[METHOD_LOG_001]

[pastalishe]

Who: Cloche Leythal Pastalia and Minako Arisato
Where: Virgo Shopping District
Summary: Cloche and Minako, after spending a long time together shopping for cute winter clothes, stay out a little too late and get attacked by demons. Cloche awakens to her Persona.
Warnings: Oh no girltalk! Fighting demons!! Eventual Persona summoning!!!

Winter is coming. This isn't a song of ice and fire, but that doesn't change the fact that the weather has been getting colder. Up until now, Cloche has been making do with her Song Magic costumes to deal with the fact that she didn't have any spare clothing... but as warm as Oldmodern Style is, it really sticks out on the streets. It's time for her to bite the bullet and buy some actual clothes.

To be quite honest, Cloche has never bought clothes at all--let alone for herself. On Metafalss, Alfman had hired a stylist to manage her wardrobe and, even after throwing over his regime, Cloche has never had a reason to let the woman go. To make matters more difficult, the shops here carried clothes in styles that she's completely unfamiliar with.

That's why she called Minako. Minako is a young woman comfortable within the city, knowledgeable about the stores, and pleasant company to be around. Cloche adores her big sis, but... Luca would have known exactly why Cloche would want company shopping for clothes. With Minako, Cloche can present the image of a strong, confidant woman who... just wants a little company while shopping! Yes. That's exactly it. No other reason! (Note: For the record, Minako should be given a medal for her patience this afternoon.)

All in all, Cloche feels that this venture has been quite successful. She has several bags worth of warm, comfortable clothing for the winter... and Minako is none the wiser that this isn't just her first time shopping Hinoto-Ri. Cloche is very pleased with herself.

"Thank you for your company, Minako," Cloche says, as they walk out together from the final store. "I truly appreciate it." Can you see the yellow flowers, Minako? Because they're metaphorically there, twirling happily above Cloche's head.

Comments

[greatseal]

"It's no trouble!" Minako was perfectly happy to take time out of her day to get to know a new friend a little better. Shopping is always better with friends, and besides, she'd needed to buy the winter outfit Caroline had requested from her. "I'm glad we could find so many good things."

[pastalishe]

"As am I." Cloche smiles. It's good to know that this trip was fruitful for them both. "It was a very productive trip."

And fun. Who knew that just trying on clothes with a female friend could an entertaining experience?

[greatseal]

As opposed to... doing what else with the clothes, Cloche? Really...

"Let me know if you need more help when spring comes around." Help with understanding the fashion, she means. Not help understanding how to shop. She'd never think that Cloche didn't have much experience with that, of course!

[pastalishe]

She's never picked out her clothes before, okay. Give a sheltered Maiden some slack.

"You will be the first person that I consult." If it were shopping for cute stuffed animals, Cloche wouldn't have a problem. But, aside from her personal problems with clothes, coming from a science-fantasy post-apocalyptic world has left her a little... out there when it comes to fashion.

[greatseal]

"Maybe next time we can look for things that would be popular in your world, too. In a city like this, I'm sure they have all sorts of fashions."

Minako isn't really one to say that Cloche's fashion is out there, sorry to say. She's a closet cosplay lover... or, really not so closet. Just ask any of her teammates about some of the things she wore or got them to wear into Tartarus.

[pastalishe]

"That would be a comfort. Hinoto-Ri is a fine city, but..." Cloche pauses, trying to find the proper way to say it. "Well, it simply isn't home."

It isn't Pastalia, with its waterfalls, fancy shop, and desk full of work to do. And it's the farthest thing from Metafalica, the verdant land that carries all of her hopes and dreams for Metafalss.

Imagine Minako, if you could, a world filled with clothes that look like cosplay. That world... would be something like the place where Cloche comes from.

[greatseal]

"Mm... I can agree with that."

Because even though she knows she won't ever see it again.... and even if this place has given her things she never thought she'd have back, she still misses Iwatodai. She misses the friends still there and the future she's lost.

She doesn't regret her choices for a second but it's still very bittersweet.

[pastalishe]

"If I may... what sort of world do you come from?" Cloche is genuinely curious. Minako seems to be well-adjusted to, not just Hinoto-Ri, but to the unique power that they have all been granted here.

[greatseal]

"I guess... It's a lot like this one." Minako tilts her head after saying that, because it's really very difficult to describe an entire world. "I mean, there weren't any demons, or a barrier, and most people didn't know about Personas at all, and cars worked a lot differently and some of the other technology is pretty different, too... But Hinoto-ri is supposed to be located in the same country I'm from. So culturally, a lot's still the same."

[pastalishe]

The way technology works in Hinoto-Ri is... truly baffling. Cloche isn't a scientist, but the strange blend of magic and science that powers the COMPs is absolutely unacceptable! Wave Science is a dense subject, but she'd rather study that any day over how technology works here.

"But Personas did exist." That would explain why Minako knows so much about the subject. "Was there some other kind of monster that you needed to protect yourself from?"

[greatseal]

Minako isn't sure about the magic-technology blend, either, but Wave Science would probably baffle her even more...

"Well, we fought Shadows, during the Dark Hour, which was like the 13th hour except only Persona-users experienced it."

[pastalishe]

"How was that possible? Time stops for no one."

There aren't many things in life that are consistent... but the constant march of time is usually one of them. ... including mysterious and supernatural extra hours between one day and the next.

[greatseal]

"Everyone else was still there, they just transmogrified into these things that looked like coffins, so they wouldn't remember it." Doesn't the Dark Hour sound like a pleasant place to be?

[pastalishe]

"How..." Cloche's expression twists a little, as she tries to find a political way to describe it. "Morbid."

As it turns out, there is none. The Dark Hour sounds thoroughly unpleasant.

[greatseal]

"....It was, to be honest." And not that surprising, considering who it ended up being connected to. "But the danger was about the same."

[pastalishe]

"I wonder if elements of danger--such as Shadows and demons--are one of the more common aspects of the worlds we have been brought from." It would perhaps explain why some of them were chosen to "Monsters were common in the uninhabited areas of Metafalss... although they were more of a nuisance than a serious threat."

Alas. Even on an outing with a friend, Cloche can't seem to keep her mind entirely focused on light-hearted topics.

[greatseal]

Minako can see that, but she doesn't entirely mind. "Well, most people back home never knew about Shadows, so they'd tell you monsters don't exist... There's dangerous wild animals in a few places, but these days, people are more a threat to them than they are to us."

[pastalishe]

"The fact that the vast majority of your world's population is unaware of Shadows makes them even more dangerous. Being prepared for an attack is half the battle."

[greatseal]

"Yeah, you're right. No one else knew they were a problem, so we were the ones who had to handle it."

[pastalishe]

A look of sympathy crosses Cloche's face. "That is a tremendous burden to bear. It's good that you didn't have to face it alone."

[greatseal]

"Mm-hm. I was lucky enough to have great friends with me." She'll leave off explaining just how important those friendships turned out to be, but there's still fondness in her tone.

[pastalishe]

"It's truly amazing what one can accomplish with the proper support."

Such as creating a continent.

[greatseal]

She'd be pretty impressed at that one if she knew.

"Then we're extra lucky to have so many people to support us here in the city."

[pastalishe]

Cloche nods in agreement. "I couldn't agree more. There is only one person I know from home here, but..." She smiles. "There isn't anyone else I would rather have by my side."

[greatseal]

"Luca-san, right? You two must be good friends." She missed that whole conversation they'd had with someone else about being sisters, fortunately.

And about then she glances down at her watch. It's the nice one that Shinjiro gave her, and she's been wearing it almost religiously since arriving in the city. Probably hoping he'd notice.

...The dial reads 11:50. "Wow, it's pretty late already... We need to hurry or we'll miss the last train!"