Pool of Knowledge (Alisa)

[Amane Mana]

Amane sat down at the park, eating rice out of the bento box. She couldn't believe that she neglected to ask Alisa about her investigations for this long. At least she has a steady income. In Amane's pocket is a decently filled wallet so she can pay Alisa her dues if she did any extra work aside from what Amane asked for which Alisa most likely did. Also in her school bag is the notes that she took on the various incidents. She opened her water bottle and took a sip.

Amane looked up from her bento box to see the short brown haired woman she is familiar with. She continued to eat seeing as how she doesn't want the best lunch she's eaten in awhile go to waste. It was a relief seeing her now that Amane has placed what she saw in the art section of Alisa's website into the deep recesses of her mind. She was powerful and helpful during both full moon fights.

"Hello Alisa. I'm sorry to be unable to fulfill my end of the bargain for a few months. A lot has happened." Amane placed down her chopsticks and bento box for a moment before digging through her school bag and presented her notes. "I wrote about the stratums I went to, the shadows I fought, and some interesting information. I assume you now know about the existence of human like shadows?"

[Ayakura Alisa]

I yawned as I looked at Amane from where I was standing. She was eating from her bento box. Man, this kid... She paid me chump change that she didn't even need to pay, and then forgot to ask about my findings after like almost two months. I saw her at the battles with the full moon Shadows too but she seemed more interested in being chummy with Ran than asking for the results of my work. Which was fine, I guess. Ran was alright after all. "Yeah, I don't think the details on the stratums you went to will be thaaat necessary," I said. "I've seen some shit. Lots of bad things like you wouldn't believe. Regardless. I've been doing some digging around. I have some details on file regarding the sentient Shadows. You probably know about them too," I continued, yawning and stretching in place.

"I know four exist so far. A tiger kid named Gin, the snake lady back at the last battle, an angry turtle man, and some money lender guy named Isaac. I'm currently mounting an investigation to find more concrete details regarding these four targets. I'm starting with Gin, who seems to be the easiest mark - he's more interested in learning about the Persona Users than actually harming people. The snake lady I'm more shaky on. I've never seen her up to now, and anything I know about her came from second-hand witnesses. Money lender guy has an interest in human behavior. Asked my colleague Ran to do some weird stuff as a 'test' while she was disguised," I took a breath to compose myself.

"Lastly, angry turtle man. Seemed very violent. Capable of throwing vehicles and other street infrastructures at people. Don't want to mess with him, so he'll be the hardest one to check on."

[Amane Mana]

"Yeah, I don't think the details on the stratums you went to will be thaaat necessary," Alisa began. . "I've seen some shit. Lots of bad things like you wouldn't believe. Regardless. I've been doing some digging around. I have some details on file regarding the sentient Shadows. You probably know about them too," The woman seemed tired. Given her work, Amane could hardly blame her but she could yawn less when faced with a client.

"I see..."

"I know four exist so far." That was one more than Ran mentioned. "A tiger kid named Gin, the snake lady back at the last battle, an angry turtle man, and some money lender guy named Isaac. I'm currently mounting an investigation to find more concrete details regarding these four targets. I'm starting with Gin, who seems to be the easiest mark - he's more interested in learning about the Persona Users than actually harming people. The snake lady I'm more shaky on. I've never seen her up to now, and anything I know about her came from second-hand witnesses. Money lender guy has an interest in human behavior." Amane placed a hand upon her chin in thought. "Asked my colleague Ran to do some weird stuff as a 'test' while she was disguised,"

"Wait what, Ran? As in long black haired ran? Disguise?" When was this a thing.

"Lastly, angry turtle man. Seemed very violent. Capable of throwing vehicles and other street infrastructures at people. Don't want to mess with him, so he'll be the hardest one to check on." Amane nodded. She dug through her pocket and then presented a decent stack of money to Alisa.

"Compensation along with the information since I neglected to schedule a meeting with you up till now." Amane looked at Alisa and then decided to pop the question seeing as how she noticed something in the last battle. Something she heard about but something she hasn't exactly seen. "What do you think of Persona evolution?"

[Ayakura Alisa]

"Long black-haired Ran? Yes, I work with her now," I said as Amane seemed a little confused. "We got off to a bad foot in the past but that's behind us. Nowadays, you have to cooperate to get anything done. Regardless..." I saw Amane fidget into her pocket and produce some stack of money to me. Some compensation, she said? I honestly didn't need it, but I guess more money really didn't hurt. "Thank you for this... money. Do I want to know how you made all this money? Did you get a part time job? Anyway, that shouldn't be any of my business; I apologize. Now, Persona evolution, you ask?"

Come to think of it, 'Shax' had disappeared, and in his place was the enigmatic, vengeful entity known as 'Hell Biker.' Was this the phenomenon of 'Persona evolution' taking place? No, I considered it more of an... 'advanced Awakening.' A realization that SOMETHING needed to change, whether it would be for better or for worse. "I've experienced it, but I wouldn't call it evolution. Consider it more as an awakening, or a realization. Something inside you just knows - something has to change. If you have a reason to fight, it comes out more easily. If you have someone you want to protect. Answers you want to seek. Someone you want to avenge..." I grit my teeth at those words.

To avenge someone.

"An obstacle you want to surpass. So many reasons. Yet, they vary from person to person, as I might have figured through my musings and ruminations. Alone, usually." I sighed and put the money into a pocket before covering my face, almost in shame. "Do you ask yourself, if you have a reason you want to see this to the very end? Sometimes I do. It gives you the drive to move forward." I still spoke, even as I shielded my face from Amane. Probably because I was thinking about Chidori again and wanted to cry. "I'm sorry. I might be waxing philosophical here, but... Bad memories popped up."

[Amane Mana]

"Long black-haired Ran? Yes, I work with her now," Huh...small world. "We got off to a bad foot in the past but that's behind us. Nowadays, you have to cooperate to get anything done. Regardless...thank you for this... money. Do I want to know how you made all this money? Did you get a part time job?" Amane instinctual twitched when Alisa said part time job. She looked away for a moment as she continued to push that part time job memory to the back of her mind.

"Junk Shop."

"Anyway, that shouldn't be any of my business; I apologize. Now, Persona evolution, you ask?" Amane looked back to Alisa, nodding. "I've experienced it, but I wouldn't call it evolution. Consider it more as an awakening, or a realization. Something inside you just knows - something has to change. If you have a reason to fight, it comes out more easily. If you have someone you want to protect. Answers you want to seek. Someone you want to avenge..." Amane arched an eyebrow. Avenge? "An obstacle you want to surpass. So many reasons. Yet, they vary from person to person, as I might have figured through my musings and ruminations. Alone, usually." Alisa sighed. . "Do you ask yourself, if you have a reason you want to see this to the very end?" Amane looked Alisa before looking down at her bento box. Why Amane wants to see this to the end? Why she was pouring so much effort into investigating these incidents? To get out of this alive of course what other reason could she have? It's the most logical thing to do. "Sometimes I do. It gives you the drive to move forward." Amane looked back at Alisa. "I'm sorry. I might be waxing philosophical here, but... Bad memories popped up."

"I...see..." Amane presented her notes to Alisa. "Keep these, I made additional copies at home. I apologize if I brought up any bad memories through my question I just wanted answers to something I noticed."

[Ayakura Alisa]

I looked back up at Amane as she presented some of her notes to me, mentioning that she made additional copies at home. Prepared, huh? That's not bad. She said she worked at the junk shop. So she worked for the strange blonde woman now, huh? I see. "That's not your fault; there's no need to apologize," I said as I took the notes to look through them. "I thought I had gotten over them, but I guess I hadn't." I continued, wondering if there was anything else that needed to be discussed. "If you have any other questions, don't be afraid to ask. I've still got lots of time."

[Amane Mana]

"That's not your fault; there's no need to apologize," Alisa said, taking the notes. "I thought I had gotten over them, but I guess I hadn't." Amane wasn't sure what to say...or if she should say anything. She decided to cast it to the back of her mind. She doesn't know her. They were only allies with benefits back at the full moon fight. For now she's just an ally she hired. "If you have any other questions, don't be afraid to ask. I've still got lots of time." Amane thought about it.

"What is your opinion on the most recent full moon shadow...or rather shadows." Amane needed to ask for Alisa's opinion. "I can't let a single stone unturned the slightest thing off I need to know."

[Ayakura Alisa]

"The most recent? When we defeated them, one of them regressed to a lesser form and ran away. It's possible that it may want to look for backup, it is even possible it may wish to report something through thoughtcraft," I sighed and twiddled with my fingers. "However, I don't have conclusive evidence. I will need to look into it. Though it's clear that these Shadows that appear under the full moon are much stronger and much more intelligent than your run of the mill Shadows. Though they may not share the same capacity of speech as the sentient Shadows we have already seen, we do not know if they actually cannot talk. It is possible they are capable of doing so, but they choose not to. Too many unknowns are present at the moment. All we are doing is defeating them so they do not endanger the city and its inhabitants, which was the bigger priority. Well, it tends to be since the fights take place here."

[Amane Mana]

"The most recent? When we defeated them, one of them regressed to a lesser form and ran away. It's possible that it may want to look for backup, it is even possible it may wish to report something through thoughtcraft," So it wasn't just her imagination then. Amane placed a hand on her chin in thought. "However, I don't have conclusive evidence. I will need to look into it. Though it's clear that these Shadows that appear under the full moon are much stronger and much more intelligent than your run of the mill Shadows." True. These shadows have enough knowledge to subdue their enemies if their numbers get too big. The tentacles from the school girl and the wall built by the sun and moon is proof enough. "Though they may not share the same capacity of speech as the sentient Shadows we have already seen, we do not know if they actually cannot talk. It is possible they are capable of doing so, but they choose not to. Too many unknowns are present at the moment. All we are doing is defeating them so they do not endanger the city and its inhabitants, which was the bigger priority. Well, it tends to be since the fights take place here."

"Yes but now I'm wondering something..." Amane looked down. She didn't even want to consider this conclusion but it would be ignorance if she just left it untouched. "Do have to do this every full moon from now on? Until we find out what is the cause? What if that's years? Do you think that we'lll keep up if you take into consideration that they grow more and more powerful every time?"

[Ayakura Alisa]

"Fair question to ask," I simply said, with a tinge of melancholy in my voice. "While it seems clear that at least some of us are going to turn up every time it's a full moon, I cannot guarantee this will end soon, though I and a bunch of others are doing our best to see this to a fast conclusion," I shook my head. "Unfortunately, there's still much we do not know and there are more surprises turning up at every corner. The shadows popping up every full moon are also growing in increasing strength, as you mention. However, you are forgetting the fact that we are also growing in strength. When this whole Shadow business started, I was a weak civilian without a Persona, though now I am a good deal stronger now than most who have awakened before I have." I simply said.

"I doubt it will be years. But perhaps we can get to the bottom of this before the end of this year. I hope."

[Amane Mana]

"Fair question to ask," Alisa began. "While it seems clear that at least some of us are going to turn up every time it's a full moon, I cannot guarantee this will end soon, though I and a bunch of others are doing our best to see this to a fast conclusion," The older woman shook her head. "Unfortunately, there's still much we do not know and there are more surprises turning up at every corner. The shadows popping up every full moon are also growing in increasing strength, as you mention. However, you are forgetting the fact that we are also growing in strength. When this whole Shadow business started, I was a weak civilian without a Persona, though now I am a good deal stronger now than most who have awakened before I have." Amane admit it was impressive. Alisa was an ordinary when they met. Now her persona has far exceeded hers. "I doubt it will be years. But perhaps we can get to the bottom of this before the end of this year. I hope."

"I hate to be a downer but getting to the bottom of something this absurd isn't exactly going to take a year. Neither of us nor anybody we've known have found anything that could be the cause of this lock down. If anything, it has gotten much more complicated with the appearance of human like shadows. Not to mention what if ending the lock down isn't some metaphorical button that just lets us out?" Amane looked at her now empty bento box and started to place it away. "Not to mention we're living somewhat comfortably now but who knows how long that is going to last?"

[Ayakura Alisa]

"There's no point in being so down about it. Do something about it if you are so scared that it will take forever," I simply said in response to Amane. "You're the one asking me for my services, after all. It would do me no good to be pessimistic about the situation. I'm trying my best to find out more on the matter but if you aren't even going to try then you've already lost the battle to begin with." I shrugged and looked up at nothing in particular. Amane was beginning to make my faith in humanity waver a little. I mean, come on, this is the worst time to be in a defeatist sort of mood. Nobody wants to be stuck in this place under the threat of Shadow attacks forever. What about the civilians who get suspended in time during these situations? Like, what happened at the school? How did the students handle the fallout? All of these things. They needed to be solved fast. Even if it didn't seem like it could be, I had to find a way.

[Amane Mana]

"There's no point in being so down about it. Do something about it if you are so scared that it will take forever,"Alisa said. "You're the one asking me for my services, after all. It would do me no good to be pessimistic about the situation. I'm trying my best to find out more on the matter but if you aren't even going to try then you've already lost the battle to begin with."

"I am doing something. I'm just not going to sugar coat what could be the worst conclusion." At least, that was how Amane liked to think of it. "I don't want to be blind to anything."

[Ayakura Alisa]

I shrugged. "I never said to ignore that possibility. I just think it is useless to look at this already grim crisis in that sort of manner. Stress can make you sick. I should know," I said. "I've been there." I stretched as soon I realized Amane had put away her empty bento box. "Just take care of yourself first, then. If you're that worried it's going to turn out that way, then you should be prepared for the worst, because we may be in for the long haul. You catch my drift?" I continued. I didn't really have much more to say in that department anymore. I have said my piece, after all.

"So have you got any further questions?"

[Amane Mana]

"I never said to ignore that possibility. I just think it is useless to look at this already grim crisis in that sort of manner. Stress can make you sick. I should know," Amane looked down as Alisa said that. She had a point but..."I've been there." Alisa said. Amane was now looking over at her. "Just take care of yourself first, then. If you're that worried it's going to turn out that way, then you should be prepared for the worst, because we may be in for the long haul. You catch my drift?" Amane could only nod in response to Alisa's words. "So have you got any further questions?"

"No." Amane said, now packing her school bag. "Thank you for giving out details and hearing me out. I'll be seeing you again soon." Amane got up from the bench. "I'll remember to meet you sooner this time around."