Takaru

Persona - The True Self

What is the price on the card, mate. I shall get in a reply soon. Just throw me a number, is 350,000 yen all right?

@Diabolicalrhapsody

I left it vague mainly because I, for one, have absolutely no idea what price range would be appropriate - so really, any amount would be fine. Go with it.

Persona - The True Self

Kotori Shirohane - Shinza Shopping Square: Shirohane Flowershop | Wednesday, April 29 2015

At Shizuka's words, a slightly embarassed expression came across Kotori's face - she wasn't all that surprised that such a conclusion hadn't been drawn, seeing as she was far more glum than her lively mother. Still, she had to suppress the small smile that was forming at the compliment; instead merely nodding to confirm the other girl's words. After the brief exchange of words with Alexei, Shizuka revealed that she too knew him. This wasn't all that surprising - given both his build and the fact that he was a foreigner, he was bound to attract attention one way or another. As such, Kotori simply nodded again in response to Shizuka's words about him - the little mishap of the other girl going unnoticed with her attention having been drawn astray.

As Shizuka noted the beauty of the flowers, a small smile came to Kotori's lips as she nodded. "Yes, it does. But it's nice to watch something grow from a small seed to a beautiful flower in itself," she agreed - her tone of voice showing that she really did think being able to follow a flower's growth to be a reward in and of itself. As Shizuka then stated her choice of flowers, Kotori's eyes followed Shizuka's pointing from behind her glasses before blinking briefly as she saw them - not because the particular set of flowers had been one she'd laid out earlier that day, but rather the meaning behind the carnations: pink stood for admiration for one's mother when gifted on the occasion - whilst one of the meanings of the white flower was honouring a late mother. Luckily though, there were more meanings that a flower could have - and in combination with one another, were more indicative of genuine declaration of love for one's mother. Furthermore, the way Shizuka spoke didn't sound like she was looking for such a gift - and Kotori wasn't exactly eager to ask. As such, Kotori shook the thought off and instead put on a smile as Shizuka asked whether a reservation was possible.

At least, it was supposed to be a smile - as always when she actually tried, it was more of a wry small half-smile rather than a beaming one she'd envision. Nonetheless, Kotori nodded before speaking. "Of course," she said as she reached into one of the two small pockets of the green aprons with the white flower logo of the shop upon it and produced a notepad and pencil. "One pink-and-white bouquet of carnations on Mother's Day," she mumbled as she noted it down before looking back up. "Ah, uhm, would that be to be picked up or to be delivered?" she asked, pencil and note still in hand; feeling a little silly for not having asked that before writing - particularly when she noticed her mother's gaze briefly on her, even if her attention was focused on matters with the the other Warakuma High School student.

Tsubame Shirohane - Shinza Shopping Square: Shirohane Flowershop | Wednesday, April 29 2015

As the young man spoke his praise, Tsubame chuckled lightly - not in mocking, but rather at the sheer gap between the gruff appearance of the speaker and his words. A wide smile was upon her lips knowing that the flowers were appreciated so much. "My, it's a pleasure to hear that," Tsubame said in reply before Alexei mentioned the reason for his visit - the bill. A thoughtful expression crossed her face with an "ah" as he spoke. Indeed they hadn't settled the matter yet - but, much like he'd promised, he'd shown up to make up for that. When he apologised for possibly not having enough, Tsubame shook her head with a brief smile. "Oh, I don't think that should be a problem," she said as she quickly patted her hands off on a clean bit of her apron - her daughter had already asked if they could perhaps help out with a lower price after hearing his story; something that Tsubame had followed suit quickly after.

As she pointed toward the counter at the front of the shop - where most of the running tabs were kept for easy access - to show that they'd be heading over there, Alexei then asked if he could be of assistance. Placing a finger to her lips as she walked, Tsubame thought on the offer - the young man had said much the same last time he'd been here, but unfortunately, there weren't any tasks that would require his help. As such, she shook her head with a thankful smile. "I think we've got everything covered quite nicely. But thank you for asking," she said as they reached the counter. Tsubame glanced over to see Kotori noting something down - an order from the girl, most likely - before she thumbed through some thin folders and then pulled one out. "Let's see..." Tsubame said, mostly to herself as she looked over the document in search of one particular entry.

"Ah, here we go." The nod accompanying her words made it apparent that she'd found what she'd been looking for as she pulled a small slip of paper out and then showed it to the Dragunov boy. On it was the bill - which, though it didn't show such a thing anywhere in writing, had been priced a decent bit lower; making it quite affordable for an average high schooler's part time wage. "I hope it isn't asking too much," she added with a smile - whilst it wasn't really normal procedure, it was rare enough that her daughter asked for anything that she was only to happy to oblige; even more so knowing the story herself.

Persona - The True Self

Kotori Shirohane - Shinza Shopping Square: Shirohane Flowershop | Wednesday, April 29 2015

For a moment, Kotori looked almost surprised when the girl gave a quick nod to confirm the question before then introducing herself - Otonashi, Shizuka. Kotori gave a bow in response before speaking to answer in turn: "I'm Kotori Shirohane, daughter of Tsubame Shirohane, the owner of this shop. Pleased to meet you too, Otonashi-san," Kotori thought on the name for a moment - had she heard it somewhere before, at school or elsewhere perhaps? If she did, it didn't immediately come to mind so that she instead put that aside for the moment and instead focused on the request by the other girl. Holding one hand out in the direction to go, together with a "this way, please," Kotori then lead Shizuka over to a set of shelves atop which a variety of carnations were found; passing by other displays full of tulips, roses and bouquets of multiple flowers while they did.

Barely getting two steps, though, a small chime was heard as the door was opened for the second time in as many minutes. Looking toward the entering person, Kotori recognised the rather tall figure quite quickly given his stature - Alexei Dragunov, a Third Year from Warakuma High who had placed an order for regular deliveries of Ikebana bouquets. As he greeted her, Kotori quickly glanced between him and the girl behind herself; unsure as to whom to attend to first - but before she had to come to a decision, Alexei seemed to notice the predicament and excused himself. At that, Kotori gave a bow, both grateful and in greeting, before speaking. "Welcome, Dragunov-senpai. Mother is currently in the backroom, through that door," she said, pointing in the direction mentioned before getting back to the girl at hand.

"My apologies, Otonashi-san," she said with an apologetic bow before answering the question that was asked as they reached the carnations - some potted, some placed in small display vases, some single flowers and others in bunches and in various colours, ranging from the reds and pinks she'd mentioned before to whites, yellows, greens and some in between. "Uhm, a bit of both," she said, placing a single finger of one hand to her lips as she thought for a moment. "Some of the more common flowers are grown in our garden, but others have to be delivered," Kotori said, a little vaguely - mostly because she wasn't sure how many details the girl really wanted to know. Either way though, she let Shizuka look over the variously coloured carnations for a few moments before asking: "Do you see any that you'd like?"

Tsubame Shirohane - Shinza Shopping Square: Shirohane Flowershop | Wednesday, April 29 2015

With a smile that was hard to distinguish from a grin, Tsubame was humming to herself as she busied herself with getting the latest delivery presentable - the source of her mirth still being her daughter. It was both amusing to watch the way she tried her hardest not to appear nervous around customers and a point of pride - especially compared to how she'd been the first few times at the counter; stammering in whispers and looking anywhere but the customer's faces; even if they were some of the regulars that came by every now and then and were already well acquainted. Shaking her head at the silliness of it all, Tsubame's thoughts were interrupted by a knock and a voice from the door. Brushing the worst of the dirt off her gardening gloves before removing them, Tsubame placed them on one of the working tables where a number of various flowers lay - some still wrapped in cellophane, others bound together to mark them as bouquets-to-be and others yet just laying by themselves; their purpose yet undecided.

As she reached the door, the speaker turned out to be the young man who went to her daughter's school - he had a rather distinct voice and appearance, making such a conclusion quite an easy one. Either way though, a smile came to Tsubme's face at his sight as she remembered the nature of his request: a bouquet each for both his mother and sister. "Ah, welcome, Dragunov-kun," she greeted the young and tall man with a small bow. "I hope the flowers have been to your and your family's liking?" she continued with a cheerful smile that matched her tone - and standing in quite the contrast to her far more timid daughter.

Persona - The True Self

Kotori Shirohane - Shinza Shopping Square: Shirohane Flowershop | Wednesday, April 29 2015

With a small smile and a soundless hum, Kotori adjusted some flowers on one of the displays around the shop - specifically, a selection of ever-popular red roses; moving them so that they'd both show their best appeal and also get the most of the sunlight shining in. Taking a step back only to then make another small turn or move some a little forward or backward, it would take a while before she was finally satisfied - much to the bemusement of her mother who had been watching the whole time from behind the counter. A bemusement which only grew when Kotori finally realised that she'd been seen fussing over such tiny details for nearly five minutes - even if it was a rather regular occurence, she still felt a little embarassed about it.

"I'll... take care of the new ones in the back," Kotori said, pointing to the door that lead to the back of the shop where most of the flowers were kept and looked after and where her mother, and occasionally she too, took up their Ikebana. With a shake of her head, however, Tsubame waved that notion off: "Actually, why don't you look after the shop whilst I do that instead?" she said, stopping her daughter mid-turn. "Ah, but..." came a weak protest but before Kotori could say any more, her mother had already stepped right up beside her and placed her hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her toward the counter. "Oh, don't worry, it'll be fine. And quicker too, judging by them," Tsubame said with a still amused tone. Kotori raised as hand as if to protest - but then lowered it again, given that she really couldn't say anything against it. "Geez..." she quietly sighed as she stood behind the counter - her least favourite part when it came to helping around the shop and one her mother seemed all too keen on making her do, judging by the chuckle she could hear behind her.

At least she could hope that her mother would be back to take over again before any customers showed up - though she was used to handling them, she still felt rather stiff and unsure about it; particularly when compared to the way her mother. An inaudible sigh escaped her lips - when a familiar sound interrupted her thoughts as the door was pushed open and someone entered the shop. Immediately straightening herself Kotori looked up to see who it was - only to be greeted with an unfamiliar face, at least what could be seen thereof underneath the long bangs. The girl looked to be of high school age, probably not much more than a year apart from herself, Kotori guessed, and seemed quite enarmored with the various flowers on display - she couldn't help but feel a little bit of pride when she passed some of the flowers she'd placed herself.

The small smile at the sight quickly turned nervous when the girl in question then stepped closer - and even more so when she addressed Kotori, inquiring about flowers suitable for Mother's Day. "A-ah, yes," Kotori quickly said, trying to keep her mother's tips in mind - a cheerful smile could go a long way - as she spoke. "Carnations are the traditional flowers for Mother's Day. Red or pink in particular, to show love or admiration," she explained with a little more confidence, if not volume, as ever when she came to talk about flowers. "If you'd like, I could show you some, Miss...?" she then said - with a lot less confidence and sounding a lot more stiff. Her mother had told her it was a great way to get customers to talk, but Kotori couldn't help but feel it sounded rather awkward when she said it; particularly seeing as the customer in question was of approximately the same age as herself.

Persona - The True Self

Kotori Shirohane - Warakuma Amusement Park | Sunday, April 26 2015 - Afternoon

As it turned out, neither of the two were actually hurt - much to the relief of Kotori. She looked at Akane in surprise when her classmate put her hand on her shoulder, giving a slow nod after a moment at her words. She even looked over to Toma with momentary worry before noticing the joking tone with which the two were speaking. However, Akane seemed to have other places she needed to be - and after a quick glance to her watch, she waved goodbye. Kotori returned the gesture, the other girl's words reminding her that she'd most certainly be seeing her again as they were from the same class.

A momentary silence between the two followed Akane's departure until Toma commented that she was nice - a sentiment to which Kotori agreed with a nod. Before anything else could be said, a loud voice could be heard calling out. As it turned out, it was a boy - an acquaintance of sorts of Toma, judging by the way he'd called - who came running and performed some mixture of a jump-hug-tackle. Kotori blinked in surprise at the rather sudden entrance before the boy in question noticed her standing there and introduced himself as the track club captain. "Ah, I'm Kotori Shirohane from Class 2-2," she quickly responded with a bow before another voice could be heard - this time a girl's; the owner of which was dragging Arata off Toma with a tone that left little doubt that this was a regular occurence.

As it appeared, Toma hadn't been here by himself but rather as part of a group of friends from the track club. A small smile came across Kotori's face at the antics before her - though it turned slightly more nervous when she noticed the number of looks that were being directed towards them; even if only in curiosity. At Toma's words, Kotori looked back at him before giving a quick bow. "Ah, yes, goodbye and thank you again," she quickly said, albeit still in her rather quiet voice, as the two boys headed off talking between themselves. An unexpected apology was then spoken - much to the surprise of Kotori who quickly raised her hands to wave it off. "No, no, it's no bother, really," she said, shaking her head for emphasis, before the speaker - the same girl from before - introduced herself as an underclassman by the name of Tsuruko. Though she'd already done so just before, Kotori introduced herself again; not least out of courtesy. Seeing as she was here with her track club friends, the girl quickly gave a wave as she said her goodbye; a gesture that Kotori returned before standing before the bench and watching the figures head off into the amusement park for a moment.

A small sigh escaped her lips as she sat back down - of all things, she most certainly hadn't expected this to unfold.

Kotori Shirohane - Ferrero Mall | Monday, April 27 2015 - Afternoon

Kotori stood before the grocery store, a full shopping bag in one hand and a piece of paper on the other - a shopping list which she was going over to make sure she had everything that was needed at home. Mentally checking off the last item on the list, she gave a satisfied nod and a small smile before looking back up - and noticing a rather large crowd up ahead. For a moment, she remembered the last incident that drew such a crowd to the mall - a pair of students inexplicably pulling various poses with one thereof being rather lacking in the shirt department - before shaking her head at the thought. Perhaps there was a performer showing his talent that attracted the people or some other such thing. Either way, Kotori decided to steer clear of the large mass of people - even if, she noticed, it seemed to be starting to disperse; as if the magnet that had been drawing them together had been turned off.

Either way though, Kotori decided to wander through the mall after a brief glance to her watch revealed that she was in no rush - plus also, with Golden Week going on, there were bound to be some sales going on for the avid shopper, whether regular or of the window variety.

Persona - The True Self

[...] I mean if the dungeon is gonna end soon and we move onto the next in-rp day, end it with something questionably funny amirite? [...]

@Amaterasu

Two months and one still unfinished dungeon later...

Persona - The True Self

what have i done

@Kissu

Please, we've just covered who we can and can't do.

Don't get us started on the what.

Persona - The True Self

Kotori Shirohane - Warakuma Amusement Park | Afternoon

Kotori felt some measure of relief when both of her fellow schoolmates that had come to her help waved off the whole thing; making clear that they didn't see it as too much of a hassle. Not only that, they even said that she should talk to them if she was bothered by the trio in the future - a kindness to which Kotori quickly raised her hands and shook her head. Not only did she not really think it was very likely that such a thing would be repeated, but she also wouldn't want to be a burden to either of them - but the smile that Akane gave, showing she really did not mind in the least, made her hesitate and lower her hands; giving the smallest of nods instead.

As the two introduced themselves to each other - apparently strangers to one another, though each knowing of Kotori in one way or another, Kotori quickly followed suit. Whilst she'd already met Toma before, she hadn't exactly spoken very much with Akane before. Bowing briefly, she gave her name and class, "Kotori Shirohane, also from Class 2-2," in her usual quiet voice - the nervousness from before having mostly receded by now. As Toma then asked about the three from before, Kotori gave a reluctant nod before Akane elaborated on the point - the three weren't exactly unknown around the school and had had run-ins with the Akane before, it seemed.

As her classmate spoke, Kotori looked at her in surprise - she'd heard that she was called a Prince by some of her fellow students, most of them girls, for her tendency to help out others in need, but to hear her put down taking on three boys by herself and winning - twice before even - wasn't quite the same. As she joked the she should have punched them harder, Kotori realised that whilst they'd asked if she was okay, the same couldn't be said for either of the two. "Ah, are you alright?" she asked with some concern in both voice and eyes, glancing at both Akane and Toma in turn - though there hadn't been any real violence to be seen, Kotori would have felt guilty not asking seeing as any such injury would have been incurred because of herself.

Persona - The True Self

Kotori Shirohane - Warakuma Amusement Park | Afternoon

With her book clenched tightly and steadily drawing it closer to herself as if it could somehow shield her from the eyes of the three boys which were all focused on her, Kotori practically shrank into the bench, trying to inch away from their close attention. Unfortunately, she was already sitting at the very end of the bench and thus her options were rather restrained, given the presence of the armrest blocking any further retreat; instead leaving her to try and come up with some way to tell the three that she wasn't really very comfortable - when all of a sudden, a voice called out. It took Kotori a moment to realise that said voice was calling out to her - and another before she realised that the was familiar.

Looking up, discomfort was momentarily replaced with surprise and confusion as she saw the owner of the voice, Toma Tanaka, heading towards the small group at the bench - but before she could do more than that, another figure approached, grabbing the sitting boy and yanking him off the bench. The tone of her voice made it clear that she wasn't exactly very pleased with what she was seeing. The boy in question gave a surprised "Hey, what the?!" as he found himself on the ground before looking at the reason thereof with a glare - at least for the second it took him to recognise exactly who it happened to be. His two buddies meanwhile had slowly taken a step back when they'd heard and seen the fourth boy approaching - and were exchanging very nervous glances when they too recognised Akane from their previous... meetings.

The three boys' hearts seemed to drop with every crack of Akane's knuckles as the memory of the first two times she'd peeled them off similar activities. They might not exactly be the quickest on the pickup, but even they knew they weren't going to get out of this without some injuries to either their bodies or their pride if they didn't get out soon. "H-hey, let's get out of here, yeah?" one of the two still standing boys suggested with a nervous glance and nod to no specific place other than 'not here.' The boy on the floor - both the apparent leader of the trio and the thickest of the bunch - was of half a mind to see if the third time would be the charm with Akane when he noticed that another boy had approached, offering him a hand.

Smacking it away, the leader pushed himself off the ground and away from Akane, stepping toward his two buddies. Their urging and reminders of what happened last time being enough to get through even to him that trying to have a go with Akane really wouldn't be the smartest thing - and even more embarassing with more people around, too. "Just so you know, we were leaving anyway! We're letting you off lightly!" he said in a tough guy voice - which probably would have sounded a bit more intimidating if he hadn't been backing away and having to suppress a nervous cracking of his voice before turning around and heading off at a rather brisk pace; his to buddies quickly following suit.

Kotori, meanwhile, had followed the entire exchange with a mix of confusion, surprise and a constant series of dumbfounded blinking at the sight. Only now that the three were actually leaving did the discomfort start to ease away - at least until she realised that she had yet to thank the two for their help. Quickly standing up, she bowed deeply to the two in quick succession. It was also only then that she actually got a good look at the other girl - who, much to Kotori's surprise, turned out to be someone not only from her school but even the same class, Akane Hanazawa. "Ah, thank you, Tanaka-senpai, Hanazawa-san," she said, her voice only barely audible over the noise of park. Glancing between the two, she quickly gave another bow between them. "Uhm... s-sorry..." she began, unsure of what else to say; wanting to both express her thanks for their arrival and to apologise that they had had to do so in the first place when they had no reason to.

Ultimately, this left her fidgeting nervously with her skirt and she glanced between the two and the ground - though this time with a lot less uneasy discomfort than just moments earlier.

Persona - The True Self

Kotori Shirohane - Warakuma Amusement Park | Noon

Before Kotori stood a rather large board, upon it a map which represented the amusement park. Dozens of numbered dots were scattered all throughout, a legend describing each of them with some of the bigger attractions being highlighted and given some more prominent artwork on the stylised map. Having only arrived a few minutes ago, she had yet to actually decide where she wanted to go exactly. There was the large roller coaster, seemingly the main attraction, a haunted house, a mirror gallery, a ferris wheel and an assortment of smaller themed rides about the park, all interspersed with various food stalls and restaurants; perhaps not unlike one she'd passed in the shopping district on the way here but had decided was likely not a place she'd fit in very well.

Instead, she mentally crossed off the places she really wasn't all that interested in - the roller coaster looked rather wild for her taste and the haunted house was quite quickly off the list as well. Placing a finger to her lips, she mulled over the remaining attractions - what did she want to do first?

Kotori Shirohane - Warakuma Shopping District | Afternoon

With a small smile still remaining, Kotori stepped out of the ferris wheel cabin, giving a small grateful bow to the ride attendant who was making sure that the guests got on and off without a problem. The view from above had been quite the sight indeed - both of the amusement park itself and of Warakuma all around. Looking about, she quickly located one of the many boards showing the park layout - after the second time she'd had to look for one, Kotori started to wish she'd not have reflexively turned down the small flyer at the entrance. Still, it wasn't exactly difficult to get around, so she wasn't too bothered by it.

Throughout her stay, she'd already seen some familiar faces, even if she wasn't on the lookout for them - though she'd usually have to take a second look when such a case arose, as her schoolmates, much like herself, were wearing their own clothes rather than the more familiar school uniform. That thought in turn brought to mind the recent kidnappings of which yet another had occured, but Kotori quickly shook her head to rid herself of the thought. Not that she was very successful with that, given that she had actually met and talked to the girl, Leiko, just some days before. Still, she at least managed to push the thoughts back to a mere worry at the back of her head as she instead tried to enjoy the day. Looking back at the map, she quickly found the 'You are here' point before gazing over the nearby dots and what they meant in order to decide on her next stop.

A few minutes and a bottle of oolong tea from a nearby vending machine later, Kotori had decided to take a brief break before continuing on. A good hour of intermixed walking and enjoying the rides was quite tiring after a while as she glanced about to find an unoccupied bench or table about. Thankfully, she didn't have to look very long as a small group of what looked to be middle-school aged girls vacated a nearby bench, giggling amongst themselves as they went their way. Seeing as no one was headed for it, Kotori sat herself down with a small measure of relief at catching a break; taking a moment to look about the park. Should could see the roller coaster wooshing along its tracks at worrying speeds, pulling rapid turns as it did, before her. Turning her head she could have seen the ferris wheel that she'd just come from.

What she didn't see, however, was a group of three boys her age who were - rather unsuccessfully - trying to chat up any girls they came past. A click of their tongues and a few muttered words under their breath followed the departure of yet another girl - though they could perhaps have chosen a better person than a classmate of their from Warakuma High who was quite aware of their ways. Standing about in an attempt at smug superiority - which, even to the casual observer, was just them trying to salvage their 'pride' as self-proclaimed hot guys - they eyed the passing people for a new target until one of them nudged the others, pointing towards a nearby bench and the girl sitting on it, her eyes behind her glasses focused on the book in her hands. A few wry glances were exchanged between the boys - but with their absymal success rate, they decided to go with it.

Having put her bottle by her feet, Kotori had decided to extend her break by a little and had produced the book from her handbag; quickly finding the place she'd last left off. It was a mystery novel she'd heard was quite good and she was starting to get to the good bits when a voice interrupted her reading. "Hey there, Missy. You alone here?" It took Kotori a moment to realise that the voice was speaking to her - and, upon looking up, that the voice's owner was not alone. Glancing between the three with a quizzical expression, she nodded - and then scooched over a little to make more room on the bench before looking down at her book; presuming that the three boys were looking for a place to sit too.

Indeed, one of them did sit down - a little more closely than she'd really have liked - whilst the other two remained standing. They exchanged glances between each other before grinning - this was the first girl today that hadn't taken one look at them before storming off. "Hey, what do you say we grab something to drink and have some fun, hmm?" the boy sat beside her asked with his best ladykiller smile - or rather, an almost comical grin. "Uhm..." Kotori started, glancing between the three again - and only now recognising the three as a trio of more-or-less well-known wanna-be casanovas from Class 2-3. Her discomfort started to grow as she started glancing about for a quick excuse to leave; her fingers nervously moving up and down the book's back. "N-no, thank you," she tried to refuse with evident uncertainty in her voice; wholly unused to such a situation - even if the ambient noise wasn't easily enough to drown out her rather quiet voice anyway.