2026-10-16: Getting Out of Town
- Log: Getting Out of Town
- Cast: Kazusa Motojima, Kanae Fuyuki
- Where: Shujin Academy - Practice Building
- OOC Date: October 16, 2026
- IC Date: Friday, January 25, 2013
- Summary: It's Friday after school, and things have been... tense, to put it mildly. Kanae and Kazusa check in with each other as they leave school together, and an idea is proposed: a short trip out of town, to relieve some stress.
(|==================== Shujin Academy - Practice Building ====================|)
-==================================================== Tokyo/Aoyama-Itchome ====-
Shujin Academy's practice building hosts rooms for the school's various clubs,
but also boxes in the school's courtyard gardens, which are lovingly kept. There
are plenty of places in the courtyard to sit for students looking to eat lunch
outdoors or just enjoy the weather, and the walkways have roofs for when it
rains. The gymnasium is large and well-equipped; thick red curtains block off a
stage and podium in the back, so setting up folding chairs can convert it into
an auditorium as necessary.
The interior is both like and unlike the classrooms building: the floors are
still wooden but in a latticed design; the walls are still white and gray, but
with only a small strip of gray at the bottom; and the sliding classroom doors
still have windows, but long, narrow rectangular ones. Vending machines dot the
premises here and there, as do well-kept bathrooms.
The first floor in particular hosts the nurse's office, a surprisingly
comfortable room with green-tiled floors, potted ferns, medicine cabinets,
hospital-style beds behind pink curtains, bookshelves, and plush couches around
a tea table. One can seek counseling here from Dr. Maruki, the kind-hearted
temporary guidance counselor, for any reason.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa has been tense for--well, for a very long time, if she's being honest. (She tries not to think about it.) But the terror of Shinichi's Homunculus has been especially stressful, though thankfully that specific terror is now at an end.
... for good,she hopes.
Of course, that doesn't mean everything can go back to normal. Along with all of the regular grind of her life, she still has to put up with her father, rhythmic gymnastics, and of course, her ever deteriorating reputation at school.
As much as she knows her status as the Demon Queen wasn't really helpful for anyone else, it's hard not to miss that mask some days.
But at least, she has a friend or two now.
Such as Kanae, whom she can see at the gate as she comes walking out of the school. Kazusa looks pretty tired, but shere's a fleeting smile as she sees Kanae.
"Hey, Kanae-chan. You ready to leave?"
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
Kanae, on the other hand, has seemed much more relaxed. 'Seemed' is the operative word; there's been a lot of tension for her, too, and a great deal of stress. Now... it all seems a lot smaller than it was.
Even if she gets whispers in the halls as she passes, as the news of her 'breakup' with Shinichi Nagisa spreads. The news has spread fast, and it at least makes Kanae look a little better than it could.
Amicable breakup, based on not wanting the same things after graduation--and they have to think about graduation coming up as their third years of high school loom ahead, right?
Kanae is talking with Himeki as Kazusa approaches, a girl a little shorter than her with black hair and a slight build.
"Are you sure?" she asks Kanae, and Kanae gives her a small smile. "It's cool. Let's talk later, OK? Get on out of here, I know you have places to be."
"All right..."
Kanae then turns towards Kazusa as Himeki leaves. "Yes," Kanae answers. "Can't happen soon enough, as far as I'm concerned."
She gets a dark look from a passing student, and Kanae shakes her head. "LEt's go."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa is still getting her own looks, of course. Unfinished justice, perhaps, or just a general disdain for her that carried over from when she was actively trying to terrorize the student populace.
She can only hope that nobody will be as bold s Shinichi's Homucnulus was to try and complete that 'justice.'
She's not as good at hiding her stress as Kanae.
Shje draws up short as she sees Kanae with the other girl, awkwardly holding her distance.
Once Himeki leaves, Kazusa approaches, giving Kanae a nod. "... Yeah." She glances at that student giving Kanae the look. and heads for the gate. She's silent for a moment before she says, "... 'Amicable breakup', huh? Are people buying that?"
There was really nothing about Shinichi's Homunculus that screamed 'amicable.' But if it works, it works.
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
Kanae is great at hiding her stress. She's an expert!
The student that gave Kanae that look turns her nose up at Kazusa, too. But there...
"Eh," Kanae says. "We said that we both wanted different things after graduation, so there was no long-term potential," she says. "People might not buy it at first, but it's good enough that it'll blow over eventually. People always want to talk about the next new thing, anyway."
"...besides, it's better than 'I chewed up him and spat him out like I did that poor Touma boy'," she says with a roll of her eyes.
"How about you? Feeling any better now that you're not stuck in class with a Homunuculus?"
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa does her best to look unimpressed at the girl snubbing her.
"Graduation..." Kazusa frowns. Just a little over a year away.... and she's not looking forward to it. "... I can't decide if I want to put it off or get it over with."
But the story they came up with. The next new thing... "Yeah. And it's honestly kind of a boring reason, so that'll help it blow over faster."
She winces a little as she replays that in her head. "'Boring' is good in this context," she quickly adds.
But Touma... "... yeah. It'll definitely fizzle out a little bit faster than that one."
She shrugs a little as Kanae asks how she is. "Glad I don't have to watch over my shoulder for a serial killer, at least. Now I just have to clean up the mess two Homunculi have made of my life," she gripes.
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
"That's the fun part," Kanae says, grinning at Kazusa. "It happens either way!" She waits a beat and then, "But I do get it. Things in my future look a lot different than I thought they would a while ago..."
Boring person reason. "Right," Kanae says. "IT's much better."
"I can't be sure that's not how people are going to talk about it, but we can try, right?" Then, "Mm. ...I can relate. A lot of things in mine have changed now..."
She turns onto the street outside the school, but makes a stop at the vending machines a bit down the way.
"I guess they never promised this stuff wouldn't impact our normal lives, huh?"
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa doesn't smile back. "The inevitable march of time and entropy..." Someone's feeling a litle pessimistic about the future. But things are different for Kanae. Kazusa looks over to her. "... yeah? How come." She can think of a few reasons, but doesn't feel like guessing.
"I mean, if you both stick to it, that'll help..." Kazusa considers for a moment. "... how's he taking things? We haven't really gotten a chance to talk yet."
Messed up. "... yeah. My Homunculus really didn't make things any easier for me at home..."
She stops when Kanae does and leans against the machine. "... yeah. Some eople told me my Persona meant I had power or freedom or whatever, and like, I guess getting money in Mementos is something, but... I'm still stuck with some of the same problems."
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
"I mean, Touma and I were really serious," Kanae continues. "Like, 'his family was going to be my family' kind of serious. We'd been going out since the start of first year. Now...? Whatever I'm doing, i'm doing it on my own. ...It's fine. But it's different, too."
"He wants to apologize a bunch," Kanae answers, shrugging and tapping out an order on the vending machine after putting in a few coins. She leans down to get her soda when it drops down.
"It does," she says. "You have power. There's things you can do that other people can't."
"...I bet it didn't, though."
"It's just..."
"The sort of power we have is the sort of power that can't solve our problems if we aren't willing to use it. And for some things... we just aren't. And I think that's OK."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
And Touma was one of the reasons she'd guessed. ('Destiny' and 'school drama from the Homunculus' were also in the running, though.) "Mm. Thaaat's... pretty serious, yeah. Pretty long time to be seeing someone too, I guess."
No she isn't getting a tiny bit upset thinking about it, that'd be weird. It's over now anyway.
Apologize a lot. "... that kind of tracks. Kind get where he's coming from, though."
But for some problems... "Yeah. I know." I just..." She waits for Kanae to move so she can step in front and get some coffee for herself. "... I want to do better, but it feels like everything's working against me sometimes."
She sighs, resting her forehead against the vending machine for a second. "... sometimes I just want to get out of town for a while."
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
Destiny is also a thing. But Kanae had accounted for destiny before. This... with this Homunculus, that's different, it changed things in a way she coudln't count on.
"Mm-hm."
"Yes," Kanae says. "I bet you would."
"It's just... The kind of people who use this 'power' to solve their everyday problems, we end up fighting them mostly, right? So look at it that way."
Still...
"I can get that," she says. "Maybe you should. There's stuff you can do on weekends, right? Places not that far out. Even on a student's budget."
She looks back. "Not everything's working against you."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
It is a very weird, and very strange common experience to have with someone, that's for sure.
"Yeah... I know. Don't worry, I'm not gonna go, like, try to rob a bank or something." Besides, 'lack of money' isn't really the issue for her.
A student's budget. Kazusa won't point out what the differences in their budgets are.
But not everything's working against her. "I know, I know... you're my friend now, and I'm... really glad you are."
It takes the machine beeping at her to make her lift her head off of it and to grab her coffee, before quickly moving to fall into step with Kanae. She takes a long sip, letting the caffeine fill her system.
She's silent for a long moment, until... "Let's go on a trip!" she blurts out. "Tomorrow. We'll leave school, jump on a bullet train, go somewhere there's a really good onsen and just... unwind."
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
"I know," Kanae assures Kazusa. "But that's what I mean--the reason our Personas can't solve our problems in the real world is that there's lines we won't cross. ...if you look at it that way, it's kind of a good thing. It means we haven't lost track of who we are with them."
Kanae has more budget than the average student, too--she can afford her own apartment--but... she can't access most of the money set aside for her. Kanae knows Kazusa has even more than taht. and--
She smiles back. "Yes?" Kanae asks. "I'm happy you think so. Likewise, too. I'm a little low on friends these days..."
but--eh?
"A trip?" Kanae wonders, and tilts her head. "...Huh. I mean, I know I was just saying..."
She thinks about it. "That does sound nice," Kanae reflects. "I could stand to get out of here."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
"I'm still trying to figure out who I'm supposed to be... but yeah, I know there's lines for these kinds of things."
Kazusa doens't like to admit it, but her funds can come with strings attached sometimes... so it's not free and clear for her, either, depending.
Low on friends. "... mood," she admits, after a moment. Though she's startig to build her friend counter slowly but surely.
Or at least the 'people she can have a civil conversation with' counter.
But there's a small smile as Kanae agrees. "After class tomorrow we can... hop on a bullet train, go to... I dunno. Yugawara? I'll look up some reviews online. Go, soak, enjoy some seafood, get a good night's sleep, and take the train back in on Sunday. I can pay for everything."
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
"That's fine," Kanae says. "I'm just saying... You seemed worried about it, so."
Still, friends! And, well, "Sure," Kanae says. "Not like I have to ask my parents or anything." Yugawara... That makes sense. "OK, cool. But..." She can pay for everything, huh?
"Let me get dinner," she says. "I had enough of being 'along for the ride' with Touma. I want to contribute some if I can."
"Deal?"
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
"Yeah, I'm just... tryig to figure out what to do about the problems my Persona can't really solve." Kazusa shrugs a little, trying to convince herself it's no big deal.
She pauses as Kanae comments on not having to ask parents. Is that a... joke? Or a statement of fact? Kazusa's not sure how to respond to it. "... right."
But dinner is easier to think about. "Dinner?" she asks, looking a bit confused for a moment. "Uh... sure?" 'Along for the ride'. There's a puzzled frown as Kazusa considers it. "... well, okay. If that's what you want, sure."
She nods. "Deal."
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
"You and me both."
A joke? A statement? It could be both or either. Kanae doesn't really clarify for the moment. Instead, she focuses on, "Right. I'm just saying, I don't want a free ride all the way; i want to go somewhere as friends, not just as your guest, even if it means we don't go somewhere as nice."
"Thanks," she says. "Then, let's have at. It'll be fun. I might have to take care of a couple things after school tomorrow first, but... soon as we can go, we can go."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa tries not to gripe about her family issues to Kanae. It's the least she can do after realizing she was orphaned.(This may or may not be a viable long-term plan, but... at least she's trying to be considerate.)
But Kanae explains further, and Kazusa considers her for a moment. "... okay. As friends, then. That... sounds kind of nice, honestly."
It'll be fun. "... Yeah. I could use some more fun in my life." A couple of things. "Same here. I'll text you the details later after I look some things up."
"Looking forward to it, Kanae-chan."