2026-07-24: It Wants to Be Completed
- Log: 2026-07-24 It Wants to Be Completed
- Cast: Jun Kashihara, Mitsuru Kirijo
- Where: Iwatodai Dormitory
- OOC Date: July 24, 2026
- IC Date: December 14, 2012
- Summary: Jun meets with Mitsuru to discuss the playscript that 'Showbiz Mask' attempted to steal from Kasugayama. A meeting of intellectuals, they also discuss what to do about it and the other volumes in the four-part series.
(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.
A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.
There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.
The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.
BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
On this Friday evening, Jun Kashihara arrives at the Iwatodai Dormitory, where the members of SEES bunk. He'd reached out not too long ago to Gekkoukan High, requesting a meeting with the leader of SEES, citing an interesting book he'd like to discuss that has been of recent interest in Sevens and later Kasugayama. The subtly coded message had worked, as he'd expected it would; SEES had members fighting back against the Masked Man and his cohorts at both of those incidents so far. It did take a little while for Mitsuru's schedule to clear up enough for the meeting to take place, but take place it shall.
When he arrives, following the directions he was given, Jun knocks politely on the front door. He waits for someone to answer so he can introduce him, explain his purpose, and be let in. He has a school briefcase with him, with homework he completed on the train ride over and several books of interest. (Despite this, he's not wearing his school uniform right now; he made a point to go home and change into a pinstriped green button-up shirt, black slacks, and a beautiful flower-printed winter coat first.) One is the one he'd mentioned on the phone before.
Once he's seated across from Mitsuru, Jun bows his head in greeting. "Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, Kirijo-san. As you know, I'm Jun Kashihara, a third-year at Kasugayama High School. I was present to defend the school when certain parties came to steal a certain book, as was one of your club members, Yukari Takeba-san," he says. "I know you're quite busy, so I'll get straight to the point."
He opens up his briefcase, takes out a slim playscript labeled Volume II of IV, and holds it out to her. Upon inspection, Mitsuru will find that it's a play about a certain King and his desire to be loved by his subjects. The color yellow may or may not be involved.
"I'm certain this is what they were after," Jun states, leaning back and folding his hands on his crossed legs.
There's more to say, of course, but he'll wait to see how Mitsuru reacts first.
<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.
Even with an entire extra hour most of the world doesn't even know exists --
There's not enough hours in the day.
It's something Mitsuru Kirijo would certainly think, if she felt she had the luxury of lamenting immutable physics instead of taking it as the challenge it clearly is. The Kirijo heiress' schedule is perennially packed with activity: from making sure Gekkoukan is running smoothly, to handling the duties expected of her as the Kirijo Group's heir apparent, to overseeing the day-to-day of SEES and its members and - most especially - keeping them on task with their studying, to say nothing of her own schoolwork, if one were to ask her where she gets her free time, the probability is very high she'd react with a bemused,
'Free time?'
But one thing she always, always has time for? Matters involving the metaphysical. Matters involving Persona. And the potential abuses therein.
One could say she has skin in the game.
So when Jun Kashihara of Kasugayama comes calling, it takes some doing, but Mitsuru makes the time; she even offers to reimburse the other student for travel fees to come all the way to Iwatodai. And when he arrives, it's Mitsuru there to receive him, dressed in her favorite black leather double breasted jacket, with an off-white scarf tucked in beneath the collar for warmth, white pants and knee-high black leather boots to complete the stylishly functional ensemble. She helps him find a seat, before excusing herself for only a moment. When she returns?
She returns with the a tea set, the rich almost caramel aroma of hojicha filling the air. Because just like there's always time for matters like these --
There's always time for tea.
"Please. I should be thanking you for coming all this way." There's a certain obligatory humility to Mitsuru's words as she dips her head in a returning nod, and yet it doesn't lessen the matter-of-fact sincerity of them. Sitting cross-legged across from Jun, she hoists her tea cup up with practiced ceremonial perfection as Jun offers the gift of expediency. "Enchanté. It's an honor to meet you, Kashisara-san. Please -- what brings you here?"
And what brings him here is -- a script for a play. Blinking, Mitsuru sets her tea aside, leaning forward to take those slim texts with a firm grip. She considers them, brows furrowing faintly at the sight.
"The King in Yellow," she says, familiarity there. At least, conceptually. But...
"... They want this?" Mitsuru asks, tentative. Not dubious, but rather running through the implications before she follows up that question with another one:
"Why?"
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Jun nods and waits when bid to wait; when Mitsuru returns with steaming, sweet-scented hojicha, he smiles brilliantly.
"As expected, Kirijo-san. You know how to welcome a guest. Thank you quite kindly for your hospitality," he says. Once he's handed over the book, he picks up his own cup, taking a moment to breathe in its scent before taking a small, appreciative sip.
But the conversation must continue, especially since Jun hurried it along in the first place. He sets the cup and its saucer back on the table, smile fading away. "Of that, I'm unsure--but after reading it, I have a hypothesis."
His gaze sinks to the volume, eyes slightly narrowed. "You see, it had a few particular effects on me. One was to increase my focus, which was helpful for my studies--" something Mitsuru is familiar with, especially as a fellow third-year about to take college entrance exams "--but it also gave me a strange... compulsion. Thanks to my Persona, I was able to resist it, but I had the urge to do strange, out-of-character things, like shoving people out of my way, insult a teacher, or pick a fight. What's more... even now, I have a desire to read the rest of the story that doesn't feel like mere literary appreciation for a good narrative." He raises his brown eyes to meet Mitsuru's read. "I believe this story wants to be complete--and if it is completed, its power will grow accordingly... as will the compulsions it places on the reader."
He raises the teacup again. Its bouquet is calming, and he lets the steam waft it up to his nose for a time. "As you can see, this is the second volume. The first was at Seven Sisters High School, and it was stolen. Looking through my school's library records, I found that it had arrived shortly before then, so I don't believe that the one who stole it read it and was then compelled to complete the set, even if it meant theft and murder. I suspect someone learned of it and its power--possibly even actualized it through the power of Rumors--and moved accordingly. There were a number of would-be thieves, including Demons, so the culprit is clearly aware of the supernatural in a general sense. I doubt it's a tragic accident."
Sip. The hojicha is quite well-brewed, and it warms him up on this cold December night. "However, I wasn't there for the first attack, so I may be jumping to conclusions. I understand the thief shot a librarian over it, but I don't know for certain if he came from outside or not, like he did during the second attack."
He frowns at Mitsuru. "Either way, it's dangerous. I'll need your help to make excuses to my school's library--I was able to check it out, and they'll expect it returned eventually, but I would instead like to request you keep it somewhere safe, Kirijo-san. It's dangerous, and should not be read; nor should the set be completed."
<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.
A hypothesis, Jun mentions. Mitsuru Kirijo pauses in the middle of tucking her thumb underneath the cover of that first volume to look up at her guest intently.
You see, it had a few particular effects on me. One was to increase my focus...
A dark brow lifts, fractionally.
... but it also gave me a strange... compulsion.
A frown settles on scarlet lips. Eyes a darker red glance down at that cover for a moment.
"... Mm."
Her thumb slips out and away, abandoning any attempt to crack open that play.
"So it's some manner of... cognitive contagion," the SEES president reckons in the wake of Jun's explanation, dark red eyes lifting to meet his stare. The way he describes the effects, that desire to find and read the rest of the story... Brows furrow inward until they induce shallow creases just above the bridge of Mitsuru's nose. "By observing the text on the page, it seeds shifts in the reader's perspective that make them yearn for more. You say the other volumes have been discovered at other schools?" Sevens, at the very least. "It covers much more ground that way, potentially guaranteeing a greater spread of influence."
Mitsuru's frown deepens. Rumors. By far one of the most easily abused cognitive phenomenon she's seen. And so powerful, too, to create something like this, if what Jun suspects is true. And it can even bring back the dead...
An exhale passes those lips as Mitsuru shuts her eyes. "So your theory is that someone made this play real through Rumor for malicious purpose. Purpose we aren't certain of, but one they are willing to harm and murder for."
Which means they absolutely cannot get their hands on this volume.
"... I've read Chambers' short stories from The King in Yellow. The narrative is a haunting one -- it wouldn't be difficult to make rumors about it." A book, or show, or song that drives any who listens to it mad is a very evergreen concept in the zeitgeist, after all. But to what end? ...
Regardless, it doesn't change what must be done for now: setting that play - carefully - down upon the tabletop, Mitsuru picks up her tea once more, lifting it for a slow sip. It gives her time to think for a moment, before she offers:
"... I can help smooth things over with the Kasugayama library staff. Some manner of academic exchange, perhaps? More importantly...
"Don't worry -- on my honor as a Kirijo, I will be sure to this play is kept safe, and under close watch."
But where? She'll have to think. The Dorms? Will the people here just become a target, again? The Kirijo Group? ... Can she really trust them, right now?
She mulls over her options with the slight narrowing of red eyes before she looks back up Jun's way.
"Do we have any leads on where the other volumes might be? Or how many our perpetrator may possess already?" Her head tilts fractionally, royal red hair spilling over her shoulder as she regards Jun with something like a mote of... concern?
"And what about you? Are you managing alright? Even with a Persona, managing such contradictory compulsions must be... difficult."
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Mitsuru is a smart woman. Jun had that impression of her already, and that impression is reinforced when his description of his experience with reading it prompts her to remove her thumb from the play's pages.
"I believe so, yes," he replies as she summarizes his story. "One volume has, so far--the first, at Seven Sisters High. Well, obviously the second has as well. As for whether the third and fourth have been discovered yet or not, I don't know, but I have no doubt the thief will go after them eventually."
Jun shakes his head at the first part of her recap. "That part is only a possibility. I think it likely, but I don't have enough evidence to say that much for certain. However..." The second half gets a decisive nod. "That much is certain."
For a moment, the two of them share a moment in silence, enjoying their tea. Mitsuru is right about that narrative: it's something that's haunted human consciousness for a long, long time, and The King in Yellow is a particularly memorable example.
"Thank you. To be honest, it shouldn't be hard. Kasugayama's academic staff are... frequently unmotivated," Jun says delicately. "We have a couple of good teachers, but the others, well... they're perhaps a little too used to working at a school with a bad reputation."
Mitsuru no doubt knows the type. Even if they're rarer at Gekkoukan, there are bad teachers everywhere.
He smiles at her reassurance. He hasn't met Mitsuru before, but he /has/ met members of SEES on several occasions (usually Yukari and/or Fuuka). Both of them are reliable young women, in his view, so it only tracks for him that SEES' leader would be the same.
"Ah--I apologize, I should have clarified," Jun says when Mitsuru asks about leads. "The third and fourth volumes, according to the library records, were sent to Gekkoukan High School here in Iwatodai Port Island and Shujin Academy in Tokyo. When I said I don't know if they've been discovered or not, I meant I don't know if they've been sorted and placed on the shelves yet, or if they have, if they've been checked out. If the thief stole the first and then targeted the second, the third and fourth should still be at large... I hope."
His own eyes soften when Mitsuru expresses her concern. "Thank you. I am. It's only a light compulsion, easily resisted, and the urge to do uncharacteristic things at least is fading with time." His expression steels. "However, while I will gladly help defend them, I shouldn't be allowed to handle any of the other volumes. I don't know what I would do if I had another in my hands, and I don't trust that I'd be able to resist reading it if there were nothing but my own willpower to stop me."
He shakes his head. "Fortunately, as far as I can tell, it doesn't start until after you read. Keep it sealed and... hopefully it will be enough."
<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.
The second part of Mitsuru's summary is the one that truly matters to her, in the end. The motivation of the culprit, whoever they are, whether they're responsible for this... thing... existing to begin with? Important.
But not nearly as much as the fact that people have been harmed because of it.
It's why she honors that request to look after this second volume in their possession so readily; a small smile touches the corners of Mitsuru's lips as Jun diplomatically assesses Kasugayama's staff, subdued but undeniably wry.
"Hah," she exhales, eyes shut, tea brought to smiling lips. "Pas de souci. I am well-acquainted with handling truant staffers."
They might be rarer at Gekkoukan, but they are there. And rest assured:
Mitsuru's probably given them the dressing down of a lifetime.
The young Kirijo heiress' unimpeachably confident expression, however, is slightly compromised by the way she blinks a small blink of surprise as Jun clarifies the status of the other volumes. "Truly?" she asks. If there's a volume in Gekkoukan, then...
Her lips press into a thin, thoughtful line.
"Hm." Taking another sip of her tea, she considers. "That makes things simpler, at least. I'll confirm whether or not the volume sent here is still at the library tomorrow. Certainly we would have known if someone unusual came to take it. And trying to take it Gekkoukan during the Dark Hour would be a fool's errand." That ominous tower jutting out of the skyline in the 25th Hour located ominously right where Gekkoukan is can attest to that much.
"I don't have many contacts" normal people would say friends mitsuru "in Shujin, but I will be there soon on school business. Perhaps I can take a detour to peruse their library out of academic interest."
She's only just heard about this, but already she's working out a plan of action. She certainly is, if nothing else, dizzyingly proactive. Still: as Jun reassures her that he's fine, she considers him for a moment, before minute relief settles into her expression only when he mentions he should not be left with the play's scripts, as if that was the more certain sign that he is handling it alright.
"Good," she says finally, dipping out a little nod. "But remember: even the weakest waves lapping the shore can eventually erode it. ... I don't mean to cause you undue stress, just... if it feels as though it is getting worse, please, let someone you trust know. I'm certain we can find a way to help. In the meantime... I'll keep this volume wrapped up securely." Her lips press into a pensive purse.
"Ah, yes. Who else knows of this? You mentioned Takeba is aware. Are there any other parties you trust investigating this matter...?"
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
It's that little smile of Mitsuru that lets Jun know she does know; the little 'hah' only seals it. He smiles back at her reassurance and replies, "C'est rassurant."
Having that level of power, and the integrity to wield it responsibly, means a lot. Jun chose to attend Kasugayama High for a variety of reasons, and he doesn't regret his choice, but he thinks he would have enjoyed being her classmate at Gekkoukan if fate had been different. Certainly she's an eloquent conversation partner with sharp decision-making skills--and it would be fun to practice French with her, too.
...even if she's not normal enough to call people "friends." Jun is unusual in a lot of ways, but he values friendship quite highly.
"Mmm. I've heard of it--Tartarus, isn't it? I've never seen it myself, but..." Clearly he knows enough to understand why it would be a fool's errand. If she's got business at Shujin soon anyway, then all the better. He nods once, impressed; Kasugayama's student council president could only dream of being so effective and decisive. "Then I'll leave it up to you, Kirijo-san. If there's any issues at all, though, please don't hesitate to let me know. I shouldn't be trusted to handle the other volumes, but," and here he offers another wry look, "I would also hate to never find out how it all ends."
It's okay, he's being deliberately ironic here.
Mitsuru seems reassured herself--but not so much that she doesn't offer him words of warning. Jun sobers. "...Yes, you're right. I shouldn't underestimate it... We don't know what the long-term effects could be." He sighs. "At least if anyone had to find this out, it's a Persona User instead of an innocent student. I hate to think of how a normal student would be affected."
Or how that would ruin their life--and the lives of those around them.
"I took point on investigating the books, so these specific details? Only you and I--and we should assume the thief does as well. He was quite rude to his allies, so they may not necessarily know too. As for who else was there and who might investigate on their own if they don't hear anything from me... There was a classmate of mine, named Hyousuke Suzuki; he can get... over-eager in battle, but he's got a good heart. He definitely should not read them. Then there were three masked Persona Users; one was a Phantom Thief named Ogre, but the other two, Magus and Cherry, said they weren't with her. Magus fought the thief before and was the one who informed me of what he was doing; if anyone would investigate independently, I believe she would. Let me think...
"That's everyone who defended the school. As for the attackers, aside from the masked man who appeared to be leading the charge, there was also a masked woman whom I fought; she also went by a codename, Tsurugi. The Demons, a Brute and a Pixie, er... posed as a pair of magical girls who called themselves Remedy Poison and Remedy Toxin, respectively." Jun shakes his head, as if to say, 'I'm as baffled as you are.' "Unfortunately, if the masked man leading them all went by any sort of name, I didn't catch it. Tsurugi did not seem overly fond of him, or what they were doing, but she also followed his orders without hesitation."
Jun will proceed to give Mitsuru detailed descriptions of everyone she doesn't know. He has notes with him, even, and pulls the notebook from his school briefcase to show her. They're quite meticulous.
<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.
Look. Mitsuru is frighteningly skilled at many things.
it just came at the cost of her social stats
her poor, poor social stats
At the very least, navigating through business like this is easy for her, even when it happens to involve a play that may be a contagion of cosmic horror. That just means she's even more in her element. "Yes, Tartarus," she confirms. "It's not a place you should delve into ill-equipped. And it would be pointless to try to do so for theft, regardless. Nothing in the school exists there during the Dark Hour. Not in any conventional sense, at least."
Unless you're Fuuka. Poor Fuuka.
But as Jun takes her advice to heart - and also extends an offer of assistance all his own - Mitsuru offers a subdued dip of her head in acknowledgment -- one that is soon chased by a frown at the other Third Year's sigh.
"... Yes. All the more pressing that we deal with this swiftly." Regular people aren't equipped to deal with cognitive phenomenon, after all. And the results of being exposed to it can be...
... horrifying.
For now, though, they'll need to assess. And part of that is having at least basic awareness of the other parties involved. Mitsuru listens intently as Jun lays out everyone who was there -- the fact that it's only her and Jun who know what's actually going on with the play is good information to have, certainly. She also recognizes some of the names involved - there is a hint of familiarity in her expression as Jun mentions Ogre - but there are others who she is unfamiliar with. Masked Persona Users unaffiliated with the Phantom Thieves? ... She supposes it was inevitable. But it does make it much harder to keep track of them.
Something to keep in mind. Other details, less so. To wit:
... a Brute and a Pixie... posed as a pair of magical girls who called themselves Remedy Poison and Remedy Toxin...
This part, which just leads to Mitsuru Kirijo, staring at Jun Kashihara in blank bemusement for several long seconds. It's remarkable how utterly impassive her expression is. Like a statue. Like a confused, wary statue.
"... I see," she finally says,
which of course means,
'I don't understand and I refuse to engage.'
But at least they have something to commiserate on???
Still -- as Jun offers those thorough details on both friends and foes, Mitsuru is a dutiful listener. She even takes notes of her own; how notes of notes can also be far too meticulous is anyone's guess, but she writes them down in record time.
"Ah, yes. Here, my contact information. Please, keep me apprised if anything new comes up," she both offers and requests afterward. "I'll also get in contact when I have verified the status of the other volumes. We should discuss what we mean to do about them long term, as well. Perhaps when we find others to assist with this..."
Lifting a hand to her to tuck a few stray locks of royal red behind her ear, Mitsuru pours over her freshly made notes as she goes over those finer details.
somehow her penmanship is still impeccably eloquent despite how fast she wrote it all out. Some people, like the pair in Iwatodai Dorms, are just naturally fancy.
Life is unfair like that.
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Jun was himself exposed to a great deal of supernatural phenomena back before he'd Awakened, and nearly went mad as a result. His sanity was only a thread away from snapping when the Old Maid had kidnapped him and kept him in that damnable Demon-infested hotel for a week... Salvation, and rescue--in particular at the hands of Tatsuya Suou--could not have come any sooner.
He knows very well indeed how bad it can get. How close to damnation he'd gotten. (How perhaps he did end up damned in another world, another timeline. That's something he refuses to delve too deeply into, though.) He won't let that happen to anyone else if he can help it. It seems Mitsuru fully agrees, which is also reassuring.
Being ridiculously skilled at many things is something he and Mitsuru have in common too--and he didn't even have to sacrifice his social skills to do it, mostly. He isn't absurdly rich like she is, granted, but his mother is famous and influential, so that might be something? ...Maybe the two of them can be friends--though right now, Jun isn't thinking of striking up a friendship with Mitsuru. He might appreciate her hospitality, but he hadn't expected it and hadn't come here for that.
He does have to smother a giggle at Mitsuru's statuesque lack of expression, though. It's not too hard with her penmanship to admire. Yes, the two of them do have much in common, Jun is quickly discovering.
"Thank you. I'll do so. And agreed," he replies, retrieving his phone so that he can record and also share contact information. He soon trades it for his tea as she reviews her notes. "I'll see if I can track down Magus somehow, see if she's figured anything out independently, and figure out if she can be trusted to weigh in. I'll share some information with her too, but I intend to leave out the deleterious effects of the volumes for now. The fewer people who know of that, the better. Once I get a better bead on her, I'll let you know if I think we can trust her." He shrugs and, before drinking, adds, "Of course, that depends on if I can find her, but one step at a time."
And hopefully, if Magus has found that out, she doesn't decide not to share with Jun back.