reveilation | IC INBOX

[ Or whatever day it is before Kido goes blind in the dungeon and like several hours after they saw each other in the Velvet Room.

Like what they agreed upon, RO is waiting by the school gates a little before 6 AM. She doesn't look all that tired despite everything that happened last night, but maybe she's just getting used to things a lot better now than before. She had to explain to the school guards once that she is waiting for someone here, so please leave her alone? She's not suspicious? Please. Maybe it's the same security person that she interrogated earlier this month. ]

[ It's the same security guard and he definitely squints suspiciously RO's way, understandably grumpy about being falsely accused of arson.

Kido, as she comes down the road, looks pretty grumpy herself with the hood of her jacket shadowing her eyes rimmed with dark eye bags and long hair still dripping wet on either side of her face.

"Good morning. The kids aren't with you to... day...?" It's a valiant attempt from the security guard, but he shuts up after a look at Kido's face and mumbles something about having to get back to work and for the two of them not to loiter around the school before it opens. ]

...Yeah, we don't have to talk here. We can talk while making the trek to the shrine to see what's up.

Fair enough.

[ RO starts walking, making sure Kido is following when she does. She looks a bit concerned when she sees Kido being really grumpy though. ]

Did... something happen earlier? Or are you simply not a morning person?

No, I'm used to waking up fairly early. It's just that my bathroom door hasn't returned yet.

[ Because Souji sucks and won't turn it back!! She had to go out and find a public bathhouse to brush her teeth and shower and it sucks!! She's going to kick the castle once they get up there. ]

[ It must be hard to negotiate with the Attendants if punching them first is the first thing you do, Kido... but hm. That sounds inconvenient. She wonders if she can help out. ]

Then, perhaps, until your bathroom door becomes normal, you can come over to my house to do your business. I do not know where you live, but I live in the residential area, so it should be closer than the public bathhouse at the very least. I don't live with anyone and you wouldn't be troubling me.

[ Punching is part of the negotiations.

But Kido's bloodlust is forgotten in light of this new information. ]

You have your own house? With no roommates to share the cost?

[ It's such a weird thought to go over to a friend's house just to use the bathroom and then leave... But she can't exactly bring up the idea of staying any more than that, especially after Rei asked. ]

Yes, though I wouldn't exactly call it a house. But it's my own private space. I believe it has a similar structure as a studio with a kitchenette and a bathroom. I don't particularly need a large living space, so it worked out well for me within my budget.

[ She can cut a lot of costs compared to the other Persona users in Hirajiro for various reasons, so that's why she seems rich compared to everyone else. And just being lucky sometimes. Probably. ]

Huh... Still, that's impressive. Especially since there's still people out there thinking it's better to live in the woods.

[ A small studio apartment might be enough, but no. Kido's going to want at least four bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open living room, and a full kitchen. Essentially, she's a spoiled rich kid and those are the minimum standards. ]

... Perhaps they don't have a choice in the matter?

[ People be poor. Humans don't function like she does. They just require a lot of care... ]

I did sleep in the inn before obtaining housing, since the summer heat would threaten to overload my internal systems.

[ People can do what Mondo did and break into empty warehouses. There are all these buildings available to be broken into and ransacked and people should take advantage. ]

Like a computer overheating- that's bad, isn't it? Is this too hot? It'll warm up closer to noon, but we'll be in the shade in the forest.

[ Maybe if everyone would stop being goody two shoes, probably. ]

No, it has gotten significantly better, though the heatwave made things troublesome for a while. I will be fine. Everything is at normal temperatures. Thank you for your concern.

[ Hm. ]

I believe I have learned a great deal of information last night, so we will tackle one thing at a time. I also have theories as well.

[ Kido wrings her hands a bit inside her jacket pockets, but she supposes RO must know best about how much heat and everything she can handle. She doesn't seem like certain other people who would hide their pain for the sake of hiding; there's no point. ]

Alright... I'll hear you out. Why don't you start with anything concerning how to get everybody home?

[ If Kido hasn't made her priorities clear before, here it is now. ]

[ It's a valid priority to have as far as RO is concerned because she also wants the same thing. She takes a second to get her thoughts in order before she speaks: ]

The leader of the Tengus dropped a suspicious item after he died. It's called an ofuda, I believe. There was a raised stone in the center of the castle with inserts with its exact shape, so I inserted it and it turned into stone. I believe it's impossible to take out. Furthermore, there are three more similar slots next to the first one. I believe that if we gather three more, we will be able to return.

[ ... ]

However, before I move onto my report, I would like to confirm something with you. You have been here longer. Was there anything strange when you saw the midnight shift for the first time?

An ofuda? That's a protective charm, like our omamori...

[ The stone in the center of the castle doesn't draw Kido's attention, seeing as she'd fled the area as soon as she could, and didn't spend much time wandering around the castle after trying to see whether any landmarks could be spotted up on the first floor. That place RO's talking about is something Kido would have easily missed, so she just files that away as something to take a closer look at later. ]

The first time that midnight shifted... Everything I saw was basically the same: all the lights went out, every other living thing disappeared, and there were monsters roaming around both inside and outside of the school. None of that happened the first few nights here, though, not until some sort of storm hit. That's what woke me up and got me outside in the first place, and it was such a strong storm that Mondo and I couldn't make it very far into the forest when we tried to go against the wind.

[ A wind like that, she would have appreciated if it were spread out throughout the month as the weather got hotter and hotter, instead of condensed all into that one night, it was pretty much a nightmare. ]

[ A windy storm... She recalls Minato saying something about patterns, and there was also a strong wind on the last day of the Obon Festival. RO stays silent as she keeps trying to process various info and tying things together. ]

If my hypothesis is correct, I believe the location where we can retrieve the next ofuda is at the castle. However, I cannot be exactly sure, since there was only one other instance of the pattern happening, but it is a real possibility.

The castle? Oh— it was pretty windy yesterday, wasn't it? Was that where the direction of the winds were blowing? Did you find a new place with more monsters?

[ Yes and the monsters are Minato and Souji.

But the winds had died down after that first night, so... that must be it, right? One of those strange dungeons at the castle? ...It could also just be a coincidence. Weather is strange like that, sometimes. ]

[ ...

Yeah, she can't say that... ]

The wind blowing like that was fairly unnatural, I believe... and it was cold. I am no weather expert, but it seemed like a strange occurrence... The castle didn't exactly have more monsters, but there were two Personas that went haywire and were promptly subdued by someone else without a Persona.

[ I looked back at the threads and Terry was the only one who fought both Personas by himself. She'll make a face at that, but. You know what. Whatever. Maybe you get super stronger once you come back from the dead. ]

It was there when we met the Velvet Room Attendants for the first time.

[ She can totally say that.

Kido frowns a little too, but thankfully she doesn't ask who that somebody is, because as long as the Personas were subdued, then it's fine. It's not like it'll happen again or anything, or be more destructive next time, or form a hell dungeon that drags everybody in to suffer and die. ]

That's pretty weird, huh... I'm still not sure about those two; what do you think about them? Maybe they're the reason the Personas got so agitated?

[ Heaven knows Kido also went haywire in there, sorry Souji's face ]

[ ahahaha absolutely not! now way that'll happen! not at all!! but is she really sorry for souji's face ]

... I don't have a solid opinion on the Attendants just yet.

[ Minato is difficult to gauge and she hasn't spoken to Souji yet. ]

Regarding the Persona agitation, I was told that it was because a full moon had appeared--that it's easy to lose control of them on that day depending on... [ she's not going to say heart ] ... your mental state.

Edited 2019-08-22 22:13 (UTC)

[ The full moon? Kido lifts her gaze to the sky, but it's already too bright out now to find where the moon is. That's sort of worrisome, isn't it? The idea that the Personas would freak out once a month... She can't remember what day it was that Vassago almost tore up the town, but if it was a full moon last night, then they don't have to worry about this for a whole other month. ]

So it's best not to be out during the full moon at all, huh? Least of all not fighting monsters inside that school or in the castle. But this is good news, isn't it, RO? We just need to find two more places, and grab the ofuda before the next full moon.

[ She can be home in a month's time! The idea is incredibly uplifting, and she can't help but get her hopes up. She gets to go home! And finish bleeding to death. But she can do it at home!! ]

[ RO still feels bad every time she has to dash Kido's hopes, but she doesn't want to lead her on with false hope, since she believes that knowing the correct information is better than knowing something wrong and ending up sacrificing a lot for it. Since this place just seems... to have those sorts of things happen. ]

Unfortunately, that seems to be the problem. I suspect that the castle is the next area where we would be able to gather the next ofuda, but there's no entrance to such a place just yet, like underneath the school. I did ask whether these places are "time-locked", but I didn't receive an answer for that one. He seemed to imply that the next place will be a lot tougher than the last.

[ Or at least, that's what she's gathering from Minato's subtle pushing for her to strengthen her bond with her Persona. ]

[ Wow, time-locking things is such a stupid mechanic when this is real life and not a video game or rp game. Kido's shoulders hunch a little as she walks, disliking things like hints and implications when a person clearly knows something and could say things outright without being difficult, but maybe Minato has his reasons besides just being an ass. ]

It's morning, so it's not like we'll be able to look around and figure anything out about that, huh? Do you think it's worth checking the castle every night just to be sure? I'm not sure the people who live there can get that information out very quickly.

[ She doesn't really know who lives here, exactly, but she knows some people still hang around the forest. ]

If it helps, I noticed that there is a portal near the school area during the midnight phase. It seems that the Attendants can control where to exit from as well, so perhaps we can enter the portal near the school, enter the Velvet Room, and ask them to reopen a portal at the castle.

[ It's... worth a shot?

Maybe. ]

[ That involves talking with the Attendants, RO ]

Is there really no easier way...?

Unfortunately, no... I don't think so.

[ She's fine with talking to the Attendants, so she can at least do that for you, Kido... ]

A helicopter sounds like an absolute luxury for a town like this.

8/16, action

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