MrGuy: Created page with "'''Log: For Whom the Bell Tolls''' '''Cast:''' Katsuko Yoshinaga, Hazuki Nakao '''Where:''' Central Street - Main '''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-07 '''IC Date:''' Thu Sep 06 '''Summary''': ''Hazuki meets with Yoshinaga to discuss Homonculi over coffee. However, what begins as a simple exchange of information ends as a clash of ideals.'' ---- Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed. OST: Turnabout Jazz Soul - Track 8 - Godot - The Fragrance of Dark Cof..."

2026-01-07T22:48:37Z

Created page with "*'''Log: For Whom the Bell Tolls''' *'''Cast:''' Katsuko Yoshinaga, Hazuki Nakao *'''Where:''' Central Street - Main *'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-07 *'''IC Date:''' Thu Sep 06 *'''Summary''': ''Hazuki meets with Yoshinaga to discuss Homonculi over coffee. However, what begins as a simple exchange of information ends as a clash of ideals.'' ---- <Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed. <poem> OST: Turnabout Jazz Soul - Track 8 - Godot - The Fragrance of Dark Cof..."

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*'''Log: For Whom the Bell Tolls'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Katsuko Yoshinaga]], [[Hazuki Nakao]]
*'''Where:''' Central Street - Main
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-07
*'''IC Date:''' Thu Sep 06
*'''Summary''': ''Hazuki meets with Yoshinaga to discuss Homonculi over coffee. However, what begins as a simple exchange of information ends as a clash of ideals.''

----

<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
<poem>
OST: Turnabout Jazz Soul - Track 8 - Godot - The Fragrance of Dark Coffee
https:www.youtube.comwatch?v=HMnrl0tmd3k

Kuroneko was, by all outward appearances, a rather shady place. Nestled into one of the areas myriad backalleys, the wooden door that gave way to its interior stood between age-old brick walls. The paint had peeled somewhat, the wood itself was chipped in places, and the sign that hung to one side had long since begun to fade. The silhouette of a black cat emblazoned upon it had faded to grey many months ago, and the text that had once been so lovingly painted on had faded into near-illegibility. Yet, it was through this door that Katsuko walked.

The interior was no better than the outside. Brick walls surrounded the place, windowless and largely bare. A few paintings and photographs had been hung up in some halfhearted attempt at decoration, but each one was hung at a slight angle with no discernible pattern or purpose beyond making the walls look somewhat less barren. Aged wooden furniture had been arranged atop an even older wooden floor, with everything from the tables to the chairs to the very planks they sat upon bearing scuffmarks and scratches from the many customers that had seen fit to use them.

Past the counter - itself an old thing, decorated with a cash register and various pastries in various cases - stood a man that looked only slightly younger than the establishment he worked at, a coffee-stained apron hanging loosely off of his neck and his waist. He said nothing to Katsuko, nor to the few patrons scattered across the cafe like jacks. He simply nodded, waited for her to nod back, then turned to begin the brewing process. An entire conversation seemed to have happened between them in those moments, without so much as a word between them.

Katsuko seated herself at a table in the corner, took a deep breath, then relaxed. The smell alone seemed to be enough to put her at comfort. Notes of various kinds of coffees - raw, roasted, pre-brewed or simply just beans - hung in the air like wisps of smoke, their scent subtle and smooth. It melded with the wafting scent of fresh pastries, their own bouquet one that was as sweet as it was warm. One could almost taste the cafe's offerings on the air, were they to part their lips and let Kuroneko's air roll gently across their tongue.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.
<poem>
Hazuki knows she needs to talk to Katsuko about Kazusa. So when Katsuko offered a place, she came, dressed in her usual outfit with hat, and taking a seat across from the other girl, trusting Katsuko picked a place no one will listen in.

"Hey, Yoshinaga-senpai, how are you?" she greets. "...rough day back to school, huh."

She tousles her hair, sighing. What to do, how to start... small talk is pointless with what's going on.

She decides to leave it in Katsuko's hands, shifting uncomfortably.

"Where should I begin?"
GAME: Save complete.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
<poem>
The quiet and distant clattering of the man behind the counter's work slowed as he looked to the door, sighting Hazuki coming through. Katsuko caught his eye with an upwards nod of her head, and he responded with little more than a quick, curt, nod of his own. He returned to his work, and she turned towards Hazuki. As ever, she was largely inscrutable. Steely eyes were set into a cold expression, while her posture remained largely unchanging. A little relaxed from a familiar environment, perhaps, but nothing that revealed much more about her thoughts.

Katsuko gave some curt and quick responses of her own, asserting that she was fine and giving a singular 'yeah' in response to Hazuki's assessment of the first day back. It was only when the topic came to what mattered - what she'd called Hazuki there for - that she offered anything of substance.
"Begin with telling me what that thing was." Katsuko spoke plainly. Her voice was low, but not quite a murmur. Loud enough that anyone *could* listen in, but quiet enough to tell eavesdroppers that she did not want them there. The other patrons, and the singular member of staff visible, were content to acquiesce, and continued to mind their own business.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.
<poem>
Hazuki gets an interesting vibe from this place, but it doesn't factor in. Katsuko is smart! She knows where to go.

"...it's called a Homunculus," Hazuki starts immediately, a bit quieter. "It's a supernatural parasite that takes over a person, slowly killing and replacing them. I've fought one, who took over my friend, and managed to save him... it's how I Awakened, even."

A breath, as the whole thing is too real to brush off.

"Motojima-san has what's called an Atelier, like everyone else. It's like... a place in your mind? I don't really... get it, honestly. But the Homunculus took over hers, and threw it out of whack and captured her in it. The only way to stop it is to free her from her cocoon and slay the parasite."
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
<poem>
Katsuko did not appear to react to any of the information that Hazuki presented her with. She was as silent as she was still, the only signs of life from her being the occasional blink. Only when she was sure that Hazuki had finished did she do anything beyond that, but even then, it was a subdued and quiet response. Her hand raised to her chin, and she looked to the table, a quiet 'hmm...' joining the chorus of steaming liquids and clattering kitchen implements that played off to one side.

"Is this anything like the phenomena I've experienced before?" Katsuko asked, seemingly unperturbed by the fact that someone's life hung in the balance. "If Mementos and its inhabitants are shaped by the collective consciousness, then may I assume something contained within Motojima-san's mind is shaped by her own perceptions?" It was a guess. An educated one, perhaps, but it was still more or less a stab in the dark. "And will engaging with it put me at risk?"
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.
<poem>
Hazuki wishes she could be as controlled as Katsuko, sometimes.

"A little... I don't think they're connected, but you're right that it's probably based on her perceptions. My friend's Atelier was a carnival, based off how he felt about himself..."

But then, her brow furrows. "...all of this puts people at risk. This power, it's... dangerous. We almost died in that Atelier. But..."

No, Katsuko's looking out for her safety. That's important and not necessarily a bad thing. Even so...

"I won't give up on someone in need. I want to save people."
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
<poem>
Hazuki's conjecture was not enough to coax a reaction from Katsuko. She had paid attention - the focus in her eyes was enough to show that much, with it being laser-focussed on Hazuki. But there was simply nothing more than that. It was her insistence that she would save Kazusa in spite of the danger that caused her fingers to tense and twitch, before she lay them down upon the table, crossed slightly in front of her as she leaned in some fraction of an inch.
"Is Motojima-san a friend of yours too, then?"
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.
<poem>
"...no," Hazuki admits.

"She bullied me... she's pretty mean. But... I don't think she has many real friends. She seemed super unhappy all the time. And with what I saw once, how her father treats her... I don't blame her."

She shifts again, hands twiddling together.

"...but I'd want someone to save me if I was like that, too. Even if she's mean and unkind, I'm not going to give up on her chance to live for that. She can still get better, you know?"
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
<poem>
"You're assuming a lot of things, Nakao-san." Katsuko's voice was still, but a stern edge accompanied each word. Katsuko allowed her response to hang in the air, giving Hazuki a moment to process it, before continuing on. "Whatever her circumstances, can you be assured that she would do the same for you? Or that whatever benefit you get from this will be worth the danger? Risking your life for a friend is one thing, but to risk yourself and others to save her? I urge you to think carefully on this before you rush blindly in."
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.
<poem>
Hazuki frowns as Katsuko continues to speak. "Benefit? That doesn't matter! It doesn't matter if she'd do the same! This is someone's life we're talking about, Yoshinaga-senpai!"

She manages not to snap, and calms herself down sheepishly.

"Sorry... not trying to yell at you. I just... I have this power for a reason. I keep seeing these visions, you know? No one else does... but they're related to my unique ability to use more than one, I think. I thought it through a while ago, and... if someone's in need..."

"I'm the one who'll be there for them, even if no one else is."
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
<poem>
There was a flicker of something in Katsuko when she heard Hazuki speak. Her lips curled, her brow twitched, her eyes took on a spark of something too faint to be identified... It was subtle, but for someone as inexpressive as Katsuko, she might as well have broken out into a bare-toothed snarl.
"It isn't just *her* life that we're talking about. It's yours, and whoever else is caught up in this. Stop and think about what you're saying." The edge grew keener, the spark began to burn into an ember, and her fingers began to tense. But, before it could develop much further, the coldness that had plagued her demeanour returned, and she settled back into that impassive state she'd remained in before.

Even the heat from the coffee that was placed before her by that lone member of staff did little to stir her. She mumbled her thanks, and he grunted in acknowledgement, but that was all. Even when he laid a mug at Hazuki's hands as well - something Katsuko noticed, but did not seem to care much about - she resembled a glacier more than she did a person.
"Why risk dying pointlessly for someone that wouldn't try to help you? Why expend yourself for nothing in return?" She did not speak as if she wanted an answer to those questions. The edge was still there, but it was sharp and cold now - every word, a shard of ice.

She sipped at her coffee, considering her next words carefully, before speaking slowly and deliberately. "If you insist on getting yourself hurt for someone that wouldn't think twice about abandoning you, then I won't stop you. But I won't help you with it either."
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.
<poem>
Hazuki's trying not to get mad. But Katsuko's words bug her. They bug her so much, and it's clear on her face - sharp frowns, a tight grip on the mug, deep inhales.

"...You don't have to help me. But... I couldn't live with myself if I had the ability to try, to make a difference, and chose not to in order to protect my own hide. A monster is possessing someone, and I'm one of the few who can slay it. The only people who know more have agreed to mentor me, so it feels like this is something I have to do. No..."

Hazuki stares Katsuko down. Normally, she's gloomy, shy, a little uncertain. But something has just clicked, much like when she fights. A certain kind of confidence.

"This is something *I want* to do."

Then, she finally tries the coffee. Before, she may have said something about how good it was. Now, she's just using it as a conversational buffer.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
<poem>
Katsuko didn't miss the frustration that Hazuki felt. She was sharp enough to pick up on that, at least, and how her attempting to reason Hazuki out of what she felt to be a profoundly stupid course of action would only drive a wedge between them. But she also saw that confidence as it appeared, and for a moment, Katsuko was stunned. It did not manifest upon her features as her consternation had before, and it lasted so briefly that she scarcely had time to recognise it, much less process it. But there was something about it that resonated within her, and for once, she remained thoughtful and quiet once Hazuki had finished.

"These people you mentioned." Katsuko eventually said, after another sip. "Who are they?" The edge yet remained, but there was a leading tone to her voice as well. Something that, if you squinted a little, could be construed as curiosity.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.
<poem>
Hazuki's tension starts to release, sighing into her coffee. "Have you heard of Peacock Silk? It's a fashion boutique. They cater almost srtictly to Persona Users... I was once rejected before I Awakened. The peacock is real, by the way, and talks... they're super cool."

She lets the tension release some more, not liking the feeling of being mad.

"They're experts in Homunculi and Ateliers. They make armor and accessories out of monsters, and in exchange for parts harvested from the Homunculus, they're teaching me what I need to know."
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
<poem>
A talking peacock. That was a new one. Katsuko might have even been surprised by the revelation, were it not for the fact that she'd spent no short amount of time being followed around by the supernatural manifestation of Edmond Dantes. Quietly, she resolved to investigate the bird further at another time, but Hazuki was the more immediate problem to be solved.
"And if I want to contact them without blowing my cover, how would I do that? Make no mistake, I don't intend to throw away my life for anyone, least of all Motojima-san. But *if* these people are experts, and *if* they are willing to help us, I will *consider* helping. But do not count on it."

Katsuko wondered if it was telling that Hazuki's ideals did nothing to sway her, but the mention of experts - those more skilled in combat and battling Homonculi than Hazuki, she posited - was. A matter to be reflected upon later, she supposed.

She elected to leave out the part about only wanting to help Kazusa so that she could extract information from her.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.
<poem>
"I could put in a good word for you, but they might get an inkling. They don't really... help the mundane, you know," Hazuki tells Katsuko. "...thank you. That's all I need to hear."

There's a pause, and a light smile.

"I think your point makes sense, too, I just... I have ideals I'm trying to live up to. And if I break those... who am I?"
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
<poem>
"Allow me to think on it, then."
Katsuko did not trust these strangers. Willing as she was to believe they would make her much less likely to die at the hands of whatever lurked inside Kazusa's mind, she was not willing to reveal herself to them on hope and belief alone. It was a matter to tend to at some point later, perhaps - maybe by using Hazuki to arrange a meeting in some supernatural space, or approaching with some manner of duplicitous intent. It was hard to say with so little information, but she had some small degree of confidence that she'd figure it out.

Then the matter of ideals came up. Katsuko hated that it gave her pause, and that she showed hesitation, even if she attempted to disguise it by sipping at the coffee. It was a delectable blend, its bitterness balanced out by steamed milk and the practised hand of the man that'd brewed it. But, like Hazuki, it was being used to fill a gap.
"I don't know." She eventually said, her voice losing just a hint of the sharpness it'd maintained before. "But if it ever comes down to choosing between your life and your ideals, then I advise you live long enough to find the answer."
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.
<poem>
"Okay," Hazuki nods to Katsuko about thinking on it.

But about her ideals... she clasps her hands together, that same confidence. "...I'll think about your advice. Thanks, Yoshinaga-senpai. You really care..."

The snark may have been noticed, as Hazuki drinks her coffee. But she's reading between the lines instead. (Even if she may be wrong.)
</poem>

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

2026-01-07: For Whom the Bell Tolls - Revision history