Shizu hadn't planned on talking to anyone when she went to collect her dry laundry. However, when she enters, she spots Kaixi loading up his clothes into the washing machines on the other side of the room. This is actually a perfect opportunity for her. "Good evening, Kaixi," she greets him.

Kaixi waves to her, accidentally dropping a pair of pants as a result. As he picks them up again, he says, flustered, "H-hey Shizu. I hope you're doing well tonight."

"As fine as any other night here, I suppose," she says, depositing her hamper next to one of the driers.

He rubs his cheek and gives an uncomfortable laugh. "Heh… Yeah, I guess so…" He trails off when he notices her staring at him. "Um… sorry, did you need something? Whatever it is, I'm happy to help."

"I was curious about something you said to me previously, and I was hoping you would elaborate," she admits.

"Oh… Sure, I guess. What was it exactly? I've said a lot of things." He seems genuinely confusing, which is a lot better than the anxiety she would expect from most people.

Shizu clears her throat. "I believe you mentioned something about sports photography turning your life around, if I remember correctly." She wrote something of the sort down in her notes, so she knows that he said it. Still, she has technically given him an out, just in case.

His eyes light up, and he snaps his fingers. "Oh, yeah, now I remember! Yeah, I can talk a bit about that."

Nodding, she says, "Thank you."

"Let me try to remember everything right…" He bounces on his knees as he thinks. "So, I found this old camera lying around in a park one day. I thought it looked cool, so I brought it back home. My parents kinda thought it was trash, but I guess they let me keep it anyways. So, I started playing around with it some."

Shizu holds out her hand. "Hold on, please. You mean to tell me that all of this started because you found a broken camera?"

"Hey, it wasn't totally broken," Kaixi defends himself. "It was a little dented, but it could still take pictures just fine."

"My point still stands. I figured you would have used a disposable camera or your phone's camera or something first. Not… some random camera you found abandoned in a park," Shizu says.

Frowning, Kaixi says, "I mean, I guess it's a little weird now that I think about it. But I don't know if I'd have been so taken in by photography if I had used something more common. I've upgraded by now, but that old thing still has a place in my heart." He coughs. "Sorry, where was I?"

"You were talking about testing the camera out," Shizu informs him. "My apologies for getting you off track. It… was rude of me."

"It's all good. I probably shouldn't have gotten so defensive about it." Kaixi continues, "Anyways, yeah, I wanted to figure out how the thing worked. I'd never used something like it before, so it took me a while. I didn't know how long it would take, so I sat down near some of the older kids' basketball game while I worked."

Shizu connects the dots. "And, when you finally managed to take photographs, you had the perfect subjects available to you."

"The first few photos were really blurry. It was an old camera, so the lens couldn't snap shut as fast as some of the professional stuff." Kaixi puffs out his chest. "But I figured out a trick to it pretty soon. It was a really good way to practice, even if I didn't realize it at the time."

Shizu recalls trying to take a picture of a cat once. All of the photos turned out to be random black smudges of motion. If what he's saying is true, then he really must have picked photography up quickly. "And what did the players think of all of this?"

"I don't think they noticed at for a while, what with their game and all," Kaixi explains. "One of them finally saw me and the camera, and he must have made the connection. They played a little more before they came over to talk."

"Were you nervous?" she asks.

He nods. "A little. Most of my experiences with others weren't uh… the greatest, if you remember. Add in that these kids were older, and well, it was kinda stressful at first." He brings a hand up to his cap. "But I had nothing to worry about, really. They were super nice to me, asking to see the photo's I'd taken. They were really impressed!"

"I imagine they would be," Shizu states, "It's not every day a random child takes pictures of your casual game."

"They asked me to take photos with their phones so that they could have them. I panicked at first, since I had only just gotten the camera to work, and now they wanted me to use something way different, but I made it work." Kaixi grins at the memory. "They were all so nice to me. It was the first time that I'd experienced anything like that."

A lightbulb turns on in Shizu's brain. "Is that what you meant by your life turning around?"

"It felt… really good to be wanted. No way was I going to jeopardize that by being a brat." Kaixi holds a fist close to his chest.

Shizu leans back on the drier. "So, it was the positive reception that drew you to being interested in taking pictures of sports specifically then."

"Hey, I don't know if I'd put it like that. I mean, maybe that gave me a little push to start exploring it, but sports photography is really interesting. I got to understand it a lot over time," Kaixi explains. "Those teens started inviting me to their games after a few times I met up with them. It was tons of fun!"

His cheer is starting to become infectious. "I'm glad you managed to make friends with them."

"Me too… And it's all thanks to my talent that I got there." Kaixi finishes loading up the washing machine at the same time as he finishes speaking. "Oh, sorry, I went on for a while there. I hope it wasn't boring."

"Not at all. You did exactly as I asked," Shizu reassures him.

He looks behind her at the finished drier. "Oh, but I did distract you from getting your clean clothes. I should've waited for you to get done with everything you had to do first."

The next few minutes are spent reassuring Kaixi that she is completely fine with how their conversation played out and that she is not annoyed with him in any way. Though, if she's being honest, his non-stop fretting over her might start to get irritating.

Conversation with Kaixi Cheng (3)

- First camera was not either something state of the art or something common, but an old, dingy camera he found in the park

- Used that camera to take pictures of older teens playing basketball

- Photography skills, even from the start, must have been impressive given his skill at capturing non-blurry motion

- Befriended the teenagers because of his photography skills, claims their friendship is what helped him become a better person

- Could be afraid of losing friends if he acts out?

Shizu is not having a good time. She had the misfortune of walking close to the rec room at the exact wrong moment for Joshua to pop out of nowhere and ask her to make sure no one messes with his game while he goes to the restroom. Already uncomfortable in this room, it's just her luck that Morgan saunters in not one minute after she sat down.

Predictably, Morgan acts as though she expected this. "Ah, I thought you might be here."

Shizu rolls her eyes. "Yes, I am often found here. I make a habit of stopping by at least twice a day."

"Come now, there's no need to be so snippy," Morgan tuts. "Both of us are keenly aware that you and fun are so thoroughly divorced that you have no use for the rec room. No, the spirits helped guide me to your location."

"Did the spirit also tell you that there is only one viable way to have fun?" Shizu bites back.

"What did I just say about being rude? Honestly, it's no wonder that our conversations always devolve into this when you cannot help but make some snide remark about me." Sighing, Morgan places a hand on her cheek. "What would your parents think if they saw how you were acting?"

It's so blatantly obvious that Morgan is baiting her, but the way that she phrases everything makes Shizu's blood boil. So, she cannot help but continue to take said bait. "I believe my parents would be more incensed by your constant grandstanding over your 'power' or whatever nonsense you claim to tap into. Though I suppose that would be foreign to you, as your parents clearly cared little about how often you lie."

"I'm starting to believe that, even with full proof that I am telling the truth, you would still find some way to hold fast in your beliefs," Morgan says. "I assure you that I speak only the truth. And now you've somehow found a way to drag my parents into this."

"You literally dragged mine into it first," Shizu points out.

"In an offhand comment," Morgan says, waving her off. "It was a small joke, nothing more. Certainly, it was nothing like whatever analysis you attempted to perform."

Shizu is starting to get the feeling she accidentally stumbled onto a sore topic. "…It was an attempt to shame you for your profession. I apologize if I stated it in a way that came off as an attack on your parents. That was not my intention."

To her surprise, Morgan laughs. "Oh no, please. You may insult my parents as much as you wish. I merely found it humorous that that was your chosen line of attack."

"Bad relationship?" she asks.

"No relationship," Morgan says.

Shizu scrunches up her face. "What exactly does that mean? Were they absent in your life for a good period of time? Or were they simply never there to begin with?" She thinks about Joshua's story and shudders at the thought of whatever the U.K.'s foster system is like.

"Neither of those. Perhaps I misspoke." Morgan waves her hands about, her rings shining as she does so. "I am not adopted, nor did my parents ever think to give me up at any point in time. I will admit that they did raise me, and I have lived with them until I moved to Japan after being scouted. They were in my life, but they did their damn best to make sure they were in my life as little as possible."

"They were emotionally distant," Shizu mumbles.

Nodding, Morgan continues. "Emotionally and physically distant, at times. They made sure that I was alive, but that was about it. They made it no secret how little they cared for me."

Shizu's stomach twists. "Were they… abusive?"

"That would require them to think about me enough to want to hurt me," Morgan spits.

"That's not reassuring," Shizu replies.

Morgan makes a show of a dramatic sigh. "Well then, I shall be more direct. There was no physical abuse in my house. Though my relationship with my parents is non-existent, I would be very hesitant to think that they would ever be the type to lash out violently, even against those they hated."

"I see. My apologies." Shizu bows. "I simply wished to make sure. Although, that doesn't make the situation much better. Emotional abuse can leave scars that last just as long."

"I find the best remedy to the situation to be to think about them as little as they thought about me," Morgan says.

Shizu frowns. "I wonder how they reacted when you managed to become an Ultimate."

Smiling, Morgan says, "Surprised, mostly. I don't think they ever noticed what I was doing in my spare time. Perhaps they still think the Ultimate Initiative is fake. I wouldn't know. I haven't seen reason to speak with them recently."

"I'm truly sorry you've had to live with such people in your life," Shizu says. "What would even drive such people to have a child in the first place? They clearly thought little of the idea…"

"Oh, they wanted a child, just not me." Morgan's expression has darkened, and her fists have clenched. "The universe sought to play a cruel joke on them by revealing my existence. They had not planned for me, but I suppose they found it less personally troubling to have me anyways."

Morgan's anger and her own questioning come to a halt when Joshua wanders back into the rec room abruptly. "Sorry about the wait, Shizu." He scratches his head before turning to Morgan. "Yo Morgan, what's up?"

In a flash, she's back to her mysterious smiles. "Shizu and I were simply having a small chat. Actually, she distracted me from my task."

"Oh right, you claimed you were looking for me. What did you want?" Shizu asks.

Clasping her hands together, Morgan states, "I was sent here from the kitchen by Soraru. Xe wished to know what flavor of cake xe should make."

Shizu stares at her, suspicious. "Do you expect me to believe that Soraru wanted you to ask me, specifically?"

"No, I do not, as I was not," Morgan corrects her. "I was only told to ask Joshua. However, I was also told that everyone was allowed a piece, and, thus, I wished to ask as many people as possible for their preferences. After all, I need not tell Soraru only what Joshua said."

"Ooh, that sounds nice," Joshua says. "I'm not too picky, but I'd honestly be interested in seeing if xe could do an ice cream cake."

"I have no preference. I'm not usually one for sweets," Shizu answers. She's still certain that Morgan came looking only for Joshua and made up a story once she found Shizu.

Morgan giggles. "Neither sweets or movies, hmm? What an… interesting life you live."

Shizu ignores her in favor of burying in her face in her notes.

Conversation with Morgan Feysonn (3)

- Has strained relationship with parents

- Claims they were emotionally distant throughout her entire life (emotional abusive of a kind)

- Claims no physical abuse occurred, likely to be true given her lack of defensive response

- Was an unplanned pregnancy, likely why her parents cared so little for her

- Made an odd statement about them specifically not wanting her

- Older sibling perhaps? Ask about later

When Kaixi hears the haunting, yet beautiful melody echoing throughout the halls, he can't help but look for the source. There's just… something about it that captures his attention like nothing else. Who could be singing at this time of night anyways?

The notes lead him down a long trek towards the gym and into the locker room. To his surprise, the voice belongs to none other than Pal. His singing is far different from his normal, choppy way of speaking. And the last time he heard Pal making an unusual sound, it nearly deafened everyone.

Pal doesn't seem to have noticed his approach, his eyes closed and his song loud. If Kaixi had at any point actually believed that nonsense about Pal being a siren, it would have been now. Kaixi looks at the tranquility on Pal's face and subconsciously moves to grab his camera.

Pal's eyes snap open.

Ah.

Kaixi gives a small way. "Uh… sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you!" he makes sure to apologize.

"It is no trouble." Pal's face slowly morphs into a smile. "I am used… to gathering others… when I am practicing my singing. It is to be expected… when you are of the siren people."

Yeah, it's definitely that and not the more logical explanation of people wondering who's the loud person singing. Kaixi, of course, doesn't say any of this. "Your song was really pretty. I've never heard anything like it before."

"Thank you… for your compliments." Pal bows slightly. "It is nothing too special… given who I am, but I am very grateful… nonetheless."

Shaking his head, Kaixi says, "It's definitely something special to me. You should think about singing more often. I bet you could make a career out of it if you really wanted to."

Pal's smile falters for a second. "Ah… You are perhaps… being too kind."

Okay, maybe he's laying it on a little thick now. Time to pump the brakes. "Well, I'm sure you'd get there if you put in more time to practice and got some connections, at least."

"Whether I am able to or not… I do not wish to do so," Pal states, his voice firm.

"O-oh, sorry! I didn't mean to be rude," Kaixi hurriedly says, even though he's not actually sure what he said wrong.

Sighing, Pal lowers his hands to his sides. "No… no, you were not… at fault here. You could not know… my exact stance… on working in entertainment."

"I probably still should have known given what you've said in the past." Kaixi doesn't recall him saying anything like that. Maybe he was a little rude to Joshua, but that seemed more like anger for associating with Soraru. "Um… if you don't mind me asking, what's wrong with it?"

"Technically, there are… no faults," Pal muses. "However, I cannot help but feel… that efforts could be placed… into more usual goals. There is much… to be fixed in the world. Should I indulge in such pastimes… I fear I would be… selfish. I am doing much… for the oceans currently. To abandon such work… for singing? I cannot think of it."

"Oh, that makes sense," Kaixi says. Inside, he's starting to sweat a little. His talent is definitely entertainment-based. Does that mean that Pal just doesn't like him? For literally no fault in his personality? Just because of his talent?

Pal looks at him closer. "You say this… but you seem upset with my judgements."

Oh no. "Ah well…" Kaixi sweats as he tries to find some kind of explanation. "It's just… you know… People like Tsubame and Joshua have entertainment related talents, and I think they're pretty cool. They don't really strike me as all that selfish."

"It appears… we have very different reads… on Joshua," Pal says, though his mood softens as his continues. "Tsubame however… I admit… I may have initially judged her… too harshly. She makes great efforts… to help those in need."

"W-wait, you didn't like her at first?" Kaixi gapes. "I couldn't even tell!"

To his credit, Pal does look ashamed of himself. "I make an effort… to be polite to everyone, even to those… whom I find disagreement… in their career choices. It is entirely because… of situations like Tsubame's. There are plenty of people out there… who may not contribute fully to society… but whose presence helps brighten the lives… of those around them."

"I mean, isn't that kind of the goal of entertainment in general?" Kaixi points out before he's able to stop himself. Realizing that he's made his stand, he hurries to make it legitimate. "Like, if everyone's upset all the time and stuff, they won't be doing their best. But entertainers can help cheer people up! They can inspire them to do great things or just give them a break from life for a while. Actors, athletes, artists… all of them are important, just, like, not in an easy to see way."

Pal considers his impromptu speech for a while. As he sways back and forth, Kaixi can feel sweat on the back of his neck. He really hopes that he didn't just ensure that Pal would never take him seriously again.

Eventually, Pal looks at him. "I see… I suppose… that I hadn't thought of it in quite that way before. I'm not certain… that I fully buy your argument. However, I do understand… where you are coming from. Perhaps the same line of thinking… is what inspired the storytellers of old. Would we still treasure Homer's epics… if all thought as I have?"

"Y-yeah, you don't have to agree with me. I just wanted to bring up another point of view." Tugging on the straps of his backpack, Kaixi feels relieved that it all managed to turn out okay.

"Then, I must thank you… for educating me." Pal gives him a knowing look. "Oh… and Kaixi?"

Kaixi blinks. "Huh?"

"You… do not have to worry," Pal reassures him. "Despite your talent, I have come… to enjoy your presence. Rest assured… we are friends."

"O-oh? I uh… hadn't even thought about that," Kaixi lies. "But um… thanks so much for saying that. It means a lot."

"Now then." Pal clears his throat. "I believe I was in the middle of a song. If you would not mind, I would like to continue."

Kaixi smiles as Pal's voice fills the locker rooms again. He briefly considers mentioning that others who are out late might hear it too, but he decides against it. It's not as though Pal's trying to keep it a secret. And, since it's all public, he might as well take a photo of the moment, to help him remember the moment.

Shizu has no idea how long she's been sitting in the lounge, going over her notes. She probably could have gone on much longer had she not been distracted by the clicking of a camera. Roused from her thoughts, she looks up to see Kaixi's smile fading.

"O-oh, sorry Shizu!" he hurriedly apologizes, bowing towards her. "I didn't mean to distract you from your work. It's just… you had this intense look on your face, and I really wanted to capture it."

"No, it's fine. I was going in circles in my head," Shizu says. "You've honestly done me a favor." She's starting to feel the eye strain from staring too long at her notes.

Relieved, Kaixi says, "Really? Thank goodness. I'm always happy to help."

"Still, was my expression truly so… captivating?" She winces as she says this. That final word doesn't feel exactly appropriate. "Sorry, I'm not sure how to phrase it."

"I get what you mean. It's not just the expression itself. It's… it's what it signifies." Kaixi lets his camera go. It hangs gently around his neck as he tries to explain. "That face you were making… It's how you look when you're in your element. Whenever you're ready to come up with some amazing plan or… or thinking over the best approach, that's how you look!"

Shizu isn't aware of any plans she's made since becoming trapped here. Maybe he's just being polite. "I wasn't aware that I was doing anything special, but you're the professional when it comes to these sorts of things. Have you taken similar photos of the others here?"

He nods. "Yeah, a few. I caught Pal singing at last night, and I snapped a picture mid-song. I also managed to get one of Soraru baking before xe noticed and started doing silly things on purpose." He pauses and tugs on the straps of his backpack. "I uh… I technically got some of Michio and Sawako doing their work during… during the investigation…"

"That's an impressive lineup." Though Shizu has no reference for if it's actually impressive, she gives the compliment regardless. Anything to get him off of a topic he clearly doesn't wish to think about.

Her plan works, and he smiles. "Thank you very much! I really wanna get pictures of everyone in the zone, but it's pretty hard for me. I'm used to looking at athletes for photos. People here are great, but it's a little harder for me to fully recognize what makes them themselves, you know?"

Shizu disagrees. "It sounds to me like you have a good idea of what you're looking for. It may just be harder for the specific circumstances to align in this situation."

"I do have a bit of a good eye, don't I?" Kaixi preens, only to blink and shake his head. "I mean, well, I can't really take all of the credit. I had a lot of help from one of my teachers."

"A photography teacher, I presume," Shizu says.

Nodding, he says, "I actually met him before he was my teacher. You remember my older friends, right?"

"The ones who played basketball while you took pictures of them," Shizu confirms.

"They introduced me to him after one of the games at their school," he explains. "He took one look at my work and offered to take me under his wing. It's how I learned about the technical side of the craft."

"What sort of things did he teach you?" she asks.

He taps his foot for a moment. "Um… I don't really know how best to explain it to someone who doesn't do photography a bunch. Not that I think you're too dumb to understand it," he quickly assures her. "Just that a lot of it's probably boring to you."

Shizu raises an eyebrow. "Try me."

Seeing as she isn't backing down, he taps his foot and thinks. Finally, he comes up with something. "One thing he taught me about was negative space. You know what that is, though, right?"

She makes a so-so motion with her hand. "I have a vague idea of the concept."

"Negative space," he begins, "is the part of the photo where there isn't anything important. A lot of people think that, when they're constructing a scene, they have to fill every part of it with something important, but that's not true. What isn't there is just as important as what is. It helps the viewer focus on the parts you want them to, it can help with showing scale, it can help with the emotion of the piece, and so on."

"I see… Interesting," Shizu mutters. "Was this a concept you struggled with before your lessons?"

Kaixi scratches his head. "Not really? Maybe? I had sort of a sense of it before I officially learned about the concept. But my teacher telling me about it helped me exactly why I was doing the things I was doing. It was a like that for a good number of the things he taught me, but there were just as many that were completely foreign to me."

"Good intuition combined with a readiness and eagerness to learn. Talk about a model student," she teases him.

He blushes. "Aw, thanks. I think he thought so too. Both of us were really excited when he became my homeroom teacher when I got to secondary school. It's a great feeling to be wanted."

Shizu adjusts her glasses. "Was he also interested in sports photography?"

"Nah, he loved all sorts of different things. He initially tried to get me to try out taking pictures of other things, but, once he saw how good I was with photographing people, he let me hone in on that," he says.

She doesn't doubt his skill, but she wonders if that was really the reason his teacher did what he did. Given Kaixi's personality, perhaps his enthusiasm for taking pictures of others was the deciding factor. Regardless, she doubts she'd ever get a concrete answer without talking to the man himself. Instead, she says, "I'm glad his mentorship proved fruitful. No doubt it assisted you in getting the attention of the Ultimate Initiative."

"Yeah, it definitely did." For a split second, Kaixi's smile wavers. If she hadn't been looking close enough, she wouldn't have noticed.

Frowning, she presses him. "Sorry, did I say something insensitive?"

"What?" His eyes go wide. "No, of course not. I was just… thinking of something." He trails off and looks down at his camera. "Sorry, Shizu, but I think I'm gonna head out for now. I wanna get this picture developed before I forget. See you later!"

With that, he hurries off, leaving her rather confused. For once, she honestly hadn't anticipated touching a nerve with her comments. Perhaps it's simply the situation that they're all in that's the cause. Whatever the case, she'll talk to him about it later. For now, she has more notes to take. Hopefully, she won't fall into a trance again.

Conversation with Kaixi Cheng (4)

- Had a mentor in a photography teacher that his older friends introduced him to

- Was taught photography theory through this

- Professor honed in on his interests and likely is why he's still a sports photographer and not some other kind of photographer

- Intuition is good, as understood multiple concepts before they were formally introduced, like negative space

- Has some issue with becoming an Ultimate? Investigate later

This is a horrible idea. Shizu knows that it is a horrible idea. Nothing good can come out of willingly seeking out Morgan. So why is she doing it?

Curse her need to follow every little scrap of information that she finds. If she were simply less thorough, she wouldn't be putting herself in this situation. Or maybe the problem was that she talked too much during her last conversation with Morgan. Either way, the solution is to not talk with her.

Naturally, Shizu does not heed her own advice as she stands outside of Morgan's room. She's been standing here for about five minutes already. Any moment now she will ring the doorbell. Any minute. Very soon.

Oh.

Morgan has opened the door and is now staring at her with an annoyingly amused expression on her face. "Shall I spare you the embarrassment and allow you to enter?" She makes a sweeping motion towards the inside of her room.

"You didn't know I was out here," is the best response Shizu can muster.

Smirking, Morgan says, "Oh? I didn't? That would be news to me."

"No, you were leaving your room for completely unrelated reasons and then changed your story when you saw me standing here," Shizu says through gritted teeth.

"I believe my story is the correct one, but I suppose the truth doesn't matter to you. Either way, I believe you wished to chat with me. Please, come inside." Morgan once again gestures for her to follow.

Shizu very much wishes to go into detail about how the rooms are soundproofed and, thus, without a peephole to see outside, Morgan would have no reason to suspect anyone was outside. Instead, she swallows her pride and marches in.

She pays little attention to her surroundings, as she'd rather get this over with as quickly as possible. She does note, however, that the room is much smaller than her own. But that's an inquiry for another time. "As you have guessed," she begins.

Morgan cuts her off, "As I have been told by fate."

"As you have guessed," she reiterates, punctuating each word, "I had something which I wished to ask you about."

"It's not every day that I am sought out by you. Whatever it is, it must be important to you," Morgan says.

"Important to me and likely irritating to you," Shizu adds. "I wished to continue on with the conversation we were having last time we talked."

Morgan furrows her brow. "Are you talking about my family? Well, you would be correct in assuming my annoyance, but I'm more so confused. I believe we covered that topic rather thoroughly. Did you perhaps need a refresher? I'm not sure what more else I can say."

"You made an odd comment that I wished to ask you about. I wonder, do you happen to have a sibling?" Shizu asks.

In an instant, Morgan's face darkens. "Oh, of course. Obviously. I should have known you wanted to know about her."

Shizu, though worried about her tone, continues as if she had not picked up on it. "You have a sister, then. An older one, correct?"

Morgan ignores her. "All anyone wants to talk about is my sister. Sister this, sister that. Even in when I'm trapped in here, in a completely different country, I can't escape it. The one time you seek me out, and it's because of her. Perfect. Absolutely perfect."

Shizu watches Morgan fume in silence. She had figured there was some sort of issues there, given how Morgan feels about her parents, but this was far beyond what she expected. She's not entirely certain what to say. So, she simply waits for Morgan to start speaking again.

When Morgan does, it is not kind. "Well, out with it. What have you come to ask me about? Perhaps, why I am not as good as her?"

"I assure you that is not the reason why I asked," Shizu says quickly. "I know nothing about her, I swear. There is nothing to compare.

Morgan scoffs. "You clearly know about her. How else would you know to ask?"

"Because you mentioned that your parents didn't want you but specifically did not say that they didn't want kids. I know that I asked about the latter, so I assumed that you had an older sibling. I didn't even know their gender, let alone any of their personality traits," Shizu explains.

It takes Morgan a few moments to process her words. She eventually calms down, though she is still visibly angry, just not at Shizu. "Right. I see. Well, I'm sure you've gotten some sort of idea about my relationship with my older sister."

"Intensely negative in all regards," Shizu confirms. "I imagine she was everything your parents wanted."

"Everything and more." The venom in Morgan's voice is alarming. "Arella was perfect in their eyes. Kind, fair, selfless… Oh, and I can't forget beautiful. Everyone certainly wouldn't let me forget that one."

Shizu frowns. "It sounds like her reputation extended beyond your parents."

"Don't I know it?" Morgan laughs humorlessly. "She had ten whole years to get a head start on making everyone love her. Wherever she went, she was loved. She made it look so effortless. My parents adored her. It was sickening."

"And wherever she went, her expectations followed her, dragging you down with them," Shizu extrapolates.

Morgan's face morphs into a scowl. "There was never any chance that I would ever be happy, not as long as she was around. No matter what I did, it was never enough. They didn't even care that I was smarter than her or that I had the gift of fortune telling. Apparently, the only places where I succeeded was those that they deemed pointless."

Shizu cannot help but sympathize with her plight. "You said she was ten years older than you, if I heard correctly. The idea of expecting your younger child to be exactly like your eldest currently is… how despicable."

"They were obviously out to be disappointed in me before I was even born. Even if I was as 'perfect' as she 'was', they would still find some faults in me." Crossing her arms, Morgan glares at Shizu. "Does that answer your questions enough? Have you gotten a thorough appreciation for my dear, darling sister yet?"

Given Morgan's tone, it's not actually an offer to dig further. It's more so a semi-polite way of telling Shizu to drop the subject. It's unfortunate, as she still has questions to ask. Still, Shizu pretends that she's all done. "I have an understanding of her, I believe. Sorry for bringing her up out of nowhere. I hadn't known the full extent of your history with her."

"Well, so long as that's that, I suppose I can forgive you." Morgan rubs her forehead and sighs. "Ugh… even now, she's giving me a headache. I need to go eat dinner and put this behind me."

Shizu stands up and heads for the door. "I'll see myself out. Thank you for your time."

She leaves Morgan's room with a small wave and heads off in a speed walk. She'd like to get her thoughts down before she forgets and making small talk with Morgan would only serve to make those thoughts slip away.

Conversation with Morgan Feysonn (4)

- Has an older sister named Arella (ten years older)

- Arella was the child her parents actually wanted

- Claims everyone thought her sister was perfect in basically every way, resulting in bitter feelings

- She says she's smarter than her sister, unsure how true that as I don't know her sister

- Was the rivalry one-sided? Only ever mentioned how she felt about her sister, not how her sister felt about her

Morgan often enjoys sitting quietly in the lounge by herself. The bubbling of the fish tank helps her relax as she sinks into the puffy cushions of one of the armchairs. It's much more comfortable than her stuffy room. However, it also allows her to meet some unexpected guests.

One such guest nearly startles her, had she not mastered keeping her calm. Fumika has somehow sat down in the other chair without catching her attention. She's likely only just sat down, given she lacks an impatient expression on her face. Still, it is worrying how easily she's able to slink in and out of group gatherings. Briefly, the secret she received flashes through her mind. Perhaps…

Whatever the case, that speculation can wait. Fumika is currently sitting in front of her, seemingly keen on saying nothing. Morgan debates whether she should start the conversation but ultimately decides against it. Fumika clearly wants something. Why not let her wait until she's ready to speak? It helps preserve an air of mystery. Plus, she would have to explain that she hadn't noticed Fumika for a while, and that simply would not do.

It takes a little longer than she expected, but eventually Fumika cracks. "Morgan," is all she says, however.

Morgan opens up her eyes and prepares to put on a show. "Hello to you too Fumika. I was starting to worry that I was intruding on your space."

"You were here first," she mumbles off to the side. "I'd be the intruder."

"If you wish to think of it that way." Shrugging, Morgan sinks back into her chair. "Now, I believe you wished to talk to me about something, no?"

Fumika crosses her arms. "I don't remember saying anything like that."

At this, Morgan can't help but giggle softly. "No, I don't suppose you did. However, I had no need to hear it directly from you. I have other ways of learning things." She waves her hand around slowly, indicating mysticism. "The spirits, you see. Or perhaps, you do not see."

"Right. The spirits." Fumika's voice lacks any indication on whether she believes her or not. "Actually, that's sort of why I'm here. I wanted to ask you about your abilities."

Blinking, Morgan's theatrics come to a halt. Usually when people ask her about this, it comes from skepticism. Knowing Fumika, it's likely the same, even though she's merely acting curious. She'll have to tread carefully. Pretending as if this debate hadn't occurred in her mind, Morgan says, "My abilities, you say? I cannot hope to fully explain the vast world of fortune telling to you, but I will certainly do my best. What would you like to know?"

Fumika answers quickly enough that it's obvious she's practiced asking this question to herself. "How did you manage to develop your powers?"

Ah, that's a common one. This shouldn't be any trouble. Morgan starts off by teasing her. "Ah, hoping to develop a connection to the spirit world yourself, I see?"

"Nothing of the sort. I'm just interested in how you did it," Fumika denies.

"My story has gotten you intrigued then." Raising a hand to cover her mouth, Morgan lets out a giggle. "I am happy to oblige, of course, though I do not know how satisfying my answer will be."

Fumika nods. "That's all I can ask for."

"Let's see… When did it all start?" Morgan pretends to remember something. "I suppose the answer is that I was always somewhat in tune with the spirits. Fate itself deemed me worthy from birth to access the answers of the world. I always had inklings that something was different about me, but it was not until I was a little older that I found a way to tap into that power."

"And what way would that be?" Fumika asks.

Morgan tuts. "Patience, please. I was getting to that part." Making a show of clearing her throat, she continues. "By happenstance, I found myself enamored with tarot cards. I did not take them seriously at first, but it soon became clear that my readings were genuine. Soon afterwards, I began to expand my repertoire to include all avenues of reading the future. The spirits find amusement in odd places, it seems. They are not prone to give out answers unless you play their games."

Fumika mulls over her story for a minute. "So, your answer is that you were born lucky then?"

"If you wish to take the fun out of the storytelling, then yes." Morgan sighs.

"I see." Looking away, Fumika mutters, "Thank you."

"You're quite welcome." Morgan notices her rigid body language and can only just stop herself from rolling her eyes. "However, you shouldn't thank me unless you were actually feeling grateful. I can tell that you're not satisfied by my answer."

"…No, I got what I came here for," Fumika says, slowly.

Morgan shakes her head. "On the contrary, you obviously wished to either confirm or deny my powers. You hoped that either my story would be a clear forgery or a sure truth. You got neither of these results. It's not surprising. To the uninitiated, fortune telling is often a murky subject."

Fumika considers her again, likely haven't underestimated her intelligence. It's something she's gotten used to. "It sounds like you thought this from the start. Why agree to explain it to me then?"

"You wouldn't be the first to doubt my powers," Morgan answers. "I'm very used to having to explain myself. Besides, you're nowhere near as rude as Shizu. I'm quite happy to do whatever I can to help out if it means dealing with someone marginally more polite."

Her comment causes Fumika to smile, if only slightly. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"As you should. You are a refreshing person to be around, even if you are rather mysterious." Morgan winks at her.

"Ever considered asking the spirits to clear anything up about me?" Fumika asks.

"Oh heavens, no," Morgan quickly denies, waving her hands in front of her. "That would be a clear invasion of privacy. I only investigate people with their consent, I promise you that." There's also the fact that figuring out personal details on the spot tends to go poorly.

"How kind of you." Fumika stands up from her chair and stretches. "Thanks for humoring me."

Smiling, Morgan says, "Any time. I'm always happy to consult the spirits for others."

Before Fumika leaves the lounge, she stops at the entrance. "Actually, I should let you know that you're wrong."

What? "…Excuse me?"

"You're wrong about what I wanted," Fumika clarifies. "At least partially. I didn't just want to learn about how truthful you're being."

"I don't understand. What else could you possibly expect to get from my answer?" Morgan asks. She can feel her muscles tensing up for some reason.

"Let's just say that this isn't the first time I've heard your story. There's something about getting straight from the source that gives a bit more information." Fumika doesn't look back after she answers. Instead, she walks away, leaving Morgan very confused.

What was that all about? Did Fumika really want something else? Morgan clenches one of her fists as she thinks. What could it be? …No, maybe it's something else entirely. Maybe she had been lying about wanting something else, just to get one over on her. Or maybe Fumika wanted to see how she would react when she thought she'd been outsmarted. That theory has some weight to it.

Once again, Morgan cannot help but think about her secret. Fumika Amari… who are you really?

Shizu stares at the door in front of her. Truthfully, she doesn't know whether or not Kaixi is in his room. However, it would be helpful for her goals if he was. Given that she finally found a subject that he's not fully open to discussing, perhaps a familiar environment will help open him up. And so, she rings his doorbell.

Lucky for her, he answers it quickly. Upon seeing who is visitor is, his face splits into a grin. "Shizu! What can I do for you?"

"Do you mind if I come inside?" she asks. "There's something I wish to discuss."

"Oh, sure, no problem. Come on in!" He opens the door further and stands to the side.

She enters and takes stock of everything. "This is your room? It's seems… small." Smaller than hers at least.

"I prefer the term cozy," he says, his cheer not fading. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

The moment of truth arrives. Shizu takes a deep breath and adjusts her glasses. "When we last sat down and talked together, I recall accidentally touching a nerve. I wanted to apologize again for that."

"Huh? …Oh!" Kaixi's face lights up with recognition. "You mean the stuff about the Ultimate Initiative? You can stop worrying about that. It's fine."

"Well…" she says. "It may not be fine, because, despite me saying that, I still would like to ask you about it. If that is fine with you, that is," she makes sure to add.

Kaixi bites his lip. "Um…"

"Again, if I've overstepped a bound, then there is no need to talk," she reassures him.

He slowly shakes his head. "If… if you're truly that interested, I can talk about it. I mean, you're my friend, right?"

"Of course," she quickly states. "Whatever you say, I'm certain it won't be anything that would ruin our friendship."

Taking a deep breath, he begins to explain. "I guess I'll start with how I got scouted in the first place. I never thought that I'd be one of the people they were looking at. I just liked taking pictures of people. It's not really something all that glamorous. Most people would be more interested in the subjects of the photo, not the creator."

"I'm sure that's not true. Plenty of people appreciate photographers," Shizu claims. "Whichever photos that they saw much have truly moved them."

"I don't even know which photos those were myself," he admits, scratching his cap. "A bunch of people reached out to me about using my photos for their newspapers and magazines and stuff. I think they only took note after I got interviewed for my work. Maybe it was just that I had the attention on me rather than the photos themselves…"

"You're downplaying your skills again," Shizu warns him. "What makes you so certain that's the case?"

Pulling down hard on his backpack straps, he groans. "I don't know…"

"Do you dislike everything about the Ultimate Initiative?" she presses.

He shrugs, though his shoulders are shaking. "I mean, not really? The money that they sent really helped out my family. We'll be set for basically forever now. That's really nice, but… I just feel a little uncomfortable about the whole thing, I guess."

"Uncomfortable with the expectations?" she guesses.

"With the… the way people look at me when they know I'm an Ultimate," he admits. "They… they think I'm some unapproachable idol that's far out of their reach. I don't want that. I know I told myself that I happy to get fame and to have so many people love my work and tell me all about how much they love it, but it… it wasn't what I thought it was."

Shizu wants to say something, but she can't think of what that would be. Not that it matters either way, because Kaixi is still ranting about everything. She wonders if he remembers that she's even here.

"I want people to like me, damn it! I work so hard to get on their good sides and help them out and do everything that they want, and all of that turned out to be for nothing, thanks to that stupid Ultimate Initiative. Barely anyone even tries to get close to me anymore. The only people who do are so obviously only interested in me for my talent that they don't even appreciate the person that I am! I just… AGH!" He holds his head in his hands.

She lets him stay like that for a moment, letting him process his emotions first. When she thinks she's given him enough time, she reaches out and pats him gently on the back.

He flinches at the contact. "I… oh no, I just dumped all of that on you, didn't I?" he moans.

"You had a lot of emotions that you've let yourself bottle up," she muses.

"Ugh…" He sinks further into despair. "I ruined everything. You heard all of that, and now you know how selfish I am…"

She hesitates. "…Selfish?"

"No point in hiding things anymore." He laughs humorlessly to himself. "I only do the things that I do because I want people to like me. I'm always there to help, I always let them have the spotlight, and I never let them feel like I'm going to disagree with them. I'm… I'm a bad person."

"…Is that truly the case?" she wonders aloud.

He raises his head. "H-huh?"

She continues to speak. "I will say that it's definitely an unhealthy way to live. The fact that you let all of that out with the slightest prodding tells me that much. Not allowing yourself to act on anything but what you think others want is only hurting yourself. But I don't think that makes you a bad person."

"But I just told you everything. I don't really care about others. I only want them to like me," he desperately explains.

"And what's wrong with that?" she counters. "The idea that doing something nice only counts if you're being selfless is a foolish notion. Being a kind person because you want friendship is completely fine. You claim that you don't care for others, but I disagree. You see the degree of selfishness in your actions and take that to mean that you are selfish as a whole."

Shizu gestures towards the corkboard that Kaixi has hung on his wall. "Take a look at your work," she tells him.

Kaixi shyly does as she says. "It's… just a bunch of pictures of everyone here having fun."

"You were a part of these experiences too," she says. "No matter the reason behind your actions, you have contributed to keeping everyone here as happy as possible, and here you have displayed definitive proof that you aren't a bad person."

He remains silent.

Shizu turns her gaze back towards him. "That doesn't mean you should continue to act as you have. I would argue that your friends deserve to see and hear what you truly think." She extends her hand. "Does that sound like a good start to you?"

For a moment, Kaixi stays still. Then, he speaks, though his voice is very quiet. "I don't know… if I'd really want to do that, honestly. It sounds tough." He reaches out his own hand, and they shake on it.

"Finally, some honesty." Shizu smirks. "However, I'm afraid I won't allow you to slink away."

He smiles back. "You really should be less serious."

Pointedly ignoring his comment, she looks back at the corkboard. "Now that I look closer, it appears that you don't have any photos of yourself up here. I believe you should rectify that."

"…You know what? Maybe I should." He grins at her.

Shizu is so caught up in her victory that she is unprepared Kaixi to swing his arm around her shoulder, raise his camera up, and snap a photo of the two of them. Though she wouldn't know it, that picture, with Kaixi's smile and her look of surprise, would be placed at the center of the board.

Conversation with Kaixi Cheng (5)

- Gained recognition after news outlets bought his photos and interviewed him

- Though he appreciates the monetary benefits of becoming an Ultimate, he still takes issue with it

- Apparently constructed personality to become likeable and subservient, all so that he would have more friends

- Hates being seen as unapproachable, hence his actions

- Believes himself to be a very selfish person, should get someone with more experience to work on that

- I think I finally got him to act more like himself, hopefully this makes him a happier person

By this point, Shizu has gotten used to randomly running into Morgan in odd places. This time, she's found her inside the pantry, a good deal after a normal lunchtime and before a normal dinnertime. Perhaps she also wanted a snack.

Morgan raises a hand over her mouth and smiles at her entrance. "I was wondering who it was who would be joining me in my afternoon snack. I had hoped for someone a little more pleasant, but I suppose I cannot always choose my company."

"I believe that I am plenty pleasant to those who are not living a lie," Shizu retorts before she can stop herself.

"I will kindly choose to ignore that remark about my life," Morgan tuts. "However, I know that the first part is simply not true. You certainly can be nice, but I have heard others talk about you. You are rather pushy when it comes to delicate topics. And you have quite the issue when it comes to showing emotions not coated in professionalism."

Shizu bites her lip before she says something rude. Well, ruder than she normally is when it comes to Morgan. "It's not always my intention to steer conversations in that direction. It simply happens."

"Ah, just like our last few conversations simply headed in the exact directions of topics which angered me?" Morgan asks, putting her hands on her hips. "Truly, those must have been coincidences as well."

"Partially," Shizu argues, knowing how weak that excuse is.

Morgan laughs at her. "See, even you know it. Admitting that you have a problem will help you immensely." She takes a closer look at Shizu, leaning in to meet her gaze.

Shizu instinctively leans backwards. "What are you doing?"

"Hmm…" Morgan frowns as her eyes run over Shizu's face. "It seems as though you're planning on being annoying again. Well, out with it, what asinine thing do you wish to ask me about this time?"

"What are you even talking about?" Shizu demands, still leaning back.

Morgan states upright and examines the rings on her right hand. "It's written all over your face. You clearly wish to bring up another uncomfortable topic. The nervousness doesn't match your usual frustration when you see me. I know that you're not afraid of me. Just ask your question and be done with it."

Well, it is true that she's been wondering something recently, but she hadn't planned on actually asking Morgan any time soon. Was it just subconsciously on her mind? Sucking in air, Shizu says, "Very well. It's… about your sister."

Morgan makes a show of rolling her eyes. "Ah, of course. I figured it would be something ridiculous like that. A single mention of her and you're already biting at the opportunity to know more. What is it this time? Her occupation? Her birthday? Her dating availability?"

"I…" Shizu pauses when she hears the last one. "…Have people actually asked you about that?"

Morgan taps her foot. "Do I sound like I'm in a joking mood? Out with it, Shizu."

"Fine." Shizu adjusts her glasses and speaks. "Does your sister hate you?"

Letting out a loud laugh, Morgan clutches her sides. "Oh, Shizu… Is that seriously your question? I was led to believe you actually took notes, not simply scribble nonsense in that notepad of yours. If you were paying attention at all to what I said, you would very easily grasp the relationship my sister and I have."

Shizu shakes her head. "That's not what I asked. I know very well how you feel. I want to know if the hatred was mutual."

"How on Earth could it not be mutual?" Morgan spits. "She ruined any chance I had at being loved by my parents! I physically had to change myself in order to hold a candle to her!"

"You and I both know that she couldn't have known how they would have reacted to you. Your parents made their own choices, terrible as they may be," Shizu says.

Morgan glares at her. "You have no idea how much she took from me."

Shizu stares right back, unblinking. "Then, please, help me understand."

"Fine by me." Morgan crosses her arms. "My sister was always bright and popular and sunny. She was always the sociable one. If I even attempted to get involved with things she had done as a child, I would only be compared negatively to her. My only options were the enjoy the things she never touched. Horror movies, the occult, the taboo… all were laid out as my dominion because of her."

"I'm not sure I fully understand. Are you saying that you found your hobbies by seeing what it was that she wasn't interested in?" Shizu asks.

Rolling her eyes, Morgan says, "If you wish to phrase it like that, then yes. That is correct."

Shizu fiddles with her glasses. "Then, would I be correct to guess that your… interests in fortune telling came about because of this as well?"

"I was always destined to fortune telling. The powers that be would always find a way to contact me." Under Shizu's flat stare, Morgan makes a show of clearing her throat. "However, you are correct. My first exposure to fortune telling was through an investigation into tarot cards. Still, I assure you, I would have heard the spirits calling whether I was fueled by sisterly spite or not."

Putting aside Morgan's nonsensical ramblings, Shizu continues her line of thought. "Would you say that you enjoyed all of these hobbies, as non-conventional as they are?"

"…Yes, I did." Morgan looks her over once again. "Is there are point to all of your questions?"

Shizu nods. "My point is that, from the sound of things, you managed to be happy with your hobbies despite the fact that you say you were forced into them. So, I'm not seeing the full extent of the problem here."

Morgan clenches her hands into fists. "Then, you should listen better. The problem is that I had little choice in my hobbies."

"But you still enjoyed them," Shizu argues. "And, if you want me to get picky, you even said that you found your talent through this. Besides, you admitted yourself that your sister is only indirectly responsible. If she deliberately told you not to get involved with her hobbies, I'm certain you wouldn't have left that bit out."

"Why are you so determined to paint my sister as blameless?!" Morgan yells at her.

Shizu denies this claim. "I'm not determined to do anything other than get to the truth. I have yet to hear anything that convinces me that your sister hates you. All you've told me so far is how her existence has impacted you, not her direct actions."

"And what difference does that make?" Morgan demands.

"It makes a world of a difference!" Shizu shouts, incredulous. "I don't know your sister at all, I admit. However, if she wasn't hostile towards you and only ignorant to your suffering, then the whole reason for your conflict is… is nothing!"

Morgan glowers at her. "It is most certainly not nothing! Her influence has directed the course of my life. That is very well important, Shizu."

"What good does it do to stay angry at someone when they're not even the one actively hurting you? Both of you are adults now! All of this anger is pointless… so long as I'm correct in my thinking, that is." Shizu has only just now realized how invested she's gotten in this and takes a step back.

As if sensing her vulnerability, Morgan backs down as well. "Maybe… you might have a point somewhere in there. I don't particularly wish to speak to my sister again, given all of my bad memories of her. But perhaps, even someone as loathsome as her deserves some kind of chance. If I ever even talk to her again, that is…"

"I'm sorry. I got carried away." Shizu rubs her arms and closes her eyes.

To her surprise, Morgan giggles at her concerns. "I don't think I've heard you this fired up since the trial. Consider me flattered by your concerns over my mental wellbeing."

"It's simply a good idea to make sure everyone is doing well in a situation like this," Shizu explains.

Giggling again, Morgan brings a hand to cup her chin. "Is that the excuse you prepared? I suppose it makes some sense, though I still have to wonder why you were so interested in my family. That's an odd topic for you."

Shizu narrows her eyes. "What exactly are you implying?"

She doesn't like the flash that goes through Morgan's eyes. "Ha! You know, you're awfully cute when you get all defensive like that."

Shizu freezes. "W-what?!"

At this, Morgan cannot help but break down into laughter. "You're too easy to wind up. It's a little sad, really." She shoves Shizu on the shoulder playfully as she walks by.

"I… you…" Shizu stutters before recentering herself. "Is this how you're planning on thanking me for my help?"

Morgan looks over her shoulder and smirks. "I don't believe I asked for your help, now did I? But, if you want something a little more… substantive, I wouldn't mind hearing you out."

"…Forget it." Shizu crosses her arms.

Morgan shrugs, but her smug expression stays exactly the same. "Suit yourself. Let me know if you change your mind."

With that, Shizu is left standing alone in the pantry. Her stomach lets out a small rumble, only adding to her own embarrassment. This is why she shouldn't get involved with someone like Morgan. It was foolish to believe that trying to make a genuine connection with her wouldn't actually make her more honest. Someone like that can only get on her nerves.

Still, in a distant part of her mind, she can't help but wonder if the feeling is at all mutual. She's been very rude to Morgan, but Morgan seems to take it playfully. Could this situation be similar at all to Morgan and her sister's?

…Maybe Shizu should try harder to be polite.

Conversation with Morgan Feysonn (5)

- Unsure of whether or not her hatred of her sister is mutual

- Got into most of her hobbies, e.g. occult nonsense and horror, because her sister didn't care for them

- Her fortune telling talent also came about from this, apparently

- Negative feelings towards sister still strong, but may be willing to give her a chance?

- Why did I even bother doing any of this?

- why was she pretending to flirt with me

A/N: And, with this last little bonus, that's all that I've written thus far. Hopefully those whose characters died off in this chapter felt that I did them justice. I do want to say that, regardless of Shizu's opinion on any character, I very much enjoyed writing them all, and I am extremely grateful that they were submitted to my story. Thank you again for continuing to read. No idea when I'll be back to writing, but it was a blast while it lasted. Please take care of yourselves.