Mako seemed to respond positively to his intrusion, so Sato relaxed his shoulders a bit. Unfortunately, Mako seemed to see through his little white lie and went straight to the point. Rui didn't seem to be here yet, so Sato leaned his shoulder against the wall next to the door and started explaining. "You're correct. We're the ones that saved you, but you don't know the others. And you're right about the kidnapping... All of us are the past victims of the cultist kidnappings, and they all went the same way: abduction, almost commit a form of suicide, and then face yourself." Sato smiled to himself, glad that Mako would never get to know what he'd went through. His shadow... was less than nice. "If you recall, after you accepted your shadow-- the 'other you', I mean--, you saw a figure, correct? That means you've gained the persona ability, and you can use a persona. It's a bit complicated, so I'll let our leader talk to you about it, but know that you now have a power only us few have. I won't force you, but you'd be a great help on our team if you'd like to join."

"As for the others," Sato continued, stopping to remember their faces as if to check if they were really alive. "You don't have to worry. They're fine, but they also went through the same thing you went through. I haven't talked to them yet, so I don't know what they said about any of this. So, umm... I guess you should wait for a guy named Shinichi Rui, our leader. I'm not really prepared to explain everything, but he's done it enough that he's probably memorized what to say by now."

Sato pushed off from the wall, smoothing off his uniform as he stood up-right. "I'm sorry, but I don't have any of the notes you missed today. We're in different years after all. Hopefully someone will come by and get those to you soon." This was going... awkwardly. Usually Rui showed up first and he could just saw hi and stand to the side. It was oddly suffocating being alone with a patient. That was probably something he'd have to get used to, later on... Mako wasn't a patient though, but was he a friend? Their relationship was so weird that is was hard to decipher where they stood. Either way, Sato found himself without much else to say, and that meant the only thing left was cheesy garbage. "I'm really glad you're okay. You guys, I mean. I'd like to hope nobody else will get hurt, and I hate to be negative, but that's probably just wishful thinking. This is just the start of whatever those cultists are plotting... Foiling this plan only means they're going to try again or try something new, and I'm not sure which is more frightening."

==~==

Mako listened intently as Sato explained to him what was going on, to the best of his ability, anyway- there were some things left out, but he was sure he could figure them out later, as soon as he met the other members of the group. He sighed internally in relief as Sato explained that every one of his fellow kidnap victims had gone through the same thing he had. Good. He'd have hated to be the only one whose entire psyche had been dissected and shown to all who cared to witness. He supposed he was grateful that Sato hadn't been at the scene of his personal misfortune, at that- he wasn't sure his senpai would be able to tolerate being around him, knowing what kind of filth he'd been carrying inside.

He let out an almost explosive sigh of relief upon hearing that the other two who'd been with them were all right. He'd hoped as much, considering he'd seen them in that place, the Velvet Room- until then, he hadn't even known how many victims there were, aside from him. He couldn't be sure until then, however, whether or not the others had survived. He didn't know the mechanics of all of this, he was stuck with conjecture until someone could clarify. Knowing that there had been no fatalities in this situation was a tremendous weight off his shoulders.

He blinked in mild shock when Sato mentioned who the leader of their little outfit was, then smiled. "Shinichi-san, huh? Heh. That's... actually funny. I'd figured he might be a part of this, since I see you and the others together all the time, but the leader? Couldn't have guessed that. I look forward to talking with him, then- can't very well do anything if I don't know what's going on." He frowned as Sato stood straighter, acting awkwardly with him, apologizing for... nothing, really. As he finished, Mako forced himself to sit up a little straighter in his bed, looking Sato in the eyes.

"Well... it's like you told me when we went out for lunch- whoever gets targeted next, whoever those bastards try to hurt, they won't get away without someone stepping in to help. You- all of you, Rui and whoever else is involved- you saved the three of us. And lots of others besides. Yeah, it's scary that I got kidnapped. Yeah, we could have gotten hurt. But we didn't- we're alive. And it's all because you and the others stepped up and refused to let us get hurt. That's... pretty damn amazing.

"You know, I've been having dreams all year- dreams of that 'Velvet Room' place, and that woman. You know what I'm talking about right? Mentioning some contract, some destiny that I was going to help fulfill. 'The ability to carve an interesting future.' I think I know what she was talking about now. I think... I'm supposed to help you guys. If that makes sense. Heh... what a relief, finally knowing what the hell's going on. I thought I was going crazy!

"So... I guess what I'm trying to say is, 'thank you.' For saving me and the others, and anyone else you've saved, and for helping me solve a problem I've been dying to know the answer to for a while. And don't worry- the next time those cultist bastards do their thing, you'll have help. I owe those fuckers some payback- for what they did to me, and to everyone else. Whatever you guys need me to do, I'm in."

As Rui walked into the ward, he heard what Mako had said. The day was lazy and there was not much to do at school, people were actually fussing about the kidnapping and that the three were actually alright, a lot of strange rumors were going around too that there's actually gang violence going on in this little town, since the display was so bold and very gang-like... That made Rui consider some perspectives, and with Kami having gone off to investigate today after this was mentioned, he probably felt something about that line too...

"I guess that makes things easier... Don't worry, we rescued the other two as well. I asked the nurses and they said they're in their rooms, they're just down the hall", he said.

"And the Velvet Room...?", he recalls that the visions were becoming clearer each time they rescued someone. The silhouettes would fill each time he drifted there in a dream. And that key they were given... He slipped his hand into his pocket and despite there being nothing in there before, he felt a key, and as he pulled it out, it was the very key he was given.

"Yeah, there's a strange thing though, I can't find the door this fits in... I'm sure it will become clearer later, each time we rescue someone the seats fill up and become clearer. I think we should simply focus on the task at hand", he suggested, putting it away.

"For now we just need you to rest up. I'll go and see the others and see how they're faring", and with that he left.

@Leolycan

Rui didn't personally see to Masahide's rescue, so this might be awkward considering he wouldn't recognize him, but probably the best thing to do here was be direct.

"Masahide right...? You must be thinking about a lot of what just happened. I'm the field leader for the... Rescues, the reason I'm here is simple. You can join us, and lend us your strength with your Persona... Or you can just forget it all and live a comfortable life... I know this is strange coming from someone who is almost a complete stranger, but you know the police won't believe what you've seen", Rui stepped over by the bedside and was ready to take a seat. He felt the answer was already decided before he walked in here, he didn't seem frantic, or scared, so the likelihood of him shying away was low in his opinion. Still, it was rude to immediately assume.

It was apparently a surprise to Mako that Rui was the leader of the group. Thinking about, Sato listened to the hospitalized teen go on about it. Rui was actually a pretty good fit, all things considered. He was cool, calm, collected, aware, powerful, worked well with everyone... It was almost like he was made to be in command. Sato gave a small sigh, disappointed he couldn't be like that. Well, at least it saved Sato the trouble of having to deal with all the new recruits like Rui did. Talking to someone you knew was one thing, but there was no way that Rui was friends with every victim considering the variety of years and cliques they were all in.

Sato couldn't help but smile when Mako brought up the time they went out for lunch together. It would've almost been like a date had it not been for the serious topic matter that resulted in Sato ditching ten minutes in. It was a bit embarrassing to look back on, but to Sato, it was only normal to feel overwhelmed by the whole thing. He'd always just tried to soldier on so nobody else would have to get hurt, but was that really a good thing to do? "You sound like I did back then, Mako." Sato gave a forced laugh. "I guess I'm not as tough as you then, since I was pretty hurt at first. Sorry about bailing on you."

Mako continued on talking, and what he had to say next was significantly more interesting. Sato had completely forgotten about the dreams, since they hadn't been too frequent since he got his persona. "I thought that was just me too. The dreams about that room... I don't know what it is, but what that nose guy was talking about definitely meant something. I just wish there was some way to go there. If it were real that is." He sighed again, this time one of defeat. There was no use trying to figure out something this detached from reality. "I don't want to say 'you're welcome' after saving you, but... no problem? Well, regardless, I'm glad to hear you're going to be joining us, as more help is always appreciated."

Sato was about to say his good-byes, but just before he could, a voice came from behind him. Sato had no idea how long Rui had been there, but the boy spoke up about how the other two victims were just down the hall. He continued on to discuss the room they were talking about-- the 'Velvet Room'--, and pulled something out of his pocket.

The key! Sato had forgotten all about that, as he'd been trying to figure out what the hell was going on the whole time it was being introduced. Instinctively, Sato reached into his pocket to see if it was there, and to his shock, he pulled his hand pulled out a deep blue key. As Rui had said, he'd never seen anything around Warakuma that seemed to match it, and he sure as hell wasn't about to go sticking it in locks all over the place, so he disregarded it for the time being. "Yeah, there probably isn't much of a point in trying to figure this mystery out for now. You should probably be taking it easy right now anyway." Sato shrugged and put his hand back in his pants pocket.

Before he knew it, the key had disappeared without a trace, so Sato withdrew his arm and instead gave a quick wave to Rui as he left to go talk to the rest of the fresh recruits. Once again alone with Mako, Sato figured he should follow suit and leave too, but struggled to find the words to dismiss himself, but as he forced himself to walk over to the door, he found something to say. "See you at school tomorrow." With that, Sato left as well. Right before stepping out though, he gave one last look to Mako, one like he looked at the sun. As in, a fleeting glance that he immediately regretted.

The door shut behind him with a bit of a slam, causing a nurse to look at him funny. Sato muttered an apology and started down back to the hospital's entrance. The front-desk lady gave him a half-assed wave as he passed by and out the doors. The air outside was cool for the season, which Sato considered a good thing seeing as they were starting to get into summer. Thinking of the summer reminded Sato that he was still wearing his uniform, as he had taken a b-line straight from school to the hospital.

People walked in and out of the hospital, some going to visit their loved ones after work or having done so already. Sato never did like hospitals, nor the thought of working within one for the rest of his working life. But the people inside were another story, and Sato wondered if they would make it worth it...

He scoffed at himself. There was a whole mirror world dungeon about that whole thing, but, maybe. It was worth considering.

Akane Hanazawa // Mirror World // Super Magical Runway F2
Sunday, June 28th, 2015

With that last charge, it was over. As the whole acceptance spiel began, she recounted the battle. This initial focus were on using spells but in the end, it was all physical violence that ended up deciding this one. With a sign to mourn her lost time, and the others finishing up their touching moment, Matt picked up the unconscious girl and signaled an end to their little dungeon run.

---

Abandoned Warehouse

With Matt having long since left to bring Shizuka to the hospital, with Megumi tagging along, the rest of them were left to wait on the results of the other dungeons. Luckily, the wait wasn't long as Kami and Tadao soon came back with targets in tow. Tadao and Alexei then left to bring them to the hospital, and just when they were about to call it a night, a voice was heard from the darkness.

Instinctively, Akane reached for her weapon but when his figure came into view and was identified as police, she put some distance from him. From the looks of things, it seemed that Rui and co encountered him before. Great, a cop saw us and now knows where the hideout is. Despite the tone of his voice indicating he means no harm, the fact is a cop knows and chances are, he'll be around again. And the last thing Akane wants is a cop hanging around and start digging. She glared at Kami with a 'you dumbass' kind of look.

Even if the chances of it are slim, the last thing she wants is for the cops to start digging into her background. Well, I'm sure it's fine for now... She thought as she glared at his retreating back. Once he was gone, she eased up and breathed a sign of relief. Moments after the detective left, Rui spoke up and suggested they head home and rest and think over this another time. Akane didn't need to think twice on that, after all, she needed to get home and start drawing before her inspiration leaves her. With a smile, she headed back home.

---

Warakuma Hospital - After School
Monday, June 29th, 2015

After dropping briefly by the club, Akane rounded up a few things and decided to head out early and make her way towards the hospital. From the events of the whole dungeon ordeal, she was able to find out that there may be a chance that the newest member of their name might be a potential Manga club member. She planned to introduce herself and give her something to read while in the hospital, just like with Alexei.

"Though....Unlike with Alexei, I'm not really sure Berserk is her kind of thing...." After going through her treasure trove of manga, she pulled out a shoujo manga, Reimei no Arcana. The manga was one of her favorites, one she just finished re-reading not to long ago. She wasn't sure if....Shizuka was it? Would like it considering she's basing the choice in genre on what she seen in the dungeon, the dating sim among other things....but you never know.

Arriving at the hospital, she went in the front entrance amid a uncomfortable amount of eyes baring down on her. Mostly from those that remember her last visit when all of her fathers men swarmed the hospital. With her initial dislike of hospitals, mixed in with the unwanted attention making her even more uncomfortable, she went up to the front desk and asked the lady at the desk if they can deliver it to Shizuka Otonashi's room for her.

Before handing the package over, she stuck a sticky note on it with her name on it, a "welcome to the team" comment finishing with an in-direct recruitment message noting where to find her (the manga clubroom) and that she should drop by sometime. With that, she left the hospital and headed back home.

Opening her eyes to an unfamiliar scene, Shizuka blinked at the beautiful and elegant decors of the room she was in before noticing the black silhouettes of other people seated at the long table. Looking carefully along the table, she noticed that there were two people who were not mere black silhouettes and recognized them both. Mako, a loyal customer to the cosplay cafe, and Masahide, an upperclassman of hers, were seated at the table wearing fanciful outfits that varied from the others. If she stared long enough, she could notice a silhouette that resembled Matt's but it seemed as if he was not physically present at the moment, who also wore something he would normally not wear without an occasion.

A moment afterwards, Shizuka felt something atop her lap, what appeared to be a lacy blue and black parasol and as her gaze went downward from inspecting the umbrella, her eyes sparkled from how fabulous her current outfit was. It resembled a gothic lolita fashion but it leaned towards a formal theme as well. Each intricate and elegant detail on the gloves, the flow of the dress, the lacing pattern, Shizuka scanned through them with a seamstress' eyes as if it had given inspiration to tailor dresses of this theme.

A sudden voice caused the maiden to shift her gaze towards... what appeared to be a strange man with a long nose. Shaking her head to cease herself from being distracted from the strange appearance of the man, Shizuka listened carefully to what he had to say. A contract? She could only recall one situation where she might have, but wasn't that only from a dream?

Being told that she had drawn the Temperance Arcana, she stared down at the symbol she couldn't figure out what it had meant and nodded her head slowly in understanding as he explained what meaning it held. The teen looked back at how her life was recently, and he was certainly right about the loss of balance in her activities. Being told such made her a little conscious, but after facing herself at the strange dungeon, she had decided to be more truthful about her habit and perhaps tone it down to make time for other activities as well.

After receiving the key from the lady in blue, everything went dark once more.


When Shizuka came to, what her eyes first saw was a white ceiling. Where was she now? While attempting to sit up, she noticed how immaculate white the room was and realized she was in a hospital room. Before the patient could react to the situation, a familiar female voice screamed her name, "Shizuka! Thank goodness, you're finally awake!", and a sudden hug just as she straightened up. It was her mother. Astonished by the appearance of her mother, her eyes widened and as she quickly scanned through the room, Shizuka noticed that her father, dressed in his doctor's uniform, was seated by her bedside as well.

"Mo-Mother...? Father...? W-What happened?" While she was surprised by the presence of her two always-too-busy-to-spend-time-with-her parents, it was more of a pleasant surprise to her. But how did she end up in the hospital after the whole crazy ordeal back at the fantasy stage place?

"A boy from your school brought you here at the middle of the night yesterday, claiming to have found you unconscious somewhere.", her father spoke in his ever solemn tone. "He seemed to have been hiding something but rest assured, we found no injuries of any sort when you were brought here." He adjusted his glasses with a cold yet menacing look in his eyes as if he was ready to stab any boy who neared her daughter.

"Oh Shizuka, we were worried sick when the police first informed us of your kidnapping in a horrifying gang incident! It's all both of our fault for not keeping a close eye on you despite all the rumors of the kidnappings in your school! We're sorry, Shizuka... *Sob* It's all our fault..." The embrace from her mother tightened as she felt warm tears drop along her back, her arms raised themselves to return the embrace, tears rolling down her cheeks at how sincerely worried they must have been for her.

"I... I... was lonely every time you a-and father left me to myself... I-I just kept it to myself be-because I wanted to be an obedient c-child... Bu-But mother, father, please... do-don't leave me alone." The tears she held back all those years started streaming down as Shizuka kept sobbing and crying. Hearing this, her mother's hand gently rubbed her daughter's back as her sobs became louder at the realization of their neglect. They both must've known this but had they failed to notice this due to Shizuka not saying anything?

"We should've known you've always felt this way but... This should not be an excuse and we're both deeply sorry about it but your mother and I have been working harder recently to work on this." Shizuka's father held out a clear file filled with sketches of different dresses and outfits, but they all had one similarity: the model of the sketches was Shizuka. Her mother released Shizuka from her embrace so that she may scan through the papers properly and once she reached the back area, there were several blueprints of a runway stage and a party hall.

"W-What is all this...?" What were they preparing for, to be this grand? Was their any occasion close by? There weren't any that Shizuka could recall. "It might be too early but these are drafts for your 20th birthday, dear. We... just wanted to celebrate your coming of age with the best of our abilities but we neglected you in doing so... We're truly sorry for being bad parents to you, Shizuka."

Shizuka's mother flashed a melancholic smile and Shizuka responded to their apology with a shake of her head with a soft yet genuine smile. "You're not terrible, mother, father. In the end, you were doing all of this for me and I appreciate all the effort and work you've done for my coming of age. But... It would be delightful if we had more time to spend together. If both of you are off work any time this summer holidays, could we have a trip to Tokyo, please?"

This was the first time Shizuka asked her parents in a childish manner and the two of them couldn't help but smile and give in to her request. After settling down a little, Shizuka started to sketch the fanciful dress in her dream and explained her hobby that she had kept from her mother and father. Her mother didn't particularly mind, in fact, she was happy that Shizuka was able to expand her tailoring skills more by this hobby. Her father was not totally against it but was worried by the fact that his daughter could fall victim to molestors because of the outfits she would wear and the two could feel the murderous intent from the worrywart father.

A nurse had dropped in quickly just to give Shizuka something they had received from a visitor. The maiden wondered who it was from and read "From Akane Hanazawa" on the sticky note. I-It's from the president of the manga club! Her memory might be blurry but if she remembered right, was the lone girl from her rescue team that same upperclassman? She wasn't sure but Shizuka couldn't wait to go back to school and finally enter the club room with her new found courage! The manga the upperclassman seems to have given her was something she recognized, but had yet to read. Was it something about a love triangle between a princess, prince and a servant? She couldn't really remember but at least she had something to pass the time by while her stay at the hospital.

Matt || During the day

After the events that took place Matt’s mind was muddled and went home as soon as Shizu was dropped off at the hospital. Rest helped Matt a tad bit but the entire day after was a blur, going to the clubroom during breaks to help clear his head… though not even his herbal remedies helped nor would anything help because matt knew full well what was clouding his mind and there was only one way for him to unjumble his mind, so Matt steeled himself as he went to the clubroom afterschool to grab one of the things he worked on during day.

After School || Hospital

Matt headed straight to the hospital after his quick stop off, it seemed that anyone who saw him last night and the bitch weren't around luckily but to be on the safe side Matt got the room number straight away and didn’t stick around the reception area to find out if anyone would recognise him, he had too much on his mind right now to deal with anyone. But as soon as he got to the room Matt froze at the door to the room for a moment and stared at the small bundle of Jasmine flowers and lavender in his hand. Smelling them Matt calmed himself, he chose those two for the different remedies they are used in… now they seemed to be there to help him as he opened the door.

“Uh.. Shizu how are yo-.....” Matt trailed off as he almost dropped the bundle, if he could explain why he stopped it would merely be that he felt as if he was surrounded by angry foxes in the middle of the night… or worse stuck in the water as a croc swam up with jaws wide open.

Matt was surprised to only see a human after that feeling of a killer finding its prey.

“Ah there's already people here…. Uh hello” Matt nervously smiled.

Masa's trance continued as he attempted to grasp the exact nature of the event that had transpired. At first he tried to dismiss it as only a dream- or a nightmare to be more precise. But no matter how hard he tried to dismiss the thought, it always felt like he knew the truth. With a subtle sigh and shake of his head, Masa resigned himself to the truth of the matter, instead now pondering on the being he had witnessed a moment before losing consciousness. He tried not to question any longer if any of this was real, but rather why- the exact same question he now aimed at 'Tyr'. The viking god of justice and honor? The one who bound the great wolf and postponed the Ragnarok? In his studies and leisurely reading, he found himself often fascinated by the stories of folk-heroes and the many myth's and legends of the world... Perhaps this was the reason why the creature took on that name? Or perhaps it was more symbolic.

This train of thought was cut short however, as the sound of creaking metal drew the bows attention. Sure enough, the door to his room had been opened and now was currently closing behind a male he had only seen once before. He was at the gaming tournament some time ago, and even exchanged words with Masahide- few though they were. Shaking his head, Masa sat himself back in the bed, dismissing the need to question his appearance... There were already to many unanswered questions.

However, it was when he began speaking that Masahide sat up once more, ignoring the tensing and aching of his muscles as his eyes narrowed in concentration on the boy. He knew? And above all, he claimed to be the leader some sort of rescue operation? As Rui's speech came to a close, Masa narrowed his eyes even further, his idle expression now fading into an outright frown. At first, he opened his mouth to speak on the foolishness of it all, and how they'd only be getting in the way... But there was something about his closing argument that rang true. If he told this to his mother, she'd have him hospitalized for a mental breakdown- the same probably true for Yamato. Also, the police would have a hard enough time believing that a group of kids were banding together to stop a cult, and that's before adding in the more 'fantastic' elements...

"... You already know I can't forget." Masahide spoke knowingly, his gaze shifting back to Rui as his expression softened- if only slightly, "But I don't like the idea of storming off against an unknown enemy either- least of all with people that could get in the way." The young man gave a moment of pause as he began to size up Rui's psychical form, but paused a moment as he came to a realization.

"You say 'your Persona', meaning Tyr most likely, but your choice of words indicates there are others with the same ability as me- and most likely you." Masa spoke pointedly, turning to now face the male fully. Even now, the his subconscious was screaming at him to turn the offer down and ignore this madness that made no sense to a logical mind... But another voice chimed in. This one was more comforting, more confident, and it was strongly pushing Masahide to accept the offer.

"... Alright." Masahide finally spoke after a moment of silence, "I'll join in on this venture. I don't like the idea of it, but I like the idea of doing nothing even less."

Kotori Shirohane - Abandoned Warehouse | Sunday, June 28 2015

With Alexei taking care of the carrying duties for the unconscious Masahide, it had been time to head out of the dungeon. As they arrived at the entrance and found themselves at the strange crossroads once more, Kotori looked about for the other groups with a mixture of worry and hopefulness - though it quickly turned to relief when it became clear that both of the other groups too had been successful and had managed to rescue the remainings kidnappees. In fact, just moments laters she could see the groups approaching - all of whom were present and carrying both Mako and Shizuka respectively. There was little time for more than a brief confirmations of everyone's well-being before the three headed out first and were thus on their way to deliver the kidnapping victims to the hospital, leaving the rest to gather at the warehouse.

However, rather than a round of congratulations, the first thing to be heard was an unfamiliar voice - leading Kotori to nearly jump in surprise as, like most everyone, she spun around to the source. Had the cult somehow tracked them down? Were they being attacked again? Kotori's mind immediately rushed to such conclusions - at least until she realised that there was only a single person standing there. As it turned out, he was no cultist but rather a police detective - at which point Kotori immediately began trying to think of some way to explain all the situation; what with having read her fair share of mystery novels in which an officer of the police found some strange things being afoot and unwittingly interfered.

Except that it turned out to not be necessary at all when the detective - who was starting to seem vaguely familiar, though that was unsurprising with the number of police officers around town recently - explained that instead he wasn't here to arrest some unruly kids but rather to let them know that they should take care in their dealings with these cultists - and that it all sounded rather incredulous even after seeing the mirror; a sentiment that Kotori still shared after having seen the Mirror World multiple times already. Once the detective left, there was little mood for merrymaking and instead the group quickly disbanded to leave on their separate ways home.

Kotori Shirohane - Warakuma High School: Classroom 2-2 | Monday, June 29 2015 - After School

School had, for the most part, been a little on the unsual side, Kotori noticed. With the double absence of Mako and Masahide as well as Shizuka one year below them, the rumours were flying as after every kidnapping. By the time lunch break came around, Kotori had heard the blame being placed on the cult, an attempted runaway, aliens and a top secret government project - among other things. Being part of the same club as the third kidnapping victim, some of her classmates asked her if she knew anything more - but Kotori vehemently denied knowing anything more, leaving the rumour-mongerers to their own devices. After all, experience showed that this sort of thing rather quickly died down as soon as the people in question showed up well and healthy at school again.

Besides, as the school bell rang to signal the end of the day's last lesson, interests quickly shifted to more pleasant afterschool activities as the usual hustle and bustle broke out with the students packing their things and heading out to club meetings, friends' classrooms or simply home. Kotori exchanged a brief few waves or quicky goodbyes with the occasional few that spoke as they passed her seat whilst she, as usual, finished up her notes for the day before she too would be heading out; giving a friendly nod to Akane as she passed her. With her own things all packed up, both the classroom and the hallway was a lot less crowded than just a few minutes ago - leaving Kotori to sigh, albeit for another reason.

In particular, the topic of hospital visits - she still wasn't very comfortable with hospitals, so the prospect of going there of her own volition was not one which appealed very much. Still, it would be most rude to not at least wish Shizuka well in person after she'd done the same for her earlier - not that that stopped her from immediately worrying if that might seem a little too familiar if she just showed up unannounced. But then again, she'd been glad to see her visitors...

Kotori still hadn't made up her mind when she arrived at the Agriculture Club room. It was a monday and thus normally a meeting day - but in light of the events the day before, she was fairly sure that Matthew would already be at the hospital. A small smile adorned her face at the thought - even if she immediately felt a little guilty for finding the notion cute when it came on the back of the circumstances surrounding the cult. Still, even with no club meeting going on there were plants of all shapes and sizes, and colours and smells that would be quite cross if they didn't get their regular watering - an act that Kotori always enjoyed for its soothing nature, even as she made up her mind about the visits.

Kotori Shirohane - Warakuma Hospital | After School

Kotori took a deep breath to calm herself as she walked down the hallways she'd been pointed to by the friendly lady at the reception after inquiring about the room numbers of the three most recent kidnapping victims. She tried telling herself that there was no rational reason to be nervous - but she couldn't help but feel ill at ease around hospitals; no matter how nice the staff may be or how occasionally a nurse would recognise her and give a friendly wave which got a rather small response. Still, she wasn't here for her own sake - shaking her head as if to get rid of those thoughts, Kotori headed onwards, glancing up at the room numbers until she found the one she sought; taking another deep breath before giving the door a somewhat faint knock.

"Uhm... excuse me," Kotori began before gingerly opening the door; hoping she wasn't interrupting anything. "Good afternoon, Oto...nashi-san," she said, giving a bow as she did, before holding up a small bouquet of flowers she'd brought with her as a hopeful wish of recovery - whilst immediately regretting the previous decision when she saw who happened to be in the room. Not only were Shizuka and Matthew present, but also two more people who Kotori could only assume to be Shizuka's parents - and given the look about the father just then, she further assumed that she'd chosen a most definitely inopportune time to show up. "Uhm... I... I-I'll come back later," she quickly said as she retraced her steps out of the room, closing the door behind her - and only then stopping to take a breath after blundering in in such an awkward manner.

Unfortunately, that also left her standing outside with three similarly-coloured bouquets still in her arm. She'd intended to visit Shizuka foremost, seeing as they were fellow club members and had actually exchanged more than just very occasional words of greetings, but with the other two - Mako and Masahide - both being her classmates, Kotori would have felt amiss to not at least pay them a brief visit when she was already there. And with the visit to Shizuka most definitely being pushed back for an unspecified amount of time, she decided to instead see to the other two. After all, they may be equally as confused about the whole ordeal as she had been if no one else happened to visit them to explain how things were.

Gingerly opening the door and quickly peering inside to avoid a similar show as before after having knocked gently on it, Kotori noticed that the room had more than one occupant. As it turned out, Rui was indeed already on the case and seemed to have both given the brief explanation of the Mirror World and extended an invitation to Masahide - at least, that's what the few words Kotori picked up as she entered sounded like. Still, preferring to be safe rather than sorry, Kotori hesitantly spoke up: "E-excuse me?" Giving a quick bow, she in turn greeted both Rui and Masahide before going on: "Uhm, I hope I'm not interrupting anything," quickly glancing between the two to make sure.

"I just thought a get-well-soon gift would be nice," she continued, her voice trailing off a little as she held up the flowers she intended as a gift - only now realising that perhaps flowers weren't exactly the most desirable sort of gift for a boy after all; leaving her to give an awkward half-smile as she stood in the middle of the room unsure how to proceed.

It seems Masahide had decided to accept. It was almost true that they didn't know what enemy they were going after, or rather they did, but so much about them was still a mystery. They had some details though...

"Well then, good to have you on board", he responded.

"You'll get the meet the others in time. I guess you'll like joining now than when this all began, because we do have some idea of what we're chasing... But we can't really talk about the details here", as he finished talking, Kotori walked timidly into the room, announcing her presence... Or rather just trying to make herself known. She had brought a get-well gift for Masahide. She seemed quite awkward just standing there though. This was honestly so awkward he didn't know what to do...

"Well you could... Try putting those flowers in the vase here", he pointed out, after which he began to walk towards the door.

"I'll just be heading to see Shizuka... Oh by the way Masahide, if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask", and with that he was off.

Ryan stood outside of Masahide's hospital room awkwardly, shuffling a bit as he looked at the small get well soon card in his hand. It was adorned with a small cat hanging off a tree branch, with the words 'Hang In There!' being printed in bold yellow. He had no idea if it was appropriate for someone he barely knew but figured he should check up on the person whose life he just saved. He listened in on the usual explanation that Rui gave and took a deep breath. Time to go in.

Ryan knocked on the door lightly and walked in on Rui and Kotori. "Hello there Rui." He said softly as he glanced over at Kotori. He didn't know her that well, but she was on the investigation team too. She was in the Agriculture Club the day he ran away from the Agriculture Club if he remembered correctly. Rui left the room, leaving Ryan with Kotori and Masahide.

"Hi there, Masahide-san right?" He inquired as he set the card down next to the vase that Rui had pointed out. Ryan felt really akward being here to be honest, but he wasn't going to run away from relationships anymore. And the first step was talking to the person whose life he saved.

The moment a new visitor had arrived at Shizuka's room, he could feel an intense murderous intent emanating from the direction of the girl's father. Shizuka gasped softly at who it was, Matthew Harvester. After the events from the previous day, which were still questionable to have really happened first of all, she found it as a surprise that the upperclassmen would decide to see her. Though the visit was not undesirable, no, in fact it was more of a pleasant surprise. She knew that she had to have a talk with him at one point.

The mother who was out of the loop looked to the father then to Shizuka as if to have either of them introduce who this boy was and who he was to his daughter. A small, teasing smile was upon her lips as she did so. The father, who was continuing to glare daggers at him, noticed this and started, "That's the boy who brought Shizuka in here the night before." Hearing this, Mrs. Otonashi's smile became wider as she turned her gaze towards the boy.

"Um... T-This is Harvester-senpai, my upperclassman at school and the president of the club I've joined recently. And these are my parents." Shizuka could feel how awkward Matthew must be feeling in the presence of her parents and at how hard her father was glaring at the boy. She felt embarrassed at how her spectacled father was being as she looked to her mother for help.

After seeing the helpless expression from her daughter, Shizuka's mother sighed and pulled the father's arm as she stood up. "It was nice to meet you and we're very much grateful for finding our dear Shizuka, Ha-Har... Harvester-kun? But we'll be taking our leave--" It was just then that another person had opened the door to the room.

This time, it was a young lady who seemed to be about Shizuka's age as well. No glares were given this time but even before anyone could say anything, the spectacled girl left and shut the door behind her. Shizuka was about to order her to stay but before she could open her lips, she was gone.

The awkwardness in the room settled in once more as the mother decided it was time to leave the two alone for whatever Shizuka may have wanted to tell him. It took a great effort to convince the father who refused to budge from this room to finally leave and as they did, the room was filled with awkward silence as Shizuka shifted her gaze towards the flowers in Matthew's hand.

"I-I don't suppose those are for me...? Shirohane-senpai seemed to have brought her own too." The maiden giggled slightly at the thought of how the two agriculture club members who had come to visit her had both brought her flowers. Smiling at how thoughtful the gesture was, it slowly faded as her gaze fell to the white tiled floor. "About... yesterday. It... it was real, wasn't it....? And if it was, .... I-I'm terribly sorry, senpai."

The situation proceeding after entering the room made Matt’s mouth dry as he produced a few beads of sweat that rolled down his face until a slightly amusing moment occurred that slightly lifted the heaviness in the room as someone seemed to open the door and close it just as suddenly. Though the awkwardness didn’t leave the father was finally convinced to leave though he didn’t seem to be very willing even as he left.

With the awkwardness setting in more the silence was broken With Shizu’s seemingly slightly awkward comments, which left Matt speechless for a few moments though it seemed a lot longer.
“Hahaa… yea it’s kinda the only thing i know to bring…” Matt tried to start his reply light as it started to trail to more serious aspects.
“As hard as it is to get your head around it was all real… and well…. It’s fine… I mean… Everyone's been through something like that in a way…. To be honest in the end it reminded me of my experience…” Trying hard to not sound too awkward about it Matt scratched the back of his head as he started to remember his experience more.

"So uhh... got anything you wanna talk about?"

Having been told that the events from the previous day were indeed real, Shizuka had to take a moment to think, recall even, what did all this remind her of? She was pretty sure this experience was all too familiar. Perhaps from a novel? No, maybe a web comic?

Either way, unlike how most people would react, she was a little excited that she could experience something extraordinary and it not being just a dream. But like the others, there was a part of her who feared the evident danger which was involved in what they did. Did all the kidnappees feel this way too? .... Did Matt feel this way too?

Shizuka snapped out of her thoughts when the upperclassman ended with a question. The maiden could feel her heart sink slowly, figuring they would have to confront the issue at one point. Eyes hid themselves behind her long bangs as she directed her gaze down. "Actually... I do. But... This'll not be pleasant."

The girl's hands squeezed themselves together atop her lap, holding in her anxiety as best as she could, as her lips parted once more, "As you've heard the other me yesterday, I... I may have been infatuated with the concept of love. I-It... does not give me an e-excuse to have been easily swayed by these feelings to have... hurt you in such a way." Hands started to tremble and if he looked closely, he could see a teardrop glitter along her cheek.

"Harvester-senpai.... Let us part ways." A melancholic smile made its way upon her lips as Shizuka's teary gaze lifted up to look Matt in his eyes.

Listening in Matt’s expression was… complicated, it wasn’t as if what Shizuka said never went through his mind as a possibility but it still… hurt.
“It’s not as If i wasn’t expecting something like this with what happened… but…” Matt spent a moment to gather his thoughts on what he would say next. “I’ll be honest... before this all started i was a liar to everyone around me and to myself, I played the role people felt most comfortable around to not be alone. I lied to myself pushing my real desires aside for the sake of a public image, playing others… and myself for fools” Matt laughed bitterly for a moment.

“Sorry for the stupid rambling guess I’ll get to the point, I get what you're saying but I’ve decided to start being honest with myself as well with others….” Scratching his head again Matt continued “I don’t want to break up, It might just be me being selfish but I really don’t…. What happened made me realise… anyway if you really think there isn’t a chance let me know but…. I guess I should leave and give you time to think… Bye”

With that Matthew left the hospital room holding back his tears… mostly.

Before Shizuka had the time to gather her thoughts and respond to the upperclassman, he was gone before her eyes, leaving Shizuka to herself and her thoughts, as well as the bundle of jasmine and lavender that the older boy had brought. It might've been a slight glance but was that a drop of tear at the corner of his eye?

With no one else left in the room but her, the melancholic smile upon Shizuka's lips eventually faded away as she ceased to thoughtfully gaze towards the flower. While slowly burying her face onto her hands, she finally released the tears she desperately held back, her quiet sobbing echoing throughout the room. Was this really the right thing to do...?

As Rui walked over to the room Shizuka was staying in, he saw Matthew walk out and away, and past him, he didn't even see him. He spotted tears too. He peeked in just in case and the moment he got near the open door he could feel the thick atmosphere that made hearts sink. He slowly backed his head out and away...

"Okay... Now may not be the best time...", he said to himself, as he decided to head home, and come into contact with her again later to speak of the dungeons and all that's been happening.

---

It was a Wednesday, after school. The three from the dungeon a few days back, Shizuka, Masahide and Mako, all were discharged at differing times of yesterday, and skipped school that Tuesday, so they were back in classes Wednesday today. With summer break only two to three weeks away, everyone was excited... But also under pressure. Exams were on the very last week after all. Like some kind of ominous gate way, if they didn't pass, that meant they had to take extra lessons during summer, which would not be fun. Still, now that it was after school, and it was clearing out, some to study, others for leisure or club, Rui went looking for Shizuka. Unbeknownst to him, a familiar hawk had entered the school grounds and seemed to be making this area it's territory.

Kotori Shirohane - Warakuma High School: Classroom 2-2 | Wednesday, July 1 2015 - After School

Kotori was rather glad to see that both her classmates, Masahide and Mako, had been discharged safely from the hospital, the same most likely being true of Shizuka as well, seeing as they were present in the classroom once again. She'd given them a small greeting after the somewhat awkward visits back at the hospital when she'd realised that she didn't really know what to do on such a visit and they had thus turned out to be of rather short duration - and she'd asked the nurse at the front desk if they could deliver the flowers to Shizuka's room after one run-in with her parents and Matthew had been enough embarassment for one day.

Of course, as with every kidnapping, and increasingly so with each new case, the rumours had been flying the day before and the two had undoubtedly been swamped with questions from curious classmates and others the moment they set foot on school grounds, if not before. Kotori felt some sympathy for them at the attention; particularly considering that it would most likely be a bit difficult to explain what actually happened, what with the mirror world sounding rather fantastical even after experiencing it for oneself multiple times already.

However, the buzz surrounding the kidnappings was easily replaced by the excitement for the upcoming summer break that was fast approaching - though the teachers were quick to curb this with a reminder of the upcoming final exams. Kotori looked toward them with rather mixed feelings - on one hand, she'd been sure to uphold her note-keeping, regularly done her homework and tried to keep to her study schedule at home as much as she could. On the other though, the mirror world excursions and increasingly worrying rate of kidnappings were definitely not very conductive to a studious mindset at the moment. Some of her classmates however didn't share such worries and had instead asked if she might be able to help them out - though Kotori had to apologetically turn them down, given that opportunity for any study groups tended to fall on inconvenient days on which she was to help out at the store at home or on the weekend which she'd almost grown accustomed to being reserved for rescue operations in the mirror world.

With a small sigh, Kotori finished up her notes for the day; the bell signalling the end thereof having already rung out some time before and thus left the classroom quite a bit emptier than before. A brief flash of movement from the windows caught her attention - but when she looked, nothing out of the ordinary was to be seen anymore. With a slightly puzzled look upon her face, Kotori simply shook her head at that before readjusting her glasses and proceeding to pack her school bag and head out of the classroom; her mind not yet made up on whether to stop by somewhere in town on her way home.

Akane Hanazawa // Warakuma High // Manga Club
Wednesday, July 1st, 2015
After School

Having spent Tuesday relieving the early week stress at the Kendo club, she decided to skip kendo for today and head straight to the Manga Clubroom. After all, on top of the dungeon aftermath, with the detective, she had multiple sightings of her fathers henchmen wherever she went. It was hard not to notice their horrible attempts at disguising themselves, totally not natural. It was like she was in a bad comedy or something and simply dismissing them won't work, since different ones would take their place.

It was all very irritating, ever since her father came to see her that day.... "That bastard...using brother's condition to--" Interrupting her mumbling was the sound of her pencil breaking, having crushed it in her anger. "Damnit..." she cursed under her breath as she walked over to her things and grabbed another one. Ever since then, Akane has been in a foul mood, though, she been able to act normally since then (given how she was before).

After heading home from the short visit (if you can even call it that) to the hospital, she made efforts draw but her mind was elsewhere and eventually gave up and went to bed. Yesterday was the same story so she went all out at kendo practice, while it did help a little, Akane couldn't find satisfaction in her drawings. Whether it was because they didn't meet her lofty standards or it was because she wasn't into it (or a little of both), it was all the same.

With a sigh, she put down the pencil and gazed out the window in the comfort of her bean bag chair. There's no need... I'm sure he'll be fine, he always was, after he....I wont do it, never.

Ryan studied his notes intently in his classroom and sighed. It appeared as though everyone was gossiping about the latest kidnapping and starting various rumours on what the circumstances were. Kinda weird how he had somehow avoided all those rumours, almost as though nobody ever realized he had been kidnapped in the first place. Not that he was complaining. It seemed very annoying to be honest.

Ryan packed away his notes and began heading over to the Manga Clubroom to do some studying. He wasn't going to get any peace and quiet in here for sure. He vaguely considered going home, but looking out the entrance of the school revealed a few shady looking characters that he didn't really want to deal with.

Ryan entered the clubroom and nodded at Akane in acknowledgement of her existence. He then sat down in an empty chair and got out his notes so he could study in preparation of the upcoming exams. A few minutes passed in silence when he suddenly heard a pencil snapping in half, coming from Akane's direction. Ryan turned his head towards her and vaguely wondered if he should say something. He had a nervous look on his face, debating internally if he should risk getting yelled at or not.

==~==

Coming back to school after everything that had happened was... awkward, to say the least. From the moment he stepped onto school grounds, he'd been bombarded with questions and inferences and suppositions about what had happened to him. His antics at the cosplay cafe had also been blown grossly out of proportion, to truly bizarre extents, in some cases- he didn't even think it was physically possible for anyone to punch someone's head clean off their shoulders, much less him. He rolled his eyes. His classmates in the Boxing Club would be laughing at that one for a while if they'd heard it. Still, thankfully, the questions died down as his classmates realized that his answers weren't going to get any more interesting or well-defined than, "I don't really remember" or similar iterations of the phrase, and things went on as normal.

Mako was pleased to note that Masahide has also similarly recovered from their shared ordeal, which meant that Shizuka was likely also at school. At some point, they'd all have to get together and discuss things in full. Sato and Rui had given him the basics, but there was still much to be said- about that other world, about the Shadows, and about his new powers. His Persona. He felt again at the new presence in his head, and considered the situation he now found himself in, particularly regarding the threats that he'd volunteered to help deal with. He was going to need a weapon, if he expected to be effective in any capacity. Hmm.

It was lunchtime when Mako got a text on his phone, which surprised him slightly- he didn't get many texts, he preferred face-to-face discussion. Which meant it was probably someone he didn't know very well, and that narrowed it down to his fellow investigators. Feeling slightly anxious, he pulled out his phone, and raised an eyebrow at the name of the one who'd texted him.

Sato. Of course it's Sato. Because the universe doesn't think my life is awkward enough.

Meet me at the archery range after school. Concise and to the point- good. Maybe now he could get some answers. He sent a message back: Got it. See you then. And so began the long- or seemingly long- wait for school to be over. As it it wasn't a long enough day, already.

==~==




==~==

He had to admit, the range was impressive. At least they got their own space, rather than having to share the gym like he and his fellows had to. Not that it bothered him all that much, but he had to admit he was at least a little jealous. Still, with an inward shrug, he made his way toward the range, eyes scanning the students arriving for club practice, and waving off the curious glances of those who wondered why he was there. At least that was one perk of having a lowercase-p-persona: he was pretty much embarrassment-proof, at this point.

There, he thought, as he finally caught sight of Sato. He waved to get his senpai's attention, then jogged over, smiling sort of shyly.

"Hey," he said, a bit more confidently than he felt. "Good to see you."

JULY 1ST 2015, WEDNESDAY
Afterschool

After not having attended meetings for a while, being at the archery range was a breath of fresh air for Sato. Well, not literally, seeing as the whole place just kind of smelled like a mixture of sweat, leather, and resin. But it felt good to fire a bow outside of the mirror world for once, being able to just practice and hone his technique without worrying about fucking up and potentially getting hit with something a little more painful than a misfired string. Speaking of Sato's bow technique, he started to notice his improvements. It wasn't zero-to-hero or anything, but his shots were noticeably more consistent and accurate. It was kind of an ego boost to have a few other people around to see it, to be honest.

It was just as Sato completely messed up a shot, accidentally nailing the section of backboard just above the target, that Rokurou called him over, having just arrived, but not without a goofy smirk. He'd definitely had walked in on just that last shot, missing the rest of his relatively impressive score. Sato started to internally diss Rokurou's own shooting skills, but he quickly realized that they hadn't gone against each other for what felt like forever.

Rokurou set down the bag he carried, likely full of his own equipment. Seeing the tip of the bow arm poke out reminded Sato of how painfully awkward it was carrying his own stuff around to use for the mirror world, as it felt vaguely... illegal. It probably wasn't, but he didn't know for sure, and that was what bugged him. Especially considering he used Rokurou's modified arrows. Regardless, it was kind of a smart thing to do since equipment left in the locker was considered free to use by anyone, meaning most of it tends to get a little damaged by the less experienced members.

"You're here early," Rokurou said, walking over to a small cabinet where they kept most of the essential papers. A bit questionable, but apparently he kept copies of anything actually essential so Sato tried not to worry about any form of petty sabotage. The club president pulled out a folded up wad of papers from his back pocket and messed around with the contents of a binder, doing who knows what with the crumpled sheets. "It's more surprising you're here at all," He added on. Sato felt the second part wasn't necessary, but whatever.

"Yeah, well. I was busy, okay?" Sato replied, setting his bow against the side of a nearby equipment locker.

"Sure you were." Rokurou blew some air out of his nose, purposely obnoxiously loud. Just in case Sato didn't hear it normally. "I would ask, but that's not my business what you're fucking around with, so at least you're here now."

Sato slumped his shoulders a bit and rolled his eyes to side. "I mean, I was just... tired. I wanted to come, don't get me wrong, it's just that--"

"Dude. I said I don't care." He shut the binder for dramatic effect, shoving it haphazardly back into the pile inside the cabinet drawer. With whatever that was done, Rokurou threw his uniform jacket aside and pulled out his bow. He started to string it using the old-fashioned way, so Sato took a small step away. "I'm a bit more cheesed that you haven't talked to me at all in like three weeks. I even shot you a few texts, man! What's up with that?"

Sato had less explanation for that, unfortunately. He hadn't really talked to anyone since he had gotten kidnapped besides Mako and that one time he helped Rokurou study. It only then occurred to Sato that people might be a little... concerned, for him.

Luckily, before Sato ran out of time to think of a good answer, Rokurou changed the subject. "Hey, is that guy waving at us?" He pointed behind Sato and over to the door, and sure enough, Sato turned around to see Mako coming towards them. It was then that he suddenly remembered he had sent a text to Mako about meeting up there, so he played his surprise off real cool like, leaning onto the locker after his sudden pivot. Unfortunately, he forgot he left his bow there and promptly knocked it off, clamoring against the floor uncomfortably loudly.

Anyways. Sato gave a knowingly awkward smile, ignoring Rokurou's giggling behind him. "I see you got my text." He said, picking his bow up from the floor.

"Oh, you can text this guy but not me?" Rokurou butted in, bumping Sato in the shoulder. A few seconds of silence and disapproving looks proved effective in repelling Rokurou, however. "Oh, I see how it is! Well, whatever. I wanted to get some practice in anyway. You better talk to me later, asshole." And with that, Rokurou took a handful of arrows from his archery bag and moved over to the firing line, squaring himself off with the target as he walked up to it.

Sato rubbed the back of his hair. "Um, anyways... I'm glad to see that you're back at school. If you want to talk about the whole, um, 'thing', then I'm pretty much free. To talk."

==~==

Mako's eyebrows raised as he saw the larger male student next to Sato, who was glaring at him for some inscrutable reason. Mako glared back, which may not have been the best idea, but if his Shadow was anything to go by, he needed to be more open with his emotions. Well, here's me being more open with my emotions, glaring at some douche with an attitude problem. No big deal. Sato attempted to look natural- at least, that was what he assumed he was trying to do- and only marginally succeeded, knocking over his bow, loudly. Spiky-haired douche laughed. Mako's glare intensified slightly.

"I see you got my text," said Sato, picking up the bow he'd knocked over. Spiky Hair took exception to this almost immediately.

"Oh, you can text this guy but not me?" he butted in, bumping Sato in the shoulder, quite deliberately. Mako's glare upgraded from "you are an annoyance to me" to "I will disembowel you if you touch him again." A few seconds of this, and the larger student scoffed, acting tough.

"Oh, I see how it is! Well, whatever. I wanted to get some practice in anyway. You better talk to me later, asshole." With that, Spiky Hair grabbed a handful of arrows and stormed off toward the firing line. Mako grit his teeth, then neutralized his expression as he looked at Sato.

"Um, anyways... I'm glad to see that you're back at school. If you want to talk about the whole, um, 'thing', then I'm pretty much free. To talk." Sato rubbed the back of his head as he said this, looking painfully awkward with the situation as it had transpired. Mako glanced sidelong at Spiky Hair, breathing a deep sigh, then looking back at Sato with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you sure? You wouldn't want to go see what Mr. Personality over there desperately needs your presence for?" Mako's mouth twisted into something that might have been a smile if the subject wasn't so distasteful. He shook his head. "What exactly was all that about, anyway? ...Doesn't really matter, I guess. If you're still up for telling me about... certain current events, I suppose I can wait until you're done with practice so he doesn't have an aneurysm about you. We can go grab something to eat or something...? Up to you."

"It doesn't matter," Sato said in response to Mako's ire. For whatever reason, Mako seemed to really dislike Rokurou, based on all the glaring and the villainizing statements. It struck him a bit odd, but then again, Rokurou had a knack for hitting things off wrong. A lot of people act the same as Mako upon first meeting, but then the other group of people tolerate him for his endearing side. It wasn't hard to guess which team Sato was on. "Rokurou's..." Sato hesitated to compliment him. "You'd need to get to know him first. I mean, general you, not actually you. You, Mako, seem to, uh..."

"Moving on." Sato changed the subject, putting his bow into an equipment locker. He'd left some equipment out, but someone was bound to use it anyway. Starting off towards the door, Sato continued. "It doesn't matter if I stay or not, it's just a hobby for me. Well, not technically anymore, but you get what I mean."

"Uh... But yeah, I'd be down for getting something downtown. I'd love to be talk to someone about everything that's been happening. I mean, outside of the warehouse with people I barely know." He frowned. It occurred to him that he barely knew Mako either, but their relationship had started off talking about it so it wasn't too weird to discuss it again. Especially now that Mako was part of the investigation team as well, and that the case is really picking up. Police involvement was on the rise, and the cult was getting more and more bold with their activities. In a way, it'd probably be a much better use of time than mindlessly shooting at some fake targets.

As Sato walked out the door to the range, the sun slowly creeping down towards the horizon, he considered where they could go. "There's a good noodle place just by the shopping district. It's pretty quiet there, so it'd be pretty good for talking. What do you think?"