Strolling Cancelled (Fredrick)

[Marina Mikami]

Marina had thought she was done for. She kept trying to command her legs to move, but they just wouldn't listen. She was more scared than she could remember being before in her life. The green woman had her at her mercy. She winced as she waited for the strike. Thankfully, the strike never came. She saw the man she had seen before the creatures came approach her. She then took notice of the axe on the ground nearby. It looked like he had saved her life. She couldn't even begin to express her gratitude.

She let go of a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. The man asked her if she was okay and could stand. He said he wasn't a healer and asked if they should take her to a doctor. She was about to say so, but then she shook her head. Suddenly, she took notice of her persona. It still look pained, but it was waving its arms about almost like a prayer. She looked up at the man and gave a soft smile. "I think I'm about to take care of some of the pain," she told him.

As Apsaras finished her prayer, Marina felt like a soothing rain washed over her. It didn't heal her completely, but it was dulling the pain at least. She took a deep breath and exhaled. "I think I'll be okay," she reassured him. She then gave him another smile. "Though I could use some help getting up if you don't mind. My legs don't want to listen to me," He had been nearby but had kept his distance so far. It was sweet of him really. He seemed really concerned, so she decided to help lighten the mood a bit. "So what's my hero's name?" she lightly teased. Marina was still a little freaked out from what had nearly happened, but making light of it made it seem not so real.

[Frederick Cooper]

Take care of the pain, huh? Girl must've been a healer. Partially explained why she got into the shape to begin with, he supposed- not enough force behind her hits. Probably, at least. Though he started to relax just a bit with the signs of a healing spell, most of his worries melted away when she verbally declared the green light. Frederick had just about been ready to back off at that point, but then she requested help standing. If that were the case, er, how to go about it? Honestly, it'd be easier to just literally pick her up. Still, that would have been rude. And probably would've set her off. Even his girlfriend was a little antsy about being plucked up, which was sad considering he never once dropped her.

”Right-o.” He casually commented before offering his hand. Though it was a bit sweaty- and rightfully so, considering the situation he had turned around to find- it was otherwise reliable. Firm, but meaty; strong, but careful and precise. His hands were tools, and they were a little rough, but they served him well and got the job done. Carefully pulling her up, Riki gave her a chance to steady herself before properly letting go and stepping back. Honestly, he wasn't used to being in a position of helping somebody like that. Most other Users seemed to handle themselves pretty well. He had to wonder if it was just a stroke of luck that he found her. Would she have ended up as a missing person, otherwise? That was a little worrisome. He was aware of the situation, but seeing something like that before him really drove it home. How many like them had already gotten curious, but were killed off?

”Eh?” And then there was something a little unexpected. He was neither a saint nor a hero. This was something he himself often said, if only in his mind. It was his justification for his vices, his excuses. He was a human, a normal human, and it was his reality check. Suddenly being called that by someone was a bit, well, embarrassing. Worse than being reminded of his boxer-only state during the gigantic dogfight. His cheeks slightly flushed, a rare sight indeed, before he looked away, tugging his cap down slightly and retrieving his ax. Honestly, he wasn't sure if it was proper to deny the hero bit. He saved her- or so it seemed to him- so she'd probably argue if he denied it. Well, whatever. He wasn't going to get delusions of heroism. He didn't like the idea of heroics and dying, after all.

”A-ah. Frederick Cooper. Riki is fine, if you're having issues with pronunciation.” He finally managed to look back at her. His expression was neutral, and his complexion was his normal state. He didn't blush easily, and it was certainly easy to fight it off. ”Mind if I ask your name, in return, Miss?” He returned the question with a tone that was perfectly conversational. Yeah, he was fine. It was a momentary shock, nothing more. ”Seems like you're just starting out, if you don't mind my opinion. That, or you're like the healers I know, and you don't have much firepower, right?” Or both, but he wasn't going to say that bit. He wasn't a good judge of strength at that point, considering his absurdly powerful God Hand.

[Marina Mikami]

Marina gently took the man's hand he had extended towards her. It was warm and a little sweaty but that wasn't too big a surprise. After all they had just fought a battle. Well, he had fought a battle. She had horribly lost a battle. She felt bad, she had been basically no help at all. That lightning attack had caught her by surprise. Her Persona hadn't seemed to like it either which didn't help as well. She would have to be wary of those kinds of attacks from now on. She then felt herself get up, as the man helped her onto her feet. Her legs felt wobbly, like jello. She was glad he had held on for a few moments longer so she could regain her sense of balance. Her legs still hurt, but not as badly as before.

She couldn't help but let out a small giggle as she took notice of the man turning a slight shade of red at her comment of being a hero. It was cute really. He tried to hide it with his hat as he reached for his axe. He seemed to want to downplay what had happened. He didn't out and out deny it either though. She probably wouldn't have let him if he had tried, she would have been a goner if he hadn't been here. That was fine by her though. She didn't exactly want to think about how close she was to...defeat. She tried to put it out of her mind, instead focusing on the new acquaintance in front of her.

She soon had a name to go with the face. "Fredrick Cooper," she repeated easily. That wasn't a name you heard too often around here. Maybe he was an American like she was? The nickname he gave was adorable too. She gave him a soft smile. "Nice to meet you, Riki," she replied. Marina was then asked for her name. "Marina Mikami," she told him. "You can call me Rina for short." Riki took note at the fact that she was pretty much a beginner at this. She couldn't help but blush a bit, embarrassed. "Yeah I haven't been doing this for very long. In fact that was my first time using a healing ability. I don't think I could do that to start," she explained to him. He seemed to have a better idea of what was going on around here compared to her. Sounded like he had met a few others as well.

Marina took a look her persona. "I think it was really the lightning spell though. Apsaras didn't seem to like it that much," she explained further. She then tilted her head in like she was deep in thought. "How long have you been at this?" she questioned. It was always good to see what everyone knew. After all she barely knew anything about what was going on. She needed to be more prepared if she kept going out to places like this. Marina wouldn't always get as lucky as she had today.

[Frederick Cooper]

Well, shit. Seemed like assuming was gradually turning out to be a bad thing. People that could actually pronounce his name were appearing. Well, either way. People Riki got to know typically used “Riki” anyway. Even his dad did. Still, he got her name. Marina Mikami. Mikami sounded familiar. Probably a coincidence. Or a family name in a game's credits. Who knew. Rina, though, seemed to be the nickname of choice there. Well, that was certainly different. Nickname basis with a girl he'd only just met, and all. Then again, this wasn't your typical slice-of-life dating sim, either. Manners only got you so far.

”Oh, well. Nothing to worry about, then. That was just a case of really bad luck. Weaknesses are something you'll want to avoid.” He nodded in a sage-like manner while stating the obvious. ”Few weeks. Long enough to know that I want it to stop soon.” His tone was casual, but it was clear that he meant what he said. ”Super-duper magical voodoo powers are nice and all, but I'd honestly like to just get back to the daily groove. Fighting for my life, getting stronger so stronger things don't kill me, and stuff like that isn't really on the top of my 'to-do before I die' list.” There wasn't a whole lot that went on that list, either. He wanted to make a sandwich fit for the gods, successfully get married and start a family, and create a feast for a special occasion. That was. . . literally about it. Thinking on it, that was kind of depressing. He had no real aspirations besides two things he was working towards and a third he would find an excuse for sooner or later. Well, whatever.

”I've seen some things. I'm not the strongest by any measure, but I pack a punch. That's about all I've got going for me right now.” He wasn't being depreciative, though. He was honestly only good for dealing damage when it came to this. Not that that was bad. If all you had was a bunch of healers, nothing would do with the whole dying bits. ”I'm also not entirely on the know of everything, but if you've got anything you're wondering about, I can see what I can scrounge up for answers.” He shrugged lightly. Truthfully, he didn't have much in the way of an information network. Hell, he'd only had extended exposure to a few select groups. Still, he at least knew a few things, if there was anything she was curious about.

Hopefully he'd know the answers, if she actually had questions.

[Marina Mikami]

Marina nodded along with Riki as he pointed out a bit of what she had managed to gather. Avoiding weaknesses was something she was planning on doing for sure. That seemed to imply that other Persona users had weaknesses as well. Maybe even the creatures as well. She hadn't fought too many yet, so it hadn't seemed quite as obvious to her, but it made sense. It also sounded like Riki had been at this weeks longer than she had been. Only a few weeks though? Had anyone been doing this for a long time? That would be something to ponder for later.

She giggled again at his description of their abilities but she nodded in agreement about not wanting to have them. "I don't really like the idea of fighting like this either," she told him simply. After all it wasn't like she had gotten into fights before she had a Persona. She wasn't made for fighting really. She would rather be wrapped up in a blanket reading a book or something along those lines. Graduate from the university and move on to bigger and better things. However, as long as she had the power to do something, she wasn't going to ignore what was happening. Riki then explained how he wasn't the strongest out there, but was able to dish it out. That was good to know there were even stronger people out there, hopefully having better luck than she was currently.

Riki offered to answer any questions she had, which Marina had hoped for. She tilted her head from side to side as she thought about what to ask. "Well...what exactly is the place we're in currently?" she asked after she thought about it for a minute. "I've only experienced the thing that happens at night before today. And those creatures...they weren't exactly the same as Shadows right?" She hoped he understood what she was asking. Maybe he even had terms for her to use, make it easier to refer to things if she ran into anyone else. She waited for an answer, curious to find out what she was about to learn.

[Frederick Cooper]

Frederick slowly nodded. Solid enough questions. Hell, he still wanted some answers on a number of things, himself. But, fortunately, he at least had some general answers to give her. He looked around first, though. He wasn't ignoring her, but he wanted to be damn sure nothing jumped them while he was talking. If one of those trolls appeared, it'd be especially annoying. God Hand was only so useful against something that nullified his attacks, after all. For the time being, it seemed as though the coast was clear. It probably looked suspicious as all hell, or would have in reality, but considering that they were surrounded by the equivalent of angry, territorial boars with magic, it was a perfectly understandable precaution. Or so he thought, at least.

”All right. Let's see here. I'm not a scientist. My only science is that of cooking. I'm also vulgar, so sorry ahead of time.” He got the obligatory disclaimer out of the way. He was sure he'd be forgiven, anyway. He did save her life this time. A little swearing was probably well within the confines of being acceptable for the present. ”For starters, this place, this world, we're in is basically a shitty version of ours. Humans, I don't think, normally walk around in this world. Instead, these things- monsters, demons, assholes, whatever you wanna call them- seem to be the main group. I'm not sure about a damn thing regarding their foodchain outside of 'stronger is better'. Anyway, this, uh, Dark World I guess? Is mostly the same as our world in terms of locations and structures. Some places are especially, eh, popular, I guess. This would be one of them. It's overrun with them.” He lightly coughed. Explaining anything outside of the glorious constructs known as “culinary arts” was a bit of an oddity for him. Good thing he never planned on being a teacher.

”Shadows, uh. The squiggly things that turn to sludge on death, right? Yeah, they're different. Those things only appear during that time at midnight. These guys, for the most part, seem to only exist in this world. But there do seem to be a few exceptions. Week or so ago, a big old three-headed dog literally ripped its way out of hell in the middle of the Shibuya crossing during the midnight session. Not entirely sure how or why it was on this side, but it was. We beat it down, though. Mostly.” There were still plenty of unanswered questions on that front, too.

”But that mostly covers it, I think. Though, when you get right down to it, if it tries to kill you, try to kill it harder. Or be with someone that can do that part for you. With humans, it's better to not shoot first and ask questions later, but these- both of them- aren't humans. And they don't need guns to kill you from afar, either.” That was the most important part. While understanding them and how to get rid of them was great, the simple truth was that, for the most part, they were threats. Kill or be killed, eat or be eaten, really.

It sucked, but that's the way it was outside of the normal everyday bustle.

[Marina Mikami]

Marina took note that Riki looked around before answering her questions. She couldn't help but instinctively look around with him. It made sense when she thought about it. After all, what was to stop more of those monsters from attacking them? Better to be safe than sorry. After all she did not want to encounter another one of those...green woman things anytime soon. Whatever they were. She smiled at his little disclaimer of vulgarity. "I'm a big girl, I can handle a little swearing," she teased him, before seriously listening to his explanation.

A Dark World huh? That was as good a name as any she had for this place. From what he said only monsters lived in here. For the most part the areas were similar to the normal world. It just so happened this was an area that was more likely crawling with creatures like before. Riki seemed a little unsure if he was explaining things okay, but Marina gave a reassuring nod to show she was understanding him just fine. He went on further to explain that the demons here were different from the Shadows that showed up at midnight. She nodded along to the explanation, until he reached the part about a three-headed dog that had shown up in Shibuya in the real world. Where was she when that happened?

He finished off by saying that it was basically survival of the fittest when it came to these creatures. Marina was starting to fully understand what that exactly meant after today. "A three-headed dog...just showing up at Shibuya? That's a scary thought..." she replied after he had finished, sounding lost in thought. It sounded like there was a real danger out there and most people had no idea. She then thought of another question to ask. "You said we? How many other people have you met that can do what we do?" She then gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry for all the questions. Thank you for taking the time to answer them," She was lucky Riki turned out to be willing to explain things. If she kept going around with out some answers, Marina might actually get herself killed next time. That wasn't the most pleasant of thoughts, so she pushed it out of her mind as she waited for more answers.

[Frederick Cooper]

Seemed like Rina fully comprehended the exact degree of the shit-show that was the situation that they had all found themselves in. While Frederick would've preferred being a little subtler regarding the exact depth of the issue, it was better to be painfully blunt with it, honestly. Saying “well, you've burnt your dish” would be a preferred chiding compared to “you fucked it up big time”. In this case, the opposite was better. “There's a few small issues” didn't quite do it justice. He was glad he got that through to her.

”Nah, nah. It's fine. I'm not the best at explaining things, but someone's gotta answer your questions, right? Better me, awkwardly, than them, violently.” He nodded slowly. ”Regarding numbers, well, that's a shaky issue. I've met a few solid people that I've personally gotten involved with beyond simple meet-and-kill.” And a few that were just plain annoying. That dude in the supermarket was an example. Hoho, he lied a little back then to get his point across, but holy shit, that guy was rude. Accusing him of wasting food. What a joke. ”Grand total-ish, I'd say we're somewhere around fifteen. Kinda hard to do an exact head-count when you're fighting a massive dog like that, though. I've personally met and gotten buddy-buddy with a few, though. Not a terrible lot, mind, but enough.” He paused and sent another quick glance around.

”Got people like me that beat the things, others with skills like you, with healing. Some have other unique abilities, like scanning. For the most part, these guys have been blessed with the skills to do something against these monsters. We work better together than separately, though. At least, overall and against stronger enemies. Speaking of stronger enemies, this is one of the safer places.” It was probably good to clarify that not all monsters were created equal. ”Yes, it's not safe, but some of the other areas are particularly nasty. Until you've gotten the hang of things, I'd really suggest sticking to places like this, maybe with some allies at your side or back or whatever.” He was probably spouting things unnecessarily, but he felt kind of like the big brother here- upperclassman, or whatever. Ah, come to think of it, that probably was what the senpai-kouhai relationship was like.

”I'm not always free, but I don't mind helping when I can.” While they weren't done talking, it would have been a good point to make. Though that'd probably mean sharing contact information before they parted. Well, still. He'd feel better if he at least had an idea that Rina wasn't on her knees again, ready to bite it. He really wasn't a hero, but people dying was serious business. ”At the very least, I should be able to reliably squish things with Zouchouten.” Speaking of that mecha, he was pretty sure he'd develop further soon. Something was tingling inside him again. Kind of like when the mech started using ax kicks, or growing a larger hand. Or getting a rocket-propelled fist. Well, whatever the case, getting stronger was better.

[Marina Mikami]

Marina smiled a little at Riki saying it was better for him to explain awkwardly. She thought he was explaining things just fine. At least he was willing to take the time to do so. She greatly appreciated it, at least she had a better idea of how things were. Her eyes widened a bit when he mentioned that he guessed there were only about fifteen people or so out there doing this. "Fifteen?" she repeated with concern. That wasn't a whole lot of people. Then again, had she really expected a whole lot? For starters she had only run into Riki here. And she had only met one or two people during the time at midnight. Well that made more sense why no one really seemed to know anything. There were barely anyone that knew these things existed in the first place.

Riki then went on to explain that everybody's abilities were different. Some beat the creatures up, some healed each other, and some could even scan the creatures. She nodded her head in agreement when he said they worked better together than separately. No matter how strong one person was, there was safety in numbers. They needed that safety, since it seemed they were vastly outnumbered. Riki then went on to explain how this area was one of the "safer" ones. That was surprising to hear, that there were areas with even stronger creatures. Well maybe not too surprising, but still concerning. What kind of creatures could be lurking in those areas? Marina couldn't help but shudder a bit at the thought.

She nodded again at his suggestion. "Yes, that sounds like the best option," she said in agreement. She may not like going out there, but there wasn't much of choice. With so few people doing something about what was happening, they needed all the help that was available. She would have to try and start meeting up with some of these other people, so she could get used to the fighting. She then gave him a smile when he said he didn't mind helping. That was nice of him. They would probably need each other's contact information. She took out her phone and surprisingly it was still working. Electronics seemed to work here, unlike during the time at midnight. She didn't really have a signal though, not like she was expecting one.

She navigated through the menus until she got to where she could add a new contact. "What is your number? It would probably be a good idea to exchange them so we can stay in contact," she told him. Though then she blushed a little bit. That was bit forward, wasn't it? She couldn't remember a time where she had ever asked for a boy's number. "Um...that is if you don't mind," she added as she tried to hide her embarrassment.

[Frederick Cooper]

”That's fine. It'd be hard to find me, otherwise, unless I told you where the cafe was. Besides, now I get a cute girl's phone number.” He punctuated his statement with a hearty laugh, as though trying to dispel the otherwise dry and potentially morbid atmosphere with a flirty joke. After that, he did relay a number to her. Then a second one. ”First one's my personal number. I'll be available nearly any time outside of work. Just call or text sometime soon so I can get yours off of it. The second number is that for the cafe. While I won't be chatty there, I can at least get any updates you need to give. Plus, we do fulfill phone orders, though rare.” Half-verification, half-advertising, the man felt he had given plenty of options there.

”I'm not the strongest, but I've got a nasty punch thanks to that guy, so things around here will quickly go down, with a few minor exceptions.” His voice turned oddly acidic towards the end as he averted his eyes. Damn trolls were annoying. ”Ask me some time around midnight, and I can show you some safer regions to fight in, if you're looking to go out hunting or training, too. I'd offer to show you around on this side, but this. . . really is the safest place here. Seems like every other place here is worse.” Not that it mattered to the God Hand. Just thinking about it made the man's child at heart squirm and leap with joy. He wanted to smash things. Ah, that was bad. He was supposed to hate this RPG shit. Then again, it was similar to the joy he got when decimating an opposing team in a game. Similar enough, anyway.

”Other than that, I think that's most of what I know. Dunno what caused all this, or what to look for, so I'm just peeking around and smashing things that try to smash me. What're you thinking you wanna try to do? Stick around here? Pull back and rest? Go in head-first?” He kind of hoped the third wasn't her choice after that, but, either way, he'd help her out on the first or third, at least for the time being. Not like he was going to do much else, what with his afternoon having been dedicated to exploration. And if she was going to head back? He'd tag along, then find another portal to fiddle with.

Wouldn't be too much harm in that, he supposed.

[Marina Mikami]

Marina blushed a little bit more at being called cute. It wasn't something that happened often, at least right to her face. Though she appreciate his attempts at lightening the mood. It helped take her mind off the previous battle. She inputted the number that he relayed into her phone. She was surprised to hear a second number as well, which she promptly entered. One was his personal number and the other was at the cafe he worked at. She couldn't help but giggle a bit at him advertising it a little bit. She would keep that in mind if she ever wanted food there.

She made a mental note to herself to text him later so he had her number. She then listened to him explain more about the area as she put her phone away. Apparently in this Dark World, this area was the least dangerous. That was lucky. She didn't know what would have happened if that portal had made her stumble into a more dangerous area. He offered to show her safer areas during the midnight time as well. "Da, I'd appreciate it," she told him. Though then she blushed a bit, realizing some Russian escaped her lips. She didn't know much, but when she was little she pretty much only said yes and no exclusively in Russian. It still happened a bit when she was nervous or embarrassed. She must have been a bit more bothered by the experience she had than she thought. Or the cute comment got to her more than she realized. Or a combination of both.

Riki then asked what she was going to do now. Marina titled her head to the side a she thought about it. She could keep going on. However, she hadn't really been prepared in the slightest to do so. After all her noticing that portal was kind of a fluke. Going home was probably for the best. "I think I've had enough excitement for today," she told him after a minute or two. "Maybe in a couple of days you can show me those safer areas?" she then gave a softer smile. "I think my legs are going to need the rest if this is going to start becoming a normal thing," Speaking of her legs, they still hurt quite a bit. She didn't know how fast she was going to be able to walk. "Do you mind escorting me out of here?" she asked politely. She figured he would probably say yes or would have done so anyway. It didn't hurt to ask though.

[Frederick Cooper]

What the hell was a da? Going by Rina's flushed cheeks, it was probably a slip-up a sorts. Another language? Well, whatever. English and Japanese was enough for a guy like him. A language to work in and a language to relax in was all he'd use. Seemed she did want to head back, though. And she even had the manners to ask for help! Well, that wasn't too surprising. She was much more polite than the typical of-age crew he'd had to deal with all around. His regulars were fine, but nothing made the people outside less than insufferable at times. With a nod, he offered a slight smile to the girl.

”Sure, that'd be fine. On all accounts.” He sent a glance down, then back up at the girl's face. It'd probably be fine, but it was still something worth asking. ”Speaking of your legs, can you walk? Standing is one thing, walking's another.” Carrying her would have been odd, sure. It wasn't impossible, though. Either way, seemed like they'd be leaving momentarily. Once top-side, she could make her way home, and he could. . . probably go stick himself in dimensional holes he really had no business fiddling with.

Then again, none of them really had any business fiddling with those things.

”If you can, then we're all set. You can set the pace, too, if you want.” He shifted his ax onto his shoulder for the moment. Another scan revealed nothing. They could, perhaps, make it out of the place without anymore trouble. Well, that was probably unlikely, to be fair, but he could still hope. He could wreck most of what appeared, sure! He wasn't sure if she was in a shape to fight, though. Well, probably. She'd just need to spam her healing abilities. But that was something to worry about when the time came.

”But let me know if you see something moving.” He slowly nodded. After all, most things that moved there were, in fact, not-human.

[Marina Mikami]

Marina smiled back at him. That was good, she wasn't going to have to get back to the normal park by herself. She figured he would say yes. She also appreciated Riki and his willingness to point out areas for her to get stronger in. Not that she was really looking forward to that particularly. The less fighting that happened, the better. However, she did realize she needed to at least get to a point where she could defend herself and not have to always rely on a stranger to come and save her. She wouldn't always get lucky like she did today.

She then watched as Riki looked down and then back up. He had asked about her legs. That was a fair concern. "Let's find out," she told him. She carefully lifted one of her legs, then set it down testing out a step. It still hurt and she couldn't help but wince from the pain shooting up and down her leg. However, she thought she could make it. At least she hoped she could and wasn't just being stubborn. She was done being a burden on the young man. She could at least hopefully get back home. "I think I can make it," she finally said, trying out another step or two. She still felt a little wobbly, but she didn't think she'd fall over. "Though do you mind being within arms reach? Just in case I stumble," she asked, with a bit of an embarrassed smile appearing.

Marina nodded as well to letting him know if she saw anything. They weren't out of here yet and it was always possible for them to run into more creatures. "Sure thing. Please, lead the way," she said, motioning for him to start moving. She would do her best to keep up the pace the best she could. They didn't need to spend all day just trying to get her out of here. The sooner they were out of here, the better.

[Frederick Cooper]

Honestly, Frederick didn't quite like the wince the girl made as she took that first step. Still, he wasn't going to impede on a person's freedom. She thought she could handle it, so he'd let her do it. He nodded at her request, and gradually started to move forward at her gesture. It took him a moment, but he got a good pace rolling- slow enough to keep her near, but quick enough that they wouldn't take forever. Fortunately, it wasn't like they were miles from the portal. It'd be maybe two or three minutes, at the worst, unless something magically appeared. Like they were apt to do.

”For the record, I'd suggest trying to heal yourself again when you can. Maybe not here if you don't want to try, but once you get settled at home, yeah. Personas can be used outside, but normal people don't see them, apparently. So, yeah. You might want to try that. You know, just in case.” He informed her while keeping his gaze on the way ahead and occasionally doing one-eighties and walking backwards while checking the area behind them. His surveillance was far from perfect. Honestly, it was something he never did. When on his own, or with Takumi or Luka, things had been pretty simple. Hell, the neighborhood was a clear plain. Things couldn't sneak up on you there. The school? Just camp at a four-way.

”Any time you find yourself in Akihabara and you're looking for something to eat, check out the 'Grand Texan'. We'll get you fed with good food at a price that isn't absurd.” It was only fair that he threw out the advertisement. If he was going to help people out with their exploration and growth, then they could help by listening. If he got another regular, that'd be fine, too. Plus, it wasn't like it was false advertisement. He was convinced he had the best prices around- nutritional, delicious, and affordable. The best deal ever.

[Marina Mikami]

Marina followed after Riki as he began to head towards the portal. Every step she took shot pain through her legs, but she managed to keep up with the young man. Riki seemed to have gotten a good pace going, one that allowed her to hobble over on her legs without going too fast. She was grateful, it seemed they were making decent enough progress. She then heard a suggestion to try healing again when she had the chance. Though she was fascinated by the fact they could summon their Persona's in the real world. And apparently normal people could not see them? That was interesting. No wonder it seemed like so few people knew anything about what was going on.

"Da. As soon as I get home, it'll be the first thing I try," she replied to him, slipping up in Russian a bit again. While still embarrassing, she was a bit too focused on moving to really care too much. She couldn't even remember the last time she was in this much pain. The one time that came close was after the fight in the supermarket, where she ended up limping home. That was only one leg though, not both. Both legs being in pain was a lot worse. She really hoped this was the first and last time she would be this injured. She certainly did not plan on getting hurt like this again.

She couldn't help but giggle a bit at Riki advertising his cafe again. Also the name was interesting. It pretty much confirmed in her mind that he was probably American. Hearing it made her miss Seattle a bit. "That's not a name you hear very often around here. Makes me miss the States," she told him. She wasn't sure if that would surprise him or not. "Sounds like a good place to go and have something different. You can only eat at the same places so often," she told him smiling. She was getting sick of eating at the same places over and over again. It could be fun to go to his cafe and see what he would prepare.