Group 1 - Pacific Mall: Basement Floor 1/Subway Station - After School - Low-strength Winds

Music note.

"So I guess we're headed for ice cream first, right?"
> Hinake's smile is irresistibly bright. Is it genuine?
"Thanks a bunch for the treat, Masato-kun~!"
> She skips off at the helm of the group and confidently leads them to the ice cream shoppe.
> She didn't need to check for the directions.
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Group 1 - Pacific Mall: Ground Floor/Julia's Gelato - After School - Cloudy

> Hinake reaches the ice cream bar first and eyes them all closely.
> Her face communicates a sense of a solemn seriousness.
> Everyone is able to select from a great variety of ice creams and sorbets.
> There also some very decorative, elaborate ice cream sundaes.
"One 'Jack Frost Special Sundae please!'"
> Not long after, there was a large sundae in Jack Frost's likeness.
> The old man behind the counter looks proud of his work.
> Indicating that Masato was the one paying, Hinake speeds off to a table and begins her feast.
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Feel free to make up your own Persona/Atlus themed sundaes. Be as tongue-in-cheek as you want. xD

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Group 1 - Pacific Mall

Ryuji stepped closer to the bar and began examining the various kinds of ice cream offered. Instinctively, he began to try and imagine which flavors the girls would possibly get, based upon their personalities. If he could hypothesize such a thing accurately, he could communicate this to Masato, and then force the Useless Lead to choose one of the identical flavors. This would then cause a relationship plus to possibly occur, when the male and female realize they share the same taste. Ryuji adjusted his glasses and looked towards Masato and the girls, observing them closely again. Unfortunately, he began to realize, he didn't have a strong enough grasp upon their characters yet. Surely he was correct on their archetypes, but there was likely so much more. He made a brief, "Hmph," before returning his attention to the ice cream. After another moment of wandering eyes, he seemed to find his choice. "And I... shall have the Pyro Jack Fire Time Special," he remarked, saying it as if he was making an incredible decision. And, in some ways, it was. It wasn't every day someone ordered the least popular thing on the menu. Ultra spicy ice cream just can't find a good audience around here.

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"A pistol is a tool to save people. It's not a weapon for murder." "Then save me by killing them!" "That's kinda contradictory..."
My Characters' Endings

Group 1 - Pacific Mall: Basement Floor 1/Subway Station

Shiori huffed through her nose. Ice cream. Ice cream, huh? She had to pick one. What flavor was the most adult, anyway? She couldn't stand the idea of having the others look down on her for picking a childish flavor. She could just go with plain vanilla. Her eyes scanned the selection of ice cream and sorbet filled tubs.

Her sharp gaze settled on an empty tub.

Shiori frowned. Well, what other flavors were there? Something bright caught her eye; the special, limited edition Orange Moya Moya Cone. She didn't notice herself gazing longingly at the round, somewhat fluffy looking pre-assembled cone with orange ice cream covered in cotton candy and a candy face. Ah, that looked delicious...it was far from an adult flavor, but...it was so orange. And fluffy. She wanted it. She definitely wanted it.

Ryuji's bizarre choice in flavor snapped her out of her lustful gaze. Why did he pick such a strange flavor? Was he trying to get Natsumi's attention? She glanced at Natsumi quickly, then shot a sharp glare at Ryuji. No way would she let him even be a thought in her precious friend's mind. "I...I'll also have a Pyro Jack Fire Time Special!" She glanced at Masato with her dark eyes for a split second; the realization that she was about to let a guy buy her ice cream crossed her mind, and she huffed vehemently through her nose. No way was she going to be treated like some kid! "And I'm paying for myself!"

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Group 1 Julia's Gelato

At Hinake's thanks, Masato felt a sense of unease. The crafty little devil was a schemer, yet her display of cuteness was too genuine. Choking back that knee jerk smile that came from the heart was almost impossible.
"Just go ahead and enjoy your ice cream."
Too bad he was softer than a melted sundae.

Eyeing the choices, Masato considered ignoring his own growing sweet tooth. It wasn't very manly to enjoy an ice cream, but it was a warm day. With the others all merrily enjoying themselves at his expense, it would be a shame not to treat himself. But most of the flavors had hideously cheesy names, and some of those names sounded particularly unappetizing. Taking the Pyro Jack Fire Time as an example, Masato unwillingly imagined the vile taste of a spicy ice cream. But he was curious after Ryuji ordered one without hesitation. A name was just a name after all.

Still, when Shiori opted for the same thing, after eyeing the Moya cone as surreptitiously as she could, Masato decided a sample taste was in order. Asking for the small scoop from the server, he nonchalantly tasted the menacing frozen treat. A moment passed as Masato stood thoughtfully, spoon in mouth, arms folded across his chest.

Immediately he regretted his decision.

"As I thought, it's pretty... amazing." Masato muttered, tasting spoon still in his mouth. He tossed it away into the trash bin. "I never thought it was possible for something to be this spicy and this sweet at the same time. It's like eating pure molasses with tabasco sauce. Then again, that's probably what it is..." He was still muscling his way past the shock that he could only think about what he was going to order. Stuck between MagnaRoad and Vanilladyne. He decided on the latter. It was bland enough to be ice-cream therapy for his tongue.

"... One Vanilladyne scoop please. And, if you insist on paying yourself, Shiori, I'm not gonna stop you..." Masato said with a pitying shrug.

He felt like spending any more of his money on the rotten Pyro Jack Fire Time Special was... wrong. One was bad enough, but Ryuji was twisted enough to enjoy it. At least Hinake was selfish enough to simply go for what she wanted regardless of what others thought, and it seemed unlikely mild-mannered Natsumi would have a taste for something too outlandish.

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FUKKATSU

Group 1 Julia's Gelato

Natsumi couldn't help but frown as Shiori picked the Pyro Jack Fire Time Special. It was something that her brothers got only on dares and they made horrible faces the entire time they ate them... But then again, Shiori's aunt always made things that tasted rather strange so maybe she really did like that sort of thing.

She tapped her chin as she went over her options before landing on the Orange Moya Moya cone. It was cute looking and it didn't sound as toxic as the Fire Time Special. But at the same time... the Pumpkin Jack sundae also was cute and came with a collectible hat that you could wear after you cleaned it. Her eyes darted between each choice for a moment that ended up giving the others their chance to order first before she made her decision.

"I'll take the limited edition Moya Moya Cone, please." She declared cheerfully. She could always stop by later in the week with her brothers to get that cute little hat...

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Group 1 - Julia's Gelato - After School - Cloudy

> Jack Frost's waffle cone hat--painted an unnatural, blue hue--is delicious.
> Hinake's merciless spoon digs into his dark, double chocolate cookie eyes.
> His smile is unperturbed.

> Taking a brief break from paradise, Hinake peers over to the others.
> Shiori and Ryuji's selections are met with a dour look. Masato gets a bored face.
> She faces Natsumi. If human flesh could light up, it's doing so now.
"Ooh! Big sis, mind if I try some?"
> Her legs, not reaching the ground, kick back and forth with excitement.
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Feel free to post as much as you want, or even ping pong right now. Some people are just more talkative... so it's not really necessary to have all of us have an equal amount of posts... (especially with the currently small group). Just, uh, use your own discretion, I guess. And we can always reorder posts or what not if we really wanna. Anyways, I'll cut in and do a fade away once the scene seems over with.

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Group 1 - Pacific Mall: Julia's Gelato

Shiori paid for her sundae dutifully as she had declared she would, holding back from taking a lick before she had received her receipt. After all, it was rude to eat something before one paid for it. A proper adult had to show restraint, after all. The small girl's sharp eyes pierced Hinake, her guard-dog instinct raising its alarm for a brief second as she put up her cute act to steal a lick of Natsumi's treat. Ah, right, restraint. Shiori huffed through her nose with a scowl, but not a word passed her lips.

She gazed at her rather unappetizing looking ice cream cone. The way it was haphazardly put together, it seemed like even the barista on the other side of the counter was unnerved by the exotic flavor. The top scoop seemed about ready to fall off. A tendril of melting cream trickled down to Shiori's finger as she contemplated how terrible the taste could possibly be. It wasn't until the cool tingle touched her flesh that she realized it was beginning to melt. She motioned quickly to save the dribble of ice cream, turning her arm to lick the cream off her index finger.

Plop.

Shiori froze, ice cream on her nose. Her sharp eyes seemed to glare at the scoop that now decorated the floor, oozing into a puddle of unappetizing soup.

Ah, thought Shiori. It fell.

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Group 1 - Pacific Mall: Julia's Gelato

When Shiori opted to get the same flavor as Ryuji, the boy expressed what was probably his first look of surprise in this group. He suspected the girl didn't really have the same tastes as him, for no girl could possibly be quite so masochistic. Shiori's type, at least. Tsunderes were the sort to inflict pain on others after all. There was probably a good reason for her choice, but Ryuji couldn't possibly imagine what. Girls were far more moé when they were eating something they liked, and not trying to scrape a horrible toxin from their tongues. Ryuji casually licked his ice cream, apparently immune to the ice cream's nigh-fatal catastrophic mix. Twas' exquisite.

He looked up and then noted everyone else's choices. To his relief, the rest of the group managed more sensible flavors. Hinake seemed to get bored of hers quickly though, since she already wanted a taste of Natsumi's. Ryuji adjusted his glassed, and edged closer to the pair discreetly, trying to be careful in not alerting the guardian rhino. This was a recipe for a snapshot of paradise, and he had to be sure he was in a proper vantage point. Heaven seemed to want to award him further for his appreciation for its gifts, though, since yet another set-up occurred almost simultaneously. Ryuji quickly switched targets and watched Shiori lick some of her melting ice cream off herself. The look she had on her face wasn't too bad either. This. Was. Moé.

The boy practically blushed with excitement, even if the rest of his body was unnervingly composed. This was a perfect time for Masato to play his part and be the gentleman, but Ryuji suddenly found himself stepping forward instead. He had somehow procured a napkin from lord knows where, and offered it to the messy girl. "Ah... you should wipe that off before it dries and gets sticky," he told her. There was a momentary pause in his speech, as if he was fighting with himself on what he wanted to say next. "If you'd like, I could feed you mine to replace that." Apparently, whatever part of him won had a poor choice of words.

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"A pistol is a tool to save people. It's not a weapon for murder." "Then save me by killing them!" "That's kinda contradictory..."
My Characters' Endings

Group 1 - Julia's Gelato - After School - Cloudy

Masato noticed Hinake's reaction to his bland flavor of ice cream and could only nod solemnly. It was the price he paid for tempting fate with the Pyro Jack. The plain vanilla wasn't anything special, but it was a relatively inoffensive, mature flavor that fit well for the tail end of summer. And his tongue was stinging. He wanted nothing more than to get rid of that awful flavor. Judging by Shiori's face, she didn't seem too eager to test hers out either.

Masato had just barely opened his mouth to dig in, handing over his cash with the other hand as he heard the faint plop of Shiori's affront-to-ice cream hitting the pavement. He turned his eyes, then his head to see what had happened, and was confronted with the sight of Shiori glaring at her lost sweets. He tried not to think of the vision he had earlier when he noticed some ice cream dripping off her fingers.
To Masato, at least, it seemed that there was a little bit of disappointment in her eyes, and as he was thinking for a moment that perhaps the girl wasn't all sharp edges, he heard Ryuji's voice.

"No!" Masato jumped in, looking distraught. It seemed as if he was hesitant to let someone other than himself give Shiori his ice cream, considering how knee-jerk his reaction looked. Of course, it was only because he wanted to preserve that ignorance of Pyro Jack's flavor: the one reason she could still feel regret about eating it, which would disappear the moment her tongue touched the ice cream.
"I mean," Masato continued more naturally, with a barely maintained smile, "It's my treat, and that means I'm getting all of you ice cream. I've been gaining weight lately, and I don't need this. So, Shiori, you can have mine." The slight undertone of force in his last statement silently added "Do it, or you'll be sorry" on the end. He wasn't even trying to undercut the creepy guy's awkward attempt at being a gentleman; he just didn't want someone else to eat that flavor no matter who it was.
Besides, he believed through an unfounded gut instinct that Shiori wanted something sweet, but not too sweet. What could be more unremarkable and easy to enjoy than vanilla? If he was wrong, he'd get over it. He'd just grin and bear the foulness lingering on his own tastebuds for the following hour.

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FUKKATSU

Group 1 - Pacific Mall: Julia's Gelato

She continued to glare menacingly at the ice cream that had dared to fall to her feet. The melted drippings that she had cleaned off her fingers had a lingering taste on her tongue, but she found it...not so horrible. Yes, it was spicy, but it wasn't terrible. Then again, her tastebuds were numb to terrible flavors, as her dear auntie had concocted worse delicacies in the past, but still, it wasn't downright disgusting.

Her pondering of the flavor was cut short when Ryuji of all people stepped forward to offer his aid, with Masato shouting vehemently to offer his own brand of help immediately after. Shiori's cheeks reddened from embarrassment, and her frown intensified along with the crease between her brows. Suddenly, even the idea of tasting the fluffy and delicious Moya Moya Cone became disgusting. Who did these two think she was, huh? Not to mention the undertone of menace that Masato seemed to add to his statement; was he trying to pick a fight? Ryuji was obviously harboring an ulterior motive, one that Shiori had no intention of fulfilling.

"Gross," muttered Shiori, her sharp eyes shooting a piercing glare at the two boys as she scrunched her nose slightly in distaste. She plucked some paper towels from some tables and wiped the glob of melting ice cream off the floor vigorously, then stood, turned, and bowed apologetically to the barista at the counter. "Sorry, I made a mess."

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Group 1 - Pacific Mall: Julia's Gelato

But of course, that was the reaction he should've expected. Ryuji couldn't help but be disappointed that his offer was not taken, though. It would've certainly made for a pleasurable experience. He sighed and turned his head a bit to look at Masato, finally reacting to his intereference, and then gave him a clearly disapproving look. "Indeed," he started, in agreement with Shiori. "Why would you possibly offer her something as 'gross' as that?" He indicated his classmate's ice cream. As was appropriate to his nonsensical personality, he was making the Vanilladyne off to be the flavor that was a crime against humanity. "However..." he began again, as he dramatically adjusted his glasses. "You did well in trying to help her, even if you were a bit too eager. You're getting there, Useless Lead." Ryuji then gave Masato a very serious thumbs up.

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"A pistol is a tool to save people. It's not a weapon for murder." "Then save me by killing them!" "That's kinda contradictory..."
My Characters' Endings

Group 1 - Pacific Mall: Julia's Gelato

Masato was surprised to see his offer refused. But he recalled the incident in the classroom. He saw Shiori offered a cookie by her erstwhile friend. Masato wouldn't have thought anything of it, but she looked like she didn't want it, though the act wasn't that convincing. Perhaps she wasn't just trying not to seem like she enjoyed childish/girlish things, but trying to keep her tastes secret entirely. Or she just ate anything without regard to taste like Endo, but pretended to have standards.

In any case, he was entirely too amused now to back down. If she acted like she hated the things she liked, Masato would just have to assume she hated the things she acted like she liked.

"Oh? Well, if you don't want it, I'm not hungry anyway. Too bad I guess." He feigned disappointment, waving the ice cream cone about carelessly. At any minute, the globe of delicious confectionery would go the way of Shiori's own ice cream.

"Mmnn..." Masato grumbled thoughtfully, looking seriously concerned over the fate of his plain vanilla. "Well, whatever~. I'm in a good mood now, so I'll just throw it away..."

He jaunted his hand over a nearby trash bin and began to turn it upside down, slowly...

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FUKKATSU

Group 1 - Pacific Mall: Julia's Gelato

Throw it out? What?! Shiori's face paled in horror, the idea of a delectable delicacy doomed to a disastrous death wrenching her little heart. What would she do? Was Masato testing her? Seriously, what kind of wealthy douchebag would throw away a perfectly good ice cream cone that he just bought? This guy...he was definitely messing with her! She couldn't just let him throw away perfectly edible food, though. No, but if she let him manipulate her now, there was no telling what he'd end up pulling later. Plus, that other guy was here. If she showed any sort of weakness, that stupid glasses guy would certainly use it to his advantage. A slideshow of expressions flickered on Shiori's face, including horror, anger, and her ever-present glare. She eventually crossed her arms and huffed.

"D-Do what you want, it's your money! S-stupid," she proclaimed. Still, the obstinate girl peeked back to Masato's hand lingering over the trash can. What a waste...creamy, delicious, sweet vanilla, being tossed away like an insect. She glanced at Natsumi to see her reaction, then eyed the confectionery in Masato's grasp. Her cheeks began to redden once more in a vibrant crimson, biting her lower lip. "W-W-Wait!...F-Fine, I'll take it!" She stormed over and snatched the cone from Masato. "You shouldn't waste food! Didn't your parents teach you anything?"

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Group 1 - Pacific Mall: Julia's Gelato


Once she had recieved the fluffy sweet treat, natsumi's face lit up with glee. It didn't come with a cute little collectable hat but it was just so adorable with it's little candy face and cotton candy coating over the orange ice cream. She delicately took a bite and was delighted by the combination of cotton candy and orange gelato combining together to create something wonderful.

She took a seat near Hinake and licked more at the fluffy frozen treat. She tried not to imagine what horrors might be inflicted on her best friend's tastebuds by the pyro jack sundae, though quick glances assured her that Shiori didn't seem bothered, so she turned her attention to the adorable little girl nearby.

"Of course, can I try a taste of yours too~?" She smiled cheerfully and scooted over and held out her ice cream for Hinake to taste. How could she say no? She was just too adorable.

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Group 1 - Julia's Gelato - After School - Cloudy

> Hearing the question, Hinake's face turns instantly to an expression of confliction.
> For a good several seconds, Natsumi hears a lot of humming and hawwing.
> It is a difficult decision.
> Hinake's eyes do not look away from the orange fluffiness.
"O-okay. But just a little bit!"
> Reluctantly, the girl nudges over the mountain of calories.
> Jack Frost, deprived of a face, barely hangs onto one of his arms.

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Group 1 - Pacific Mall: Julia's Gelato


Hinake's lapse before answering was almost long enough for her to consider taking back her question, but only moments before she could say anything the adorable little girl agreed. Breaking out into a smile Natsumi couldn't help giggling. Her brothers had been the same way when they were younger...

"Don't worry, I won't have more than a bite, Hinake-chan."

And indeed, she only took a spoonful of the poor mauled Jack Frost sundae to try before returning the treat to the younger girl. "Ooh! It's really yummy. I'll have to get one for myself next time I come here." Without any further delay she offered the dangerously sweet fluffy treat that was limited edition Moya Moya cone to Hinake.

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Group 1 - Pacific Mall: Julia's Gelato

Masato grinned as Shiori reacted to his bluff. Soon she was snatching the cone from his hand, glaring as she did the whole time. He didn't care about the cone. This was far more entertaining to him, and worth every yen. When Ryuji had commented on how "gross" the vanilla was, it had struck him as odd, but he took a petty sort of pride in being not so "Useless," though he still was confused by the "Lead" appellation. It sounded nice, however.

"Yeah, I guess I am stupid." Masato scratched his head, chuckling. "Ordering an ice cream and realizing I wasn't hungry. They say desert goes to a different stomach, but..."

He trailed off as he found himself distracted by the sight of Hinake offering the ice cream to Natsumi. The little girl was clearly *very* possessive of her sweets and, Masato imagined, probably all other belongings. Still, the way Natsumi treated the girl without any apparent notice of her slightly dark undertone threatened to give him diabetes without even tasting the ice cream.

"So, I take it Yamaki-sama is appeased?" He smiled at Natsumi and Hinake. "If this worthless servant has made himself useful, then he is content..." he muttered under his breath, still grinning.

It was about time that they began searching for the theater. Masato tried to recall the map Emi had drawn for them in the classroom. There were some fuzzy parts, but overall, it seemed like he would have no problem figuring out where to go.

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FUKKATSU

Group 1 - Julia's Gelato - After School - Cloudy

> Hinake nods to Natsumi's proper conduct. "Excellent", her face seems to say.
> She turns her attention to the deliciousness-on-a-cone. Natsumi's genuine attitude makes it tough for even Hinake to exploit it.
> The young princess gently licks it. It's ridiculously sweet, but also has a citrus bite to it.
> Unfortunately, Masato has to make a rude comment, cutting short Hinake's relaxed repose.
> Spurred on by anger, the girl takes a larger bite out of the cone, staring at Masato.
> Anyone could see her following recoil coming.

"Augh...."

> She half-holds her head, and half-holds her mouth.

"... I'm done."

> Gaining some composure, Hinake hands the cone back to Natsumi, and stands as tall as her biology let her.

"You have some pretty rotten hobbies though, Inoue-kun."

> Masato's game with Shiori didn't escape Hinake's notice.

"I'm ready to go when you all are. I've lost my appetite."
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Either confirm in-game or in the OOC that you're okay to go, and I'll warp us all to the cinema.

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Group 1 - Julia's Gelato - After School - Cloudy

"What's the matter? Bit off more than you can chew? Poor Hinake-sama..."
Masato grinned fiendishly at the kid. He was being immature in taking delight in watching her squirm, but it hardly mattered now that he'd already said what he had.

"I'm fine with going now. Maybe we should head to the theater." Masato nodded. But Hinake was making some strange comments. "Hobby? I swear, I dunno what you're talking about. Really!" Masato pulled at his shirt collar a little, but cooled down quickly. Apparently his teasing of Shiori made the little noblewoman lose her appetite. Somehow, it felt appropriate to ruin the kid's fun, but he also hated the idea of wasting money.

Well, he did admit it was fun being around them. Even if Shiori made him feel a bit tired with her angry gaze, Ryuji creeped him out, Natsumi made him feel a bit awkward, and Hinake was a crafty little manipulator, they were essentially worthwhile company. Masato was friendly to many, but if he had to ask himself who he would keep around him by choice, he would have picked no-one.
Still, he felt a bit more at ease after buying ice cream. Did it have something to do with the dream? He didn't have anything to base his feelings on; he just knew he had to see the theater. He was interested in seeing how the others reacted. As for Hinake, perhaps she could stand outside....

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FUKKATSU

Group 1 - Julia's Gelato - After School - Cloudy

And so, our merry band of teenagers (and one pre-teen!) proceeded towards their destination, having indulged in their cold treats. With just Masato's confirmation of willingness to leave, Hinake--now having already gotten her treat and wanting nothing more than to go home--rushed the group towards the destination. Ryuji, having kept his focus mostly on enjoying his fiery treat was essentially the only person to have finished his food. Hinake, of course, just left the remnants of Jack Frost to rot. And while Natsumi had not finished her Moya Moya cone yet, and Shiori did not even get the chance to start on the Vanilladyne cone she had reluctantly accepted, they were able to eat them on the way to the cinema. And it would prove that the trip did allow for them to finish, as Hinake--who never saw the map Eri drew--led them randomly down the wrong way. Eventually someone noticed, and with the amount of chiding they may be wont to apply, they helped Hinake find the right way.

By the time the group arrived at the cinema, they had practically seen all the stores, making the mysterious cinema the last one that remained unseen. Not to say seeing all the stores was difficult in Pacific Mall, as much of the place had empty stalls, or stalls that were midway into having a store put in, but stopped half way. But that's not a crisis that particularly concerned the group of young people.

Before them stood what could only be described as an entirely white, opaque wall, with an odd sort of brown booth or placed in front of it, beside a set of double doors that could only be presumed an entrance. "CINEMA" could be made out on the wall, though it seemed more like the remnants of a sign that had been removed or erased. Regardless, the establishment certainly seemed to be running, as an attendant inhabited the booth outside.

> At long last, you arrive before the mysterious cinema.
> The heavy double doors are closed before you.
> In the booth sits a female attendant. A name tag reads, "Ono Satsuki".
> She does not seem to have noticed the group yet.
> Hinake stands at the rear of the group, not particularly interested and waiting for the rest of the group to finish.

Probable actions:

• Ask the woman at the desk.
• Try to enter through the double doors.

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Group 1 - Mysterious Cinema

Upon reaching the cinema, Ryuji couldn't help but look disappointed at what they were seeing. It looked like any other old, dilapidated movie theater, and it was even still running at that. He was hoping it be some sort of abandoned establishment that would reek of the word 'haunted'. What better setting could there be for moments of frightened girl moe? What he had here was just so much less to work with. Ah well. He would just have to make do with what was provided to him. Suddenly, Ryuji did exact the opposite of his usual surprise appearance act, and disappeared from the group like some kind of escapist ninja (although, Hinake had a complete view of his actions due to her positioning, so he probably just looked silly to her). If his fellow classmates attempted to look around for him, they would see that he had suddenly reappeared in front of the cinema's booth, looking at the female attendant with inquisitive eyes. "Hello, miss. I would like to inquire about what is currently showing in this... mysterious establishment. Do you have recent releases? Older films? Documentaries? Or even..." Ryuji adjusted his glasses, causing one of the corners to glint from a non-existent light source, "An unspeakable film that will suck away the soul of all those who watch it?!"

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"A pistol is a tool to save people. It's not a weapon for murder." "Then save me by killing them!" "That's kinda contradictory..."
My Characters' Endings

Group 1 - In Front of the Mysterious Cinema - After School - Cloudy

> Drawing closer, Ryuji sees that the clerk at the desk is a woman that is not much older than he.

The girl, "Satsuki" from her name tag, looked to have a fairly athletic build and looks to be college age, perhaps just a year or two short of graduation. She had black hair, where the bangs on her left side hung down just short of her eyes, while on her right they are pulled back by a combination of various bobby pins and clips, and the hairband that tied most of her hair into an untidy ponytail. On her right ear is a sort of metallic cylinder that clasped length-wise onto the outer, upper-back edge of her ear, while her left ear had a piercing on the earlobe from which a simple, but lustrous, fine chain hung from. Her features seemed to favour looking slightly grumpy, but there was also a certain confidence there. It goes without saying that she is attractive. Notably, her eyes seemed to be a strange shade of off-green--pastel but also desaturated. Despite the strange eye colour, however, Ryuji may notice that her figure was more or less average for a Japanese woman. Somewhat compact, and moderate amounts of curvature.

On her head, she wore a red visor, the sort you see a lot of teenage workers wear. Aside from that, however, there wasn't much of a 'uniform' on her that could be spoken of. Instead, she had a sort of hybrid between a pullover hooded sweater and a one-piece dress. The hood was present, the iconic pair of pockets were present, and the material appeared to be the same sort as with hoodies, but it was more tightly fitted and went about as far as half-way down her thigh. Sticking out from the hoodie-hybrid were a pair of legs in black pantyhose, and a pair of white sneakers that didn't really go with the rest of her outfit.

> The lady sits with her legs crossed, staring into something underneath the table.

"Hello there!"
"Cranberry trap!"
"Behave!"

> She snickers along with the fake laughter quietly ringing out from her cellphone, where she is watching TV.
> Noticing Ryuji's approach, she looks up at him with a dour look.

<Ryuji Talks>

> There is a long pause.
"..."
> More pause.
"The hell is with that last question?"
> She scratches her head.
"Anyhow, there's nothing here that a kid like you'll need to see. Shoo shoo."
> She makes a synonymous shooing motion.
> The clerk seems to want to get back to her manzai comedy.

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Group 1 - In Front of the Mysterious Cinema - After School

Shiori had gobbled up her ice cream relatively quickly, despite starting later than everyone else. Immediately afterwords, Ryuji would find that the obstinate girl was only glaring daggers at him half the time. After experiencing Masato's real personality, she seemed eager to gift him with her angriest piercing stares. She stuck close to Natsumi, only allowing Hinake near her friend. After all, however much of a spoiled brat the girl was, she was still a girl. A girl who had no real sense of direction, much to Shiori's irritation, but still a little girl. Dealing with girls with bad personalities was a specialty of Natsumi's; if it wasn't, Shiori wouldn't be such a close friend.

The clerk seemed to be a snooty teenager who seemed like the type to take on an easy job like this one to get a bit of pocket money to waste on nail polish and clothes. Just looking at her annoyed Shiori. Then again, Ryuji was babbling nonsense again, so comparing who she was annoyed at more, it would have to be, in order from most annoying to least, Ryuji, Masato, this Satsuki girl, and Hinake.

Shiori shoved her way up front and subsequently elbowed Ryuji firmly just below his ribcage. "Forget this idiot." She glared at Masato accusingly, as if her state of perpetual irritation was all his fault. "You. Explain why we're here so we can get on with this."

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Group 1 - In Front of the Mysterious Cinema - After School

Although Masato calmly followed along as well as he'd indulged Hinake's tastes at the ice-cream parlor, strolling along at her pace led them off course. Mildly embarrassed, he did his best to prod her and the others into following the actual map. When the others were looking away, he could only wipe his brow and sigh. The hot sun and Shiori's blazing stares lent themselves to his body's temperature, leaving him all the more uncomfortable and willing to move along.

Eventually, they reached a shady area (in perhaps both definitions of the word) of the mall not commonly traveled. There stood a decrepit sign and a desk with an attendant present. Looking at the sign, and at her, Masato initially couldn't stave off his disbelief. His relief at being in the shade was good enough for him, and fortunately, he wasn't too quick to judge by appearances, but the state of the sign and the apparently teenaged girl close to their age sitting there made the sight oddly pitiful.

The girl whose name tag read Satsuki was an interesting specimen, to say the least. She looked incredibly out of place, with her trendy clothes and lazy manner. The piercings she wore, Masato observed, were the kind he expected to see on a fashion-oriented girl, so she had to have some money, though it was easier to get knockoffs those days than some might have thought. She was slow to pay attention to them, barely recognizing their presence as she laughed at her small hand held. The sounds under the table lured his naive gaze to someplace he shouldn't have been looking. Her sitting posture drew his eyes naturally to her folded legs. Was she even wearing a skirt? Was her hoodie both a hoodie and a skirt? Masato wiped his brow again. He didn't outright ogle her, but he visibly tensed up once he saw her. The other girls wouldn't have likely noticed.

As he was about to walk up to her and speak to the girl, Ryuji appeared. Or more accurately, ambushed Masato with his voice, since he actually heard Ryuji nearby before he actually noticed the guy had suddenly pulled ahead of them out of the blue. "Ack?! What are you, some kind of ninja!?" Masato recoiled at the sight of the unnerving fellow stealthing his way up to the girl and talking to her. He stood off to the left of the others, subtly moving away from Ryuji.

The glasses-wearing ninja's ridiculous comments snatched his attention away from Satsuki.
"No, this useless hero thinks that it couldn't be something so exotic, though getting light out of a shady alley like this is a cool talent..." He waved his hand dismissively, slouching and sighing as he looked questioningly at the strange new ally. More importantly, Ryuji was standing in the way, and he couldn't see under Satsuki's desk anymore. He hoped the girl hadn't noticed his inappropriate glance, even if he'd originally just wanted to see what she was watching. Masato loved manzai, after all.

His mind was starting to wander again just as Shiori yanked him out of whatever pleasant thoughts he might have been having at the time with a quick, rude "You." Visibly startled, he jolted to attention, although he fumed a little inside at being addressed so rudely by a mere acquaintance.

"Ah! Oh, yeah, well... Ahah, we heard from a friend that there was a theater around here. I mean, obviously there's a theater; everyone knows about *that* one. I-I mean, not like I'm saying the big one is better than the one here, but errh... there was a rumor from school that there was also another cinema and..." This was bad. He was waving his hands like a fool, and seemed easily rattled. Not a very flattering first impression. "Sorry. What I'm saying is..."

The powerful nostalgia hit him mid-sentence. The sensation, as if he was barely conscious, caressed his mind and evoked the dream theater that he remembered so vividly. With that memory came an intense clarity. His voice became calm and composed, more like he had been earlier that morning.

"This is the theater I've heard about before. It's not the kind of place you hear about normally. But I needed to be here. Can't we all go inside?"

Masato smirked. "Well, we can at least come inside to get cooled off, can't we?"

He looked at the others. Did they too feel the same way? Or was he merely going mad? Either way, it made no difference. He wanted to go inside the strange doors. He only hoped he could enter without the ticket.

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FUKKATSU

Group 1 - In Front of the Mysterious Cinema - After School - Cloudy

> Satsuki scowls.
"Didn't I just say kids have no business with this place?"
> Complimenting her scowl, she stands up from her seat with an air of authority.
> She doesn't rise to an impressive height, but there is a heavy sense of forcefulness behind it.
"If the only thing you want is to get cooled down, then get lost."
> She takes a brief, sidelong glance at the doorway she guards while setting a hand against her hip.
> Her pair of unrealistically green eyes flit onto Masato and crushes him under the weight of their scrutiny.

> Though her intimidating presence is impressive, thoughts of the dream are stronger still.
> Save a cowardly or placating personality, it's unlikely any of the group will give it up at this point.
> Perhaps your approach is incorrect, or the group is missing something collectively.

> Standing off towards the rear of the group, Hinake listens with only one ear.
> She has no idea why the rest of them came to this dump, and has yet to hear anything about their reason for coming.
> Her patience is rather surprising. It seems the ice cream did its job.

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