(no subject)

[shakenit]

a. Shibuya

Sumire's been meaning to expand her wardrobe for a while now, both here and at home. Kasumi chose everything for the both of them, so she only has the vaguest idea of what she's doing.

But! She has a - a date sometime soon! With a cute girl! So surely that means she needs to be able to dress to impress.

She's wandering around various clothing stores, occasionally consulting a packet of paper with labeled illustrations of various cuts of clothing. Sharp eyes might recognise the handwriting as Ann's, but the artwork decidedly is not. Even with that guidance, though, she... could use some help.

b. Tartarus

If Sumire's going to be any kind of use in Midnight-san's Palace, she needs some practice, and it's far better to get that practice with other people than to try to go into a cognitive space alone. Since there are regular Tartarus runs, she's opting to get in on one of those.

Even if the Dark Hour setting in and the high school exploding upward into a giant tower is... kind of alarming.

In proper Phantom Thief tradition, her outfit does change when she steps into the tower, but if anyone was expecting her to match the Violet they know, they're in for a shock. She's still wearing a leotard and long boots, but the leotard and its bolero jacket are a deep greenish-black, and the boots, more obviously green, have a faint snakeskin pattern. Sumire's gloves are blue-violet, and her hair pulls itself back into a bun, emerald-studded pins holding it in place.

She may be new to Persona combat, but she's ready to give it a go.

Comments

Tartarus

[wipingallout]

If Violet had wondered where Hamuko was that night, since she hadn't stopped by the dorm since the afternoon, here answer would be available right there in the first floor of Tartarus - perched a bit casually on the stairs, still wearing casual clothes, was Hamuko herself.

She'd waited at the school gates and waltzed in early. For the moment she seemed wrapped up in sharpening the blade of a naginata, whistling to herself. Man, the worst part was still her headphones not working... she apparently missed the magical Christmas presents, and headphones that worked during the Dark Hour would've been fantastic. Oh well.

[shakenit]

"Oh! I wasn't expecting anyone to already be in here." Not that Sumire minds seeing Hamuko again - quite the contrary.

(She only would have minded during her shopping expedition because she wants her outfit choice to be a surprise.)

[wipingallout]

Hamuko perked up - people were visiting to get some training in, but it's a pleasant surprise seeing her new dorm-mate (and absolute cutie) Violet showing up.

Before she said anything, though - Hamuko's gaze looked up and down the costume. Wow, that's bold! In a good way!

"The green looks amazing on you, Vi. Did you wanna come train? I was waiting to see if I could lead anyone through!"

[shakenit]

"I - thank you?" The leotard itself doesn't bother Sumire, not when she's been in gymnastics most of her life. The compliment and the fact that Hamuko is obviously checking her out... that does have her blushing.

Gods, this girl just does things to her.

"I did, yes. I don't really have any practical experience so far, and it's apparent I'll need it."

[wipingallout]

"Perfect - then let's party up, I'm pretty familiar with the place and the Shadows in it, and I can help bail us out of an emergency," she reassured, standing up from her perch on the stairs.

Adjusting her equipment belt to ensure her evoker and fanny pack were secured, Hamuko hung the naginata on her shoulder.

She'd always gotten a good sense of her party members' skill levels, but even when new arrivals showed, she could usually carry them until they really caught their stride. Giving Vi a thoughtful look, she turned to the teleporter, kicking the strange thing on. "I thiiiink we should be able to handle the upper floors of Tziah. It's gonna be really bright and gold for a while. That part always messed with my day-night cycle."

[shakenit]

"All right. I'll try not to slow you down too much." (She'll probably be fine, especially once she gets used to the flow of things.)

"Well, I guess that's no stranger than anything else a cognitive world wants to do."

Sumire's not sure what to make of the teleporter, but she's ready to follow Hamuko's lead (and since it means not having to climb a hundred or so flights of stairs, she's not about to complain).

[wipingallout]

"I still have to check more of those out! I've only hopped in the TV so far," she chuckled, offering her hand if Vi wanted to take it to step on the platform. But either way, it can teleport them to a floor in Tziah. And she wasn't joking about the look of it - ornate gold, red carpets, strange light filtering in, and an unsettling green haze over everything.

"Alrighty. I've climbed this tower WAY too many times, so don't worry too much about me - I'm your backup tonight! Does your Persona have any weaknesses? I can plan around that," she explained, tapping the toes of her shoes a bit to adjust their fit before starting a steady jog through the halls.

[shakenit]

"'Hopped in the TV.' That just sounds... so strange out of context." Sumire does take Hamuko's hand, blushing.

"She's weak to Water."

At least keeping up through their surroundings won't pose her any trouble.

[wipingallout]

"Water?" Hamuko repeated back, pausing before they rounded a corner to listen for any Shadows. After a beat to make sure it was clear, she looked back at Violet. "Do you mean weak to skills like Bufu...?"

[shakenit]

"No? I mean Water. I don't remember what Shiho-senpai called the spell."

It was definitely not Bufu-anything, though.

[wipingallout]

"Huh! Well. Good news is that I don't think that element pops up at all in Tartarus," Hamuko laughed, a little befuddled. "I don't know why my experience didn't include all these other elements... but I guess we can use that to our advantage. We were familiar with three damage types - slashing, strikes, and piercing - as well as four basic elements and Light and Dark."

She explained as she went, checking corners, keeping a mental map of which directions they've taken so far... after a moment, she nodded down a stretch of gilded hall. "First target spotted!"

[shakenit]

"Light and Dark - you mean like Bless and Curse?" It's weird that they'd have different names, but really no weirder than anything else about this kind of stuff. "I know melee attacks and gun attacks are two different things, but we don't really split up the categories like that, either."

Also there are a lot more than four elements at the Phantom Thieves' disposal, but that's going to have to wait until after they deal with the... blob thing crawling around the floor.

[wipingallout]

Eaaaasy peasy... Hamuko sidesteps and lunges, striking to take the Shadows off guard - striking the blob splits it into two imposing Order Giants.

Right... she'd have to ask Fuuka for the full breakdown, but she remembers these pretty easy.

"Sturdy against physical attacks, weak to Ice!" Hamuko called out, pulling her Evoker out and pressing it to her temple. With a click and a BANG, the diamond shards of psyche blew out the other side of her head and beckoned forth Sandalphon, casting the Skill Marakukaja to boost their defenses.

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi had been through a lot in his life—grueling investigations, high-stakes battles, post end of the world apocalypse, now dealing with teenagers who could summon mythological figures to fight eldritch horrors—but somehow, this was what was testing his patience.

Shopping.

For someone who technically didn’t have a physical body.

“Alright, alright, I get it, I get it! You want a wardrobe change. Loud and clear,” he muttered, rubbing his temple.

“Damn right I do!” Akane’s voice shot back with the exact level of enthusiasm he had come to expect. Her projection floated beside him, arms crossed over her usual grey jumpsuit and black jacket combo. “I refuse to keep rocking the same look forever. I’m not some NPC with a default outfit.”

“Well, it’s not like you can actually wear this stuff yet,” Zenkichi grumbled, scratching his head before flipping through a rack of jackets. “You do remember that, right?”

“Yet,” Akane emphasized, crossing her arms. “Once we’re back in a cognitive space, I’m making it happen. You wouldn’t deny your beloved Akane a sense of personal style, would you, Pops?”

Zenkichi sighed, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like How did I raise such a little gremlin? before holding up a black hoodie with neon pink highlights. “…Alright, how about this? It’s got that sleek digital aesthetic. Very ‘AI with a soul’ or whatever.”

Akane examined it, tilting her head before nodding sagely. “That’s one contender. But I need options.”

[shakenit]

The conversation definitely catches Sumire's attention, but... she doesn't want to interrupt. Still, she's there to be pestered if either of them deems it necessary.

She just also won't be a great help in picking things out.

[unit_8910_wolf]

Akane let out a dramatic sigh, floating up a little higher before waving a hand through the air. “Okay, okay. I see the vision, but I need to refine it.” She tapped a finger to her chin, then snapped her fingers. “Gimme a sec—I’m making a mood board.” Zenkichi blinked. “A what?” “A Pinterest board, Pops. Duh.” She shot him a look like he’d just asked what a smartphone was. “I gotta make sure my vibe is cohesive.” “…Right. Yeah. Sure,” he muttered, scratching his cheek. He had no damn clue what that meant. But he also knew better than to ask. Akane’s projection flickered, then began to fade out. “I’ll be back in a sec. Try not to embarrass yourself too much while I’m gone. Oh! And pick out some options for yourself too, old man. You really need an upgrade.”

Zenkichi groaned, watching her disappear with a swirl of static. “God when will this torment ever end,” he muttered under his breath.

And then—he was alone.

Zenkichi sighed, rubbing his neck before turning back to the racks of clothes. Right. Okay. Just pick out stuff a teenage girl might like. Easy.

He grabbed a random jacket, turned it over in his hands, and immediately frowned. Would Akane like this? It was hard to tell. Last time he’d bought her clothes, she was, what—ten? After that well...a lot had happened. This wasn't even her anyway. And now she was technically an AI ghost with a developing fashion sense?

Yeah. He was way out of his depth.

As he sighed and pushed his hat back, his shoulder brushed against a mannequin, nearly knocking it over. He barely caught it in time, muttering a curse before his sensors sharpened—something was off. Or rather, someone.

A Persona user.

So that meant they were a resident.

His gaze flicked up, his eyes immediately landing on a young woman nearby. She had deep red hair, her posture relaxed but observant, like she’d definitely been eavesdropping but was pretending not to.
He really did get distracted around Akane, didn't he?

Zenkichi tilted his head, considering his options. Then, with a resigned sigh, he raised a hand in a lazy wave.

“Hey, you got a minute?” he called out, casual as anything. “I need an opinion from a professional.”

A beat.

“I mean...uh. A young woman such as yourself for reasons as I am sure you must have percieved.”

Because, honestly? He was so out of his league here.

[shakenit]

"I... really don't know how much help I'll be. I'm not very good at this myself." Yes, yes, the problem is that Sumire doesn't have any practice.

She does, at least, have a cheat sheet, but that might be more useful paired with the... person? who just left.

"I can try to help, but I'm also not going to promise success."

[unit_8910_wolf]

Oh.

Zenkichi carefully looks at her, trying to access this situation. "So this is like the blind leading the blind scenario, huh?" There was no bite to his tone, just retired amusement.

He sighs. "Yeah I am just not that good at this either," he slowly confessed. "I have been wearing nearly the same uniform for a whole decade after all." Though one would argue his own outfit was much of a statement in itself.

With that, he goes for a shirt- turning it over to look at the ridiculous meme print. "If you have some time to spare we can cook something up. I think Akane just needs some options to choose from."

[shakenit]

"I have to say, that's quite a uniform." But it's also the same kind of problem Sumire has with clothing in general - uniforms aren't a choice, they're handed out. Chosen for you.

"I can give it a shot. What kinds of things does she like?"

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi chuckled wryly at the comment about his uniform. "It has its fair share of pains and gains but most of all- definitely belongs in some sort of museum."

He puts aside the shirt as he considers her question.

"Uh."

He falls short, a hand on his chin.

After a bit of careful contemplation he loses his initial social demeanour and instead grows more...awkward. Eyes cast away, even if his own visor prevented Sumire to catch that so really his expression would look far more serious then intended to be.

"I have...no idea."

[shakenit]

"Then we can either wait for her to come back and offer input... or just grab one of everything and see what sticks."

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi let out a long-suffering sigh, rubbing at the back of his neck. “She said she’s making a Pinterest mood board.” He said the word like it was some arcane magic spell, like just saying it aloud might summon a swarm of aesthetic inspirations to drag him into the depths of teen fashion hell. “Whatever that means. But she’s been at it for a while, so… she’s taking this seriously."

His visor flickered slightly as he checked in on Akane’s network processes, scanning for any updates. No immediate responses yet, but knowing her, she was probably already knee-deep in some absurdly detailed reference catalog. Teenagers, he thought, shaking his head with a brief chuckle.

His visor flickered briefly as he pulled up his own connection to the NETWORK, his sensors sweep over the girl's linked phone as he reads the signal instinctively.

He sent off a quick ping to Akane’s private server—she was better at analyzing all that social data crap anyway.

Sent request: Hey, can you check in on this address and just find any matches?

If nothing else, it was good to know who he was dealing with in a place as...colourful as this. Even if these tendencies reminded him of his time working in the public sector.

But first—he had a mission.

Zenkichi exhaled and turned back to the girl, giving her a once-over—not suspiciously, just in the way of a man trying to calculate statistics on how much she knew about whatever counted as “fashion” these days. Physically she looked about Akane’s age, which, in his mind, translated to: Probably knows more than I do about this crap.

He made a vague, sweeping gesture at the clothing racks. “So, if you’re somewhere in the same general age bracket as Akane, then I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say logically, you should have better instincts for what’s in fashion than I do. Because my instincts?” He pulled a random jacket off the rack—dark, practical, probably something he himself would wear. “My instincts are telling me to grab something like this, maybe throw in some jeans, and call it a day.”

He gave the jacket a critical once-over before tossing it back with a huff. “But apparently, that’s not good enough soo...I will strive to understand.”

[shakenit]

"Well, my instincts are 'let someone else choose it for me.' I'm still learning how to do this, and basically from scratch - my sister used to choose everything for both of us." She does have the cheat sheet Ann-senpai made for her, but that works better when the person who wants the clothes is... actually present.

"You can probably do a lot with a pair of jeans as the foundation, but that can't be everything, I do know that much."

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi grew quiet, lips pressed into a line. "I see," he nodded slowly. "Well, hey, I guess we will both learn something out of this."

He didn't exactly wish to reminscene old memories but more than that, he didn't want to disappoint her.

"I...have a vague idea of her liking dramatic clothing," he finally says, looking away as he fidgets with his own coat. "She doesn't want a monochrome palette, more reds and pinks. I think- she's sick of her CCAI uniform."

Ah-

"Zenkichi Hasegawa by the way," he finally answers. "But I would prefer just being called Wolf. You are...I may have cheated a little and recognized you through the network IP address."

"Sumire Yoshizawa, is it?"

[shakenit]

"Yes. Violet, to keep things simpler, since there's at least three of me here and one of them... doesn't hear our names right." That's a complicated matter in and of itself, and if he's seen any of the discussion of Midnight-san's Palace or notes about Dr. Maruki, he'll have some insight as to why.