I do not own Persona 3 Portable or anything associated to it...
I based the Personas on my playthrough of the game... When I had Shinjiro in the team, I had these Personas with me...
Enjoy reading! =D
Recarmdra
The golden gleaming floors of Tziah is a poor man's paradise, Shinjiro thinks as he stares at the walls that are seemingly made out of pure gold. No matter the fearsome Shadows or the puddles of blood here and there, when an unfortunate beggar stumbles upon this place with his memories intact, it would be madness for him to keep away from it.
Their leader makes him a story. She says that perhaps the Tziah came to because of alchemists who found the secret to creating gold. But because greed is a human weakness, they turned everything they could find into gold and kept it to themselves. Like most stories, greed gives a gruesome end to the best of men. The alchemists were turned into Shadows after their immense thirst consumed their minds.
"That could have happened if Tartarus didn't come into existence ten years ago," he chuckles as he leans against the wall. "It's a pretty nice way of depicting something so horrible."
"It's not so bad if you look at it," Hamuko says with a shrug. "If we could somehow extract the gold from this floor then maybe we'll be able to help people."
He scoffs. "We'll be helping a damn great number of people if we make the Dark Hour disappear. They won't be worrying about Shadows getting into their heads anymore."
She voices out her agreement before they elapse into silence. There's only the two of them in the entire floor. The other members of SEES are probably in the dorms by now or maybe at school. Even without being actually with them, Hamuko knows that they're worried.
It was a normal trip to Tartarus. She went with Akihiko, Mitsuru and Shinjiro to the upper floors while the others trained below. The synergy between the three of them was undeniable and they eliminated Shadow after Shadow with effortless ease. The floor's guardian was the only one that proved to be a problem to them. Its fire spells incapacitated Mitsuru.
Mitsuru's condition wasn't enough as Fuuka cried out to them, "Hamuko-chan! The upper floors are disappearing! You should get back quickly!" As if on cue, the ground shook and they can see the walls swirling on itself.
She ordered Akihiko and Shinjiro to take Mitsuru and head to the terminal point. The red head needed immediate medical attention and as a leader, she would not allow her senpai to be hurt any more than she already has been.
The stubborn boxer upperclassman refused to leave the small leader with the weight of three Shadows on her shoulders. But a stern command from her made him leave reluctantly. Shinjiro however, did not leave unless she came with him.
They managed to defeat the guardians, but the ground collapsed from beneath their feet and they fell. When they came to, they were together and inside Tartarus.
"I wonder how Fuuka managed to get through being trapped here," she muses out loud. "She was all alone then too..."
Imagining Fuuka in such a hostile place made Shinjiro a bit proud of the small girl. Sure her cooking is bad, but she's a big help to this ragtag team. "Yamagishi's one hell of a woman…" he mutters. "Everyone in SEES is a complete badass."
A smile is quickly on her face. "You're the most badass of us all, Shinjiro-senpai."
The addressed male pulls his beanie to his eyebrows and clucks his tongue. "If anyone's the most badass in SEES, it has to be you. I mean you're not even 18 yet and you have all this work in your hands. Not to mention that you have Personas that most of us just dream of having."
"You make it sound so nice, senpai," she brings her knees to her chest in an attempt to quell her embarrassment. "Having many Personas is a bit frightening too…"
"Why is that?"
"They say that the Persona is your other self; it's your true self… But if I have too many, then how do I know which one is my true self?" She turns to him with a confused look on her face. "Sometimes I think like I don't know myself at all."
At that the upperclassman is silent. He's not really the comforting type, but he pats her shoulder awkwardly. "Try not to dwell on it so much. We'll have to find a way to get out of here."
"I'm sure they'll try and look for us when the Dark Hour comes in."
"You're important to them after all," he says as he turns away from her.
"You're important to us too, Shinjiro-senpai."
They are silent after that statement. Castor is hanging over him, like a foreboding shadow. Constantly, the male is reminded of his impeding doom and how he could affect the lot of them with his leave. There's also the matter of Ken; something that he doesn't know how to handle when it presents itself.
"Isn't your weapon heavy?" She suddenly asks him as she leans towards his battle axe.
"It is," he replies. "Someone of your body weight won't be able to lift this up." He taps his axe's blade, a small smile on his face. Junpei isn't completely wrong; it's nice to know that there's something that only you can do. It gives you a sense of fulfillment. "Not even Aki can handle swinging this around."
"Why'd you choose an axe?"
"It deals a lot of damage." He takes the axe in his hand and revels in the weight that doesn't seem like a lot to him anymore. "And a lot of damage lets me finish Shadows faster."
"I never took you to be the hasty type, senpai," she chuckles and traces patterns on the blade. "Then again you do have a point."
Shinjiro opens his mouth to say something but he is interrupted by a hissing noise. Hamuko hears it too and in a flash, her naginata is in her hands. He follows her example and stares off into the darkness looming over his side before glancing over his shoulder to check on her. For one so small and meek she knows how to be quite intimidating.
Soon, Mayas are flocking towards him, slithering and hissing at the sight of a human they can feed on. They can sense the power of the Persona from him, but they've apparently found strength in numbers. One wanders too close towards him and is immediately sliced in two when he swings his axe. He is given no time to wonder how his underclassman is doing as the Mayas screech and crawl towards him.
Castor is galloping; begging to be released from the confines of his mind, and this time, Shinjiro acquiesces. He grabs his Evoker and points it at his temple; a gunshot and Castor ravages the Shadows.
Another gunshot is heard, followed by a name: Samael. He recalls it to be one of hers. True enough, a winged dragon clouds her small form. The Persona's black and red wings loom over her menacingly as it roars and the ground beneath the horde of Shadows turns black and they disappear as quickly as they came.
"We should probably get out of here," he says, staring into the direction where the Mayas from his side came from. "Who knows how many they've called now."
"Which way?" She asks as she straightens the creases on her skirt. Shinjiro has to look away because her skirt offers a very generous view of her well-toned thighs. Without thinking, he points with his axe the direction where he was facing and she nods.
They run, afraid that a Shadow might catch up to them and force them into battle. The floor seems to go on and on when it should at least lead them to the stairs. Unfortunately, there is nothing, making Tartarus even more foreign to them.
Once they reach a fork, they immediately opt for the dead end. That way they'll only have to worry about Shadows coming from one direction. Finally Shinjiro speaks, "You okay?"
He manages to startle her and himself with that question. He's truly concerned, especially since the Dark Hour, unlike normal hours drains a lot of one's strength. The threat of Shadows coming in at any time from any direction definitely puts them on edge more than it would under normal circumstances. Despite being a powerful Persona-user, she's still a girl in her teens who is susceptible to fatigue. And Shinjiro is worried.
Nonetheless, she smiles. "I'm fine senpai. If anything I should be worried about you."
"I'm fine," he insists.
"But you're not," she says softly. He would defend himself, but the tone of her voice stops him. She isn't trying to be insisting. She isn't even trying to make a point. She's merely making a statement that unfortunately for him cannot be countered. "I've seen you during our battles, senpai. Sometimes you miss your swings and clutch at your chest. You also cough a lot. I know you're not fine, senpai."
He should have seen this coming. Someone as astute and observant as her wouldn't have mistaken his indications of suppressant-use. The fact still remains that he doesn't want to get her involved in his nasty business. She's the least person he'd want to involve in his mess.
"It's just me adjusting again," he explains instead. "Don't worry. I'll get back to the swing of things soon enough."
Hamuko doesn't voice it out, but he can tell that she believes him. He can see in the resignation in her eyes and it stings to know that she actually believes him. Nonetheless, telling the truth to someone as tender as her is out of the question; he has resolved that much.
"I'm quite surprised that you didn't feel nauseous when you first started out here," he remarks, as if merely commenting on the kind of clothes she's wearing. "Mitsuru, Aki and I had it hard when we started out. You on the other hand—you're only a few months into getting inside this tower and you look like you're born for this already…"
She chuckles, obviously flattered by his compliment. "I was out for a few days," she informs him. "It was when I first used my Persona. Orpheus was the first that came out and then…" she is suddenly silent. The memory stirs within her, how Orpheus shrieked and got ripped apart by a larger and darker figure. It had coffins around its back, like a cape—or wings would be better. A long sword is in its hands that were as pale as death. Its eyes were hollow and pitch black.
"And then?" He prods.
"And then this other Persona came out," she continues. "It was scary and yet all too familiar." Suddenly she stops and regains her smile. "I'm sorry. It's a annoying isn't it?"
He shakes his head. Being confused is something Shinjiro isn't well acquainted to, but he does know what it feels like. It's like being made of paper and slowly being torn apart. You don't know which side to go to and so you stay in the middle and risk being destroyed by it. "You'll find that out," he comforts her. "I know you'll be able to find that out."
Hamuko smiles at him gratefully. "Thank you Shinjiro-senpai. You're a really nice person and it's quite a shame that people judge you a lot."
He is immediately abashed by her words; it doesn't help that she's being too honest and that the things she's saying are very pleasing to the ears. "The only people that matter are those who don't," he tells her, a small but sad smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Have I… Have I ever told you that you're a lot like Miki?"
She tilts her head. "Miki?"
"Never mind…" Shinjiro shakes his head. "I'll tell you when I tell you. Let's just put it at that…"
Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, the leader questions, "Is she your ex-girlfriend, senpai?" And she earns a gentle smack at the back of her head.
"Idiot," he sighs. "No. She's not my ex-girlfriend. I'd never hear the end of it if she was." He shudders as if the thought is completely impossible. Hamuko shrugs and leans against the wall wearily. "Tired?"
She nods and closes her eyes. "There's a lot more strain than when it was just Orpheus…" she mutters. "That's another downside to a lot of Personas," she adds eagerly. "The stronger ones are harder to use and they require more effort to master."
Chuckling, Shinjiro pulls her to him by the shoulder. He settles her head on his lap and says, "Take a nap then. I'll keep watch."
Before he can even finish his statement, they hear the sound of clinking chains. A Champion Knight is before them, gurgling and hissing. Behind it is a horde of Mayas and a pair of Hakuro Musha. They're both on their feet, preparing for the inevitable encounter with the considerable amount of Shadows.
He grits his teeth. Without a doubt, they can take these Shadows out, but if they have more behind their backs, he wonders how long it would take until they can't fight anymore. A glance at the female beside him and he immediately banishes the thought from his head. He's reprimanded Akihiko once for not looking after their leader, but he's no different if he won't make sure that she gets out of the damned tower.
"I'll go ahead," he isn't asking. "You cover me from behind…"
"Vasuki can help," she tells him and he nods.
Shinjiro charges at the Shadows, swinging his axe and obliterating a Maya that's closest to him. The Champion Knight is keeping back; its hollow eyes making him feel uneasy. He hears a gunshot and instantly becomes thankful that Castor isn't ripping his mind apart. The Persona seems to be placid.
She calls a name: Vasuki, just as she has said she would and casts a light spell on the Hakuro Musha. Unfortunately, only one of the two samurai-esque Shadows is defeated and the other one dodges Shinjiro expertly. He stares at the offending Shadow and for some reason he thinks about what kind of stories their imaginative leader has in store for adversaries like these.
The want to hear them makes him right his footing and try swinging at the samurai again.
But when the white-helmed Shadow moves away, Shinjiro finds himself falling face-first into the spear of the Champion Knight. He briefly wonders if they're actually capable of intellect and promptly decides that it would be scary if they are.
He manages to avoid being impaled, but his last-minute sidestep rewarded him with a gash at his right side. Hissing, a hand quickly comes to cover it. Blood drips onto the floor and it seems to excite the Shadows even more. Trying to move is even more painful, but he knows he can't stay rooted in that one spot. That would be the end of him.
A gunshot rings through the air and oddly, it is akin to the sound of salvation for him. The gash closes and he feels the strength in his limbs returning. With one quick swipe, he knocks the Hakuro Musha's sword from its hand and finishes it with a swing of his axe. From the corner of his eye, he can see a flash of brown hair.
Hamuko is on the ground, her naginata is no longer in her hands and she is deathly pale. A more alarming fact is that the Champion Knight is pointing the end of its spear at her midsection. Panic courses through his nerves and before he could even breathe, Castor is out of the cages of his mind.
The Champion Knight roars as Castor thrashes about. Shinjiro rushes towards their fallen leader and takes her in his arms. "Hey, Hamuko. Hamuko!" He calls her and shakes her shoulders, hard enough for her to be roused from unconsciousness, but soft enough to keep her from being injured.
She still isn't opening her eyes and her skin feels cold against his touch. He brings his ear close to her mouth and feels the subtle breath blowing to his cheeks: faint, but present. It alleviates his worries for a bit, but he's still panicked. The Champion Knight screeches and disappears as Castor turns back to the worried male.
"Hamuko." He tries again, gently this time, but there's still no response. He puts her down on the floor and removes his pea coat. The upperclassman puts it on the incapacitated leader in an attempt to warm her. He then takes her in his arms and carries her. Castor is still there and it shows no indication of going back into Shinjiro's mind.
Briefly, he wonders if the Persona senses his distress given the situation. "Thanks Castor," he finds himself muttering. "I know you might not understand, but… yeah…"
The Persona growls lowly and Shinjiro decides to leave. Surprisingly, the Shadows disperse and slither away from them as Castor's shadow covers the two members of SEES.
They find another dead end, and decide to stop there. Castor disappears, and Shinjiro lays Hamuko down on the bloodless part of the floor. She's still unresponsive and cold. Periodically, he checks her breathing and a sigh of relief is released when he finds out the she is.
He feels powerless. An aggressive Persona like Castor is only good for the front lines: primarily dealing damage and weakening enemies and it is attributed to his own personality. A Persona like Polydeuces would be handy right now. No doubt his underclassman needs a healing spell.
Without the threat of Shadows chasing after them, Shinjiro lets himself sigh heavily. Tartarus can actually be relaxing if only the Shadows would vacate the place. He thinks about how they're fighting to make the cursed tower cease its existence and right the hideous wrongs of the past.
He thinks about Castor who'd been all together despicable and amiable. When all this is done, he'll have no more ties with his Persona. He thinks about Ken Amada and how the little kid lost his mother. By helping SEES, he'd be able to atone for what he's done.
But then, Ken might not wait that long.
He thinks about a lot of things, but in the end, his thoughts always gravitate to the frail girl beside him. Shinjiro turns to her and his hand unconsciously touches her hair. He's never seen anyone like her. He can't seem to believe that she's strong and very vulnerable all at the same time. She's the kind of girl who can be cultured and proper, be girlish and immature and shy and reserved.
She's like a prism, seemingly plain and transparent, but when one manages to shed light into her true self, she's breathtakingly beautiful.
Hamuko's earlier worries replay in his mind. Perhaps her true self is as diverse as her Personas. Perhaps she has a lot of Personas because they accentuate the rainbow that she emits.
And that makes her beautiful to him.
He wouldn't tell her that. He won't unless he's a better Shinjiro; the Shinjiro Aragaki that isn't living in the mercy of suppressants.
"Senpai?"
He jumps and turns to the wearily looking girl peering at him with tired eyes. In an instant, Shinjiro is by her side, helping her sit up. "How are you feeling?"
She manages to smile at him and replies, "I feel light-headed…"
"Geez, don't scare me like that okay?" He lightly scolds her. "I thought for a second there that you were dead…"
The girl manages a pout as she says, "I'm a lot more thick-headed than you think, senpai."
He isn't amused at her attempt at a jest. "Idiot. That's not something you should be joking about." He is silent before adding, "Don't talk. You should conserve your energy…"
Hearing her voice has made him relieved, but the initial shock still has to subside. Shinjiro does not meet her eyes and he contents himself with his axe and the sound of her soft breathing. He won't admit it, but he was scared. Shinjiro was scared of finding her dead; he was scared of outliving her. Castor groans somewhere inside his mind, making the fears resound deeper and louder in his mind.
Finally, she speaks, "I'm sorry, senpai." And he turns to her.
Despite the hard and rough exterior he shows to everyone else, he doesn't have the heart to turn down anything from people like her. Unfortunately, Shinjiro is not one for words. He's a man of his actions. So he gently ruffles her hair; making her bangs go awry. "That doesn't sound like you."
The words only make her want to sink into the floors of the Tziah block. She knows that he means well, but she can't help but feel bad. He notices this anyway and he quickly says, "I ain't mad at you."
"I know but…" she stammers.
"You can always make it up when we're out of here," he cuts in. "Until then, I don't want you to say anything anymore."
She is quick to obey him and soon, she's taking a leisurely nap. It isn't long before he's gone into a shallow sleep as well. Castor groans in the back of his mind, kicking him awake before he can fall too deeply. Apparently, the Persona doesn't intend to let him leave the incapacitated leader unattended or unguarded. Shinjiro sighs before he feels a familiar presence invade his mind.
It is the Dark Hour again?
"Shinjiro-senpai?" Fuuka's voice rings clearly through the floor and in an instant, Hamuko's eyes are opened. "Are you both okay?"
"Get us out of here." Shinjiro commands. "Hamuko's hurt pretty bad."
"Don't worry," Fuuka says in a calming voice. "Akihiko-senpai and Yukari-chan are on the way there."
She tries to stand up, but eventually her knees give out on her. Shinjiro clucks his tongue before supporting her. "They'll be here soon," he assures her. "You're safe…"
She only offers him an airy smile. "Say it again," she asks. "Say it again."
"Say what again?"
"Say my name again… It sounds nice when you say it, senpai…"
Her eyelids are dropping and he figures she's still tired from that spell she executed. Gently, he settles her down on the floor again, with his arm around her shoulder. He smiles at the female in his arms and briefly kisses her forehead.
When all this is over, when he's a different Shinjiro; when the threat of Shadows is gone, he'll tell her just how beautiful she is in his eyes. He'll tell her just how much of a woman she is to him.
He'll tell her just how much he likes her to the point that he think of her all day and all night.
He'll tell her that he's so close to loving her.
But for now, he'll keep to himself.
Akihiko's voice calling out to them is in the distance and he lets himself a leisurely smile.
"You're safe now, Hamuko." He tells her gingerly, as if she's sleeping and the slightest of noises would wake her.
The only indication that she heard him is the smile on her beautiful face.
This is really much of a drabble... .
Anyway, please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest darkest thoughts as it is greatly appreciated by me... =D
Thanks for reading.
See you in between pages again! =D
chquine_harvinellisse