2026-09-16: Troubleshooters
- Log: 2026-09-16 Troubleshooters
- Cast: Ren Amamiya, Futaba Sakura, Hibari Aoki
- Where: Red Light District - Main
- OOC Date: September 15, 2026
- IC Date: January 10, 2013
- Summary: The Phantom Thieves investigate Hana Fukami's Kingdom.
MONAD: A party led by Ren Amamiya has begun the event Hana's Kingdom: Studio 4.
(|==================== Monad - Hana's Kingdom: Studio 4 ====================|)
-==== Round 1 - Challenge Level 1 ===========================================-
| Card: Lot: Grab A Clipboard... |
| Approach Options: Charm or Guts |
| Conditions: Bothersome - Charm Down L1, Box - Add 1 Item/Money/Gear., and |
| Educational - Academics Up L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-
Cognitions abound in the studio lots; there are various buildings of various
sizes all over, though none so big or impressive as the Producer's Complex
in the center of the Kingdom. It's a lot of browns and blues, with concrete
for ground and very little vegetation. The Cognitions are cute little
shadowy guys with big hats. But there is a little bit of a problem:
Security--bigger Cognitions with even bigger hats--are all over looking for
'intruders'. However, the Cognitions seem not to see any difference between
you and themselves, so if you can make yourselves look like you're supposed
to be here...
You even have an opening -- there are Mindless Shadows causing a fuss here
in the lot, Ice Ravens swooping on the Cognitions milling about. If you
pretend those Shadows are the problem, you can pretend to be part of the
Security Team trying to solve it!
Whether by audacity or good cheer, there are clipboards around, and other
supplies to look important. Use them!
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Though Ren had said they'd take care of Morgana and the others should handle investigating and exploring Hana Fukami's Kingdom while they do that, by sheer coincidence, they happened to find him shortly after school today. They were thus able to meet up with the others to deal with this, too. Because it's short notice, they'll have to share what's going on later, though. Any supernatural space is one where you need to focus up. Ren--or rather, Joker--is able to assure everyone that he's all right... more or less.
With that, Joker leads the group in. Many, many lots means many, many side roads, which means everyone needs to split up to cover more ground. However, with Oracle and Mujina close to Joker, they'll both be able to keep an eye on everyone's status while Joker keeps them both safe. The Security Cognitions lurking about means this ought to be a safer way to infiltrate.
At least, that was the logic at the start. In the biggest lot, a bunch of Mindless Shadows are causing a commotion with Ice Ravens attacking several of the little guys, something the three can observe from the shadows of a corner around a table where the Security had congregated. They run off, leaving several of their clipboards and other related supplies behind. Unattended.
"I have an idea," Joker tells their companions with a smirk. "Back me up."
Soon:
A shadowy figure leaps up and over the rampaging Mindless Shadows, coattails flapping in the air in their wake! It's... it's... obviously a Security Guard! Look at that clipboard and lanyard they've got and everything! And who would be holding a gun but security?? Quid pro quo!
Joker's smirk widens into a grin. "Intruder alert," they quip, just before gunning down several of those Ice Ravens.
MONAD: Ren Amamiya has acted with Warning Shot toward Lot: Grab A Clipboard...! Specialty!
<Pose Tracker> Futaba Sakura has posed.
Futaba "Literally Neurodivergent and a Minor" Sakura had swiftly joined up with Joker when they were moving out. She does not have a lot of time commitments.
Moving towards the Kingdom may have been tense. Once they are within the boundary of the Kingdom, Oracle brought down her goggles. She remains on foot for now - Necronomicon, for its many advantages, is...
... a...
... flying saucer...Which is kind of gauche on a sneaking mission.
Even so, the goggles seem to be functional, giving her feedback on the other parties' progress. She does not seem to have anything to say about this. "Hm? Oh," says Oracle, swinging her head around. "... Copy that!" She gives Joker a big thumbs up, which becomes two thumbs up to Mujina, and then becomes...
Oh, there it is. And here come the tentacles. And there's Oracle, leaning back into them as they draw her up into the belly of the beast.
Why did she need to get into her Persona's form NOW?
WEEEEE OOOOO WEEEEE OOOOO WEEEE OOOO
Because it has a soundboard.
WEEEE OOOO WEEEE OOOO WEEE OOOOO
And a light bar, which is now turning disruptively while oriented down towards the hapless Shadows. "Pssshhh chck copy that intruder, blrblrblrh over?" Oracle vocalizes, as if she is speaking through a staticky walkie-talkie.
The siren noise plays again. Don't tell the Shadows it's a .WAV.
MONAD: Futaba Sakura has acted with GIT GUD toward Lot: Grab A Clipboard...! Specialty!
<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.
Hibari was surprised to see Ren show up - she hadn't expected Morgana to make it back so quickly! (Did he catch a bus? she thinks to herself. It wouldn't be unheard of...)
She wanted to ask Ren more after that 'more or less', but there wasn't a lot of time if they wanted to actually explore the Kingdom, so she'd saved it for later. It was time to be Mujina, not Hibari.
Joker does not lack for support today, though Mujina and Oracle does not exactly make a combat-heavy backup; Mujina can fake it to an extent, but Danzaburou doesn't have the raw power of a Persona like Carmen, even if he's got the flexibility (and the trickery). That'll have to do, but it's a style of exploration Mujina is comfortable with - before she joined the Phantoms, it's how she got around herself!
And it does mean that covering the ground goes faster. Mujina lets down little blue-shimmery tanuki a few times, who skitter off somewhere; Oracle can tell that she's using them as more literal eyes-and-ears than Necronomicon's long-range scanning, especially when one or another returns to her, vanishing within her coat. Not all of them come back. Maybe they're still spotting?
"Got it!" is her response to Joker's idea. She has a pretty good guess as to what it is...
...and she's half-right. She expected Joker to take advantage of the situation, she just didn't expect them to go shooting! She doesn't even have a gun, so she doesn't join in with the firing, and Futaba has sound covered...
Mujina takes advantage of the distraction to try to organize some of the other security cognitions. She too has a clipboard, and a lanyard, and critically she also has fast-talking. "There's a second wave!" she insists, pointing at a completely different lot. "They're over that way and they're getting overrun. You have to go and help them!"
She'll organize them right out of their hair.
MONAD: Hibari Aoki has acted with Charm toward Lot: Grab A Clipboard...! Base! (|============================ Monad - Results =============================|) -==== Lot: Grab A Clipboard... - Round 1 ====================================- Ren Amamiya Guts Success Warning Shot Specialty Fatigue: 0 Morale: 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Futaba Sakura Guts Success GIT GUD Specialty Fatigue: 0 Morale: 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hibari Aoki Charm Success Charm Base Fatigue: 0 Morale: 1 -============================ Party Conditions: =============================- Starting Conditions: Bothersome-2, Box-0, and Educational-2 Final Conditions: Bothersome-1 and Educational-1 -====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 1/6 |= | ===================================================- -==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================- Items: 0, Money: 1, Gear: 1 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
'Making it back' is... mmmmmmmm... maybe not an accurate descriptor. But that's just one more reason not to go into it right now.
Instead: Refuge in audacity. What could be more audacious than jumping directly out into a group brawl with a wailing UFO and telling them to run off against an imaginary second wave?
The three of them look very legit. Super legit. The legitimatest there has ever been. Most of the Security Guards run off, and the ones that remain soon clobber the Mindless Shadows, mostly with Joker's help.
They offer a hearty 'well done!' and even mention there's coffee and donuts in the break room conveniently further in if the three of them need a break. Joker has no illusion that the coffee will be any good, but they'll accept the invitation all the same. With a sharp little gesture to Oracle and Mujina, they lead the way further inside at speed as they tug their gloves taut.
MONAD: Futaba Sakura has drawn a new Challenge! (|==================== Monad - Hana's Kingdom: Studio 4 ====================|)
here.
-==== Round 2 - Challenge Level 1 ===========================================-
| Card: Reception: Under the Radar |
| Approach Options: Proficiency or Understanding |
| Conditions: Bothersome - Charm Down L1, Clumsy - Proficiency Down L1, |
| Curse - -1 to Group Roll (Per Character), Educational - Academics Up L1, |
| and Enlightening - Academics Up L2 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-
The group has arrived at the Producer's Complex, a big brown building with
lots of windows. On the bottom floor is reception: a desk near the elevator
that has a sign detailing what's on each floor. The bottom floor being
Reception, the next is the News Studio, Offices, Security HQ, and then of
course the Producer's Floor. However, simply going where you like is going
to be a problem...
Because this floor is absolutely crawling with security Cognitions. The
secretary Cognition has a nice computer and a nice hairstyle, but is as
small as the rest. The Security cognitions are twice as big Shadowy
creatures with suspenders and cigars. However, they're all in the meeting
room next to the reception floor, and it's possible to sneak past them.
It's nerve-wracking, but if you're careful, and don't spook the secretary,
your group can get to the elevator or even the stairs without a fight!
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Futaba Sakura has posed.
Oracle leaves the light-bars on so the Shadows don't get a good look at the UFO. That's part of how you play the game, baby. It's all second nature. With most of the Guards defeated, Oracle comes in closer and slides out of the bottom of Necronomicon with a 'sploop'.
"We could've gotten donuts ourselves... but it's probably best not to eat food you find on-site. This may be a sneaking mission, but we're not going full on-site procurement," she continues, even as they move further and towards... a big brown building.
"Huh," Futaba says, looking upwards. She taps her lips for a moment. "Hmm... Well... is it..."
Her head tilts to the side.
One hand comes up to adjust a dial on the side of the goggles. "A ha," Oracle crows.
She pivots her creepy-goggled face towards the other two. "There's a secretary at the reception desk in here," she explains, "but I've already taken root on her computer. Hm hm hm... Looks like most of the security force is in a meeting right now. And there's a projector..."
Which goes out in the meeting room, mid-presentation. Mass Shadow grumbling with a subtext of 'can't be helped' ensues, even as she adds, "She's actually doing her work... This one's pretty diligent. You're going to have to sneak past, or something. Don't open that door until you have a plan!"
Once there is a plan, Oracle basically trots in after everyone else, as if she were a two-tailed computer-controlled assistant. ("Distracting that big group was clutch," she adds to Mujina, during corridor traversal. "Did you have to manage aggro a lot?")
MONAD: Futaba Sakura has acted with Hack The Planet toward Reception: Under the Radar! Diligence and Patra!
<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.
Now Hibari's even more concerned about Morgana! But, later.
Mujina catches back up with Joker and Oracle pretty quickly - it's best to move as a group inside, even if they split up a little to handle the outside.
"A few times," she replies to Oracle. "I used to enter Mementos and Palaces on my own; I didn't want to fight anything if I didn't have to. If you can point them off in a different direction it helps a *lot*." A Shadow that isn't present is a Shadow you don't have to deal with!
...
"Isn't it uncomfortable getting in and out?" she asks Oracle, looking up as if she could see Necronomicon when it wasn't summoned. "That's not a very pleasant sound..."
The group stops in front of the doorway for Oracle to scan through it - that's something Mujina has trouble doing, she'd have to send a tanuki in. She considers for a moment, tapping her chin, then: "That actually gives me an idea. Let's see, where was the break room...?"
Mujina backtracks to pick up a few items. It's not *too* long before she comes back, takes a breath. "Follow me this time," she says - and opens the door!
"Special delivery," she says, holding up the cup of coffee and a donut, the clipboard she was carrying tucked under her arm, held against her side with her elbow. She has the whole box of donuts, actually. "There were some extra, so we're making sure people who can't get away from their desks get some..."
This time she's trying to distract the secretary a little bit. Hopefully the others can sneak through! She's got an excuse for herself, too - she has to deliver the rest of the donuts!
MONAD: Hibari Aoki has acted with Home Cooking toward Reception: Under the Radar! Patra and Find! <Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Even if we did, we can do better than donuts and cheap coffee anyway," Joker murmurs to Oracle once she emerges from her UFOsona. "You know the fat cats in the top floors'll have much better food to steal."
They don't comment on the sound like Mujina does. They're non-binary genderfluid, but they can still pass for cis male. Some things just aren't appropriate.
For all the misdirection and combat was a fun distraction, there's still a long ways to go, and much to focus on. Their serious demeanor has returned. They look towards the brown building as Oracle considers it, then back at her once she's finished her analysis.
This time, it's Mujina with the idea. "After you," they say.
Another smile quirks up one side of their mouth when Mujina puts her gambit in play. Clever. While she chats up that oh-so-diligent secretary, they press themself on the wall next to the door, peeking in for the right moment when the secretary's looking away. Then they slip in, still crouched, and slip from shadow to shadow until they've made it past the corner.
It might not be them doing the talking right now, but they'll take it all the same.
MONAD: Ren Amamiya has acted with Thief Talk toward Reception: Under the Radar! Diligence and Smarts!
(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|) -==== Reception: Under the Radar - Round 2 ==================================- Ren Amamiya Proficiency Success Thief Talk Diligence and Smarts Fatigue: 0 Morale: 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Futaba Sakura Proficiency Success Hack The Planet Diligence and Patra Fatigue: 0 Morale: 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hibari Aoki Proficiency Success Home Cooking Patra and Find Fatigue: 0 Morale: 2 -============================ Party Conditions: =============================- Starting Conditions: Bothersome-1, Clumsy-2, Curse-0, Educational-1, and Enlightening-2 Final Conditions: -====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 2/6 |== | ===================================================- -==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================- Items: 1, Money: 1, Gear: 2 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Futaba Sakura has posed.
"Hmmm... you're right! We're Phantom Thieves. We deserve better than Donut-San!" says Oracle, with a little fist pump. She is heedless of what horrors affect starving people in America, who are forced to go to Dunkin to receive that staff of life, the donut.
Her head swivels towards Mujina. Her arms splay apart. "That's the best part!" Oracle exclaims, probably about the sound. Her lips remain in a slight :3 afterwards as she brings up the rear.
AND THUS -
The office lady looks up alertly. "Oh! Oh wow, are you for real? That's so different from how things usually go. Ha ha, are you new?" The donut is accepted and brought up to that professionally perfect OL coiff, her two blank white eyes blinking once as the donut is...
... Better not to know.
Oracle sneaks in a heartbeat or two behind Joker, clearly following their lead even if the execution of the moves is more enthusiasm than talent. But then, she's not that kind of sneaking-mission qualified. As she slides around the corner, she ends up behind Joker, leaning out to the side to peek directly to the side of their shoulder.
"... That conversation is taking forever. If that meeting lets out, we'll be flooded in enemies. Hold on."
Oracle explains, still sotto voce, "I'm interfacing with the signalling line here, which seems kinda like a simplified concept that's been made more actual - hold on,"
SECRETARY DESK
The phone rings. "Oh geez... I'd better take that. It was so nice talking to you! Let me know if you need anything!" says the Secretary before sitting back down and answering the phone. "Hello?"
BEHIND JOKER
"uhh he" beat, beat, "trying to rea" beat, "can you h" beat, even as Oracle subvocalizes her end of the fake-bad-connection conversation!
Fortunately, escape is easy to make when a tertiary-sector worker has to deal with the phone!
MONAD: Hibari Aoki has drawn a new Challenge! (|==================== Monad - Hana's Kingdom: Studio 4 ====================|)
It might not be them doing the talking right now, but they'll take it all the same.
-==== Round 3 - Challenge Level 2 ===========================================-
| Card: Newsfloor: Human Interest Story |
| Approach Options: Understanding or Charm |
| Conditions: Bless - +1 to Group Roll (Per Character) and Stony - |
| Understanding Down L2 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-
The news floor is expansive. Is it bigger than the building outside? Don't
worry about it. Right now, your group has found themselves in a lovely
little section that involves a lounge with a big desk and a number of plush
chairs. A Cognition host--a little Shadowy guy with a bushy mustache and
neat hair--sits behind the desk. He turns to the group as you arrive.
"Ah!" Cognitive Chaki says, "My guests are here! Come on, sit down. We've
got an interview to conduct!"
If you don't sit, he might call security...
"Now, tell me about yourselves! This is meant to be a real human interest
story, so don't skip on the emotions!"
It would seem you'll have to catch his interest--and he's not a credulous
man...
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.
Mujina seems unconvinced about the sound being the 'best part'.
"I'm a temp," Mujina says to the secretary, though at this point she really is just making it up. "That's why they've got me doing all the scut work..."
Getting free is taking a little longer than she'd hoped, but Mujina keeps the smile on her face the whole time until, thankfully, the phone rings. "I'd better hurry myself," she says, turning to head in with the rest of the donuts. "Thank you!"
Once she's out, Mujina hustles to catch up with the other two who managed to sneak through safely, and eventually sets the mostly empty box of donuts down. (What are the odds they'll need another?) "Whew. You know, I think that was the chattiest cognitive being I've run into in a while," she says, reaching a little under her mask to rub the bridge of her nose. "I thought she was going to keep me there forever. I guess Kingdoms are like that, even if Palaces aren't... Thanks!"
She's ready to go, though, as soon as one of her cognitive tanukis catches back up with her. "Next floor's news," she says, after a moment. "We should probably be prepared for... something. I don't think it'll be a secretary this time."
What it *is* is big. If Mujina's put together the scraps of data right, this one's going to take a while to explore. And it doesn't help when they exit the stairs right into -
("An interview room?" Mujina says, almost too quietly to hear.)
An interview room with a Cognition that wants to interview them. Well, it's better than the ones that want to kill them, Mujina supposes, but it will still tie them up for a while *and* he might get angry if he doesn't get what he wants. She's pretty sure he can call for security as well as the secretary could.
"Hello!" she says, surprisingly sunny despite the situation. "I don't know if I'm the guest you were expecting - I'm just the temp, you can check with the secretary downstairs. If you give me a few minutes I can *find* your guests, though. Maybe they got lost in the building...?" Though that doesn't explain Joker or Oracle, she realizes, with a slight frown.
Mujina is perfectly willing to lie to maintain the fiction of this place. Working against it will get them attacked. Working with it... well, maybe they'll pass by? "It'll just be a few moments, I hope."
MONAD: Hibari Aoki has acted with Friendly Talk toward Newsfloor: Human Interest Story! Empathy and Friendliness!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Joker listens to Oracle's end of the bad connection with mild amusement. They do feel a little bad for the secretary, but this is a far better alternative to getting caught and forced into a brawl.
When Mujina is released from chatty cognition hell and rejoins the others, they nod at her. "They do seem like a different beast so far," they murmur. "Good work."
Up next is the news floor, as reported by one of Danzaburou's little tanukis. It's a big floor, and the three of them head straight into--
"Hm," Joker murmurs, hands in their coat pockets, as they consider the interviewer.
Mujina pulls the trigger first, maintaining the fiction of being a temp and finding the 'actual' guests for Cognitive Chaki. Joker shares a glance with Oracle, then strides over to Chaki's guest, smiling now with a confidence that is not to be questioned.
"Isn't it so annoying when your guests are late? Oh well. That gives us a moment or two to touch up your make-up," they say, seating themself on the edge of the desk and procuring make-up tools from somewhere. (Where did they have those?? Listen--don't worry about it. Cognitive items come in all shapes and forms, and this is relevant to them now.) "You're so handsome already, sir, but you really want to shine for the camera, don't you? Can't let rude guests show you up~." They lean in with a brush of rouge and a steady hand. "Now do hold still--this'll take but a moment."
They shoot another quick glance over their shoulder at Mujina and Oracle, then commence Operation: Snow 'Em Over. Who would've ever thought all the make-up lessons Panther's been giving them in the real world would come in handy in a place like this?
MONAD: Ren Amamiya has acted with Charm toward Newsfloor: Human Interest Story! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Futaba Sakura has posed.
"I'm picking up contacts, and they're not all in one place," Oracle confirms, looking in the approximate direction of the approaching floor. "This one's not going to be so easy."
"News room, huh... The place where they make public opinion. No, that wasn't the word," Oracle adds sotto voce. Searching her memory perhaps. This doesn't trouble her for long.
Because there's something way worse going on. The Shadow is looking at them and wants - an interview???? Futaba makes a sort of half-swallow half-gasp sound of complete astonishment as she looks at Cognitive Chaki. Her mouth hangs slightly open. Inwardly, she can see the readout HUD for herself show a steadily escalating heart rate and a wavering cognitive biorhythm aaahhhhh
She exhales with force when Joker advances, talking about Makeup and bringing up a vanity kit. Futaba's head turns slightly, mouth staying slightly slack in sheer astonishment, but after this her tense-but-slouched body posture relaxes towards something more normative. Or at least less panicked. "I'll, um - double check the sound!!"
Oracle shortly disappears from view behind a TV camera on a rolling stand. She slumps her back against it, exhaling hugely. Hopefully the unseen last user engaged the brakes.
MONAD: Futaba Sakura has acted with Understanding toward Newsfloor: Human Interest Story! Base! (|============================ Monad - Results =============================|) -==== Newsfloor: Human Interest Story - Round 3 =============================- Ren Amamiya Charm Failure Charm Base Fatigue: 1 Morale: 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Futaba Sakura Understanding Failure Understanding Base Fatigue: 1 Morale: 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hibari Aoki Charm Success Friendly Talk Empathy and Friendliness Fatigue: 0 Morale: 3 -============================ Party Conditions: =============================- Starting Conditions: Bless-0 and Stony-2 Final Conditions: Stony-1 -====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 3/6 |=== | ===================================================- -==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================- Items: 1, Money: 1, Gear: 2 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.
This is, generally, the kind of problem Mujina is good at solving; she's hampered here by a feeling that she isn't what they expect. She's already caught on to a bit of the gendering, which is why she chose to pass herself off as a temp instead of an employee; obviously it's some woman's job to bring the snacks.
How'd she notice? It's not THAT hard if you're used to dealing with it anyway, and it's not something Hibari is oblivious to. Mujina doesn't normally get looks at her leggings by Shadows and demons, but some of the cognitions looked twice. And the only cognition that seemed to be female she's seen so far was the secretary, even though she's pretty sure there are more female anchors than male in reality. All the roles are gendered.
But as long as she's willing to play the role of someone lesser, they seem to accept her in it. It's a trick Mujina - well, Hibari - has used once or twice before, but never in a Palace... or a Kingdom, as the case may be. This place really isn't the same as a Palace...
Cognitive Chaki seems unimpressed by Mujina, but she's still smiling and offering to help, which puts her in the slightly better books. "You're the one who was supposed to bring them? They should have been here by now," he complains, losing some of his patience.
"I'm sorry," Mujina says, apologetically. "I'll get them right away. Do you want them brought straight here, or - "
"Yes!" Cognitive Chaki snaps, before rotating his chair slightly toward Joker. Who, as far as he's concerned, is another man, which means it's odd to see him in a makeup-adding role. His eyes narrow slightly, but he lets Joker touch his appearance up.
As for Oracle - he forgot about Oracle. Getting out of the way and staying quiet helped. This means that even if Oracle isn't doing much to help, she's not causing any problems either.
"What are you waiting for," Cognitive Chaki says, a moment later, to Mujina. "Go!"
Hibari freezes for a moment, reconsidering what she was going to say at first, and replies with, "Yessir!" as she darts out of one of the doors, and not the stairs. Oracle can probably get to it without getting back in Chaki's line of sight; Joker will have to disentangle themself from Chaki first.
Mujina is not obvious at first on the other side. "Here," she hisses, to either of the other Thieves as they exit; she's in a little side hallway that is less trafficed, using Danzaburou to appear blurred from a distance as some sort of impromptu camouflage. "I don't want to stay around the newsrooms if we don't have to."
MONAD: Ren Amamiya has drawn a new Challenge! (|==================== Monad - Hana's Kingdom: Studio 4 ====================|)
It might not be them doing the talking right now, but they'll take it all the same.
-==== Round 4 - Challenge Level 3 ===========================================-
| Card: Office: Fix The Printers |
| Approach Options: Guts or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Checkpoint - Cleanse all negative conditions., Ineptitude - |
| Proficiency Down L2, Smooth - Charm Up L1, and Stony - Understanding Down |
| L2 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-
Office space! Carpeted floors, wooden cubicles and tables, and of course,
the ever-present haze of cigarette smoke. Cognitions--little Shadow-guys in
collared shirts--scurry around trying to show themselves hard at work.
"Hey," says one of the Cognitions, toddling over. "You're the tech support
team, right?" the Cognition asks. "Well, we've got a big problem. All those
newfangled printers are messing up! The new guy put them on this table which
turned out to be a /Table/ -- you know, one of those damn Shadows coming in
and taking our jobs -- and ever since then, the new printers have been going
haywire! Did that Shadow eat half their cords or something?!"
Are you a bad enough dude, lady, or neither to fix a bunch of old-school
printers? ...printers, the most notoriously hostile piece of technology
there is?
If so, everyone's adulation will help you in the coming journey...
Hopefully.
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
There is a gendered vibe here, which is not at all surprising to Joker, considering whose Kingdom this is. They, too, know the suffering Hana must have felt under Gender. That's why they affect a bit of a Friendly Harmless Gay vibe with Chaki as they do his make-up--which doesn't get them any friendly looks, but doesn't get them shooed away either. Good enough.
Oracle has gotten herself out of the way, out of sight and out of mind. Good for her too. When Mujina gets yelled at to go already, Joker snaps their case shut and tucks it back into the shadowy depths of their coat. "Perfect. You look marvelous, sir," they say. "Good luck on the interviews--not that you'll need it~."
With that, they hurry off after Mujina, making sure Oracle's still with them too before shutting the doors behind them.
"Agreed," they say, now stone-faced. "That was a close one."
Fortunately, the way ahead is clear... for a little while. Once they're all past the newsroom, they reach the office area, where people are hard at work on the behind-the-stage work. Once again, though, the three of them walk in on chaos they didn't cause, as a haze rises up not just from cigarette smoke but from a Table that is smoldering at the printer laid upon it, on the verge of starting an outright fire.
"Tragic," Joker remarks deadpan of all these damn Shadows stealing their jokes. "We'll handle it."
They turn to their companions. "I'll aggro the Table. Oracle, you deal with the printer. Mujina, keep everyone clear."
Changing masks in their mind, they call up another Persona to douse those potential flames with a weak Aqua spell. This freaks the Table out, and it dumps the printer to go after Joker...!
But that means that Oracle's free to handle the printer itself unimpeded.
MONAD: Ren Amamiya has acted with Warning Shot toward Office: Fix The Printers! Specialty!
<Pose Tracker> Futaba Sakura has posed.
Frankly, being forgotten about is a relief to Oracle. Encouraging. A positive vibe. And that means she scuttles forwards, stumbling and almost slipping as the TV camera slides away, to break after Mujina!
"We don't need to draw attention. If there's even a central consciousness in this place..." Oracle half-agrees with Mujina, breathing a little heavily. But then, an office space - it smells like Sojiro and his sixteen twin brothers moved in - and they're confronting Joker again this place SUCKS --
But it's a printer?
"We will?" Oracle says, before her head snaps to the side and she gazes at the dumped printer as it falls from the Table...
Hits the ground...
Bounces up as it topples... and for one fleeting moment its 250x250 digital screen is reflected in the red lenses of Oracle's goggles.
https://youtu.be/sKgm6r0tn8o?si=gd83SUe0jb5GXd4e&t=169
Oracle wades inwards, reaching down. With one hand holding, gleaming in the dirty brown-stained lighting of this area...
The threatening, *perfectly aligned*, metal of a USB port attached to a metal-sheathed cable connected to her goggles...
and
jacks
IN
From Oracle's perspective what happens next is a screaming whirlwind of counter maneuvers as menus actively resist her intrusion. Network connections throughout the entire office drop, reconnected, create nagging pop-ups - there is a dramatic lean to the side as the paper holders, BOTH OF THEM, pop out, the last one getting an open-palm block and counter push--
Then the other one--
Snap one hand up, pop open the ink cartridges, pull them all off as angry error messages play--
Give them one single firm shake, and then holding BLACK, CYAN, MAGENTA, AND YELLOW nestled into the palm of her hand, PUSHING THEM back into place with a satisfying-to-feel-and-hear CHUNK...
Slap the lid shut, flutter her fingers over the keypad, pull out the plug, and straightens up. "Printing test page now!"
Will it print?
MONAD: Futaba Sakura has acted with Hack The Planet toward Office: Fix The Printers! Diligence and Patra!
<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.
Hibari is running a little more blind, having never met Hana. But some knowledge, at least, is shared.
Mujina builds up a map from her scouts' reports as they move. She can keep them pointed toward the likely direction, and Oracle can look ahead to see what challenges they might face there. It's a reasonable division of Navigator labor, and if they're both handling other things too (Mujina in keeping them from being spotted; she's not sure what else Oracle is up to), so much the better.
It means Joker can do their work without worrying about any of that. See? Perfect Phantoms teamwork.
"Do you think there is?" Mujina asks Oracle, worried. It never even occured to her that there was a central consciousness - a boss, certainly, not precisely a Ruler but... something, she hasn't ever been in a Kingdom before to say. But some sort of building awareness... that'd be new. And a problem.
But she thinks about it a bit: "I think it's probably just ... all the cognitions. They work together better than a Palace - no, that's not it. They're more like people, instead of being more like demons. But they seem to actually need to set an alarm. As long as we can stop that, we'll be fine." She hopes.
Entering the office room is sort of a relief, and sort of not. A relief, because it means they probably won't be asked to do another interview. Not a relief, because... well, look at it! Smell it! Regard the printer on the Table -
"Oh," Mujina says, somewhat taken aback.
Then, a moment later: "Right!" That's what Joker does; they're the team leader for a reason. And getting them away is something Mujina can do, probably: "Tech support coming through!" She means Oracle, not her. "Give her a little bit of space, please, there's only so much we can do until the Table - "
Joker dumps a bunch of water on the Table.
"Gets put out," she finishes.
Either way, she tries to corral people away from the hazard, or 'hazard' ("What if there's another Table and you just hadn't found it yet? Let IT handle it,") so that, one, they can work, and two, they can progress.
She watches Oracle practically yank the ink cartridges out, replacing them. "Is IT work always so... aggressive?" Hibari asks. It's a real question, too.
MONAD: Hibari Aoki has acted with Proficiency toward Office: Fix The Printers! Base! (|============================ Monad - Results =============================|) -==== Office: Fix The Printers - Round 4 ====================================- Ren Amamiya Guts Failure Warning Shot Specialty Fatigue: 2 Morale: 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Futaba Sakura Proficiency Failure Hack The Planet Diligence and Patra Fatigue: 2 Morale: 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hibari Aoki Proficiency Success Proficiency Base Fatigue: 0 Morale: 4 -============================ Party Conditions: =============================- Starting Conditions: Checkpoint-0, Ineptitude-2, Smooth-2, and Stony-1 Final Conditions: Smooth-1 -====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 4/6 |==== | ===================================================- -==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================- Items: 1, Money: 1, Gear: 2 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"In Kingdoms, they've got something called a Sovereign. It's like a Ruler, but it's a cognition of someone rather than their Shadow. In the last Kingdom I was in, it had an AI support. There could be something like that here too," Joker says to Mujina.
Beyond that, they can't say for certain. Oracle would be able to sense something like that better by far. All Joker's got going on here is experience, and that's one Kingdom's worth of it.
Eventually, they reach the office space.
We will?, asks Oracle.
"One way or another," Joker says grimly before heading off to do combat.
It is a hateful Table, full of spite and resentment for all the years in which it's been topped by junk mail and cold drinks without coasters, neglected the respect of a fine oak with doilies and silverware. Oracle, meanwhile, is fighting a printer--nothing further need be said. At least the cognitions listen to Mujina, helped along by her saying to leave it to IT. It's like a magic spell, really.
Soon enough, though, the Table sprawls into a pool of ichor and vanishes, and the printer, resentfully, is fixed. Joker spends a moment catching their breath before they stand up and walk over to the others.
Mujina in particular asks about the aggressiveness of IT work.
"That's why they call 'em troubleshooters," they remark deadpan.
MONAD: Futaba Sakura has drawn a new Challenge! (|==================== Monad - Hana's Kingdom: Studio 4 ====================|)
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
-==== Round 5 - Challenge Level 3 ===========================================-
| Card: Security: Go Big Or Go Home |
| Approach Options: Academics or Guts |
| Conditions: Boss - Add 1 Fatigue on failure., Scary - Guts Down L1, |
| Shuffle - Draw 1 Minor Arcana., Smooth - Charm Up L1, and Stupor - |
| Academics Down L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-
The security floor is ahead. When the elevator dings, the floor out there is
metal, with lots of glass and a /ton/ of security Cognitions, Shadowy men
with big muscles, suspenders, and important-looking hats. They don't notice
you immediately, but the offices on this floor include all the bigwigs in
the Producer's security team.
If you could just take a bunch of them out, that would make it much easier
to get through the facility in the future. Wouldn't it?
Well, have at it. Through boldness and strategy, your group engages in a
wide-scale tactical battle with the security floor, despite how intimidating
they can all be. Use the terrain, use the weapons and equipment lying
around, use any Mindless Shadows you can trick them into fighting, use
Demonic bribes, and use your heads to win!
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Futaba Sakura has posed.
"An authentic artificial intelligence in a cognitive space?!" blurts Oracle with excitement, even as the printer produces...
Hey... is that that bitey-bomb logo that Alibaba used? Only in a long sequence of various printer test details?
AND THUS
They reach the elevator and move on up. As they do, Oracle adjusts her goggles again - gasps - and raises a hand!
To slap the 'stop' button on the elevator.
"We're going into a space with a LOT of strong ones," Oracle warns, "although the immediate lobby space is clear... Maybe it's meant to not LOOK threatening at a glance. If it's a cognition, it'd have the metaknowledge to know that they have to present an open face as an arm of the media..."
"Anyway, the Shadows. You can get around 'em." As Oracle speaks, it paints an illustrative picture... It's as if you can see the level up above in a pre-programmed camera sequence.
"There's these fixtures here and there, and they divide up the lines of sight somewhat. It's not that the Shadows can't see over them, it's that they're not willing to just climb all over them like monkeys. If you stay low, they won't see you if you have them between you. And when one of them's turned in a way that the others can't see them..."
Oracle looks to Mujina, then to Joker. "Bam," she stage-whispers. "Take 'em out. I'm gonna stay in cover but you should both be able to hear me - I'll warn you if one's about to turn and look right at you!"
MONAD: Futaba Sakura has acted with GIT GUD toward Security: Go Big Or Go Home! Specialty!
<Pose Tracker> Hibari Aoki has posed.
"A Sovereign," Mujina repeats, sounding - and looking, if you can read her past the mask, which since it leaves her mouth free is not that hard - like she's thinking about it. She does smile, however, at 'troubleshooter'. "I suppose that's true too. They do, don't they?"
"Well, it would be a cognitive AI, wouldn't it?" she asks Oracle. "I mean... it isn't as if they built one and brought it in. It would be more like the flying bank's... flight systems." Futaba wasn't awakened for the flying bank, but Mujina has used it as an example before.
She starts to pick up on things a few moments after Oracle - Mujina is hampered by not having her scouts show up while they're in the elevator - but she wasn't expecting her to just slam the stop button. It must be important.
And it is. Oracle displays it; Mujina frowns. "Once we get up there I'll hide all of us, and send some of them out," she says. "They're not usually, you know... solid... but they can see them, and I can make them more physical for a few moments at a time, at least. Unfortunately if they catch too many I'll have to leave off with Danzaburou for a bit," she admits, with a wince; Persona Breaks are not fun to experience, and because of the nature of her scouting, she's prone to them. "But Oracle should still be able to get us through, right?"
Mujina is as good as her word. She once told them that she couldn't keep them invisible forever, and she can't - but she can provide stealth for them to move around when they have to get into line of sight, and let it drop when they're hiding the 'usual' way.
And then she starts to get creative.
A few of the Shadows actually see Danzaburou's scouts, darting past and drawing their attention. They never last very long and they mostly don't *do* very much other than be apparent, or jump onto a pile of papers and scatter them, or similar little acts of obvious disruption that don't cause any real damage, but it lets Mujina call up a distraction a few times, or cover their tracks at a crossing by sending a tanuki down the other hall or path or, in one case, into an office where there is someone very unhappy to be interrupted.
It's clearly not easy for her, it stops her from getting nearly as many scouting reports (she's trusting to Oracle on that front), and the ones that *do* get caught make her wince again. But it turns out having a few extra bodies is pretty useful for this kind of hit-and-run, sneak-and-ambush approach!
MONAD: Hibari Aoki has acted with Guts toward Security: Go Big Or Go Home! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Joker smiles back at Mujina. They don't always do stupid puns like that, but they appreciate that she enjoyed it.
"Well... it was also a cognition," they reluctantly admit to Oracle, confirming Mujina's guess. They hate to burst her bubble, but that's an important detail to include if she's asking if it was 'authentic.' Whether a cognitive AI is authentic or not is up to her to decide, but they personally suspect not.
The bitey bomb is cute, in its own way. Joker lets the prints paper the office. It only improves the space.
When they're all in the elevator, though, they shoot an alarmed look at Oracle when she slaps the STOP. They frown slightly but face her and listen to her explanation. So illustrative! It's like they can picture a 3D map in their mind. Mujina's got an excellent plan to build on Oracle's scanning too. Between the both of them, Joker's feeling confident.
"Got it," they say firmly to Oracle, and to Mujina, "Right. Let's play this smart."
Between Oracle's guidance, Mujina's stealth, and Joker's silver handgun, it should be literally easy pickings. Sticking to cover, waiting for the Security to look away, and then picking them off one by one is something they have plenty of patience and skill to do.
But... there's a lot of Security, and only three of them. Can they carve a path through without someone sounding the alarm first?
MONAD: Ren Amamiya has acted with Academics toward Security: Go Big Or Go Home! Base!
(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|) -==== Security: Go Big Or Go Home - Round 5 =================================- Ren Amamiya Academics Failure Academics Base Fatigue: 4 Morale: 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Futaba Sakura Guts Failure GIT GUD Specialty Fatigue: 4 Morale: 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hibari Aoki Guts Failure Guts Base Fatigue: 2 Morale: 4 -============================ Party Conditions: =============================- Starting Conditions: Boss-0, Scary-2, Shuffle: Wand-0, Smooth-1, and Stupor-2 Final Conditions: Scary-1 and Stupor-1 -================================================= Party Result: Failure ====- -==== Reach: 4/6 |==== | ===================================================- -==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================- Items: 1, Money: 1, Gear: 2 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|) (|==================== Monad - Hana's Kingdom: Studio 4 ====================|)
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
-==== Round 6 - Challenge Level 1 ===========================================-
| Card: Route Secure: Supplies |
| Approach Options: None |
| Conditions: Passage - Completion. |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-
You now have a key to the top floor elevator, where Producer Matsumoto can
be found. But that's not all you've found! As Rebel Cognitions cheer you on,
you spy some papers that have a lot of useful intelligence... Including a
cache of supplies, and insight into the nature of the Demons and the
Mindless Shadows via a note. 'We were just fine until that Bride ruined the
studio... I pity any man who has to marry such an evil creature. But the
show must go on, even with all these /interruptions./ It's all the more
important we finish things up quickly, I think...'
Present your status as having gotten this Conclusion to the scenerunner at
Scene 131, Ignition, and receive 2 extra Limit for the battle!
In addition, you find a set of pictures: a handsome man labeled Teruo
Shinoda, a red-haired woman named Emisa Higa, and a blue-haired woman named
Miyako Akimoto. Their faces are circled. 'Can we use them against Fukami?'
Final Loot: 1 Item, 1 boxes of Money, and 2 Pieces of Gear!
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Futaba Sakura has posed.
"It's an interesting question, because an artificial cognition might itself constitute... This isn't the best place to talk about theory," Oracle states.
TACTICAL INFILTRATIONAL ACTION. Underneath the shade of Mujina, Oracle squat-waddles tactically. "Mm," she says. "I'm definitely going to cover you. If it goes really bad, though..."
Highlighting several windows.
"... Bust out through there. I'll see if I can get out first but if I can't, you're going to be way better off taking a little bit of a fall instead of coming up close and person-- oh." A third location. "There's also the emergency stairs, if that works."
Oracle sounds somewhat disappointed at the prospect of not leaping out of a window.
EITHER WAY -- Sneak, scout, scatter, scoot! The tiny scouts are often glimpsed but not successfully caught, at least at first. The maneuvering changes this causes presents some advantages. A couple of the security agents go down, successfully outmaneuvered, held up, and--
pow
Well, you know how it goes.
They're halfway towards the space, nearing an office door that is close enough for Mujina's advanced scouts to actually slip a couple of them inside. Oracle hasn't said anything for a while, probably due to successful maneuvering, but suddenly -- "Oh crap!"
Because FOUR of them all just turned, a random fluke balancing out the Luck Plane as they all
can
see
the
PHANTOM THIEVES!
"Hey!"
"Let's see some ID!"
"MOVING TO INTERCEPT!"
"STOP YOUR RESISTANCE OR I WILL BE FORCED TO HELP YOU INTO THE VEHICLE"
Thus groan and grunt the Shadows, even as Oracle screams and turns and runs and leaps straight through a window! Somehow, all at once!
... this is probably the fourth floor.
Fifth? Sixth?
Maybe she overestimated -- ah, if you peek out, Necronomicon is there, so Oracle's probably fine. Indeed, it's making a convenient platform to vault down to break the fall, even as several of the little tanuki-guys come running out, one holding a file folder (very carefully, losing some scraps) and the other holding a key ring attached to a novelty sake cup.
AND SO - THE GOODS ARE GOTTEN
Including those fictures, and a note written on a scrap of legal paper...