personavelvetroomdr | 🌒 [Open]

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

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...

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"A way to cope... hmm. I think it used to be," Hamuko thought introspectively, lifting her hand away from Thanatos and letting the Persona fade again. She crouched to pick her naginata back up.

"No, I think even that's not true... it wasn't about grief, it was about trying to get accepted by others. But once I did connect to people... not with that peppy personality, but through shared experiences... I found myself laughing and joking a lot more just naturally. I was happier a lot more for real."

For real? Or is that just you recounting the memories you could never expand upon? Or the promise you may have made for the future reaching an ultimately tragic end?

He didn't voice any of those thoughts of course. It was much easier to claim a more neutral stance with it.

"Overcoming grief through a good support system," he nods as if considering her words with no hidden glint underneath. "I am glad to hear that, Hamuko-san. You have been a wonderful person to speak to, believe it or not. Perhaps even more mature then the other adults and patients I have spoken to."

"...and I think I might put a pin on it for future meetings. I know the shadows only attack us here when we strike the shimenawa but I don't want to run into...exceptions." He looks on ahead to stare away at the fog, tapping his fingers away on his clipboard. "...I also have a running theory that the mention of names and every step we take shapes the cognition around us so uh- we should take things more carefully."

"True... I could probably solo The Reaper but it certainly wouldn't be fun or easy," Hamuko agreed with a brief scrunch of her nose. Back to the grind, then.

"Would saying names really affect things like that?" she asked, starting to walk and talk.

"Ah, the Reaper," he winces a little at the mention of the name. He did have an unfortunate run in with the roaming shadow. "Can't say I miss running into one."

He did gain a lot of boost in his energy and overall endurance from it but he can’t say he missed it.

At Hamuko’s question he perks up a little, like an excited teacher running into an opportunity to speak about their subject. "Ever heard of the priming effect?"

"With exposure to certain stimulus- it influences a person's response to a later stimulus. Its why I end up wearing my disguse in and out- I just can't risk another violent chance encounter again."

"Because people have had dangerous encounters with other world versions of you?" Hamuko asked, noting a fork in the path but walking past the shimenawa to check for more items. "I think if there were some alternate universe me that had done some evil stuff, I'd also put in a lot of effort to make sure we didn't look alike."

There were some alternate universe me that had done some evil stuff-

Evil.

Evil.

Evil like Masayoshi Shido's exploitation of cognitive pscience to trample all his associates. Evil like the very descent of Nyx to draw humanity to a near apocalypse. Evil like-

He adjusts his glasses, a familiar shimmering gold taking over his pupils as he stopped and let her weave through items. Whatever. He has better things to be concerned about then mentally beat himself over other people's words. ~~Hideous. He was hideous. Hide himself away. Never step up again.~~

"I say right now I much prefer putting effort into my research-!" He continues cheerily. "Let's keep moving, shall we?"

She remained oblivious to the crisis she unwittingly inflicted on Maruki, eyes focusing on a tucked away treasure box that could be opened. Tentatively cracking the lid, Hamuko pulled out... a petal?

One like the ones that are already floating down like snow. But she could feel it as it sat between her fingers, soft and silky but thrumming with energy. It... filled her chest with a warmth. A breath, a kindness, a relief-- almost feeling the opposite of the exhausting, disheartening, spirit-crushing effect that followed each battle.

Hamuko showed the petal to Maruki, nodding a bit to herself.

"Alright. Once we're completely out of stamina, we'll have this to make sure we can get out safely. I'm holding onto this."

If the dungeon truly surfaced the rawest notions of truth into metaphysical symbols, Takuto was going to stay attentive and note down all possible details. Even with his clipboard slightly askew, something that he could invariably replace once they leave this place- he already feels like he has a lot of data to work with. The idea of using televisions as a medium to project one's emotions- depending on their popularity...this person had to be well-known, right? To think they may be surrounded by people but finding themselves alone enough to traverse this path...

He follows Hamuko and raises a brow at the petal. He didn't ask to hold this one, figuring that this was yet another symbolic item that held its significance here. "Flowers do bring comfort and healing," he nods. "I will follow you along. Let's get to the bottom of this."

"Yep. Follow my lead!"

Hamuko took them to the next shimenawa. And the next, and the next - she could get them through quite a few battles, pushing them deeper into the dungeon as they went.

Each battle drained more and more stamina, and health was a bit rare to come by - still, a few well-timed Salvation skills kept them from completely keeling over. If she can plan, she can keep them on track, she can--

--But one missed attack and a well-timed critical from the enemy threw her on her ass. It really only ever took a split moment of something going wrong, didn't it? And Hamuko scrambled to try and get back up, even with the shadow bearing down on her with a follow-up.

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