Persona 3 FES:
"Advent of the Fool"
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1. DATE: 4/17 (Fri) Velvet Room
PLV2 - DJKL
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4/17 (Fri) - EARLY MORNING
FULL MOON IN: 22
The soft rays of the morning sunshine illuminated the almost vacant room, making the scene in front of Yukari seem even more depressing. It had been a week since DJ summoned his Persona, a week since he protected them both on top of that rooftop... A week since he's been unconscious.
She bit her lip as she watched his lifeless body breathe in and out, the only motion he had been doing for the past week. In all honesty, seeing the energetic boy so quiet was actually frightening. He... He didn't even look like he was alive.
The girl shook her head, banishing the though to who knows where. She couldn't think about stuff like that. He would wake up and she would tell him the truth.
But then her eyes fell onto his right leg.
It ended at his knee.
From that point downwards, it was completely made of metal.
Albeit, his prosthetic leg was now sitting on a table in the room, but that still didn't remove the fact the he was physically disabled. When she first saw it, she was confused. What the heck happened to his leg? Questions like that filled her mind for day until yesterday, when she got a better look at the file regarding... the accident.
DJ did not get out of that accident unscathed.
The lower part of his right leg ended up getting crushed underneath the car and it became useless. If they didn't amputate it... there was a high chance he would've died.
The leg itself was a lot different than any prosthetic she had seen. It was hard to describe but... it looked like it was trying to literally imitate a human leg. The foot looked like a big block of metal, but the rest was shaped like a normal human calf.
How had DJ even been able to live with this thing? More importantly, how the hell did he manage to keep this a secret?! He even slept with the thing on for God's sake!
She sighed, getting up from her chair and standing next to him. "You really are full of secrets, aren't you?" She asked him, knowing he wouldn't answer. "And here I am, sticking my nose in your life when you don't know anything about mine..." She balled her hands into fists. "I-I'll... I'll be back after school. G-Get better DJ-kun... I don't know what I'd do if you don't." And with that she left, but not without taking one final glance at his sleeping form.
"I'm sorry..."
"Ooo~... My aching head..." DJ muttered as the darkness around him began to fade. He clutched his head when he felt a large surge of pain. It reminded him of the time he found his grandfather's stash of beer and helped himself to it. Albeit, the end results were less than satisfactory, leaving him with a major hangover and an even worse disciplining session courtesy of his grandfather. Needless to say, the day ended with DJ swearing to never put alcohol in his mouth again, even after he turned eighteen. Staying sober was well worth it.
When a soft musical track hit his ears, his vision had finally cleared up. The sight greeting him was the same from that night a few days ago. Blue.
He was back in that Velvet Room.
DJ shook his head, ignoring the pain coming up from each rattle. Igor sat in front of him, his always present smile growing when he saw DJ was awake.
"You again...?" DJ groaned, sitting up on his chair. "Am I asleep again...?" Igor chuckled and waved his hand.
"Not entirely." He said as DJ regained the majority of his senses. "You fell unconscious after awakening to your 'power'." DJ blinked in confusion.
"Power...? What do you-" He couldn't finish because another pain struck though his head. Memories of the night of his awakening came in like a torrent, each one making DJ paler. "T-That night..." He looked up at Igor. "What was all that?"
"That was the beginning of your journey of course. The long nosed man said, his grin growing. "And I see it was Orpheus that heeded your calling."
"Orpheus..." DJ put a hand on his chin. "That big white guy... And then there was that one with the metal jaw..."
"That power is called a Persona." Igor explained. "It is a manifestation of your psyche."
"My what?"
"It may take sometime to fully comprehend..." Igor snapped his fingers. "Think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships."
"So Orpheus and that other one are... my masks?" DJ asked, earning a nod in response. "This is way too trippy..."
"However... Your power is still weak." Igor cut him of, much to the brunette's dismay. "When you use a Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength. The ability evolves as you develop your Social Links, your emotional ties with others."
"Social Links...?" DJ muttered, staring at the man in front of him. "So... my friendships make me stronger?"
"That is the gist of it. So please, remember that." Igor said. "Now, I would enjoy giving you a more detailed explanation, but time marches on in your world. I shouldn't keep you here any longer."
"Wait, what?! But I still don't get everything!"
"Worry not. The next time we meet, you will come here of your own accord." Igor said, waving his hand. "If you look at your desk in your world, you'll find the key I gave you on the first day we met."
"Wha- That key is real?!" Igor chuckled at DJ's flabbergasted expression.
"Until then..." DJ was about to protest when he suddenly felt his body go numb and his world go dark. "Farewell."
4/17 (Fri) - AFTER SCHOOL
The first thing DJ registered when he opened his was sunlight. And by that, I don't mean the warm morning sunlight from earlier. I mean the hot unpleasant evening sun.
"Guh!" He groaned silently, shielding his eyes with one hand. It was already day time? Dammit Igor... He could've at least given him a little warning.
That's when he noticed he wasn't in the room alone. Sitting next to his bed was Yukari, who looked like she had been... crying? She hadn't even noticed him stir.
"...Yukari-san?" He whispered. Het head immediately shot up and she stared at him with wide eyes.
"DJ-kun!" She exclaimed, making him wince. He still felt that hangover he felt in the Velvet Room. "Your awake!"
"Really? Didn't notice." He thought sarcastically with a small pout
"Um... How are you feeling?" She asked as DJ tried to sit up.
"I feel my head's about to explode..." He muttered, making Yukari wince. "It's nothing a little rest can't fix though.
"What a relief..." Yukari let out a breath. "I'm so glad you finally came to..." Her expression hardened and she glared at him. "How much sleep do you need? It's been a whole week!"
"A week?!" DJ asked, shooting up from his seat. He quickly regretted it when he felt another surge of pain. He took a deep breath and looked Yukari in the eye. "I've been out for a week?"
"Y-Yeah..." She muttered, looking away. "I was so worried... You saved our lives, so I couldn't just leave you here..." DJ raised an eyebrow before the night's events came rushing towards his head. "The doctor said there was nothing wrong with you, but you kept sleeping and sleeping..."
"...So it really did happen." He said, looking away from her. "Those monsters... What I did..."
"Unfortunately..." Yukari said, biting her lip. "Hey, uh... I wanted to say sorry." DJ blinked in confusion. "For last night I mean. I was supposed to protect you and I..." The disk jockey noticed her grip the hem of her skirt. "I screwed up..."
"Hey, don't be like that." DJ said, making her look up. "Trust me. In your position, I bet I would've panicked too."
"But... You didn't." She deadpanned "And your power... It was amazing! I never saw anything like it."
"Honestly? Neither have I." Yukari couldn't help but laugh at that, making DJ smile. At least she wasn't acting so depressed anymore. "But still... What were those things?" Yukari's expression turned grim.
"You mean the Shadows? She asked, earning a nod in response. "They're what we're fighting against. And the power you used is called a 'Persona'." DJ couldn't help but smile slightly. Looks like those dreams about that Velvet Room he'd been having weren't just dreams...
"That still doesn't answer much..."
"Sorry... Look, everything will be explained to you better at the dorm, okay?" DJ put and hand on his chin for a moment and then sighed. It would have to do for now. At least he could finally learn the big connection between these people and Green Scream."I'm sorry I didn't tell you all this before."
"Like I would've believed a story like that." He laughed, getting Yukari to laugh with him. He was about to say something when he noticed something... off. He peeked under his covers and blinked at the sight before him. "Hey, where's my prosthetic?"
"Oh, y-your leg..." She muttered before pointing at the desk where the leg was. "The doctors removed it so they could treat you more... accordingly due to your disability." DJ blinked before pouting.
"I really hate it when people use that word to describe it..." He muttered, glaring at his fake leg from afar. "So what if I have a fake limb? It's not like I'm not human anymore..."
"It was a bit... surprising, that's for sure." Yukari said, looking back at him. "You've been here for the past few days and no one even noticed. Do you even take that thing off?"
"Only to shower." He answered , looking back at his stump of a leg. "Besides, I feel kinda naked without that thing on. It's like a second part of me."
"But why does it look so-"
"Different?" He finished for her, earning a nod. "Oji-san had a friend of his custom make it so it'd look as natural as possible. He based the model off this one prosthetic made for football players."
"Football?"
"Er... Soccer. Sorry, that's what happens when you grow up with a girl from England as your childhood friend." Yukari looked at him strangely and he sighed. "The point is, my prosthetic's a lot like that other one except it's... thicker, I guess." He scratched the back of his neck. "It's not all that bad. I barely even notice the difference."
"Still, it must've been tough..." Yukari whimpered, looking at his prosthetic limb. "How many of these thing have you used?"
"About nine... Or was it eleven?" DJ scratched his cheek sheepishly. "I really can't remember..." Yukari got up from her chair, startling DJ. "What's up?"
"...It was the accident that cost you your leg, right?"
Silence.
DJ's cheerful expression immediately fell. His lowered his head, his face being shadowed by his hair as he clenched his fists. He really didn't like it when people mentioned that night. Yukari, noticing his foul mood continued.
"I... I just wanted to say that... I'm sorta like you." DJ's head snapped back up. He looked at the pink wearing girl in confusion before she started talking again. "My dad died in an accident when I was little... and my mom and I aren't exactly on good terms with each other..." She glanced at him before looking away again. "I kinda already know about your past..."
DJ sighed, glancing at the palm of his now sweaty hand. "Ten years ago, 1999... On the Moonlight Bridge..." Images flashed in his mind. Fire. Blood. Corpses.
"But it didn't seem fair so I wanted to tell you mine." She said, making DJ look up at her.
"You really don't have to-"
"I want to." She stated firmly. "I've kept enough secrets from you as it is." That phrase made him wince. Sure, she was willing to tell him her secrets. Him on the other hand... "It was back in '99 too. There was a big explosion in the area and my dad was supposedly killed in the blast... But no one really knows what happened." DJ couldn't help but relate to that. Even though the incident technically was a car accident, it just seemed to... gruesome for one.
"I'm... I'm sorry..." He said. Yukari gave him a sad smile before continuing.
"He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group. So, I'm hoping if I stick around long enough I'll find something."
"Is that why you're going to Gekkoukan?" DJ asked, earning a nod. "Man that's deep. And here I am just wanting to get a decent education." Yukari giggled as DJ stretched his arms. "I guess that's why you were there that night too, huh?" Yukari nodded, albeit sadly.
"Of course I panicked and ended up being of no use at all... That was my first time fighting them too." DJ blinked, surprised. That was her first time? She may have been a bit spooked that night but he figured she knew what she was doing.
"Stop beating yourself up for that." DJ said, making Yukari sigh. Honestly, girls could be such a mystery at times. "I was scared out of my mind too at first."
Yukari shook her head and sighed. "And here I am telling you all this the minute you wake up." She chuckled at herself. "You know while I was waiting, I kept telling myself 'I've been keeping so many things hidden from him... As soon as he wakes up, I'll tell him the truth'." DJ's eye twitched as he felt a moral knife stab his heart. "So thanks for listening to me. I've been wanting to share that story with someone for a while now."
DJ smiled. "You're welcome Yukari." Yukari smiled back at him, a faint blush on her cheeks.
"A-Anyway, I go to get going." She started walking towards the door. "I'll let the others know you woke up. Now be a good patient! And don't hesitate to call the nurse!" She stopped. "...Bye DJ-kun."
"DJ."
"Hmm?" Yukari spun on her heel to face DJ, who was staring at her with a playful smile on his face.
"Just call me DJ. No honorifics, no nothing." Yukari stared at him for a moment before a blush appeared on her face.
"A-Are you sure?" She asked. DJ had to resist the urge to laugh at her stutter. "B-Because, I really don't mind-"
"Nah! My name's weird with honorifics attached to it." He admitted, scratching his cheek. "Just DJ will do, okay?" Yukari nodded, albeit slowly.
"O-Okay... Bye DJ-k- Er... DJ." If DJ had his cellphone, he would've taken at least twenty pictures of Yukari's beat red face. And to finish the package, DJ waited until she stepped out the door.
"Bye~ Yu-chan!" He shouted. Yukari visibly tripped on her own feet and nearly fell down. She glanced back at DJ, her face even redder than before. The disk jockey smirked and the girl ran out of his view as fast as she could. "Hehe. Still got it."
4/17 (Fri) - LATE NIGHT
To say that Akihiko was pissed was an understatement.
After the DJ's (Weird name for sure, but he wasn't one to judge) awakening last week, the moment the Dark Hour had ended, Akihiko was sent to the hospital to get his wounds treated. The results were... much less than satisfactory. Especially for someone like Akihiko.
Three broken ribs, large amounts of internal bleeding and worst of all, a broken arm. The ultimate bane of any boxer.
He growled as he glared at his cast,. Just looking at it made it feel like it was taunting him. Taunting him for being to weak that night. And as much as Akihiko hated to admit it, it was true.
Now, normally Akihiko would still be working out even wounds like his. However, after a rather stern talk from one Mitsuru and the threatening of one of her fabled executions, the white haired boxer had no choice but to rest.
"Oh, here's a good one! What kind of dinosaur is best known for its eye problems? An eyesore!"
...And it also left him stuck to babysit their pun-happy Chairman Ikutsuki. Now Akihiko held no ill will towards the man...
But the puns! Oh God, the puns!
"Ugh~..." Akihiko groaned, slamming his face on the table to avoid having to listen to another one of Ikutsuki's horrible jokes. "What did I do to deserve this...?"
"Besides blatantly ignore Mitsuru's warnings to be cautious and got yourself injured by doing exactly what she told you not to do?"
"Thank you Mr. Chairman. Thank you." The Chairman let out a laugh as Akihiko let out another groan.
"Ah, it's nice to unwind after a battle..." The Chairman said, leaning back in his seat. "It's already been a week, but it feels like so much less. Time flies so quickly..." Akihiko grunted, picking himself up and sitting back in the chair.
"Bye the way Mr. Chairman, Yukari told me that DJ woke up today." He said, surprising Ikutsuki. The Chairman smiled and fixed his glasses into place.
"Well, that's some good news." He said. "Having DJ join SEES would certainly be useful. I've never seen a power like his before."
"Not to mention the kid knows how to fight." Akihiko muttered, recalling when DJ fought the remaining two shadows. "Although... There's something about that kid that bothers me..."
"Oh, don't be so paranoid Akihiko." The Chairman said laughing. "Don't forget Takeba technically did summon her Persona that night, even if it was briefly. Perhaps he saw what she did and simply tried to imitate it." Akihiko crossed his arms. There was that possibility, but it seemed like to much of a coincidence.
"I guess..."
"Good... Oh, I got another one! What has ten letters and starts with gas? An automobile!"
The white haired boxer groaned and slammed his face on the table. This was gonna be a long night.
"Well here it is..." DJ muttered, picking up the velvet key from his desk. The disk jockey was just released from the hospital and he was more than eager to go home. Especially since he wanted to see if those dreams he had been having really were true.
That tiny key confirmed it.
"This is way too trippy..." He muttered, playing with the key in his hand. "If I know all this would happen to me, I would've asked Oji-san to send me to Europe or something." He sighed, dropping the key back on the desk.
The past few days had been... insane. He ever since... that day, he had been experiencing Green Scream, and as terrifying as it was at first, he had grown accustomed to it. He never thought there was much to it. But now, he found out there were even more people who know about it. Not to mention those Shadows...
He had never seen those things before. From what he could gather from Yukari and the night of his "awakening", they only appeared during Green Scream. So where the hell were they for the past ten years?! And those Personas... Personae? Aw, screw it! What mattered was that ever since DJ got to Iwatodai, things had been just plain out of whack. This dorm, the Velvet Room, Personas... All these things just... came up out of nowhere. He thought he was ready for anything Iwatodai could throw at him...
He was wrong. Very wrong.
He sighed before laying down on his bed. "What have I gotten myself into..."
4/18 (Sat) - EVENING
DJ hummed to himself as he walked into the dorm, a small smile on his face for a very simple reason. Today was the day most of his questions would be answered. Earlier at school, Yukari told him how Mitsuru and the other wanted to talk to him at the dorm. To be more precise, they wanted to bring him up to speed on everything that's happened to him.
The point is, he was about to get what he wanted since day one. Answers
"Okay, play it natural." He said to himself as he climbed up the stairs. "You're trying get as many answers as possible to make some sense out if this whole mess." He gulped. "Just. Be. Cool."
"Are... you okay, DJ?"
"Wah!" DJ nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. Yukari was there, slightly spooked at the scream the boy just let out.
"Geez, calm down." Yukari grumbled. "You've been staring into space for the past five minutes. You haven't moved from the stairs since."
...Oops.
"Hehe... Sorry..." DJ muttered, his face getting red. "I'm just a bit nervous..." Yukari smiled at him.
"Don't be. Just be cool and talk to them like you would any other person..." Her smile dropped slightly. "A-And... if they ask you to do anything... you don't need to accept it, okay?"
The disk jockey blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"N-Nothing..." She fell silent after that. DJ stared at her for a moment and then shrugged. It was a bit cryptic, but DJ could notice some... hostility between Yukari and Mitsuru. Well, at least on Yukari's side. Maybe it had something to do with her dad? Nah, I doubt she would be the kind of persona to hold a grudge over something neither of them had control over. Joy. More questions.
The moment the two reached the fourth floor, DJ saw Mitsuru, Ikutsuki and a guy in a red vest with a sling over his arm sitting around a table, with a large metal briefcase beside the Chairman. Seeing the two walk into the room, Ikutsuki smiled.
"Ah, there you are." He said as the two walked in. "It's nice to see you fully recovered. Anyway, there are a few things we wanted to discuss with you." DJ nodded and sat down on a chair. Yukari took a seat on the sofa next to Mitsuru.
"Continue." DJ said, getting his message across.
"Oh, but before that." The Chairman said, gesturing to the third-year next to him. "I believe I've mentioned him earlier, but this is Akihiko." Akihiko waved at the brunette boy.
"How ya doin'?" He asked, earning a shrug from DJ.
"Still a little tired, but I'll live." He said. "Besides, I'm the on who should be asking that..." He said, looking the sling on his arm. Akihiko noticed his gaze and chuckled.
"Don't worry about." He said, waving the thought off. "This right here is nothing." Ikutsuki coughed, bringing the attention back to him.
"Moving on..." The Chairman turned to DJ and looked him straight in the eye. "Let me start off by asking you this... Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than 24 hours?"
"Aha!" DJ shouted, startling everyone in the room. He stood up and pointed at the Chairman. "I knew you people knew about Green Scream! You've been trying to keep it hidden from me, but I still figured it out!" Everyone in the room blinked.
"...Green Scream?" Mitsuru asked, breaking the pregnant silence that had rolled in with DJ's exclamation.
"You know," The disk jockey started. "that hour that happens after midnight where everyone turns into coffins and the world gets painted green." Another silence rolled.
"You know about it?" Akihiko asked, before something else came to mind. "And you named it Green Scream?"
"What else was I supposed to name it. Everything turned green and the first time it happened to me I screamed like a little girl." He pouted. As ridiculous as that sounded, that Reilly was how he came up with the name. "I have thought about changing it, but Green Scream had grown on me over the years, so I kept it."
"Years?" Mitsuru asked incredulously. Actually, everyone looked at DJ in disbelief. "KL... How long have you been experiencing the Dark Hour?"
"Ten years." He said simply, earning different reactions from everyone. Ikutsuki was mildly surprised, Mitsuru was in shock, Akihiko was staring at him in disbelief, expecting to say something like "Just kidding" or something, and Yukari looked... completely horrified. "And you call it the Dark Hour? That's... a lot better than my name, I'll give you that."
"T-Ten years...?" Yukari whispered, still staring at the boy. "You've experienced the Dark Hour for ten years?!" DJ winced at her tone. The others didn't show it much, but they were all pretty much thinking the same thing she was.
"Is... that bad?" He asked, earning an "Are you serious?!" look from everyone. "I'll take that as a yes."
"Yes. And for a very simple reason." Ikutsuki said, adjusting his glasses. "The Dark Hour will happen tonight and every other night to come, always when the clock strikes twelve. During this hour, Shadows come out and attack anyone not in a coffin." He glanced back at DJ, who was looking at him intently. "The fact that you've been experiencing it for ten years and nothing has happened to you is... strange, for lack of a better word."
"...About those Shadows..." DJ started. "What's their deal?"
"Didn't you see those monsters that night?" Akihiko asked, standing up. "Shadows only appear in the Dark Hour, and they'll attack anyone not in a coffin... With you being an odd exception, apparently." He whispered that last part. "It's our job to take them out. Sounds exciting, eh?" DJ couldn't help but chuckle.
"Fighting monsters does sound pretty cool..." He mused as imaginary images of him fighting of hordes of Shadows on a white horse and a golden lance filled his mind.
"Akihiko!" Mitsuru said, making Akihiko freeze. The boxer swore he felt the room temperature fall down by about forty degrees. "Why are you always like that?! You just got hurt the other day!" Akihiko noticeably growled before sitting down. Mitsuru continued to glare at the boxer before Ikutsuki cleared his throat.
"Now, now. He does his work well." He said, alleviating some of the tension in the air. DJ leaned closer to Yukari.
"Are those two engaged or something?" He whispered to her. Despite the situation, Yukari couldn't help but snicker at the thought. The two really did act like a married couple every now and then. Unfortunately, Mitsuru's glare ended up shutting them up.
"Long story short," Ikutsuki continued. "We are the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad. Or SEES for short." DJ blinked.
"SEES?" He asked, glancing at Yukari's arm band.
"On paper, we're classified as a school club. But in reality, this group is dedicated to defeating the Shadows." The Chairman finished. DJ put a hand on his chin.
"This is starting to sound like some kind of plot for a video game... " He muttered. "So you guys go around at night killing Shadows, is that it?"
"In a way, yes." Mitsuru said, getting the boy's attention. "Although it is a bit more complex than that."
"Save the details. I'll ask later." The disk jockey said, earning a nod from the red head. He glanced at everyone in the room and sighed. "Anything else?"
"Well, Mitsuru is the definitive lead of SEES." The Chairman spoke. "I serve as the club advisor."
"Shadows are also the reason for those bizarre cases of Apathy Syndrome." Yukari said. Admittedly, what she told DJ made the brunette boy lean back in shock.
"Takeba is correct." Mitsuru continued. "Shadows feed of the minds of their prey, leaving the victims as living corpses." DJ grimaced. He had heard plenty about the Apathy Syndrome breakthroughs... He just didn't expect Shadows to be the cause of them.
"Of course, there are people who can manage to stay awake during the Dark Hour." Akihiko said. "And amongst those, there are people who have the potential to use the only power capable of beating the Shadows."
"Persona..." DJ muttered, earning a nod from everyone present. "Okay... So what does all this have to do with me?"
"You awakened to your power the other night." Ikutsuki said, placing the metal briefcase on the table.
"You're point?"
"What he's trying to say is, we want you to join us." Mitsuru said, opening the briefcase. Inside was a red arm band, just like everyone else 's and... a gun. One that looked just like Yukari's. "We've prepared an Evoker for you. We'd like you to lend us your strength." DJ looked at the Evoker and then back at Mitsuru.
"Kind of a tough choice..." He muttered. "As fun as beating up monsters sounds, I'm really not so sure." He paused. "What sucks the most is that won't ever be a damsel in distress for me to rescue because everyone who can't fight is gonna be in a coffin." Both Mitsuru and Yukari had to resist the urge to smack him for having such shallow reason.
"Don't think about it too much." Akihiko said. "Just hang out with us for a while."
"Please," Mitsuru continued. "we need your help." Yukari looked at the elder girl in disbelief.
"Y-You can't ask him like that!" She protested. "Who could say no...?" She gave the boy a look, one that said "Please remember what I told you earlier.". "I mean, it'd be nice if he joined, but... it's his choice."
"Relax Yu-Chan!" DJ said, snapping her out of her train of thought. A small shadow of pink coated her cheeks when she realized that he called her that in front of their seniors. "I get what you people need me to do." He reached for the Evoker and picked it up, twirling it in around his finger. "Damsels or not, I wouldn't give up an adventure like this for nothing!"
"So you accept?" Yukari asked, a smile forming on her face. The boy nodded, making her sigh in relief. Funny. Wasn't she against him joining? Or was it because he joined of his own free will?
"Excellent." Ikutsuki said. "Oh, and about your room assignment, why don't you stay here, in your current room?" DJ shrugged.
"Fine by me. At least now I won't have to pack my stuff again." He muttered, earning a laugh from the Chairman.
"Thank you for your understanding. I don't know what the holdup is, but I guess it all worked out in the end." Yukari blinked.
"Holdup?" She asked. "But wasn't that- You know what, forget. It doesn't matter anymore." DJ couldn't help but chuckle. Yukari's reactions were so adorable.
"Glad to have you onboard DJ." Akihiko said, shaking his hand. "I'm glad to know you'll be helping us out."
"Don't mention it." DJ said, smiling back him. "It's the least I could do."
"Plus you're already on pretty good terms with Yukari." The boxer said, making the girl blush and the disk jockey smirk.
"Nah, I just call her Yu-Chan to get her flustered. But we are friends, that much is for sure." He explained. Akihiko nodded, letting out a small chuckle. Yukari didn't know why, but she felt a knot in her stomach after DJ said that. It just made her... sad.
"KL." Mitsuru said, getting DJ's attention. "Thank you for joining us. We need all the help we can get." DJ smiled before giving her a thumbs up, making her raise an eyebrow. "Um… Okay...?" DJ couldn't help but let out a small laugh at Mitsuru's reaction.
"Guess she doesn't get out much." He thought. "Then again, she is the heiress to the Kirijo Group, and I doubt they'd let her live a normal life…" He shook his head, driving out his previous thoughts. "Can't let depressing thoughts plague my head now! I finally got a few answers around here, and while it wasn't much, I got something to work with! Now all that's left is for me to find out what this Dark Hour really is! Nothing could possibly ruin this moment!"
KA-SHH!
DJ nearly felt his heart jump out of his throat when he heard that loud glass breaking sound from… who knows where. He saw the world around him grow darker as time seemed to slow down into a complete stop.
"What the-"
He couldn't even finish his inner monologue as a white card descended in front of him. On it had the picture of a young man carrying a bag, happily skipping down a trail with a dog by his side. Another interesting thing was the number zero it had written on it.
"Thou hast forged a new bond."
"Wa~h!" DJ yelled as the voice rang in his ears. Just where the heck did that come from?!
"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou chooseth to create a Persona of the Fool Arcana."
And with that, the card disappeared into nothingness in a bright flash of light.
...
"What the hell was that?!"
And then the room was brightened again, and everyone in it was staring at DJ as if he had grown a second head.
An awkward silence passed between them.
"Are… you okay DJ?" Akihiko asked. "You kinda spaced out there for a moment and then you just… screamed." DJ blinked.
"O-Oh!" He let out a nervous chuckle."I-I-I... saw a spider?" He sheepishly said. Ikutsuki, Akihiko and Yukari all gave him unamused glances. But he wasn't expecting Mitsuru to get wide eyed and nearly jump off the couch, earning stares from everyone.
"I-I see..." She muttered, looking away in a vain attempt to hide her red cheeks. Who knew Mitsuru of all people had a case of arachnophobia? "A-Anyway, it's getting late. I'd suggest you all get some rest." As if on cue, Yukari let out a yawn.
"I'm all down for that." She said before walking out the room. Akihiko stretched his good arms and left after her, Ikutsuki following suite, leaving DJ alone with Mitsuru.
"So, you going to bed?" DJ asked. The red shook her head.
"Unfortunately, I still have a few things I have to take care of first." She said, noticeably downcast.
"Well that sucks." DJ said, earning a small smile on her face. "You need a hand with anything? The senior shook her head.
"No, I don't believe I'll need any assistance." She said, eyeing him. "Thank you for the offer though."
"Don't mention it." He said, walking towards the door. "If you need anything, just give me a shout."
"...Wait." DJ stopped and turned on his heel, only to see a very flustered Mitsuru looking down at the ground. "Um... Where did you say that you saw that sp-spider?"
Oh, this was too good to be true.
The great Mitsuru Kirijo, heiress to one of the biggest companies in all of Japan, the woman with dozens of secrets regarding the Dark Hour, secrets he was going to uncover... was afraid of spiders.
Wow.
A sly grin grew on his face. He put a hand in his chin in a thinker pose. He had two options here. Screw around with her and try to get a few more answers regarding this whole Dark Hour thing or just mess around with her...
Meh, he could interrogate her later. A little fun never hurt anyone.
"Hm... I think it was on that lamp." DJ had to bite his tongue to prevent his laughter from escaping. He bit even harder when he noticed Mitsuru subconsciously step away from the lamp.
"I-Is that so?" She asked, still somewhat bashful. "T-Thank you KL, I-I... was just wondering is all."
"Than what's with the can of bug spray?" He asked, wondering where the hell did she grab that can from. Mitsuru blushed and hid the can behind her. "I-It's nothing!"
DJ chuckled. "Hehe. That's adorable." He said, making the redhead stare at him. "You're really cute when you're embarrassed Kirijo-Senpai." With that he turned around. "G'night Senpai."
"G-Good night.. KL." Mitsuru whispered as she watched him walk away. As soon as he was out of earshot, she sighed. Her perfect chance to try and get some answers regarding his identity, and it all goes downhill because of one stupid spider.
And she could tell he was suspicious of her. He was acting friendly. A little too friendly. She could tell he knew about her... knowledge of the Dark Hour. It was obvious, seeing as how hesitant he seemed when she told him that excuse on his first night here.
His true identity, being hidden beneath this "DJ" façade of his and her knowledge of the Dark Hour, hidden beneath her legacy. They were both keeping secrets from each other. It was only a matter of time before one of them caved first.
"You're really cute when you're embarrassed."
...Mitsuru couldn't tell why, but there was something about the way he said it that seemed... familiar. As if she heard someone say that before. Albeit, it was a bit embarrassing, but it still felt... warm.
She glanced back at the door where he once stood. "...Just what is it that you're hiding KL?"
4/18 (Sat) - DARK HOUR
...
...
...
"...Hi, how are you?"
!
DJ's eyes shot open she that child like voice ringed in his ears. Sitting up, the disk jockey was greeted to the sight of the kid in prison garb, the same one he net in his first day, sitting on his bed.
He blinked.
The boy copied.
"...Za?!" DJ nearly shrieked, backing up against the wall. "It's you!" The child chuckled, making DJ even more terrified. "Who are you?! And more importantly, how did you get in here?!"
"I'm always with you..." The boy said, his smile not fading. DJ gulped and back away even further.
"Crap, I really did sell my soul, didn't I?" He muttered, earning another laugh.
"It's nothing like that." The child said. "I'm just here to tell you something..." His smile didn't fade, but DJ noticed something in his eyes... Sadness? "Soon the end will come." Say what now? "I remembered, so I thought I should tell you."
"The end?" The disk jockey asked, relaxing a bit. Now he was curious. "The end of what?"
"The end of everything."
A pregnant silence fell between the two. The boy with his unreadable smiling expression and DJ staring at him with wide eyes.
"...W-What?" DJ squeaked. He really hoped he didn't hear that correctly. With everything that's happened recently, chances are what this kid was saying is true. "What do you mean?"
"To be honest... I don't really know what it is." Well, DJ had a hard time trying to find out whether that calmed him down or whether it made him even more frightened. The boy got off the bed and turned to him. "By the way, I saw that you unlocked your power." DJ blinked.
"...You were there." He whispered. "I saw you before I summoned Orpheus. You and..." He scratched his head. Those last two people he saw before his awakening... Who were they? Dammit, why couldn't he remember this earlier. Igor could've answered him...
"You know your power is very unusual " The prison boy said. DJ quirked an eyebrow.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Your power can take many forms, but is bound by none..." The child explained. "It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up." The child vanished from DJ's sight and reappeared in front of the window. "Do you remember when we first met?" Prison boy asked, earning a slow nod from DJ, who was a bit spooked by his sudden disappearance. "I expect you to honor your commitment..." DJ blinked. That sounded a lot like what Igor said to him.
"Don't worry..." DJ assured him. "I will honor my deal. I'll take full responsibility for my actions. I swear it." The boy smiled at him.
"Even when those actions involve lying to your friends?" DJ blinked. What... What was he getting at? "You should know that better than anyone else. After all, what does "KL" stand for anyway?"
The disk jockey froze.
"...Shut it." He said scoffing, much to the boy's amusement. "The name's DJ now, and I have every damn right to keep things to myself, so back off." The boy pondered for a moment before nodding.
"Very well. Still, using the nickname your father gave you as a full one doesn't seem like such a bright idea." The boy raised his hands in defense when DJ glared at him. "I kid, I kid... Just remember, I'll be watching you, even if you forget about me... Okay then, see you later!" The boy exclaimed before disappearing from the room.
DJ stared at the window where the child stood. That was... bizarre. It was nice to know that the kid wasn't a figment of his imagination, but there was still something... off about that entire conversation.
He didn't even want to think about how the kid knew... that name. He always hated it when someone said that name. One of the reasons he came back to Iwatodai in the first place... At least he didn't say the full name, then he would've socked the kid upside the head.
He sighed. The day still left many unanswered questions. How much does Mitsuru know about the Dark Hour? How did it come to be? What about that card and that voice in his head from earlier? What... end was that kid talking about? And who were those two people in that vision he had?
"This is way to insane..." DJ muttered. He laid back down and sighed. "Kid woke me up too... At least there's no school tomorrow." He yawned and shut his eyes. As much as he wanted those answers, they wouldn't be coming anytime soon. He silently hummed Burn My Dread before falling asleep thinking tomorrow wouldn't be as eventful as the past few days had been.
He was wrong.
SAVE GAME?
YES -
NO
SAVING...
SAVED.