Hello! I'm back with another update. Sorry this one took so long, I've been prepping for a convention (lemme know if you'll be at Anime North this weekend!) and have been crazy busy as a result. I don't have any special notes, so let's get moving!


"I seriously can't believe you missed your train chasing that moron," Morgana chided as her personal taxi turned the corner to enter the winding pathways of Yongen-Jaya. "You didn't even catch her! And now it's already getting dark out!"

"Ryuko's a track runner, and I told you I'm new to Tokyo! I promise that you'd get lost at first if the tables turned and you were the newcomer in my town." Ah, fond memories of getting lost in the Junes as a toddler. And as an elementary schooler. And as a middle schooler. Aki was bad with directions and that place had an inherently chaotic feeling to it, okay?! At least that one brunet employee and the dude in the mascot suit were always nice enough to chat with her while she texted her mom to come find her. The girl dismissed the memories for now, moving a hand to gently push Morgana's head into her bag. "Look, I'm gonna hide you from my probation officer for now. Just stay quiet, okay?"

"If I must." Morgana sighed overdramatically as Aki zipped the bag over her head, prompting an eye roll from the Wild Card. Ensuring that the precious (and annoying) cargo was sufficiently hidden, the girl pushed open the door to Leblanc.

As per usual, Sojiro was standing behind the counter, cigarette in hand. The man gave her a disinterested glance before returning to his smoke. "Store's still open. Go upstairs."

Sighing, Aki nodded silently and started to walk, though something caught her eye partway across the store. Seated in one of the booths was a very pretty woman, perhaps in her thirties, decked out in fashion that reminded Aki of the goth-y magazines she'd sometimes pass by in the bookstore on her way to the manga section. It suited her really well, and her heavy makeup only served to enhance her features. Feet slowing to a stop, the student had paused to get a better look at the stylish customer before she'd even realized it. The woman, however, seemed to figure out that she was being watched very quickly, brown eyes flicking over to the observer. "... Yes?"

"Hey, lay off the customers!" Sojiro's irritated order startled Aki out of her daze. She quickly mumbled an apology with a shallow bow before almost tripping over her feet as she backed up. The man sighed, and Aki could see him rub his forehead out of the corner of her eye. "Sorry, doctor."

"Oh, it's fine." The woman waved her hand dismissively as she got to her feet, reaching into her spider-print purse to take out a few bills, which she left on the table. "I was just about to leave, anyways. Wonderful coffee as always, Sakura-san."

And once again, Aki was staring, although this time it was in the much less obvious direction of the woman's (the doctor's?) shoes. How could she even walk in heels so high...!? Sojiro nodded in the stylish doctor's direction, wishing her a good night as she exited. Sighing, he turned to Aki, the girl standing there like a fool again. "Don't bother the customers while we're open. That woman is the head doctor at the clinic down the street, so if you're sick, you'll likely be visiting her. No need to make someone like that irritated with you."

"Sorry, Sakura-san. I didn't realize I was looking." Once again, Aki offered a shallow bow. "I'm just… not really used to seeing people dressed like that." Sure, she'd give that as the reason she was looking. The other thing wasn't his business.

Surprisingly, the man actually looked a bit amused. "Ah, that's right. Tokyo styles must not be too prevalent in Yamanashi. Well, it suits someone like her. Reportedly, she sells some pretty weird homemade medicines. It's just hearsay, though." He didn't seem that old, but he sure did ramble like a grandpa. Just as soon as it had arrived, though, the amused expression had slipped away to leave Sojiro looking gruff as always. "I'm gonna clean up down here. Go on upstairs."

Homemade medicines… did Aki really want to go to a doctor like that? Hopefully she just wouldn't get sick this year. "Ah, alright. Goodnight, Sakura-san." This time, she didn't wait for a response before turning to head up the stairs. She probably wasn't going to get one, anyways.

"You live in a real dump!" Morgana meowed in irritation as she examined the room she'd just been released into, tentatively stepping around the unmade bed. "Seriously, what is this place?!"

"It's the attic of a cafe," Aki shrugged, stretching her arms out behind her head. "I mean, I'm on probation, so it figures it was gonna be kind of crappy."

"Still, this is just-"

"I thought I heard meowing!" The black haired girl and the cat jumped in unison as an angry male voice interrupted the conversation. Spinning on her heels, Aki was met with a very angry Sojiro marching up the stairs. His eyes fell on Morgana and narrowed. "Why on earth did you bring that thing here?"

Oh, shit. If Morgana got kicked out of the house, Aki'd never hear the end of it. Do something, dummy! "It… She was abandoned!" Quick, puppy dog eyes activate! Aki put on her best 'miserable teenage girl' face, one she'd had a looooot of time to become familiar with these past few months. "She was shivering on the side of the road… I couldn't just leave her there!"

It looks like her attempts at evoking sympathy worked, Sojiro's angry expression softening somewhat as his eyes fell on the cat. "That's… That's a shame." Still, it hadn't completely vanished, and he raised an eyebrow as his eyes flicked from the cat to Aki. "Look, this place is a restaurant. You can't just keep an animal here, do you understand? There's health and safety policies in place for a reason."

"Sakura-san…" Quick, crank up the desolate expression! Bite your lip! Wring your hands! Pigeon toes! Walk walk fashion baby! Maybe not that last one! Likely realizing the act Aki was putting on, Morgana played along, releasing a pitiful, whimpering meow. Resistance against a sight this cute was impossible, and Sojiro's face finally fell, the man letting out a sigh.

"Well, I suppose you might behave if you have a pet to take care of…" Aki may have gone from miserable to overwhelmingly happy too fast, as the man quickly followed up with, "But you'd better keep it quiet when the place is open, and it's out on the streets if I catch it roaming downstairs. Got it?"

"Yes, definitely! Thank you so, so much, Sakura-san!" God damn, Arsene had to proud at the amount of trickery his host was putting on the table. Smiling brightly and bowing deeply, Aki started wondering if it might actually be fun to have Morgana around. She liked cats, and maybe she'd eat the spiders if they came back…? Eh, best not to wish for too much.

Sojiro almost looked embarrassed, diverting his eyes from the bundle of joy in front of him. "Taking care of it is going to be your responsibility, so don't slack." With that, the man quickly turned on his heels, sighing audibly as he made his way back down the stairs.

"Excellent performance, Aki!" Morgana praised, sitting up straighter on the bed. "Is that the ruler of this place?"

"Hey, that meowing wasn't too shabby. And I guess that's one way to look at it?" The black haired girl shrugged, slipping off her loafers and placing them beside her bed. She wasn't used to taking off her shoes after she entered the house, but considering that it was a public establishment, it couldn't really be helped. "That's Sojiro Sakura. He owns this cafe, and he's my probation officer."

"He seems surprisingly sympathetic for someone who keeps you up in this dump," The cat looked from side to side, her nose wriggling a bit in disgust. "When was it last cleaned?"

"Very recently, actually. I just haven't picked up some of the stuff that was up here before I-"

Interruptions Two: Electric Boogaloo. God, she loved that stupid joke. Sojiro's footsteps could be heard walking back up, and Aki turned to see the man returning with what appeared to be a plate of fish leftovers. "Seriously, it had to keep calling out in that cute little voice…"

Though the man did his best to seem annoyed as he placed the dish down on the mattress, Aki noticed the way his eyes softened as Morgana leant over to try a piece, his mouth restraining a smile. And before she knew it, she was smiling too. "Should I wash that dish afterwards, Sakura-san?"

"Unless you want fish stinking up your room, yes." Taking a break from watching Morgana eat eagerly, Sojiro turned his attentions to his charge. "Say, have you decided on a name?"

"Yes, she's Morgana," Aki responded, realizing as soon as she said it how odd of a name that was for a cat. "... I named her after one my family used to have."

"Your family has odd tastes when it comes to naming animals." Sojiro shrugged, although there was a hint of disappointment in his eyes. "I'm going to head home, it's late." As the man turned to leave, Aki could have sworn she'd heard a quiet 'hoped I'd get to name her' from the cafe owner as he made his way down the stairs.

When the sound of a restaurant door closing could be heard and the trickles of light from downstairs were extinguished, Morgana looked up at Aki, a smug smile on her snout. "Looks like the chief likes me better than you."

"If I was a cat as well, I'm sure we'd be even." Aki was kind of catlike in the way that she had fluffy hair, was good at entering rooms quietly, and had a remarkable propensity for knocking shit off tables, but those probably weren't enough to endear her to Sojiro. Also, the last thing was usually an accident.

"I'm not a cat, but even if I was, I'd beat you either way!" Finishing up her meal, Morgana stretched out, satisfied. "Even though it's messy, this place is heavenly compared to Kamoshida's cells. And…" She paused her stretch, tilting her head to look at Aki as her back straightened out. "... Do you guys remember asking me what I was before?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Morgana sat up properly, tail curling around her hindquarters. "If I'm being honest… I don't remember anything about my birth, or who I was prior to winding up in that Palace. I think the distortions of the Metaverse made me lose both my memories and my true form."

"I didn't realize something like that was possible…" Aki murmured in thought, starting to unbutton her blazer as she got prepared for the night. "Could your true form be a human, then?"

"It has to be!" Ears flicking, Morgana nodded. "Why else would I be able to talk like this and hold a Persona? There's no doubt those distortions caused me to lose my body. Once we purge them, I'm sure I'll be able to get my memories and human form back. I've got a pretty good idea on how to do it, too. I'm pretty sure that was why I was in the castle in the first place."

Man, there was an awful lot Aki didn't know about the Metaverse and what it contained… Noticing the girl's worried expression as she slid her jacket off her shoulders, Morgana made a light meowing noise. "Hey, just so you know, you taking care of me won't be for nothing. This is a give and take relationship. I have quite the knowledge of infiltration tools."

"Infiltration tools?" Aki cocked her head, pausing as she folded the jacket to place at the foot of her bed for the next day.

"Hey, I can't tell you more unless we settle on a deal!" Morgana flicked her tail. "It's high-level information suitable for a master thief like myself. Not just any old wannabe gets to hear it! So in exchange for you letting me stay here, I'll let you in on the art of infiltration tools. How's that for a great deal?"

The not-a-cat's way of describing it was almost definitely overdramatic, but given the way she'd basically taken over as their guide for all Palace-related things, whatever she was describing would no doubt be useful. It would be silly not to take her up on it. "So be it, then. It's a deal!"

"Excellent answer!" As Morgana gave her best smile, Aki couldn't help but smile right back- and not just because she was an extremely cute cat (cat thing?). They'd certainly gone a long way from debating whether or not to let her out of Kamoshida's cells, hadn't they? Hopefully, things would only improve from here on out. As she ruminated over what these 'infiltration tools' could be useful for, a whisper caressed the back of her mind just like it had done at the train station earlier that day.

I am thou, thou art I… Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Magician Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power...


"Kurusu, if you fall unconscious, I'll have to leave and allow the officers to return."

Sae's tone was far from threatening- it was merely a statement, one that was both true and highly disturbing to Aki, who managed to life her head up from where she'd briefly slumped onto the desk. "... I won't fall asleep."

"For your own safety, I genuinely hope you don't." Sae mumbled under her breath as she flipped through her book. "Skillful infiltrations and escapes from all manner of places… We're considering the possibility that you used special tools and knew someone who manufactured them."

Aki snorted quietly. "Good luck arresting that person."

"This is no time for jokes!" Sae's glare snapped back from her pages to Aki. "Who was it? Answer me!"


… Was that voice supposed to make the hairs on the back of her neck stand up? Because it did. Scratching the back of her neck instinctively, Aki almost missed Morgana's next comment. "Now, I'll teach you all about the infiltration tools over time. A great thief isn't made overnight, even if you do have that impressive power."

"Oh, right. Wild Card or something like that?" Taking her hand off her neck, Aki went to remove her glasses, reaching for the bag Morgana had recently been toted around in to grab her case.

"That's correct!" Morgana shifted slightly to allow Aki easier access to the bag. "To reach your full potential, you'll need to mind your actions in the real world as well as in Palaces. Personas are born from the strength in our hearts, after all, so you'll need to have experiences that will lead to you developing that strength. I'll come along with you wherever you go from now on to guide you through the process."

Blowing the cat hair off the glasses case (how damn much did Morgana shed in there?!), Aki hummed while placing the black frames inside. Did this mean she'd have to tote the cat everywhere like foreign celebrities did with their little dogs? Part of it sounded decidedly unappetizing, but then again, she'd need the guidance the feline could provide. "Okay, then it's a deal. You done with that plate?"

"Yep," Morgana nodded as Aki lifted the now-empty plate of food off the bed. "I expect great things from you from now on- starting with washing that plate!"

Rolling her eyes, the black-haired girl chuckled as she turned to descend the stairs. "Of course, mademoiselle."


The banter with Morgana had been a much-needed moment of levity today, but Aki still had a troubled feeling inching into her mind. It had started right after they'd confronted Kamoshida in the faculty room, but because of the whirlwind that was the infiltration and Ann's awakening, it had been shoved to the bottom of her list of priorities. But they weren't in that overwhelming palace anymore- she was curled up in her bed within her shabby bedroom, alone except for the cat lying next to her feet. For better or for worse, other thoughts were filling her mind.

… Maybe she should tackle one thing that had been bothering her since she arrived at Shujin. Mishima had leaked her criminal record, so she at least knew how people knew about her past now, but she'd still wondered exactly what they knew and how the truth became so distorted. People were saying she was a drug dealer, a compensated dater, an arsonist- if the crime existed, she'd apparently done it. Aki honestly wouldn't be surprised if they started buzzing about how she was secretly a yakuza boss or something. If she wasn't so fed up with the whole thing, the concept of a grizzled, tough version of herself sitting at a desk guarded by a bunch of bodyguards would have made her laugh.

Now, this wasn't going to help her at all- in fact, reading up on her case was probably an awful idea- but curiosity was getting to her. What exactly had been said to make the school body fear her so much?

Looking to the foot of her bed where Morgana was currently captivated with her copy of The Great Thief (it was so strange watching a cat read… She hoped the librarian wouldn't notice the light water damage sustained from the way Morgana turned each page with her mouth), Aki reached over to where she'd placed her phone, opening up her browser window and typing her name in the search bar. Let's see… Twitter account (cleared it before coming here, but I held onto the name), the LinkedIn page of an Aki Kurusu that was decidedly not her (sorry I dragged you into this mess, thirty year old graphic designer Aki), and… a tidal wave of 2ch threads (well, shit).

Tokyo's prestigious Shujin Academy is accepting a violent delinquent?! Name and pictures leaked!

Dangerous criminal amongst a sea of pure flowers? Elite Tokyo girl's school accepts student with assault record!

the mugshot of this delinquent girl going to shujin is too funny wwww

… With all those overhyped titles, she would be able to tell it was 2ch even without the URL to guide her. Aki pursed her lips, tapping on the third thread to see exactly what warranted the worst title out of all of them. She really wished she hadn't right after- Aki realized she'd never even seen her mugshot until now, having avoided every possible thing to do with the case. Now, though…

God, she looked pathetic. She was wearing her old high school uniform, the black sailor top and yellow ribbon somewhat obscured by the way she held up the damning signboard. This was before she started wearing low braids, back when she stuck with high pigtails, and she was now acutely aware of the way the girlish hairstyle and uniform contrasted with the seriousness of the mugshot. Her glasses had fallen and broken when the police yanked her into the car, so they were nowhere to be seen, leaving her face all the more exposed. Worst of all was her expression- her cheeks shone brightly from the way the tear tracks had stained them, and her wide grey eyes were red from the sobbing she'd been doing all the way to the station. She was biting at her lip, obviously in the intent of holding back even more tears. And the reason that the entire world could now get a voyeuristic look at the worst moment of Aki's life? Because some ephebophile of a teacher apparently intended to isolate her and send her running into his arms. She wanted to scream. She should have just closed the browser, but her eyes had shot to the comments in the thread before she could stop herself.

wwwwww so much for the tough girl

So you can assault someone and still have the gall to cry? Awful.

the despairing look on someone like her is kind of hot. any more pics?

she doesn't look like the violent type, but if she was convicted then shes gotta be

omg i think she wound up in my class….. fml

Aki Kurusu was the name, right? I googled her and found a couple more threads with this picture.

i fapped to this wwww

"Dammit!"

Gross, gross, gross! Aki cursed loudly before she knew what she was doing, clicking out of the tab and and yanking the covers over her head as if being unseen by the world in this moment could somehow take away the hundreds of people who'd now seen her at the worst moment of her life. She heard Morgana meow as the blankets shifted, feeling the cat stand up. Right, she'd interrupted her reading… "Aki? Everything okay?"

"No, not really." The girl's voice was muffled from under the blankets. "Just mad about Kamoshida, I guess." It wasn't totally a lie.

The feeling of paws moving around plus the sudden thump next to the bed indicated that the book had probably been knocked to the floor. Aki couldn't get too mad about it when she considered that Morgana didn't have any hands. "I can understand why you're angry. He's scum through and through, but you can't let him get to you."

"... I'll do my best." Aki became acutely aware of how pathetic that must have sounded. "I'm just going to do some stuff on my phone and go to bed, okay?"

"Fine by me." Four tiny paws circled around at the end of the bed near Aki's feet before settling up next to her, close enough to provide a feeling of warmth. "Make sure you do sleep."

Nodding to the cat who most definitely wouldn't be able to see the gesture, Aki paused and stared ahead at her screen, as if looking at it for long enough would reveal the answer to all her problems. After a moment, she bit her lip, opening the messages app and heading to the chat that she had with her parents- one that had dried up almost instantly after her arrival in Tokyo. There were new messages, but they were all from her, and had mainly received one word or no replies. More frequently the latter. Scrolling up a bit would have allowed her to see the last text sent before her life turned to hell, one from her father asking if she needed an umbrella on that evening she'd be walking home late from cram school- but she wasn't going to look at that. No, she'd spent enough time bitter and miserable thinking about her parents enough. Quickly exiting that chat, Aki opened a much more recent one.

Aki: you guys in bed yet?

Ryuko: nah not yet

Ann: me neither

Aki: guess it isnt too late all things considered

Aki: anyways i just wanted to hop in to say that i'm seriously happy to have both of you here

Aki: id really been hopeless heading into this year and its nothing short of a goddamn miracle that all this happened and that i met two other people kinda like me

Aki: and knowing we can actually change things for everyones' sake is just… amazing

Aki: idk where im going with this lmao, words arent really my strong suit

Aki: point is: i think we're really getting the ball rolling now that ann's here, and i cant help but get all fired up thinking about how we're gonna make sure he pays for what he did

Aki: who's ready to kick some shadow ass? (((c=(゚ロ゚;q

Ann: i am!

Ryuko: u already know my answer

Aki: hell yeah!

Ann: seriously, i'm happy too. you both really saved me today

Aki: honestly, you saved yourself, ann!

Ryuko: yeah! i dont get all the details behind this stuff but im p sure that if u didnt face your problem we all would have been super screwed

Ann: even so, i couldnt have done it without people there to back me up, so thank you

Ann: now im all fired up too! kamoshidas going down! ( ・o・)っ≡つ

Aki: ! EMOJI FRIEND

Ann: (づ ̄ ³ ̄)づ hooray!

Ryuko: theres two people like this in here now?!

Ann: haha! we'll convert you eventually, ryuko!

Aki: (・ω) come join the fun

Ryuko: NO!

… It had taken Aki a moment to realize she was smiling again. Even though she'd really only met the true Ann today (and Ryuko was pretty damn new, too), there was this undeniable sense of closeness- a bond true enough to already work wonders on her mood even when she had genuine reason to be hurting. This had to be those 'Confidant' things Igor had been speaking about, right? Aki wasn't exactly full of experience with friendship, but she was certain they weren't supposed to make you feel so comfy this quick. It wasn't as though the belated realization of how public her messy arrest was had been entirely erased from her mind, but it certainly felt a lot less heavy.

Shuffling out to plug her phone into the wall again, Aki exchanged a 'goodnight' with Morgana (who seemed to have found a comfortable spot near the end of the mattress) before shuffling under the covers. As she was just at the edge of sleep, the girl could have sworn she'd heard the tail end of a nearly flirtatious conversation between Arsène and Pixie within the recesses of her mind, but-

By then, sleep had claimed her, and her thoughts melted away into her dreams.


Despite still feeling achy the next morning, some deity had clearly blessed Aki- she managed to snag a seat on the train for once! Sure, it was still too cramped for comfort, but being able to sit down was doing wonders for her mood. At Morgana's suggestion, she spent the ride thumbing through The Great Thief (while pretending not to notice how there was the occasional tooth mark on a page). Once she got past all the archaic language, it was actually a pretty good book. Unfortunately, said language meant she only got through half of it by the time the train drew to a stop, meaning she had to hastily stuff the book next to Morgana as she prepared to rise.

Even with her mood raised, the tension at school was thick enough to keep Aki on edge- and not just the tension that came from sweating anxiously through class out of worry that someone would notice the cat hiding in her desk. There was a much bigger reason for the stagnant air around the school- What kind of place would seriously hold classes the day after a suicide attempt? Shujin, apparently, and as a painful stick of chalk smacked her in the forehead as she tried to sneak a glance at her phone, she could tell the teachers were just as ornery as ever. Maybe that was them just trying to keep up a facade of normalcy for the sake of the students…? It clearly wasn't working if that's truly what they were attempting to do- as Aki ate lunch with Ann in the classroom, the only topic that seemed to be of any interest around the classroom was Shiho Suzui. Even as Ann kept a normal expression while she ate, she was clearly having an extremely difficult time overhearing all of the (often absurd) theories about why the volleyball player might have done it. Despite finally having someone to eat with, it was possibly the most uncomfortable lunch the black-haired girl had experienced since coming to Tokyo.

As they'd all agreed to do, the trio met on top of the school roof as soon as the final bell rang. Aki was genuinely shocked to learn that the door to the roof was still unlocked- it made her kind of mad, honestly. A girl just tried to commit suicide here, what kind of negligence…?- but she had to admit that it was probably for the best that they didn't have to reorganize their meeting place. Greeting the two blondes as she settled into one of the chairs strewn about, Aki placed her bag on her table to give Morgana a steady place to exit onto.

Ryuko was the first to speak, nodding curtly as she looked over the group. "So we're all here. Let's get goin', yeah?"

"Hold on." Morgana finished stepping out of the bag. "It's too early for us to go to the Palace. If we headed in right now, we'd be seriously underestimating our enemies. We need to prepare."

Aki cocked her head. "But we have our Personas. What else do we need?"

"That kind of thinking will get you killed in there, y'know!" Morgana rolled her eyes overdramatically. "What if we get hurt, for example? You can only heal so much using a Persona until it runs out of power. On top of that, if our spells don't work against certain Shadows, we need to have weapons that deal better damage."

"Weapons?" Ryuko perked up, having previously looked a bit miffed at the realization that they wouldn't be going into the Palace. "I know a kick-ass place!"

"In that case, you can handle that side of things." Morgana nodded while Ann made a confused noise at the other blonde's weapons comment. "That just leaves medication. Aki and I know just the place to get that!"

"... Do we?"

"We do! Remember that doctor in Yongen? We're going to see her about it!" Ignoring Aki's protests over going to see a sketchy medical professional, Morgana stretched out once more before moving to get back into the bag. "No time to waste, then! Meeting adjourned- let's get going, Aki."

"You really call the shots around here, don't you, Morgana?" Ann laughed, getting to her feet. The cat puffed up with pride at the girl's comment.

"Of course I do- I'm an expert, after all!"

"Yeah, yeah." Ryuko rolled her eyes, getting to her feet. "Welp, let's make sure to text each other tonight so we all know what's goin' on."


The nice thing about having gotten lost on her first day was that Aki now knew exactly where most things in Yongen were located- she'd seen them all about three times that morning, after all. Finding the clinic wasn't a problem at all. The real issue arose when she actually arrived there- she found herself standing right outside the door with absolutely no idea how to get the medicine Morgana apparently wanted. "So… You got a plan for this?"

"Not really. I can't talk to her, so it's up to you." Morgana shuffled out of the bag to take her position against Aki's shoulder- something she seemed to like doing whenever the girl wasn't moving. "Do you know what you're gonna say?"

Holding back a comment about how she shouldn't have been made to come here without a plan, Aki bit her lip as she stared at the front doors. "I guess I just have to make something up." Wow, lying to a doctor in order to get drugs. Maybe you are a criminal in the end.

"It's not like we can just explain the Palace to normal people." Morgana nodded, jumping right back into the bag. "That's probably the best way to do it. Make sure you leave a little bit of the zipper on this bag open when you close it, okay?"

Aki sighed, nodding as she zipped the bag up far enough to hide any evidence of feline activity, giving the door one final stare as if she could somehow glare it into submission. With that obviously failing, she did what had usually worked in the past- she sucked it up and walked in.

Aside from some decidedly quirky posters about flu safety, the clinic seemed safe. It certainly wasn't anything fancy- exposed light fixtures hanging from the ceiling, dingy white tiles on the floor, and a fake plant that still managed to look wilted-, but it wasn't that bad. The slightly unusual atmosphere seemed to suit the familiar blue haired woman typing away at a computer behind the desk. Raising her head as the door was open, she regarded Aki with a neutral expression. "... Is this your first visit?"

The student had been so caught up inspecting the woman's outfit (a punk dress under a labcoat?) that she almost missed the question. "Oh, yeah. I… I think I saw you at Cafe LeBlanc last night?"

Goddammit, that didn't have any relevance to this situation. Why'd she even say it? Her nerves over how she was definitely, absolutely, 100% committing a crime weren't the only reason she was so useless all of a sudden, but the other reason was too embarrassing to address even in the privacy of her own head. Come on Kurusu, this really isn't necessary every time you see a beautiful woman. For her part, the doctor seemed to shrug the comment off, merely stretching her arms out behind herself a bit. "Hm. Well, whatever. How can I help you today?"

Oh shit, reason for being here, reason for being here! "It's- I've been having chronic nightmares lately, so…" That was half-true (the Velvet Room wasn't exactly a fun dream), but as her dad used to say, being half-truthful made about as much sense as being half-pregnant. Aki sincerely hoped the doctor didn't hear Morgana's exasperated sigh over the bespectacled girl's excuse.

Apparently she didn't, as she doctor only regarded her with a blank look before shrugging, rising to her feet. "... Very well, then. Please come to the exam room."

Following the woman's lead, Aki obediently pushed open the door to the exam room before taking a seat on the red stool positioned across from the rolling chair that the doctor was currently taking her own seat in. Though the student hadn't noticed it before due to the positioning of the desk, the woman's outfit was made even more wildly out-of-character for a healthcare professional with the low cut skirt and strappy platform heels. City styles were… interesting. Stop looking at her thighs, moron. Bringing her eyes back up, Aki met the doctor's disinterested gaze just as the woman started to speak. "Nightmares, hm? When did this all start?"

Taking a deep breath in, Aki started to explain- sort of. She did decide to be honest about her conviction, for one. Thinking logically, a doctor would eventually learn about it by going through her medical history (and learning about the checkup she'd been required to have at the hospital after the incident with the drunkard), so Aki wanted to have the woman learn about it in her own words. After explaining that they'd started after arriving in Tokyo (which was also true), the doctor nodded as if she'd heard this all before.

"... I see. In a case like yours, it's mostly due to stress." Bringing up her clipboard to scribble something down, the doctor (apparently named Takemi, Aki deduced as she got a closer look at the woman's name tag) sighed slightly. "I'll prescribe you some sleeping pills. They should keep you from waking up before morning. Would you prefer a sweet-tasting pill or a bitter one?"

Well, that wasn't what she needed. Aki cleared her throat a bit, attempting to project some of Arsene's confidence into her words. "Are sleeping pills all you have, miss?"

Hm. She sounded confident, yes, but the bespectacled girl realized too late that her word choices made her sound terribly suspect- Kind of like a teenager trying to illegally access drugs. Which, y'know, she was. Takemi seemed to notice too, judging by the raise of her eyebrow. "All I have in stock, anyways. Now, let's not beat around the bush." Straightening out her slouched posture, she stared Aki down coldly enough to make the girl subconsciously shrink into herself a bit. "You aren't sick at all, are you? It's rather foolish to try and trick a medical professional like this."

Aki swore she could hear Morgana curse from inside her bag. The girl herself could only sit there, gradually getting paler and paler as Takemi went on. "You're a kid with a record who's not satisfied with just sleeping pills for a non-existent sleeping condition. You're not exactly Frank Abagnale. I'm going to go ahead and guess that you're here because of the rumours about my medication."

"... Are the rumours true?" Aki was caught already, a fact she was acutely aware of as she deflated slightly in her chair. No need to drag on her failed con any longer and embarrass herself.

Takemi shrugged, leaning back in her chair casually. "Who's to say, really? What I know for certain is that I get a lot of new patients lying to get drugs now." Her gaze turned back to Aki. "Though teenage girls certainly don't make up a significant fraction of those patients. If your boyfriend is talking you into this, I recommend breaking up with him as soon as you can. It'll save you heartbreak later."

"Wha- no, it's nothing like that!" The ashen colour on Aki's face was quickly replaced by red as she tensed up at the mere suggestion. "I don't have a boyfriend, I just… I'm having a bit of a tough time in the city, so…"

Again, not exactly a lie. The doctor seemed almost amused by Aki's outburst, but it was really hard to tell with her subdued expressions. Shrugging, she held her clipboard up straighter. "Mm, you don't seem to be in an easy situation. I suppose I can prescribe you some medication." Noticing the alarm in the black-haired girl's eyes, Takemi allowed a smirk to flicker at the edge of her lips. "Easy there. It'll only be medication that helps you recover your health. Despite the record, you don't seem like a dangerous person, and it might be better for you to get it here than to go crawling Tokyo for some."

Leaning to the side to pull something up on her computer screen, Takemi hummed lightly as she continued on. "Now, this is my private practice. All the medicine I dispense here is original- you may have seen some of my products being sold at hospitals. As such, me selling you some of my stock directly won't raise too many red flags."

That had gone from extremely bad to pretty damn good in an instant, hadn't it? Aki was sure her face displayed her thankfulness, but she made sure to bow anyways. "Thank you so much, I really appreciate it."

"Great. It's good to see someone who doesn't ask too many questions about it." Takemi's lips formed into a small smile as she tapped a few other things out on her keyboard, the printer next to her humming to life. "On the topic of questions, I do wonder what you need it for… But I won't pry too much. Don't do anything stupid, please."

Grabbing the freshly-printed sheet from her printer, the doctor leant over, handing the still warm paper to Aki. "Here's my selection and the prices. Take your time."


Aki had bought what she'd hoped was a reasonable amount. She'd made a fair amount of money fighting Shadows (was what they dropped legal tender…? She hoped so), and picked out what she thought would help the best without too much concern over prices. It ended up being surprisingly informal, Takemi simply wrapping her choices in a white paper bag and handing them off. That would have been the end of it, and had the walls of this clinic not been so thin, Aki wouldn't even have remembered the businessman who hurriedly pushed in after her.

Takemi's voice sounded cool and calm through the walls. "Sir, you can't be in here right now. You'll need to take a number and wait outside while I-"

"Enough of this nonsense!" The man's angry retort was what caught Aki's attention (and Morgana's, judging by how the cat pushed her head past the zipper to crawl out of the bag as soon as the voices could be heard). "You know who I am, Doctor, and you're the only one who can design that rumoured medicine!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Amazingly, the woman's voice sounded as collected as she had before. Aki found herself inching closer to the door as the conversation carried on.

The man didn't sound anywhere near as collected. "Don't play dumb with me! People are saying your newest medication can give someone unimaginable power. Something like that violates every damn health regulation in the country! If you're selling stimulants, the media will be on this like a fly on shit. Do you really intend to disgrace the medical community again, Takemi?!"

"I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else. I'm just a normal practitioner." Aki could almost imagine the woman's blank expression, even with all these accusations being hurled in her direction. Still, the black-haired girl took a mental note of something the furious man had said. Unimaginable power…?

"A 'normal practitioner' with a black spot the size of the damn planet on her career! Your mistake cost lives, and I won't let you continue to sully the name of Tokyo medical professionals. You need to dispose of those drugs right away and resign before your schemes hurt someone again!" The man only seemed to be getting angrier, and Aki's head started to swirl with confusion. What had Takemi been doing before all this? However, something interrupted her thoughts- her own body betrayed her when she abruptly let out a sneeze, causing the man inside to pause his rant. "Who the hell is out there?" Had his voice gotten closer?

"Crap! Come on, let's get going!" Morgana meowed in a panic, and Aki couldn't agree more as she turned on her heels and ran for the exit, pushing open the clinic door and taking the stairs back to the street two at a time.

Once she had gotten far enough away from the clinic- all the way to the second hand shop, in fact- Aki finally paused to breathe. "That was cutting it too close, they seriously almost caught us."

"But think about the intel we have now!" Morgana fully emerged from the bag to prop herself up on Aki's shoulder, something she'd taken a liking to doing. "A medicine with that kind of power, even if it is kind of exaggerated, could seriously help us in taking down Kamoshida! We really should come back when that man isn't here."

"I guess you're right. Still freaks me out a little, though." Shrugging just as the familiar vibration of her phone could be felt through her blazer pocket, the girl opened up the chat app to see the group chat in use.

Ryuko: yo, i just remembered something!

Ann: oh? what is it?

Ryuko: theres a shop on central street that sells these super cool model guns. i used to go there all the time in middle school

Ann: iiiiiiiim gonna guess they didnt take you very seriously back then?

Ann: i cant imagine some lil girl in a sailor uniform with that long black hair getting handed a fake rifle so easily

Aki: wait wait wait

Aki: ryuko had long hair once?

Ryuko: of course not!

Ann: you absoloutely did! it was all pretty and silky, i have the class pictures around here somewhere

Aki: oh my gooooooood i cant even imagine that (*≧艸≦)

Ryuko: okay MAYBE i did

Ryuko: my mom didnt lemme do what i wanted with my hair til high school! thats it!

Ryuko: anyways we're way off topic

Ryuko: i was gonna say that im down to show u two where the airsoft shop is tomorrow

Ann: i actually cant tomorrow, sorry. I have plans to see shiho in the hospital

Ann: you guys can go ahead without me

Ryuko: ah, gotcha

Ryuko: how about you, aki?

Aki: i'm free as long as i'm back before dark

Ryuko: ok! meet me in front of the hachiko statue around noon, k?

Aki: got it! see you ( ̄∇ ̄)

"Making plans for tomorrow, huh? Very wise." Morgana spoke up, having read the conversation from where she was perched on Aki's shoulder. "Hopefully the model guns are realistic enough for our line of work."

The black haired girl snorted. "How professional."

"We are professionals! Well, I am. You're all my trainees." Tail swishing proudly, Morgana moved back to settle into the bag. "We can save all that for tomorrow, though. Let's head back- the sun is getting low."

Turning her eyes up, Aki noted the orange sunset bathing over the city skyline. It looked beautiful from down here- she could only imagine the view you might get if you were overlooking Tokyo from a higher point. It had to be breathtaking. But she couldn't afford to go on any sightseeing adventures right now, not when there was a probation officer awaiting her at the cafe. Stuffing her phone back in her pocket, Aki set off for LeBlanc.


The evening hadn't been in any way eventful. Despite it having been Saturday night, Morgana was still insistent on Aki going to bed far earlier than she would have liked. Maybe her real form is that of a nagging mother was the one grumbling thought that followed the student into her uneventful (and Igor-less) dreams. The benefit of having such an early bedtime imposed on her meant that she was up with the sunrise even without her alarm clock, which gave her plenty of time to get an outfit ready.

What would she wear? Her hair was pulled into low braids as always- it had become second nature at this point- but that didn't solve the problem of clothes. Fashion had never really been Aki's forte- part of growing up in a rural town meant simply choosing what looked easy and comfortable to move in. Now, though, in stylish Shibuya, her outfits seemed quite lacking. After a bit of deliberation, she decided on a simple pair of fitted jeans, black flats, and a slouchy black cardigan with a white shirt underneath. Nothing special, but it wasn't completely offensive to the eyes, so it would do for now. Her early waking gave her some extra time to apply the makeup she'd forgone when starting school (didn't preppy girls' schools like Shujin usually have makeup bans, anyways? Aki hadn't checked, but she didn't need to be in any more trouble), the girl taking her time as she applied the product she hadn't touched in ages. Her eyes drifted towards a tube of red lipstick- what had been drawing her towards that colour recently?- before deciding against it. Her outfit was too casual for something like that, but maybe for another day. After helping Morgana settle into her brown messenger bag, the student was off.

If some of the flashy girls on the train ride there had made Aki anxious over her own plain fashion choices, Ryuko was right next to the Hachiko statue, prepared to soothe those worries. The only thing that seemed to have been made with women in mind were her black jeans and ever-present scrunchie. The loose shirt with the weird face logo (odd t-shirt prints seemed to be kind of a Ryuko staple at this point) and the big purple jacket were definitely created to be worn by someone who was decidedly not a five foot four high school girl. Regardless of her questionable fashion choices, Ryuko flashed a toothy smile at Aki as she approached. "So the country bumpkin made it here all by herself."

"I've been here long enough to get an idea of how to use the trains, you know." The black haired girl snorted, rolling her eyes. "Where are we going, city slicker?"

Laughing in return, Ryuko turned towards Central Street, a gaze sent backwards implying that Aki should follow. "The store's called Untouchable. Basically-" She paused her speech as things around her got too loud for a moment. There seemed to be someone giving a speech up on a soapbox, but he himself was difficult to hear. It sounded like Morgana had said something from her bag, but god knows nobody could make it out. Shibuya was crazy busy… Aki turned her attentions back to Ryuko as soon as they were out of the thickest sea of people, hurrying a little to catch up with her blonde friend as the girls navigated the scramble crossing. "- Damn, that was loud. But basically, it's this shop that sells super realistic fake guns n' stuff!"

"By stuff, do you mean melee weapons?" As they made it onto Central Street itself, Aki's mind wandered back to the knife she'd gotten from the Metaverse. Though it had sliced Shadows with ease, it seemed to be made out of tough plastic and wood as soon as she'd returned to the real world with it. Currently, it was stashed in the brown box she used to store clothes, nestled directly among her underwear for the sole reason of keeping Sojiro from finding it. He didn't seem like the kind of guy to willingly dig through a girl's stuff like that- a fact she was using to her advantage.

"Yup! So I bet we can get some stuff that'll totally kick ass! C'mon, down this alley." Ryuko took a sharp turn, Aki trailing just behind her as she was lead into a less-than-legitimate looking alleyway full of seemingly abandoned bicycles. Just before the deserted bikes stood a single storefront, windows plastered with suspiciously vague posters about sales and deals. The neon sign- 'Untouchable'- leered overhead like a watching eye. Aki couldn't help but feel the tension rise as Ryuko pushed open the door.

The inside of the store was every bit as discomforting as the outside. Uncovered lights dangled from the ceiling, basking the store in an eerie dim glow. Model guns of varied styles and sizes lined the walls, and Aki's general lack of knowledge surrounding weapons only increased the intimidation factor as she found herself surrounded by them. Ryuko, for her part, seemed mostly unphased- probably because she'd been in here before. Turning to her teammate, the blonde smiled brightly. "Pretty cool, huh? Look at all this stuff!"

"If you're not buyin', don't loiter." A gruff voice spoke up abruptly, causing Aki to visibly flinch. Distracted by the guns and eerie atmosphere, she hadn't noticed the gruff looking man reading a magazine behind the counter, feet kicked up like he was relaxing at home. Scruffy, dressed like the kind of guy she'd been instructed to avoid, and with a visible tattoo on his neck… Well, the man didn't seem to be the friendliest looking guy.

"We are buying!" Ryuko shot back, perhaps a bit more aggressive than she had to be. "We're just lookin', jeez."

Maybe now wasn't the time for the blonde's hostile responses to any sort of authority figure- not in sketchy back alley shop surrounded by guns (hopefully fake guns, but still!). Pushing her nervousness to the back of her mind, Aki cleared her throat. "Actually, we were looking for recommendations. Do you have any realistic looking models?"

That may not have been the right thing to ask, as the man narrowed his eyes considerably. "Are you planning on pulling some kind of stunt, kid?"

Yeah, definitely not the right thing. Aki hoped the nerves didn't show on her face as she tried to keep a neutral expression. "Nothing like that. It's just… We've both wanted to get into collecting guns for a while now, so we're not sure what to look for right now."

The man's demeanour seemed to change in an instant. One moment he was bored and suspicious, and the next, a switch seemed to have been turned in his brain. Folding his magazine on the counter, the man swung his feet down to take a more proper sitting position. "That so? You shoulda told me up front that you two are enthusiasts. I'm too used to punks daring each other to come in here like it's some game. I'm always up to help fresh faces."

Ryuko muttered something rude under her breath, but the man either didn't hear it or chose to be the adult in the situation and ignore it as he went on. "Few base rules before I show you any of the models here. Don't be stupid and go around pointing it at people, and don't take it out in public. Easy way to get yourself arrested. Speakin' of which, avoid the fuzz when you're carrying. Last thing I need is more damn officers sniffing around here."

What exactly was this guy doing that warranted cops…!? Either way, Aki just nodded in response. "Of course. We'll be careful."

"You damn well better be." Responding in a gruff tone, the man got to his feet, rotating one foot a bit to get some circulation back into it. "I'll get the beginners' selection out. Just wait here."

As the man disappeared into the back room, Ryuko turned to Aki with a certain glee on her face. "Hah! I could never get him to give me anythin' back in middle school. Guess I just look more mature now."

Aki felt a smile creep onto her lips. "Or a bit more like some kind of delinquent."

"Man, shut up." Rolling her eyes, Ryuko's face still kept her happy smile. "Anyways, mind if I leave the choosin' to you? Since you're our leader and all."

"Fine by me," Aki shrugged. "I'll try to pay with the money we got from the Palace, but I did spend a decent chunk on medicine the other day."

"Oh! Damn, I almost forgot." Digging her hand into her jacket pocket, Ryuko produced several crumpled bills (that she'd just held there without a wallet, evidently?) and handed them off to Aki. "Here's 5'000 yen. I think he likes you better than me already, so maybe you should do the buyin'. Make sure to get me somethin' super badass, okay?"

Though it might have made sense for the bespectacled girl to be annoyed by the responsibilities she was being handed as the de facto leader, Aki certainly didn't feel any resentment. Given her somewhat lonely background, a group of people depending on her felt… nice. In any case, she took the money just as the surly manager returned, catalogue in hand.

"Here's a good place to start. Take your time."


Having parted ways with Ryuko after selecting the weapons (deciding to forgo getting new, expensive guns for everyone in exchange for getting everyone new melee weapons and some decent protection), Aki didn't even realize how late it was getting until Morgana started warning her about Sojiro. Luckily, she got back to LeBlanc just as they were closing up- something evidenced by the sass the owner was giving a particularly chatty customer just as Aki was walking in. Awkwardly being witness to Sojiro's shutdowns of everything the other man said, the customer just sighed, leaving some money on the table before heading to the door.

Seemingly only noticing Aki as she moved out of the way for the customer, Sojiro raised an eyebrow. "... What are you doing? If you're bored, I have dishes that need washing."

Yeah, she'd rather avoid that, especially when she had a bag full of fake weapons that needed to be stashed upstairs. Before the girl even knew what she was doing, her thoughts had snuck past her brain's filter and were now escaping her lips. "How are you still open?"

It was a genuine mistake, but Sojiro seemed no less annoyed as the girl's eyes widened, her mouth slamming shut. "My business practices aren't of any concern to you. I don't keep up a fake smile at this establishment."

Her next words were more cautious, but no less inquisitive. Sure, Aki really should just put her head down and head upstairs, but the fact that Sojiro hadn't started yelling at her or threatening to kick her out was likely a sign that she hadn't pushed too far yet. "Has it seriously been working so far?"

"Like I said, none of your concern." The older man turned to rearrange some of the coffee jars behind him, although he continued to talk. "If the customers don't like it, they're free to go somewhere else. This store is my personal hideaway, and I have no time for irritating people. Of course I'd be screwed if I lost it, but so would you. You should pull your weight around a little more while living here."

What exactly did he want her to do…? Work here or something? With no examples, Aki had nothing to go on, and simply stepped to the side to let Sojiro by her as he moved around the counter. "Anyways, I'm leaving now. Don't cause any problems."

"I won't." A thought hit her, and before Aki knew what she was doing, she was speaking again. "Have a safe walk home, Sakura-san."

Though he paused in what seemed to be surprise, what was even more surprising was what followed- Sojiro nodded, not turning around, and responded. "... Thanks."

An awkward pause followed before the older man opened the door, closing it behind him. Aki turned around to hurry up the stairs, mostly to avoid accidentally catching the man's eye through the glass door. Dropping her bag on the ledge upstairs, Morgana hopped out, stretching her legs. "He really doesn't seem to like you that much, does he?"

"I'm still just a no-good criminal to him, so it makes sense." The girl gave a half-hearted shrug, reaching down to slide her shoes off and place them next to the stairs. "Even so… Tonight wasn't so bad. Maybe it'll improve soon."

Before Morgana had a chance to respond, Aki's phone started to buzz. Pausing, she reached down to pull it out of her pocket, revealing a private message from Ann.

Ann: so, i went to see shiho in the hospital today…

Aki: ah, that was today, wasn't it? how is she doing?

Ann: her condition has stabilized. they dont know when she's going to regain consciousness.

Aki: it's good that she's no longer critical, at least.

Aki: i'm sure she'll be alright in the end, especially if you're there to support her

Ann: yeah… i just have to believe in her

Ann: she's so strong and brave, i know she's going to get better. i know she will

Ann: but even so… i'm never going to forgive kamoshida for what he did to her

Aki: we'll make absolutely sure he pays for what he did. he can't get out of it this time

Ann: you're right. for shiho's justice… for the justice of all the other people he's hurt

Ann: speaking of other people, though… is it alright if i ask you something?

Aki: of course, what is it?

Ann: this might be a bit personal after everything that happened recently, but… do you know what kamoshida did to ryuko?

Ann: there's so many rumours floating around, but all ryuko told me personally is that they got into an altercation and he broke her leg

Ann: this sounds silly, so please don't laugh, but… we were on the roof the other day before you were, and we ended up talking for a few minutes.

Ann: when we mentioned kamoshida, she had this look in her eyes. he was mad, yeah, but… something was hurting her

Ann: just for a second… she looked like shiho did

All it took was that one line for Aki's stomach to drop, her breath catching in her throat. She could feel Morgana tense on her shoulder, where she'd previously jumped up to read the messages.

Ann: if something happened to her, i want to make sure we're fighting for her justice in the way she wants

Aki: honestly, i don't know either. the only thing i know for certain is that kamoshida broke her leg, that he spread rumours about her, and that he tried to extort her in exchange for us not being expelled

Aki: she's not really the type of person who would willingly ask for help, but im not sure how to approach it

Aki: im just sort of hoping she'll tell us when she's ready or if it becomes relevant

Ann: yeah…

Ann: anyways, i'm sorry for asking you all that.

Aki: it's alright, you had a reason to

Aki: today must have been pretty draining, so get some rest, okay? we'll probably enter the palace tomorrow

Ann: right, we need to take him down as soon as we can

Ann: thanks for talking with me, aki. we're gonna bring kamoshida what he deserves

Aki: absolutely! let's do our best

Despite the instinctive heart emoticon to try and cheer the mood up, Aki was left with a pooling unease. From what she knew of Ann so far, she was a deeply empathetic girl who could tell when the people around her were suffering, especially when a certain gym teacher was involved. So for her to compare Ryuko to Shiho… Something was clearly not being said. Kamoshida clearly had his claws sunken into the lives of both blonde girls- the question was just how deep they were.

Morgana cleared her throat, breaking through Aki's silence. "Well… I was thinking we need to start making infiltration tools tonight. Why don't you clear off that desk in the corner? It'll be the perfect place."

"Huh? Oh, right. Sure thing." Stuffing her phone back in her pocket, Aki mentally thanked Morgana for taking her out of a train of thought that she did not want to entertain. For the rest of the evening, the black haired girl was able to lose herself in the construction of her lockpicks, finding herself enjoying the rhythm it allowed her to fall into. Even so, the conversation from before hadn't fully abandoned her. In the back of her mind, running down her spine and twisting her gut, a question remained.

What happened to you, Ryuko Sakamoto?


And that's all for this chapter! Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have a fantastic rest of your day!