Fandom Persona 5: The Meta War CLOSED

[Anthem]

Imato paid half attention to most of Baron's lecture other than the next three targets, Kamoshida being the one of interest to the teen. He figured that an asshole like Kamoshida would end up having a place and all of that, with all the things he did and got away with. Glaring at the monitor with Kamoshida's profile, he fantasized in his head how the school could change with him gone, how many people would be free from his clutches and could go through their school day without him finding a way to screw it up. Though once the discussion of the targets were over, Imato was shocked to hear Baron speaking against any of them going into Mementos alone to get stronger.

'There's no way Baron would mention something like this without reason...' His mind would start running wild, provoked by Baron's speech. 'Unless another one of the thieves went out to Mementos to train up a bit, he's talking about me. Not good.' Had Baron seen his face? Imato hoped that wasn't the case but he wasn't sure anymore, his skeptic mind assumed the worse, that Baron had seen what was behind the mask. Imato's trust in Baron was non-existent at this point, while he was grateful for the veteran's help and everything, he was too elusive, even for Imato's standards. Imato wanted to interrogate Baron then and there on what he had seen, but he was in no position to do so, especially during a simple meeting like this one. For now to calm his nerves about the situation, he would start to answer Morgana's question.

"We already know a good amount about two of the Mercs, Rex and Roadkill. So we need to exploit that knowledge to ensure victory against those two when we face them again." Imato started, recalling the info they knew as a group. He figured that they would face those two speedsters again, especially Rex who had left the battle abruptly. "As for the others, we know basically nothing of them. So it would be best to avoid them unless completely necessary, even then we need to make sure to fight them as a whole at that point." He finished, that's all he could think of strategy-wise. Even if the idea that they could fight against some of the Mercs was a little overzealous, it was better than being left with no plan at all. Imato would go back to being silent afterwards, glaring at Baron every now and then since it was hard to tell he was doing so due to the mask.

 

[Nellancholy]

The atmosphere of the cafe remained unsettling to Shiro as she clomped in, the boots of her Metaverse ensemble echoing off the wooden sections of the floor. Perhaps it was because she rarely had need to frequent such establishments, even in the real world. Or maybe it was because the only way she could appear here was by maintaining her costumed form. Either way...this wasn't necessarily a place she enjoyed hanging around.

"The Wilton...save it." She muttered as she fell into a chair at one of the tables adjoining the one Baron was at. She might have just been the tiniest bit unpunctual, but she got the gist of the conversation from the entryway already. "Such...frivolity ill suits me and my entourage." In truth, she counted six tickets, which means if Baron himself was going...there wasn't a chance of any of them bringing a plus one. If Shiro herself had a chance to go, she'd like Koyuki to be present as well. And maybe she'd be more open about where she'd been...

As for the rest, Shiro's frown was hidden by her helmet, as it often was. "I am grateful for your willingness to collaborate, Baron. But do not presume to lead us on that account." She cocked her head to the side slightly, eying the tall man up. "I hardly think the Matriarch was a mere 'goon or thug', but if the 'price' you ask is merely to continue to wage war against such scum, I am ready to oblige." It was surprising that money or other wealth was not what he asked for, nor for anything that seemed to follow his agenda. If it was up to her, she'd want everything to go back to normal...but fighting against villains like this wasn't a bad way to go either.

"As for the MetaMercs...the less we see of them the better." She shook her head. "If only fate was so kind. If all are in favor, we shall strike at Kamoshida next." She'd barely seen that guy, even during the few times she bothered to show up at school. Not that he would have anything but contempt for someone like her. It almost felt like they were going a little smaller in scale here, but with a chance to take someone like him down a peg, she didn't mind getting involved.

 

[accursedjobber]

Nothing much changed from Isao even as the baron gave another lecture in phantom thievery, sure he attempted the complex art of recording notes down while paying attention with mediocre success occupying himself refusing to stay idle with any length of time. Afterwards after the speeches completion and his own rough transcript Isao was able to collect his thoughts.

Firstly, Wilton buffet, at first, he thought it a wasteful venture when other more effective team building exercise were in order like uhm skeet shooting or maybe a metaverse trip to a fairground- well to be fair from what Isao heard it would probably be infested with shadows but small issues. On the other hand, this did give him an opportunity to as the internet from his research called 'bulking' if he consumes enough protein, it will surlily make him stronger beyond belief.

Then the issue of going after Mr. Kamoshida, A present stain on school grounds couldn't remain even if the Baron didn't empathize their crimes leaving only the exclamation of pervet-hood . To be fair Isao's only interaction with the volleyball fondler was being offered a baggie of sweets when he attempted to investigate the mystery of cryptid number 12's involving signs of fatigue on the volleyball team, though he was reassured that that it- wait a minute, Isao needed to review his notes later.

"I'm all for Mr. Kamoshida, though I do question why you're going through everything? I hope you truly don't think we'll be attack dogs to call on and give targets to just on the basis you didn't leave us to die"

As much Isao was up for trusting Baron, he did want to differ from the meta mercs as much as possible and the assurance of reviewing the target didn't sate Isao's paranoia, their similarities though slim and based on speculations were disconcerting following the orders of another, worshiping an all-powerful being, Isao was pretty sure at least 60 percent of the current thieves were far off of that. Also, the fact that Baron was a complete unknown who seemed to have comfort in being a third party with no stakes into the thieves.

 

[TreasureSniper]

The varied responses from the thieves, ranging from mild interest to indifference were less than ideal, but still within acceptable perimeters. At least thieves were more aware and cautious about MetaMerc threat now. "You need not worry about acquiring the keywords, I have that part covered.." Pressing a few buttons on his watch, the details needed to pinpoint the pervert's palace were immediately sent to their own individual watches. "With regards to running into MetaMercs.....it seems that he has a few of them in his pocket...which means a confrontation with them is inevitable." He confirmed to the thieves that they will once again have to fight these guns for hire. "As such....if there was a way for you all to settle this matter outside the Metaverse, that would be most favorable." As it stands, it'd be safer for them to attempt to get Kamoshida in trouble in real life than simply squaring off against the metamercs he had hired.

He was happy to hear that Tragedy shared his concern about fighting the other MetaMercs. While Baron already knew just about all the MetaMercs, he felt that team needed to face some adversity with too much of his handholding to truly grow. And so, he chose to withhold some information, at least until it was absolutely necessary for him to share it with the team. "Make no mistake, Heartbreak. I am an investor of the team. I merely suggest optimal paths of progression. Whether you chose to follow such a path and how you go about it is up to all of you." He was flexible with how they chose to handle the targets and situations. At the end of the day, as long as they continue to get stronger, he had qualms about letting them have their way. Within reason of course. "I have my reasons, cryptic, and soon those reasons will be revealed. On the contrary, I've made a considerable investment on this team already. I'd rather so all my work go to waste. So no, I don't send assets on suicide missions. Thats just bad business." He replied to cryptic, assuring him that it was in his best interest to keep the group alive and operational.

"Now then, let us set a deadline on this operation. All of you deserve a break after our previous escapade. So let's do it this way. We will launch of our phantom thieves operation on Kamoshida in the next two weeks. Until then, you should try you best to resolve this matter outside of the metaverse if possible. Should you feel the need to enter mementos, I will be available as well. And you're free to use this place as your base of operations." Its good to give them a soft deadline, as Phantom thieves need to be timely in their deeds. Its also high time that bastard got his comeuppance. He also wanted to see how good they were at managing their own time without any direct commands from him. Not that they would follow them anyways seeing as spirit of rebellion within them was strong. The thieves had something the MetaMercs didnt. Unity of purpose, their deliver and uphold justice above all else. "Thats it from me. If all of you dont have any additional questions...you're all free to leave." And just like that. Baron offered to dismiss them. Though he had a feeling some of them had more questions to ask him.

 

[Anthem]

Imato would stand up from his secluded seat and would start leaving the Metaverse Leblanc, but would swipe one of the buffet tickets from the six that were provided to the thieves by Baron. "Someone let me know when you all plan on redeeming these so I can be there as well." He would say to the thieves before walking out of the Leblanc since he had no more questions or any need to stay there any longer. After all it was time for all of them to have a break from the Metaverse anyway, so with that he would leave the Metaverse without saying anything else to the others.

'So we're starting our next operation within the next two weeks, that allows for some time to rest and improve somethings. Either improve myself or attempt getting to know one of the others better... Damn.' The decision was rather difficult to make, since there were many ways Imato could improve himself as a Phantom Thief but not as many ways to connect with the others as he had decided to keep his true self hidden from those he considers his allies. Either way, there was time and things to do before the next operation so there was no need to decide right away as long as a plan is made soon in the future.

Checking the time before wandering around, Imato wanted to make sure that he could walk freely without having to worry about getting caught by a truancy officer of some kind. Making his way to a shop, buying a cola and sitting outside said store while scrolling through his phone was how Imato was now passing time.

 

[Maeve Valor]

Already in a bad mood, Masami felt her eye twitch as Ann so freely said her real name aloud in front of Baron. If he didn't know who she was before, he definitely would be able to piece things together now. Thankfully for Ann, she could care less that he knew who she was. So long as he didn't threaten her in anyway, she didn't mind. As for the rest of what Ann said, tickets to the Wilton buffet was a pleasant added bonus that looked forward to. It had been a while since she had been there, and it would be nice to actually just enjoy some good company and nice food instead of stalking victims like she had in the past there.

Though she did find it interesting that Kamoshida was a target. She would have never suspected a small-time offender such as him would ever have ties to the Metamercs. "Just how far does their influence spread?" Masami wonder as she looked to the monitors the rest were looking at and nodded in agreement to Tragedy's opinion regarding how the metamercs should be dealt with for the time being. She didn't know much about Madarame, but Junya Kaneshiro, she certainly has heard his name a few times around the streets. When it came to ripping people off, there were certain guidelines that needed to be followed. One of them being, try your best to not mess with the bigger crime bosses in the area along with any of their men. Kaneshiro was a person she was specifically instructed to steer clear from. She could see why everyone else seemed wary about this arrangement, but to her given the knowledge she currently had on these folks, it seemed completely fair and an ideal situation. Masami did not have any further questions and waited until Tragedy left before she too grabbed a ticket, "Very thoughtful of you Baron. These tickets must've cost a fortune. Until next time," she mentioned with the intention of her way of thanking the mentor before leaving. Once she walked out of LeBlanc, she looked down at the ticket and thought about how Shiro said that she wouldn't be attending. Masami stopped from continuing onward and decided to wait outside LeBlanc for Shiro to see if she could possibly convince her come. Far be it, would she be the kind of person to celebrate, but even she knew that this was a special occasion that everyone should take part in as a newfound team.

 

[Nellancholy]

Shiro's head swam as she removed her helmet, the grasp of the Metaverse falling away from her in waves of red and black. Her flared skirt and leather jacket gave way to the faded, slightly hole-y hoodie and sweatpants she was wearing before. Sure, she could fight, she could rage, she could smash aside waves of Shadows and even other people if she had to. But...it almost felt like a job now. The act of taking off her helmet felt like clocking out of work. Was this really what she could look forward to for the foreseeable future? People like her could barely see into next week, let alone plan for their future.

And all that seemed to lie ahead for her was to keep up the fight. Against all these wretched fiends, the kind that left her sisters homeless and abandoned in this or that circumstance. Fight for a better future...for them. That certainly sounded like a noble end, but she'd feel better about it if they could actually manage to take their own initiative instead of constantly having that Baron's eye on them, practically giving them orders. He had helped them pull out some wins, that was true. But she hated the idea of owing him anything, and relying on him first for information. Still, they tracked down the Order's HQ on their own initiative...that had to count for something.

Thrusting her hands into her jacket's pockets, she kept her head low as she walked, her head still heavy. If this was some kind of game or TV show, she could be sure there would be some kind of ultimate villain, a head they could slay to bring everything to an end and restore peace once and for all. But this wasn't quite a story. For all she knew they could fight forever and not even come close to eradicating that kind of evil. War, poverty, hatred...no wonder the Matriarch's philosophy was so appealing to some.

"...Ah." It took her a while to notice that Swan, or rather Masami, was following her. She shook her heavy head, letting her hair fall loose in all its stringy glory. The slightest hint of a smile remained at the corners of her mouth, even if she was clearly used to hiding it. "Ogawa. Did you have somewhere to be around Nihonbashi? Or is your intent perhaps to ask me for another favor?" She seemed to have either forgotten or was choosing to willingly disregard that she was the one who led Masami into the investigation of the Order, seemingly as a way to start atoning for her past actions.

Maeve Valor

 

[That Weird girl]

"Ok now I have to admit Baron you are winning me over," Morgana said as his mouth was watering over the thought of food. Ann took both of their tickets and grabbed Morgana and dragged him out of the cafe. Ann decided that she wanted to know her teammates better because she felt like she owed them a lot since well she did a lot of terrible things back in the day like getting with Kajiki. Her social isolation made it hard to connect with people and she normally would either act very high energy and annoying or not talk to anyone. She had a feeling the other thieves found her weird and obnoxious.

When they got back to the real world Morgana got in her school bag and Ann started to walk down the street and her blonde hair could be seen from wherever. She found Imato and stood by him wanting to get to know him more but she also did not want him to hate her and think she was annoying. "Listen I know that I am probably annoying you and I get it if you don't want to hang out but I don't have anything else to do and spending time with Morgana makes me want to jump out a window."

"Hey!" Morgana said poking his head out of the bag, "I heard that..." Ann ignored him and looked at Tragedy hoping he would not be annoyed with her like most of the thieves.

Anthem

 

[accursedjobber]

Watching the other's leave Leblanc only encroached a sense of awkwardness as Isao was just stayed behind in his seat deciding to take the Baron's offer of more questions, taking the chance to attain as much information from a source that was apparently knowledgeable of this state. Staying behind in the emptied cafe and turning to his questions page filled to the brim with a combination of vital and unneeded fodder getting up and moving closer to Baron.

"Okay starting from 21. How would a placebo work in the Metaverse?
"What came first myths or Metaverse appearance?"
"Is there a correlation between natural manifestation and the person's condition in the real world.
"Have real-life events influenced the metaverse e.g, if a bomb goes off if in LeBlanc would shadows fear bombs more and metaverse Leblance be destroyed? Purely hypothetical"
"If the target doesn't view you as an enemy, could you in theory just walk into their palace?"
"If a teacher's shadow has a stomach ache would the teacher feel ill and take the test day off?

Isao begins once again churning out questions in beginning his interview to grasp how the metaverse works to exploit for later, if there was a way to reduce the risks involved in using the metaverse (and his sturdies), attempting to give out as many questions as he could for maximum efficiency making noise in the empty cafe.

TreasureSniper

 

[Anthem]

Upon hearing Ann's voice, Imato would make sure his mask was on tight enough since he had just gotten a snack. Then he would turn to her, looking at Morgana with a small smirk before looking back at Ann herself. "You're not as annoying as the little prick you have in the bag there, so don't worry about it." He said as he pulled scrolled through his phone a bit more, making sure he didn't have any plans or needs before nodding. "But yeah, I don't know why you would want to hang out with me... But I'm open for whatever." He said with a small shrug, genuinely confused since he had shown no external interest in spending time with any of the thieves.

Nonetheless, this was something he wanted in the end while they had this break from missions. The chance to get to know his teammates better would help the team's dynamics, at least on his end anyway. 'I'll need to make sure I don't end up saying anything that'll make me look bad in either of their eyes. After all, I'm the one wearing the mask and hiding my identity.' Imato thought, since the only interaction with these people he has had was through the thieves.

That Weird girl

 

[That Weird girl]

"You guys know I am right here right?!" Morgana said and scoffed and Ann snickered at that comment kinda glad that she was not seen as annoying as Morgana. Not a high feat but it was something. "I just want to get to know you," Ann shrugged and glanced around her at the people walking by, "come on lets play games at the arcade or something."

Ann was interested in Tragedy and the mystery behind him and who he was actually. She could tell he was a good person he was just quiet and reserved for whatever reason. Maybe he was similar to Ann in a sense that he didn't really have social skills or just did not like people. "We don't have enough team chemistry," Ann said to him and crossed her arms, "I don't really know anyone except Shiro and unluckily Morgana."

Morgana sighed at this disrespect he was receiving, "I am not that bad guys." Ann stiffened a laugh since that was pretty funny to hear, "just wake me up when I can get my fatty tuna," the bakeneko said and curled up in her bag, "I don't wanna hear it Tragedy," Morgana closed his eyes and ignored the teens.

Anthem

 

[Anthem]

A small chuckle would come from Imato as Morgana seemed annoyed by Ann and his' comments. Walking along side Ann, he would keep watch of what they were passing by to ensure they didn't pass by a potential place to rid some time. Though the search was brought to an abrupt end as he spotted the arcade. "Well, you mentioned playing some games. There's the arcade."

Imato would lead them into the arcade, and would look around as they entered before nodding. "Well, I think this will be fine. I'll get some tokens." Offering to pay for the tokens, Imato walked to the exchange machine and recieved some tokens... after having to kick it a few times. "There you go..." Imato handed her half the tokens before putting his in his jacket pocket. "Alright, you can choose what you want to attempt first I guess." He offered, as he put down his hood out of instinct, not really realizing it too much.

That Weird girl

 

[Maeve Valor]

As Shiro walked right past her, Masami could tell that she was deep in thought about something. She didn't want to be rude and interrupt her train of thinking so she just followed behind her, being close enough so that she would notice her eventually. She also didn't want to interrupt cause she wanted to know just how long it would take before she acknowledged Masami. The answer was not that much longer as she finally addressed Masami as she caught a look at her smile. Masami took it as a good sign to ask her, but she raised an eyebrow as she was confused about her statement. "Another favor? I don't even remember a first ti-Nevermind. It's something like a favor I wanted to talk to you about I guess."

She took out her own ticket and held it up to Shiro. Masami figured that if Shiro took it, she could always ask Ann for Morgana's ticket. It's not like the Wilton Buffet would actually take a ticket from a cat and let him in willingly as a valued customer. Look, I know that it isn't your kind of scene to be at the Wilton Buffet, but we all accomplished a great task. That in of itself is worth celebrating for. Aside from that, some of us still need to truly feel like a team and get to know each other more outside of battling shadows. More specifically..."

Masami then looked away shyly as she stated her next sentence while kicking a rock and puffed up a cheek slightly to one side. "I, um... need to feel like we are all a cohesive team. Plus it wouldn't feel right not having the person that recruited me there," she said indirectly bringing attention to the fact that she is now willing to build friendships with these people. She aspired that by showing a little bit of vulnerability, she could persuade Shiro into going with them.

Nellancholy

 

[Nellancholy]

So that was it, really. Ogawa appeared to be showing some genuine gratitude that wasn't some kind of ruse. She really seemed to want to be better. Or perhaps that good heart was inside her all along and merely covered up by circumstance. As for Shiro, she wasn't one of those wound-up prickly types who only saw the bad in any possibility and never put her trust in people. She was just...principled, that's all. And it really couldn't hurt to at least talk a bit more to the others when they weren't fighting. She'd had her fill of Ann and Morgana already, but those two newer boys...

"How remarkably generous of you. Or of the Baron, really. I do wonder what he has planned...I actually considered bringing a 'plus one'. But I'm sure there'll be more opportunities to do so in the future..." At least in part, her goal was to keep an eye on Koyuki and narrow down what she'd been up to lately. But as for now..."Very well then." Shiro gently waved her hand in the air like she was wafting away smoke, a rather uncharacteristic gesture for her.

"Since you asked so nicely, Ogawa...I accept. Quite the affair you're making this, but I don't have a problem with showing up. And..."

She wasn't the hugging type, but she held out her hand and gave Masami a firm squeeze.

 

[TreasureSniper]

Watching the other's leave Leblanc only encroached a sense of awkwardness as Isao was just stayed behind in his seat deciding to take the Baron's offer of more questions, taking the chance to attain as much information from a source that was apparently knowledgeable of this state. Staying behind in the emptied cafe and turning to his questions page filled to the brim with a combination of vital and unneeded fodder getting up and moving closer to Baron.

"Okay starting from 21. How would a placebo work in the Metaverse?
"What came first myths or Metaverse appearance?"
"Is there a correlation between natural manifestation and the person's condition in the real world.
"Have real-life events influenced the metaverse e.g, if a bomb goes off if in LeBlanc would shadows fear bombs more and metaverse Leblance be destroyed? Purely hypothetical"
"If the target doesn't view you as an enemy, could you in theory just walk into their palace?"
"If a teacher's shadow has a stomach ache would the teacher feel ill and take the test day off?

Isao begins once again churning out questions in beginning his interview to grasp how the metaverse works to exploit for later, if there was a way to reduce the risks involved in using the metaverse (and his sturdies), attempting to give out as many questions as he could for maximum efficiency making noise in the empty cafe.

TreasureSniper

Baron had expected a few of them to stay back and ask a few more questions, but it seemed like everyone was content with what information was given. Everyone except for the most eccentric person of the bunch, Isao. The boy wasted no time in bombarding Baron with question upon question, some of which had which were very worrying, however nonetheless, Baron was the one who offered to answer any questions, so it was only fair he did so.

"If you are refering whether or not "fake" medication works in the Metaverse, some of them do. Though in my experience, consumables found within the Metaverse tend to work better and therefore more useful." It was an interesting question. He remembered he spent quite some time testing this theory out on himself for Maruki's research. "It's hard to say, as I myself do not know how old is the metaverse. However, whatever people believe in tends to manifest itself within the metaverse." as such, stories of monsters and curses tend to become more real in the Metaverse compared to real life.

Baron wasn't too sure on what the next question meant, but he still did his best to answer. "All I know is that the only thing that truly affects a person in the real world is when you take action against their shadow. From my understanding, their shadow is like an extention of their soul. While you can injure the shadow. You won't injure the person's body. That said, killing a person's true shadow will likely lead to their death." At least that was based on his experience. He wasn't sure about every single action, but he knew that something as extreme is killing can transfer over to the real self.

The next question, was very worrying, so much so that he wasn't even sure if he wanted to answer it. "I suppose the metaverse Leblanc would also be destroyed should you destroy the real one. Though I don't think the reverse is true. I implore you NOT to test this theory. It's taken me awhile to stockpile all this resources, I'd rather no see it go to waste. There would be hell to pay if it did..." The last line was somewhat of warning to the Isao, though he felt that it was likely he wouldn't catch that. "Yes you could, and I highly encourage you all to do so for the Kamoshida's case. That said, if you enter deeper areas not meant for normal visitors. It is likely that you will eventually be recognized as enemies." From his experience, there was only so long that a metaverse user can remain neutral in a palace. The last question was some amusing to say the least, as he it was clear to Baron that this young wanted to exploit the metaverse for his own benefit. "Depends on how easily convinced the teacher is. Though simply beating their shadows could make them much more..agreeable." Baron had to admit, he had done such things before, though they tend to be on a smaller scale and in a more precise manner that avoided attracting attention to himself.

"Now then...if that is all your questions. I shall take my leave as well." In the blink of an eye, Baron once again disppeared from sight before Isao can continue his onslaught of questions.

 

[That Weird girl]

A small chuckle would come from Imato as Morgana seemed annoyed by Ann and his' comments. Walking along side Ann, he would keep watch of what they were passing by to ensure they didn't pass by a potential place to rid some time. Though the search was brought to an abrupt end as he spotted the arcade. "Well, you mentioned playing some games. There's the arcade."

Imato would lead them into the arcade, and would look around as they entered before nodding. "Well, I think this will be fine. I'll get some tokens." Offering to pay for the tokens, Imato walked to the exchange machine and recieved some tokens... after having to kick it a few times. "There you go..." Imato handed her half the tokens before putting his in his jacket pocket. "Alright, you can choose what you want to attempt first I guess." He offered, as he put down his hood out of instinct, not really realizing it too much.

That Weird girl

"Thanks!" Ann said as she took her half of the tokens and wondered what games she should try and attempt. Maybe something that would translate to the metaverse and help her with her fighting skills or something. She had decided on a darts game figuring it would help her aim in the metaverse. Ann put some tokens into the machine and grabbed a dart throwing at the target board hitting the outer ring. She was a little embarrassed about this since she would have thought her aim would have gotten better in the metaverse.

"You want to have a go?" She asked Imato and noticed he put down his hood but said nothing about it in case he was insecure. Ann crossed her arms wanting to see how good he could be at darts.

The bag Morgana in was being looked at by the arcade owner who did not allow cats and something in her bag was moving to him. He did not want to say anything yet but no animals were allowed in here like most establishments around the city of Tokyo.


Anthem

 

[Anthem]

Imato had been looking elsewhere but snapped back to reality when asked if he would like to try the dart game. "Throwing items aren't really my thing, but I guess I'll try..." He responded, as he took one of the darts and tossed it in the air, trying to get a feel on it's weight and flying capability. As soon as he caught it he'd quickly throw the dart at the target, hitting within the middle circle.

"Eh... Not bad I guess. Though when it comes to aim, shooting games fit me a bit better." Imato admitted with a small shrug, while he did better than Ann he didn't seemed pleased with the results of him trying the game. "Though might not be the case here, especially with my mask..." He continued, thinking out loud. Nonetheless he would start looking around for a shooting game, specifically ones with pistols.

That Weird girl

 

[Maeve Valor]

Hearing Shiro accept attending the celebration made Masami brighten up noticeably as she tightened her grip over her hand as well. Even though she was functioning at low spirits throughout a majority of the day, the fact that Shiro agreed really put her in a better mood. Since joining, Masami had begun to have a great deal of respect for Shiro, getting to know what she was all about. She was always decisive, knowing exactly what she wanted to do at all times. She was never on the fence about anything, and that was an aspiring trait that Masami wished to learn as well. "Thank you, Akiyama. This... means a lot," Masami then retracted her hand with a smile and shifted her backpack uncomfortably over her shoulder. Masami didn't know why she was taking this get-together so seriously. Perhaps now that she had people to hang around with, she wanted to take the opportunity to expands her horizons more on what it was like to have friends. No matter what her reason was though, she was genuinely looking forward to the event.

"Well, I should probably let you go on your way then. See ya' Akiyama. Say hi to your sisters for me will ya?" She said with her signature two-fingered lazy salute and walked away in the opposite direction from where Shiro was headed. As she passed by Shiro, she made sure to expertly slip the buffet ticket into her pocket without making so much as a single rustle in the process.

Nellancholy

 

[That Weird girl]

Imato had been looking elsewhere but snapped back to reality when asked if he would like to try the dart game. "Throwing items aren't really my thing, but I guess I'll try..." He responded, as he took one of the darts and tossed it in the air, trying to get a feel on it's weight and flying capability. As soon as he caught it he'd quickly throw the dart at the target, hitting within the middle circle.

"Eh... Not bad I guess. Though when it comes to aim, shooting games fit me a bit better." Imato admitted with a small shrug, while he did better than Ann he didn't seemed pleased with the results of him trying the game. "Though might not be the case here, especially with my mask..." He continued, thinking out loud. Nonetheless he would start looking around for a shooting game, specifically ones with pistols.

That Weird girl

Ann watched him have a go at it and nodded kind of impressed. This might have nothing to do with the Metaverse combat but it was sort of fun and a bonding activity although there wasn’t much bonding since they still did not know each other well. She knew now that he preferred shooting games with pistols so it was safe to say he was a good shot then. Well, she clearly could see that in Suzuki’s palace.

“Oh yeah we could play a shooting game,” Ann said wanting him to have fun as well, “House of the dead your style you think? Or there’s a hunting game.” Maybe he wouldn’t be good at shooting with a gun without being in his persona but Ann thought that maybe playing a shooting game would help him get better.

Anthem

 

[accursedjobber]

Baron had expected a few of them to stay back and ask a few more questions, but it seemed like everyone was content with what information was given. Everyone except for the most eccentric person of the bunch, Isao. The boy wasted no time in bombarding Baron with question upon question, some of which had which were very worrying, however nonetheless, Baron was the one who offered to answer any questions, so it was only fair he did so.

"If you are refering whether or not "fake" medication works in the Metaverse, some of them do. Though in my experience, consumables found within the Metaverse tend to work better and therefore more useful." It was an interesting question. He remembered he spent quite some time testing this theory out on himself for Maruki's research. "It's hard to say, as I myself do not know how old is the metaverse. However, whatever people believe in tends to manifest itself within the metaverse." as such, stories of monsters and curses tend to become more real in the Metaverse compared to real life.

Baron wasn't too sure on what the next question meant, but he still did his best to answer. "All I know is that the only thing that truly affects a person in the real world is when you take action against their shadow. From my understanding, their shadow is like an extention of their soul. While you can injure the shadow. You won't injure the person's body. That said, killing a person's true shadow will likely lead to their death." At least that was based on his experience. He wasn't sure about every single action, but he knew that something as extreme is killing can transfer over to the real self.

The next question, was very worrying, so much so that he wasn't even sure if he wanted to answer it. "I suppose the metaverse Leblanc would also be destroyed should you destroy the real one. Though I don't think the reverse is true. I implore you NOT to test this theory. It's taken me awhile to stockpile all this resources, I'd rather no see it go to waste. There would be hell to pay if it did..." The last line was somewhat of warning to the Isao, though he felt that it was likely he wouldn't catch that. "Yes you could, and I highly encourage you all to do so for the Kamoshida's case. That said, if you enter deeper areas not meant for normal visitors. It is likely that you will eventually be recognized as enemies." From his experience, there was only so long that a metaverse user can remain neutral in a palace. The last question was some amusing to say the least, as he it was clear to Baron that this young wanted to exploit the metaverse for his own benefit. "Depends on how easily convinced the teacher is. Though simply beating their shadows could make them much more..agreeable." Baron had to admit, he had done such things before, though they tend to be on a smaller scale and in a more precise manner that avoided attracting attention to himself.

"Now then...if that is all your questions. I shall take my leave as well." In the blink of an eye, Baron once again disppeared from sight before Isao can continue his onslaught of questions.

"I agree, Nitroglycerin shouldn't be wasted on such activities" Isao remarked in misused understanding as he noted down the results of his impromptu interview already encapsulating further questions and experiments to be performed on later, after all with the semi confirmation that some placebo's work what if that extended to poison or cartoons, Isao needs to find a test subject person to help with his ventures. Ideas and plans already forming as the possible and restrictions were revealed more and more. Oh what if he wore a disguise on a disguise or would a claimed metaphorical bomb become physical from the belief of a single party in it being a bomb and what if-.

Baron left Isao despaired "Hey! I was only on page 1, Why do people keep doing that, it's like super rude" Another lead lost in the pursuit of knowledge.

Aw well, re-exiting from the alley back into the real world's alive streets. He set about getting to work on the newly formed mental shopping list attained from the meeting deciding to be productive for a little bit and spend his allowance after all he filled his social interaction meter for today, so he decided to treat himself before the actual booked digestive treat to some experimental object attainment prep.

 

[Anthem]

Ann watched him have a go at it and nodded kind of impressed. This might have nothing to do with the Metaverse combat but it was sort of fun and a bonding activity although there wasn’t much bonding since they still did not know each other well. She knew now that he preferred shooting games with pistols so it was safe to say he was a good shot then. Well, she clearly could see that in Suzuki’s palace.

“Oh yeah we could play a shooting game,” Ann said wanting him to have fun as well, “House of the dead your style you think? Or there’s a hunting game.” Maybe he wouldn’t be good at shooting with a gun without being in his persona but Ann thought that maybe playing a shooting game would help him get better.

Imato seemed to perk up when Ann mentioned 'House of the Dead', he would chuckle under his breath a bit before speaking up. "House of the Dead? Sounds like a plan, I hope this arcade has one." He would say with a cheery tone (which is unusual coming from him) as he started to search with more of a purpose, it seems he has had a good experience or memories with the game before.

After a minute a cheer could be heard from his general direction, of course this was from Imato. "Hell yeah! Took a bit to find it but here it is!" He said with a happy tone before calling Ann over. He'd put tokens in for the both of them before picking up his gun for the game. "I'm just going to say this now, I'm probably going to be a bit of a tryhard." Imato admitted as he waited for Ann to press her start button for the game.

That Weird girl

 

[That Weird girl]

Imato seemed to perk up when Ann mentioned 'House of the Dead', he would chuckle under his breath a bit before speaking up. "House of the Dead? Sounds like a plan, I hope this arcade has one." He would say with a cheery tone (which is unusual coming from him) as he started to search with more of a purpose, it seems he has had a good experience or memories with the game before.

After a minute a cheer could be heard from his general direction, of course this was from Imato. "Hell yeah! Took a bit to find it but here it is!" He said with a happy tone before calling Ann over. He'd put tokens in for the both of them before picking up his gun for the game. "I'm just going to say this now, I'm probably going to be a bit of a tryhard." Imato admitted as he waited for Ann to press her start button for the game.

That Weird girl

Seeing him get excited over House of the dead was exciting to Ann as she never really heard him sound happy or say anything in a cheery tone. It really seemed lime he had good memories with the game and the way he searched for the arcade game was unlike anything Ann seen of Tragedy up to now. Maybe this was a start to getting him to open up? Ann was defienky pretty happy in that moment.

She walked over to Tragedy when he cheered and smiled as she picked up her gun thinking that this was going to be fun. Ann couldn't remember the last time she played a video game with someone...maybe Ryujiji in middle school? Anyway Ann pushed the start button and chuckled when he mentioned being a try hard in this game, "Honestly I am probably going to be really rusty since I have not played this since like middle school so it might be a good thing for you to be a try hard."

The game started and the two were in the mansion with zombies coming at them from both sides of the screen. Ann fired at the zombies on her side, "Kinda familiar huh?" She casted a side glance at Tragedy referring to the Metaverse and shooting down shadows with seem lying unlimited ammo.

 

[Anthem]

Imato chuckled under his breath as Ann mentioned being a bit rusty before smirking (despite it not being visible due to his mask) as she would press the start button. He would quickly rid his side of the virtual zombies before doing so with the next set that appeared. "I suppose so, though this is a game of course. Death on this is just a measly game over, not in that place." Responding to Ann's statement in a rather negative way of thinking while making sure not to directly mention the Metaverse by it's name. Though it was clear that the comparison between a game and that world wouldn't be made by him, at least for now.

Realizing what he said could have been a slight downer, Imato attempted to clear the air a bit afterwards. "I use to play this a lot with my younger sister, she got close to beating me a few times even. Though she never got to claim she was better than I." He would share, fine with admitting he had a younger sibling since it wasn't completely uncommon to have one. As the game progressed, Imato continued to clear his side of the screen with relative ease even as the difficulty continued to scale upwards alongside their progression. "You do anything fun like this with family or friends?" He asked, wanting to continue the conversation and learn a bit more about Ann.

That Weird girl

 

[That Weird girl]

Imato chuckled under his breath as Ann mentioned being a bit rusty before smirking (despite it not being visible due to his mask) as she would press the start button. He would quickly rid his side of the virtual zombies before doing so with the next set that appeared. "I suppose so, though this is a game of course. Death on this is just a measly game over, not in that place." Responding to Ann's statement in a rather negative way of thinking while making sure not to directly mention the Metaverse by it's name. Though it was clear that the comparison between a game and that world wouldn't be made by him, at least for now.

Realizing what he said could have been a slight downer, Imato attempted to clear the air a bit afterwards. "I use to play this a lot with my younger sister, she got close to beating me a few times even. Though she never got to claim she was better than I." He would share, fine with admitting he had a younger sibling since it wasn't completely uncommon to have one. As the game progressed, Imato continued to clear his side of the screen with relative ease even as the difficulty continued to scale upwards alongside their progression. "You do anything fun like this with family or friends?" He asked, wanting to continue the conversation and learn a bit more about Ann.

That Weird girl

“Actually I used to play this game with my friend Ryuji,” Ann said to him while gunning down some more zombies, “I don’t get ouch much besides to model and the current event that is happening…” Ann hinted at her social isolation, “this new thing is forcing me to become more social so that’s good.” She referred to the phantom thieves so others wouldn’t know, “How are we going to get Mona in the celebration dinner?”

Morgana scoffed, “Geez Panther! Haven’t you paid any attention to me? I’m the most sneaky thief! And the coolest…”

Ann chuckled at her animal friend and kept firing at zombies until one hit her, “awwww last life. It’s up to you now.” She watched Tragedy and hoped he would finish it soon.

Anthem

 

[Anthem]

“Actually I used to play this game with my friend Ryuji,” Ann said to him while gunning down some more zombies, “I don’t get ouch much besides to model and the current event that is happening…” Ann hinted at her social isolation, “this new thing is forcing me to become more social so that’s good.” She referred to the phantom thieves so others wouldn’t know, “How are we going to get Mona in the celebration dinner?”

Morgana scoffed, “Geez Panther! Haven’t you paid any attention to me? I’m the most sneaky thief! And the coolest…”

Ann chuckled at her animal friend and kept firing at zombies until one hit her, “awwww last life. It’s up to you now.” She watched Tragedy and hoped he would finish it soon.

"That Sakamoto boy? I think I've talked to him once or twice, never really got along with him though..." Imato claimed as he was doing smoothly so far into the game. He listened to Ann speak an was genuinely surprised that she wasn't too social, while she did have a bad reputation before it seemed, he thought that the girl at least had a small friend group that wasn't the thieves or anything. Before he could say anything on the matter, Ann had perished in game which lead to Imato checking the time on his phone. "Maybe it's best if we actually stop here. Plus, my arm is getting tired from the way I'm holding this thing." He complained before putting the light-gun down and allowing the rest of his lives to be taken as well, resulting in a game over.

"Can't spend too long here anyway, I'm pretty sure that dinner is not too long from now." Imato stated, not being able to remember the exact time they were supposed to meet other than it was growing closer. "This has been fun I must admit. You're not that bad of a person Ann, I'll be happy to hang out with ya again sometime." While of course it wasn't visible, he had a small smile on his face. "Well, I'm going to do a few things before making my way to the dinner, see you there." Imato gave a small wave goodbye before leaving the arcade.

That Weird girl