So far, the first two chapters have been revised and I'm working on the third. Its gonna be a long revision period, but I'm also writing the new chapters as well.

25

28 July 2009

Rosemary ducked down under her opponents attack and brought her left fist forward to hit them in the stomach. Sweat was pooling down her face and her arms were gleaming under the fluorescent lights. All the athletic teams were having a tournament on August second. She was all healed up and as a member of the boxing team she was going to compete. No one expected her to go very far, but Akihiko was sending her silent support through his loud thoughts. He knew that she could fight, their time in Tartarus showed that. She just didn't like the idea of hurting someone. She dodged another hit to the face and slammed her right fist into the other persons face. It had been a well timed, and placed, hit. Her opponent went down, and she didn't stop moving until the referee held a hand up and declared her the winner of her match. There were training as if they were already fighting, it truly boggled her mind.

"Nice hit," Akihiko said to her as he handed her a water bottle, "still, don't leave yourself open wide like that."

"Right," She nodded her understanding as she opened the water and took a quick drink from it, she looked to the side in thought.

She didn't know why the tournament was during their summer break, but she supposed it was the best time to train. She wiped some of the sweat from her brow and ignored the glances sent her way. Perhaps the leak of the information about her past was a good thing. People couldn't say anything about her scars when they saw them, and no one could harass her. Akihiko sent a few of their fellow teammates a slight glare and she sighed.

"It's fine," She quietly told him, and he frowned, "I'm not bothered by it, really."

"Sometimes I wonder about that," He muttered, "I think it does, but only when you're on your own."

"Perceptive." She muttered and he gained a slight smile at that.

She gave one back and a few people backed up in slight fear. It was unusual for her to smile. They were so used to her blank expression that a change to something positive was terrifying. She took another drink from her bottle of water and watched the next match. She was done for the day; her training was through. She would stay for Akihiko's match and then head to work. Mitsuko and Bunkichi had allowed her time off to enjoy some of her summer vacation.

They two elders knew about her past but stayed constant with their kindness. It hadn't changed their opinion of her. She was happy about that, and it truly didn't bother her to help them. She enjoyed her work. Akihiko ruffled her hair, and she gained a tiny smile.

"Head out," He told her, "go and enjoy the rest of your day."

"I wanted to cheer you on," She said, and he grinned at that.

"I know," He said, "I'm up next."

She shook her head at that and pushed her hair back from her neck. The sweaty strands stuck to her skin and she made a face at them. She could take a shower later, and she would enjoy it. She ran a hand down her left arm in thought before rolling her shoulders. She was itching to leave. She gave Akihiko a thumbs up as he went into the ring. She watched his match with a keen eye, giving him a quiet cheer as his fangirls loudly cheered him on.

"Hey, Hanamura," She turned to see a boy a bit taller than her with shaggy black hair and dark brown eyes, "are…are you doing anything later?"

"I'm working," She replied as she turned back to watch her older brother fight.

'She's such a challenge, but damn that figure is so hidden by the uniforms. They look so soft.' His thoughts caused her eyes to widen slightly.

She felt revulsion go through her at the idea of the boy touching any part of her body. She didn't like tank tops for this specific reasons. Men liked to stare at her chest, it didn't even matter to them if she was still a teenager. Apparently, she didn't look that young when she dressed in clothing that was tight around the bust. She tore herself away from those thoughts when Akihiko downed his opponent with a quick jab. She gave him a round of applause like everyone else and he headed towards her. She gave him a water bottle and he immediately chugged it.

"Would you slow down with the water?" She chided, "Hydrating is good but drinking so much water in such a short time isn't good for you."

"What happens?" He asked as he took a pause to catch his breath.

"Depending on how much you drink you can over hydrate and your blood will carry it all the way to your brain and can cause a seizure or coma," She answered as she thought about the information, "it's called water intoxication."

"Why do you know this?" He muttered.

"I was sitting in a hospital for a few days," She shrugged, "you pick up quite a bit."

When she had sat at her sisters' bed, she had listened to the thoughts around her. Medicine and diagnosis had filtered into her head as she focused on her sister. She learned quite a bit.

She gave Akihiko a tight smile before heading out. He nodded his head. He didn't mind that she was leaving early. She liked to work. She was a mind that needed to be kept busy. He gave a quiet sigh. He needed to find Shinjiro. His friend needed to come back to SEES, they needed all the people they could get.

Rosemary stalled at hearing those thoughts. His mind soon turned to memories of his deceased sister and he promised to do better, to grow stronger. She sighed and put her hands into the pockets of her school sweats. She may be wearing a tank top, but that didn't mean she'd wear shorts. She would have to for the tournament. She wasn't ready for that. She wasn't ready to have a crowd full of people see her scars. She checked the time on her MP3, she had an hour until work, and thirty minutes until the next monorail came. She entertained the thought of finding Shinjiro just to say hello to him. She didn't want to bother him.

"Hanamura!" She froze.

It was the boy that had asked her what she was doing. She narrowed her eyes and tried to think of his name. Nakahara Soichi. He was a year older than her, a senpai. Why the hell was he set on getting a date out of her? She didn't have to delve into his mind to find out. He believed that she was easy. He though that her father had used her before tossing her away. She clenched his fists and allowed her hair to cover her eyes as she felt pure fury rising. He thought that she would willingly throw herself at the first man to show her kindness.

She hadn't thrown herself at Akihiko, he was her older brother…figure. She had to remind herself that he wasn't her biological brother. Besides, she really hadn't thrown herself at him romantically. Their relationship was familial. She couldn't say the same about Shinjiro, she had sort of thrown herself at him, hadn't she? He was genuinely nice, not faux. She should just tell Soichi she wasn't interested in him, not that she thought it would deter him.

"I was wondering if I could buy you a cup of coffee," He offered as he ran up to her, a fake smile plastered on his face.

"Thank you, but I'm not interested," She softly said, not allowing her anger to get the best of her.

His smile faltered and for a few seconds it twisted into a sneer. She felt every nerve on her body scream in fear at the familiar sight of pure calculated rage. It was the same look her mother gave her before she was beaten, before she was thrown in her room and locked in there. She tried to stop herself from remembering such a thing, she had stood up to her mother she shouldn't be feeling this way.

"Let's get coffee," Soichi said with a sweet smile as he grabbed onto her wrist and began to pull her to the café.

She yanked her wrist free and winced at the pain in her hands at doing so. Her fingers weren't completely healed yet, the boxing gloves protected them quite a bit. She glared at the boy and stepped back. She wasn't going to yell. It would undermine her argument and make her just like her mother.

"I said no," She said in a calm manner, "I'm not interested."

"But it's free coffee," He pointed out.

"I'm British, we drink tea," She icily informed him, "I also have no clue who you are."

"I'm Nakahara Soichi," He introduced with a pleasant smile that didn't reach his eyes.

'Hanamura sure is a hard bitch to breakdown. I thought someone said she was a pushover. Bah, it doesn't matter she'll be very acquainted with my name soon.'

Rosemary was going to be physically sick. The images that followed his thoughts made her highly uncomfortable. She didn't have those feelings towards him. She wasn't lustful, and she certainly didn't find him attractive. Sure, he had a nice face, but his personality is what made him unattractive. He didn't even realize she could hear every little thing he thought about her. His eyes zeroed in on her chest and she felt a shiver of disgust run down her spine as goosebumps appeared on her skin. She fought the urge to cover up, she wasn't going to give him any satisfaction of knowing he made her uncomfortable.

'Rosemary?' Ah, that was Shinjiro.

She looked around for him in a discreet manner and found him standing near Club Escapade. She felt a bit better seeing him. She turned back to Soichi and tried to figure out a way to get away from him so she could talk with Shinjiro. She wanted to spend time with the hunched over brunette.

Shinjiro looked at the two Gekkoukan students. Rosemary had an uncomfortable look in her eyes and the boy in front of her kept staring at her chest. He narrowed his eyes in a glare and slowly made his way over. She was trying to be polite, but the guy who kept pushing for a date wasn't the kind to take no for an answer.

"You're making her uncomfortable," He informed the teen in a low voice, a glare on his face.

"Y-You…" Soichi trailed off, fear evident in his voice.

A few months ago, this guy had taken down a few gang members in two seconds flat. He wasn't about to mess with him. His pretty face might get ruined. He'd have to try and get Hanamura to date him some other time. He felt his heart drop when she moved towards the taller teen and gently grasped his hand. She was with this guy? Oh, so work was selling her body. He should've known.

"…Did you need something?" The taller teen asked.

"N-no." Soichi denied.

'Did his glare increase? Holy shit he's scary!' Soichi thought before briskly walking away.

Shinjiro looked down at the girl holding his hand and noted that she seemed contemplative. She also seemed to be trying to push down thoughts that she shouldn't be. He let out a soft sigh through his nose and gently tugged on her hand to get her attention. She looked up at him and he motioned towards the café. She blinked before gaining an amused expression.

"…Do they sell tea?" She quietly asked him.

"Yeah, but you most likely make a better cup," He said, complimenting her.

"Just like you probably make a better brew," She said, he felt his ears warm up at the compliment.

"…I'll make you a cup one day," He told her.

"I look forward to trying Senpais coffee." She softly teased.

He didn't know how he felt about being called senpai by her. He gave her a look and she gave him an apologetic smile. She hadn't felt right calling him that. He squeezed her a hand before releasing it as they entered the café. Their order was simple, a black coffee with a dash of cream and a pinch of sugar for him and an English blend tea for her. Their drinks were quick for the café workers to make and they sat down in a little corner where people wouldn't bother them. She sat next to him instead of across from him. It was easier to quietly talk without the likelihood of someone eavesdropping.

"What did he think that bothered you?" Shinjiro asked before he took a sip of his coffee.

The blend was nice, but the coffee didn't have a rich flavor. He would have to make do until he could make his own again. Rosemary hadn't answered yet and was staring at her tea with a faraway expression as she tried to figure out how to answer his question without it being taken the wrong way.

"He…" She started but fell quiet as she frowned and really tried to formulate the sentence correctly, "He tried asking me before when I was at practice with Akihiko…Y'know to get coffee with him and I turned him down then using the fact that I have work this afternoon."

"You aren't going to be late, are you?" He questioned; he hadn't even thought about her job.

"No, I'll be on time." She answered as she took a sip of her tea, "Besides, I think Mitsuko-baa-san has seen us walking together at one point, she thinks you're a nice young man."

"…Please continue what he thought it was enough to bother you…" He muttered, his tone embarrassed.

"Most of the school believes that my father…that he sexually abused me," She mumbled, and he stiffened at that, "he never would, neither of my biological parents would…but that makes the boys think that I'd be an easy…er…well…"

She seemed uncomfortable and he knew exactly what they thought she was. They thought she was an easy screw, a toy they could fuck and then throw away. He hated such thoughts. Maybe it was due to the months he had spent fighting alongside Mitsuru, or the fact that he knew better. He could see the effect the thoughts had on her, and immediately knew she hadn't told Akihiko just how bad they were. He watched as she hunched a bit and stared even more at the coffee. He didn't think that way, and he never would. She knew his thoughts just as well as he did. He was bad at comforting other people, but he slowly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her a bit closer.

"…Thank you…" She quietly said, she seemed to calm down a bit more.

She didn't flinch at his touch anymore. He had noticed that since she started initiating small physical contact with him it had stopped. She was growing used to him. He drank his coffee, and she drank her tea. She looked at it with a slight frown, it must've been a letdown to a genuine Brit.

"I think I could make a better cuppa," She murmured in English.

"How would you say my name in English?" He asked her and she tilted her head.

"Probably the same way I do in Japanese," She asked, "that's mainly because I was taught it growing up…why want me to try?"

"I was curious." He answered looking to the side.

"Shinjiro." She said, her accent pulling at the syllables.

He enjoyed hearing it in her native language, the inflections were different. He ignored the fluttering feeling in his stomach and sipped at his coffee. His mind was not going to let it go anytime soon. She gave a soft laugh.

"What's so funny, Rosemary?" He asked and he watched as she simply shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips.

He enjoyed this part of her. The part of her that hadn't been completely beaten out of her. The part that could smile and laugh. The part that enjoyed life. She gently rested her head on his shoulder, and he felt his heart begin to race. Shit. Last time she had been this close Castor decided to go berserk.

"I trust you," She quietly said as she brought her cup of tea up to her lips, "I think I have a good reason to."

He gave her a slightly pained look at that. She really didn't know what effect those words would have on him. Castor could easily hurt everyone in the café. She kept her calm gaze on him, and he looked down at his coffee. He…he really was bad for her, but he was going to be selfish for once.

Rosemary closed her eyes and turned away from Shinjiro. She turned inwards and categorized her thoughts. She had awoken her persona to selfish reasons, but now she truly wanted to protect those she cared about. She knew her path, it would end with her being similar to Minato. She could do it. She could help keep others safe.

She opened her eyes when Shinjiro's arm left her waist. It wasn't to the café, instead it was to a strange old man with a long nose sitting behind a table. She heard music distantly playing, the piece familiar to her. This was…this was the velvet room? It looked so different compared to the one in Minato's memories. Hers looked like a greenhouse more than an elevator.

"Welcome to the velvet room," The old man greeted her, "this place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. I am Igor, the master of this room."

"Oh, it's nice to meet you," She quietly said with a polite incline of her head, "but, I thought I would have to sign a contract like Minato."

"Your situations are different, my dear," Igor explained, "your destiny was stripped away from you, but you were able to retain your ability of a wildcard, though it was nearly impossible to feel."

"My destiny?" She asked with a frown.

"To take down the school that you ended up in," He patiently answered, he didn't mind the polite teenager asking him questions, "that priest was supposed to have opened a door to the shadows, but somehow he was stopped."

"I see, that would explain why I was a reversed Hermit," She said in thought, "I had no path to walk down…but what changed?"

"Your resolution to protect others," He said as he motioned towards the tarot cards on the table and swiped his hand until there was only one, "it seems as though your strong revolve has turned your arcana into Judgement."

"Judgment…" She echoed, "why that arcana?"

"The arcana of judgement is associated with realizing ones calling and that is what you did."

She wanted to know what Icarus thought about this. She tried to contact her persona, but couldn't feel anything. There was silence on that end, and she began to feel abandoned. Then, it was like someone was whispering sweetly in her mind. It was no longer Icarus, but Themis. Divine law, huh. She could deal with her ultimate persona being the Greek goddess of Justice it made some sense. The law was there to judge the actions of people.

"One of my attendants will help you through the act of storing and sorting persona," Igor said getting her attention, "I believe our other wildcard will explain this all to you."

"He's going to find that interesting," She sighed, "we both knew it was a possibility that I'd be like him…we just didn't know when."

She was given a key to the velvet room and met her attendant Theodore, who didn't mind being called Theo. He was mild mannered compared to his sister, but had the same craving to learn about the human world. She bid the two adieu before leaving the velvet room.

She blinked when she noted the cup of tea in her hands. It was still warm. How long had she been in the velvet room for? She looked towards Shinjiro and noted his still pink cheeks. It hadn't been too long then. His mind also told her that it was just a couple of minutes.

"What?" He asked upon noticing her staring.

"Nothing, just thinking," She quietly said.

"As usual, huh?" He muttered as he gave her a slight smile.

She finished off her tea and he gave her a concerned look. She seemed more at ease than usual, like something had connected in her mind. She went back to leaning into his shoulder and he allowed her warmth to sink through his coat. She didn't seem to mind his cooler body temperature, in fact she seemed to enjoy it. Right, she used ice as her main element. She preferred the cold. He spared a glance towards a clock that was on the wall and he quickly finished his coffee. She only had ten minutes to get to the station to make the next monorail. She gained an expression that showed she didn't want to leave him. She was comfortable, being held was nice.

"Right, you have work in a little while," He said as his shoulders slumped.

"Yeah," She muttered.

He got up from their table and she followed his lead. He was glad for the time they got to spend together, but he couldn't hope that they'd one day be able to go on a real date. He wasn't the biggest fan of public affection, but he enjoyed holding her hand. He'd like to be able to do that and have the people who spread rumors about her be shown they were wrong. The girl next to him wasn't broken, she had cracks that had come close but never broke her. She gave him a small smile and he looked away in embarrassment. He gently grasped her hand and she gave his a squeeze.

It wasn't an overly warm summers day, but it was humid. He wasn't bothered by the weather. It was more like he found it enjoyable. She did so as well. He thought that the walk to the station was too short for his liking.

"See you around, Shinjiro," She quietly said as she gave his hand a final squeeze before hurrying to the monorail, she hesitated before getting on a frown on her face.

He frowned slightly and brought a hand up to rub the back of his head. The monorail took off and he sighed. Strega had asked him for information about the new navigator of SEES and their shield. He didn't give them any information of substance. He didn't know who the navigator was, though he did have an inkling. He wasn't going to tell them shit about the girl he liked. He wanted to protect her as much as she did him. He moved away from such thoughts and returned to his usual haunt. There were quite a few Gekkoukan students hanging around the back alley due to summer vacation. He'd scare them off.

Rosemary stared at her hand in thought. The power of the wildcard was her's now. That little bit in her head about a social link, the Moon social link. Apparently, it was at rank seven already. She didn't know how she knew that, but she did. Maybe it was because of her persona? Themis was whispering in her head, along with the thoughts around her. She would cover her ears, but that wouldn't help. It wouldn't stop the torrent of ideas and personalities. Her ability had grown stronger once again. Themis not only increased the already large radius, but allowed her to pick up on thoughts that were below the surface. It hadn't been like that with Shinjiro. Themis seemed to approve of him, her whispering had been fast paced and exultant. She couldn't describe the whispering, it was too soft and distant compared to Icarus, but she got the distinct feeling that her persona was trying to reach out to Castor. It was such a perplexing sensation.

She got off at the station and headed to the bookstore. Mitsuko and Bunkichi smiled at her as she walked in and she put on her apron. She was put to work restocking the shelves. She frowned at a book and meandered about to find its rightful place. She paused when something flashed in her vision.

"Thou are I, and I art thou," Themis's voice was soft but carried a strong tone, "Thou hast established a new bond…It brings thee closer to your true potential…thou shall be blessed while creating persona of the Hierophant arcana."

She put the book away and frowned as it automatically "leveled" up. No wonder Minato always seemed so distracted when these things appeared. They were extremely distracting and didn't make any sense. Anyone who walked into the power of a wild card was welcomed to greet confusion. She supposed that she was a bit more used to it due to seeing it in Minato's thought, but still. She ignored those thoughts and went back to working.

Ken greeted her as she walked into the dorm. She gave him a tiny smile in return and listened as Themis informed her of her "new bond". The justice arcana? No wonder he was her little brother. No one could tell her differently, he was just that. She ruffled his hair and started on dinner. He went back to playing with Koromaru as Minato walked down the stairs. He was looking for something to eat. She gave him a tiny smile and motioned towards the table. His shoulders slumped a little as he relaxed. She made something quick and easy. Sushi and sashimi, the rice would fill them up and the miso soup would make sure it wasn't too heavy for them.

"You…" Minato started as he realized something.

Her link had changed. The reverse hermit had become judgement. His link level was at six with her. He couldn't help but wonder if she had seen the velvet room. She gave him a slight nod and he looked at his food in thought. He'd help her figure things out, but he wasn't too sure he'd be good at it. She gave him a slight pat on the shoulder before doing clean up. He joined her and quietly explained what he knew.

Rosemary sat in her room with Mochi as she thought about what Minato had told her. After every fight he would see something called shuffle time that allowed him to gain a new persona or would give him a skill card for the ones he had. He even explained how he saw how strong they were. He equated it to her ability to read minds. She was getting some of that, but not a lot. She sighed as she noted the new social links. Lovers, Aeon, Magician, Empress, and Emperor. She believed that Shinjiro was a social link unique to her. She kind of liked that. She couldn't help but wonder how she had maxed out Akihiko's. She was able to fuse the persona Odin. She really didn't want to know, but would go with the flow. She sighed and turned in for the night. She just hoped that everything would settle down.