Operation: Uncage the Sparrow!

[midnightmaiden]

Kasumi, now more than ever, is adamant about doing something right. She'll prove her worth. She'll go back to her roots as the Midnight Maiden, solving problems on behalf of the unfortunate!

Stocked up on Goho-M's, healing items, and other assorted odds and ends, she sends a message to Makoto to join her in Tartarus when the Dark Hour arrives. They're doing it tonight!

That'll prove she's not just some puppet.

And so she waits outside of Gekkoukan High School for the clock to strike midnight and for the Dark Hour to commence. She's got a rapier at the ready, though she doubts that she'll need it.

What could possibly go wrong?

Comments

[nyxavatarmakoto]

Makoto had just been listening to music, withering away in his dorm room bed, normal King of all Shadows things, when he gets the text. Luckily he's not too far from the school and sends Kasumi a message back to wait just a few minutes for him to get there and help her. And it is only a few minutes before he gets there, running off the train to the school when he does.

[rosemaudite]

Haru, meanwhile, has made an occasional habit of lurking in the vicinity of the school in a manner that'd see her questioned for loitering, if there were any actual police around. The cognitive ones can't be bothered, which is just as well. She figures if there's no sign of life by about quarter of midnight, there's not going to be an attempt that night.

She doesn't make her presence known until Makoto's approaching. "A little Crow mentioned you were planning something. You really shouldn't be doing this alone, you know."

[midnightmaiden]

Oh! It's... Haru-senpai? Kasumi stares for a moment, clutching her rapier twice. And—

Oh.

She winces.

"...Akechi-senpai told you, huh? And he couldn't even answer my text." Her cheeks puff up in a tiny pout, and she glances at Makoto. "But I'm not alone! Makoto-san's familiar with Tartarus, and Shadows can't really hurt me. Not that I'll turn down more help, but we tried really hard to prepare this time!"

[nyxavatarmakoto]

Huh. Did he draw the attention of this other girl? She tells Kasumi that she shouldn't be going to Tartarus alone. Kasumi then points out that Makoto is going with her. "I didn't want her going alone, and the Shadows won't attack me either." Which he worries makes him suspicious, but he doubted the girl would let him go if she was aware that he was a civilian. Or at the very least couldn't summon a Persona.

[rosemaudite]

"Well, annoyingly, my conscience won't let me go back to bed now that I'm here. And if something does get violent enough to attack, it'll be good to have the backup, won't it?"

It'd be so much easier if she could just leave them to their own devices, but nooooo.

[midnightmaiden]

"...Yeah, and I appreciate that you're looking out for us, Haru-senpai." She blows a small sigh, but makes no effort to fight back. "It might be a while before we find him, and we'll have to hurry."

She looks up at the very tall tower. "So I guess whenever you're ready..."

[nyxavatarmakoto]

Makoto also would not like to out himself as the Nyx Avatar to two girls he's not that familiar with, so there's no need to insist that he's sure the Shadows will leave well enough alone.

"Ready whenever you are Kasumi," he nods to her.