Persona 4 RP Phase 2

"Everyone." She laughed. "Looks like it didn't pan out too well."

"Please select your mode of operations." kentaro's menu prompts him again.

"Oh yeah my game. Well if it's everyone you're hiding from you shouldn't have approached me. Go find another spot. I'm a bit busy you see."

"...I guess I can't argue with that." She kicked the ground. "Still, this place is fairly dangerous, why not stick together for a bit? Wouldn't want a shadow to eat you while you're playing your game, Toshi."

"No need. This area seems to follow a set of strict if somewhat arbitrary set of rules. I also seem to have successfully adjusted theses rules in my favor, but even if I haven't, the original system should keep the shadows here under a certain level of control. At the very least, I have the means to escape if things get out of hand. I've guaranteed my own safety, but I cannot say the same for you."

"Hmm...I don't suppose you'd help a lady in need out then, right?" She asked, leaning against a wall.

"Normally yeah. But the fact that you're standing here is proof enough you have the abilities to move about through this place. I'm not sure you're an enemy, but I have no reason to believe otherwise, especially not in a dangerous place like this." This entire time Kentaro has still not relaxed his guard, but he is getting tired.

She's either gotta leave or prove her intent and soon. I can't be sure if she's with Toshiyuki or with Al's boss.

"Yeah...I know..." She slumped down on the wall. "That's the kind of thing I've been trying to get away from actually...Ever since I got involved with this place, I keep on having to watch my back, just in case someone attacks me or tries to kill me....I just want to be a normal girl again..." She sighed and wiped her eyes. "Sorry...I guess it's just easy to confide in someone who you know won't care one way or another."

Trying to feel me out, huh? Alright. Tamaki made a dash for Masuyo and swung his sword at Masuyo's left shoulder, but just as Masuyo moved to defend he quickly spun to the side and attacked Masuyo's now open right side. "What's wrong. I thought you were sent here to become faster."

"Hyah!" Tamaki turned to see Karin lunging at him ready to thrust with her shinai. Tamaki sidestepped and used his own shinai to guide Karin's strike into Masuyo's injured side.

"I hope you two understand this," Mai lectured , "you have to be constantly aware of everything in battle. The environment, your enemies, your friends and yourself. Lose sight of one of these and it could cost you."

"Okay..........." Tsubasa said wiping tears from her eyes.


"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Masuyo shouted as Tamaki maneuvered around him and made Karin hit him. "Gah! Son of a bitch........" he said holding his shoulder

"Masu! Ghh!" Karin winced as she was struck in the back. "Never take your eyes off the enemy, Karin." scolded Tamaki, "If you're concerned for your friends then you should make sure to protect them."

"Yes, Sir!" answered Karin as she took her stance and stared down Tamaki.

"Good. Don't break eye contact," he said as the two shifted their feet, "if you can win the stare, you can win the fight."

"Understood." said Shinta with a nod.

"Good," Mai smiled, "so let's start with a simple exercise. Unfortunately I didn't have time to make an obstacle course, so let's start with a little memory game." Mai pulled out a deck of cards from her sleeves. "You two can play each other, I'll referee. Whoever wins gets a special reward, whoever loses gets a special punishment."

Probably another gunshot. Shinta winced at the thought. Still...I doubt it's this simple. Shinta shrugged, "Alright. I'm game."

"Im not good at card games....." Tsubasa said. "I'll try my best anyways......"


"Thats great and all about the stare but you arent just fighting Karin!" Masuyo shouted as he circled around Tamaki as he store Karin down trying to kick him

"...Chisaki? Are we done?" Maeko asked, still taking her defensive pose, waiting for Chisaki to make a move.

"Then you understand why I can't trust you..... since I can't turn my back on you to play my game, and it doesn't seem like you'll leave anytime soon, I guess I have no choice but to set up multiplayer if I wanna get anything done today. I assume you have a Persona?"

I'd rather not practice my new moves with a potential enemy, but if I play this right I could learn something too.

"Of course," Tamaki said catching Masuyo's leg, "different strategies must be used when fighting multiple opponents. For example..." He turned to see Karin charging once again, this time with a downward slash.

"Hah!" she screamed before Tamaki threw Masuyo at her, cutting of her attack and knocking her back. "Turning the enemies strenght in numbers into a liability."

"Oh that's fine." Mai said shuffling the cards before laying them out on the table. She sat down at the side and motioned to the seats next to her, "Now, ladies first."

"Yeah. I do." She nodded. "...What's your real name first though?"

"Real name? I told you it's Toshiyuki. My parents had weird taste."

She sighed. "Fine, I'll call you that for now. But I know it's not your real name." She looked at the console, keeping a distance. "So what does this whole thing entail anyway?"

"What makes you think it's not my real name?" Kentaro asks with an incredulous look on his face.

"..I work for Toshiyuki." She said. "You must be from one of the other groups. Seeing as you're not immediately hostile, you're likely from Stefan's old group. ...I know what you're thinking, but really...I'm just looking to relax for a bit you know? Not worry about Toshiyuki, or that other group or anything.." She tried to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Karin. What is this monster. Humans can't match him. Can I put him on ice?" Masuyo complained

"Ummmm....." Tsubasa said picking a card. "Eight of hearts?"

"...Miss Chisaki?" Maeko asked again, lowering her guard and harpoon.

"Toshiyuki sure has a thing for dissatisfied people. I'm Kentaro." Kentaro moves over to the console and begins making selections. "You know how to play squash? I think we'll start with something like that."

"Sounds good." Amy said, moving closer. "What do you mean by dissatisfied?"

Kentaro ignores her last question and continues to scroll through options on the display.

"You have selected a two player game. Please move to the designated tiles."

"Stand over there." Kentaro points to a tile on the ground marked 'P2'. "Sorry if the game isn't very aesthetically pleasing. It hasn't been completed yet."

Kentaro stands on a tile marked P1. straight white lines of light draw a square room around them and a racquet appears in his hand. The natural floor of the dungeon begins to shift underneath him as if separated by a pane of invisible glass.

"Hmmm..." Kentaro stares mildly surprised.

From the shifting floor a small black ball rises into the air slowly. Kentaro leans in for a closer look but quickly jerks back when the ball splits open to reveal a mouth of sharp teeth and a long hanging tongue.

"I thought this might happen. Be careful. The dungeon is adapting to my programming to make the game more dangerous. After a while the game may try to kill us just like the dungeon normally would. I don't like to admit it but I may have less control over this place than I initially thought. Let's just hope it doesn't try to randomly fuse this game with an rpg battle engine or something."

"That's fine. I can handle my own." She responded, getting ready. "So long as you got yours too." She egged him on.