View source for 2026-05-23: Seeking a Slippery Snake in Sumaru

*'''Log: Seeking a Slippery Snake in Sumaru'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Hyousuke Suzuki]], [[Shinobu Shimizu]], [[Jun Kashihara]], [[Julian Marlowe]]
*'''Where:''' Sumaru City
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-05-23
*'''IC Date:''' Fri Nov XX 2012 (Day TBC)
*'''Summary''': ''With the Joker Curse affecting an individual locking themselves within the GOLD Gym, a group of Sumaru citizens show up to see to the situation. What starts as trying to get through a door ends as a chase all over the city, however.''

----

 (|=========== Monad 18: Ulala's Day of Joker: Find the Con Artist! ===========|)
 | Types: Plot, Non-Supernatural, and Non-Repeatable                            |
 | Location: Sumaru City, Various                                               |
 | Difficulty: Very Hard                                                        |
 | Status: Open                                                                 |
 | Description: Something terrible is going down at the GOLD Gym in Sumaru      |
 | City. Ulala Serizawa, a regular there has barricaded herself into a room and |
 | declared it's her time of Joka! Which means, she must have done the Joker    |
 | Curse, right?                                                                |
 |                                                                              |
 | Well, all the clues point to Youichi Makimura, consummate con artist that    |
 | defrauds women out of their life savings, being the one she called the Joker |
 | on. Demanding the one she hates the most to come here, it's up to you to     |
 | find this guy and bring him back in order to get to Ulala before something   |
 | awful happens!                                                               |
 |                                                                              |
 | But is it really going to be as easy as that?                                |
 |                                                                              |
 | OOC Note: This Monad is hard! Really hard! It's also not supernatural. While |
 | the cards may sometimes hint that some challenges going badly may get the    |
 | police involved, it's entirely opt in! There's no need to jail your          |
 | characters or have police reports written on them unless you want to.        |
 | Furthermore, because this is so hard, the 'Withdraw' result will contain     |
 | additional plot details that those who do better may not get. So don't look  |
 | at it as failure. See it instead as having the full Persona protagonist      |
 | hijinks experience.                                                          |
 |                                                                              |
 | TW: Man Scamming Women and Minors, Panty Thievery.                           |
 |------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
 |                  Revelation: 0, Passage: 0, and Withdraw: 0                  |
 (|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
<poem></poem>
 (|=========== Monad - Ulala's Day of Joker: Find the Con Artist! ===========|) 
 -==== Round 1: Time of Joka - Challenge Level 3 =============================- 
 | Approach Options: Academics or Understanding                               | 
 | Conditions: Annoying - Charm Down L2, Hard - Understanding Down L1, and    | 
 | Mindnumbing - Academics Down L2                                            | 
 -==== Challenge =============================================================- 
                                                                                
   There's a crisis going on at the GOLD Gym. One Ulala Serizawa, who           
  frequently makes use of the punching bags at the establishment has locked     
  herself into a room, and barricaded the door.                                 
                                                                                
  "Hurry..." Her voice rasps behind the door. "It's my time of Joka... before   
  I change... before... heehee- I need... I NEED-! HATE YOU- HATE YOU SO        
  MUCH!"                                                                        
                                                                                
  She doesn't answer to anyone who tries to reason with her to let her inside,  
  only demanding again and again, the one she hates the most. The employees     
  are standing around, discussing to themselves in hushed tones.                
                                                                                
  "She must have used the Joker Curse on Makimura-san."                         
                                                                                
  "That scammer? Poor girl- she's definitely the type he targets."              
                                                                                
  Makimura. Even if you haven't met him, not only does it sound familiar. It    
  sounds correct. Yes, Ulala Serizawa must hate him for what he's done.         
                                                                                
  It doesn't take much to get a little more information. 'Youichi Makimura' -   
  a young man who's popular with the ladies, but only dates them to scam them   
  out of their money after a fake marriage proposal.                            
                                                                                
  What's more difficult is trying to get more information out of them.          
                                                                                
  "Uh. We can't really give that out to our customers... even for a guy like    
  him. It's a violation of their privacy, you know?                             
                                                                                
  That's a bit of a problem. Either you can be understanding of their position  
  and try to get ''some'' details out of them, or you can figure out another way  
  to locate the guy.                                                            
                                                                                
  OOC Note: The Party with Maya Amano in it instead gets a similar phone call   
  from Ulala, rather than starting at the gym. They already understand          
  Makimura is a hated figure in her life, and either need to deduce where he    
  is based on their understanding of him, or based on whatever facts they can   
  gather.                                                                       
                                                                                
  Deja Vu Note: Any instance of colored text is an opportunity for a Deja Vu    
  insight, if you feel your character was a part of the Innocent Sin events.    
  This is entirely opt in, and doesn't preclude you from deciding differently   
  later.                                                                        
                                                                                
                                                                                
 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|) 

 <Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
Hyousuke was not particularly familiar with any of the parties involved. Ulala's name was one he vaguely remembered being brought up in conversation (though it may have been someone else entirely), the GOLD gym was too far away from other nearer ones to be a usual haunt for him, and Makimura was a name that he found entirely unfamiliar. However, he was a little more familiar with news concerning what seemed to have been happening to Ulala, and that was enough to have him spring into action at a moment's notice.

While he had chosen not to wear his armour for the encounter, some might have preferred that he donned his mask in that moment, for there was a look of marked consternation on his face when he was told that the member of staff could not simply give that information out willy-nilly. Arms crossed and brows knit into a furrowed look, he sighed a little, and looked down with sharp, green, eyes. Standing at six feet and wearing a thin jacket that did little to obscure his build, he certainly seemed like the sort that frequented the gym, even if the place was entirely new to him.

"Look, I get." Hyousuke said, clearly a little exasperated by the situation. "But we're talking about someone's life being in danger here. I know corporate's not gonna be happy about it, but I think they'll understand if you tell 'em it kept a guy from dying. Do you really want that on your conscience?"
It seemed Tamaki's insistence that he learn to parley with opponents rather than outright threaten or ignore them had paid off. He briefly wondered if she would be proud that her efforts had borne fruit, but his mind refocussed a second later.

MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has acted with Understanding toward Time of Joka! Base!
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>
Youichi Makimura.

Shinobu knows that name already. Even she has to keep an eye out for men like that. She might not be interested in men, but that doesn't mean she's completely safe. Not only that, it's important to be able to warn other women she knows away from them, too.

So when Ulala locks herself up and demands someone be dragged before her... it's easy to guess who it might be that she hates the most. Somehow, there's a part of her that feels as if that's the most natural conclusion, even.

Still, even if she's familiar with the guy's M.O., that's not enough information to track him down. They need to do a little sleuthing, first - and thankfully, she isn't the only one looking into it.

She joins Hyousuke and the others at the gym where staff are, quite reasonably, hesitant to tell them anything.

Shinobu massages the back of her neck. ...She can hardly blame them. This is one of the first things you learn ''not'' to do.

"Sorry. But we wouldn't ask unless it was important. I know it can mean your job... so if there's anything you ''can'' tell us... it's off-the-record, alright? No one's gonna know where we heard it from. You've got my word." Shinobu promises.

MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with Understanding toward Time of Joka! Base!
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>
        Jun doesn't know the name Youichi Makimura, but he ''does'' know the name Ulala Serizawa. He's only met her once or twice, but he knows her as a strong, kind woman who lives with Maya Amano, someone he knows well and respects--maybe more than is reasonable given their level of acquaintance, but Jun has already decided not to examine that.
        
        Therefore, when he hears that Ulala seems to be getting affected by the Joker Curse... There's absolutely no way he can overlook that. He suspected it might happen sooner or later, and for all that his feelings on Sudou are mixed, there's no way he can overlook this. This is... to some extent, his responsibility. Jun accepts that he feels that way.
        
        When he arrives at GOLD Gym, there's already a couple of people talking to the staff there. He quickly gathers that Ulala has locked herself further into the gym and is babbling about someone she hates.
        
        "How tragic... She must have made a call before anyone realized it was real," Jun murmurs, resting a hand on his chin. He approaches Hyousuke and Shinobu, nods to the staff, and folds his arms.
        
        "Hold on. We may not need to ask the staff to compromise anyone' private information. This Makimura-san is known for scamming women, yes?" He'd heard as much from the whispers as he'd entered. "It seems logical that he'd frequent places where women of marriage age might frequent. For example, we might try swinging by someplace Club Zodiac, or Bikini Line, or even Etheria--places where he might go to prey on their dreams."
        
        Club Zodiac being a dance club, Bikini Line being a tanning salon, and Etheria being a beauty spa.

MONAD: Jun Kashihara has acted with Dream Talk toward Time of Joka! Smarts and Efficient!
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
When the troubling situation in Aoba Park arose, Julian Marlowe had changed his usual exercise location from nearer to his home in Tokyo to Sumaru, for the express purpose of keeping an eye on things there. Following its resolution, troubling in its own way, he elected to stick to this schedule for a while longer, partly to make sure that really was the end of it, and partly to keep up appearances. Anyone paying attention to his habits might find it a suspicious coincidence otherwise. Better safe than sorry.

For the same reason, he didn't stick purely to the Aoba envirions, nor to jogging outside. And so it is that he just happened to be using a treadmill at this very gym when the trouble began. Unnoticed thus far, most likely not expected to be in a place like this since he doesn't much give off the vibe of one leading a very active lifestyle, the way he typically carries himself. But when there's a commotion, and a gathering of faces he recognizes, he decides to involve himself in the matter as well.

"<Mister> Suzuki, <Mister> Kashihara. Fancy meeting you here." His students, he of course sees regularly enough to greet them casually. Shinobu, he gives a polite bow - perhaps a bit over the top, as if he were an employee at a butler cafe rather than a patron at a gym. "Shimizu-san. It's been a while." Though not nearly as long as she may think. He's not just that guy who occasionally drops by the Cardboard Dragon, after all... but that's neither here nor there.

That's a different look for Julian than any of them are used to, a simple white t-shirt and dark green shorts, no monocle, and having worked up a literal sweat. Yet his bearing is the same as always, calmly taking stock of the situation before addressing the employees.

"I understand your position. But let me ask you this. How do you plan on resolving the issue at hand? It's not a very good look for your establishment if you allow part of it to remain inaccessible like this. Unless you would rather try to force your way in and deal with the person on the other side yourselves, perhaps we might be of service instead? As a licensed psychologist, I can tell you nothing good comes of avoiding one's problems, we will have to confront them directly."

MONAD: Julian Marlowe has acted with Counsel toward Time of Joka! Focus and Empathy!
</poem>
 (|============================ Monad - Results =============================|) 
 -==== Time of Joka - Round 1 ================================================- 
  Jun Kashihara        Academics                              Success           
  Dream Talk           Smarts and Efficient           Fatigue: 0                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Julian Marlowe       Understanding                          Success           
  Counsel              Focus and Empathy              Fatigue: 0                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Shinobu Shimizu      Understanding                          Failure           
  Understanding        Base                           Fatigue: 1                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Hyousuke Suzuki      Understanding                          Failure           
  Understanding        Base                           Fatigue: 1                 
 -============================ Party Conditions: =============================- 
  Starting Conditions: Annoying-2, Hard-2, and Mindnumbing-2                    
  Final Conditions: Annoying-1, Hard-1, and Mindnumbing-1                       
 -====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- 
 -==== Reach: 1''6 |=    |  ===================================================- 
 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|) 

 <Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
"Shimizu-san." Hyousuke said, then nodded to Shinobu in place of any proper greeting. Though a little regretful that he could not offering anything more polite to a friend and - in essence - a coworker, there was scarcely any time for it. That aside, he had to keep the pressure up on the man they were talking to, and stopping to offer a friendly greeting might have killed any momentum they had before they'd made it through the door. "And Kasihara-san too." He added, Jun received a similar treatment. Though he was visibly pleased - if a little surprised to see them, he couldn't offering anything verbal for fear of giving the man a reprieve.

What *did* manage to break his stride - if only a little - was the presence of a teacher. He blinked while his head canted to the side a little, seemingly a bit confused as to what Julian was doing *here* of all places. However, when he saw his teacher's attire and the thin film of sweat, Hyousuke supposed that there wasn't really much question about what he was doing there after all. Even so, Hyousuke had not seen Julian looking like that before, and the novelty alone was enough to give him pause.
"Marlowe-sensei? You're here too?" He said, before refocussing on the man before them.

By that point in time, he himself seemed to be a little exasperated with the situation, and shook his head at both Hyousuke and Shinobu. He looked between them, doing his best to remain polite in the face of some rather insistent (and varied) individuals, but he was only human, and a sharp enough eye would have been able to tell he was waiting to see if he needed to call someone to help deal with things.
"I'm sorry, but I already told you, I really can't give out that kind of information to just anyone." His tone remained as polite as his look, but there was insistence towards the end of his response. "If you think he's in danger, you could try calling the cops instead?"

When confronted by Julian, his demeanour began to waver a little. It was one thing to deny two random citizens wandering up and asking for intel, but Julian was well-spoken, persuasive, and coming from a position of authority and expertise. The gears began to turn in his head as he wondered about making a decision, before finally letting out a small breath, and nodding.
"Alright, I get it, I get it. If you really want to know where he is, I heard he was trying to pick up some women near... Ah, where'd they say it was..."

He managed to catch what Jun said about other locations, however, and nodded perhaps a little too fervently for someone in his position.
"Yeah, there. I think I heard some customers saying a guy like that was hanging around those places. Maybe you could try asking around there?" He said, at once confirming that there was a chance Jun's theory could prove correct, and urging the group to be somebody else's problem for a change. Those at the other establishments might not have appreciated it, but at the very least, they'd be out of *his* hair.

MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has drawn a new Challenge!
</poem>
 (|=========== Monad - Ulala's Day of Joker: Find the Con Artist! ===========|) 
 -==== Round 2: Hey Baby, my Spirit Animals are African Big Cats Because I'm 'Lion' to You Right Now. - Challenge Level 3 - 
 | Approach Options: Guts or Charm                                            | 
 | Conditions: Annoying - Charm Down L2, Bothersome - Charm Down L1, Box -    | 
 | Add 1 Item''Money''Gear., Hard - Understanding Down L1, Mindnumbing -        | 
 | Academics Down L2, Mindnumbing - Academics Down L2, and Scary - Guts Down  | 
 | L1                                                                         | 
 -==== Challenge =============================================================- 
                                                                                
   It might take a long time, or not very long at all, but you're led to the    
  Parabellum, the Bar''Weapon's shop where there's a man and woman at the bar.   
                                                                                
  That's him. Somehow you know immediately.                                     
                                                                                
  Portrait of a Terrible Man:                                                   
  https:''''static.wikia.nocookie.net''megamitensei''images''a''a6''Persona_2_IS_Maki  
  mura.png''revision''latest?cb=20140514131225                                    
                                                                                
  The man has frosted hair and a winning smile that lets him skate through      
  life on easy street, as he chats with the lady that looks only a few years    
  shy of forty.                                                                 
                                                                                
  "About the thing I asked about earlier... Were you able to collect enough?"   
                                                                                
  The Office Lady he's with downs a drink, as if to give her courage, before    
  turning to give him a hopeful look, "Yeah, I managed the three million you    
  asked for... I can count on you right?"                                       
                                                                                
  He rotates his drink in a slow circle, "Of course... with that I can keep my  
  research going. I'm guaranteed to become the Vice-President of the Academy    
  when it succeeds. And just think, you'll be the wife of the Vice-President."  
                                                                                
  She looks like she's still hesitating, at least until he adds, "I love you    
  so much..." And her expression melts, "I love you too... Maki-chan. I can't   
  wait to be your bride."                                                       
                                                                                
  He's trying to scam his next victim! You can't let this stand right? You      
  have to interrupt this, but you also have to figure out a way to keep him     
  from getting so upset he doesn't cooperate- or worse yet, runs off.           
                                                                                
  Maybe the best way is to convince him that Ulala is going to kill him, and    
  you're here to help? But- it may be a tough sell.                             
                                                                                
  How do you get him back to the GOLD Gym?                                      
                                                                                
  Luckily, fate is on your side, because Youichi Makimura is a consummate       
  coward, and knows just how scary Ulala can be when she's pissed.              
                                                                                
                                                                                
 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|) 

 <Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>
Shinobu nods back to Hyousuke by way of greeting. She gets it - time is of the essence here. She doesn't need more than a nod of acknowledgment, anyway. Shinobu looks toward Jun as he approaches with advice. Club Zodiac, Bikini Line, or Etheria... She consider those places for a moment.

"...Yeah, good idea. They sound like the kinda places he'd haunt." She replies with a nod. She looks toward Julian, as he approaches, offering him a nod of greeting, too. "You're... Marlowe, right? Yeah, sure has. Good seein' you."

Indeed - she still has no idea how recent it truly has been...

She turns her attention back to the staffmember they've been questioning. She frowns a little at his first answer. The cops...

...Yeah, she'd really rather not involve the cops. She has a good idea of how they'd handle this situation, and she'd rather they stay as far away from it as possible.

What the staffmember says next, though, is more fruitful.

"Thanks. We'll get outta your hair for now." Shinobu says, turning to lead.

Following Jun's suggestion, they head to Club Zodiac to no avail, and then to Bikini Line - and it's they're that they hit pay dirt. A chatty customer tells them that someone just left to meet a guy of Makimura's description at Parabellum just a little while ago... more than enough time to catch up.

They arrive at the Bar''Weapon Shop, and sure enough...

"...''There's'' the asshole." Shinobu mutters under her breath, glancing back at the others before looking toward the before. Youichi Makimura is here - and in the middle of trying to con another woman out of her savings.

Shinobu seethes, flexing her fingers. There's a part of her that wants to go up to him and throttle him right now, but she holds herself back.

"...Makes me sick. Let's get in there." Shinobu says.

She walks up, rolling her neck.

"'Bride'? That's news to me. What happened to Serizawa-san?" Shinobu asks, walking up behind the both of them before fixing a stare onto Makimura. "...She's looking for you, by the way. And she is ''pissed''. Is this really where you oughta be right now?"

...She's not great at handling these things delicately - but she'll trust that the others can play off of it in a way that works out.

MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with Former Delinquent toward Hey Baby, my Spirit Animals are African Big Cats Because I'm 'Lion' to You Right Now.! Efficient and Bravery!
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>
        "Sensei!" Jun utters, blinking wide-eyed at Julian. It's... so ''strange'' to see him in such casual clothes. Obviously he knows intellectually that Marlowe-sensei has a life outside of being a teacher, and that life could and clearly does include jogging for exercise, but he just... never pictured it until now.
        
        Despite the casual, sweaty look, he still looks as regal as always. Jun must admit, he's impressed. He admires his father the most, but seeing Marlowe-sensei like this raises him several ranks in Jun's esteem. He hopes he can be that casually dignified once he's an adult.
        
        "Yes, likewise," he concludes before the matter with staff is settled. He's a little dubious that the locations he suggested will ''actually'' have Makimura at them--the worker (manager?) seems a little too eager to get rid of them all--but he nods all the same. "Thank you for your time."
        
        He looks around at the others. "It seems like we're all here for the same thing. Shall we, Marlowe-sensei, Suzuki-kun, Shimizu-san?" (Of course an erudite youth from Hirasaka like Jun has been to Cardboard Dragon a time or ten.)
        
        It takes a couple of stops, but Jun's suggestion does bear fruit, and eventually, the group makes it to the bar Parabellum. Sitting there before the bartender is Makimura and his next mark. Jun sneers in contemptuous outrage as he overhears the conversation. Shinobu clearly feels the same, but she holds herself back with aplomb, and Jun has never been one for unnecessary violence. He nods to her and follows.
        
        "She's practically gone mad with rage, you know," Jun says icily, standing to one side of Shinobu. He shoots a sympathetic look to the woman next to him. "I'm only grateful we got here in time to stop ''you'' from becoming a second Serizawa-san. You should be aware this man is a known con artist--and you aren't the first he's taken in with honeyed promises."
        
        He raises a hand to mask the curl of disgust on his lips as he side-eyes Makimura. "How like a Gemini."

MONAD: Jun Kashihara has acted with Astrology toward Hey Baby, my Spirit Animals are African Big Cats Because I'm 'Lion' to You Right Now.! Amrita!
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Julian doesn't hide his amusement at the looks he's getting from his students. "Surprised? I happen to be a big believer in 'a healthy mind in a healthy body'." And his body certainly looks the part. It doesn't really show much when he wears a suit, but like this, it's pretty clear that he devotes effort to staying in good physical shape. To Shinobu, he gives an affirming nod. "Likewise."

He doesn't much show it on his face, but he too doesn't have a very high opinion of the police, and would much rather see them stay out of the matter. Thankfully, some cooperation is secured from the staff members, which combined with Jun's quick thinking gives them something to go on. No need to press his luck beyond that. "Thank you kindly, we'll handle things from here."

So promising, Julian first of all excuses himself for a moment so he can change, returning to the group with the far more familiar look of a crisp suit, and that normally ever-present monocle back in place. It's not ideal to change without taking a shower, but he's not about to hold up the group on his account any longer than strictly necessary. Especially when there's no telling if and when things might escalate back at the gym.

When the trail is followed back to the bar, a frown is the only thing that gives away Julian's distaste for the man, remaining otherwise calm and collected. Rather than directly confrontating of Makimura, he looks to Jun's approach as the one he sees more fit to follow up on.

"I'm afraid he's right, madam," he backs up Jun's words. "I don't believe there is an easy way to say this... but this is a case of 'if it sounds too good to be true, it often is'. I'm very sorry, but we have this on very good authority. Let me assure you, we will see to it that he gets the punishment that he rightly deserves for deceiving you, as he has many others, in this exact manner. However..."

With that, he calmly steps to the side. "Far be it from me to discourage you from impressing upon him the displeasure you must feel at this moment."

He knows what he's doing. This too is a form of therapy. Whether it results in an increase in willingness to accompany them, or being rendered less capable of resisting force... either way would be a win, wouldn't it?

MONAD: Julian Marlowe has acted with Inspire toward Hey Baby, my Spirit Animals are African Big Cats Because I'm 'Lion' to You Right Now.! Focus and Patra!
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
Hyousuke shrugged a little at Julian's explanation. He didn't seem too surprised by it, aside from the tilting of his head, but the thought lingered on his mind for a little while after.
"I'm just wondering what you're doing at this gym. Ain't there others nearer to Kasu?" He asked, already thinking of one or two. A beat passed, and then he shrugged. "Eh, I guess if you're not living in the area it'd make sense. I hear GOLD Gym does some good membership deals too." An easy out for Julian, if he so chose to take it.

Unlike some, Hyousuke was not attuned to the other side in any way. He did not hear the voices, nor was he afflicted with any unsettling feelings related to it. However, he knew skeevy individuals when he saw them, and the impression he got from the man at the far end of the establishment was unfavourable, to say the least. Makimura did not even have to open his mouth to draw a reaction from Hyousuke. The air he gave off alone forced Hyousuke to try and suppress a frown, his stomach turning in ways that supernatural forces could only dream of.

When the man did deign to finally open his mouth, Hyousuke about felt his stomach leap out of his mouth. The man was scum. There was no simpler way of putting it. The man was a lowlife, slimy, predatory little creature, and it took every mote of restraint he had to not simply walk up and commit some rather unsavoury acts upon him. Bile rose in his throat as he suppressed the urge to lay into him with words instead, his hateful comments all but clawing at his throat in a desperate attempt to make themselves heard.

All his efforts managed to keep the worst of his impulses from reaching the fore, but Hyousuke could not stop himself from being very visibly annoyed with Makimura. Nor could he keep acid from creeping into his every word, dripping from his speech so obviously that it threatened to sear the very bar the man sat at. Following closely behind Shinobu, he eventually came to stand quite deliberately between Makimura and his target, a forced smile carved into his features.
"She's right. We've been looking all over for you to try and get you back to her. Are you really the kind of guy that'd just leave her hanging like that?"

With that said, he turned his gaze towards the woman opposite, looking remarkably more friendly in a remarkably quick change of pace.
"Hey, do you mind if I borrow him? We won't be long, but she said it was too important to wait." Hyousuke emphasised the 'she,' hoping that it would help to reinforce that she had been lied to. Much as he wanted to directly call out the man's lies there and then, they needed his cooperation, rather than his ire. Subtlety (or, rather, whatever passed for subtlety when it came to the human incarnation of a sledgehammer) was the order of the day.

Even if Hyousuke wanted to grab him by the hair and drag him to the gym that way.

MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has acted with Bravado toward Hey Baby, my Spirit Animals are African Big Cats Because I'm 'Lion' to You Right Now.! Bravery and Focus!
</poem>
 (|============================ Monad - Results =============================|) 
 -==== Hey Baby, my Spirit Animals are African Big Cats Because I'm 'Lion' to You Right Now. - Round 2 - 
  Jun Kashihara        Charm                                  Failure           
  Astrology            Amrita                         Fatigue: 1                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Julian Marlowe       Charm                                  Success           
  Inspire              Focus and Patra                Fatigue: 0                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Shinobu Shimizu      Guts                                   Failure           
  Former Delinquent    Efficient and Bravery          Fatigue: 2                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Hyousuke Suzuki      Guts                                   Success           
  Bravado              Bravery and Focus              Fatigue: 1                 
 -============================ Party Conditions: =============================- 
  Starting Conditions: Annoying-1, Bothersome-2, Box-0, Hard-1, Mindnumbing-1,  
  Mindnumbing-2, and Scary-2                                                    
  Final Conditions: Mindnumbing-1 and Scary-1                                   
 -================================================= Party Result: Failure ====- 
 -==== Reach: 1''6 |=    |  ===================================================- 
 -==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================- 
  Items: 1, Money: 0, Gear: 1                                                   
 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|) 

 <Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>
"Looks like it." Shinobu agrees with a nod toward Jun. "It'll be easier with a group."

Once Julian is changed, they're off.

Once at Parabellum, Shinobu glances toward Jun. ...It seems like he feels the same way she does - and so do the rest of them. They approach - and as they speak, the office lady's expression shifts. Makimura's does, too - he can't hide the flash of recognition as they bring up Ulala... and especially

"Maki-chan... Who are these people? Who's... Serizawa?" She asks, uncertainly. He seems to realise he's been caught.

"She's nobody! I mean, uh... just a crazy ex. You know the type. Come on, trust me... babe." One has to wonder if he actually knows her name.

"If you don't believe them, take it from me. This asshole's been at it for a while... sorry." Shinobu says. She pulls out a pen and a paper, scribbling out a phone number. "If you need help getting anything back, or just need another opinion, call this number, alright?"

She passes over the paper.

Makimura, though, looks between the four of them. ...It seems that he doesn't want to take his chances with them ''or'' Ulala, because he immediately starts trying to edge out of the bar.

They might have to chase him down before they can continue - but it might take more energy and draw more attention than they might've liked.

MONAD: Jun Kashihara has drawn a new Challenge!
</poem>
 (|=========== Monad - Ulala's Day of Joker: Find the Con Artist! ===========|) 
 -==== Round 3: You Can't Order Me not to Use the Bathroom! - Challenge Level 4 - 
 | Approach Options: Academics or Proficiency                                 | 
 | Conditions: Ineptitude - Proficiency Down L2, Mindnumbing - Academics Down | 
 | L2, Reaper - Add 1 Fatigue., Scary - Guts Down L1, and Stupor - Academics  | 
 | Down L1                                                                    | 
 -==== Challenge =============================================================- 
                                                                                
   One way or another, Makimura is in your protective custody. And he's         
  quickly getting on everyone's nerves by trying to chat up the guys to         
  convince them he's the real victim here, whereas he's trying to outright      
  flirt with the girls despite the situation he's in.                           
                                                                                
  When you try to take him outside though.                                      
                                                                                
  "Ah man- nature calls! I'm not going to run away, promise. Just hold on for   
  a minute then I'll come with you."                                            
                                                                                
  Escorting him to the only tiny restroom at the bar, you wait. And wait. And   
  wait. Until finally someone checks and-                                       
                                                                                
  Yep, that window to the alley sure is open. So much for his promises.         
                                                                                
  Quick! You've gotta figure out where he went! A puddle in the back alley      
  gives you the advantage of a few tracks to figure out what direction he       
  went, or you can ask some intelligent questions of passersby about this very  
  distinct looking man.                                                         
                                                                                
                                                                                
 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|) 

 <Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>
        At least they successfully get Makimura away from his "babe." Jun ''does'' wonder if he even remembers her name.
        
        The four of them escort him out, practically on a march, and are just outside when Makimura squirms. "Oh man I gotta pee so bad," he blurts out, with all the grace and class that is expected of a man like him. "You're seriously not gonna stop me from taking a leak, right? The bathroom's right inside--where'm I gonna go with all four of you right here at the door?"
        
        Jun frowns, but then glances at the others. "It ''would'' be cruel and unusual to keep him from using the facilities," he admits. "Sensei, would you mind escorting him to the bathroom?"
        
        Once the two of them are gone, he sighs as he, Shinobu, and Hyousuke hang out just outside Parabellum's entrance. "What a despicable man," he murmurs, fingers on his forehead. He looks over at Hyousuke, thinking about how he told Makimura they were there to bring him to her. That's technically correct, but...
        
        "Still, if Serizawa-san really did call the Joker Killer on him, we can't just stand by and allow him to be murdered," he remarks. "Who knows what's about to happen next? Keeping him around is the safest thing for him, ironically enough."
        
        He looks at Shinobu next. "You seem personally acquainted with him... Should we ask, Shimizu-san?"
        
        As the three of them chat, it becomes apparent that something's wrong. It's taking too long. It's just as they acknowledge this that Julian reappears--with no Makimura in tow.
        
        This is a bad sign--clearly about to become a nightmare.

MONAD: Jun Kashihara has acted with Dream Talk toward You Can't Order Me not to Use the Bathroom!! Smarts and Efficient!
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
With an easy smile and a shrug, Julian has his own answer as to why he's selected this more out of the way place for his exercise. "Simply broadening my horizons a little, <Mister> Suzuki. While I appreciate some measure of routine, where it comes to exercise I tend to vary locales regularly. Repetitiveness dulls the mind, which rather defeats my purposes." It's also a convenient excuse for when he might be seen exercising somewhere entirely different again later.

At Parabellum, things go a little less smoothly than anyone might have hoped. Even when they appear to finally be getting a move on... Ah, there it is, the old 'I have to go to the bathroom' trick. Nothing in his expression gives away his suspicions as he readily agrees to Jun's suggestion, "Certainly."

Makes good enough sense that it'd be him, as the adult male here. ...And the only one who, as far as anyone else knows, isn't directly involved with all the supernatural happenings. He won't do anything to damage that perception. In fact, to that end...

Julian wastes few words on Makimura, simply urging him to hurry, then taking up position outside the restroom, waiting patiently. Too patiently, on purpose. He highly suspects what's going to happen here, but purposely doesn't act upon it. Circumstances or no, should things go as he surmises, he'll choose to make it appear as if caught flat-footed by such a development. Sensei simply has too much faith in his fellow man sometimes, clearly he's not used to being in situations like this.

He is also a good actor, when he comes rushing out in apparent panic. "Makimura-san, he's gone! Somehow he got through that tiny window to the back alley - it's my fault, I should have checked on him sooner!"

He won't take the lead in that venture, though he will speak to anyone they encounter on the way to ask if they saw anyone matching Makimura's description running by, a little more frantically than is normal for him. Keeping up appearances can be tiresome... but it's something he's well-practiced at.

MONAD: Julian Marlowe has acted with Academics toward You Can't Order Me not to Use the Bathroom!! Base!
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
Hyousuke was, of course, not convinced for a second that Makimura was in any way the victim. He knew little of the man, but Parabellum had already convinced him of the man's abject guilt. The repeated - and, if he was to be honest, somewhat pathetic - attempts at winning over the group only served to cement it in Hyousuke's mind. Every falsehood Makimura spewed, every conniving argument made... The more Hyousuke suffered them, the more he wondered just how that man had managed to worm his way into the hearts of so many women.

He'd even considered paying the man some chump change just to get him to shut up for a moment.

While he was of a mind to tell Makimura that he didn't care in the slightest, Jun opted for the more sensible - and more humane - option of allowing him to relieve himself, albeit with a minder. Hyousuke seemed a little hesitant about the decision, giving Julian an apprehensive look before the two departed into the bathroom, but said nothing until Jun addressed him directly.
"Sorry, it just slipped out. I'm still getting the hang of negotiating stuff. It's hard enough with the usuals, never mind guys like *him.*" 'The usuals' being demons, of course. Shadows weren't known for being willing to engage in deals.

"Still... Wouldn't put it past him to try something with Marlowe-sensei now they're alone. I don't think sensei's in danger or anything, but he's probably getting even more annoying now that we're not with him." A woman and two kids - he'd seen enough unsavoury individuals to get an idea of what Makimura probably thought of them. Just the thought of it made Hyousuke even more annoyed. So much so, in fact, that it took him a little while to notice that Makimura had been gone for far longer than he realistically should have been. Distracted, he looked to Shinobu with a curious expression. "It's fine if you don't want to say." He added, seeking to both echo and emphasise Jun's sentiment.

Hyousuke was a little less distracted when Julian came barrelling out, his panic a far cry from the usual composure Hyousuke was used to seeing. While he certainly noted the incongruous nature of it all, and stood transfixed for a second or two at such a development, he quickly snapped back to what was important.
"I'm going after him!" He called out, and with remarkable agility for what he was certain Julian only knew as a normal student, Hyousuke bolted towards the back alley that Julian had indicated. 

He was like a hound, head inclining this way and that to search for clues, before his eyes happened to latch onto a trail leading away.
"Over here! He went this way" Hyousuke shouted, leaning forward and tensing like a hunting hound ready to strike.

MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has acted with Warmup toward You Can't Order Me not to Use the Bathroom!! Diligence and Focus!
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>
Shinobu grimaces.

"Oh, ''come on'', seriously?" She says. She doesn't buy it in the least... but, Jun's right. She massages the back of her neck and relents, finding something to lean on as Julian escorts Makimura back inside.

"No kidding." She replies to Jun with a shake of her head. She frowns. They can't stand by and allow him to be murdered...

...There's a part of her that wonders if that'd really be so bad, but... Ulala's the one who'd have to ''live'' with the results.

...No, she can't let that be something on her conscience.

"Guess so... lucky us." Shinobu replies with a shrug. She looks toward Hyousuke, then. "...Yeah, I give it even odds. He seems like the type. ...Though if it comes to a fight, my money'd be on Marlowe. I don't think Makimura's that stupid, though."

She then looks toward Jun as he makes a comment. Hyousuke says it's fine, too. She massages the back of her neck. What kind of impression has she been giving these kids...?

"...Nah, it's fine." Shinobu replies with a shake of her head. "I don't know ''him'' except by reputation - this is the first time we've met... But I frequent certain places, so I've met a lot of people who've been preyed on by him, and people like him. It just... feels personal, y'know? Seeing it happen again."

She frowns for a moment, as she thinks back to that other feeling she had and wondering if she should bring it up, before admitting...

"...And there's a part of me that feels, 'oh, that checks out', like it's natural that he'd be here and involved in this kinda thing." She adds with a shrug.

As she's talking, Julian returns - and it looks like Makimura's escaped.

"Shit." She hisses, and shakes her head as he says it's his fault. "...It's fine, Marlowe, don't beat yourself up. We'll just have to go drag him back. I'll go scout out to see where he's gone."

While the others ask around, she goes to check out the alley.

...It's probably normal that she knows how to track people by their footprints, right?? After all, it seems like Hyousuke does, too... maybe between the two of them they'll be able to get a lead.

MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with Esoteric Skillset toward You Can't Order Me not to Use the Bathroom!! Patra and Focus!
</poem>
 (|============================ Monad - Results =============================|) 
 -==== You Can't Order Me not to Use the Bathroom! - Round 3 =================- 
  Jun Kashihara        Academics                              Failure           
  Dream Talk           Smarts and Efficient           Fatigue: 3                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Julian Marlowe       Academics                              Failure           
  Academics            Base                           Fatigue: 2                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Shinobu Shimizu      Proficiency                            Failure           
  Esoteric Skillset    Patra and Focus                Fatigue: 4                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Hyousuke Suzuki      Proficiency                            Success           
  Warmup               Diligence and Focus            Fatigue: 2                 
 -============================ Party Conditions: =============================- 
  Starting Conditions: Ineptitude-2, Mindnumbing-1, Reaper-0, Scary-1, and      
  Stupor-2                                                                      
  Final Conditions: Ineptitude-1                                                
 -================================================= Party Result: Failure ====- 
 -==== Reach: 1''6 |=    |  ===================================================- 
 -==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================- 
  Items: 1, Money: 0, Gear: 1                                                   
 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|) 

 <Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>
        "No need to worry," Jun reassures Hyousuke. "Honestly, I'd prefer to deal with the 'usuals.' At least they have a valid reason for their behavior." He frowns slightly at Shinobu, then nods. "I see... I understand how you must feel. It's like meeting a notorious villain in person for the first time."
        
        Hyousuke then raises the concern about it just being Marlowe and Makimura in there, but... Shinobu has faith in Marlowe, and Jun nods in agreement.
        
        Not because he thinks he'd win in a fight, though. Jun had asked Julian to escort Makimura partly because, yes, he's the one adult male in the group, but also because he'd thought he'd be too clever for Makimura to get the slip on him.
        
        It's thus an unpleasant surprise to find that Jun had (seemingly) judged incorrectly.
        
        "He can't have gone far--if it was only a small window, it must have taken him some time to wriggle through. We can still catch up to him!"
        
        Sure enough, Shinobu finds Makimura's tracks, and Hyousuke follows those tracks like a shot, with greater speed and strength than one might expect from a normal person. Indeed, Jun doesn't tire nearly as quickly as he might normally have back in the old days as they all follow them, occasionally stopping to let Julian question people nearby to make sure they're on the right track.
        
        It takes a long while, both frustrating and exhausting, but in the end...

MONAD: Julian Marlowe has drawn a new Challenge!
</poem>
 (|=========== Monad - Ulala's Day of Joker: Find the Con Artist! ===========|) 
 -==== Round 4: Calling the Cars Sardine Cans is Really Understating It - Challenge Level 3 - 
 | Approach Options: Proficiency or Guts                                      | 
 | Conditions: Ineptitude - Proficiency Down L2, Ineptitude - Proficiency     | 
 | Down L2, Reaper - Add 1 Fatigue., and Terrifying - Guts Down L2            | 
 -==== Challenge =============================================================- 
                                                                                
   The trail Makimura leaves in his hasty escape leads you outside Sumaru       
  proper: you find a trail leading you straight towards Tokyo!                  
                                                                                
  Then you spot him as you ride the crowded metropolitan subway: there he is,   
  just further down the car! Before you can get closer to him, though, he       
  spots you... just as the train pulls into the station. Pushing and shoving,   
  he bolts out for the station and starts for the stairs. There are now a lot   
  of people between you and Makimura, and they're already not in the best of    
  moods. You really don't have the time to talk to them.                        
                                                                                
  Do you try to dodge and weave your way through the crowd, or push your way    
  through? If you don't handle this with enough finesse, you might be in a lot  
  of trouble by the time you pull into the next station.                        
                                                                                
                                                                                
 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|) 

 <Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Julian might be expected to find skill in tracking unusual, but he also appears to be paying a lot less attention to usual, fully focused on finding people to ask if they saw a sleazeball run by here. Small wonder he doesn't take notice as much of what's going on around him, isn't it?

In truth, Julian is very much aware of the circumstances, even if it's the others doing most of the actual work. He doesn't just have faith in them being able to handle this, he knows for a fact they are capable of far more than he's expected to know about. It's frustrating having to act otherwise, but truth be told, he wouldn't be surprised if Makimura had managed to give them the slip one way or another. Perhaps making it easy for him will lead to overconfidence.

So he had hoped, but the pursuit trail is going far further than he bargained for, pointing towards a subway station platform of which he knows, "...This one's going to Tokyo." Just how far is this guy going to make them go?

He's not about to call things off here, though. Naturally, having messed up just now, he would be keen to redeem himself. More genuinely so, with how much time and effort this has cost them. He watches like a hawk for any possible sign of the man, which comes easier than most for him - his six feet gives him a helpful vantage point from which to scan the crowd of a packed train. Luck has not completely abandoned him, as he finds himself locking eyes with, "Makimura!"

Unfortunately, this happens right as the door opens, and the man immediately bolts out, not caring who he has to shove aside. After all that, Julian is of a mind to follow suit.

"Stop that man!" he yells, barreling through the crowd as well. Not really becoming of him, but it's probably understandable enough that he'd try to make up for his blunder personally.

MONAD: Julian Marlowe has acted with Swagger toward Calling the Cars Sardine Cans is Really Understating It! Bravery and Efficient!
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
Hyousuke pulled a face when Jun mentioned that Makimura wouldn't be that stupid. The thought that Makimura was that stupid played on his mind, though was quickly countered by the thought that he wouldn't have the stones to try it. He then nodded in quiet agreement at Jun's assessment of demons, but before he could elaborate on his own, Shinobu explained her relation - or lack thereof - to Makimura. Hyousuke nodded silently, listening and attentive while she explained, before letting out a low and tired grunt of agreement.
"Maybe after all this we can do something about *him.* I don't think the cops'd care unless it was one of them that got scammed, but hell, maybe we can scare that guy into stopping."

Though he made an attempt to hide it, Hyousuke relished the thought of making Makimura suffer a little for his actions. That attempt to hide it was discarded when he realised that the man had bolted, though given that his face was contorted by irritation, anger, and effort at the same time, that look was all but drowned out by the time that he had started following the path proper. It was gone entirely by the time they reached the station, though not out of any sense of calming down.

Again, he took up the countenance of a hound. Head raised and eyes scanning, he stopped a hair short of sniffing the air to try and track his prey down. His gaze darted across the crowd, picking out and dismissing features, narrowing down the area until finally, he saw the man. He was close - close enough that Hyousuke would have been confident about closing the distance, were it not for the throng of bodies between him and Makimura. He cursed under his breath and through clenched teeth, fists tightening before he followed Julian's lead.

"Outta the way!" Hyousuke shouted, slipping through where he could, while barging in where he couldn't. While it was perhaps not the politest thing to do in that situation, desperate times called for desperate measures.

MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has acted with Bravado toward Calling the Cars Sardine Cans is Really Understating It! Bravery and Focus!
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>
"Something like that, yeah. And in action, too." Shinobu confirms with a nod toward Jun. "Just... pisses me off."

She shakes her head as Hyousuke comments on how the police would take it.

"You got that right." She agrees. Scaring him into stopping, though... She's certainly ''thinking'' about it, though she's at a loss for what they can actually do. Shinobu supposes that Makimura wouldn't have gotten away with things like this for so long if he wasn't good at wriggling his way out of trouble, literally and metaphorically. It's easy to underestimate him, but actually doing something about him...

...Well, next time they catch up to him, she'll have to hold on tight.

Between them all they find a trail, and it leads them... to Tokyo?? Just how far is he planning to run?

"I can't see over all these people..." Shinobu grumbles, grimacing - but, thankfully, Julian has them covered there. He catches sight of him and calls him out.

Hyousuke barges through the crowd and Shinobu follows in his wake. He'll make a good wedge to part the sea of people - and Shinobu will send a glare toward any who try to get too close. Her stance is aggressive - that might help drive away people who really don't want to get involved.

MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with Former Delinquent toward Calling the Cars Sardine Cans is Really Understating It! Efficient and Bravery!
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>
        Jun gives Shinobu another sympathetic look. Any reasonable person would be pissed off, he's sure.
        
        "I'm sure Sergeant Suou would be very pleased to make his acquaintance, at least," Jun remarks to Hyousuke, though it's as much for Shinobu and Marlowe's benefits. It didn't go well with Sudou, but that wasn't Katsuya's fault. Jun still has faith that the one good cop in Sumaru can make a difference.
        
        All the way to Tokyo... When, at the end of the trail, he sees the destination of the train Makimura just scampered onto, Jun can all but feel his soul wither away. Still, complaining about it won't do anyone any good. He keeps a stiff upper lip.
        
        The four of them board the train; Julian's attempt to get Makimura's attention only scares him off. Julian and Hyousuke both take up the chase. Both of them are large, so it's not difficult for Jun to follow in their wake before the crowd fills in the spots they leave in their wake--even if Hyousuke ''does'' try to slip in between people while he can.
        
        "Excuse us--pardon us--excuse us," Jun says repeatedly to the other passengers as they pass by, though he doesn't have the time to do more than that. At least, once he's off the train, he'll turn and bow in apology to the passengers. The ones who can see him through the windows, anyway.
        
        The purpose? Keeping anyone from complaining to the police or station guards and making ''them'' the bad guys here. It takes a certain nerve to take that tactic in the wake of two big men and a scary glaring women.

MONAD: Jun Kashihara has acted with Guts toward Calling the Cars Sardine Cans is Really Understating It! Base!
</poem>
 (|============================ Monad - Results =============================|) 
 -==== Calling the Cars Sardine Cans is Really Understating It - Round 4 =====- 
  Jun Kashihara        Guts                                   Failure           
  Guts                 Base                           Fatigue: 5                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Julian Marlowe       Guts                                   Failure           
  Swagger              Bravery and Efficient          Fatigue: 4                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Shinobu Shimizu      Guts                                   Failure           
  Former Delinquent    Efficient and Bravery          Fatigue: 6                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Hyousuke Suzuki      Guts                                   Success           
  Bravado              Bravery and Focus              Fatigue: 3                 
 -============================ Party Conditions: =============================- 
  Starting Conditions: Ineptitude-1, Ineptitude-2, Reaper-0, and Terrifying-2   
  Final Conditions: Ineptitude-1 and Terrifying-1                               
 -================================================= Party Result: Failure ====- 
 -==== Reach: 1''6 |=    |  ===================================================- 
 -==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================- 
  Items: 1, Money: 0, Gear: 1                                                   
 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|) 

 <Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Under these circumstances, it's pretty much impossible not to cause a ruckus. There are simply too many people to go about this delicately when the one trying to escape absolutely isn't doing that. Rude shoves and dirty glares do work to get the sea of people to part - hard to say whether the apologies afterwards are enough to truly satisfy the many inconvenienced people.

Try as he might, Julian is unable to get himself to go quite as hard on it as he perhaps should have, ending up following behind Hyousuke who is making the quicker progress. But are they gaining enough ground on Makimura to stop him from putting another painful twist on this chase?

"This is... absurd," Julian succinctly summarizes the situation, as the crowd finally begins to thin out.

MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has drawn a new Challenge!
</poem>
 (|=========== Monad - Ulala's Day of Joker: Find the Con Artist! ===========|) 
 -==== Round 5: Panty Raids!? In MY Gym? - Challenge Level 4 =================- 
 | Approach Options: Guts or Understanding                                    | 
 | Conditions: Boss - Add 1 Fatigue on failure., Chest - Add 2                | 
 | Item''Money''Gear., Ineptitude - Proficiency Down L2, Scary - Guts Down L1,  | 
 | Stony - Understanding Down L2, and Terrifying - Guts Down L2               | 
 -==== Challenge =============================================================- 
                                                                                
   You finally got this fraudster back to the GOLD Gym. But there's one         
  problem. No matter what you say to Ulala behind the door, all you hear is     
  laughing! This is getting really bad.                                         
                                                                                
  The employees mention that there's a key to the room, but they don't have     
  it. They think one of the female employees had it last, but she's not on      
  today.                                                                        
                                                                                
  To the woman's locker room you go! There's only one problem.                  
  There's currently a panty thief digging through her locker, holding up a      
  pair of her unmentionables in absentia.                                       
                                                                                
  As he sees himself caught, he has a deer in the headlights look in his eyes,  
  before sputtering out. "H-Hey it's not what it looks like."                   
                                                                                
  It's exactly what it looks like. The key might still be in the locker, but    
  do you really want to take the chance that a guy who breaks into private      
  places wouldn't take the opportunity to grab a key?                           
                                                                                
  He's trying to make a break for it. You can already see that in his eyes.     
  And if he gets out of the Locker Room or manages to call for help, he can     
  spin it any way he wants!!                                                    
                                                                                
  You can either deal with this by force, or you can let it slide, in exchange  
  for the peaceful handover of the key.                                         
                                                                                
                                                                                
 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|) 

 <Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
"Then maybe one of us should go talk with him about this. If he's any good, I guess it wouldn't hurt." Hyousuke pondered idly. He didn't give the idea too much weight, if his tone was any indication. Even if Suou were to act, Hyousuke doubted that he would have been able to effect any meaningful change, and it was still just the one man. Scum was everywhere, and Sumaru was just one example of it - anyone that sought to actually do some good while working within its system had their work cut out, of that he had no doubt.

Hyousuke hadn't even noticed that he'd been acting as a battering ram for the rest of the group. He'd not even thought to spare a glance back at them until he reached the train car, and only managed to do that in time to catch the tail end of Jun bowing. He looked a little sheepish at the realisation of what he'd just done, and the implications of it, but it was a little too late to deal with that. He'd just have to deal with another group of people thinking the blonde ex-delinquent with a deep scar and a snarl on his lips was rude.

A circumstance he was most certainly not used to.

It took no small amount of effort to catch up with Makimura. The man might have been slimy in the figurative sense, but for how managed to slip between bodies and evade the party's capture, he might well have been so in the physical sense too. It was like trying to grab hold of an eel - a difficult and somewhat disgusting task that Hyousuke did not relish in the slightest. He did, however, take some small measure of joy in gripping the man's wrist and fixing him with a glare so fierce that it might have cowed a wolf.

"You try that again," Hyousuke said, his voice low but clearly annoyed, "And I'm gonna drag you back to the gym. Now *walk.*" Hyousuke let Makimura go with a short shove, though still kept him within arm's reach in case another escape attempt was made. The man himself put his hands up and made an expression Hyousuke thought was supposed to try and appeal to his better nature, but in actuality, all it did was annoy him further.
"H-hey, take it easy! I'll go, just don't hurt me!"
Hyousuke very much considered hurting him, but cooler heads prevailed, and the two marched forwards.

The laughing was what eventually wiped the irritation off of Hyousuke's face, but it being replaced by abject concern was arguably not much better. He didn't know Ulala - at least not personally - but the laughing certainly did not seem normal. Makimura didn't seem to like the sound of it too much, given how he glanced worriedly about but there wasn't anywhere for him to run to in order to escape it. He was at their mercy until the situation resolved. If it resolved, that was.
"We're back." Hyousuke said, looking away from the laughter for a moment, to instead address the staff. "Even brought a friend."

"That's... great news." The attendant said, smiling politely, if a little worriedly himself.
"So, you mind letting us in now?"
"I'd like to, but the door's locked, and the colleague with the key isn't in today. You'll have to come back another time."
Hyousuke sighed slightly through clenched teeth, and nodded slowly, if a little painfully.
"...That's fine. Thanks for the help." He said, before turning to speak a little more covertly with the gathered party. "I don't like it, but we might have to go rooting around in that employee's stuff for the key, or we're never getting in with this guy. Shimizu-san, do you think you could...?"

Obviously hesitant to enter a woman's locker room - even an empty one - Hyousuke looked to her for help. Not that it stopped him stumbling merrily along, albeit a little more hesitantly than he might normally have done so. That hesitance vanished the second he saw someone taking advantage of the empty room for reasons that, he surmised, were far less noble than theirs.
"H-Hey it's not what it looks like." He tried to assure them, but the evidence was right there in his hands. Hyousuke hesitated to look at those, but spared no anger for the man holding them.

"The fuck do you think you're doing?!" Hyousuke shouted, forgetting any earlier hesitance. He stormed towards the man, and before he had a chance to react, Hyousuke grabbed him by the shirt and all but slammed him into the lockers. Hyousuke was six feet of muscle and rage - the thief was decidedly not. It should have come as no surprise, then, that he looked up with fear, and then glanced to the others as if they could - or even would - help.

MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has acted with Guts toward Panty Raids!? In MY Gym?! Base!
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>
"...Yeah. If it were Sergeant Suou, then there'd be a shot." Shinobu agrees with Jun with a nod. He, at least, she has a high opinion of. She's seen how hard he tries to uphold the law while still doing right by the people it effects.

They - finally - manage to catch Makimura again.

"You said it." Shinobu agrees with a dry nod. She's too wound up to comment on it directly, but she ''does'' appreciate Jun's efforts to keep them out of trouble. It looks like they might be finally on the other end of it, though, as they manage to drag Makimura back to the gym in Hyousuke's care.

...But on the other side of the door, they only hear laughing. Shinobu grimaces. That's no good.

The only key, meanwhile, is likely in the locker of one of the women who works here.

"Yeah, don't worry, I can take care of it." Shinobu says. She'll take point. She starts forward -

- but there's someone here. Someone who shouldn't be here, rifling through that employee's things. Fury crosses her face.

'It's not what it looks like', he says. Shinobu tenses - but it's Hyousuke who makes the first move to slam him into the locker.

"Like hell." Shinobu hisses. "I've ''had'' it with you sexist assholes today. We already had to chase ''this'' lying, cheating scumbag half-way across the city and into fucking ''Tokyo'' and back," she jabs an accusatory finger at Makimura. "And now we get back to find ''you'' rooting through this lady's stuff looking like an idiot? Put back everything you took. ''Now''."

She exhales.

"I swear to ''god'', don't give me an excuse to do something I'm gonna regret." She demands.

Needless to say, the thief won't get any help from her.

MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with Former Delinquent toward Panty Raids!? In MY Gym?! Efficient and Bravery!
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>
        "Indeed," Jun says deadpan to Julian. There's no better word than absurd. He nods to Hyousuke and Shinobu about the matter of the One Good Cop. "I have his contact information. Once we've caught Makimura-san, I can give him a call to let him know."
        
        At least Hyousuke does indeed successfully catch Makimura. (Jun smiles at his sheepish look reassuringly, as if to say, "It's okay, don't worry about it." Kasugayama students are all used to being judged based on appearances.)
        
        Together, they march him back to GOLD Gym... only to find out that the door is still locked and the key isn't available. Jun sighs and spreads his arms in a shrug as he shakes his head.
        
        The comedy of errors doesn't end there. A man is rooting around in the women's bathroom, and for all his protests, his intentions are clear. Jun stares him down for a moment; then he draws a marigold from within his school uniform and draws it to his lips, eyes at half-mast.
        
        "Suzuki-kun, please, there's no need for violence." Jun turns an icy smile at the panty thief as Shinobu lays into him with her own unbridled fury. "Surely this... gentleman... won't give us ''further'' cause for that." He glances at the marigold in his hand, and smiles anew. Though he wasn't asked, he continues, "Oh, this? It's a marigold. In the language of flowers, it means 'grief.'" His eyes narrow. "In case it's needed for your grave."
        
        The implicit threat is clear, especially with Hyousuke already dangling the panty thief off his feet. Jun's intent is to intimidate him into handing over the key without further issue, considering that most policemen ''aren't'' Sergeant Suou, but he's also keeping watch near the door to keep Makimura from escaping (AGAIN) while they're distracted. If anyone ''does'' choose to follow through with violence, especially if the thief panics, Jun is not in a position to stop them--and since Marlowe-sensei is clearly a normal person, surely he isn't either.

MONAD: Jun Kashihara has acted with Say It With Flowers toward Panty Raids!? In MY Gym?! Empathy and Focus!
</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
What a debacle this turned out to be. Having to go all the way to Tokyo to get to this point... looks like that shower would've just been a waste, Julian would've needed another one after all this. Though the thought 'this is one way to get exercise' came to him, he didn't voice it, figuring that wouldn't be funny to anyone right now, not even himself.

What he says instead, fatigue evident in his voice: "I can hardly believe anyone could be this adept at fleeing. I'd be impressed, had the motives been at all respectable." Even he himself must not look very respectable right now, he considers with some remorse. Nothing to be done about that now, however. It's time to finish this far-longer-than-planned errand.

A long trek back to the gym later, Julian is more than ready to get this matter resolved, only to quickly realize that it won't be that simple. That laughter is... "Is she quite alright...?" Sure feels as if this whole 'time of Joka' thing is not going to be a laughing matter, for anybody but the one affected.

He attempts, "Serizawa-san? We brought Makimura-san. That is what you wanted, is it not?" Yet, even so, nothing but laughter in response. It's never good when communications break down, but he highly suspects that this is on another level entirely. There are many ways this could end up really bad, including ways that may require a particularly swift exit on his part.

The matter of the key, he was very much prepared to leave to Shinobu, except... she sounds less than pleased with what she finds there, Hyousuke is rushing in, Jun is trying to de-escalate... it sure seems as if there's yet another problem, doesn't it? Good grief.

After all the less than gentlemanly behavior back there, Julian must want to make up for that now, approaching with one hand lifted to shield the women's locker room from his direct vision. "Whomever you may be in there, you clearly do not belong and have less than scrupulous intentions. And we... we have all had a very bad day. I humbly request that you save us all a great deal of trouble by complying with the instructions given to you, that way this will all end in the best possible way."

Somehow he doubts that 'the best possible way' would be anything good, but the trick is to make things sound as positive as possible.

MONAD: Julian Marlowe has acted with Counsel toward Panty Raids!? In MY Gym?! Focus and Empathy!
</poem>
 (|============================ Monad - Results =============================|) 
 -==== Panty Raids!? In MY Gym? - Round 5 ====================================- 
  Jun Kashihara        Understanding                          Success           
  Say It With Flowers  Empathy and Focus              Fatigue: 5                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Julian Marlowe       Understanding                          Success           
  Counsel              Focus and Empathy              Fatigue: 4                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Shinobu Shimizu      Guts                                   Success           
  Former Delinquent    Efficient and Bravery          Fatigue: 6                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Hyousuke Suzuki      Guts                                   Failure           
  Guts                 Base                           Fatigue: 5                 
 -============================ Party Conditions: =============================- 
  Starting Conditions: Boss-0, Chest-0, Ineptitude-1, Scary-2, Stony-2, and     
  Terrifying-1                                                                  
  Final Conditions: Scary-1 and Stony-1                                         
 -====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- 
 -==== Reach: 3''6 |===  |  ===================================================- 
 -==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================- 
  Items: 1, Money: 1, Gear: 2                                                   
 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|) 
<poem></poem>
 (|=========== Monad - Ulala's Day of Joker: Find the Con Artist! ===========|) 
 -==== Round 6: Is That the Mafia or is Ulala Just Happy To See Me? - Challenge Level 1 - 
 | Approach Options: None                                                     | 
 | Conditions: Withdraw - Complication ensues.                                | 
 -==== Challenge =============================================================- 
                                                                                
   You get the key!                                                             
                                                                                
  This day has been incredibly exhausting. Not only have things gone wrong at   
  every turn trying to keep this guy in check, but you're worried a police      
  report or two may have been filed against ''you''. You're completely wiped      
  out, but you at least have the means to reach Ulala.                          
                                                                                
  "H-Hey I'm not going in there." Makimura asks nervously as you get closer to  
  the door. "It's obvious you can't protect me from her! She's a real demon     
  when she's mad!"                                                              
                                                                                
  Makimura tries to make a run for it. You're going to have to physically       
  restrain him and take him downstairs. "Help! Murder! MURDER! SOMEBODY CALL    
  THE COPS! Please- please I can't go in there! My face is my livelihood man!   
  Have mercy!"                                                                  
                                                                                
  There's a strange moment wherein you see four foreign men wearing changshans  
  walk in, spy this scene, before then standing by, milling about in the        
  lobby. Are they onlookers? Or something else? Odd... there's no time to look  
  into it.                                                                      
                                                                                
   The door opens to the gym Ulala has barricaded herself into unlocks, and     
  after some brute force- the barricaded objects part.                          
                                                                                
  Which is when that horrible feeling arises. That tinnitus in your ears, the   
  pounding of a hideous heartbeat. The world flashes into a photonegative,      
  everything just feels wrong.                                                  
                                                                                
  And there Ulala is, in her green dress, covered in spiderwebs, hunched in     
  the corner, facing away, trembling. Do her hands look... paler?               
                                                                                
  Whatever is going on- a sense of dread hits you. Something bad is about to    
  happen, and you're not sure you're prepared to face it.                       
                                                                                
  TO BE CONTINUED                                                               
  OOC Note: Receiving this card means you start the fight with the Critical     
  Down effect. If you'd like to investigate the men in the changshans that are  
  spying on you, please submit a request to staff.                              
                                                                                
                                                                                
  Final Loot: 1 Item, 1 boxes of Money, and 2 Pieces of Gear!                   
 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|) 

 <Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
Hyousuke nodded at Jun, tacitly approving of the plan.
"Please do. I don't want to have to have another 'talk' with this guy." Hyousuke's delinquent days were behind him, but those of threatening people with violence were certainly not. It was perhaps not as overt a threat as those he had made before, but he had every intention of following through with it if it ever came down to it. Perhaps Tamaki still had some work to do, in regards to teaching Hyousuke the fine art of talking with people instead of hitting them.

"He's good at running like a goddamn coward, I'll give him that." Hyousuke said flippantly in response ot Julian, making no attempt to hide how much Makimura had irked him. Given that they'd all been given the runaround by a man that made a living scamming women out of their savings, there were to be no prizes for guessing just why Hyousuke seemed so inclined to make sure Makimura heard his insult. "He tries it again though, and I'm gonna find something to tie his legs together." He had considered threatening to break Makimura's legs entirely, but Julian was still his teacher, even if their goals aligned for the time being. He supposed it was probably best not to make such overt threats of violence, lest there be another topic to be broached in their counselling sessions.

It turned out that he wasn't the only one inclined towards violence that day. Though he was quicker to apprehend the would-be thief, Shinobu was not far behind him, issuing threats of her own. Part of him was glad that somebody else was of a similar mind to him - the other part was a little concerned about the same. Jun took a calmer approach, though it was by no means any less cutting than Hyousuke's or Shinobu's. The icy tone cut like a knife, and the flower was a coup de grace. It was a wonder the man hadn't broken down into a sobbing mess by that point, with how frantically he looked around.

His eyes caught on Julian, silently begging for help from the last adult to speak. When Julian finally did, the panic only grew further. There was to be no help for him, save for the sage advice of giving up.
"A-alright! I give, I give, just don't hurt me!" He cried out, dropping the underwear unceremoniously to the floor. He squirmed, trying to escape Hyousuke's grasp and the glares of all those around him, but all it served to do was make him look even more pathetic than he already had.

A tense silence passed between them, then just as the thief was about to speak again, Hyousuke broke it.
"Eat shit."
"W-what?"
"Eat. Shit. You're lucky we've got bigger things to deal with than *you,* or I'd drag you down to the station by your goddamn throat."
It was a hollow threat, in a sense. They had all had a very long day, fraught with exhaustion that left even Hyousuke's athletic form aching and begging for rest. He had no doubt that someone would have spoken to the police about them at some point or another, though whether anything would come of it was anyone's guess - the police in Sumaru took an age to move, in his experience, and that was if they bothered moving at all. 

As such, he might have just beaten the man to a pulp then and there instead of alerting the proper authorities.

He stepped back, but did not let the thief go. With Jun keeping Makimura in check, Hyousuke made sure to keep a hold on the other stranger, before marching him towards the exit. "Shimizu-san, can you get the key? I'll meet back up with you guys after I hand this piece of shit over."

It was to the members of staff, rather than to the police, but Hyousuke silently wondered if they would be more effective at dealing with the intruder than the 'law' in Sumaru. It wasn't for him to find out, much to his chagrin. The last he saw of the employee he'd spoken to and the coworkers near them, they'd all been glaring daggers at the intruder, no doubt each considering what the best way to deal with him was without corporate breathing down their necks about it.

True to his word, Hyousuke met with the rest of the party before they got to the door.
"H-Hey I'm not going in there. It's obvious you can't protect me from her! She's a real demon when she's mad!"
Hyousuke grit his teeth and patted the man on the shoulder, though it was really just a poorly-disguised way of him keeping Makimura in place. The bathroom had been lesson enough in how slippery the man could be.
"Well, maybe she wouldn't be so mad if a certain piece of shit didn't steal from her. Now, are you gonna get in there, or am I gonna have to make you get in there?"

"Help! Murder! MURDER! SOMEBODY CALL THE COPS! Please- please I can't go in there! My face is my livelihood man! Have mercy!"
The hold on Makimura's shoulder turned into an outright vice grip on his wrist to keep him from fleeing, and Hyousuke about wrestled the man to the floor in an attempt at stopping the whole debacle devolving into another train chase. Dogged and focussed as he was on making sure Makimura didn't flee a second time, something did momentarily distract him - strangers. More of them, in dress that was most likely not from the area.

His mind flashed to the sanitarium, and to mentions of foreign gangsters there, but there was no time to look into it. Serizawa's situation called. With Makimura secured, he forced his way into the room... and almost doubled over from the assault on his senses. The world flashed in photonegative before his eyes, his ears rang until it felt like they'd burst, and his gut screamed at him that the place was *wrong.* There were no details his eyes could make out, no sounds or smells his senses could detect. Just the overwhelming feeling that everything around him simply did not belong.

That teeth-itching, mind-aching, gut-churning feeling ravaged him like a plague, and focussing on Serizawa only seemed to make the feeling that much more intense. He almost dry heaved upon examining the woman before them. A spiderweb dress, pallid skin, a trembling form - what had happened to her? Wha thad happened here? Hyousuke had no clue, and looked to the others for guidance, his confusion writ clear.
"This is... what the hell's going on?" He asked, his own voice beginning to match the trembling of Ulala's form.


[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]