2026-01-24: A Nostalgic Parallel
- Log: A Nostalgic Parallel
- Cast: Tamaki Uchida, Miho Ijuuin
- Where: Aoba Way
- OOC Date: January 24, 2026
- IC Date: September 15, 2012
- Summary: Tamaki makes good on Yua's suggestion to visit the fencing hall where fellow sabre fencer Miho trains to ask for a practice session together, though her boldness is tempered by her nervousness at their skill disparity: Miho's an Olympics medalist, Tamaki's a hobbyist. Miho pulls Tamaki into an office to speak away from the other fencers present -- somewhere they can speak more openly on certain topics.
(|================================= Aoba Way =================================|)
-=================================================== Sumaru City/Aoba Ward ====-
Ample shopping can be found at the stores that dot Aoba Way, but not just the
normal kind. Aside from a door to the Velvet Room for Persona Users, one can
hear and spread all kinds of rumors at Kuzunoha Detective Agency. At the
internet cafe Double Slash, one can surf on the web to find some of those very
rumors *and* munch on various snacks served at the back bar by an apathetic
teenage boy. The blue carpeting and wall-to-wall aquariums lend the place a
relaxing atmosphere.
The bar Parabellum has a more noir vibe, with a mostly wooden interior, brown
leather seats, green glass lamps, and brick pillars along the walls. The elderly
barkeeper offers a number of unique mixed drinks, all named after weapons...
which might be a clever cover for the fact that, according to rumor, he sells
*real* weapons. The fashion boutique Rosa Candida offers the latest in trends
and (per rumor) armor, its decor stark yet stylish, with clothes and bags alike
on display for customers along the walls and on a central table. A pair of
changing rooms are naturally available; to use them, just get the permission of
the saleswoman in red first.
Etheria offers spa treatments to the weary among bright lamps, stained glass
windows, off-white decor, and an esthetician with a giant blue crystal crown.
The name of the place fuses "ether" and "materia," and the treatments are
effective: those who use this spa walk away feeling refreshed in mind and body.
And, of course, it's not Sumaru City without a local Satomi Tadashi Pharmacy
branch. This one looks the same as all the others: aisles and walls laden with
medicine of all kinds, overseen from the back counter where magazines are
available by one of seven identical sisters. Satomi Sister #1 runs this one; an
English-language piano version of the store's theme plays here. "Always in the
side of those who fight: our local... drug store~ o/`"
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
The card reads for one 'Aoba Hall', a humbly-named practice hall that nevertheless boasts some of the greatest fencers in Japan in the current day. While she cannot get here as often as she did in the leadup to the Olympics, Miho Ijuuin trains here.
It's an older building, very near to the point at which it ought to be rebuilt, with tall ceilings and trophies along the walls. Miho is not the only expert who trains here, though she is perhaps the most famous.
It has everything one might expect from such a hall--but there, with other sabre experts, is Miho, just taking off her mask after a few matches and thus visible to the eye.
There's a small crowd near her, though not quite around her, and in other places in the hall, fencers practice against each other, against targets, and so on. It is a veritable storm of swords.
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
Remi Ryuuja had once mentioned that she and Miho were classmates, though their preferred forms of swordplay differ, and Remi's stated purpose is for stage performance, not competition. Still, Tamaki had visibly been star-struck, having paid keen attention to the sport's Olympics matches. Similarly, in a prior chance meeting, Yua had encouraged Tamaki to visit the hall where Miho trains. Today, she's taken up Yua on that offer and given Miho's hall a visit ...
... though upon entering, Tamaki immediately feels out of her depth. She's no expert, a mere hobbyist who still trains today, but in the comparatively more humble environment of a rented-out gym space with like-minded enthusiasts with makeshift fencing strips fashioned out of markers taped to the floor, bereft of trophies -- nothing so dedicated as this. She can't help but let out a low whistle of appreciation as she stands just past the entrance for a moment to take it all in, her sports bag slung over her shoulder.
Somewhat awkwardly, Tamaki tries to wave in Miho's direction and flag her down, but an uncharacteristic sense of nervousness starts to set in. What does she do? What does she say? Her head swivels around as she tries to see if there's someone at a desk she should speak with instead of being so direct. Regardless of precisely how she manages to get Miho's attention in the end, she finds her voice and stammers out, "I-Ijuuin-sama! If I may have a moment of your time -- y-yyyour -- "
Tamaki squelches the word she was about to speak and swallows hard. It certainly wasn't 'sister-in-law.' " -- your -- er, friend and new family member said I should stop by. For some practice. I hope I'm not imposing -- you don't have to -- sorry, I didn't think ahead -- "
Oh boy. Hopefully Miho can throw her a lifeline here ...
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
It's a very nice place.
Miho notices Tamaki's wave. For a moment, she simply looks at her--but when Tamaki finds her voice, Miho gestures to the people who were about to try to talk to her, and instead begins walking over to Tamaki. Her...
Hmmm.
"You may," Miho answers, and closes the distance. "You are not. My... best friend, actually came to me after practice not unlike this, when we first met. For that nostalgic moment, I'll give you some time."
She walks close enough to actually talk without being overheard as easily, though of course--a few people are likely to try to listen in, their curiosity warring with their fear of Miho's disapproval.
"Tamaki Uchida-san, I presume," she says at that point. "You made an impression on her. I'd be happy to arrange some practice for or with you..."
"But first, why don't we talk? This way, there's an office. ...Unless you'd like to be the subject of the hall's gossip for the next while, of course."
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
Being direct was fine, it seems! On one hand, good, she's gotten the ear of Miho Ijuuin. On the other hand: It's Miho Ijuuin. That alone is enough to intimidate her and cause some trepidation to take hold.
'Best friend.' Tamaki files the term away in her head. The nostalgic parallel which Miho draws catches her by surprise. This, however, seems to cause her to regain her composure, and she waves a hand as if to dismiss some notion. She laughs airily, then replies, "Oh! Well, don't get the wrong idea. I just practice sabre fencing, myself. Have since high school. Big fan of your work. You've adapted to the recent rule changes quite well, whereas I've had trouble weaning myself off of now-illegal moves, and I was hoping to get some pointers -- "
The rest of her brain catches up with her as she starts to talk shop. If she sprinkles in some legitimate fencing terminology, maybe the gaggle of onlookers will correctly see Tamaki as someone whose admiration for Miho is strictly for her skill in the sport and lose interest in some more salacious possibility.
More to the point, she's afraid of getting wrecked and shown up during a practice session. A hobbyist against an Olympic medalist ... she's hardly worth Miho's time, yet here she is.
Her train of thought is interrupted as she processes the fact that Miho recognizes her and knows her by name. "You presume corre -- waaaiiit wait wait, I have?" Tamaki boggles at the realization that she made an impression on Yua. True, they had that conversation by the shrine, but overall ... relatively, she's a nobody, a normie, a middle-class bumpkin. Tamaki's own relationship to the pair of best friends is, at best, parasocial. Surely that information disparity is the same the other way around, right?
Tamaki's expression flattens as Miho confirms her suspicions of the gathering crowd and the prospect of being gossiped about. She clears her throat, then gestures for Miho. "I'd like some practice, yes. Office it is! Please, lead the way!"
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Indeed; the crowd is a little less interested now that it's just fencing practice. Still interested, though; nobody who's here is here because they aren't interested in fencing!
...Besides; for gossip about Miho they're more inclined to talk about a certain actor, these days.
Miho will indeed give Tamaki that practice session, during which she may or may not be wrecked--and she'd do that much even without the personal connection. But given that it exists...
"You did," Miho confirms. She says no more on that for now, though. Instead, she leads the way to the office, and closes the door. It's a small room, with a desk and some cabinets and a computer, but also a couple of chairs in front of the desk. Miho pulls one out to a more conversational distance, and takes a seat, assuming Tamaki will take the other. She could've sat behind the desk... but it's not actually hers.
"So," she says, "I'll get the elephant in the room out of here, first. Yua mentioend you; she didn't use your name, and downplayed the conversation, though she did seem somewhat troubled... But since she downplayed it, I didn't look into more than just your name that I was given. So don't feel you're at too much a disadvantage. ...besides, she said your conversation would stay between you, so I won't ask."
"Instead, I'm interested in your fencing background. You say you practiced in high school?" A beat, "I went to Seven Sisters, myself. I started younger, of course--I wouldn't have made it to the Olympics, otherwise."
"What drew you to the sport?"
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
Tamaki scurries behind Miho to spare herself from any more prying eyes and ears. Her brain hitches and she simply stands there like an idiot for a moment before she takes the chair offered to her.
Miho claims that she just knows Tamaki's name. In turn, Tamaki grows pensive and props her chin on a fist. She starts slowly, at first: "Well ... for full transparency, I am an apprentice at a local private detective agency." She then breaks out into a bright grin and beams at Miho. "Don't worry, though! If you were actually under investigation, I'd come a lot more prepared than this, ahaha!"
Tamaki sheepishly rubs her hand behind her neck. The gesture may cause her to initially seem green behind the ears to most -- less hardboiled detective, more 'straight from a new carton'.
If Miho's senses are sharp enough, however, she might be able to pick up on the telling manner in which Tamaki's eyes widen when she mentions how she'll let her conversation with Yua stay between them. "It was more personal than professional, yeah," she comments with a shrub. Maybe she shouldn't divulge it now, but instead, she offers, "If she's okay with revealing it to you, then I'm okay with it, too."
It is something she's dying to ask, after all. She's not smitten with Miho herself, but she's struck by the fervency with which Miho had promised to seek out Yua and had succeeded in doing so.
Miho went to Seven Sisters. "Yeah! Ryuuja-san had mentioned that you had gone there, too. I actually got my start in foil fencing, first at Karukozaka High, then after my family moved, later at St. Hermelin." She doesn't feel the need to repeat that foil's a common start for anyone's first few weeks or months of lessons; while it's complex in its own right and many do remain there, it forms a strong framework for those who later move to épée and sabre. "During middle school, I played a lot of chess, and I had heard others compare the game to foil."
The real story of how she had moved from foil to sabre will remain shrouded in mystery, if she can help it, but the surface explanation she cheerfully gives is this: "I've always been pretty athletic, too. A few months later, my instructor noticed that I had the right stuff to try something at a faster pace, so here we are today! It's my primary way of keeping fit -- that, and running around the city all day for field work, ahahaha!"
The real story is that Demons rarely adhere to the rules of sportsmanship and the plodding, strategical pace of foil fencing, and sometimes it's easier to cut one than it is to pierce one.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"I see," Miho answers. "I'm familiar with private detectives' work in general. It must be an interesting job." A laugh, then. "Don't worry. If I were under investigation I wouldn't be any less friendly."
It is a short laugh. She might not be kidding.
Miho doesn't comment on experience levels; instead she says, "A reasonable position. I appreciate that you're concerned with her privacy."
...In another world, Miho might insist; this is not that world. Yua has been given so little privacy in her life, and that's true lately, too...
But Ryuuja-san! "Ahh, so you're aware of her, too. She's a friend as well." Miho listens, and nods. "I see. Yes, that makes sennse." She doesn't need to hear that, though someone must appreciate the clarification. "I think that's an interesting comparison; I do find foil interesting... but a little slower-paced than I like. I'm not always a patient woman."
As if by some fate, it becomes obvious at that point; the heartbeat of resonance, the sensation of sulfur and iron. Miho does not comment on it immediately, though she does look thoughtfully at Tamaki.
"Good, good. I appreciate enthusiasm, and one's own reasons for acting. I'll be happy to practice with you."
"I was the opposite, as it happens; I started with the sabre, and wasn't very good at first. But I was very young, of course."
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
Tamaki's smile grows more taut as Miho calls her job 'interesting'. "Oh, you don't know the half of it!"
She cants her head slightly as Miho expresses her appreciation for her respect of Yua's privacy. "Why wouldn't I be? You're welcome, all the same."
"Ryuuja-san mentioned she was part of the Drama club, and your best friend had mentioned that they had both worked on a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream." Tamaki lightly laughs behind a hand. "I like Shakespeare, myself, but I'm more a fan of kabuki and rakugo performances."
Miho finds foil slow ... perhaps frustratingly slow. Perhaps this admission of hers is something Tamaki may be able to exploit one day, though it could just as easily be a trap. "Hahaaa, well, I've found that I've had to cultivate a sense of patience in other areas of my life."
As if a reminder of the trials which tested her patience, Tamaki's own Resonance pulses in turn: coffee and honey flow together, the sustenance necessary to face the trials of a new day. Upon sensing Miho's, a more clear picture starts to form in Tamaki's mind as this information casts a new light on the events which Yua had alluded to. Yua may not have Resonance, but that isn't to say the form of her peril wasn't supernatural.
The likelihood that Yua is similar to Umie grows in Tamaki's mind -- but this is still merely a possibility without enough substance to firmly conclude.
Tamaki clasps her hands together as Miho agrees to a practice session. "Oh, wow, thank you! I hope I can at least hold my own, but I'll be happy if you can point out what I could stand to improve on ..."
Wait, she started with sabre? That's unusual, but it would explain her prowess at it, especially having learned it as such a young age. "That makes sense, and you've had plenty of time to develop your talent. Far more than I have, at least!"
Her initial nervousness exhibited in the entryway returns. "When would you like to start? Is -- is now good, or should we schedule something -- "
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"Some people would be more inclined to curry favor than to respect an aquaintance's needs; I'm glad you aren't like that."
She indeed might know half of the matter of an interesting occupation... she cosnidered getting her own license, once. But she just pursued it through less legal means, instead.
"There's something to be said about the traditional Japanese arts," Miho says pleasantly, "But they're certainly less popular among the average high schooler. It was a good production, I remember. Very polished."
Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't. "Ahhh," Miho says. "Well, it's a good quality to have."
Miho reflects on that resonance; Tamaki could be a foe, in the coming days. But then, that's true of most Persona-users she meets. It isn't relevant for the moment. Tamaki seems happy; this too is not surprising, it's not the first such person Miho's entertained. ...But the ones who are bold enough to come right to her she almost always gives the chance.
"I was used to getting what I wanted, as a young child. As an adult, I've had to learn that that isn't always possible. ...But I was very stubborn about sabre; I had been entirely enchanted."
Hmm.
"If you want a full session, I'll have to schedule it; I need to be at my job in an hour or so. But if you want just a match and some pointers, I have time now."
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
"Ohhh." Instantly, the explanation Miho provides for her thanks makes some measure of sense. Tamaki gives a slow nod and her gaze grows distant as she states, "There are people like that out there, right, right. You probably get that a lot, huh ..." She shrugs and adds, "It'd be unprofessional were it about a client, but devoid of that context, I simply find it rude."
Tamaki chuckles as Miho catches her ... unusual tastes for her young age. "Fair enough. I'm just fond of the classics, I suppose." With a wistful sigh, she adds, "I'm sure their production was a sight to behold."
On the virtue of patience, Tamaki grins back at Miho. "So I've learned and come to appreciate." As Miho further explains her upbringing, that grin fades slightly as Tamaki realizes that they have come from two very different sets of circumstances. "Hmmm. Anything that I've ever found worth a damn, I've had to fight tooth and nail for."
Starting with sabre isn't entirely unheard of, either. Tamaki quietly surmises that maybe there's an element of class involved to it: perhaps it's most economically viable for instructors to encourage foil first so that newcomers of Tamaki's social stature and age don't run headlong into the difficulties posed by épée and sabre, then the ones who develop an appetite for it can branch out into other disciplines. If that isn't a concern, on the other hand, then as long as the same fundamentals get covered, there's no reason Miho would have had to not jump right in to what most appealed to her.
Of course, this is all conjecture, so who's to really say until she sits down to look at some actual data?
Rather than voice those thoughts, Tamaki continues down a different lingering curiosity like so: "What had enchanted you about sabre so, if I might ask?"
As Miho states that she'd need to set aside time in her schedule for a full session, Tamaki finds her footing again and silently makes a finger-gun motion at Miho. She then rummages around in her bag for a day-planner and a pen, then clicks the pen. "Scheduling it is, then. Let's see, I'm free around ..."
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"Very rude," Miho agrees. "But not so you. That's good."
Miho actually smiles back. "I also appreciate the classics. But it really was."
Miho nods at that. "That's a good way to learn to fight. It's not to say I didn't work hard... But I didn't appreciate until I was older how much outside of sport needs to be fought and bled for--when it really matters."
There's definitely an element of class involved. But just what the data will say is a mystery until the data is available.
"The intricate dance of movement," Miho says. "So quick that I could't follow it with my eyes until later. ...Of course, the stories of ancient warriors and pirates didn't hurt," she says with some amusement. "But it wasn't until I actually saw the sport that I really latched on."
Finger-gun! "Perfect. Then I'm..."
They can schedule. Miho has a lot of demands on her time, but she can push something less interesting out of the way.
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
As Tamaki had said earlier: She has cultivated a sense of patience. She has already had to wait years to hear more about Miho's search for Yua and potentially derive some wisdom from it, some indication about whether or not she had made the correct choice in her own life to not search for someone lost, whether she had mistaken cynicism for pragmatism.
Compared to the amount of elapsed time thus far, what's a mere few days more?
Tamaki clears her throat before she broaches the topic of their mutually-perceived Resonance as she replies in regards to fighting outside of sport. "You and me both. I think it's safe to let on that I've fought in more contexts than sport. What started as an extracurricular activity shortly became a skill I've had to hone out of necessity."
First Eriko, then Remi, now Miho has spoken of a similar sense of enchantment, something which Tamaki seems to lack in turn. At least she's found that Eriko can manage to nudge her out of it, and she's finding more and more people who may be capable of the same.
Scheduling occurs. Tamaki laughs behind a hand again. "I look forward to our first dance, then. Thank you very much, Ijuuin-san."