A/N: We're back
Akira: Hey
Ann: Hey! I was wondering if you were going to remember :P
Akira: Haha sorry.
-Had to help Boss with the café
Ann: Oh yeah, I forgot you said you had a part time job
Akira: How're you doing?
Ann: I'm fine I guess
-The apartment is quiet again with my parents gone
Akira: Miss them already?
Ann: Definitely. I wish they could have been here when Shiho woke up.
-I texted them about it
-But it would've been nicer for them to be there
-Would you be interested in going to visit her with me?
Akira: Sure, Ryuji and I haven't gotten a chance to see her awake yet
-I need to thank her for the advice she gave me a while back
Ann: I wasn't planning on inviting Ryuji…
-I wanted to wait until she had her strength up a bit more
-Especially with how much he blunders through conversation, I don't want him or her getting upset about something that's said
Akira: I totally get where you're coming from
Ann: Don't get me wrong we're still friends and all!
-I just know him well enough to know he might say something stupid
-I'm amazed he didn't with my parents still LOL
Akira: He can mature up when he decides he needs to haha
-We all can it seems
Ann: Yeah…
Akira: So just you and I going to visit Shiho sometime?
Ann: Yeah, I think that'd be best
-If it's ok with you
Akira: Fine by me :)
Ann: Do you think I need to apologize to Nijima-senpai about today?
Akira: I thought you said you weren't going to?
Ann: I did. But I don't know…
-I still think she failed us as a student body when it came to Kamoshida
-But I don't know if I should have slapped her, you know?
-I definitely don't think I should've screamed at Kamoshida like that…
Akira: Because he said what he'd done to you?
Ann: Yeah…
Akira: Do you regret what we did to him?
-Do you regret that he's going to jail?
Ann: No of course not!
Akira: Then why regret saying what you said? If anything, it showed how much of a victim you were too.
-I mean even the volleyball team apologized to you today
Ann: I guess.
-But to have the whole school know about what went on behind closed doors like that?
-I'm afraid that there'll still be some people that will think I did it willingly or something
Akira: Then we'll deal with them
Ann: How?
Akira: Together
Ann: Speaking of which, I appreciate what you did for me today
-It means more to me than you know
Akira: You're welcome. To be honest, I was nervous grabbing your hand like that, but I needed to get your attention and I don't think you heard me calling your name
Ann: I didn't
-And it's ok. You can do that if you need to get my attention :)
-And thank you again for…
-Holding me
-I really needed that
Akira: You're welcome
Ann: You always seem to be there when I need you
Akira: Eh, I try
Ann: You succeed!
-Would you be interested in getting crepes or something tomorrow?
Akira: I'd love to
Ann: OK! Let's plan on it!
Akira: It's a plan!
Ann: I'm exhausted from today, I'll text you when I wake up tomorrow ok?
Akira: That sounds good to me. Goodnight Annie
Ann: Good night Akira :3
XXXX
Shackles and the sound of chains bring Akira out of his slumber. He's back in the Velvet Room.
"It's been far too long, Trickster," Justine greets Akira as he stands from the bed.
"What do you mean? I was here last week fusing personas."
"Yes, but it has been some time since you last stopped by to visit," Justine responds.
"I didn't realize I needed to check in. Sor—" Akira is interrupted by Caroline whacking the bars with her baton.
"Don't you understand you're in rehabilitation?" Caroline responds sharply. "As your wardens we are to monitor your progress and see how you're doing. We can't very well do that if you don't stop by occasionally."
"I just assumed that if you had something to talk to me about you'd bring me here involuntarily against my will. Like what you're doing now," Akira says with a little sass to the voice looking down at Caroline.
"Uh… w-well… SHUDDUP! Don't talk back Inmate!"
"Hehehe, Trickster," Igor says from his desk, "We've brought you here to discuss more of the confidants you've connected with and those you seem to be building. But first off, I'd like to begin by congratulating you."
"Congratulate me?"
"Yes."
"To think our master would give words of praise," Justine says with a touch of awe in her voice.
"You had better treasure this moment, Inmate!"
"You've encountered allies who share your world views and desire, as we discussed last visit. And you've found your place in reality. The time has come, we can now explain your rehabilitation to you. However, you must not disclose this information to anyone."
Akira recoils in pain from the door as his knuckles are rapped by Caroline's baton. "THATMEANSNOTELLINGYOURFRIENDSABOUTTHISPLACEINMATE! IWILLNOTBEDESCRIBEDASCUTE!"
"Ok…" Akira replies rubbing his hands gingerly.
"Trickster," Igor begins, "you possess a special potential. One that must be refined into a useful power. The wildcard."
"Right, the ability to control multiple personas," Akira nods.
"It is currently a weak power, only allowing you to control weak shadows and few in number. But refining it shall grant you the strength to stand against the coming ruin. That is the rehabilitation cast upon you."
"What coming ruin?"
"We cannot say," Justine responds.
"For we do not know. Only our master possesses that knowledge," Caroline says.
"There are various means by which you may gain the power to resist the ruin," Igor explains. "Fighting shadows and gaining experience is one way. The fusion process I taught you earlier is another. And finally, building confidants is the final way. Any single way of preparing to gain the power will not be enough on its own. It can… corrupt, if done alone."
"This is all possible because of our master's guidance Inmate!" Caroline shouts.
"Though it may be presumptuous of us, we have some words of wisdom as well," Justine says.
"When you're out in reality, you'd better hone your relationships with those you have contracts with!" Caroline instructs.
"Spending time with those people, will lead to the cultivation of your relationships with them," Justine explains. "As our master says, you'll need a well-rounded plan of preparation to gain the power to stop the coming ruin."
"I'd better not see you wasting any time, Inmate! If you've got free time it should be spent visiting your contractors!"
"You mean my friends?"
"Don't interrupt!"
"Thanks to the contracts you've formed already," Igor continues, "Your heart is steadily gaining the power of opposition. It seems the rehabilitation is going well. This is certainly a joyous occasion. As such, I shall grant you a new ability, befitting of your newfound power. Consider it… a gift. But first, we must discuss your confidants. Justine…"
"Do you recall the confidants we said you'd made contact with but hadn't formed contracts with last time?"
"No," Akira replies.
"Very well, let's just go over the new ones today. Firstly, you made a contract with the Hanged Man confidant," Justine says. "The Hanged Man Arcana is represented by individuals who may be self-sacrificial or martyrs for the sake of enlightenment. These individuals are rare as they must exist in a point in life of transition or a desire for survival between different extremes in life."
"Sounds like Iwai trying to stay out of the Yakuza," Akira replies taking a seat in his cell. "I've been helping him with jobs here and there delivering things or eavesdropping on old business associates to help him out."
"It's not important what work you do with them to us, Inmate. So long as you're building the relationship," Caroline says. "Another confidant you've made a contract with is the Moon."
"Yes, the Moon Arcana is represented by individuals with creativity, inspiration, dreams, madness, illusions, fear, fantasy, the subconscious, and trickery."
"Jeeze it sounds like that Arcana is widely encompassing," Akira remarks.
"Inmate don't make me come in there and instruct you again how to not interrupt," Caroline warns.
"Typically, the individuals that we've seen representing the Moon Arcana can be identified by their projection of their own fears onto others," Justine continues. "These individuals will often have trouble accepting themselves for who they are and will attempt to be an ideal person to compensate."
"I can't think of who that'd be," Akira shrugs.
"Very well, you've only met them again for the second time today so perhaps it's too early to tell. We'll wipe that previous statement from your mind until you learn that from the individual themselves and we'll revisit it."
"Seems you've also formed a contract with the Death Confidant, Inmate," Caroline says.
"The Death Arcana is represented by individuals who expressed a great change or are experiencing a great change in life," Justine explains.
"That's awfully vague…" Akira replies.
"We do not make the definitions, Trickster," Justine replies. "We simply describe what we see."
"Well that could be… Takemi maybe? With her change in status of the public and location and job and whatnot. Not to mention that the goth vibe kinda gives a death feel."
"Seems like you know your confidants well, Inmate," Caroline says. "I think now it's time we introduce you to the Strength Confidant. Justine, show him the list."
"Caroline and I are your strength confidant, Trickster. We have a list of Personas and abilities we'd like you to begin collecting or fusing. It will assist us in monitoring your rehabilitation. Do you understand?"
"Yeah, I think so," Akira replies.
"Good," Justine says calmly. "We will give you your first task in a couple of weeks. For now, we'd like you to continue building your contracts and confidants."
"Alright, I'll do that."
"It seems as though you've been making progress on your confidants we spoke of last," Justine says flipping the pages on her clipboard. "Caroline was particularly impressed when you called the phone of the Hierophant confidant to assist them in dealing with a troublesome individual."
"Ju—Justine! Y-You didn't need to say that!" Caroline huffs.
"Assisting your Chariot confidant with old members of their track team and helping your Lovers confidant in getting closure have both been remarkable achievements. We know you have yet to form contracts with the confidants we mentioned last time so remain open to new individuals in your life."
"Still can't believe you just said that," Caroline pouts to Justine.
"The time has come," Justine replies. "Return to your brief moments of rest. We will call on you in time, Trickster."
"Remember that I'm always watching, Inmate!"
A/N: So we're back! I took a little break after finishing the Kamoshida arc to really get my notes and plans for the story in order. Thank you to Morgo1112 for being the reminding voice in the reviews to do this! I appreciate it! That being said, here's what we can expect from the Madarame arc
Since this is a primarily Akira/Ann fic, beyond the scenes of Yusuke painting Ann, there isn't a whole lot of development for either Ann or Akira in this arc. So this arc will likely be quite a bit shorter than the Kamoshida one.
The other thing to expect is, this fic is secondarily a fic about interactions between the Phantom Thieves in a variety of situations. So more building will be done for other members of the group whilst the group itself takes on Madarame with Yusuke.
What does this mean for you? Shorter overall arc dealing with Madarame, and a few chapters that aren't exclusively Ann or Akira. Along with that, there'll be time skips to move the plot along when there's days or weeks that didn't have much relevant to this story happening. To not confuse anyone, I'll continue posting a date for a chapter in bold at the time in the story that the day has changed. So to remind, if you check the previous chapter, that chapter and this one took place over the day 5/2
I'm planning to go back to my old schedule of a new chapter every week or so when I've got time to sit down and write a new one. Thank you so much for your support and returning to read what's coming in the future.