they could," Suzume shoots back to Skull. "Especially if they use the school's dorms. I mean, if they had Personas anyway, obviously somebody who didn't wouldn't even be awake in the Dark Hour."

Does she know who Skull is? No; that's why she didn't name the school. But she has a pretty accurate read on his age: he's about her own age, maybe a little older. (And she's right; she's about as young as you can be and still be in second year.) She is one hundred percent sure he *has* a school. ...well, maybe 99%, thinking of Shinjiro.

Suzume moves to shove her hands in her pockets, afterwards. But then... 'The Palace of the masses', Joker says.

And what's Suzume's response to that?

"Ha! I *was* right!"

That actually fills in some gaps that Suzume hadn't, on her own, while supporting some other ideas she'd had - and, critically, it contradicts very little. It means she was right about what she saw out there, and it gives her an idea to check later. Not now. It'll take her some time to figure out *exactly* how to pull this one off... and ugh, it's going to cut into her money again. Later, she thinks, later -

Suzume wasn't sure Mitsuru was even going to give as much information as she did. But then Yukari goes and spills the rest of it. She *knows* it's hard for Yukari to talk about; she didn't expect her to bring it up. She remembers how rough it was in *their* chat. She opens her mouth to say something to her. What do you even say? She's awkward just thinking about it. She's going to put her foot in her mouth, *again*, and in front of everybody else this time, and she feels the tension build in her neck and back just starting to speak -

So by the time she's gotten through that, she looks a little silly closing her mouth without saying anything. She lets a long breath out of her nose. "Great," she says instead, about nothing and everything. She's still not a big fan of *how* the Phantom Thieves are acting, but she finds herself more in agreement about the *what*, or at least the who of who they go after.

"Well," she says, once the Phantom Thieves are gone. "That could've gone worse..."

But it could have gone better, too. They still only know what the Thieves have chosen to tell them.

"And I still don't really trust them. ...But at least they're not Strega."

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

Minato asks if any of the people the Phantoms have targeted had Personas. "I know it's not the same thing, but... Kamiya's Shadow and his Cognitions put up a hell of a fight... I wouldn't exactly say it was easy..." She recalls how the cognition of Eiji's Father almost completely locked down the battlefield.

Ririka lets out a slow exhale, and nods to Fuuka. The confident exeterior slips a little. "... yeah." She knows Fuuka knows what's that's like, but... she won't call it out here.

And she casts a concerned look Yukari's way as she confesses. Ririka's still not happy about the way they told her about that. "Takeba-san..."

There is a deep frown as Joker brings up the Black Mask, of all people. She was there. She's still a bit haunted by the memory of that incident.

But there's a blink as the subject of Mementos being everyone's Palace is brought up. "... huh." Ririka glances up, considering the surroundings for a moment. "... that's kind of interesting..."

But she nods as Joker says they didn't keep it. Whether disposed was the right word or not, she's not in a position to judge. "... I guess as long as nobody else can use that thing, that's fine."

But she looks to Ogre as Joker does. As for the matter of personal contact info... "Ogre's got my number. If you want to get in touch that's fine." Why does Ogre have her contact info? Don't worry about it.

So they were working with the NWO--but Ririka already suspected that much. But she doesn't get more than that, for now. That's fine.

But things are too unbalanced at the moment. "Take care of yourselves," she says as the Phantom Thieves take their leave.

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

Mitsuru and Akihiko have the same notion in mind, that it is the Kirijo Group's fault and Yukari shakes her head, "It'd be easy for me to say it's all on your family."
 
She wishes it was, "But my Dad- he was the Head Researcher there, wasn't he? He went along with everything they were doing. It's... possible that they couldn't have even gotten where they were without him. I don't want to look away from the truth because it's difficult."
 
She gives Joker an odd look as they say they never got the chance to try, like she's not certain how to parse that, it becomes skeptical and...
 
"I already did tell them about Kaneshiro." She says, quietly, before- Joker asks her a question.
 
"What evidence that I witnessed? Do you mean him coming to the Cardboard Dragon? ... That's because, it would have put a lot of people under scrutiny who- would get in a lot of trouble if we did." She says, puzzled, "I didn't encounter anything in the bank that could really be used, it's not like we could identify which 'ATM' was who..."
 
In the end, Mitsuru takes over in how the scales are unbalanced- and she feels like she barely knows anything more about the 'Change of Heart' to still not know what it is-!
 
It's confusing to her, but also frustrating.
 
Still, she answers Ogre's question, "Because- my Father left a message when he died, to tell us how we could fix the mess he was about to make. If he knew- this was going to happen, or something like it, then... I have to believe he's right."
 
'Tried that,'
'... The police weren't interested in 'evidence'.'
 
As she looks sideways at Ririka, adding something, then back. "I'm not gonna claim all the police are good or anything but- you're saying no cop, no prosecutor would look at it, anywhere because of the New World Order?"
 
She asks, seeming incredulous on that. "Anywhere? I- I don't think you're lying, but it doesn't sound... real, I guess, that it's that widespread?"
 
Still it forces her to consider whether or not it's possible that the New World Order really does have that level of influence. She knows they have some high level politicians but- all police everywhere???
 
Between Mitsuru's words, and Joker saying that her words are fair, "... Yeah, it feels like we're just giving you... so much about us, and- you're not giving us anything to work with. I really don't want to doubt you. I... like all of you that I've fought alongside."
 
It sucks, but, there's nothing to be done as she imparts her conclusion. "... But I can't say you've changed my opinion really. I just can't approve of our powers being used like this on people that don't have them."
 
And as they start to depart.
 
She then looks to Ririka while they're on their way out and- "Why does a Phantom Thief have your phone number anyway?"
 
Have fun explaining that one, Ririka!

<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.

"Takeba..."

She's not expecting those words from Yukari. Even after everything in Yakushima, things between her and Yukari have felt... tenuous at best; Mitsuru's kept a healthy distance if only because she did not want to exacerbate all those fraught associations for the Second Year.

But, hearing Yukari say that, deny Mitsuru and her family were wholly responsible, causes the redhead to pause. A second passes.

"..."

And quietly, she looks aside.

As Joker and the other Phantom Thieves say their piece and take their leave, the myriad troubles plaguing Mitsuru Kirijo's thoughts only bubble to the surface in the form of a small, dissatisfied frown.

She wasn't lying: she did hope they could work together. The information the Phantom Thieves do provide is helpful, and their encounter with Kandori convinced her of one thing: SEES needs allies in the face of such overwhelming enemies.

And yet, she watches as those potential allies walk off, that frown enduring, her hand falling to clasp at her opposing forearm. She has every sympathy for their cause. Every one of their targets have been people Mitsuru finds loathsome on a deep, deep level, and she sheds no tears for them. What they have received is nothing less than what they deserved.

... But it's not about them. It's about all the uncertainties surrounding what happened to them; Mitsuru's not entirely convinced the Phantom Thieves fully understand whatever it is they're doing, and that concerns her profoundly.

And so she just inclines her head in a shallow nod of acknowledgment. "... Very well." Her brows furrow, faintly. The Wild Hunt? ... Something else to look into.

More and more, it feels as if her grasp on all the players involved in this cognitive world is becoming increasingly tenuous. ... She doesn't like it.

So as the other members of SEES offer their parting words and even offers to stay in touch, Mitsuru doesn't stop them. She just shuts her eyes, and turns with a crisp pivot.

"Let's go, everyone. Stay close." Her gaze drifts Akihiro's way, as if she could quietly convey her misgivings with how this all meant to her fellow founder. Ultimately, though, she spares one last look over her shoulder towards the departing Phantom Thieves -- and starts to move.

"... We need to continue to keep watch over this space."

She needs to know just what this all is. ... And what is happening here.

<Pose Tracker> Akihiko Sanada has posed.

    Joker asks for their contact information, and Akihiko scoffs. "That's too one sided for me. Didn't stranger danger get drilled into your head?" He shakes his head.

    That's the end of that. The Thieves leave, and Akihiko meets Mitsuru's gaze. He gets the same feeling, as he puts his boxing gloves back on for the trip back. It's a shame things broke down. One sided indeed...

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

In the aftermath, while walking home...
 
"I can't believe you actually said Stranger Danger to the Phantom Thieves, senpai."