🌒 [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

2/2

[unit_8910_wolf]

Akane straightened at that, a quiet pride thrumming in her. Cosette(??)—a persona she crafted with her own hands, her true self. That was who she wanted to be when she protected Wolf and if he believed she was strong… well, maybe she could be.

Hamuko continued, speaking about her naginata, and Akane leaned forward intently. She nodded along, absorbing every word. “Maxing out leverage, huh? Makes sense. That thing’s not just dramatic—it’s got reach.” She filed that away, determined to show off for real next time.

Then—without a word—she reached into her belt and pulled out a small knife.

No. Not just a knife.

It was a dagger—thick and rugged, its worn handle wrapped in cracked leather like it had been carried through an apocalyptic wasteland. The blade gleamed under the Velvet Room’s eerie light, chipped in places but still sharp as hell.

“I’ve got a trick with this,” Akane said, holding it up with a grin that could’ve been described as mildly unhinged. “But for now, I really wanna see your naginata. I love a good polearm. Fun fact—they were originally used by women in Japan to defend their homes while the men were off at war.” She twirled the dagger between her fingers with effortless precision. “You could say it’s got girlboss history."

Zenkichi exhaled through his nose, crossing his arms. “Why am I not surprised you know that?”

“Why are you not surprised I’m holding a knife?” Akane shot back, deadpan.

“That I’m trying not to think about.”

[wipingallout]

"Honestly? You ask me, and knives are great - you can hide 'em in your purse!" Hamuko laughed jovially. She didn't know 'girlboss', as a term, but it did pretty much speak for itself. Heheh. Akane was full of all kinds of trendy new terms she'd have to catch up on.

"Okay, give me a second - Igor gave me my evoker, but lemme see if I can get my other equipment!"

She'll go to Igor - politely sitting on the chair in front of him, hands in her lap. After a few moments of quiet chatter, Igor sounding relaxed and mysterious as ever, and a little sheepish giggle and whisper from Hamuko while she shoveled other things into a bag, she brought over the naginata she'd last been relying on.

"Here we are! This is the naginata I got after fusing my Persona, Kartikeya, into it. The peacock feathers are such a nice touch, super show-off-y, but they never ever got messed up no matter how many Shadows I swung this thing at."

[unit_8910_wolf]

“Inventory space is a weird one for me,” Akane admitted, her voice deadpan but serious. “You’d think it’d be easy for me as a digital entity, but no. I’ll keep your advice in mind, though."

Zenkichi watched her quietly from the sidelines. His gaze lingered a little longer on the hat perched on her head—still my hat, he thought wryly—but his expression sobered as he turned to Hamuko. The way she joined Igor’s space so lighthearted struck a chord in him.

When Akane’s voice piped in through his neural server again, he bristled slightly.

Akane: You doing okay?
Wolf: I'm fine.
Akane: ...
Akane: It’s weird seeing someone so…bright around Igor. Most of the people I’ve seen here feel like prisoners.

Wolf: Maybe having your life revived after a...destined passing changes your outlook. Maybe she’s just grateful.

Was he...grateful?

He didn’t say who he was thinking of, but Akane knew.

Akane: I wonder who the spirit attached to my CCAI would’ve been. Maybe I’m living through her.

That quieted Zenkichi. He finally stepped away from the board he had been pretending to focus on, moving just a little closer to Igor’s table—but watching, not approaching.

Meanwhile, Akane lit up at Hamuko’s mention of Kartikeya. “Wait—Kartikeya?” Her AI systems raced as she searched for the Persona in her internal database. “I can’t even match that one. Maybe it predates our year, huh?"

"Huh.”

Curiosity thoroughly piqued, she reached out with her free hand, fingertips brushing the edge of one peacock feather before she froze and pulled back, flustered.

“Um—can I…hold it?”

[wipingallout]

"Of course! Here, stand over there where there's a little more space, you can even give it a few swings. It's fun!" Hamuko cheerfully passed the weapon over. It was deceptively light, thrumming with power - it really was powered mostly by the Persona fused within it.

"Kartikeya is one of the Personas of the Star Arcana. A pretty strong one! His spear is from myth, too, so I guess it makes perfect sense that he would embody his weapon when fused to one. Metaphorically speaking? Or metaphysically? I can't really tell!" Hamuko laughed jovially.

"Maybe I'll see what the antiques lady knew about this. If the version of her around here can remember that, I mean."

[unit_8910_wolf]

"Kartikeya...the Hindu God of War," Akane nods slowly as she logs in the persona's detail. "It sure fits the bill of the Star Arcana." Even still, she was a bit nervous as she holds out her hands before grasping the Naginata in her pale bare hands. She turned the weapon over, a little awe-struck. But holding it was another story entirely. Despite its lightness, the weight distribution threw her off, and she wobbled for a second as her systems scrambled to compensate. Her joints tensed as internal calibration kicked in—what was muscle memory for a human came with a million calculations for someone like her. “From what I’m reading right now,” Akane mused aloud, scanning through data in real time, “his origins involve fusing six fetuses into one body through Parvati’s Tantric powers, so… I guess fusion is in his nature. Maybe even into weapons.” It was an easy observation but rooted in the odd rules of cognition that human belief shaped. Akane cautiously twirled the naginata in her hands, the blade spinning like a lazy windmill. She grinned—until she nearly lost control. The weapon clattered against the floor, the sharp clang bouncing off the walls of the Velvet Room. Akane’s eyes locked onto the peacock feathers as she snatched it back with a fierce determination. There was no way she was going to embarrass herself in front of Hamuko-sensei! “Hyah!” she cried, pivoting on her heel as she spun the naginata in a swift arc, stopping with its blade mere inches from Zenkichi’s neck with the grace of someone who was just copying action movies.

Zenkichi’s lips twitched at the edges, barely restraining a smile. His brow quirked, and he remained perfectly still, unfazed.

“Can’t kill me at that spot, remember?” he said, his tone dry but amused. “Also—watch your energy levels, Akane. Don’t overclock yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah...” Akane muttered, but her determination remained. She lowered the naginata carefully, not wanting to show the slightest tremble in her grip. “But I’m still going to show Hamuko-san the trick with the knife. You should show off your sword too!”

Zenkichi’s neutral expression shifted to one of mild horror. “Whoa—no. I’m not waving my sword around like some kind of kid in gym class-!"

[wipingallout]

The drop doesn't surprise her - long arms like that are easier to handle when your height matches it after all. She didn't laugh or crack a smile, watching a little carefully at her swinging at Zenkichi... but that turned out fine too.

Their banter was so charming, when they let themselves BE themselves.

But that last protest from Zenkichi gets a chuckle from Hamuko.

"We could have a little spar if you want to show it that way, instead. I've got healing spells a-plenty."

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi’s eyes crinkled with amusement at Hamuko’s offer. He was tempted—sparring was something he could never say no to, especially with someone so full of energy. But he wasn’t about to jump in just yet.

“You’re awfully sprightly for someone who just showed up here,” he said, his tone quiet but tinged with dry humor. “I took my sweet time before throwing fists in this place. Guess I’m not the get-settled-then-swing-a-naginata type.”

He crossed his arms, glancing between Hamuko and Akane. “Once you’re fully settled, though? Sure. We’ll practice. I’m down for sparring anytime. But not today. I’m already running late soo...guess I will just do a quick intro post on the board and then I need to...rejuvenate.”

[wipingallout]

"I am looking forward to exploring some. Some familiar sights, some new ones! I'm excited to meet everyone," she agreed fondly, lightly taking her naginata from Akane and giving it a twirl - safely away from either of them, of course - in a hand with all of the practice and muscle memory to show her proficiency.

"Maaaybe I'll make a quick stop in the Iwatodai Dorms first... Vel Vel Muruga isn't really the most covert weapon, I'd look a little funny going clothes shopping with it slung over my shoulder."

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi watched Hamuko twirl the naginata with ease, her movements fluid and precise. She was certainly enthusiastic about everything, and that energy wasn’t lost on him. If she’d truly passed away, it made sense for her to be catching up on what the world had become. A lot had changed since 2010, after all. And she’d missed all of it.

He thought back to his own year—2038. 28 years after Hamuko’s passing.

“Clothes shopping, huh?” he muttered, tapping his fingers against one crossed arm. “I’ve been wearing the same damn uniform for the past decade or so, so I sure as hell won’t be much help.”

Neither would Akane, truth be told. Though she would like to try anyway. Still living in the dormitories situated right where Tartarus stemmed from...that anxiety felt familiar. Closer to how their world was. “That’s where you used to live?” Akane asked, her fingers flexing slightly, as if still trying to memorize the feel of the naginata in her hands. The way Hamuko carried the weapon like it was an extension of her was... impressive. Why couldn’t she connect the same way? She had a body, right? Wasn’t that enough? “Well…” Akane continued, her tone growing playful, “you’re always free to crash at our place too. Wolf’s a very boring roommate. Keeps coughing up microbots when he thinks I’m not online—”

“Hey!” Zenkichi shot her a sharp glare, lips parted in embarassment and even shock. “Don't describe me like I am just some...old cat throwing up a furball—! I can be fun!”

[wipingallout]

She was gonna comment that she wanted to live somewhere that reminded her of her friends, and where felt the most like home, but--

"Coughing up microbots? Are you okay, Wolf-pop?" she laughed, though it was only to soften and mask her honestly obvious concern. Coughing up anything was probably pretty bad for you!

[unit_8910_wolf]

The laugh made Zenkichi’s lips twitch—just a little—into another grin. The concept of microbots sounded concerning to anyone normal. But Zenkichi? He couldn’t resist turning it into another chance to play it cool.

“Awh—are you worried about me, Hamuko-chan?” he teased, letting the grin widen just enough to be smug. “It’s sweet. Really. I’m touched.”

He presses his hand to his chest. "I’ve handled worse. It’s just part of me being Unhuman."

[wipingallout]

"Of course I'm worried, coughing anything up is bad, isn't it??" Hamuko fretted, putting her hands on her hips. "It's perfectly normal to worry about someone supposedly coughing up something!! What's coughing up a 'microbot' even mean?? Is that like... nanites? Like from a scifi movie??"

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi’s smug grin softened into something gentler as he watched Hamuko’s genuine concern play out. For all her toughness, there was a tenderness about her that reminded him of better days.

“Well, yeah,” he finally admitted, giving her a lopsided smile. “Coughing anything up is usually bad. And yeah—microbots are pretty much like nanites. The year 2038 is something of a sci-fi flick after all.”

"They’re there to keep him healthy,” Akane interjected, stepping in like it was her turn for show-and-tell. "His systems are designed to run for centuries, bare minimum. Three hundred years, at least." She held up her hand, making a pinching motion. "They’re so small a thousand of them could balance on the tip of a needle. They repair damage from the inside and if some of them grow faulty, they are expelled out through coughing."

“See?” Zenkichi drawled with a flourish. “I’m basically a walking repair shop. Nothing to worry about.”

[wipingallout]

"If it's waste, why aren't they designed so you poop them out?"

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi and Akane both froze, the air around them suddenly awkward.

Zenkichi blinked once, then twice. “Did—” He pointed at Hamuko and turned to Akane as if the gesture would help process what had just been said. "Did she-"

His lips part in shock. “Did you just seriously ask me that??"

Zenkichi’s blush went from faint to full-on cherry red. “Oh my god. What? Why would you—?! Out of all things you could have questioned you decide to say that? His hands flew up in exasperation before bringing one up to his face as if reconsidering ALL of his life choices.

Akane made it exactly three seconds before she completely lost it. She doubled over, laughter spilling out in full force. “Y-You—!” she gasped between wheezing breaths. “You really walked into that one!” “Akane, don’t laugh!” Zenkichi spun toward her, face still blazing. “You’re supposed to have my back!” “I can’t!” Akane managed. “You—you looked like she just made you short-circuit!”

"You damn brats," Zenkichi groaned. "I swear..."

[wipingallout]

Despite laughing, herself, Hamuko's face was ALSO beet red. She made a few attempts to speak, to justify herself - but just laughed harder, let alone from how Zenkichi seemed the most devastated out of anyone in the room.

"Hahah!! I-I mean, come on, I gotta know!! Especially if I ask can I get them too - maybe that's a huge deal-breaker!!" she cackled, laughter squeaking louder and getting away from her.

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi dragged his hand down his face, groaning like a man utterly defeated. “This girl’s questions, man... I’m emotionally exhausted.” He cast Hamuko a long-suffering look.

"She's thorough with her work-!" Akane remarks lightly, snickering still as she now chooses to look away. The mask can only hide so much of her grin.

Zenkichi shot back. “This is mutiny.”

Her follow up question doesn't make it any better.

Zenkichi blinked, then winced like the words physically hit him. “Insane. You’re insane,” he muttered before shaking his head. He turned serious, his tone softer but firm. “Listen. Microbots are not a toy, Hamuko-san. They take months to get used to. When they first start crawling through your system, it’s... uncomfortable. Like fire ants under your skin.”

“If handled the wrong way—if your system doesn’t adapt or if the bots malfunction—they can shut down your human organs,” Zenkichi continued. “That’s not a fun science-fiction quirk. That’s a comatose state.”

[wipingallout]

"See? HUGE deal-breaker!" Hamuko gestured at him, as if to say 'my point exactly!' "And I could see a lot of people considering it really seriously for the sake of living for hundreds of years. Or if they might die anyway. Right?"

They're dangerous, then. Zenkichi had to go through something truly harrowing to get them, to become a 'weapon', to be able to fight. He could've died.

So the fact that he was still here, still standing... that was pretty cool.

"You have a really admirable resolve, Wolf-pop."

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi froze for a heartbeat, Hamuko’s words cutting through all his usual bravado. Even with his eyes hidden behind the opaque visor, there was no mistaking the way his head tilted slightly, like he’d just taken a direct hit.

“‘Admirable resolve,’ huh?” He let out a low, dry chuckle, lips quirking into a lopsided grin. “Didn’t realize we were handing out compliments today. Guess I should start writing this down before I forget it ever happened.”

When did Zenkichi Hasegawa ever have any admirable resolve? The thought punctuated in her head, her laughter now faded as she considered the words that had just spun in her mind. Something in Hamuko's words clashed inside her and she wasn't sure if she could begin to question why. This was good, right? Wolf was getting along with others. One of her hands go to the side, fingers going into a pocket to feel some sort of ease before she finds one of those pink papers from earlier. Wolf-pop Pop.

He suddenly yawns a little quiet as he brings his hand to his mouth. He's so sleepy right now and he's totally not trying to find a way to stray out of this conversation.
"You know sometimes you really have to gaslight yourself into thinking you made the damn right choices," he couldn't help but snicker at his little piece of 'advice.' Despite his words, the warmth in his tone betrayed him. Hamuko’s comment had clearly landed somewhere deep—though he’d never admit it.

“Anyway, you boggled my mind enough for one day. And this—” He reached for the hat on her head. “—is officially mine again. No more extended rentals.”

[wipingallout]

"Heheh. I'd get ugly hat-hair anyway and mess up my bobby pins," she giggled, glancing at the pink bow still affixed to the hat. It looked hilariously out of place.

"Thanks for greeting me, you guys. It was nice to meet you - I'll totally bug you all again sometime."

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi didn’t seem to mind the pink bow at all. "Ugly hat hair she says..." In fact, as he grabbed the hat from Hamuko, he adjusted the bow so it sat neatly to one side, making sure his movements wouldn’t jostle it off. He gave the hat a little flick to settle it just right before plopping it back on his head with a huff.

Akane made that bow. Out of paper. In the flesh. There was no way he was going to let it go.

Almost on cue, Akane perked up, narrowing her sight at him with a barely-concealed smirk in her voice behind the mask. “You’re keeping that on you?”

Zenkichi’s lips curled into a lopsided grin, the one that always showed up when he was trying to dodge something. “Whaaat? Nooo. It’s, uh… camouflage. You know. In case I get attacked by—pink... bow-related enemies. It’s a tactical advantage in cognition. Cognition 101. Obviously.”

“Oh yeah, clearly. Tactical,” Akane deadpanned, shaking her head. She turned to Hamuko with a mischievous look. “Well, I don’t know about me. I’m just artificial intelligence—I can’t be bugged. In fact, I have a far more tolerable mental capacity then most teenagers around my supposed quantum age. But Wolf-pop here? You should definitely bug him more! Maybe next time we can bring more materials to decorate him—what do you think? Glitter? Stickers?”

Zenkichi’s eyes widened as he started to backpedal slowly, throwing his hands up. “Nope. No. Hell no. I am not some goddamn Christmas tree.” He backed away until he hit the arm of the sofa and promptly spun on his heel. “I’m putting a stop to this conversation before it escalates.”

He grabbed a piece of pink paper from the table, the same kind Hamuko had been carrying earlier, and scribbled something down with quick, messy strokes.

Been here for a month now but I’m still a newcomer, Zenkichi Hasegawa. Shadow weapon. Codename ‘Wolf.’ An unhuman model.
Attached is the QR code with more info about our ops. It's made by Akane who is also part of the unit- you can contact her through the QR code and no, its not shady.

Please, for the love of god, delete EMMA off your phones if you have it. Before we end up finding you lugging that app around like a ticking time bomb. There's enough on everyone's plates here.

[wipingallout]

"So, Akane - access to your 'space', right? Does that mean I can connect to you through my phone? We can go on all kinds of little adventures sometime, until your body situation is more permanent, right?" she asked, letting Zenkichi get ready to walk them out.

"In that case, you bug me right back, you hear? Ask me to hang out! I have all the time in the world now. We'll do girl stuff."

[unit_8910_wolf]

Akane’s voice remains warm as she shifts, her mask bright against the Velvet room's sombre lighting. “My space is sort of… how do I explain this?” She tilted her head thoughtfully. “You know how when you play video games, you interact with the game world from a console, right? Well, in my case, I designed that game and I live in it. My digital world is like a custom program I’ve made to move around in. You can connect me through your phone, any digital device really which has a signal. I could even talk through your fridge if it has even the most basic interface to work with. ”

She continued almost teasing. “If you have one of those VR headsets, you could probably dive in and interact with me directly. And trust me—I will drag you into all kinds of online nonsense. Maybe even stream games from my space. It’s just who I am.”

But the brightness in her eyes dimmed slightly as she hesitated. “But, um... I’m not really sure. My body situation—it’s complicated. I think if we go to a cognitive space, I should be able to project myself there. But beyond that...” She trailed off. “I don’t know if this can get any more permanent than it already is.”

Her hands curled at her sides for a brief second before she waved it off, forcing a casual smile. “I’ve already pushed against so much of my CCAI protocol just to get this far. So, who knows?”

Akane paused, then perked up as a new thought struck her. “But you know what? Let’s make this a deal—wildcard style. Isn’t that how you wildcards operate? Through forging bonds, as Igor-san always says?”

[wipingallout]

"Absolutely!! Heehee," Hamuko giggled brightly, before whispering a bit more quietly. "I'll wait till I get to know old Wolf better but, Igor's right. Igor's always been right. The bonds you make with other people - that's the meaning of life. Connecting with others... it makes both you and the person you connect with stronger."

Hamuko held her hands out for Akane to take, if she wanted.

"Anyone can do it. Aigis and I forged an unbreakable bond - so I know it doesn't have anything to do with being 'human' or not. So believe in yourself. I believe in you completely," she encouraged, completely unashamed and completely sincere.

1/2

[unit_8910_wolf]

There's a small huff leaving Akane, as if she were breathing a sigh that she had long since held back. She appreciated that Hamuko was looking out for Wolf, she wouldn't want him to be all alone. They were a unit after all. Fostering positive development would always yield better results.

So why did she feel nervous?

Akane looked back and forth between the two held out hands as she brought her right hand forward, fingers twitching as she heard about Aigis. Aigis...one of the oldest models. There wasn't much documentation about her and in all honesty, considering the Kirijo group being wildly familiar with their shadow weapons getting out of hand and awakening to their true selves was one of the main driven reasons for crafting an Unhuman; the way Hamuko spoke about Aigis then...

She barely managed to bring their fingers brush before she was curling in on herself again. She crossed her arms to her chest, chuckling awkwardly. "Um." She tilted her head as the mask thankfully concealed most of the rough edges behind it. "Thanks...I guess. I don't know how to process touch like that."