Author's note!
(Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my soul.)
Heya! I'm back, this time with a full-on novelization for P2:IS. 3
However! I promise you it will not be a word-for-word adaption, because, assuming you've already played the game, that would be pretty boring. Instead, I will be twisting around some of the events and dialogue, so that you guys can enjoy the story in a new way. :) Not to worry, the major plot is the same, I just tweaked it some. Okay, I'll shut up now. Please enjoy! :D
Shin Megami Tensei
Persona 2: Innocent Sin
The night is still, the streets are quiet,
In this house lived my Love;
She left the town long before, yet her house is still
Standing in the same place.
There I also see a man, standing and staring into the heavens,
Wringing his hands in violent grief. I shudder when I behold his face
The moon reveals to me my own likeness.
You Doppelganger! You pale companion!
Why do you mimic my lovesickness,
That tormented me in this place,
For so many nights in the past?
Tatsuya Sou opened his eyes in a haze, still reeling from what must have been an unpleasant dream, though he couldn't remember what it had been about. Taking a deep breath through his nostrils and out his mouth, he sat up and rubbed his eyes absentmindedly, thinking about what he did retain from the night before. It was a strange feeling, one that he couldn't quite assign a word; somewhat like nostalgia, but not nearly as warm. He thought about this as he hurriedly showered and put on his school uniform, trying in vain to recollect his dream. After straightening his tie, he stood in front of his bathroom mirror and carefully combed his longish brown hair into place, making certain to part it in the center. He turned his head to one side, then the other, before shrugging slightly to his reflection, apparently content with his appearance before grabbing his book bag and heading to the garage.
Lisa Silverman had always found Tatsuya to be incredibly cool. The way he walked with an unconscious strut, his calm and collected attitude, his handsome looks, even the way his expression seemed to never veer from one of irritation, filled her with joy. As such, it wasn't at all surprising how close she was to squealing his name for the world to hear when she caught sight of said young man as he neared Seven Sisters High School upon his self-modified motorcycle. Indeed, the fact that he rode a motorcycle was one of the many things Lisa admired about him, one that seemed to appeal to the rebellious side of her already strong personality. She often daydreamed of riding that motorcycle with him, sitting behind him, her arms around his waist. Blushing, she involuntarily shrieked, much to the shock of a passing student. Brushing a stray lock of blonde hair out of her love-struck blue eyes, she set off to the bike racks determined to gather her courage and greet Tatsuya.
While Lisa stood for what she took to be a few moments ( but in reality was closer to six full minutes ) daydreaming, Tatsuya had already pulled his bike into the rack, and was in the process of locking it into place, when he suddenly had a sinking feeling that someone was watching him. He turned as he stood from kneeling, and nearly fell back to the ground upon beholding the one standing in front of him.
He was a slender young man of a fair complexion, just below Tatsuya's height, the fringe of his impeccably groomed longish black hair sweeping over his right eye, and wearing the powder blue uniform of Kasugayama, a nearby high school. He was smiling calmly at the clearly distressed Tatsuya, who was being pummeled by waves of powerful, conflicting emotions, the sources of which he didn't know. The dark haired boy stepped closer, all the while staring into the other's eyes.
Looking into the crimson ring of the boy's uncovered iris, Tatsuya felt an unexpected stab of sorrow in his heart. Something was there, something he had known once, like the delicate touch of a flower petal, so slight that it almost seemed unreal. This feeling that he felt he was drowning in, like regret, like longing, like many shades of sadness, prompted him to edge closer. "Who are you?" He finally asked quietly.
The boy tilted his head, a smirk spreading across his feminine face. "You're not one for boundaries, I take it?"
Tatsuya blinked, thinking that a strange name before realizing that he had unintentionally gotten so close to the other boy that their noses were nearly touching. He quickly backed away, a rare blush settling upon his face. "I-I'm sorry," he muttered uncomfortably.
The boy chuckled with genuine amusement. "That's okay. I just wanted to tell you..."
The two flinched upon hearing what sounded to Tatsuya to be an Amozoness battle cry of some sort. Appearing several feet away was an exceptionally fired-up Lisa, who hadn't realized there was someone else present besides her crush. Feeling fully psyched, she began to speak, when she caught sight of the boy in blue uniform. "Oh! I-I'm really sorry Tatsuya-kun! I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation..."
The strange boy glanced at her, then turned back to Tatsuya. "...Be careful," he whispered before walking away.
Lisa ran to Tatsuya's side. "I didn't know you had a friend from Cuss High," she commented, using the nickname for Kasugayama High School, which had a fairly poor reputation as far as the behavior of its students.
"No, I...I don't know him," he said.
"Oh...Then, what did he want?"
Tatsuya wondered if he should say anything, though he supposed, despite the cryptic nature of the boy's words, they hadn't been some kind of vital secret. "I don't really know...but I think he might know me...somehow."
Lisa suddenly fell quiet then laughed, though a bit uneasily. "Maybe he was just hitting on you Tatsuya-kun," she said smiling, "It's awesome! You're so cool, even the guys want you!"
Tatsuya gave her an unamused glance as he began walking to the school building, Lisa following close behind.
As Tatsuya and Lisa entered their classroom, a male student approached them with a congenial smile. "Hey! How's it going Sou, Lisa-san? "
Tatsuya nodded in greeting, muttering a reply, while Lisa, currently in a state of ecstasy being so close to her crush, responded with an unusually bubbly, "I'm great, what about you?"
"Oh, uhh...I'm good...Oh, Sou! Ms. Saeko told me to tell you she's looking for you. I think she said she'd be waiting in the counseling office."
Tatsuya nodded again and started to leave, when the boy stopped him.
"Wait! I just remembered something! Some of the other students are saying that two female reporters from that magazine 'Coolest' are here to interview you. I hear they're real good-looking too." The student sighed. "Man you're so lucky Tatsuya...You have no trouble getting girls at all!"
The recognized ladies' man simply shrugged and headed off to get his appointment over with, when he was once again interrupted, this time by an alarmingly terrified scream.
"Oh my god!"
"What the hell?"
"What's going on?"
Upon hearing the exclamations, Tatsuya quickly ran to the back of the classroom, where a group of students had already formed a semi-circle around a wailing female student who had collapsed to her knees, sobbing into her hands. He pushed through the small crowd and barely caught a glimpse of a sight he could hardly believe. For only a moment, the girl uncovered part of her face, revealing it to have become grotesquely disfigured. He stared in horror as a teacher took her away to the infirmary, when Lisa walked to his side.
"What happened?" Lisa asked, "Was there something wrong with her? I didn't really see..."
"I...I don't know what could've caused it," Tatsuya mumbled, "But that girl's face...It looked like it...like it melted..."
"What?" Lisa cried, "That can't be...That means those rumors are true?"
The brown haired boy looked curiously at his friend, and she gave him a serious look.
"You know how the emblems here at Sevens," she said solemnly, using the schools shortened name, "were rumored to be good luck, and that wearing one would make you cool? Well, I heard that some jealous guys from Cuss High started spreading a rumor that instead of giving you good luck, wearing the Sevens emblem would disfigure your face..." She shook her head. "I can't believe it actually came true."
"Hey! Everyone!" a female student, who Lisa remembered was named Noriko, ran into the classroom with a terrified expression. "Don't go into the courtyard! The statue of Principal Hanya came to life!"
Had it not been for the startling event that had just occurred, the students would have laughed at her, but instead, they began to chatter cautiously, admitting that, despite the absurdity of the claim, it was now very possible. There was a tension in the air, for they all knew that something strange was going on, and everyone felt the first pangs of fear tickling their minds.
"Tatsuya!" It was the same boy from before.
"What is it now?" Lisa cried, echoing Tatsuya's thoughts exactly.
The boy looked nervous, and spoke rapidly. "Th-there's a message for you on the bulletin up front...Actually, it's more like a challenge..." He frowned, trying to collect his thoughts, "It's from Cuss High...They said they kidnapped one of the students here, a girl named Miyabi Hanakoji."
"Hanakoji..." Lisa muttered, "Oh! Isn't she the editor for the school newspaper? Why would they want to kidnap her?"
Tatsuya ran to the bike racks without a word.