Are some of you shocked!? Just kidding. I hope some of you know that I put an AN on all of my stories when I started making this chapter. This piece of words is mostly just reviewing that and saying Hello to future readers. So hello!
However, THIS PIECE IS IMPORTANT! Okay people, to put simply, if you want to UNDERSTAND what this story is about, you need to read the challenge summary of it in my profile. Go check it out. It will no doubt make you excited.
Also THIS. I had wanted to make this like my other fan fictions and have it go completely third person... however, I realized how stupid that was. This is a Persona story we are talking about. It must have SOME Second Person perspective. So PLEASE NOTE THIS STORY WILL USE "You" a lot.
This story is hopefully going to be realistic. And for once, it won't focus mainly on romance, which is strange for me. However, this will definitely help my detailing of battle and action scenes along with friendship roles and surrogate family roles, despite my experience in both.
I won't be doing a guest show in here, as it is more tedious then writing the chapter XD
Please sit back, and enjoy the show.
Persona 4: Against All Odds: Chapter One: The Biggest Prologue Ever.
Darkness drifted all around you.
You were certain that this was not normal, although you found that you couldn't very well understand what normal was at that moment. It was as if you were drugged up beyond belief. Everything at that moment felt peaceful, despite the darkness and uneasy sensation of moving.
You likened it to the feeling of a car. What was a car again?...
Never mind that. It was irrelevant, anyway. The only thing that mattered was trying to understand what was happening. From there, you could continue.
Slowly, you tried to move your head up. Pausing only when you narrowed your eyes at the blue light which bathed two figures. One woman dressed in a blue outfit that matched both the light and background-a blue sofa and walls-with blonde hair and icy golden eyes. The other figure was far more attention grabbing. An old man with an almost completely bald head, his only hair being the white surges that surrounded his skull which was a giant bald spot. Strangely enough, his eyebrows were black and he had a long nose that went over his folded hands which seemed content to hide under his nose.
You normally would have jumped when you saw the old figure open his eyes, revealing a small pupil around blown out veins. But you found that in this strange and unknown state, that you could not even use the energy to move.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room..." the old being said, surprising you with his calm tone that almost seemed welcoming.
Realizing that you could suddenly feel a tug of energy back in your body, you tried to raise your head a bit more and let you eyes adjust to the light. Quickly, you took a few key notes about his surroundings.
Blue room with two sofas, a table, along with a wooden counter which held numerous bottles behind glass panes. Bright blue curtains were wrapped up above windows. A highly decorated ceiling with neon lights coming from the decor. Most importantly, the drifting fog outside the windows.
They were moving in a car. Not just any car. Obviously, it was some kind of super rich limousine.
The bizarre-looking old man started speaking, almost to himself. Or maybe he was complimenting you. You didn't know.
"Ahh... It seems we have a guest with an intriguing destiny. Hehehe..."
"My name is Igor..." he stated, and you suddenly felt that annoying habit of wanting to politely introduce yourself with formal Japanese. You shoved it down. Harshly.
Unable to say anything even with the unwanted urge to do so, 'Igor' continues his rambling.
"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter..." he said.
Great. You were in a limousine with a crazy old man who looked like he was planning to take over the world and what seemed to be either his keeper, wife, or whore. You couldn't decide, but it didn't matter. That was irrelevant as well.
"It is a room that only those bound by a 'contract' may enter..." Igor continued, making your rational thought process take over once more.
Why would I be here then? I don't remember any contract. At least none that I signed. Did someone forge my name? Did those two-
You stopped yourself before you continued that train of thought. Of course there was always the possibility that there was no contract and this guy was just as crazy as he seemed. You suddenly felt stupid for believing him for even a second.
Igor, seemingly unfazed by the deadpan look on your face, goes on to what he was saying. "It may be that such a fate awaits you in the near future."
That threw you through a loop. It didn't make sense. How could I enter this place without a contract already in place? Okay, you were in a limousine with a crazy old man.
Now what to do about it?...
"Now then... Why don't you introduce yourself?" Igor asked, although it sounded like he knew you were going to once you could.
Suddenly, you feel like you can move your lips. It appears as easy as it was before so it doesn't look like you were unconscious long. Quickly deciding on how you should introduce yourself after tearing apart the old habit that tried to force it's way up again, you opened your mouth to speak.
"Souji Seta." You said, feeling the urge to sneer at your own name. You ignored it, but couldn't quite shove it down.
Igor blinks at your sudden words, as if he expected questions. Then his grin widened as if he knew something you didn't. You did not like the feeling.
"Now, let's take a look into your future, shall we?" Igor said, making you want to palm your face at the sheer casualness he said it with. Nobody could see the future, only make estimations of it. It was already clear that he had to sit in this limousine with a crazy old man, but did the man have to think he was a fortune-teller?
You saw the old man reach his hand out to the table top and stop just a few inches away. Suddenly, a flash of blue light and sound of humming came into existence as a deck of strange glowing cards appeared within it's spot.
That was some magician's trick, huh? What's the secret behind it? Glitter and mirrors? 'You probably had to use all your smoke on the outside of the limousine.' You thought depressingly.
Ignorant of your suffering, Igor proceeds to talk.
"Do you believe in fortune telling?"
You were just about to spew about how much bullshit it was when you realized your lips wouldn't move again. Damn exhaustion!
"Each result is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different." He said as the cards started moving around the table.
'Ahh... So their magnetic cards and their are some type of magnets around here. Most likely under the table. Makes sense seeing as how they're glowing.' You think to yourself about the possible explanations for this phenomena.
"Mehehe! Life itself follows the same principles, doesn't it?" Igor said, mirth overflowing his strange eyes.
For a split second, you felt pity for the sad man in front of you. It was obvious that the cruel world had done something to him to cause him to steal a limousine and adopt a whore to help him in kidnapping teens.
And then you remembered that he kidnapped you and felt your pity fall into a reasonable level again.
Igor moved his hand to reach for a card. He flipped it over, unaware that you were mentally telling yourself why he had to pick it up with his hands. You couldn't see the card well in your state. It seemed fate had planned to be a bitch in not letting you know your fortune, huh?
"Hm... The Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems as though a terrible catastrophe is imminent."
'They have a card for Terrible Catastrophe Soon? Can I send one to my parents? Hell, Igor, you could even sign it for me!'
"The card indicating the future beyond that is...The Moon, in the upright position. This card represents...'Hesitation' and 'mystery'... Very interesting indeed."
'Hmm... That suits me pretty well. Did you pick it out as a gift?'
"It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you."
'By the way, where is my destination?...'
"In the coming days, you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here."
Your thought process stopped at that. To return meant you had to leave. 'Okay, sure. I'll 'return' here someday... Most likely with a police force in front of me as a meat shield though.'
"The coming year is a turning point in your destiny... If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost."
You ignored that sentence. Destiny and you never fit well together. Fate seemed to be designed to bring you down.
"My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen."
A sense of doubt fell into place as you wondered why he felt that was his duty and how he could assist you.
With a wave of his hand, Igor made the cards on the table vanish. You briefly wondered if it was an illusion trick like the triple layered mirror and coin trick, but those don't move and cannot be flipped.
Your mind continued to try and find ways to disprove the action it just witnessed. But it all came to naught.
"Ah! I have neglected to introduce my assistant to you." Igor said, actually sounding surprised.
"This is Margaret. She is a resident of this room, like myself."
The cold eyed woman turned towards you to say her piece. "My name is Margaret. I am here to accompany you through your journey."
Brief random thoughts flew through your head at her as she spoke. They were so varied that they went from 'How did you become crazy' to 'Why do you wear red lipstick and a blue outfit'.
"We shall attend to the details another time."
Your eyes glimmered with the thought of freedom.
"Until then, farewell..."
All you knew, faded to black.
Souji blinked. He felt like he had just witnessed an entire movie in five seconds and forgot the whole thing. Slowly shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, he accidentally listened in on the other people talking near him.
They were waiting for the monorail as well, he supposed.
"At first, he bags a singer then he has an affair with a TV announcer on the side. Do chicks really dig politicians?" a male voice asked curiously.
'The world may never know, my fellow male...They may never know...' Souji thought to himself briefly.
"Isn't it just stuff like money and connections? When you get down to it, financial and political power is what matters." A female chipped in factually.
Souji could feel his empty face fall into a scowl. Yes, that was indeed what the world was like. At the very least, his world.
His parents cared little for anything but their power and money. Souji liked to believe that they fell in love somewhere along their devious little partnership they called 'marriage'. But it was anything but that, as he was certain that it was just to prevent the possibility of a bastard child ruining their reputations.
In his entire life, he had probably seen his mother's smile less than 20 times. He was also certain that that was more than he had actually seen the woman herself. Most of those smiles being on TV. His father was even more seldom to visit him.
His dark thoughts were cut off from the screeching of the monorail pulling in. He quickly got on and tried to put the rest of the world on 'Ignore' for a while.
The monorail made little noise to the people inside it. Souji was too busy remembering why he was on the monorail in the first place to care about such things anyway.
His parents had to move again, and as such, he needed to as well. They were always in the same city before now. But he supposed that didn't matter if he couldn't see them. He always wondered if he really wanted to see them more often. They seemed like hate-able people.
This time, since they had probably found a cheaper method of getting him an education, he was going somewhere else to stay with a relative. That was all that was in the letter other then the directions to get to the train and what stations to get on and off from.
By the end of his thoughts, he noticed he was already out of the monorail and walking into the train at the train station. Souji knew that his auto-pilot was good but he didn't think it was that good. Quickly, he checked the number on the train to see that it was indeed the correct one.
All he had to do now... Was wait.
He opened his eyes with a tensed body.
Seeing nothing but a fast moving forest outside the window, he relaxed.
Souji had never been good with sleeping. Although, he wasn't an insomniac, he just didn't sleep much. He had long forgone taking medicine as it had made him feel shitty during the day as well.
Feeling his cheap phone vibrate, he pulled it out to read the message displayed in neat Japanese characters.
Meet us outside Yasoinaba Station at 4PM.
Oh, what do you know. The intercom just came on speaking about that station. Souji got up and took his bag from above the seat.
It was a small bag that he carried over he shoulder. Honestly, it was kind of sad that everything he owned was inside that bag or on him right now. His parents weren't rich, but they were far from poor. They simply didn't care about him as long as he stayed in line as a care taker for them when they got old. As long as he didn't stray from his fate of being nothing more than a financial tool, they wouldn't care.
Sadly, entertainment didn't factor much in financial support.
Mostly it was just clothing inside the bag, but he did store his computer in it as well. Despite the fact that the computer took up much needed space in the bag, he wouldn't let the one gift he ever received in his entire life stay anywhere but with him.
Walking out of the station he saw a middle-aged man waving at him with a small girl by his side. Casually skulking over to them, he shook the man's hand.
"Well, your even more handsome in person than in your photo." the man said.
Souji briefly thought about how he had a photo of him, before discarding it and simply believing his mother had used manipulation to get this man to take him in.
"Welcome to Inaba. I'm Ryotaro Dojima. I'll be looking after you." 'Dojima' said with a small smile, before it fell off his face.
"Lets see... I'm your mother's younger brother... and that about sums it up." he continued with little emotion. Souji could tell that this man had seen the vileness of his older sister. Something else told him that they were going to get along fine.
"Pleased to meet your, sir. I am Souji Seta."
The formal Japanese words come out of Souji's mouth before he has a chance to stop them, but they don't sound rehearsed nor awkward.
For a second, he thought he saw a frown on Dojima's face before the man chuckled.
"Heh. You probably don't remember, but we've met. I've changed your diapers before, you know." said the middle-aged man. Suddenly, Souji felt like a large piece of his childhood was ripped away. He always thought his mother at least changed his diapers when he were a baby. Now he learns it was his uncle?...
At the very least, he felt happy someone cared about him.
Dojima slightly pushed the little girl next to him up front with a smile.
"This here is my daughter." he said, somehow mixing both pride and warmth. Oh how Souji longed for the day his name was said like that. Sadly, he knew it wouldn't happen. That was the voice of a proud parent. He would never have such a thing.
"Come on, Nanako, introduce yourself to your cousin." Dojima said with slight mirth.
The girl, Nanako seemed apprehensive, before saying a mumbled 'Hello', which only the last part was heard.
With an embarrassed blush, the little girl hid behind her father from her cousin. It was obvious she was not used to new people, let alone new 'family'.
Dojima laughed a little before asking, "What're you so shy for?"
Nanako's face scrunched up slightly with childish anger, making her seem more cute then before. She slapped her father on his back for his teasing.
"Ow! Hahah!" He flinched from the slap but laughed at her face more. It was more cute then scary, but both the males wondered if she knew that.
Smiling slightly at the pouting girl, Dojima returned his attention back to Souji and said, "Well, then... Let's get going. My car is over there."
Just as Souji was about to turn and follow the pair to their car, he brushed a person who had been walking the other way. Strange that he didn't see her, as no one else was there. Before he could turn around, he heard a voice.
"...Hey."
Souji looked at the speaker to see a girl with pale skin and black hair, matching her onyx eyes. Her outfit seemed to consist of a white shirt and black tie, with black and red sleeves appearing underneath the shirt and a red skirt finishing the outfit.
"You dropped this." she said, holding out a piece of paper.
"Thank you." Souji said, taking the paper from her hands with unnoticeable caution.
"Whatever. All I did was pick it up." she stated, before folding her arms under her chest. Normally the gesture would have looked like she was independent, but she somehow made it seem like she was lost. Souji ignored that train of thought as he looked over the paper. He noticed it was the letter from his parents that detailed the instructions to Inaba.
"It was still kinder then what most people would have done." Souji said looking her straight in the eyes before leaving quickly to follow Dojima. He knew that the woman was still staring at him, but ignored it. She was probably only slightly curious about him, just as he was to her. But it was irrelevant, as he didn't speak well with others.
Despite the fact that Souji was supposed to make many friends and connections with people. He had always kept to himself. He never really liked the other kids when he was in school because everyone felt it necessary to tease him about his hair. As such, he had little social skills for the rest of his life, only relying on his intelligence and memory on what he had heard other people talk about.
Just one more challenge he would overcome.
Souji got in the car with Dojima and Nanako. He glanced at the shy girl who looked away and then outside the window. He let his mind wander as his auto-pilot took snapshots of the town.
The car pulled to a stop inside a gas station. It seemed out of place in a shopping district of such a small town, but nobody else cared. Dojima asked Nanako if she could go to the bathroom, which she answered positively.
The attendant who saw the girl stepping on one foot over the other repeatedly while looking around, decided to give some help.
"It's in the back, to your left. You know which way's left? The side you don't hold your chopsticks in." she said with a gentle smile. You compared it to a motherly smile but couldn't tell. You had too little experience with both.
Nanako responded with exasperation, slightly annoyed that someone was teasing her again. But she quickly ran off towards the bathroom.
The attendant seemed to smile at the girl's exasperation as well. It was probably quite amusing.
Dojima and the attendant exchanged small talk, but you didn't really pay it much attention. Something was messing with your head right now. There was something dangerous here. It was making the hair stand up on your neck.
Humans had often studied this sense of survival. But had ruled it out as a 'sixth sense' as it wasn't necessarily a sense. Studies show that it is a human's deepest instincts coming out to make it's host survive. To allow it to fight against seemingly impossible situations so that both can continue on towards another day.
You trusted your instincts more than anything else except your intelligence. And even that wasn't all the time.
"Are you in high school?" a voice broke your thoughts. You looked back at the attendant. A woman with pale skin that did not fit the countryside of Inaba, her strange hair looking similar to your own but lighter and more shiny. Her eyes were a vivid red. She carried herself like a man, and her skin actually looked masculine. It appeared as if this woman was a very much season boxer.
Sensing your confusion, the woman continues speaking.
"Does it surprise a city boy how little there is to do around here? There is so little to do that I am sure you'll get bored fast. You'll either be hanging out with your friends or doing part-time jobs."
"Speaking of which, we're looking for part-time help right now. Give it some thought, why don't you? We don't mind if your a student." she finished her talking with a pleasant smile. The gas attendant puts out her hand and you shake it steadily. Through that handshake you can sense the strength this woman has in her body. You most certainly don't want to get into an arm wrestling match with her.
Nanako comes walking back and the attendant quickly excuses herself back to her job. You notice Nanako looking at you with worried eyes. Before you could ask her what was wrong, the light in the are seemed to brighten enough to give you a headache.
"...Are you okay?" Nanako asks with a concerned, albeit still shy, tone. Somehow she is closer then she was before. The girl must have walked up while you were in pain.
"Did you get carsick?" she asks again when you don't respond.
You smile slightly at the girl's innocent questions. "Maybe. It was a long ride here." the words are said before you could stop yourself. But looking back on them, they weren't technically wrong.
Dojima walked back up to you with a cigarette in his mouth. He takes a single look at you before softly asking, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
Somehow, this man had mastered the art of talking with a cigarette in his mouth. If you weren't looking at him, you wouldn't be able to tell he was smoking. You simply nod your head and reply with a bit of embarrassment.
"I'm just a little light headed."
Dojima nods and replies with the same logical answer you came up with, "That's understandable. It must have been a long trip for you. Why not take a little walk, get some fresh air? Let me know when you're ready to go."
You nod and walk off, intent to memorize the area before you leave. Might as well make some good things out of this headache.
After looking around you notice a bookstore. But it seems as though it is closed. Upon closer inspection, you can see that a note on the door states the shopkeeper is out of town and coming back tomorrow. Judging by the dust on the door, they were gone for a bit. Fortune shines on you for your timing. This town would have been boring without something to read.
You notice in the reflection of the window a girl across the street. She is standing there with a contemplative look on her face. She seems to have noticed you but doesn't stray much from her thoughts. Chances are she just isn't that good at social points, just like you. She seems to hold herself in a cautious air, but that is a double edged sword. She may be safer than others but she is also more reserved and less experienced in other matters. You know this from experience. Anyone who isn't a genius will become a complete loner without much hope in life. And even a genius like you probably has mental problems because of your life.
It's amazing what you can find out about someone from the little details such as that.
Shaking your head, you continue your quest to scope out the area, hoping that you didn't space out too much.
Luck is on your side today it appears. The district is rather small, small enough for you to memorize the rest before Dojima get's bored.
There is a metal works with a fierce-looking man pounding on something in the back of the store. Judging by the smell of the place, it's works are original and authentic. It makes you wonder how it is still allowed to run. Japan has rather serious laws regarding weapons.
You also spot a tofu shop, which you instantly ignore. You would eat tofu if you had to, but with your cooking skills you very much doubt you would ever have to. Because of your rather sheltered and lonely life, cooking for yourself was the only way to have some control in your life. Your parents couldn't control what you ate. Despite this, instant ramen was still one of your favorites. Cheapest too.
The final shop down before you start going out of sight from Dojima, is a small convenience store. It seems lively for some reason. You feel like you will be going here a lot for your business.
"How you feeling? Ready to get back in the car?" Dojima ask casually, with a hint of worry in his eyes. Somehow, it's not in his voice. This man is trained in some type of speech, most likely. You nod with a sheepish smile.
"Then let's hit the road." he says with a smile.
The car is parked just a bit down the street from the small ally that separates the houses. Dojima walks off into a particularly traditional style house. It has almost the entire frame made of wood but you can see the foundation is hard as concrete. It's a rather big house for the countryside actually.
Dojima opens the door and walks in, with Nanako following.
You stay out in the street though. You stare at the house which will be your home for the next year. After that, you are expected to leave again and move somewhere else so your parents can keep their power hungry claws on you. A tool's fate can not be used without it's wielder around.
It's good for you that you never liked fate, huh?
This is the time. Finally, the time for you to live your own life. And you won't let them take you away when the year is done. Sure, you won't be staying here. You already feel like a nuisance to Dojima. But Inaba will be your home. It was either that... or be a tool to be used and abused.
Your eyes narrowed with a feeling of disgust. You would not let them use you. You would not let them break you. This was your life, and you would be damned if you let them even try to touch it.
This is your story.
You smirk coldly, walking into the house with your headache all but dispersed.
Dojima opens a can of soda, bringing your attention to him. He had decided that it was time for dinner and that meant it was time for your first meal with company.
At least, company you liked.
"All right. Let's have a toast." Dojima said, holding his can of soda up slightly in preparation. You and Nanako quickly follow his example and raise your drinks higher in the air. Your drinking something called TaP soda, while Dojima are drinking Second Maid. Nanako was sipping a glass of orange juice with both of her small delicate hands. You actually never drank soda that often. It was a good treat but you loved water. Sure, water was clear. But it was useful, cheap, and had a nice fresh taste to it.
...The more you think about it, you are sounding a lot like a miser.
Shrugging off the random thought, you hear Dojima prepare to speak.
"So... Your mom and dad are busy as always... they're working overseas, was it?" Somehow, you could feel that he was watching your reaction closely. He continued quickly though, most likely realizing that you had little expression.
"I know it's only for a year, but getting stuck in a place like this because of your parents... It's rough being a kid." Dojima said.
You smile mischievously and reply, "Oh, I don't know about that. I believe I will enjoy being here."
Dojima smiles and says, "Well, it's just me and Nanako here, so it'll be nice having someone like you around."
You quickly notice that this man is quite intelligent and has been judging your character based on your every twitch. Even though this man was kind enough to actually care about you and house you for a year, your respect towards him was still going up from that alone. You had a bit of pride in your ability to hide your true self. But you could tell this man had picked up a few hints of it in just a day.
"So long as your here, you're part of the family, so make yourself at home." Dojima says, surprising you greatly. Family was not taken as much in cities, however you understood it's emotional meeting due to your books and studies.
This man was gaining more and more of your respect by the minute...
"Thank you for you kindness, Dojima-san."
Despite the fact that the words are formal, you don't feel repulsed at yourself for saying them. This man has easily done more for you then anyone else has, and has yet to ask for anything in return. The least you can give him is your respect.
Although the shocked look on his face makes you worry slightly. He breaks out of his stupor with a smirk and replies, "Didn't I say make yourself at home? You don't act that formal at home."
Again, this man just gained the Number One Uncle of the Year award.
Just as Dojima was about to dig into his food, his cellphone rang. The man sighed before asking, "Who's calling at this hour?"
It was a reasonable question. The only people who should be calling others at this time are people in emergencies or jobs. Going on that, you were able to get a good couple of guesses as to what Dojima did in Inaba. Most likely, he was the head of the police department. His skills in discovering your own personality were astonishing to say the least, so it would make sense combined with the nice house, phone call, and the way he carried himself. However, that was still a guess. The only thing you can say for certain was that Dojima was obviously a well respected member of this society.
Dojima talks on the phone slightly away from you. You don't touch a piece of food. Formal eating manners were pounded into you as a kid, and you didn't know if it was disrespectful to eat before the 'Man of the House' did. You weren't going to risk it with the respect you had for Dojima.
"Looks like I made the right decision to skip the booze..." Dojima whispers depressingly, before speaking normally.
"Sorry, but I gotta go take care of some business. Go ahead and eat without me."
Nanako stands to see her father out, but he just says, "I don't know how late I'll be. Nanako, you help him out, okay?"
The innocent girl says okay but she seems depressed that her father is leaving right at dinner. Dojima nods and opens the door to see the weather. Droplets of rain poured down, without mercy, without pause.
"Nanako, it's raining out. What did you do with the laundry?" he asked, wondering about the clothes.
"I already brought it in!" Nanako called out from the house, just in case her father didn't hear with the rain.
While you couldn't see it, Dojima gave a nod and said, "Alright. Well, I'm off!"
With that, the door closed and you could hear the car starting despite the rain and distance.
Nanako sat back down and turned on the TV with the remote laying on the table. It's just a weather report, telling you it's going to rain for a bit this week.
"Let's eat." Nanako says, bringing your attention back to her. You nod.
After a bit of eating, you feel the awkwardness setting in. You decide it would be best to strike up a conversation.
"So... What does your dad do?" You ask with a curious tone.
"He... investigates stuff. Like crime scenes." she replied, hesitantly. She seemed surprised at your attempt to talk. Maybe she thought you were as quiet as she was.
"My dad's a detective." she finishes her explanation rather simply. It does take you by surprise however. You had thought he was the head of the police department, but he was really just a detective? Still, to be called this late. He is probably hired by the police themselves and given an official rank that matches that of a department head. Most likely, he probably has his own assistant.
You hear the news going on about some local news. A city council secretary, Taro Nametame, had an affair with a TV announcer, Mayumi Yamano. His wife, Misuzu Hiiragi, reveals that she will most likely pursue damages.
You feel a bit of unresolved hatred seep into your mind at that. Despite, or rather, because your own parent's relationship, you feel that you should only marry someone if you truly love them. To cheat on someone, to betray the trust which that love is built upon, is as much of a sin to you as it is taboo in your country. It is probably one of the few things you find agreeable about the this society.
Nanako changes the channel, stating it was boring. You agree with her as you really don't wanna listen about an affair either.
"At Junes, everyday is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products!" the TV is showing a commercial for a shopping center that just happens to be in your town. You feel happy that such a thing is in your town. It will make things much easier and enjoyable in your new life.
"Every day's great at your Junes!~!" The commercial sings a catchy jingle. Even you have to admit, it is rather nice.
Nanako gasps with a smile and repeats the words in song form, "Every day's great at your Junes~!"
You look on in surprise at the formerly shy girl singing cheerfully. She must have noticed your stare because she blushed a bit in embarrassment before redirecting the stare with her own. "Aren't you gonna eat?"
She asked the words casually but there was some shyness in them. You smile and nod.
Yeah... You're gonna enjoy it here.
Everything was shrouded by white.
It was a stark contrast to the darkness in which you arrived in that 'Velvet Room'. This white didn't surround you. It surrounded everything else but you. It was as if you were the only thing left in this world. And upon looking around, it sure seemed that way.
What happened? Weren't you just about ready to go to bed? Is this a dream?
Irrelevant. It all was irrelevant right now. The only thing that mattered was getting back home.
You stopped yourself from making a dark comment on the location of said home, but the feeling of desolation didn't leave you. You doubted it ever truly would.
Walking along the red bricks that did not connect yet were still close enough to be a road, you realize the white vastness of space around you is actually a really thick fog. You have seen fog before, but this is ridiculous. You couldn't even see five feat away.
Sighing a bit, you continue forward as there is nothing else to do.
Do you seek the truth?
You stopped. A voice rang through your head, saying words without a tone somehow. Or maybe it was a genderless tone. You couldn't tell, as it was giving you a headache.
When nothing else was heard, you continued onward through the dense fog.
If it's truth you desire, come and find me...
This time, you could tell the voice was from up ahead, and not inside your mind. For some reason that did little to help your mood or thoughts.
Running on, you notice a wall. Or rather, some type of wall. It looked decorated and almost like a hidden door that posed as a wall. With black and red squares outlining eachother in pattern, it looked suspicious in a world of white fog.
Slowly, very cautiously, you pushed your hand into the center square. It disappeared from sight and the other squares starts spinning outside of eachother until the spot that previously held the middle square was as big as a doorway, allowing you through.
The room that greeted you was, perhaps, worse than the last.
Nothing but a big wide open space of fog. You couldn't even see the floor that you stepped onto. It was as if the fog solidified and made the floor itself.
However, after glancing around a lot you saw something. A figure in the smoke, it looked slightly curvy, showing that it was most likely female. However, it's height and body type showed that the figure had many male qualities as well. Your well trained eyes could not see past that, though. The entire figure was still encased in fog.
So... You are the one pursuing me... Hmheheh... Try all you like.
Suddenly, the figure drew back and blended into the fog, however you could still sense where it was. It was as if you were combining your memory with your current sight. You felt annoyance.
Charging at the spot where you were certain that the figure was, you brought your hands down over your head. A sword was gripped between them, which you didn't realize nor did you stop to wonder about. It was there, the reason was irrelevant as there was no way for you to even perceive how it was there.
Somehow, you felt the sword in your hands get pushed back, almost as if it was being repelled. You didn't like the unknown feeling of despair that came with the repulsion.
You pivoted your body forward and kicked off of the figures stomach to back away. Your foot is in slight pain however. It felt like jumping off a steel wall.
Hmm... It appears that you can see a little inside this fog...
Rage seeped into your blood. This figure challenged you, yet it treats the entire event as a mere game. Even the sword in your hand suddenly felt like a toy right then. You didn't like that. Rage turned to anger, and anger turned to power. Your blade was sharpened.
Charging once more and trying to surprise the figure, you swing your sword into a forward uppercutting arc. It no longer felt like a toy, it was alive. It was hungry for blood. But it seemed fate had once again frowned on you and your ally. The sword cut your opponent, but it did not bleed.
In the single second of your hesitation, the figure's curiosity was hampered in it's surprise. It threw you away without a moment's notice, pushing you slightly up into the sky and farther away then before.
In midair, you pivoted slightly and slammed your sword into the ground to halt your advance. It felt similar to cutting through cardboard, but the momentum still stopped. Taking a moment to realize cutting the ground felt remarkably similar to cutting the figure, you stare back at your enemy.
I see... That is very interesting information, indeed... Even now you are learning...
You suddenly felt cold. The fog condensed slightly, almost imperceptibly. But several years of doing nothing staring outside windows and watching the droplets of rain fall had trained your eyes to speeds and sights that even an above-the-norm fighter wouldn't be able to catch.
But, you will not catch me so easily...If what you seek is the 'truth', then your search shall be even harder.
Somehow, you didn't want to simply catch this figure. You wanted to it to know that even with all it's strengths and abilities, you would still win. A strength flowed through you, but it felt foreign. It wasn't your own, but remarkably similar. You could easily use this power.
But, you didn't. It wasn't yours. And even if it was, where would the entertainment be in simply matching this god-like opponent with similar powers? What would be the point of it?
With this in mind, you did not simply decline the energy. You rejected it completely. You did not need it's power. It would lead you astray from your one and only truth. And that is, 'One's path can only be determined by their own will and power combined'.
Your path intervened with fate. It would continue to do so. Maybe you were foolish for denying even the gracious terms that fate would offer you, but you didn't want anything decided for you. This power, was the power of fate. As such, you would deny it.
The figure was almost completely covered in fog. Even if you attacked, you had doubts that it would hit.
You abandoned those thoughts. If you strike, you shall hit. If you hit, you shall kill. That was all you needed to know. Your determination was mirrored by your blade. It had taken a blue hue, surpassing that of the fog around you.
Running straight at where you perceived the figure, you ignored the memory was where it was before.
You ran straight through the figure and slashed into the one hiding behind it. You could feel your blade carve into it's skin, yet still no blood. No death.
But you could still sense the surprise.
Before you could continue the attack, you were pushed back by the figure. It's surprise becoming will. It's will becoming force.
You were slammed into the wall you came into the room from. Slowly, but surely you fell unconscious once again. You couldn't hear the words the figure uttered, but you were certain of one thing.
It's tone held more than just curiosity. There was a hint of admiration in it.
You were recognized, even if you were as a lesser opponent. Your lips quirked up slightly.
*Knock Knock*
"Breakfast is ready..."
You swerved your eyes towards the door. Just a moment ago, you were sitting up on your bed. But you don't remember waking up.
Did you sleep sitting instead of laying down?...
It was irrelevant, you supposed. You still got some sleep, and you back wasn't exactly uncomfortable.
You quickly get ready and put on some clothes. It is your first day of school today, and you would rather not have the teachers yell at you for more than just your strange grey hair.
Going downstairs, you can smell some food. However, after recognizing the scents, you immediately link them to what they belong.
'Sunny side eggs... Toast... Sausages?... Yeah and milk...' you thought to yourself.
Milk was kind of hard to smell, as it's odor didn't travel. However, it did mix with other scents in subtle ways. It was just hard to tell how. Even after cooking for yourself for almost eight years, you only learned it's scent after the sixth year.
"Good morning." Nanako said, as she noticed you come into the room.
You simply nod and sit down.
"Okay, let's eat!" Nanako says, with a slightly more excited tone. For some reason, memories of how girls reacted back in the city towards someone eating their cooking and praising it came back to you. Maybe it was an instinctive response to appraise of skills.
You smile and nod. Gently picking up a fork, as chopsticks weren't used for everything, and eating the eggs.
The taste was actually rather good. It hasn't been seasoned, but it was still cooked with perfect balance and timing. If you taught her how to season foods, she could probably make this dish equal to your own sunny side eggs.
After some microsecond thinking, you realize that it must be from practice. Her father isn't home right now, and as a detective, it is possible he isn't there often. Nanako most likely had to cook for herself. A slow type of rage tried to work it's way into your blood at that thought, but you tempered it and saved it for later.
Putting on a teasing smile, you tell Nanako, "This is rather good, Nanako-chan. Should I contact a local chef and tell them a little girl might be stealing his hat?"
As expected, Nanako blushed slightly at the praise and giggled. It seems she understood the joke. This helped your understand that her maturity is still above average. You don't know whether to be happy or sad about that, so you just continue smiling.
"Hey, today is your first day at school right?" Nanako asked, looking far less shy than before.
At your nod, she continues, "My school is on the way, so... Let's go together!"
You gaze at the innocent smile she has on her face, and you decide to save the joke you had and be slightly serious.
"Okay, but you better have an umbrella or I'm walking you to your school with mine."
The words sound slightly emotionless or factual, however you can tell that Nanako heard the concern. Children are always perceptive to positive emotions somehow.
She simply smiles and nods before continuing to eat. You dig in as well, before getting your umbrella and leaving with Nanako.
Thankfully, she did have an umbrella. That calmed your heart about the stores in Inaba, as they obviously held some of the necessities.
School Zone, Samegawa Flood Plain.
It turns out that a lot of the rural zones in Japan had flood plains, as they got wet rather often. Without them, a lot of water and mud could have collected and made the town a lot harder to build.
It seems as though this flood plain also held all the paths to the schools in Inaba, which was a rather terrible move. Either way, Nanako went a separate path than yourself since her elementary school was not your high school.
Along the way of walking towards your school, you noticed that some idiot was trying to ride a bike and hold his umbrella at the same time. You quickly jumped out of his way before he could accidentally hit you, but he continued on. Right into a pole.
Even you winced as the poor guy was flipped off his bike and landed crotch first on his handles.
Seeing the guy in pain, you decide that he wasn't getting up anytime soon. And you were not helping with the wound that he no doubt had. You left the guy alone and continued onward to school.
After walking in, you quickly locate the faculty office and tell them your situation. A man with goat teeth, which you didn't even know was possible, was complaining and complaining to another teacher. The attendant at the desk sighed with an apologetic look and called the buck tooth guy over.
And that got you into this situation. Following 'Mr. Morooka' through the halls as he yelled and harassed other students. Sometimes he turned on you and tried to do the same, but you weren't in the mood today so you simply glared at him with, trying to redirect your anger at your parents into a glare towards this man.
It must have worked, because Mr. Morooka paled as if he just saw the Shinigami himself and turned around to start walking faster.
The rest of the trip to his classroom was rather quiet.
Mr. Morooka opened up the door leading to his classroom, both of us noting that it was quite rowdy. The man with strange teeth talked as if he had speaking problems, which those teeth probably caused. You ignored most of it, until he started talking about you.
"Now I hate wasting my time, but I'd better introduce this transfer student." he says, practically ignoring you.
"This sad sack's been thrown from the big city out to the middle of nowhere like yesterday's garbage. And he's just as much of a loser here as he was there, so you girls better not get any ideas about hitting on him! Tell'em your name, kid, and make it quick." the man says derisively.
You just stand there for a single second as you process what he said, surprise evident in your mind but not on your face. Slowly, your lips pull into a condescending smirk.
"My name is Souji Seta, and as this clearly homosexual man has just said, I was thrown from the big city all the way over here. Although, I'm pretty sure I was on a train, maybe his countryside language is just off and mixed the two ideas up? What do you all think?"
The stunned looks on all of the students' faces are almost worth the amount of effort you took to put innocence into your tone. However, the absolutely stupefied look on the teacher's face was more than worth whatever punishment you may receive. Although, hopefully with your manipulation skills, you can shake off the punishment.
"Y-you just called me- What!?" Mr. Morooka stuttered in rage, as his face turned almost red from his anger.
Keeping up the look of an innocent teenager, you question, "Oh, were you not homosexual? I just assumed that because of the fact that you were clearly opposed to any type of female and male relationship in this class, that you must naturally only look at the other gender."
Personally, you didn't care if someone was interested in their own gender. But in Japan, it was very much frowned upon to have any type of romantic relation with a person of the same sex. As such, it was considered an insult to most people.
The class couldn't hold onto their shock as humor rose back out of their throats. Everyone started laughing and shaking with mirth, with the exceptions being Mr. Morooka and yourself. Something told you that it wasn't healthy for a man to have that much blood in their head.
"Huh?... Mr. Morooka, what is everyone laughing about? I'm afraid I simply don't have the intelligence to comprehend why someone, let alone everyone, would laugh at a simple question."
Your innocence was still going strong, but somehow you could tell that it wouldn't matter to Mr. Morooka even if you were actually as dumb as you were pretending to be. Just before Mr. Morooka could blow up in a heated storm of rage, a girl wearing a green jacket with yellow highlights spoke.
"Hey Seta-san, I don't think it's wise to continue to hold your introduction time so long. It's probably best if you just sit down. This seat is the only one left." said a slightly high pitched voice.
You thanked Lady Fortune as you smiled and nodded at the girl. Pretending to be ignorant of the teacher who looked like he was deflating at the sudden interruption, you walked to the seat next to the one who had helped you.
Sensing that his time to reprimand you had also lost it's value, Mr. Morooka continued with his lectures while glaring at you. Anyone could guess that he would have vengeance at some point. You just smiled and nodded at him, continuing the blissfully ignorant teenager act.
"That's all for today. Normal lectures will start tomorrow."
And with that, Mr. Morooka was about to leave the room to go and plot some devious plan at revenge. Unfortunately, the intercom started up with a tune, halting the leave of the jackass.
You never thought you would dislike an intercom, but you started having different opinions about a lot of things since arriving in Inaba. Maybe it was just the fact that you felt your opinion mattered for once.
"Attention, all teachers. Please report immediately to the Faculty Office for a brief staff meeting. All students must return to their classrooms and are not to leave school until further notice."
"You heard the announcement, don't leave until told otherwise!" Morooka exclaimed before leaving, stopping only for a short glare at you. Thoughts flew through your head at a speed only geniuses could comprehend, let alone use.
You ignored most of them though as sirens played outside the windows.
Nothing really happened during the wait except you hearing about some paparazzi looking for an announcer, Mayumi Yamano.
Apparently, the girl with a green jacket who had saved you from the teacher's anger, had heard some kid talking about said announcer being his soul mate. You almost scoffed at that, but kept your emotions in check. Soul mates didn't exist. If they did, then almost everyone would have one by now. If that was true, how come you didn't?
You shook your head. Such thinking was irrelevant. And it would never be absolutely proven.
"Attention, all students. There has been an incident inside the school district. Police officers have been dispatched around the school zone. Please stay calm and contact your parents or guardians as soon as possible, and quickly leave the school grounds. Do not disturb the police officers. Head directly home."
Instantly, almost everyone around you started chatting and gossiping before leaving. Most likely to see the incident and ignore the intercom's warning.
You vaguely wonder why everyone got worked up, before chiding yourself for forgetting a basic piece of information. This was a rather small town, so people had little left to do but gossip. This caused them to get excited over the smallest things.
Getting up from your seat, you grab your book bag which had been a gift from the school. Setting your balance properly, as your legs were slightly numb, you hear the girl in green speak to you.
"Hey, are you going home by yourself? Why don't you come with us?" the girl asked in quick succession.
Before you even had the chance to answer the questions, she continued talking again.
"Oh, nearly forgot! I'm Chie Satonaka. You know I sit right next to you, right?" she finishes, with a smile.
All you can do is blink for a second before your brain begins processing what she had said. You've never heard someone speak so fast before! Furthermore, how could you not know that she sat right next to you?
Your reply has a bit of numbness in it, as it is obvious that your confused by the girl, "Of course?..."
"Well, nice to meet you. This," Chie nods her head towards her raven-haired friend who wore red, "is Yukiko Amagi."
The aforementioned girl looks slightly surprised at being introduced before saying, "Oh, nice to meet you... I'm sorry that this is so sudden..."
You instantly note that her words have slight formal mixtures. Most notably, the fact that she had apologized for simply interrupting whatever you may be doing. That instantly rings alarms in your head. However, before you can continue your line of thought, Chie indirectly states what was on your mind.
"C'mon, don't apologize like that. It makes me look like I got no upbringing... I just wanted to ask some stuff, really!" the brunette says, looking at you with mischievous eyes. Something tells you that she likes gossiping.
Footsteps were heard, as almost no one was left in the classroom but you three, and your instantly note that another student is approaching you, or at least, your group.
The poor guy looked a bit bleak. Brown hair, with similar colored eyes, and a bored face. He had slight fear and apprehension in his eyes, but you couldn't understand why. Was your hair that strange?
"Uhh... Satonaka-san?... This was really awesome. Like, the way they moved was just amazing to see..." he said, but it sounded like he was stuttering slightly.
You had little idea what he was referring to, before you noticed he was carrying a DVD case. You made the connections easily.
"And... I'm really sorry! It was an accident! Please just have mercy until my next paycheck!" he cried out, bowing down informally while holding the DVD case out to Chie.
Chie took the case cautiously and the guy tried speed walking away right after saying, "Seeya, thanks!"
"Stop right there! What did you do to my DVD?!" Chie exclaimed, chasing him down.
*Crash!*
You wince at the spot Chie kicked the poor bleak student. That guy was going to feel that in the morning...
The brunette girl opened up the DVD to find out that it was cracked in three pieces. Shock played across her face, before it filled with anger.
"It's completely cracked!"
"I-I think mine's c-cracked too... C-Critical hit to the nads..." The pained student squeaks out. You couldn't stop the wince you just had even if you tried.
It seems Yukiko wasn't arrogant or cruel like some of the other people in school, as she had immediately asked the poor guy, "A-Are you alright?"
The poor guy managed a pained groan in response.
"He's fine Yukiko! Let's ditch him and go home." Chie stated, still looking peeved about her DVD being broken.
The girls leave after Chie puts her DVD in her backpack, but you stay just a bit longer to stare sorrowfully at the poor pained student. He is obviously in a lot of pain, but there is nothing you can do for him. So you leave and let him rebuild his pride in private.
Outside, near the front of the school, you meet up again with Chie and Yukiko, although they seemed to be waiting for you again. You three immediately initiate some small talk which will no doubt be forgotten in a few minutes. Suddenly, you see a strange man wearing a completely different high school uniform walk up to your group.
"Hey, you're Yuki, right? D-Do you want to hangout somewhere?" the strange man asked, showing nothing but an emotionless gaze.
Yukiko looks surprised, but his appearance must have freaked her out a bit, as she looked slightly fearful. Maybe the fact that this stranger had just blatantly nicknamed her without knowing her, because that just added a bit to the whole creepy look.
"What?... Wh-Who are you?..." Yukiko stutters out, slight apprehension taking form in her voice.
You suddenly notice that people are crowding around you speaking about rumors and such. You unconsciously ignore them, but it seems the strange kid couldn't even hear them.
"Umm, s-so... Are you coming or not?" the kid asked impatiently.
"I-I'm not going..." Yukiko managed to stutter a denial out, but it could be seen that she was a bit freaked out by the man. This guy probably looked like the worst soon-to-be-rapist in all of history.
The man immediately cuts her off with an angry retort of, "Fine!" even though he kept his emotionless face on. Afterwards, he just ran away.
You three talked a bit about the strange encounter and you managed to learn that Yukiko wasn't that good in social interactions. Also, the pained student from before came back with his bicycle and joined the conversation as well. However, he was torn from him pain free moment as Yukiko turned him down from a date after he asked, since she couldn't remember him ever asking before.
"That'll teach me to get my hopes up..." was the poor guy's only response. The guy left on his bicycle after telling the girls not to pick on you too much. Chie yelled that she was just curious, before you all left. A crowd started to develop after Chie started yelling, and none of you wanted to be in on that.
On the way home, you tell Chie and Yukiko about why you were in the city, albeit a less informative version. You simply told them that your parents moved and had given you to your uncle to watch over for awhile.
You also learned that Yukiko was the heir of the Amagi family in Inaba, which ran the Amagi Inn. The Inn just happened to be the 'Pride of Inaba', as well. This explained why the girl was slightly formal and had that strange regal air to her.
And then, Chie suddenly turned the conversation into something random.
"So... You think Yukiko's cute, huh?" she asked, mischief in her eyes.
You simply stare at Chie before looking at Yukiko. The girl looks startled at being put in the spotlight so suddenly, and there is a slight blush on her face as she realizes you're checking her face out.
"I suppose she is cute. Why do you ask?" you question Chie, as you had no idea why she suddenly changed the topic.
That conversation quickly turned humorous as Chie started teasing Yukiko like she was her older sister or something.
However, your conversation comes to a quick end when Chie spots some police tape out in the open. It appears as though the investigation of the school's 'Incident' was in this district.
Some housewives were gossiping about something hanging from an antenna, but you couldn't understand what they were saying clearly.
Unfortunately, a few words did come into your hearing range.
"Well, I think it's horrible. To think, a dead body showed up around here!"
All three of your freeze. Chie begins questioning if she heard that correctly, but you all know that she did.
You hear footsteps over the chatter of the citizens and notice Dojima was here and he noticed you as well. Walking up to you with a slight sag in his shoulders, he questions you.
"Hey, what're you doing here?"
You answer easily with the truth, "We're just passing by..."
He looks a bit annoyed and says, "Huh, I should have figured that'd happen. That damn principle. We told him not to let them through here..."
It appears as though the principle of your school doesn't listen well to the police. You take note of that shortly, before Chie asks you a question.
"...You know this guy?" she asks with curiosity.
You simply nod and look towards Dojima with a raised eyebrow. He shrugs and explains.
"I'm Detective Dojima, his guardian. Uhh... Well, how should I say this?... I hope you get along with him. But you three really ought to stop wandering around and head straight home."
He stops talking as both you and him hear rushed footsteps. Dojima walks a bit to the side to avoid a guy wearing black clothing rush by him. The poor guy pukes in the trashcan across the street.
The three of you look surprised, while Dojima looks pissed.
"Adachi! How long are you going to act like a rookie? You want to be sent back to central office!?"
The sickly guy simply pants a bit before stuttering out, "I-I'm sorry... Nngh..."
Dojima sighs before saying, "Go wash your face. We're going to go around and gather information!"
Chie, Yukiko, and you simply talk a bit about the strange incident before the two of them head home.
With nothing left to do for the day, you head to your house as well. You greet Nanako when you come in before slipping out of your shoes and sitting down on a mat.
You and Nanako watch TV for a few hours before deciding to wait for the news.
Nanako looks down a bit with sadness before musing, "I wonder if Dad's not coming home again tonight..."
Despite your grand expression and knowledge, you have no proper response to that. Due to the similar situations that you have been in, you have the understanding to see what would be a good response, but it would be a lie. Dojima was most likely staying out doing work, and would have to continue doing so for the entire night.
The TV showed the news finally. Unfortunately, the only incident going on was about dead body. You learned that a woman was found dead near the Samegawa River, hanging upside down from an antenna. Apparently, the woman was Mayumi Yamano, the announcer that was involved with the affair of Taro Nametame.
Nanako was surprised to find that her father was one of the people investigating the incident, but after a quick reassurance that he would be alright, she calmed down. Although, she seemed to already be used to this situation.
Surprisingly, a thick fog that was common to the area was slowing down the police's investigation. You scoffed silently, as you knew that this was a terrible place for the police.
Despite the fact that Nanako was slightly scared from the story of a dead woman being hung upside down, she was relatively calm until she started singing with a Junes commercial again. You complimented her singing voice, in which she expressed some pride in.
You head up to your room to sleep. After turning off the lights and getting into your futon, you can't help but think.
'This is definitely going to be interesting... Unfortunately, this murder business slows down my own progress... Oh well, I suppose I can take the time to get to know people more. I should probably stay near Chie and Yukiko at first though...'
With your plan set, you ready your body for sleep.
And that's that. I know that this is a rather boring chapter. It involves nothing but school life and some hints of mystery. But this was a must. I needed to get you people used to the second person way of doing things, along with the basic information of the story. I'm pretty sure you will all appreciate the beginning as it gives you all a lot of knowledge. Heck, even a person who hasn't played the game would be able to understand this to the exact point of someone at this point in the game, if not more.
Anyway, let's move on to questions.
1) Did you guys like the second person view? I added a third person view paragraph just to make you compare things, although honestly, it felt wrong to write Persona in third person.
2) How many of you expected Marie to be introduced? Come on, I bet nobody expected a Persona Golden character! :P
3) How do you like this Souji Seta? Realistic, with slight sarcasm, but still friendly. To an extent... But never forget, he is ambitious!
4) Do you all like how I made Souji think in his dreams or in the Velvet Room? It's kind of like his normal mindset turned on a Survival Mode switch. He has to think things through carefully, but he still adds a lot of emotion to everything he does.
5) If you didn't play Persona 4, golden or otherwise, do you believe you could still understand everything that is happening?
Again, that is all. I hope you all loved this chapter, I know I did. Especially since the REAL things that make Persona 4, a Persona game, starts next chapter.
Also, I'm giving a random shout out to Chase, my friend on an online game, for his 16th birthday tomorrow.
Here's another shout out to someone for giving me a few ideas for this story. Thank you, NIX'S WARDEN.
Now finally, Sieler! You haven't played a Persona game, so I expect you to answer question five!