2025-06-29: Shopkeepers Have It Tough
- Log: Shopkeepers Have It Tough
- Cast: Myunghon Yeo, Shinobu Shimizu, Ulala Serizawa, Katsuya Suou
- Where:
- OOC Date: June 29, 2025
- IC Date: June 02, 2012
- Summary: Ulala, with Katsuya, heads to the Cardboard Dragon to get some answers. They might just get more than they'd anticipated, though. It's hard being a shopkeeper...
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
The Cardboard Dragon!
It's as dismal as Ulala or other people might've described it - a real hole in the wall that requires you to even *know* where to go to actually figure out where it is. Behind a back alley that probably possesses an aura of menace, up a fire escape, and the only sign for the store is a taped-up piece of A4 paper...
And the inside looks like it once had ideas for glory and success in the 80's. Cracked floor tiles, shabby windows not even double-glazed, ceiling plasterboards meant for an office... but the selection of books is... stuffy, in that no one's written a book in these shelves within the last fifty years or so. Currently, the store's pretty empty, since the kids are at school, even the Kasu High kids. No truancies here. Even Gumiho is absent, since she's off at school.
Myunghon herself is at the couch, dressed in her immaculate monochromes still, though somehow the haute-couture clothes still become infected with her Loser aura the moment they touch her body. She's currently transfixed in...
in...
Stacking an incredibly *high* pile of Koala March animal crackers. Somehow, she's managed to go about one and a half metres tall, single file, and it's looking incredibly precarious, but the chocolate and glucose structure is still standing.
"Shinobu-ssi, how did the last job go? Any trouble you ran into?" Myunghon is still conducting business. Or maybe it's because she's conducting business that she has to distract herself with stacking animal crackers.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
The Cardboard Dragon is a familiar sight to Shinobu, by now. She's no longer put off by the rundown exterior, or the menacing back alley that's just begging for, say, a demon to take up residence and try to eat anyone who passes through it.
It can happen. She knows this from experience.
One has to wonder what, exactly, drove her to seek employment here the first time, so much so that she didn't see the state of it and immediately turn around and walk away.
Right now, though, Shinobu stands in front of the bookshelves, eyes scanning the spines. Occasionally she reaches up, tilts one out to get a better look at the cover... and slides it back in.
"Nah. Not a whole lot of trouble. Only..." Shinobu pauses for a moment to peer around the side of the bookshelf at Myunghon. She spots the precarious stack of animal crackers, her eyes tracking up its full height and then back to the proprietor. She finds herself thinking, despite herself, that that's actually pretty impressive. It'll be even more impressive when it finally falls.
"...They 'accidentally' underreported how many truckfuls they needed moved, so it took longer than we were expecting." She concludes her thought, returning her attention back to the books.
<Pose Tracker> Ulala Serizawa has posed.
It's a lovely day at the Cardboard Dragon, because it can't be a great day, that's a different store. Ulala Serizawa has returned to the Cardboard Dragon, poking her head through the fire escape door as she steps in. If she's not noticed by sound or sight, she approaches the couch, peering over at the cracker stack as Myunghon adds another.
"Hello? Seo-san?" she attempts to say not too startlingly, assuming she was heard.
Assuming the koalas do not die, she exhales.
"That's a lot of crackers."
And then, she looks over to the book section. She waves to Shinobu, having missed the clue yesterday that she was a part-timer. "Oh, hey there!"
Ulala didn't see what she was looking for now yesterday, but she has a Hunch it might allow her to figure out more of what's going on with All This Bullshit without giving her hand away.
"Do you have any psychology books in stock? Like that guy who talked about... Personas and Shadows?" Smooth, Ulala thinks.
"His name was..."
She blanks. Completely and utterly.
Do not say Sigmund Freud.
"Jung?" She mispronounces it.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
Katsuya Suou is dressed normally today. That means a suit with a flattering cut, pressed shirt, black tie, and recently-shined dress shoes. It's entirely possible that he may have checked himself twice in the mirror before going to meet Serizawa, just to make sure everything looked the way it was supposed to. A man needs to have pride in his appearance. Maybe, he should have just worn a suit to the festival, too...
But there's no helping the past. He needs to look forward, to the future! Which means helping Serizawa in learning more about their... circumstances, in the hopes that that in time might just help them get a lead on the Joker murders. He might be off the case, but that doesn't mean he'll give up so easily.
"..."
With trepidation, Katsuya has ascended the fire escape. He'd expected something like a more 'normal' sort of storefront, but...
The insides match the exterior, he'll say that much. He turns around slowly, taking in the whole thing. "Is this..." He stops, staring up at a towering bookcase, then over at Myunghon and Shinobu. ...The women from the other day...! "This is a fire code violation. I'm certain of it," he says firmly.
There is a long, long pause.
"That's 'Jung', Serizawa-kun."
He pronounces it correctly.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
"That old chestnut," Myunghon glumly muses as she bores a gaze at the unfeeling stare returned by the Koala-print cracker. It's like it's mocking her, telling her that she'll never be good enough for the 14.3g of sugar per serving size. It's a ludicrous amount. Is this what the kids are supping on these days?
"I can always put them to the coals over the papers, but it sounds like you've got it sorted anyway. Nice job as always, Shinobu-ssi," she does have a more genuine smile for her, noticing that she's peeking at some of the books. It hasn't been that long since they started working together, but there's been something that's just really worked between the two of them.
But then -- customers!! Myunghon whirls around as she spots both Ulala and Katsuya, and Riker-like bounds over the couch into an effortless rise. She's cleaner and dryer than she was at the festival, but somehow -- as she spots Katsuya's drip now that he's not baring his cat-soul in yukata format--
SAVOIR-FAIRE -- Look at him. That police officer is *silver* and *fire* in a svelte package. He doesn't even understand the broken hearts he leaves in his wake. You? You are Rumpelstiltskin. You should be *embarrassed* to be in the same room as him.
Myunghon doesn't have any time to take morale damage from Suou's slickness, however, because Ulala asks a much more pertinent question. Books on psychology. Books on Personas and Shadows. Like that... 'Jung' guy. Mispronounced on one count, pronounced correctly on the other.
"Now that's a really odd coincidence, isn't it? I was just thinking I needed to look up a whole bunch of words on... 'Personas'. Could it be that..."
A pause.
"You're still stuck on the same Killer boss fight, Serizawa-san?!" Myunghon adopts an innocent, child-like whine. "The advice didn't work out, so now you need... more guidance?!"
She's suddenly at her desk in the next camera transition, and with a soft 'bomf' and a light cloud of dust, she has a pile of books on the table. "I do happen to have a copy of the assorted works of one Carl Jung, but they are in English."
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"Yup. Same old, same old. Heard it a dozen times before." Shinobu replies with a mirthless laugh and a shake of her head. "It's fine. I was sore for a while, but I handled it."
Shinobu's eyes are drawn to the fire escape door as someone sneaks in. She can tell that she's trying to sneak, so she politely doesn't say anything. It's fine, probably.
"Hey there." Shinobu calls back, offering a casual wave. "Serizawa-san, and..."
Her eyes are drawn to Katsuya, following after her.
"...Officer Suou, right? Nice seeing you both again." Shinobu says. A 'fire code violation'.
"I'm sure it's fine. I won't tell if you won't." Shinobu says. ...That's a pretty bold thing to say when you've just acknowledged that he's a police officer. ...And even if it is, she isn't the one who'd have to deal with it.
Ulala asks a peculiar question. Personas and Shadows, huh...? She hadn't heard this part of the story. Her eyes track over to Myunghon. The 'Killer boss fight'.
She definitely missed something.
"Geez, do you need a psychology degree to get through games these days, or something...?" Shinobu asks, massaging the back of her neck.
She goes back through looking through the bookshelves... but it's easy to tell that she's only half paying attention.
<Pose Tracker> Ulala Serizawa has posed.
"Same difference, right? It's not like he's alive to care..." Ulala asks Katsuya, before turning to Myunghon. The Killer boss fight... "Yeah... the Killer is really hard to beat... I'm stronger, but that doesn't make my *party* stronger, does it?"
Ulala pauses.
"...this is starting to sound really weird, huh?" She says to Shinobu as she asks about Psychology For Video Games, which, indeed, sounds stupid. What are they going to do next, put psychology *in* video games?
Before she can decide whether to elaborate, however, she hears about A CARL JUNG BOOK, YES-
"English... ah... I... see." She pauses. "I definitely learned how to read that in high school...!"
She *learned*. But.
"..."
Ulala might have a stare-off with Myunghon for a moment, two eyes to one, until suddenly, she asks a sudden inexplicable question. One that'll let her decide if she can ask Myunghon... *other* questions.
"Myunghon Seo... are you *on the level*?"
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
"Well, there is a world of difference between those pronunciations..." Katsuya starts, looking somewhat deflated at Ulala's response. Is it such a bad thing to want to get it right?
(It's called 'being a pedant', Katsuya.)
She's 'sure it's fine', is she? Katsuya pauses and looks around the room again. Well, technically, the exit is the fire escape, and while things are messy...
Visual Calculus - Challenging 12 - [FAILED] -- No. No matter how you look around this lost-in-time bookstore, you cannot imagine what it would look like if it were on fire. Perhaps it would be sufficient to allow the occupants to escape, or perhaps not. The jury is out, Suou-kun.
"Hmm..." Katsuya muses, looking Shinobu over again in light of what she's just said to him and his inability to determine if there is any safety code violations in this room. "Pardon me. We met the other day. You were...?"
The... 'killer boss fight'?
Katsuya never once played Drake Adventure, and it shows. "Serizawa-kun?"
Is she, perhaps, referring to...
"Oh, they're in English? That is no trouble," says Katsuya, who of course graduated top of his class years ago. But Ulala has one last (?) question for her, and Katsuya turns his head to study her, as if attempting to puzzle out her angle.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon has all the trust and confidence in the world that Shinobu can handle herself, but she can't help but worry sometimes. ... that said, Shinobu is technically her senior in age, even if it's close enough between them that they seem to largely be comfortable more as peers -- and that seems to be Shinobu's style anyway.
Myunghon was content to try to let the fire code violation slip, but it's definitely delightful that Shinobu's trying to ply the officer on whether it's okay or not. Besides, the most interesting conversation right now is the one Ulala is leading, on the topic of the Killer Boss Fight and how she needs to get her *party* stronger.
Is she... *on the level*?
Whoa.
Myunghon visibly dissociates for about a full minute, but if you strain, you can kind of visibly see a small galaxy birthing inside her brain. Is this some kind of entrapment scheme? Is Ulala an UNDERCOVER COP? Is this a secret cop-good cop duo, come to try to get her trapped? Is the fire code violation comment related? Was the cat-print yukata a way to let her guard down? Did she already give up too much of the game when she talked about Magic River Teleportation? Is her dad involved in some fashion? Is Katsuya's pocket square, tucked in so neatly on his breast pocket, also listening in? Is it symbolism for the perfect trap in which she's already been lured into? Were they trying to get Shinobu in on this as well, put her in the lam? She's got a responsibility as her part-time employer, perhaps the Koala March cookies can help??
"Koalas," Myunghon suddenly blurts out with glassy eye.
A pause, as she blinks, and shakes her head. One centering breath. She flicks her eye to Shinobu, but she clearly has an interest... and they are in Sumaru City. So she decides to just tackle this one head-on, and--
There is a sudden surge of power, as a wave of blue erupts upwards into translucent columns of letters, and a black Shadow starts to rise out of that black suit jacket slung over her shoulders. The Shadow is matte-black and reflects no light, but is humanoid, and has silvery-hair and the barest peek of solid crimson eyes behind its bangs.
The Shadow reaches out without Myunghon moving even the slightest inch from the couch, with delicate dark fingers and... puts a single Koala March animal cracker on top of the stack.
Then it disappears.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"Little bit." Shinobu confirms for Ulala, without any hint of judgment in her tone. She's heard a lot of weird things in her time here. It's when things seem normal that you really have to watch out.
She looks back toward Katsuya as he studies her. She gives him a brief nod, as if acknowledging that she saw him.
"Shinobu Shimizu." She offers, with a brief, casual wave. "Festival committee emergency staff..."
...She pauses for a moment.
"Or, I guess I was, but that commitment's up, so. Free agent, now." She concludes with a casual shrug.
They inquire about the books - they're in English, which is no problem for Katsuya, but Ulala... Shinobu won't dig into that.
And then, Ulala asks a question. From the outside, Shinobu watches Myunghon go distant... then, blurt out 'koalas'.
Shinobu meets Myungon's eye - and then, she nods.
Shinobu can feel the surge of power, tugging at her mind. It's a familiar sensation. It's one she's done before, too - but she doesn't draw hers out, here. Instead, she watches as a Shadow creeps out, and perfectly stacks a single animal cracker.
Shinobu doesn't visibly react - but she certainly sees it. She leans back against the bookself, her attention now fully on the three of them.
...Actually, if one looks close enough, they can see she's stopping herself just before making contact with the bookshelf itself. Even now she isn't fully convinced that the full weight of a human body against the shelf isn't going to topple the entire store over like a row of dominos.
<Pose Tracker> Ulala Serizawa has posed.
As Ulala asks her curious question, nodding to Katsuya to trust her (maybe don't?), all eyes on her and Myunghon...
Myunghon goes glassy, saying one fated word. She is on the level.
"Uh... are you okay? I'm sorry, I just meant-"
Ulala pauses as the lights flicker, sidling over to Katsuya. "Woah, is that norm-"
Another koala joins the stack! Another koala to eventually be eaten!
"..." Ulala stares. "Oh, okay." She sighs, as she promptly turns around, walks out the door, and closes it. Is she leaving?!
Three seconds later, the door opens back up, closing tightly, as she stares at Myunghon.
"What the fuck was that?! That's not- I didn't expect- anything like that! I was expecting like, a cool blue light and then a brain ghost appearing at most, or realistically just you just saying 'yeah' and then we going back to the Very Subtle Game of Drake Adventure Lingo, or-"
Breathe, Ulala, breathe. She takes two sharp inhales, holds it, and then does a long exhale.
"...okay. Let's... start over. My name is Ulala Serizawa, 24, lingerie salewoman, and I'm, uh. a..." How much to share? Why is she sharing this like she's at a matchmaking party? Does she reveal Katsuya's real involvement? No, she won't reference him... if he wants to pretend he didn't see anything weird, he can. She looks over to Katsuya, tilting her head into a nod. She can at least start with the basics
"A Persona... owner? Purse-owner? Wielder? User? Anyways, I've got this *damn magic* inside me and I don't know much about it except what you learn inside that weird blue place! And don't get me started about the midnight coffin hour!"
Ulala puts a hand on her cheek, puffing air out. "You gave me that magic card and I appreciate that... thank you again. But this all seems so insane..."
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
"I see. It is good to meet you, Shimizu-san. Ah, so you are currently between employers..." It is not as if he has room to judge: people make their living working like this. Besides, while he's still a police officer himself, he's currently 'not working' (at least until his 'mandatory leave' expires, and then he'll be back in the station attending to the 'normal' sorts of Sumaru homicides).
(In that demons or rumors probably won't be involved.)
Myunghon visibly blanks out here. Katsuya, concerned that she might be having some sort of medical incident, hazards a, "Miss?" before abruptly breaking off towards her.
Koala. A single breath. A return to herself, a glance at Shinobu. It would seem that she's returned to herself (and thus, Katsuya has stopped in his tracks before he ever gets close to her desk), but what happens in the moment after is certainly not what he expected, either.
He's a mostly stoic-leaning sort, this detective (yes, really): he's good at affecting his own 'mask'. Still, this catches him off-guard: he's half-raised his arm for something that's under his jacket (no points for guessing) only to freeze the moment he clocks it as no real threat to Ulala, Shinobu, or himself. His eyes have widened. Yet, all the Shadow does is carefully stack a cookie on the desk and vanish.
"Is that...?" he wonders aloud when it's all over.
Ulala's own reaction is far more vehement: if anything, he widens his eyes more as he glances her way and just, stares, for a moment. He reaches up to fidget with the knot of his tie rather than say anything.
And, Ulala explains.
Yes. It'd had been bad enough to find out that #501 was not just 'any' killer. Demons were real. He has another self, which he's still ruminating about (Thought Cabinet: currently internalizing THE OTHER ME IS A CAT, time to completion: 336 hours). It's apparently possible to alter reality on some sort of scale via spreading the right kind of rumors through the right kind of people. At midnight, all electronics stop working and everyone who was alive just moments before turns into a coffin.
He glances at Ulala regarding the last. Oh, so she had noticed that, too.
"It is... well, the same with me," he explains slowly, as if he's uncertain that this is the sort of thing he should be admitting to. "As... Serizawa-kun has explained, it appears that the world is not entirely the way we had thought it was. We are still getting our bearings, as it were. It seems we are not the only ones with this power, but learning more about it is... complicated," he settles for. Certainly, Baofu -- and the inhabitants of the Velvet Room -- had helped with the basics, but, one he doesn't quite trust and the others, while forthright enough, feel like they only intend to explain the basics of this power.
Not... everything else that's strange in the world for them. Perhaps they can't. That spirit who had spoken to them in that dream-state, Philemon, had seemed as if he were fading away. The Velvet Room may be similarly imperiled with whatever it is that's happening.
Or at least, this is the way that Katsuya has rationalized it.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon would always give Shinobu the choice on whether she wants to out herself as being embroiled in the supernatural, of course -- but she knows that that nod means that she's in. It's a dangerous business that they're a part of, and after getting enough of a sense of Ulala and Katsuya, it doesn't feel like they're going to be steered particularly wrong to tip their hand here. It might make their life more complicated... but isn't complication part of the fun of it all?
Free agent. There's a smile as Myunghon rotates those words in her head. There's something so free and admirable about the way Shinobu conducts herself.
Ulala's reaction is a lot more bold than expected, however, and for a moment Myunghon is convinced Ulala's just thrown her hands up and is going home-- such that she can't help but laugh a little when she returns and expresses disbelief.
"Myunghon Yeo. 23. That makes you both my senpai, technically," Myunghon does remark, as actually the youngest in this room. "To be honest, Serizawa-san, you're holding it together better than I did when I stumbled into all of it."
That's a private joke to her and other people not in this room, because her guts were literally spilling out of her when she awakened to her Persona. Thanks, Miho.
"But yes. Persona," Myunghon carefully rolls the words and its syllables on her tongue. "I think Shinobu-ssi and I've been at it a little bit longer than you two have, but to be honest," she pats the stack of Carl Jung books, "I haven't been able to find anything truly illuminating in these. Buut..."
The rumourmonger reclines in her seat, then plays with a Skill Card that's suddenly made its way into her hand. "I gave Serizawa-san one of these... Skill Cards, they're called. You can play with fire or electricity with them. Dangerous goods... but maybe life-saving when you're involved in a Killer Boss Fight."
Her one visible eyes narrows as she ventures a guess: "A... Joker Killer boss fight?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"Nice to meet you, too." Shinobu replies with a nod - both a greeting and an acknowledgment of his observation. "For now, anyway. I'll pick up something sooner or later."
The koala is placed upon its throne, and Ulala leaves. Shinobu counts the beats, and inwardly bets against herself if she's actually going to come back. ...And then Ulala returns in a very understandable panic. Shinobu's glad that Myunghon is the one taking the brunt of the questions, because she isn't sure she would've been able to follow all that if she had to provide answers.
...That does explain what they were talking about before, though. She's not the Drake Adventure-r of her family. If it was fighting game lingo, she might be able to manage it better.
Myunghon introduces herself more formally - and Shinobu pauses for a moment, as she realises she never really asked about the circumstances of her awakening.
...Well, it makes sense - this isn't the sort of power you receive when everything's fine and good in your life, from her experience. It's not the sort of thing you'd want to bring up in casual conversation.
Katsuya explains that it's the same with him - and Shinobu raises a hand casually.
"Fair's fair - that's me, too." She offers. Myunghon explains that they've been at it a bit longer than them, and she nods. "About a year, for me. Can't say I still know any more than you do, though, if you've seen those already."
It might have become more normal for her, but that doesn't mean she's any closer to unravelling the secrets within. Myunghon gives the Skill Card tutorial - and guesses at something.
The Joker Killer... Anyone who lives in Sumaru City would know about that. And if they're asking about that in connection to Personas... This is probably important for her to listen to.
<Pose Tracker> Ulala Serizawa has posed.
Katsuya chooses to reveal the situation, so Ulala nods to him. "Yeah, it's like... can't trust anyone really, hell, we barely know *each other*, but we shared the experience so at least we know this isn't bullshit," she gestures again to the detective.
Myunghon and Shinobu reintroduces herself, as Shinobu reveals herself to also be a Persona user. Ulala takes it in, before nodding about the magic cards... Skill Cards?
Ulala purses her lips as Myunghon asks about the Joker Killer. "Right... yeah, I... uh... didn't believe he was real before this..." She laughs awkwardly. "The guy with the paper bag for a mask... he attacked Seven Sisters and tried to kill us with actual demons. Either way, he failed. You know that rumor about the symbol? We started that. Don't know if it's gonna hold up, though." A pause.
"Katsuya-san, should we keep one on us when we're not in groups, maybe...? In case he comes back after us again, you know? Though, that'd beat the point of what we did..." Despite her awkwardness, it seems she's kinda nervous about this whole supernatural discussion. It's a lot!
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
She doesn't feel like she's someone he can't trust as it were. She's a strange person with a stranger grasp on logic, but it doesn't give him the impression that anything actually improper or illegal is taking place -- and if Katsuya can be said to know one thing, it's the difference between a strange action and a wrong action.
"Perhaps so..." Katsuya reflects, on the subject of who is junior and senior in this room. "I am 25, myself," he adds, so as not to make the others feel like they've put themselves out there without him following in suit. 25 going on 26, but with a birthday in December, that's a long way off yet...
How long has their contact Baofu been at it, he wonders to himself. He had the feeling of a more experienced Persona-user, but... there's a lot about that man which doesn't quite add up in Katsuya's calculus. Myunghon is strange, but Baofu... might just be wrong.
But he has yet to make a decision about it.
"So, you as well, Shimizu-san. Then, that explains your partnership." Perhaps it's normal for people thrust into this sort of situation to flock together: it's not as if just anyone has this sort of power. Desperate situations can also make odd bedfellows. "If you have any advice, we would appreciate it all the same. I don't think we can afford to be particular. What we are up against is potentially dangerous." To wit, as Ulala explains--
"Yes. I was assigned to the Joker Killer case. That he appeared at the high school at all... I never would have expected it. I suspect that will not be the last we see of him." He pauses, then shakes his head shakes his head. "No. It's a good thought, but if we aim to catch up to #501, we risk hampering our attempt. The principal at Seven Sisters will not be his last victim..." Trailing off, Katsuya bows his head to fidget with his sunglasses. "Besides, that was Amano-kun's decision."
And it's entirely possible that the rumor could come undone, as Ulala had suggested.
He gestures towards the books. "I see. So 'this' is unhelpful. We had been directed towards the website 'Darkside of Sumaru', and of course there is the Velvet Room, but..." But it feels like the first might well contain potential falsehoods, while the second seems more geared to give them the basics but not the specifics. The people in there are (mostly. ...he thinks.) not human, of course. Perhaps like in some myths he's read, they might not experience the flow of time the way humans do.
"Skill Cards... I see. So this is a way to strengthen our Personas. The inhabitants of the Velvet Room had suggested as much. Then, if we were to take them there, we would be able to make use of them?" What does his own Persona lack that might be of use? Maya's Persona has healing powers but his does not. Or perhaps, he could diversify his options. "So you have cards that grant the power of fire or electricity. A diversification of our options may be helpful, Serizawa-san." He, personally, hasn't run into any demons since the afore-mentioned incident at the high school, but that doesn't mean it will continue to be so.
Especially when facing the creatures -- Shadows, they're called, as he's read -- in the 25th hour after midnight.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Shinobu reveals her hand as well and shares that it's been about a year for her. It is true that Myunghon hasn't shared the circumstances of how she herself awoke, however, but she's mentioned to her that she's been at it for a year longer. Two years and change now, seemingly a blink of the eye despite how much time has passed... and how little she still knows.
"It is a difficult thing to try to tell other people. I am lucky to have met Shinobu-ssi here when I did, and she has saved my life on more than one occasion," Myunghon does admit as Ulala expresses how difficult it is to trust other people. A small smile creeps onto her face. "One of the methods I devised is to run Skill Card sales during that horrific Dark Hour you mentioned earlier. Normal people turn into coffins and don't realise what's happening -- so anyone walking into my store is, high likelihoods, a Persona User."
Or something more terrifying. She could very well bring the Joker Killer to her doorstep.
Katsuya speaks of the uses of Skill Cards, and she can tell that he's already spinning up options in his head. "The more tools you have at your disposal, the safer you can make these perilous times. I'm not the only source of them, of course, but I've been in the business of trying to educate newer Persona Users on their existence, so we can all be safer."
Ulala shares their story, however, and even Myunghon can scarce hide the surprise. "To be honest, the only advice I have for myself and Shinobu-ssi if we meet the Joker Killer is to run, so it is remarkable that you both came out alive."
So, that rumour was started by Amano and the others... Myunghon looks thoughtful for a moment. "I see. So you're using Chief Todoroki's network to spread it... of course, as a Rumourmonger, I'm also across it. And of course, as a Rumourmonger, feel free to see me if you feel you need more information."
There's a smile.
"It won't always be free, but... I'm often not interested in money. We Persona Users have to often scratch each other's backs, because public services aren't able to fight Demons. We can work something out. #501 is of great interest to us Rumourmongers, as you can imagine."
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
23... 24... 25... Shinobu grimaces inwardly - and a little outwardly, too. That makes her the oldest present here, actually, and yet she feels they have things all figured out in life better than she does. It's a little sobering.
"Uh, 28." Shinobu provides, quickly and without fanfare, so that it can easily be lost amidst conversation while still, technically, adhering to the same sense of fairness that lead her to admit that she's a Persona-user like the rest of them.
She nods, though, as Ulala mentions how they can't trust anyone and barely know each other, but shared the experience.
"...Yeah. It's easier when you have other people who can tell you it actually happened." She comments with a nod. She didn't have that when she first awoke. She nods, too, to Katsuya. "Well, sort of. I was a part-timer first before I figured out what else she was selling..."
She nods, at Myunghon's words.
"Lucky for both of us. She's been a big help for me, too." She comments. She listens as Ulala continues, and surprise crosses her face when she mentions their encounter with the Joker Killer.
"So not only is he a real guy, he can summon demons? ...Geez. Glad you guys got out of that in one piece." Shinobu mutters, exhaling sharply and massaging the back of her neck. She nods, as Myunghon comments that the only advice she'd have if they met him would be to run. She likes a good fight, but even she knows her limits. "Seriously."
She looks up, though, at the mention of the rumor of the Sevens symbol.
"Oh, that was you guys?" She comments. The point of 'what they did'? Shinobu looks curious, at that, but she doesn't pry. Instead, she thinks about what else she can add to Katsuya's earlier question.
"Advice, advice..." She murmors, tapping her thumb against the side of her chin.
"Well, if you have to fight, then... a lot of it's, just... trust your instincts. Your Persona is still 'you', so don't be afraid to let it guide you, and to guide it. Work with it, cooperate with it. And if you can get the hang of acting together with it, you'll be a lot better in a fight. It's like having a second body around to always watch your back." Shinobu explains. She thinks a bit further... and then snaps her fingers, pointing at both of them.
"Oh, yeah, and if you're out late past midnight when it gets all green, and you see a golden, hand-shaped Shadow scuttling around..." She raises her arm just slightly and lets her hand droop, wiggling her fingers in the imitation of the movements of a Wealth Hand. "It might be tempting to chase them because what they leave behind is valuable to certain people, but they've usually got other Shadows around they're trying to lead you to... so maybe don't chase them too far."
Some things you learn only from experience.
Still, the services of a Rumormonger... even she knows how useful those are - and the importance of cooperating when they can. Especially when there's something as dangerous as the Joker Killer roaming around.
"There's a responsibility that goes with seeing what others can't." Shinobu comments. ...Though a part of her wonders if that's just an excuse.
<Pose Tracker> Ulala Serizawa has posed.
"Honestly, the guy was a dick... there were probably a lot of people who would called on him, huh?" Ulala weighs her hands towards Katsuya about the principal of Seven Sisters, though she's not necessarily joking about it. "People who call the Joker Killer are probably not all bad people... but the Joker Killer himself? Rancid guy... can't let him get away with this."
She then looks back to the two 'veterans', considering. When Shinobu reveals her age, there's a look in her eyes that can be read as 'wow, but you look so youthful'. 28 is not old, Ulala...
But, regarding the Joker Killer and running, Ulala shakes her head. "...I'd love to, but I can't let Maya get hurt. And I know... she's going to keep getting wrapped up in it. Besides, this blockhead-" she gestures to Katsuya, "needs someone to balance him out! In this team dynamic, I'm the red oni to his- the blue oni to his-"
A pause.
"We're purple onis?" This metaphor has broken down.
She shakes her head. "Either way... I'll definitely do business with you. Skill Cards, rumors... it seems like it'll all definitely come in handy adapting to life's new bullshit."
Pause.
"Do you get used to it?"
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
"So you do sales during this, the 'Dark Hour' as you called it," Katsuya muses, folding his arms over his chest. It's a clever thought, though something about it leaves him feeling slightly unsettled. Perhaps, it's because the danger that time naturally poses? He's avoided going out and about in it alone as much as he can so far, clocking the shadowy creatures in it as a threat, but he knows he won't be able to ignore it indefinitely. If they're aware of it, #501 certainly is. Perhaps he's even used it to his benefit.
Still, he might be a police officer with a Persona, but it would be safter if he can explore it with others, just in the event of any trouble. "I will keep that in mind. Perhaps the next time you have a sale...?"
They'll need to make sure they're well-equiped and prepared for trouble, yes, but he also still needs to make sure he stays within his budget. Supernatural risks to life and limb don't stop him from needing to buy food and clothes.
23, 24, 25, 28. "I see..." says Katsuya, who is too well-mannered to comment on a lady's age outright. If they had been in the same school, she would have been his senpai, a part of his mind chimes unhelpfully. "So you learned more about it after the fact."
"It was a perilous encounter," he tells Myunghon, nodding. "I am not certain we would have survived it, if we had not awoken to our Personas. That's right," he tells Shinobu, "He did not fight us directly, but instead summoned demons. I suspect that demons are the means by which he has conducted most of his killings." Yet, it almost seemed like #501 had been counting on it. His words hadn't made any sense, but he'd wanted Amano to... awaken. Right?
He glances sidelong at Ulala. There are some things that aren't his place to say, if only because the party involved isn't here to choose whether to say them. "I suspect he may aim to finish the job, at some point. You are aware of the rumor about the killings, Yeo-san? I had discounted them as an urban legend before, but it seems it really is true. 'Whoever calls their own cellphone number can contact Joker, and ask them to kill someone for them'. Even if he failed, wouldn't the contract still stand...?" He looks again at Ulala. "Precisely. I have my own questions for who would wish someone else to die so badly, yet... that is not the same thing as the person who does the deed." He bows his head as if in thought. Who is to blame in such a situation? Is it actually shared...?
[THOUGHT GAINED]: CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
He seems awfully composed about all this. Maybe it's because it's not really 'his' skin on the line. Or maybe, because he believes he can stop it if it happens again.
"Yes, Chief Todoroki, as you say," he continues. "A contact of ours introduced us. ...I see, so we may be able to trade for rumors with you in the future. Very well," he says, nodding. "It would be wise to keep tabs on what people are talking about at least."
He turns, gesturing towards Ulala. "I think, we should use this power carefully, Serizawa-kun. Even if a rumor does spread and helps us in the process, well, I wonder about unintended consequences."
Running might be better. But as Ulala mentions Amano casually, she states she doesn't intend to run, either, because this blockhead,
Katsuya's shoulders slouch slightly and he gives the impression of wilting somewhat, but he doesn't say anything.
needs someone to balance him out. Because she's the red, no blue, no... purple oni? Katsuya shakes his head, apparently unwilling to even try to get in the middle of that metaphor. "It does not matter, I think," is his opinion. "What is important is that we are of like mind."
Shinobu, meanwhile, has a little bit of advice for them both. "Hmm... I will keep that in mind, Shimizu-san. 'Work with my Persona', is it... If it is 'another me', then that makes sense." But the tip about bonus hour after midnight is more useful, yet, if strange:
"A golden... hand?" He looks at her as if the world about him has tilted a scant few degrees to the right. "I see. I have not engaged any of these 'Shadows' directly just yet, but I will remember that. So they come in different shapes..." Katsuya mulls aloud, glancing up at the ceiling. "I wonder, why is it a hand?"
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
That Myunghon can speak as peers with Shinobu is definitely one of the largest appeals of working with her! There's a freeing kind of companionship, the kind that isn't as bogged down by details like seniority. Don't worry, Shinobu, Myunghon thinks you've got it better figured out than she has, at least.
Myunghon nods to Katsuya's remark about sales. "The Dark Hour is not the only way. These Skill Cards," Myunghon waves one in her hand -- where did it come from? "Only appear like ordinary cards to the unawakened, like baseball or trading cards. The Card Shop front is part of maintaining that ruse. It gave Serizawa-san here a bit of an in to talk about these matters."
There's a fond and cozy smile as Myunghon listens to Shinobu give them advice. When she silently felt like Shinobu had it more put together, this is one of the ways -- there's a part of her that still isn't resolved how to feel about her Persona. The fact that she only woke up to it after being physically destroyed. That it changed everything between her and her friends.
When Katsuya speaks of how 501 summoned Demons, her expression falls. For a moment after he explains their tale, her mind is elsewhere. These old scars are hurting again, ah... she really could go for a painkiller right now.
But Shinobu also talks about the Wealth Hand and makes a grim nod, shaking her hand. "We're lucky I had that Go-Home Frog that time..."
That fondness is still plain present when Ulala insists she can't let Maya get hurt, though. Now there's a loyal friend. There's a quiet snicker as she starts comparing themselves. Katsuya does bring up the point that it's not over between them, however -- if there's a contract out for Maya, does that mean she'll always get chased?
"Hmm... honestly, even knowing your friend Amano-san is going to continue being chased, you've both chosen to stand by her side. That's a remarkable conviction, one I can't help but admire."
On the topic of rumours and being irresponsible, though... "That definitely has been a topic that we Rumourmongers have discussed. Fortunately, we're also gatekeepers -- we've got a bit more pull than usual to stop really bad rumours from spreading. But... we can only do so much. We don't have the power of the mass media, for starters. And even outside of that, if something catches on fire on social media, the horse has already left the stables at that point."
Do you get used to it, though?
"Serizawa-san... unfortunately, the human mind is really, really, *really* good at getting used to anything. If anything, I think the challenge is to keep reminding yourself to not get used to it."
There's something like a forlorn look from her all of a sudden.
"Get too wrapped in all of this and you can start thinking you can escape daily life and ordinary people. But that'll lead you astray too."
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu looks toward Ulala. So there's no idea who yet actually called him to the school in the first place. And if he's still at large... There's no telling who or what he'll strike next. To Katsuya, she nods.
"Yeah... That's about right. Just kind of got plunged right into the deep end and had to figure it out on the way." Shinobu says. She glances toward Ulala. She sees that look in her eyes regarding her age. Oh no. Shinobu grimaces again, taking 2d4 psychic damage from the implication. She frowns... but her expression softens a little as Ulala says she can't let Maya get hurt. She massages the back of her neck. She knows that feeling, of wanting to protect someone. She knows that no amount of being told 'no' is going to work. At least the three of them are a team, whatever variety of oni they may be - whether blue, red, purple, or something else entirely.
"What she said." Shinobu agrees with Myunghon, before looking toward Katsuya.
"...Yeah. It doesn't matter how strong you are. If you don't have a Persona, that's it." Shinobu replies with a shake of her head. It's a pretty clever way of doing it, she supposes with a grim expression. A demon won't leave much usable evidence behind, if they're in a fighting mood - and they're quite thorough.
Katsuya has good observations, too - about the rumors about the killings, the why, and the need to be cautious when manipulating rumors for one's own benefit. Shinobu considers him for a moment - but she doesn't comment.
Myunghon comments on Shinobu's advice and she smirks, with a mirthless laugh.
"That's for sure." She agrees wholeheartedly. And at Katsuya's question - why a hand? - Shinobu's shoulders raise in a brief, nonchalant shrug.
"I'm sure it's probably important, but... no idea." Shinobu replies. "I'm focused more on the, uh... immediately practical side of things."
She means violence.
As for whether or not you get used to it... Shinobu massages the back of her neck.
"...Yeah." She agrees. Getting too wrapped up into it... A part of her wonders if she's at risk at that - but that's a little too sensitive to bring up.
<Pose Tracker> Ulala Serizawa has posed.
If Ulala notices Katsuya's slouching, or Shinobu's frown, she doesn't seem to comment. She's too busy stressing about something related to the whole topic, so...
"I've known her since high school..." Ulala says, nodding. But they move over to irresponsible rumors. "That sounds... really hard to manage. My sympathies."
Yet, completely ignoring talking about Golden Hands because. She does not want to know WHY it's a golden hand, she listens to the thing about getting wrapped up with it. "Oh, nononono, I am not making this my life. I have dreams! Goals! White wedding..." She sighs, as if it feels so far away right now. She said she was single at the festival, didn't she?
"But...I appreciate the advice. We need to balance our daily lives with this... not let it consume us, right, Katsuya-san?" She worries quietly that he might get too invested... he seems the type.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
"Hmm. I see. So it is possible they could show up among other cards." There are stores that sell card games and the like, come to think, but he's never been in one (he's much too boring for that).
"So you have known her this long," he says to Ulala. "I knew the two of you were good friends."
He stops short though when Myunghon says that he's a good friend to them, too. "Friends...? I hadn't thought of it like that. It is simply my duty to protect civilians in trouble... is how I thought about it." So he's the type who needs to have his feelings explained to him, huh...
"Is that common?" he asks of Shinobu, when she speaks of 'getting plunged in the deep end'. "I suppose no one could go in 'expecting' this." He certainly hadn't! He would have thought it was a joke, or delusion, if someone had told him before. Undoubtedly, that's how it had seemed when he'd tried to explain to the other officers what he'd seen...
A white wedding? He regards Ulala a little more carefully than before. Didn't he recall her saying something about a... a matchmaker party? One that she and Amano were meant to go to. He doesn't remark on this, though. Instead: "So long as there are unlawful acts taking place in relation to all of these things... I do not think I can look the other way," he says. Which means that he does intend to keep going, even when this is all over? Yet, can you arrest a demon?
Why a hand? ...Maybe that's just how these things are. "I... see. So there is no need to overthink it..."
Never mind that is exactly what Katsuya is excellent at doing.
"Yes," he says to Ulala, readjusting his sunglasses. He glances at Myunghon at her melancholy comment. "We still have our jobs, our lives, and many other things to think about." Like, for example, the fact that his younger brother still hasn't come home, according to his parents. ...Probably, Tatsuya is pushing his delinquent act further, but a part of Katsuya has started to worry. There are a lot of dangers in this world -- some, he's only become aware of recently. Is it possible that...?
Speaking of not letting things consume him, he decides not to let that thought get any further. No. He can't let himself spiral when he doesn't even know if something else happened. He'll keep an eye out, but as long as his parents haven't decided to file a missing persons report, it's. It's fine. It's probably fine.
He pushes his sunglasses a fraction of the way up his nose. "Now, you said you had some cards?" ...He had said he'd wait for a sale, and he means that, but, it might be a good idea to take a look now. Just in case.
Saving money won't do him any good if he's dead, after all.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Now, you said you had some cards?
As if Sergeant Suou has pressed the X button in the wilful act of Transaction, the screen suddenly explodes into a pitch-black silhouette of Myunghon acrobatically performing a crime to the chair behind her till we can only call 'Riker-like'.
Said same silhouette extravagantly grand-jetes into a draw-me-like-your-French-girl pose as the 'Buy' menu is selected.
Inwardsly, Myunghon is straining to not heave as intense pressure hits her diaphragm and she wonders why shopkeepers have it so damn hard. Who designed these menus???? Please, act decisively, Suou-san...