2026-02-11: For Maria
- Log: For Maria
- Cast: Shinobu Shimizu, Ayame Watanabe, Sojiro Sakura
- Where: Seven Sisters High School - Maria's Kingdom
- OOC Date: February 11, 2026
- IC Date: September 24, 2012
- Summary: Sojiro, Ayame, and Shinobu delve into the space by Seven Sisters' High School's track field--and searching for passcodes in Maria's Kingdom.
(|============ Monad - Maria's Kingdom: The Dollhouse Corporation ============|)
-==== Round 1: The Front Door - Challenge Level 1 =============================-
| Approach Options: Charm or Understanding |
| Conditions: Annoying - Charm Down L2 and Hard - Understanding Down L1 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
"You're finally here."
The space you've found yourself in is dark, the shadows seeming to cling like
grime to the walls. Yet, there is light: a bright fluorescent glow illuminates
the street beyond the tight confines in which you've found yourself.
"Good," continues Izumi, seated comfortably in her mobile chair. "Like we
discussed, the front door's right around the corner. Bluffing your way could be
tricky, but you knew the stakes when you signed up. However you do it, just move
fast afterwards. We don't want them to figure out what we're doing and we don't
want to get trapped inside.""
Izumi sighs, shakes her head, then turns her attention back on everyone. "But
off you go. Remember, get in, get the passcode, and return here. We'll need that
to storm the boardroom and rescue Maria once we're ready."
And with that, everyone is able to walk out onto the main drag of this nocturnal
city and towards the grand front entrance of the Dollhouse Corporation. This is
a skyscraper that seems fit to reach for the moon and the stars, its highest
peak vanishing even with the shine of all the lights from it into some distant
point in the sky. All chrome and rounded edges and dark glass, the Corporation
looks like something out of a science-fiction movie.
Light near the entrance pulses softly from pink to blue and back again, washing
the Legionnaires there in the brilliant colors. Yes, just as Izumi warned, there
are indeed Doll Legionnaires waiting by the entrance; they are heavily armed.
Strung with red string and loaded with the finest cyber-hardware the Corporation
can afford, they stand alert and looking for trouble. As Izumi had said, the
door is right there, and one could walk through--
If the Legionnaires didn't stop you first. "Halt. Entry to this building is
currently restricted. Please state your identity and purpose," one states,
spotting your group. You could try to bluff your way through this with your
charisma. Or you could see if you could get into their heads a little and see if
you can convince them to let you in.
BGM: M.O.O.N. - Dust
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IJQHqECK9g
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Izumi sees them off - and now, the skyscraper that serves as the headquarters of the Dollhouse Corporation looms over them.
"Damn. Don't I'll ever get used to these kinds of spaces." Shinobu comments, craning her head up. "Feel like I'm in some kinda movie..."
She rolls her neck. No time to be starstruck.
"No sense in puttin' this off. Let's move." She says, starting forward. Their point of entrance is the front gate - which, as it happens, is currently guarded by Legionnaires. Shinobu is briefly surprised when one of them talks, but it doesn't show on her face. She should've expected that. It states that entry is currently restricted, asking them to state their identity and purpose. Shinobu glances toward the others, then looks back.
"We're here to pay off a debt. You know how dangerous it can be around here. Anything to stay safe, right?" Shinobu replies. She doesn't know if that's a thing they do here... but it seems like the kind of place to be running a protection racket. She massages the back of her neck. "I know it's a bad time, but the other guy just said to tell you and you'd let us through..."
There is no other guy. But hopefully she's convincing enough that the Legionnaire thinks there is.
MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with I Know A Guy toward The Front Door! Specialty! <Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Izumi is helpful! Ayame is dressed for running around; jeans, tennis shoes, and a light long-sleeved top in red. And she is here to listen to...
"Right," she says. "We'll move quickly!"
But soon enough, they are onward; Shinobu won't get used to it. Ayame says, "It reminds me a of a game," conversationally. "...But not a very nice game. One of the really violent ones."
But they move. The point of entrance is guarded, and Ayame looks carefully, thoughtfully. Shinobu mentions a debt...
She'd reached out to Sojiro, of course, for assistance--and for a chance to investigate something like this for himself. But here and now...
"And I'm here to tend to the plants!" Ayame says. "Shoddy plants will make our company look bad!" She smiles. "We have to check the soil, and whether they're getting enough sunlight, and..."
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Green Thumb toward The Front Door! Empathy and Focus!
<Pose Tracker> Sojiro Sakura has posed.
The old man named Sojiro Sakura is so outside his depth, but thats what this 'book club' was all about. Dressed in a black jacket, black pants and a blue button up shirt, he was not prepared to run around. His black fedora is pulled ddown to cover his face as he follows behind Ayame.
Stepping out into the cityscape he whistles, " So where exactly are we again? " Sojiro looks behind them and then forward again as he tries to understand where this place came from. Still that is part of why he is here, to learn these things.
Following behind he watches the others talk about their own reasons for approaching the legionnaires and trying to get into the building and the old man follows suit.
Sojiro looks at the legionnaires for a moment and knows this feeling. Memories of decades long past come to his mind as he approaches one of the legionnairs and pulls his down hat before reaching into his jacket. A dramatic pause before he produces a thermos, "Man do I remember being in your guys shoes. " He smiles as he also produces a small stack of paper cups and pours some coffee for the guards." I am here to simply provide refreshments. As the cook of the coffee, I will stand by it as my identification." He smiles and watches. Where had he been keeping that thermos, barista secret.
MONAD: Sojiro Sakura has acted with Talk over drinks toward The Front Door! Amrita and Friendliness!
(|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|) -==== The Front Door - Round 1 ================================================- Shinobu Shimizu Charm Success I Know A Guy Specialty Fatigue: 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sojiro Sakura Charm Success Talk over drinks Amrita and Friendliness Fatigue: 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayame Watanabe Understanding Success Green Thumb Empathy and Focus Fatigue: 0 -============================= Party Conditions: ==============================- Starting Conditions: Annoying-2 and Hard-2 Final Conditions: Annoying-1 and Hard-1 -======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 1/6 |= | =====================================================- (|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
A video game, huh? One of the really violent ones.
"Yeah, I can see that, too..." Shinobu considers. ...She's probably played a game like this before, actually - but she doesn't say that out loud. She looks toward Sojiro, then. She doesn't know him, but if Ayame vouches for him, then he's someone she can trust.
"A supernatural space called a 'Kingdom'. This is the headquarters of the Dollhouse Corporation who rule this place, and somewhere in there they've got a kid locked up, Maria Sakurai. We need to find the item containing the passcode so we can get her outta there." Shinobu explains.
They approach and give their explanations, all the while the Legionnaires watchful gaze bares down on them. They remain calm under the scrutiny, though.
The Legionnaire seems to accept Shinobu's excuse, and Ayame's enthusiasm for the care of plants gives it pause.
Clearly, none of them had ever thought about just how much care and attention goes into tending the plants... leaving them vulnerable to Sojiro's knock-out punch in the form of a thermos of masterfully-brewed coffee. Thoughts of procedure flee their minds in the face of it, as they gather around to accept thier cups.
"...Alright. You can go - but don't cause any trouble." The Legionnaire says. Shinobu nods.
"Don't worry, man. None of us are the trouble-making type." She lies, and heads inside.
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has drawn a new Challenge!
(|============ Monad - Maria's Kingdom: The Dollhouse Corporation ============|)
-==== Round 2: The Messenger - Challenge Level 2 ==============================-
| Approach Options: Charm or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Annoying - Charm Down L2, Hard - Understanding Down L1, Skillful |
| - Proficiency Up L1, and Smooth - Charm Up L1 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
As soon as you enter the Dollhouse Corporation building, you're stopped in your
tracks by a bird, a pink cockatoo wearing a fancy necklace. She swoops in from a
point unseen and alights upon a rail two heads' height above you all.
"We haven't met, have we? I am Jerri, an intermediary of sorts. You have come
seeking the girl, haven't you? I'm certain that the leader of the rebels told
you a fine story about how the CEO has taken her captive. Well. That's a lie,"
she explains, shrugging her wings. "The CEO is having an audience with the girl
to sort out a few things, and then she'll be able to leave. It's hardly as dire
as a kidnapping!"
She sighs, then continues, "So what you need to do is turn around, and leave.
Simple, really. This 'problem' will take care of itself. Besides, you've met the
girl. Trouble, isn't she? Let them sort it out here, and everything will be
fine. So go on. Turn around."
That's what she says. But did you come all this way just to leave? You could
make your case to Jerri and press on, or perhaps you could do something a little
more... underhanded to get past this avian roadblock.
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
They got here by going to Seven Sisters High, of course. Now...
"As she says," Ayame says. She introduced them earlier; Sojiro Sakura, her friend, to her sister Shinobu Shimazu, and vice-versa. And as for a game, well--Ayame makes no secret that she plays sometimes. "What it is," she says to Sojiro, "We're not eniirely sure; it seems to exist near the normal world, but... You can only get there the way we got here."
But the legionnaires let them through. that's nice--until...
Jerri! She introduces herself, as a big fancy pink cockatoo with a nice necklace and addreses them.
Once she insists they turn around...
I'm afraid I can't do that," Ayame says confidently, stepping forward to look up to the bird. "She's my husband's precious sutdent. I won't be satisfied until I can meet her for myself, and see how she's doing. A meeting with a CEO is very stressful! She'll need someone to make sure she's cheerful when she leaves."
"So I won't be going. But I will say that you look very splendid! I think my son would like birds more if he saw one like you, instead of only dogs..."
Maybe she can convince her. Maybe she can make a distraction. Either one works.
..>She wishes she had some of the coffee, though...
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Mom Talk toward The Messenger! Friendliness and Efficient!
<Pose Tracker> Sojiro Sakura has posed.
Sojiro pours a cup for himself before returning the thermos to wherever it once was. Sipping his cup he follows behind and still taking it all in. For some reason this is all reminding him of another girl he knows then he likes and it is starting to wish they could find a room for a smoke break.
"So these kingdoms? Are they everywhere? Do I need to worry about going into my closet one day and ending up here?" Sojiro asks as he works to grasp the situation, before he sees the talking bird. That simply throws out any attempt to grasp the situation out the window.
The old man doesn't engage the bird, he simply looks at Ayame and then her sister, "So this is a supernatural space? Where things like this happen but that bird is simply a creation of this space and not real right?" Sojiro asks as he tosses back the reminder of the coffee everywhere and then crumbles the cup. From the other side of his jacket he produces a knife.
Looking at the bird the old man says, "I stopped listening to talking colored animals after I turned 25 , fairies too. Go back to where ever you came from." With a decent form for an old man he throws...the crumpled cup at the bird. Alone his isn't meant for much, until he begins to threateningly repeat the motion to throw the knife if the bird continues to object.
MONAD: Sojiro Sakura has acted with Proficiency toward The Messenger! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu nods as Ayame explains that they don't know what it is, exactly.
"Yeah. There's a lotta unknowns. Like... where does it even come from?" She says. Sojiro asks if they're everywhere - and Shinobu shrugs. "No clue. But... this one only showed up after Maria went missing, and we only found it when we went looking for her and followed her voice. So I don't think it's random, exactly."
It isn't long, though, before someone catches onto them. She was expecting a Legionnaire. What she does not expect is a brilliant pink talking bird, introducing herself as 'Jerri'.
"An 'audience', huh." Shinobu comments dryly. "...I dunno. Seems pretty cut-and-dry to me."
She doesn't have any more words for Jerri. Instead, she looks toward the rail she's perched on. She looks toward Ayame, then Jerri, then Sojiro as he rejects her... and then, to where the rail connects to the wall.
...And while they keep her busy Shinobu draws a screwdriver from her jacket, reaching up to subtly unscrew the connection points until the rail is hanging by a thread and ready to crash down if any more pressure gets put on it.
...Like, say, if a certain bird tries to take off when a cup gets thrown at her.
MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with Esoteric Skillset toward The Messenger! Patra and Focus!
(|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|) -==== The Messenger - Round 2 =================================================- Shinobu Shimizu Proficiency Success Esoteric Skillset Patra and Focus Fatigue: 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sojiro Sakura Proficiency Failure Proficiency Base Fatigue: 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayame Watanabe Charm Success Mom Talk Friendliness and Efficient Fatigue: 0 -============================= Party Conditions: ==============================- Starting Conditions: Annoying-1, Hard-1, Skillful-2, and Smooth-2 Final Conditions: Smooth-1 -======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 2/6 |== | =====================================================- (|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"Right. They only seem to appear if you really try to find them," Ayame agres with Shinobu. "So that's fine." But soon, they meet Jerri.
'Ha, well at least your taste isn't entirely in the gutter, even if your judgment is. I have to say, with an attitude like that I weep for your son's future. He's like to turn into some boorish little hooligan who doesn't care a whit for what anyone in authority has to say.," Jerri answers Ayame.
Ayame's smile goes brittle. However, it passe the time for Shinobu to unscrew some railing, and for Sojiro to throw a cup...
The good news: Jerri leaves in a huff, angry about Sojiro's denial of her reality.
The bad news: she uses the noise to call down some Legionnaires, resulting in a cool XCOM-like tactical battle sequence that sees the party through a fight!
...Sojiro takess a hit or two, but he'll be fine later. They're all still relatively new to this.
MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has drawn a new Challenge!
(|============ Monad - Maria's Kingdom: The Dollhouse Corporation ============|)
-==== Round 3: The Canteen - Challenge Level 2 ================================-
| Approach Options: Understanding or Charm |
| Conditions: Hard - Understanding Down L1, Lunchbox - Subtract 1 Fatigue., |
| Smooth - Charm Up L1, and Smooth - Charm Up L1 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
Making your way through the corporate maze of this building, you soon stumble
into what appears to be a small canteen. Ball-jointed Doll Legionnaires dressed
as cybernetic office workers sit at small tables and gamely eat what is probably
their lunch.
Maybe you're hungry. Maybe you're just curious. But there's a screen over there
to place an order. The thing is, though, you can place as many orders as you
want, and it will reject every last one of them. The message is the same:
'incorrect order for identified individual'.
It looks like a specific selection is mandated, and it's not going to be the
same thing for everyone. It's as if the Corporation knows best what you ought to
eat, and will not let you decide for yourself at all. Can you intuit what it
might be from the selections available?
Of course, you could also try asking the employees in here if they have any idea
what you should be trying to order.
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Sojiro Sakura has posed.
Sojiro hadn't expected to have to move like that when he was going out this evening. He is going to need to start doing PT again if he is going to keep this up. There is a question of just how active he can start to be until the kids start to notice.
As the trio continue there way to try and rescue this girl they end up in a small canteen. "Huh, I wasn't expecting these things to have to eat. Especially with the whole corporate robot look. You'd think they would just be low maintenance dolls." Sojiro carefully moves through the canteen towards the counter and looks at the menu.
A few button taps and a red flashing banner pops up, 'incorrect order for identified individual'. Sojiro attempts a different order and tries again. And again. And Again. AND AGAIN.
With a growl Sojiro steps back for a moment before he stares at menu for a moment longer before closing his eyes and putting in an unknown order.
MONAD: Sojiro Sakura has acted with Father's Intuition toward The Canteen! Automap!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Jerri says some unkind things about Ayame's son and calls some guards, and Shinobu frowns.
"If we see her again, you've got the right of first swing. Wipe that smile off her... beak." Shinobu offers to Ayame, as she brings her staff down on a Legionnaire's head.
The Legionnaire's are cleared up and they move on, winding their way through the maze of the corporate building. Eventually, they find themselves at the canteen. Office worker Legionnaires are gathered here, but they don't seem to care about their presence even after an alarm has been called.
What scant minutes of lunch break they have are absolute, it seems.
"Me either." Shinobu replies with a shake of her head as Sojiro comments on the Legionnaires having to eat. "Does it do anything for them? Or does it just keep appearances up?"
She frowns.
"...Is it safe to even eat anything in this dump?" Shinobu wonders, shaking her head. ...It's a good time to take a load off and maybe try to gather some information.
Shinobu approaches the console and punches in the order... and is promptly rejected. With a frown, she tries again.
"...The hell?" Shinobu mutters. "Damn. Even the food's rigged against them."
She looks up, then, scanning the crowd. She approaches one of the Legionnaires, and slings an arm around its shoulder in a friendly manner.
"Heyyy, buddy. So, what's good here at this joint? Got any recommendations?" Shinobu asks. Her tone is friendly, but her grasp is pretty restrictive.
MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with Charm toward The Canteen! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"Thanks," Ayame says sourly. "What a rude bird!"
She doesn't like Jerri at all! But.. soon, it's lunch. A little canteen. "I didn't either," Ayame mentions to Sojiro. "Maybe it's the idea of eating that matters? After all, a corporation provides lunchbreaks for its employees..."
Office workers. Hmmm.
"Might as well try it," she says. Sojiro seems to try by intuition, and Shinobu asks for reccomendations...
"Oh!" Ayame says to the one Shinobu's talking to, "Silly me! I forgot about the proper order for lunch! Can you help us? My husabnd tells me I'm always forgetting things..." This is not actually true, but it makes her sound more sympathetic--and scatterbrained.
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Mom Talk toward The Canteen! Friendliness and Efficient! (|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|) -==== The Canteen - Round 3 ===================================================- Shinobu Shimizu Charm Success Charm Base Fatigue: 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sojiro Sakura Understanding Success Father's Intuition Automap Fatigue: 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayame Watanabe Charm Success Mom Talk Friendliness and Efficient Fatigue: 0 -============================= Party Conditions: ==============================- Starting Conditions: Hard-2, Lunchbox-0, Smooth-1, and Smooth-2 Final Conditions: Hard-1 and Smooth-1 -======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 3/6 |=== | =====================================================- (|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Sojiro Sakura has posed.
Sojiro taps and taps and taps and taps and...Order accepted, Sojiro hadn't even been tracking what he had ordered as he gets a receipt. Meanwhile the Legionnaire looks up from their lunch of vaporware and looks at Shinobu for a log moment before providing 'a lunch order' for Shinobu to use. The Legionnaire turns to look back at their lunch, about to bite in to a big bite of nothing when, Ayame interupts them too. A few moments later Ayame has received 'a proper lunch order'. The Legionnaire then picks up their tray and walks off to find a place to have there lunch in peace.
A few moments later they have all ordered and their orders are up, Sojiro gets a cold soulless sandwich of some sort of salad variety, it could be tuna, could be chicken, could be egg. It's definitely something. Shinobu is given a few cold slices of pizza, the pizza slices don't even have the same toppings and look kinda sad. Ayame is given a salad that is wilted and seems to just be lettuce, with a few dollops of a dressing on it.
Sojiro just stares at his sandwich for a moment before looking at the others, " I think I will wait until I get home to eat. "
MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has drawn a new Challenge!
(|============ Monad - Maria's Kingdom: The Dollhouse Corporation ============|)
-==== Round 4: The Digital Archive - Challenge Level 2 ========================-
| Approach Options: Understanding or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Clumsy - Proficiency Down L1, Hard - Understanding Down L1, Hard |
| - Understanding Down L1, and Smooth - Charm Up L1 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
The archive, which you've found after some exploration of the facility, seems a
likely place to look for the passcode you need to gain access to the boardroom.
If it's not here, you might be able to find some information about where it's
at.
After some hunting, you're able to find the latter: it looks like the passcodes
are stored in a secure location below, which is accessible by a private
high-speed railcar. It seems that the facility extends high above, yes, but also
branches out below like some parody of a train.
With this information in hand, you turn to leave.
"You really think you're helping, don't you?"
There, perched atop a flatscreen monitor is Jerri. With condescension in her
eyes, she regards your group.
"Take a look around you. Everything in here is working exactly the way it
should. There's no room for any of that stupid risk-taking stuff, and they're
better for it. That girl will join them soon. So turn around and get lost." The
cockatoo pauses, then with the birdlike equivalent of a nasty smile, she leans
forward with slitted eyes. "Let me help you!"
The world around you distorts. You're in a dark space, illuminated by bright
lights running along the floor. They seem to be tracing certain paths through
the darkness to a distant point of light, but which one is correct? Try to walk
right across the paths towards the light, and you won't be able to proceed: you
must walk a path.
Is there some way to work it out from here which path you had best take? Or is
there some way to use your dexterity to hop paths midway or perhaps even bend
the apparent rules of this space to escape the trap you're caught in?
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu looks down at the cold pizza with an expression that's even colder.
"...Yeah, no kidding." She agrees with Sojiro. She leaves it to the Legionnaire who's help she'd 'requested'.
They leave and make their way through more of the facility - and find what appears to be an archive of sorts.
"Alright, time to do some digging. If you find anything, just holler." Shinobu says. She checks the physical records, but there's computers to access here, too.
And, eventually, one of them finds it - the passcodes are below them, accessible by a private railcar. It seems as if this building extends in both directions.
...And as they're about to leave again, she reappears.
"Oh great. It's Jerri again." Shinobu mutters. She glances aside to Ayame, then back to Jerri.
"The last time I worked in a place like this, I put a guy through a table. Trust me - this place sucks." Shinobu says dryly. "That kid'd get the soul crushed out of her in a place like this... I'm not gonna let that happen."
She's trying to distract Jerri so that the others can act - but with a nasty smile, the world suddenly distorts. Shinobu tumbles as the world twists.
"Shit! What happened!?" Shinobu asks. They're in a dark place, now, bright lights dot the floor ahead, forming a path - and leaving the path seems all but impossible. Shinobu frowns.
"...So what do we do? Anyone got any ideas?" She asks, and pauses for a second. "...Well, actually, I might have one."
She reaches for her duffel bag, drawing out her staff. She backs up - and then breaks into a run before jamming her staff into the ground and using it as a polevault, crossing over to another path.
"Here, if you need a hand." Shinobu offers, extending her staff so they can hold on and she can pull them across.
Her staff appears to be made of solid gold, but much sturdier than that would suggest. The counterweight at the tip looks like some kind of piggy bank robot... don't ask.
They have the freedom to find their own paths - but that doesn't get them any closer yet to getting out of here... They'll need a little more than that.
MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with Esoteric Skillset toward The Digital Archive! Patra and Focus!
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Ayame makes a face at the salad. It is not a happy face. "I, ah..."
Pause. "Yes, let's eat later."
As they find the archive, Ayame brightens. "I can do something with this," she says. Ayame may be the one to have found the note about where the passcodes are; she's good with archives, as it happens.
But Jerri comes back. "Oh," Ayame says, sighing. "It's you."
Jerri leans to 'help' them despite Shinobu's best efforts, and--
Ayame doesn't punch her, as it happens. But soon...
Ayame considers the lights. "The trick with mazes like this is to always keep turning the same direction--my preference is right. Then, you'll be sure to reach the end eventually."
"...But if we can jump across that would save us time backtracking on dead ends..."
"Go like this," Ayame suggests, and shows the others what she has in mind.
Her dialogue may be unskippable today.
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Tutorial toward The Digital Archive! Diligence and Patra!
<Pose Tracker> Sojiro Sakura has posed.
Sojiro looks at the archive room and wonders if he could get Futaba to explain technology to him one day as he notices the corporate technology that he never felt comfortable with. Maybe start slow, and he could be taught how to accept those calendar invites that she sends for her food orders.
Thats when their new best friend Jerri swoops in and then Sojiro is feeling like he took a bite of that sandwich and then forgot as the world distorts.
The black room and the invisble floors are totally new to him. He looks at the staff offer from Shinobu and shakes his head, " I'm sorry I think my doctor would recommend against that." Instead Sojiro moves to work his way through the maze with Ayame before shouting to Shinobu, "Is this the type of situation where we should split up or are these things more of a stay together thing?"
As he follows Ayame he listens to her advice while offering his here and there every couple of steps.
MONAD: Sojiro Sakura has acted with Father's Intuition toward The Digital Archive! Automap!
(|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|) -==== The Digital Archive - Round 4 ===========================================- Shinobu Shimizu Proficiency Success Esoteric Skillset Patra and Focus Fatigue: 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sojiro Sakura Understanding Success Father's Intuition Automap Fatigue: 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayame Watanabe Proficiency Success Tutorial Diligence and Patra Fatigue: 0 -============================= Party Conditions: ==============================- Starting Conditions: Clumsy-2, Hard-1, Hard-2, and Smooth-1 Final Conditions: -======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 4/6 |==== | =====================================================- (|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"Good advice." Shinobu comments thoughtfully, as Ayame explains the trick to dealing with mazes. She cracks a smile as Sojiro rejects the offer. "Fair enough."
He asks a good question, though.
"It'd probably be better to stay close. We don't know if that bird's got any other tricks up her sleeve, so we better be careful." Shinobu suggests. "I can cross back over whenever, so I'm gonna stay ahead and see if I can't uncover anything - won't go out of view, though."
As Ayame and Sojiro take the slow and careful way and Shinobu cheats, the three of them gradually begin to make headway. And soon enough, the exit to this trap may be in view...
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has drawn a new Challenge!
(|============ Monad - Maria's Kingdom: The Dollhouse Corporation ============|)
-==== Round 5: The Rail Depot - Challenge Level 3 =============================-
| Approach Options: Guts or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Boss - Add 1 Fatigue on failure. and Terrifying - Guts Down L2 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
One way or another, you slip the leash of the bird's digital maze: the world
around you resolves and you find yourself in an atrium on a floor below where
you had been. It takes some sleuthing to find your way to an elevator, but
you're soon on your way to the subterranean depot that will lead you to the
place where one of the passcodes for the boardroom is being stored.
According to the schedule, the next train should be along soon. There's no
detail about whether you will need to pay a fee, or if you will have to show ID,
or any number of ways the Corporation might use to vet who can or can't use what
must be a highly-restricted railcar to a restricted area.
You receive, in your own way, your answer. A howl can be heard before you see
the red lights that bounce off the walls of the depot: it's not a railcar as you
know it, but another Legionnaire, and of enormous size! It barely clings to the
tracks as it barrels towards your position at the depot. If you're not fast, it
could be a direct hit!
But perhaps that's exactly what you want: this isn't a rail car that will simply
stop and let you board it. You will have to defeat it one way or another: either
with direct force or by focusing on its weak points. The lights look like a good
place to start for the latter.
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Ayame laughs faintly. "I suppose that's fair," she says of Sojiro's doctor. But... She agrees with Shinobu, "Best to stay together," she settles on. She appreciates Sojiro's advice too! And eventually, after they make it through--
"Ah!"
The world resolves; an atrium. "Hmmm..." She pokes around, peering around a corner. "...I think there might be an elevator this way?"
When they reach the platform, Ayame smiles. "That's better! Now, let's..."
A howl comes. The train is coming right for them!!! it's a huge Legionnaire!"
"Oh no!" Ayame says, and then--"Wait. This is just like the Ghost Car in Last Legacy Six..."
She beams. "I'm going to knock it up!" she says. "Let me show you how!"
Ayame summons her Persona, finally, and with a blast os psychokinetic energy, tries to blast the train from its tracks!
...Nobody tell her.
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Tutorial toward The Rail Depot! Diligence and Patra!
<Pose Tracker> Sojiro Sakura has posed.
Sojiro was not expecting to get ran over by a train today, but he also didn't expect talking birds. One day he is going to learn to let go of his expectations. Then a quick head swivel towards Ayame, "Wait it's a ghost and a train?" Suddenly Sojiro is lost on the correct action here.
Thankfully, Ayame is there to give a hint that it is time for his Persona. Pulling the evoker forth he quickly adds a few bullets.
Once he pulls the trigger, the form of Merlin float behind Sojiro, the old man keeps pulling the trigger stacking Zio spells ready for his persona. Pointing the evoker forward, Sojiro pulls the trigger for each stack of Zio, firing a bullet of lightning towards the train lights to shut them off.
MONAD: Sojiro Sakura has acted with Proficiency toward The Rail Depot! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
They manage to exit the maze, and find themselves in an atrium. Shinobu looks toward Ayame, as she mentions an elevator.
"Lead the way." She replies with a nod. They follow the information she found toward the platform - and then there's a howl. Shinobu draws her staff.
"Last Legacy Six... Oh yeah. I remember watching you play that one." She considers. "...Does that make me the monk guy?"
There are three of them here...
Ayame alerts them to her plan. Shinobu says nothing. She'll take it to her grave.
"...And I'll bring it right back down!" Shinobu replies. Lachesis appears and Shinobu leaps onto the end of her staff. With a swing Shinobu is flung upward, above the train - and as Sojiro blasts it with lightning, Shinobu comes down heel first to slam it right back down to the ground!
MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with Former Delinquent toward The Rail Depot! Efficient and Bravery!
(|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|)
-==== The Rail Depot - Round 5 ================================================-
Shinobu Shimizu Guts Success
Former Delinquent Efficient and Bravery Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sojiro Sakura Proficiency Success
Proficiency Base Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ayame Watanabe Proficiency Success
Tutorial Diligence and Patra Fatigue: 0
-============================= Party Conditions: ==============================-
Starting Conditions: Boss-0 and Terrifying-2
Final Conditions:
-======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 6/6 |=====| =====================================================-
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
(|============ Monad - Maria's Kingdom: The Dollhouse Corporation ============|)
-==== Round 6: The Subterranean Vault - The Passcode and... - Challenge Level 1 -
| Approach Options: None |
| Conditions: Revelation - The best result. |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
With the rail car Legionnaire subdued, you're able to travel the tracks to the
remote subterranean vault without incident and get inside. Within is the
passcode you'll need to enter the board room. Through the device Izumi gave you,
you hear as soon as you take the passcode into your possession, "Good work, you
found it."
She continues, "I'll keep them occupied outside while you get out of there.
Reconvene with your allies and get ready. The next part will be down to timing,
but leave that to me. I'll find out when we can break in again with minimum
interference."
But the passcode isn't the only thing in the vault. You also find high-tech
synthetic fabrics and fibers carefully wrapped in plastic. The right person
could turn these into lightweight but strong armor or accessories of your
choosing.
Getting out of here again might not be especially easy, depending on how it went
as you came in, but eventually you arrive without too much incident back out
onto the mean streets of this city wreathed in night's embrace. You're almost
there, if Izumi's right about the next steps. It's just a matter of getting
ready and waiting for the right time to assault the boardroom to save Maria.
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"A ghost and a train!" Ayame confirms for Sojiro. But they all do some deft maneuvering. As Ayame knocks up the train (thanks for not telling, Shinobu), Sojiro's lightning blasts its lights out--and then Shinobu rises to the top and slams it back down. The whole thing evaporates into black smoke soon thereafter.
"It does," Ayame confirms for Shinobu, make her the monk guy. She smiles. "It was always more fun to play with an audience," she says.
Soon enough, they travel down the tracks--they get a passcode...
Izumi explains, and soon, they're on the way out again, quietly leaving the building. But along the way...
"Oh, these are great!"
Loot! Maybe they can do something wiht it later...
"Thank you both," Ayame says as they reappear outside Sevens. "I'm sure we'll save her, now. ...It's hard to wait, but it's best not to be too hasty."
<Pose Tracker> Sojiro Sakura has posed.
Sojiro is breathing heavy as he feels like the power of his spirit was used up and he didn't even know what that meant. Merlin fades away as the train fades away and walks up to the others, "One day we are going to have to find a more common language to talk than video games."
Still Sojiro isn't against all they have done for them, so he withdraws the thermos and gives out the last of the coffee to the two. Sojiro can't help but think it is best they are energized just in case that bird shows up again.
When they find the loot Sojiro doesn't even blink. "So down here they just items like this just lying around for people to take?" The old man is sure he will never understand this world.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu smirks back to Ayame as she confirms for her. Sojiro's comment about video games gets a chuckle, and then she looks back to Ayame.
"I could never get into 'em as much myself, but I never got tired of watching you or Reiko-chan play 'em." She replies. She feels nostalgic for a moment - but they still have a passcode to find. Which, after a walk down the tracks, they do! ...Alongside some pretty useful look material.
"This stuff looks expensive." Shinobu notes, then glances toward Sojiro. "Yeah, that's the beauty of it. There's always useful stuff lying around if you go looking for it. Sometimes, there's just, like - actual cash. It's legit, spends as well as anything else."
And, before long, they're back outside. Shinobu is frankly glad to be out of there - the oppressive atmosphere of the Kingdom was getting to her.
"Yeah... Not much we can do now but wait for the others to come through. They've already seen our faces, so we're not gonna be able to pull that off again..." Shinobu agrees with a nod. Still - this is a step in the right direction. They've won one victory, at least.