@Mistress Dizzy@demonspade64

Senhime was thankful it seemed that some people were a bit helpful to her even after the events. Even if experience with people was less than knowledgeable. "Thank you" she said as she bowed her head slightly as she shifted the blazer to cover a bit more as if trying to hide in it but with no success. She was not used to people and it was speaking loudly right now despite her resolve she found from the event she was still somewhat nervous around others but she would force herself to at least talk somewhat more since it was the only way she was going to be able to grow more as a person. "I have to agree though I never thought that I would forget my own name." Things was going to be odd from now own it wasn't like she and the others could just forget that the event ever happened it was forever ingrained into her memory something like that is hard to forget after all.

@Ayazi@Krayzikk@Plank Sinatra@Write

City Side - NPC: Sasori Yoshinori

The door to the van opened once more, and Sasori Yoshinori (age 31 and self-employed gumshoe) pushed in a strangely-shaped object, covered in a tarp, into the free space next to the assembled teenagers. It didn't require much mind meat to instantly know what lay hidden beneath the fabric; it was quite obviously the thing that Kimiko had fisted to stop the bots.

"Don't gander if you wanna chew at the hash house," he said casually. "It'll daylight your appetite."

@Plank Sinatra @Crimmy @Write

"I guess you really did a number on it, Kimiko." Daisuke said with what sounded like a touch of pride, shooting his friend a brief grin and bumping her shoulder with his own. He might normally have offered a fist bump or high five, something a little more noticeable, but his back fucking hurt. He really didn't want to move too much around the shoulder blades if he could help it. "Good work."

"We ready to get goin', detective?" He asked, slowly acclimating to the man's strange way of speaking, while he eyed the DRU in the back seat with them. It wasn't hostile anymore, and in fact seemed pretty domesticated, but he wasn't going to trust it just yet. Not after sixty three of its friends had just been trying to kill him.

@Ayazi@Krayzikk@Plank Sinatra@Write

City Side - NPC: Sasori Yoshinori

"Yeah, we're taking a powder," was the reply from the detective, who moved into the driver's seat immediately, inserting his key and allowing the van to rumble loudly to life. It was time, you see, for them to skedaddle outta the area before the johns hit up the scene.

Also, because the lil' dame wanted some grub.

@banjoanjo@Suku@Mistress Dizzy@chukklehed@demonspade64@HereComesTheSnow

School Side (Saturday Morning - 11am) - NPC: Kaede Yamamoto

Despite having been phased out during a period lasting from the mid-90s to just after the turn of the millennium, a number of Japanese schools could still be found holding six-day school weeks, albeit mostly amongst the privately-run. Uchima Senior High had once been a member of those ranks (even though it was a public institution), but over the years, it too had given up on the concept (despite attempts by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to reintroduce the six-day school week for the purpose of "dispel[ling] concerns of a widening “education gap” between public schools and private schools"¹), with Saturday attendance mostly limited to those participating in club activities. And for those who were less club-inclined, they could stay home, where they would waste time sleeping in and procrastinating on their weekend homework.

Thus it was quite unexplainable why Kaede Yamamoto was leaning against the school gates at eleven in the morning, still clad in his crimson uniform. He seemed particularly ruffled, the neat and sophisticated appearance he had always sought to maintain having fallen to the wayside in favour of a strange, haggard form. His face, pallid and unhealthily pale, was, upon contact with the fingers of his shaking right hand, cold and clammy to the touch. Even with the presence of his glasses, his eyes were noticeably bloodshot, as if he had been crying during the night. His night ... had not been a good one. There had been no peaceful for the Drama Club President in his sleep. There had only been more horrors.

Yet it was those horrors that had driven him to come to school today even when there was no reason for him to. No, there would have been reason, but with the ... the incident back in the room, all of the Drama Club's activities had been forcibly cancelled by the staff. None of them needed to come, and he knew that many of his friends and club members were staying home, still affected by whatever it was that had ... that had happened there. Kaede wanted to be one of them, but he wasn't. Instead, he had chosen to turn up at school despite everything, barely kept awake by the eight cups of coffee he had consumed that morning.

He shivered. It wasn't that cold, but he did.

It would've been so easy to just ... just stay home. Except four of his club members ... his friends (Okazaki, Oogami, Hanazawa, Sasaki) were missing. No, they weren't missing, they had been taken. Taken by those monsters. Th-that whatever it was that hid in the school's clock tower. He was the Club President. They were his responsibility. If he had just arrived a bit earlier to the club room, then they could've ...

He tried to ignore the thoughts telling him that it was all his fault. He couldn't have known. He couldn't have predicted it.

However, they had still disappeared when he should've been there for them. The blame laid with him there. If he had been there, they wouldn't have been corrupted. They wouldn't have - he tried to recall the words of that ... Philemon being - been corrupted. They wouldn't have lost themselves to whatever it was that had cursing their school. So that was why it was his responsibility to save them. He -



-had the power to do so now.

He had ... a Persona. He had Oberon.

Kaede glanced down at the screen of his smartphone. He had sent the texts to every single one of them, requesting their presence at school. The students that had ... followed him down to the clock tower.

He needed to save his club members. By all means necessary. He needed the help.

The club was his family. No matter how stupid they could get, no matter how rambunctious, they were his.

He would rather die than lose them.

---

^{1. japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view..}

Even painting couldn’t take his mind off of yesterday’s events. Not that he was painting much in the first place. Aki stared at the mess of a canvas, the idle brushstrokes that he was still slapping onto it. Gross. Perhaps he could pass it off as an abstract piece? He doubted it. Even splatter paintings had some sort of balance to them. This… this was just a mess. Speaking of messes…

Aki sent a glance out the window, spying a haggard looking Yamamoto by the gate. He looked terrible, a lot more than usual.

His club room was destroyed. The year’s efforts, all blown to dust and debris. Numerous members injured and four missing. He must’ve been distraught. Aki found himself wondering if he would be as affected if the same thing happened to the art club. In all honesty, probably not. Definitely not. It was nothing personal. He meant that in the most literal way possible. If it didn’t directly affect or injure him, then it wasn’t his problem. The same applied for Yamamoto-kun.

Why else would he have called them here? His condition was indication enough it was about his missing club members. Aki scowled. It wasn’t like Yamamoto was going to gather them in a little circle to have a nice, uneventful chat about yesterday’s events over some of that rancid coffee. It was more probable that he wanted to investigate that strange place and save his friends. And once again, it wasn’t Aki’s problem.

He sighed and slapped down his brush. If it really was the latter situation, then worse come to worst, Aki would have to politely decline. After everything he lost, Yamamoto deserved a face-to-face explanation. It was the least he deserved. After giving the club president a heads up about his five-minute break, Aki headed down to the school gate.

Yikes, Yamamoto looked even worse up close. He was visibly shaking and sleep deprived. Aki had his fair share of the latter last night too. Cautiously, awkwardly even, Aki approached him.

“Um, I got your text, Yamamoto-kun. Is everything alright?”

Aki hoped to God that Yamamoto wouldn’t request what he suspected he was going to ask.

Rena decided to attend school as if nothing ever happen, though she planned on canceling afternoon kendo practice as she began to reflect on what happen the other day in the clock tower. All of a sudden she got a text from Kaede which reminded her...

------------------

"Oh Kaedo, thanks for reminded me i need to kill you..." Rena told him wearing her warm smile that masks all of her angry. She held out her hand and made her magic devil tarot appear from thin air, A reminded of who she is deep down, but she stops when she saw Aki. "Oh, Aki?" She said in surprise before running to his side with a worried look on her face. "I'm sorry i got you burned, is there anything i could do to help you?" She asked sounding quite guilty. She was honestly trying to build up the courage to confront him about it.

Jin showed up not long after and leaned against the wall, yawning widely and looking like they hadn't slept. In truth, Jin's night had been filled with strange dreams and worse nightmares. Now they were utterly exhausted, and wishing that they had just stayed in bed. Mornings were usually not their strong suit. This particular morning it was just hard enough forming sentences.

"...so, I wasn't hallucinating all of yesterday." They murmured in response to seeing Rena's Persona. "...good to know, I guess." Quite unceremoniously, Jin pulled a fast food bag with a familiar red M from their backpack, and opened it.

"Food. Can't face Hell with an empty stomach.Brought enough for everyone." Which, considering the way Jin could eat, meant that there was another bag of food waiting. Jin pulled out a wrapped sandwich - Egg Mcmuffin it looked like - and started to eat with a murmured 'itadakimasu'.

@Mistress Dizzy

Sakura's slim but calloused fingers reached around the edge of the wall and dipped into the bag Jin was holding, resurfacing with something random wrapped in bright paper.

"I didn't eat breakfast before I came." She explained in a small, slightly muffled voice, looking apologetically at Jin from where she was half hidden behind the wall. Her face was hidden more than halfway by her scarf, with only the top of her nose and her eyes showing. Slowly, she unwrapped her sandwich and pushed it under the folds of the concealing cloth, presumably taking a bite.

Jin went faintly red in the cheeks, then shook their head at Sakura's apology. "There's enough for everyone, including me." With the way Jin could put away food, that meant there was a second, full bag of food somewhere. "Rena. Aki." Jin approached and held out the bag without ceremony. They weren't entirely sure that princess Rena would debase herself by eating fast food, but Jin really didn't care.

"Eat something. Because if my instinct's correct, Kaede didn't ask us here to join the tennis club." Jin shot a frosty look at the back of the offending boy's head, but then sighed. They didn't have to be here, and yet... so far no one was missing.

@Ayazi@Krayzikk@Plank Sinatra@Write

City Side - NPC: Sasori Yoshinori

"Yeah, we're taking a powder," was the reply from the detective, who moved into the driver's seat immediately, inserting his key and allowing the van to rumble loudly to life. It was time, you see, for them to skedaddle outta the area before the johns hit up the scene.

Also, because the lil' dame wanted some grub.

"Good. Probably best to get out of here before cops show up."

Senhime stood quietly behind the group her small frame and stature easily lost. This was fine for her since after all it meant that less light was on her and she wasn't sure why she answered. The reasoning behind the text was pretty clear to head back in and try to rescue the others. Though while yes she wanted to put the situation behind her she will not run away when there were possibly people in there needing her help. Don't get her wrong she was scared but if she could save someone who was see to look the other way. Though everyone was eating some kind of western fast food. She declined she wasn't one for fast food or the like and due to waking each day with the sun when possible she had more than enough time to prepare herself breakfast.

@banjoanjo@demonspade64@Mistress Dizzy@chukklehed@Suku

School Side (Saturday Morning - 11am) - NPC: Kaede Yamamoto

"I've never been good at tennis in the first place," replied Kaede with a bitter smile, the haggard boy barely phased by the hostile appearance of Rena's Persona or the quiet antipathy being directed towards him. He couldn't muster the energy to respond to that treatment, nor was it unwarranted in the first place. If only he had been quicker at stopping his club members, then maybe they wouldn't have all been standing here right now.

His clouded blue gaze swept across the gathered group of teenagers. He didn't know if that had been all of those who had followed after him, but ... that was enough. They shouldn't have needed to come along. It was his responsibility, but ... his fists clenched at his sides. If those things from yesterday had been any indication of the obstacles in his path, then he couldn't do it alone.

He needed help.

He needed to save his friends.

"I guess you all know what I want to ask," he said softly, "but let me say it anyway."

And the only way for him to do so was with others.

"Please help me save my club."

Aki staggered back at the sight of Rena’s summoned Persona, observing with dismay that the slim chance of the whole ‘summoning monsters’ part of yesterday’s ordeal being a hallucination had been rudely dashed. The cheery expression on the heiress face did absolutely nothing to hide the murderous intent she clearly had. When she finally noticed Aki’s presence, he prepared himself for the worst. He wasn’t prepared for the guilt in her eyes though, the sorrowful expression that made his heart feel something peculiar.

“Uh, it’s nothing. I’m fine, really!” he stepped back, out of equal parts intimidation and awkwardness.

She saved his life yesterday, after he saved hers. He wasn’t sure how to address this situation. On one hand, he should have been pissed that he had gotten himself burnt because of her carelessness. But on the other hand, for some strange reason, he couldn’t bring himself to be resentful. Because of her, he did something heroic that Aki never thought he’d be able to do. It felt… weird. And now, he didn’t know what to do. He knew what he needed though.

“If you want to help, you could always buy me a new uniform or three,” he laughed as if he was joking. He wasn’t. If a yakuza heiress really wanted to help him then he wasn’t going to let that opportunity pass.

One by one, the others arrived. Takahashi came with an offering of junk food. Aki declined the food with a polite smile and shake of the head. Disgusting stuff. The grease and sheer fat content of those burgers always made him feel ill, even from the sight alone. However, he did note with faint surprise the slight blush in Takahashi’s cheeks when they spoke to Maeda. Huh, guess he should’ve seen that one coming. He decided not to speak of it for now.

Then Yamamoto spoke. And it was everything Aki dreaded. The Drama Club president looked absolutely drained and Aki felt the tiniest pang of sympathy. Unfortunately for Yamamoto, Aki had already made up his mind.

“I was afraid you would say that,” Aki replied, sounding reluctant, “That’s why I came here, actually. I needed to tell you that…”

That he didn’t give two shits about the Drama Club. That there was no way in or out of Hell that he’d ever go back into that place. Sure he felt bad, but nowhere near bad enough to put his life on the line for Yamamoto.

“…I’m not going back there,” he said firmly, “I’m sorry about your friends but following after you yesterday was a mistake that I’m not going to repeat.”

@demonspade64 @Crimmy

@Ayazi, @Plank Sinatra, @Krayzikk, @Crimmy

"I would never trust the 5-0, they’re like being promised a cheesy bread stick and biting into it, only to reveal that there’s absolutely no cheese at all!" Hitomi said gleefully. She jumped up, only to bonk her head off the top of the car.

"Ahhh, I guess I got a little too excited. My name is Hitomi. Hitomi Fukushima, at your service!" She said rebounding after that slight crack to the skull she cozied herself in beside her new cuddle buddy, which was the best kind of buddy and prepared herself for food.

Hopefully McDonalds, but recently fighting for your life does away with the idea of taste and instead puts to the forefront the need for food. She started to pluck out a beat atop her guitar case. A fast paced cheerful little tune, much like herself.

"I can't really remember if I already told you guys my name, but honestly I'm just so excited to have a group of friends!"

Senhime|Front of School

"If there is people that need help than please let me be of some use no matter how limited it is" Senhime said her voice straight and firm she was not going to let people in danger alone not when she was able to do something. That was not her style and far be it for her to shy away from duty even if it was a self appointed on. "I may not be the best at fighting and I am apparently fragile to fire but I can heal." She spoke up not only was her guardian healing based it seemed but she also brought a first aid kit hidden in her school bag along with a portable sewing kit to repair any small damage that may occur.

@Plank Sinatra @Write @Crimmy

"Nice to meetcha, Fukushima-chan." Daisuke said, trying to settle a little more comfortably into his seat. The painkillers were kicking in, which was very nice, so he was actually able to think a little again. As much as ever. He patted the head of the DRU Kimiko had picked up almost absently, like a dog, before taking a glance at the other occupants of the vehicle. "The cops are fine, usually, just doing their job. But we don't exactly see eye to eye, and I don't want to be there if they're asking about all that chaos."

"'Cause they're not gonna believe 'possessed robots', and I ain't got a better explanation. And Mom'll be pissed if I get in trouble again."

"My parents don't trust cops either. The lesbian ones - the lesbian parents. I don't know what they think of lesbian cops."

Come to think of it, why did Dana-sama own a cop uniform and handcuffs? She was a private detective by trade, but before that she had no particular law experience to speak of. She had been a fashion model for most of her life, even after meeting Bekah-sama, and there had been no time in her busy schedule to squeeze in law enforcement training. She had certainly displayed the physical aptitude, and the endless, unquenched thirst for justice, but that alone did not merit getting a uniform and police equipment, nor did it explain the loud legalese she often heard echoing from the other room sometimes late at nigh--

Oh.

Oh my God.

Kimiko flushed in understanding.

SUPESHARU PORISU DEKARENJA

S P D

Jaw-dropping starlet by day, top toku by night! How could she have doubted her adopted mother?

Kimiko's smile grew wide, even as she distractedly gripped her lieutenant again and commanded DRU to scoot out of her way so she could observe her browbeaten best friend across from her robot.

No wonder the drum of leadership beats its song through my veins.

"Tell her you stopped for pizza."

"That's a good idea, Kimiko-chan. They won't doubt that." Daisuke nodded thoughtfully, pondering the suggestion. It was a good one. His parents might think it a little odd, but they wouldn't put much thought into it. The perfect cover.

"And I guess I have a couple people here who could confirm that alibi."

@Krayzikk@Plank Sinatra@Write@Ayazi

City Side - NPC: Sasori Yoshinori

"Might be hard to gyp your ma if you got the breath of a blanket," said the detective casually. "Although kiddos, don't think there'll be any wig blowing if you give them the flats."

The van pulled into the McDonalds drive-thru.