voice test ☀ joker

[jokered]

the hierophant; cafe leblanc

[most days have routine. get up, eat breakfast, hop on subway. school, meeting up with friends afterwards, and then a brief reprieve to do homework before some evening shenanigans.

but of course, some things don't always go as planned.

like the rare occasion where someone comes into the cafe leblanc for some coffee or curry (or perhaps both; they complement each other well here, after all) and the proprietor is nowhere to be seen. like this moment, for instance, when a certain scruffy-haired teen comes down the back stairs, bag slung over his shoulder (is that a cat popping its head out?), and he just pauses.]

Huh?

[he questions quietly, wondering why the place is unattended—he can only guess it was meant to be brief, and with the assumption that nobody would show up. whoops?

either way, it looks like akira is walking himself behind the counter, placing down the bag and picking up an apron like a semi-pro. unless you're one of the phantom thieves, in which case he's not helping your ass unless you ask, like a true pal.]

Can I help you?

[see? totally a pro!]

the magician; mementos

[how you got here may not matter. but it's certainly a strange looking subway station. it's devoid of people, but full of... something else. monsters? well, shadows, but this particular area seems to be devoid of even that.

until there's a rustling sound. one corner. the next. then behind a pole.

...do you feel like you're being watched?

...or maybe like someone is about to ambush you?

well, it doesn't matter, because as soon as joker has discerned that this isn't an aggressive shadow, but someone else, he'll somersault out from where he's hiding, gun in hand. to those who know him, he may seem familiar, even recognizable entirely. to anyone else, this masked trickster is joker of the phantom thieves. his smirk skirts on the dangerous side, knowing he's got someone cornered—though he doesn't seem particularly aggressive before asking the most important questions:]

Who are you? ["and why are you here?" he doesn't lower his gun completely though, instead twirling it in his hand.

show off.]

the chariot; texts

[did you want to make plans to hang out tomorrow? did you think akira would want a text from you?

...well, he probably does! except that he fell asleep, so being woken up to a text that says "do you have a second?" or some variation of it is going to be met with a response.]

1.

[and then, immediately after that, a second text:]

Time's up.

[nobody said it would be a helpful response. please though, continue.]

the fool; wildcard

[idk do whatever, make up some stuff!]

Comments

[pseudonyms]

[That doesn't seem to surprise her, and she's hardly bothered by his answer. On the other hand, she doesn't offer much of her own explanation as she begins to walk past him. She's searching, really, and though she hasn't brought out Kanzeon she's getting a sense of her surroundings.

So yeah. Bye, Joker, she's on the move again.]

Mementos. [She repeats the name out of curiosity, looking over her shoulder. This would be easier if Mementos weren't so huge, but she'll make the best of it via walking.] Why? If it's so dangerous, why come on your own?

[jokered]

[rise, don't do that?? he's pretty quick to leap ahead with his stealthy actions to peek around the nearest corner for any shadows.]

I didn't.

[he's not that much of a fool. hah.]

We got separated. [or more like, he separated himself as a diversion, because he's out of his damn mind sometimes, but hey.

minor details?]

[pseudonyms]

[Uh what are you doing you teleporting asshole? But in all seriousness she's impressed by his speed and stops in her steps. She recognizes a stake-out when she sees one and she won't interrupt. If he thinks there's something really wrong here...well, he'd know better than she would.]

"We." [Why are protags this way. She gives him a level look, and...well. It's silly to assume, but Mementos isn't exactly happy and shiny and wonderful. There are some places you can just tell things are messed up, and this is one of them.] You have a team that you brought in with you? Who's guiding you?

[What a weird question.]

[jokered]

[that's definitely a weird and oddly specific question. not that she can really see it with the mask, but joker is definitely quirking a brow at that.

her assumptions aren't wrong, not in that mementos is a bit of a messed up place, and also that he does have a guide in his numbers.

but.

how does he even answer that? it's kind of a weird thing to explain as it is, especially to someone outside of the phantom thieves' numbers.]

Someone good with navigation.

[#nailed it

whatever, he's fine?]

That part's not too important right now.

[pseudonyms]

[Oh for fucks sake, Joker. She puffs her cheeks out a bit, frustrated that they're here and she's still uncertain of Mementos' surroundings but she can also understand why he wouldn't be so forthcoming to a stranger.]

Whatever's down here isn't going to stay in one spot for long. We should work on getting out of here as fast as possible. [She pauses then, taking in his appearance once more.] What's your name?

[jokered]

Right...

[well, he kind of wanted to reunited with the others and hunt down some more chests for loot to sell, but he also doesn't really have an intention of dragging rise along for that.

she's a famous idol, he can't have that on his hands unless she's got a palace and a treasure to steal.

(which she naturally, does not, as a persona user.)]

Call me Joker.

[pseudonyms]

[Joker, huh? She can't help it when she giggles a little at the name.]

Rise. It's nice to meet you. [As if he didn't know. She doesn't want to go around introducing herself as Risette to someone in this kind of position. It didn't seem right somehow.] And you're not going to point that gun at me again until we're out of here, right?

[jokered]

I'm a big fan.

[well, he's probably a filthy casual, but he's got a poster? so whatever, it's cool.]

Shooting down idols isn't my style. [shadows? shadows are fair game, though.]

[pseudonyms]

Aw, that's so sweet! [Look she'll take it okay. If it means Akira won't point a gun at her again and will cooperate she'll ease right on in.]

A friend of mine uses a gun when she fights, too. She's a detective. [No one said anything about fighting, but it's hard to ignore that Mementos is a spooky-spooky dangerous place.] I don't know what my friends would think of a place like this.

[jokered]

Huh...

[which is more of a quiet response to what she's saying. so.. risette is friends with a detective with combat experience. that's sure something to watch out for.

phantom thieves and all.]

Hopefully they won't have to find out. Most people can't just stumble in here, anyway.

[pseudonyms]

[It's fine, Naoto probably wouldn't be too...well you know what. Let's just leave Naoto out of this.]

Oh yeah? [She tilts her head again.] Then why can you? [She's leaving herself out of the equation for now. She's curious, after all.] Do you know what's really down here?

[jokered]

[he's already got akechi meandering about, isn't that enough?]

I found out about it from a teammate. We're investigating how deep it goes and what's in it.

[but obviously there are details left out here. better to be concise, though rise should be used to that by now having dealt with her own protag.]

[pseudonyms]

[She knows. She can understand that and she picks up on it enough to nod and let the topic rest for a moment.]

You'll want to go left when you reach the first set of tunnels. The right one's bad news. [She doesn't seem to mind sharing the information, given that...well, what's he going to do when they get back to the real world? Tell everyone he met Risette in a weird spooky underworld? It'd be a little harder to believe. She doesn't mind sharing this kind of information if it means keeping someone else safe anyway.]

[jokered]

...That's some good intuition.

[which is a little suspect, but sure enough, when taking cover to check and make sure that's the case, he does see the form of a shadow down the path she mentions, and surely, there are more nearby.

mementos is teeming with shadows, after all, but that doesn't mean every tunnel is loaded—and from the sounds of it, turning right will be his best bet.

still.

just how did she do that so easily?]

[pseudonyms]

[She can't zip around like he can, but she's sticking close regardless and keeping her guard up. The way she's moving is a good enough indicator that this isn't the first time she's run through a world filled with monsters either.]

Hey, a girl has to be multitalented doesn't she? [There's a flirty little smile, but she's a touch too serious as she peers around the corner.] That one looks pretty strong. Think you could handle it? [Like. She knows protags. Even if she says "it's bad news" she's used to Yu charging off to fight things anyway. Why? Because thanks Atlus.] The other path is clear for now but there may be others up ahead.

[jokered]

I've never met someone who could be both an idol and a Shadow-spotter.

[this is a different kind of multi-talented than he's used to. you know, says the guy who is usually carted around by a talking cat who turns into a bus.

his logic is sound.

either way, it seems like... she's got experience with this? she doesn't seem alarmed by the presence of shadows. it's...

raising a hell of a lot of questions, but he realizes he doesn't actually have time to question it. he can sense it too, the shadow is pretty strong to take down on his own—

but it's not like rise really had to ask.]

It's showtime. [that's his response, followed up with a very cocky smile; he only pauses because he's waiting for an opening to ambush it.]

[pseudonyms]

[The nyan-van is important, sure, but she can't really think any of this is weird since she regularly fell face-first into a TV with her group. She nods along though and she's not really giving a response...]

I took a hiatus for a year. [Except for that. She narrows her eyes at the shadow in front of them.] Now's your chance, go! I'll support you from here!

[jokered]

[the fact she isn't even questioning the mention of shadows just means...

well, she obviously knows more than she's telling him, but as soon as she tells him he's got an opening and she'll support him—it's pretty damn clear she's no stranger to this. he's not stupid enough to be ignorant to that, even if it's a bit strange.

but he can question her about it afterward; there's not really time when he has to seize the opening given to him.

so he does.

using his keen acrobatics, joker is rising to occasion, ambushing the shadow from behind by way of leaping up on its shoulders.]

Show me your true form! [it's one hell of an ambush, announcing himself to the enemy as he viciously rips the mask off—which sure enough, does change the form of the shadow. rather than the strange, bipedal creature that looks far more akin to the shadows rise is used to—she may recognize the group they morph into. two slimes and a pixie.

not exactly standard shadow form, considering those crazy wild card persona-users can summon them as personas. funny how that goes!]

[pseudonyms]

[Okay first of all, she's startled as hell by the fact he's openly announcing himself instead of sneaking up on the shadow to hit it with a sword or whatever. But secondly, she can't help when her eyes widen upon seeing the appearance of what she's used to associating as a friend.]

What? [She shakes her head, ready to dart forward but remaining rooted anyway because what the hell.] Hey, wait! You can't attack them yet, they're on our side!

[At least in P4-land. It's nice to know P5-land breaks all of the rules all the time.]

[jokered]

[incorrect, rise!]

They're hostile right now.

[which she's going to see, because before he can do anything to the pixie, it casts a zio.

he's not quick enough to dodge it right now, so it connects—but fortunately, he's not currently vulnerable, so the damage is negligible.

definitely not on their side.]

[pseudonyms]

[Oh. Oh what the fuck. There's a surprised shout when Pixie casts Zio and yeah, okay, there she goes to be behind him on the battlefield and assess the damage here.]

Be careful! [Ugh, fine, screw this. This is apparently something really different than she's used to and...she can explain later. Without further warning she jumps back and concentrates.]

Persona! [There's the sound of shattering glass for some weird reason and a flash a light before Kanzeon makes an appearance behind Rise, dutifully slipping the red band around her eyes to give her an overview.]

...this is wrong. [What?] Pixie's supposed to be weak to fire, but this one isn't? What...what the hell?! [Oh. This is fine.] Just be careful using physical attacks! It won't do much good on either of them.

[Unknown to her, Akira knows all of this but you know. She's used to guiding her own protag.]

[jokered]

[rise calling out her persona catches his attention enough to look and see kanzeon... which he's definitely not expecting. maybe he should have, when she didn't seem too fazed by the shadows and even knew they should've been on their side—

but he didn't expect a famous idol to also be a persona-user in mementos, too. the way she keeps her distance implies that she's good on support, though her focus on being able to tell weaknesses is... different than what he's used to.

(what the hell, that's so useful?)] Got it!

[he'll call back to her, but considering he's pretty familiar with both of them, he'll just do what he needs to. he starts with downing the pixie with a gun shot, because it's an easy target.]

Ravage them! [is what follows, but instead of summoning a unique persona, it's one rise might recognize as orthrus, who fires off two agilao to down them as well.

...this would probably work a little easier with more people in the party, but alas. he'll just have to do this part himself, it's fine.]

[pseudonyms]

[She's doing her best and that's all anybody can really ask for at the moment. With Kanzeon helping she can see how Akira's attacking and the damage Slime and Pixie take, both of them falling to the ground immediately after. The use of a gun to fire at Pixie surprises her, but maybe it shouldn't given Naoto's weapon of choice. It's once both monsters are down (and once Rise registers that is definitely a Person she's seen Yu use) she snaps out of her stupor of watching him.]

Enemy down! [Why does she sound so excited???] Your best bet would be taking out Pixie while you can. Finish them off!

[jokered]

[he's not really in any position to do a holdup; he's a tad outnumbered with having only rise on support. which is fine; he's in a perfect position to take out the enemies with a few melee strikes. the pixie goes first, and he scores a critical and uses the chance to strike the other two. their resistance makes it imposible for him to get another crit so easily, but they're weak compared to his current strength

success! a pretty easy encounter, which is probably to be expected when only a couple of floors into a dungeon at most.

he's looking pretty victorious as he turns to rise, smirk present on his lips.]

An idol and a Persona-user. That I didn't expect.

[pseudonyms]

[She claps in glee at their victory before dismissing Kanzeon as well, waiting for Joker to speak before she shrugs almost innocently.]

Hey, a girl has to have her secrets, doesn't she? [No.] ...I wasn't an idol when Himiko woke up, but it's been a few years. I didn't know there were even more of us now.