🌒 [Open]

[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

Inaba

[fogboundcrow]

[Oh. It's... what was her name again? Kotone? He recognizes her face, at any rate, though judging from the way she's looking around, this must be a new one.

Raven can't pass up the opportunity to investigate, so he saunters over.]

That depends on what you're looking for.

[Several of the shops are shuttered and closed, but that's not to say there aren't any options.]

[wipingallout]

Weeeell... I think food, right now! I haven't had lunch yet. Or a place to hang out.

[A teen! Hamuko shifted her little shopping bag to wave at him in greeting - so far all she'd snagged was a few textiles.]

[fogboundcrow]

In that case, Souzai Daigaku has steak skewers and croquettes, though if you prefer something more robust, Aiya serves Chinese cuisine, with its famous 'Mega Beef Bowl' for those who care little about the negative cholesterol therein.

[He says it all with a confident smile. Behold his wisdom!]

[wipingallout]

Oh my gosh... croquettes... I haven't had a good croquette in FOREVER.

[Steak skewers sound fantastic too!! Umiushi was fantastic but they had their one bowl, and sometimes you just wanted to appreciate the steak for being steak!!]

Well!! Now I'm definitely hungry. Show me the way?

[fogboundcrow]

Certainly. It's actually not too far from here.

[He motions past the nearby shops, leading her beyond Aiya, with its lavish and colorful decorations. By comparison, Souzai Daigaku is a far more modest place, with its crate seating and flimsy wooden table.

A cognition stands happily at the counter, waiting to serve.]

[wipingallout]

[Aww... no luck on Super Croquettes... but Hamuko laughs it off, ordering a little of everything for herself. Crummy little crate seats, flimsy table... the reputation is always that these little dingy spots are the best spots!]

It smells great here. Heheh. I'm excited already.

[fogboundcrow]

Their food is one of Inaba's local traditions for a reason.

[In any case, Akechi makes his way up to the counter.]

Two orders of the steak croquettes, please.

[The cognition, with its vacant smile, nods along and gets to work. It's all a bit eerie, but he's used to it.]

[wipingallout]

Not paying for anything still seems so wild! And the people here make it feel very... dreamlike.

[Not a good thing, but... not really a bad thing either. If there weren't other 'aware' people around then it would've been a lot more frustrating.]

[fogboundcrow]

They're effectively cognitive facsimiles. Or, to put it another way, similar to "NPCs" in a video game.

[He watches the counter and, thankfully, the food comes up relatively fast.

Akechi grabs his order and moves over to one of the crates.]

[wipingallout]

"Yeah... it's not like anything I've seen before," Hamuko remarked. Thank fuck they weren't like The Lost... she didn't need that unease and uncertainty haunting her for the duration. No, they were just... distant.

"Are you used to them?" she asked, waiting for the fresh cooked croquettes to cool just enough to take a bite.

[fogboundcrow]

"One would hope, after more than a year." He stares down at his croquettes, poking at one with his chopsticks. "It's still unsettling as ever, but I tend to prioritize the real people here over the illusions."

[wipingallout]

"Of course! That just makes sense. I'm glad there are other people here, not just the dreamy sort..." she hummed, looking back at the lady behind the counter. Strange... so, so strange.

"I think I'd go a little nutty."

[fogboundcrow]

"Frankly, it's a wonder we haven't. We may have a decent number of residents, but there's only so much to do in contained spaces like this." Even so, he takes a croquette and dips it in the sauce. "But I suppose the shared company makes it more bearable."

[wipingallout]

Hamuko split her croquette in half, watching the steam billow out in the chilly winter air, cooling faster. "Well... my experience with Igor and the Velvet Room makes me think that that's probably the point. Meeting each other and getting to know one another, I mean-- there's probably something important everyone's getting from getting to know one another."

[fogboundcrow]

"Oh, certainly. Some of the people here have benefited greatly from a safe place away from their struggles back home, and the opportunity to learn their potential futures."

Hmm... That bite was a bit hot. He'll go ahead and break the other pieces in half to let them steam. Hunger got the best of him this time.

"There are quite a few people whose lives took tragic turns, entangled with corrupt authorities that have forced them to harm others."

[wipingallout]

Right!! That makes sense. "The fact that so many of you all are different worlds' versions of the same person... you guys must be having a hard time. And trust each other the most to reach out, maybe?"

Hers cooled enough, so she took a bite after dunking it in sauce, and--

"MMM??? Mmm!!!" she excitedly hummed, bouncing in her seat a little. THAT WAS SO TASTY??

[fogboundcrow]

"Well, it depends. Crow and I have fared better than many of our alternate selves. I believe those who've dealt with Shido's bullshit at the most predisposed to understand each other, and yet—"

Oh, she's excited. Raven blinks, then snorts out a little laugh. "Your seal of approval, I presume?"

[wipingallout]

"Mmm!! Yeah!! Oh, that's so good!" she giggled excitedly, fanning the steam off her face. A little hot, but it was SO crisp and smooth and tasty. "There were restaurants good at a lot of different foods where I was living, but there really wasn't a good place for croquettes. Heehee."

[fogboundcrow]

"I hadn't considered the scarcity of croquettes elsewhere... I suppose it's possible to find them in the wider Tokyo area, but I'm less familiar with Mikage-cho and Sumaru, and I certainly didn't see anything around Iwatodai..."

So she must be from one of those locations. That, or Tokyo simply lacks croquettes, but that seems rather unlikely.

[wipingallout]

"Tatsumi Port Island has a really good ramen place and one of the best sweets shops I've ever been to. But this here definitely was something I missed - little snack stands like this. Iwatodai only really has that sketchy takoyaki place."

[fogboundcrow]

Raven blinks, brow raised. "Is the takoyaki truly so bad?" It seemed inoffensive enough when he tried it, but perhaps there's more to it. A dark secret, even.

[wipingallout]

"That's the worst part - it tastes good, but everyone is always so sketchy about it. I'll never forgive Theo... he sussed out the 'secret ingredient' based on smell, and then told me, some things are better left unknown when I asked. You can't just do that to me, now I'm never gonna feel right eating it!"

[fogboundcrow]

"...That does sound like Theodore-san." Yes, Hamuko, he's familiar. "But knowing him, it could simply be the octopus. He's... rather eccentric, and I remember him getting immense choice paralysis when Marie-san and I brought him here."

[wipingallout]

"He said it wasn't octopus... I know he tends to overreact on things and usually it's charming. But man... it is not as charming when it's about food," Hamuko muttered, cupping her cheek and sighing, before--

"Wait. You know Theo? Is he your Velvet Room attendant, too?"

[fogboundcrow]

"Not quite. Rather, Igor-san allowed other residents of the Velvet Room to connect with me, since I'm younger than Yu and don't have the same independence a high schooler would." Hmmmm... Time for another bite. It's probably cooled enough by now.

"Unlike Yu, I can't work, and I'm not particularly inclined to join clubs when we have a serial murder case to solve."