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[wipingallout]

... ... ... ... ?

What is...?

I shouldn't... be awake...


[In the Velvet Room...]

[It's courteous of whatever's going on with Igor's plan here that Hamuko is dressed. She probably shouldn't even have a body... whatever she has going on now... did her body fall comatose without her? Did it die? If it was alive, she surely should be much older. ... ... ... Maybe that all doesn't really matter, right now. She's here, gifted a chance to be around others again. The pinboard catches her attention first, of course. Signs of other people... so many little notes, talking about multiple versions of the same person running around. That's... that's charming... that's fun. ...Even if the notes about Ken Amadas make her sad...]

Hmm... I don't see any other 'me' off the bat...

[She'll take a few minutes once given a pen and some pink paper to doodle a little version of herself, signed with her name and phone number, and add it to the corner of the pinboard.]


[Inaba, Central Shopping District]

[What a fun little town! A charming place... hey, isn't this the town she went to for the volleyball camp? She loved the accommodations, but it's so nice to actually wander the streets and see the little shops. This place is SO rural, Hamuko had never really visited a place this remote, even when jumping between foster homes.] Let's see... what's the good spot for the locals? [No point being a complete tourist shmuck!!]


[Shibuya, Underground Mall]

[Well, since nothing costs anything here... might as well get some cute new clothes, right? Who knows how long she'll be around here, and 'dreaming up' new outfits didn't seem to be a thing. No lucid dreaming here - somehow, Hamuko felt a lot happier with that in mind. Still... the fashion is so different!!]

I just want one cute orange top...!! Is orange out of style? Dang it...


[Iwatodai Dorms]

[Of all of the places she's been having fun goofing off and exploring in, the dorms... she couldn't quite get the courage to open the front. Not just yet.]

Not even Koromaru is out front right now. ...I've gotta apologize...

Comments

[wipingallout]

Hamuko nodded, showing that she had heard and listened... though she took a moment to really think. It wasn't... a foreign feeling, to Hamuko, either...

Finding self worth, and confidence... well, Fuuka did end up finding hers, in a different context.

"Maybe it would help to think about it from a different angle, then, maybe. You won't be able to know Kasumi's feelings, anymore, but... she can't be the only person to see your good traits. Maybe trying new things, talking to a few new people for new perspectives...? Not to find an answer... but to help brainstorm ideas for what you're trying to look for, for yourself."

[shakenit]

"Maybe. Most of my friends never met her, at the very least, so I can't say they're only hanging around me because of her." If anything, Kasumi's friends are still very annoyed with Sumire, though she did at least apologise for everything she put them through.

"I - did a very thorough job of running from my problems for a while. If you saw any of the notes about 'actualised people' on the board in the Velvet Room, that happened to me, but my friends helped me break out of it before I got here. Someone took me at my word when I said my life was worthless unless I could be Kasumi, and he slapped a bandage on my mind and called it good. Midnight-san... still firmly believes she is Kasumi, and is resisting every attempt anyone makes to tell her otherwise. I can't blame her for wanting to run from the truth, but I spent six months not moving on because I couldn't think about it clearly."

[wipingallout]

"...That's... disturbing. The notes made it sound like only one or two people were responsible for it, but the idea of one person getting that much power is..."

...Scary. Distressing. ...

"...I think you should be proud of yourself for moving forward."

[shakenit]

"I'm... trying to be. It was easy to say I wanted to try, in the heat of the moment, surrounded by friends. Then I had to get up the next morning and actually do it. Futaba-senpai calls it the Survive To The Next Day Challenge."

It is not as easy as it sounds, and is one of the reasons Sumire wanted to stay somewhere with other people around.

"There is only one person who ends up with that particular kind of power, as far as I know. It's just that the multiple-timelines thing means there are multiple versions of him that people here have dealt with, with different results. I think there's only the one of him here right now, and... I certainly hope he's not trying to do that to people. He does genuinely want to help people feel better, but it's a 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions' situation."

[wipingallout]

Hamuko nods, taking in the stuff about the powerful person... but the former comment lands more pertinently.

"Survive To The Next Day Challenge, huh... I remember that, too..." Hamuko admitted softly, quietly. "I didn't really tell anyone, though. Instead I'd go... 'well, I still need to go help someone with studying tomorrow'... 'oh, someone's counting on me to go with them to that thing they're scared of going to'..."

So much of that was well before SEES, even... well before her Persona. Having that Persona gave a little more direction, but the real difference...

"... Life is... the best it can be when you connect and bond with other people. I know I sound like a broken record, but... I really mean it. A friendship, a classmate you get to know, some drunk monk rambling at you, going on walks with a dog... there's a lot of love and joy you can get from things like that."

[shakenit]

"How did you even meet a drunk monk?"

[wipingallout]

"Went into a night club I wasn't supposed to!"

[shakenit]

Well, it has Sumire smiling again, so that's got to count for something. "And no one threw you out?"

[wipingallout]

"They always threatened it! But they didn't have the spine to do anything. Chumps!"

[shakenit]

"And maybe by the time anyone thought to, the monk was covering for you."

[wipingallout]

"Heheh, right? I think I was the one keeping him from talking off anyone else's ear. He was such a grouchy old man, but it weirdly kind of made me feel like I had a dad for a little while, some nights!"

[shakenit]

That says a lot in and of itself, but... they've had enough heavy topics for one conversation, really. "I guess he enjoyed having a regular conversation partner, then."

[wipingallout]

Agreed. Hamuko grinned mischievously, instead, peering at Sumi.

"I think you could try out something adventurous like that. It sounds fun - we should go all kinds of places we aren't allowed. Try a bunch of crazy things. Not like the sort of memories-of-people wandering around will do anything!"

[shakenit]

"The cognitions? I mean, I guess they wouldn't care, if they don't care about money..."

Or about holes being blown in the street, but Sumire hasn't heard that story yet.

[wipingallout]

"What's something you've wanted to do, but you kept having little excuses or reasons not to do it?"

[shakenit]

"...I don't know. Kasumi decided pretty much everything we did, so I don't have a lot of practice at choosing things for myself." It's one of many reasons Sumire's been kind of floundering.

But she promised she would try, so try she must.

"Maybe just... going and breaking something just to break it? Or graffiti or something?"

[wipingallout]

"Yes!!! Oh my god, I've always wanted to do some kind of vandalism - can you imagine grabbing a bunch of spray cans and covering a whole wall with paintings?? Finally, we could go for it because there's no real property owners!" Hamuko eagerly ate up the idea, laughing mirthfully.

"Oooh!! Or breaking into a hotel to hop in the pool? Trying out a motorcycle!! Ahh, I better save that last one in case Mitsuru shows up, since she actually knows how to drive one."

[shakenit]

"We - we could." Hamuko's enthusiasm is nothing if not contagious. "The pool thing sounds fun, too."

[wipingallout]

"Riiiight? I'll have to find a new swimsuit, oh, darn!" Hamuko giggled - from her tone, it was clear that she was more excited than anything to pick one up.

[shakenit]

"I don't have one here, either." Actually, Sumire's not sure if she has one at home - leotards are not remotely the same thing. "Maybe we could go look for them together?"

[wipingallout]

"That'll be so fun!!! We can pick out something super cute... my last one was this cute bikini with plaid and ruffles," Hamuko gushed, fondly recalling her summer vacation. "Mitsuru-senpai had this gorgeous one though, with a swim skirt... I might see if I can find one like it!"

[shakenit]

Aaaand now Sumire's thinking about Hamuko in a swimsuit. (Why is that making her blush so hard?)

"I - it'll be interesting to see what we can find."

[wipingallout]

Hamuko smiled, leaning against the sofa's arm as she looked at Sumire, eyes trailing her pretty hair and lovely face...

"Hmmm... I bet a pretty lilac colored suit would look amazing on you. And it'd suit your nickname, to boot, Vi."

[shakenit]

Oh no. Now she's blushing even harder.

"I - you think so?"

[wipingallout]

"Definitely! Something soft and pastel... nothing that takes away from your eyes too much," Hamuko encouraged, tapping her own face under her eye.