A song that really fits Rosemary is Blue Monday by New Order.

17

9, May 2009

Iwatodai, Japan

Night of the Full Moon

"What is with this train and being late?" Rosemary grumbled as she got off at her station.

She felt her back ache from sitting down for so long. She huffed to herself and threw glares at everyone around her. She was tired and exhausted, but she made it in time for the day of the full moon. When she remembered that the full moon was today she decided to head back early. She still had two hours before the dark hour happened, so she was safe to walk back to the dorm. She rubbed at her dry eyes and was ready to sleep. She should've gotten some sleep on the way there. Well, lesson learned she supposed.

"Hello, Aragaki-san," She greeted Shinjiro as she heard his thoughts.

"What happened?" He asked with a frown as he eyed the bruise on her face.

"I ran into my mother," She shrugged, and he noted the tense way she held herself after saying that.

That's all she said about that. She looked deeply uncomfortable even thinking about the older woman. He narrowed his eyes at her and she fidgeted slightly. She was wearing long sleeves and he saw her picking at the sleeves. She was anxious about something; it was easy to read in the way she acted and caved in on herself. She wouldn't even look at his face, just at the ground with a slight frown. He felt a little miffed that she would look at him. It was directed at her mother and he wondered what the hell the woman said to her. It had to bother her more than she let herself believe.

"Did you at least enjoy your trip?" He asked her and he watched as she looked up from the ground with a fond expression on her face.

"Yeah, it was nice to see Yo-Chan," She admitted, "He's just as energetic as usual."

"It's not like he dragged you all over Tokyo," He commented.

"That's…eerily close to what he did," She muttered, and he stiffened at that.

She was marched all around Tokyo and she didn't even complain? He noted the dark circles under her eyes and shook his head. She was an idiot. She should've spoken up when the thoughts around her caused her to become exhausted. Or her cousin should've noticed before it got to that point, he would've. She gave him a surprised look and he felt his cheeks heat up as he looked away in embarrassment. What the hell was he thinking? Hadn't he concluded that he wouldn't allow their relationship to progress past a slight friendship? He couldn't even keep that straight.

"I did bring you back something," She informed him as she reached into her messenger bag and pulled out a medium sized package before holding it out to him, "It felt like the right thing to do."

He stared at it for a few seconds before accepting it. It was light so it was probably something practical. She looked away and pulled her suitcase closer to herself before checking what time it was. She wanted to get back to the dorms and see how everyone was doing. She heard the package being opened and felt her left-hand twitch as her mouth grew dry. It was a scarf. A burgundy one that was a few shades darker than his Dutch coat. He was both surprised and thankful for it. Spring nights were cold, and he had trouble staying warm through them.

"…Thank you…" He muttered and she gave a stiff nod at that.

Her cheeks were burning, and her heart was racing. She didn't know why she was reacting in such a way. She was oddly pleased that he liked the scarf. She thought she had overstepped her boundaries. Ah, she figured it out. She was nervous.

"I should be heading back to the dorm," She said, and he gave her a stiff nod of his own.

She gave him a slight wave before heading back. He raised a brow at the speed of her walk and noted that her cheeks were a bright red. He felt his own heat up again and he sighed. Telling himself not to do something wasn't working when it was too late. He'd have to try and rectify the situation, it couldn't continue. They'd only get hurt in the end. Not like she'd even think that way about him to begin with. At least, he hoped she wouldn't. She paused in her steps and he tensed as she turned to face him with a calm expression.

"I think you do us both a disservice by thinking that way," She quietly informed him.

He narrowed his eyes at her and she kept eye contact with him. Wait. She was looking him in the eyes. He felt a bit angry at the breach of trust and privacy. She looked confused for a few seconds before sending him an apologetic look.

"I've been working on being able to meet other people's eyes without immediately reading their mind," She quietly informed him, "I'm up to eight minutes so far."

"How do I know that's true?" He asked her and he saw the flash of hurt in her eyes as she completely schooled her expression.

"…I…that's…that's fair…" She said in a tight voice, "I can't really give evidence or answer questions to your deeper thoughts without learning the answers from you surface thoughts."

"Why would you practice being able to meet other people's eyes?" He asked with a frown.

"Because maybe then I won't be branded a liar."

He was uncomfortable with the complete deadness of her tone. She was looking away from him again and to the side. She was mentally and emotionally pulling back. He was more annoyed at himself for allowing her to get under his skin within the three months he'd known her. He sighed and pulled one of his hands out of his pocket to scratch the back of his head. He didn't know what he could say to apologize.

"You don't have to apologize," She quietly informed him, and he could hear the shy under tones leaking into her voice, "I should've given you a heads up."

It would've been nice. Yet, he couldn't help but think she apologized far too much. Sometimes she hadn't even done anything and would apologize for it. He'd noticed that when he passed by her work one day. A book had fallen, and she apologized for it, though she was no where near it. He knew why she did it, it was a reflex. He didn't like it, the connotations behind it were dark.

"Why'd you say my thoughts were a disservice to the both of us?" He finally asked.

He saw her expression slowly become one of both disbelief and slight embarrassment. Her cheeks flared red and she pointedly looked anywhere but at him. She wanted to ask if all boys were that dense, but refrained. He wasn't completely dense, but he didn't think she'd ever like him. He was nice, and she thought it was strange that he'd think she wouldn't like that. He had his sweet moments, he listened to her explain things after cooling off for a few seconds. She listened to his thoughts as he gauged her reaction before it dawned on him.

'Fuck.'

"Out of all the people in this city, why me?" He asked in disbelief.

"It wasn't intentional," She informed him as her face grew hot at his reaction.

"Your friends with Amada," He pointed out.

"I know and you don't think I tried to ignore my personal feelings?" She hissed as she became extremely embarrassed, "Honestly."

They were quiet after that and he watched as she crossed her arms across her chest in discomfort. She liked him, and she surely knew what pain awaited her at the end. Judging by the expression she just made she did, and didn't care. He inwardly debated with himself and wondered just how badly things would end up. He also tried to figure out where she got the courage and decided it was due to her exhausted state. She didn't have the energy to keep her opinion silent. It was commendable that she even kept everyone's secrets while in that state.

"You…you idiot," He eventually sighed.

"Thank you?" Came the monotones reply.

'How the hell does anyone move forward from this?'

She gave a small, unhelpful shrug in response. She could read minds and learn experiences but even she didn't know how a relationship really started. He was at a bit of an advantage in that department. Still, he'd rather not jump into anything and knew she'd be the same. There were several obstacles that had to be overcome. He rubbed the back of his head again. Taking it slow or ignoring everything and continuing on like nothing happen were their options. He felt his shoulders hunched as he waited for her to speak her thoughts.

"Nothing I say will sound like I'm not chastising you," She grumbled, "If your time is limited then enjoy it."

The hell? Did she have some sort of savior complex? She gave him a blank look at that before narrowing her eyes at him. No, she didn't have one of those but was talking from experience. She looked away at his thoughts and gained a sad glint to her eyes. She didn't want to influence his decision. He gave a defeated sigh.

"Damn it…" He grumbled as she looked back at him, "We should just let things remain as they are, but…"

Why the hell did this have to be a hard decision for him? It should've been easy. He needed to say no. He met her eyes and was annoyed that he was leaning towards trying to have a secret relationship. It just wasn't fair to her- he personally didn't care in the slightest if his relationship was private- she deserved someone more than him. He blinked when she gently tapped the tip of his nose. When did she move closer?

"I don't need an immediate answer," She quietly told him, "I'd rather remain your friend than lose you all together."

She was sincere about it too. That didn't make him feel better about the situation as he gave her a curt nod. She gave him a slight smile before walking off. She really needed to get to the dorms. It was less likely for her to be attacked by shadows there. He'd be lying if he wasn't concerned about her. He pinched the bridge of his nose when annoyance at himself reared to life at that thought. He messed up; he really did.

Rosemary was thinking the same thing. She should've kept her mouth shut, the last time something like this happened she got the cane. She brought her left hand over her right arm and rubbed at the spot that ached in memory of the wood breaking the fragile skin. The nun that had punished her used her fragility against her and pointed out that only those with wicked intentions would bleed upon righteous punishment. Which was a stupid saying. She let out a soft sigh before continuing her brisk walk to the dorms her mind chastising her for even speaking on her feelings to Shinjiro. The small voice in her head sounded like her mother, and it let her know what the issue was. Her mother had gotten under her skin with her words. Even with her promise to herself to not let the woman have a say in her life and move on. She was already failing that. Icarus cooed in the back of her head and she got the distinct sensation of arms gently wrapping around her. She paused in her stride and felt the stinging in her eyes. How long had it been since someone truly comforted her like this? Icarus might not be able to comfort her physically, but it could create the sensation. It was…nice. She picked back up her stride and reached the dorm an hour before midnight. She opened the door and a few heads turned towards her.

"You didn't have to hurry back because of the full moon," Akihiko said as Rosemary entered the dorm and closed the door behind her.

"I didn't want to leave anyone hanging during a full moon," She sighed, "Not when we're down a fighter."

He winced at that and she sent him an apologetic look letting him know she hadn't meant it that way. Minato watched the exchange from his spot on one of the couches and tilted his head slightly. Those two were closer than he originally thought. No wonder Akihiko seemed to miss the other bluenette while she was gone. There was an odd connection between them. It was familial.

"I'll go put my suitcase away and head back to discuss what's next." She quietly told them.

Yukari gave her a smile when she got a wave of greeting from the other girl. She headed up the stairs to her room. Yukari had been given a spare key by Mitsuru so Mochi would be taken care of while Rosemary was gone. That cat had waited for her to return with large sad eyes. They could hear the meows of greeting from the foyer. Yukari was happy about that, Mochi had been getting depressed without her owner.

"You miss me?" Rosemary quietly asked the cat as she picked her up and gently placed the tip or her nose against hers, "I missed you."

Mochi gave her a meow and placed a paw against her face. Rosemary made a face as she started to get licked on the nose, the harsh tongue of her cat bothered her for a few seconds before she ignored the slight pain and enjoyed the attention from her cat. She put her suitcase away and opened it to grab what she got everyone. She would give it to them tomorrow morning after they all got some rest. Maybe she'd give them their gifts after school. Everyone would be done with clubs and would be sitting around waiting for something to do. She forewent grabbing her naginata, Minato had gone and gotten new equipment for people with the funds he oversaw. He got her a new one, one that did more damage and would help her magic apparently.

She didn't know what he meant by that. She both wanted to ask and didn't want to ask. She gathered she was better off knowing. Icarus gave its own two cents by laughing in the back of her mind. So, her persona knew what he meant by that but she herself didn't. That made her wonder more about what a persona could know and what they could do. Icarus knew more than she did sometimes and that made her curious. How would her Persona know but she didn't? It was like how a persona could go rouge and attack their summoner, like Castor.

She went back down the stairs and plopped down next to Akihiko with Mochi in her lap. The silver haired teen was slightly apprehensive when the small cat looked at him with an innocent look before burrowing into her owners' stomach. Rosemary looked a bit out of sorts, her eyes were slightly glazed over as she slowly ran her fingers through Mochi's sleek fur. He'd ask what was bothering her, but he'd let her work it out. Sometimes that was the best course of action. He had the inkling that it wasn't as serious as she thought it was, but something that she wasn't used to.

"How as Tokyo?" He asked her.

"Busy, Shibuya was the worst offender," She informed him her expression easily telling him what she disliked about large cities.

"You must've missed Iwatodai," He commented with a slight smirk and she gave him a small nod.

"I brought things back but decided to hold off handing them over until tomorrow afternoon when we're not busy," She informed him, and he felt excited to see what she got him.

"I upgraded everyone's equipment," Minato quietly informed her, "Your Naginata is a bit heavier than the old one, but more effective."

She didn't want to point out that anything with a sharp blade attached to it was going to be effective in harming something. She gave him a thankful nod and accepted the new weapon that was now taller than her. She hadn't expected it to be longer as well. She had some difficulty picking it up and felt her muscles screaming in protest at the sudden use. She was going to be strong by the time she left Iwatodai, maybe she'd finally win a match against Akihiko. That was unlikely, he was a genius when it came to boxing and she couldn't really keep up with him half the time. Well, she'd just have to work harder.

"We should head out," Mitsuru informed them.

She got a collective nod and shot Akihiko a look that told him to stay behind. His arm was still hurt, and he wasn't permitted to fight until it was all healed. His doctor had been quite stubborn about that. He could shoot all the glares he wanted but no one was going to let him fight. He watched as Rosemary sent him a concerned look and he looked away feeling a bit guilty. She could weaponize that look. She left with the other second years and he stayed behind with Mitsuru to observe the situation. Mochi also decided at that point that his lap was the best place to be. He sent the cat a look before sighing in disbelief. He felt slightly insulted that it took her that long to like him. Still, he understood her reasoning. He gently brought his hand down and ran it thought her fur. It was soft and silky and he found it oddly comforting. Then the dark hour came and he had a coffin in his lap. He moved it onto the couch and gained a thoughtful expression. He was a bit sad that Mochi turned into a coffin during the dark hour but slightly relieved at the same time. It just meant that shadows wouldn't bother her.

"That's strange," Mitsuru muttered as she used her persona to check the dark hour, "There's some strange activity at the monorail."

"Think it might be a shadow?" he asked her.

"Anything is possible during the dark hour," She said before sending an order to the second years to investigate the disturbance.

"The monorail is so creepy during the dark hour," Yukari stated as she looked at the stationary transportation.

"I agree," Rosemary said as she looked around with a slight frown, "The disturbance isn't around the monorail but inside of it."

"How do you know that?" Junpei asked her and she blinked.

"Woman's intuition." She said in a blunt tone.

"I don't think that's how that works," He muttered in response.

"Does it matter?" Minato sighed as he fixed them all with an apathetic look, "We'll investigate inside the monorail."

He got nods in return. Yukari and Rosemary seemed a little unnerved about going into the monorail but would suck it up. Junpei was a bit annoyed at him for saying something, but still did it. No one wanted to incur the wrath of Mitsuru. Their Senpai was terrifying when she wanted to be. No one wanted to face potential execution from her.

The moment they stepped into the car the doors slammed shut on them and the monorail began to move. Rosemary felt her mind race as she stopped herself from stumbling in surprise. Her hand was grasping the over head railing, a hand was on her bicep and she was happy to help Yukari. She looked out the window and noted that the oceans water was no longer blue, but red. Her throat grew dry and felt panic rising up in her. The large body of water always scared her, the deep blue color told of how deep it really was, but now it terrified her. She felt the hand on her bicep tighten slightly, an attempt by Yukari to get her attention.

"Snap out of it," Yukari softly told her.

Rosemary tore her gaze away from the red waters and gave the brunette a stiff nod. This wasn't the time or place to lose her nerve. She could end up losing someone if she did. She blinked when screaming filled her head, there were shadows around. Minato looked around as if he could sense them.

"You four need to head to the drivers car," Mitsuru ordered them in a calm manner, "Time may have stopped for the other monorails but you can still crash into them."

"On object going around two hundred kilometers an hour hitting something static head on would be disastrous," Rosemary muttered in thought.

"Dude, I didn't need it vocalized," Junpei informed her while Yukari sighed.

"Sorry," Rosemary gave a slight wince before turning towards Minato, "We should hurry, yeah?"

"Right."

They hurried through their current car but were stopped by a few shadows. Rosemary's eyes widened slightly when Junpei decided to run ahead of the group. She got that he wanted to be the leader of their little rag tag group, but his actions spoke of why he wasn't chosen. Minato didn't fly off the handle and had no thoughts to do so. She was pulled from her thoughts as a shadow charged towards her. It was a Cupid, it had a black body with small wings attached to it a red mask was stitched onto its face. It drew back its bow and she ducked down to avoid the arrow. It let out a strange giggle and she narrowed her eyes before reaching out with the heavy naginata and stabbing the shadow through. She heard Minato's thoughts and frowned at his contemplation. She was stronger than Junpei and Yukari? She gathered it was due to her different run ins with shadows. She had extra practice to grow stronger.

'Your ability to listen to me helps as well.' Icarus informed her, it was nice to hear her persona.

"Damn it," Minato hissed as a different Cupid shot at him.

"We need to catch up with Junpei," Yukari stated as she took care of a Cupid with her bow.

Minato gave her a curt nod as they cleared the rest of the Cupid's out before rushing through the next car. It was freezing in the cars, the night was surprisingly nice so the change in the temperature was noticeable. Rosemary brought an arm up and protected her eyes from a sudden blast of icy air. White flakes of snow got caught in her hair and she blinked in surprise. The cold didn't really bother her and she inwardly thanked Icarus. She gathered that she'd always be more partial to the cold than the heat. She frowned as she felt it click with her persona.

"May," Minato said and she looked towards him, "Can you shield us from the shadows attacks?"

"Yes."

Rosemary easily drew her evoker from the holster around her waist and placed it under her jaw. Minato and Yukari got ready to fight when she pulled the trigger and summoned Icarus. The persona still had smoke rising from its singed wings, but their wings looked like icicles. Rosemary didn't question it as she sent Icarus to block the ice attack from the large shadow. That was going to be her job as the other two attacked it. She didn't spare a glance towards Junpei, she needed to keep her attention on the fight.

"That's incredible, May-Chan," Junpei commented as she was able to keep her persona summoned when a particularly nasty attack was sent their way.

Eventually, they found a rhythm to the shadows attacks and had gotten it low on health. Rosemary was defending them all from the strange tiaras that the shadow had began to summon. The attacks were easy enough on her low level shields so she could keep Icarus in place guarding against the heavier attacks. She could feel it though, the drain of keeping her persona summoned.

'Hanamura won't be able to keep this up much longer.' Minato mused to himself.

He had been keeping an eye on their shield as the others helped to defeat the large shadow. She was consistent in her ability to keep harm from coming to them. She stood there with her naginata in her hand as she focused on the fight in front of her. Yet, as the fight had dragged on her face began to show signs of fatigue. He could see her energy dropping lower and lower. It was strange to see, but something he was growing used to. He swung his sword at the large shadow and it was finally defeated. He rushed forward to stop the monorail and randomly pulled a lever. He got lucky and breathed a quietly sigh as the vehicle came to a slow halt.

"Nice guess," Rosemary told him as Icarus finally disappeared.

"That was such a long fight," Yukari sighed as she caught her breath.

"It was epic," Junpei added with a slight grin.

It fell a bit when the brunette sent him a glare before berating him for running off. Minato walked up to the other bluenette as she caught her breath. She seemed physically weaker compared to the others but was stubborn in her fighting style. He didn't know what to think of her besides a fellow student and club member.

"Are we heading back to the dorm now?" She asked him and he gave her a small nod, "Great, I could go for some sleep."

"Yeah." He agreed.

"Or a coma," She muttered in a wry tone, "Whichever lets me sleep longer."

"Sounds festive," He said in a monotone.

She didn't know if she wanted to laugh or sigh. She settled for giving his shoulder a slight pat while nodding. He honestly didn't care and said what he thought she wanted to hear. It was strange to meet someone like him. She was boggled every time he did something that went against his apathetic mindset. She had an inkling that he was beginning to care but holding himself back, maybe she'd one day find out why. She shook her head slightly as they all got off the monorail and headed back to the station.

Mitsuru was waiting for them on a motorcycle. It was able to run during the dark hour? The red head was a bit amused when Rosemary began to study it with a curious gleam in her eyes. Junpei gave a sharp whistle and joined the other teen. Yukari found that it was amazing that the two of them could find some kind of common ground, but realized that the other girl had hobbies that she knew were a bit strange. Cooking, gardening, and drawing were normal for the most part. Mechanics and computers were something new to Rosemary and caught her interest. No wonder the other girl wanted to go into programming and research.

"How's it running?" Rosemary asked, "All electrical components shouldn't be able to do anything while the dark hour is occurring."

"The Kirijo labs created it," Mitsuru answered, "There's custom parts that allow it to run."

Rosemary gathered that the camera in her room had those parts as well. She gained a contemplative expression on her face as she wondered just how much trouble she could get into if she took one apart. Mitsuru gave her a mental warning and she almost pouted in response. There went her idea. She'd just have to figure something out, it would be nice to use her MP3 player during the dark hour. Mitsuru congratulated them before sending them back to the dorms.

Akihiko was waiting with the small coffin that was Mochi. He had taken to carrying it around in his boredom. He maxed it over to Rosemary and the girl quickly headed to bed. He didn't blame her, they had to be up in seven hours to make sure their homework was done. He headed to sleep as well, he hadn't done much but he needed to keep a schedule. Yukari took a shower before heading to bed and Junpei went to bed as well. Minato stayed up a little while before sleeping.

Mitsuru stared at Ikutsuki as they went over the footage of all the sleeping SEES members. Rosemary was curled up into a ball with Mochi sleeping in her hair. She didn't have a peaceful expression on her face, but looked worried about something. It was a familiar expression on her face, and it always appeared before and after a full moon. The red head shook her head before looking towards the other monitors. Everyone else was sleeping peacefully, which was what she was about to go do. She trusted Ikutsuki to tell her if something happened.

10, May 2009

Iwatodai, Japan

"You look dead on your feet." Akihiko informed Rosemary as he watched her make lunch.

"I forgot that today was Sunday," She grumbled as she made some sushi for a light lunch, "I would've slept longer."

He gave her a nod of agreement as she placed a plate in front of him. His stomach let out a growl at the delicious food as he gave her a quiet thanks before eating it. She shook her head in amusement and placed some rice and miso next to him. She was catching on about the abundance of rice with all meals. Something told him that she was studying to make sure she didn't offend someone. He quickly started on the rice as she made her own sushi before sitting down and joining him to eat. He finally remembered to ask something that had been bugging him for a while.

"Have you talked to Shinji?" He asked.

"I have a habit of bumping into him at odd times," She admitted, "He's doing well, he's still as grumpy as usual."

"You say that in such a fond tone," He pointed out with a raised brow, "Still, I'm glad he seems to be doing okay."

"You still miss him." She pointed out.

She held a look of understanding on her face and he was glad she wasn't judging him for missing his best -and childhood- friend. She seemed to miss him too, and she hadn't even been around him as long. Akihiko wondered if they should start a support group for the taller teen and caught the amused look Rosemary sent him. He missed having someone on the same wavelength as him. Miki was like that too.

"You made lunch already?" Yukari asked as she walked into the dorm.

"Ah, sorry, would you like me to make you some?" Rosemary asked and the brunette gave her a thankful smile.

Rosemary didn't mind making more food. She went about gathering the rice and miso before quickly making some extra sushi. Akihiko watched with a critical eye and knew that he needed to get her and Shinjiro in the same kitchen at one point in his life. Those two would be able to make some wonderful food together. She placed a plate down and Yukari took her seat as she gave thanks.

"So good," Yukari informed Rosemary, "Seriously, how'd you get so good?"

"A lot of practice and following recipes until I was confident enough to forgo them," Rosemary admitted as she felt her cheeks heat up at the praise, "I'm glad you like it."

Yukari gave a quick nod before returning to her food. A light lunch was perfect for her and made it so she wouldn't feel the need to snack later. She noted that Akihiko was also eating slower than usual and wondered if he did it so that Rosemary knew he liked the food. It didn't seem to bother the taller girl one bit as she ate her lunch at a snails pace. There was less food in front of her than everyone else, and it scared her that it was such a normal thing.

After lunch came the gifts from Tokyo. Akihiko seemed excited to try out his gloves and Yukari had started to wear the new choker with a smile. Mitsuru gave her a thankful smile when the reasoning was given to her. A hair clip for when she had important business or needed to wear traditional clothing. Junpei immediately put on his new hat and was surprised that she even remembered him. Minato's eyes lit up a bit at the new album before he gave her a quiet 'thank you'. She headed out with the two books and Kens gift so that she wouldn't forget to give them to their recipients.

Akihiko almost went with her, but he refrained. He didn't want her to feel smothered, but also didn't want her to be in any danger. He trusted other people less than shadows. At least a shadow was truthful about its intentions to harm you, a person would lie to your face before stabbing you in the back. He shook his head and cleared his thoughts of such things, he had to have faith in her. Not a lot of people did when that learned how frail she was.

Yamagishi was easy to find as she sat outside the sweet shop at the strip mall. She seemed surprised to see a panting Rosemary in front of her and blinked when two books were held out to her. She accepted them and a tiny smile appeared on her face. A beginner cook book with more recipes for her to try out and a computer book she didn't have. It was a thoughtful gift and more practical.

"I was out in Tokyo visiting family for golden week and brought things back for all my friends," Rosemary softly muttered as she shyly looked down at the ground.

"Thank you, Rosemary-Chan," Yamagishi said with a soft smile.

Rosemary gave her one as well before giving a small wave and heading off to find Ken. The kid was out and about, staying clear of his house as his uncle was in a particularly bad mood. He was surprised when his hair was ruffled. He gained a smile at seeing the older teen. She held out a bag to him and he accepted it. Upon looking inside he threw his arms around her waist in thanks, a large grin on his face. It had been a long time since someone had given him a nice gift like she had. He wouldn't have been upset if she hadn't brought him anything back, but was glad she did.

"What was the Neo Store like?" He asked her.

"Hectic, quite a few parents forgot about child's day," She answered as they went to sit down some where quiet, "I think I scared an obaa-san on accident when trying to quietly walk past her, I still feel bad about it."

"Ah, she too falls prey to your silent walking," He found himself teasing before he could stop himself he let out a strange sound before regaining his composure, "Sorry, that was rude of me."

"Don't worry about it, it was true after all," She told him as she finally saw what it was like to have someone apologize for telling a simple joke, "How was your golden week?"

"It was quiet, and my homeroom teacher had us make paper flowers," He quietly said, "It was for Mother's Day."

"I see," Rosemary quietly said before tilting her head in thought, "I may be over stepping my boundaries here, but I think she'd still appreciate them."

"Yeah, she always loved getting them each year," He agreed, "I would leave them on the shrine…"

"Ah," She understood why he didn't, "The more I learn the less I like your uncle, but I can't do anything unless you absolutely want me to."

"Like what?" Ken asked.

"My aunt could always file for guardianship over you," She informed him, "Since I'm out here you'd still stay in the area and even when I'm not you are a registered student."

"Couldn't you file for guardianship?" He muttered, no really trusting an unknown older woman.

"I could, but it would be incredibly tricky." She admitted, "Aunt Naomi would have an easier time, and it would be hard to tell if I could get guardianship…I wouldn't want to get your hopes up, it's not fair to you."

"Please try," He quietly requested, "Mom would've liked you."

Rosemary stared at him before giving him a curt nod. She'd try. He knew that there was a chance she wouldn't be able to help him, but he felt happy that someone would fight for him. It almost made him forget about the man who killed his mother, but he could never forget him. If he ever met him, he'd do what Rosemary said. He'd quietly observe the situation, see what the man was really like. See what needed to be done.

Rosemary gave him a tiny smile at that thought. Maybe there was a slim chance that he'd see what she saw in Shinjiro. She wasn't under the illusion that they wouldn't meet. Ken knew about the dark hour, knew about his moms accidental murder. He'd only know about those if he had the potential to summon a persona as well. The fact that Ikutsuki and Misturu missed this was terrifying to think of. How many more potential persona users could they have missed?

"I'll see what I can do, I'll keep you posted."

He gave her a nod at that and she ruffled his hair. His mom would've liked her, huh? His thoughts told her why. She genuinely cared about him and made sure he was happy, it was more than his uncle did. She mentally prepared herself to tell her aunt and wondered how much yelling she was going to go through. A lot. The answer was a lot.

At least the process would begin.