Large brown eyes were suddenly opened, belonging to a Akira Kurusu whom dozed off during her ride on the subway. The intercom voice informing all passengers that they will be arriving to their designation shortly, Shibuya. Listening for a brief moment, before thinking back of the predicament she gotten herself into. If she had it Clutching at the end of her skirt as she thought back on a certain event.
She was on her way home later than expected, almost getting close to her curfew. However, the further she gets the more she hears sounds of a man yelling and struggling. Admittedly it made her nervous to go in that direction, but she couldn't ignore it; if someone was in trouble. In a mere moment of following the sounds of the the voices, she saw whom it belonged to. The woman was being harassed a bald, clearly drunk man. Someone in the neighborhood must have called the police due to the commotion, since the noise of sirens could be heard not too far off. The teen girl didn't know if was a wise idea to physically step in, instead she yelled out for him to stop this instance. Leading him to be taken off guard, stumbling back due to his lack balance in his drunken state and falling down on the sidewalk; hurting himself badly. Though the woman was free from him at that moment, he set his sights after her. Her eyes widen as he tried charged her way and grabbed one of her wrists. The girl instinctively using her free one to give him a firm slap before her grab that wrist too. The pain stinging in his face made him let her go and instantly the girl went closer to the woman.
"You're going to regret doing that, you little bitch!"
The woman yelled at him to stop and threaten to report about something else in addition to this; something about money and orders. Akira wasn't sure either what they was talking about, but it didn't have to do with her and not something to worry about now. Either way, the man didn't seemed fazed or even worried about being arrested. Ordering and threatening the woman to state young girl tried to sell her himself to her and he refused when the authorities. The teenager's eyes widen at such outrageous claim. She would never do something like that! Akira hoped that the woman despite the threats wouldn't agree to do something like that.
The police finally showed up and they seemed intimidated by his mere presence, he had to be a big deal in some way; though Akira didn't recognize him at all. It did explain a lot about how everything played out. She thought the woman would at least try to defend her, if not for the girl attempting to help her. However, even she was wasn't on her side. No one would even bother to believe or hear out the young teenager's side of the story.
Her once proud, doting parents seemed so disappointed that she threw away her life for a stunt like this. Her previous school expelled her the day after, but even if they didn't how could she show her face there? Not with how unwelcome she was in her small community now. No longer was she the talented, graceful young woman, but a trashy little girl who had no future with a record of prostitution on hanging on her now.
The only choice given to her was to go off and try to get some reformation while she was on probation for this charge. Away from the eyes the family and community that soon regretted her presence in the Kanagawa prefecture, all the way in Tokyo.
Before her thoughts could dwell for too long on her predicament, the conversation of two girls around her own age was having about mental shut downs. She was unsure what to take of it, but since she wasn't involved with them, she simply stayed quiet.
Finally, she let off of that train and could walk on her to the destination of her new place of residence; her face glued to her phone as she was following the directions. For a brief moment, she looked away to notice how much different simply walking the street was in Tokyo compared to her small town. It felt like a swarming sea of people with constant noise everywhere. Hearing a ding sound on her phone made her refocus her attention on the device again to see a strange, even eerie icon above her map directions; it look like a red and black pattern of an eye. It grew larger until it eventually took up half of the screen. Akira tried tapping the icon off her phone, hoping it wasn't some kind of virus. Suddenly, it felt like time itself was slowly down around her until stopping completely aside from herself. Her heart race bit as she looked around, wondering what was going on. Pausing when she noticed a giant blue flame forming, transforming into an unknown though feminine figure with a terrifying smile. Suddenly, a vision of herself appeared with a menacing grin and bright yellow eyes; a look she could never imagine herself making.
Feeling and hearing the swarming of people's footsteps and voices again, she realized that she must have simply blanked out. Still, such a vision was odd, creepy even for simply a daydream. Looking down at her phone again to see that eerie icon pop up again, promptly dragging the icon to the trash folder to delete it. Now it was time for Akira to get back heading toward her new lodgings and eventually found herself in the out of the subway station and into the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya; the neighborhood she'll be staying in for now on.
Despite her previous incident, she trusted to at least ask an officer with directions. Though her phone app had a map, it still felt like she kept missing the house of this apparent 'Sakura, Sojiro'. Finding herself at the house, but was informed by a deliveryman that he usually is in his own business at this time of day; a café. Now she was directed to another place and didn't find it too hard to find the café, looking up at the moniker to see it was called 'Leblanc Coffee and Curry". Seemed like an odd combination to say together, but right now she was focused on going inside and attempting to make a decent impression to her new guardian.
The television was new story of a recent accident that made her admittedly worried about the subways for a brief moment due to apparently this being "another" occurrence. The elderly couple confirming it, though the middle-aged man with an apron and newspaper seemed more focused on his crossword puzzle. When he noticed the high school girl, he knew exactly who she was; putting the newspaper down. The elderly couple stopped him in his thoughts to state they was leaving with the man expressing his worry over the series of accidents happening. "None of my concern." Despite the man's unconcerned tone, the older man simply laughed it off with; with him and his wife leaving the café.
"Ugh...four hours just a single cup of joe." Now that the old couple was out of earshot, he could voice out his annoyance of how long they inside his café. Though now he can focus on the girl that recently arrived. "So, you're supposed to be this 'Akira'?" Not exactly what he was expecting her look like since he was informed his new dependent was apparently a delinquent; he was worried if he would have to deal with a difficult kogal or sukeban type. This girl looked prim and well behaved, then again, she could be still be a nuisance without the stereotyped look to match it. "Yes sir, and I assume you must be Sojiro-san? If so, please take care of me and I apologize for this inconvenience."
Her tone was of voice was soft and polite, even a bit timid. As if she's unsure or afraid to be speak for too long or be around him. This had to be some kind mistake of identity, either that or she's trying win his good graces with a 'sweet, innocent' approach. "I was wondering what kind of unruly girl was going to show up, but I guess you're the word, huh?" Whether it was an act or not, he was a bit relief he didn't have to deal with some teenager's attitude as soon as he meet them. He was going to explain how he came to be the one in their custody, due a regular at his café and his parents knowing the other. However, he figured it would bore the girl and trailed off from it to tell her to follow him to the attic.
The attic looked dusty and was littered with junk, but then again it was an attic. "This is your room. I got you some sheets for your bed." When he said that, Akira want to outwardly show her disbelief at such a thing. She wasn't even being allowed to be in his house. "Figured this would be for the best for both of us, don't need authorities thinking I'm doing something I shouldn't with kid given your record." So, he didn't want her in his house due the prostitution allegation. She understood the reasoning of that, but it still hurt that she didn't even get the privilege to live in an actual house anymore. The man noticed the girl's displeased face, "You look like you wanna say something." She certainly did, but was reluctant to be honest about her thoughts due to not wanting to seem ungrateful.
"O-Oh yes, this is room is very big. I didn't expect for the attic to have so much space." Or be so cluttered, but she kept that last part to herself. He stated that it was up to her to actually clean it up herself and if she needed help with anything too heavy for her to pick up, then he'll drop by just for that case. "I'll be locking up the shop after I leave each day, so you'll be here by yourself. Make sure you behave yourself and don't do something stupid or I'll throw you out." The girl nervously nodded her head acknowledging she understood the conditions.
"Anyway, I think I got the gist of your situation. Some man claimed you was trying to sleep with him for some money, and when the police got there, they charged you?" It felt like a kick in the face to the girl, having to hear that tale summed up to her and remember it again. The way he summarized it though, made sound like he had some disbelief in the story. Not like it mattered to him who was in the right or not, because all it left him was some kid to look after in his attic. "Shouldn't have even been out that time of night anyway, anything can happen out there. And that you have a criminal record, you got expelled from your old school. The courts ordered a transfer for you, which your parents approved...so pretty much, they got rid of you for being a pain in their asses."
Secretly, she hoped this summary of how she got here ended with just that as she looked down at her shoes to avoid eye contact. "All you have to do is behave yourself for the year and this probation will be lifted. " She doesn't believe that should be too difficult for her to uphold, after all throughout her whole life she was taught to be well behaved, proper young woman. Before now, she was prized by her family due to it. "Probation...for a whole year. I'll try my best to keep myself in check throughout this time, sir." Now her overly polite behavior was making him feel slightly guilty for his harsh tone and choice of words, but only slightly. "Well, it shouldn't be too hard. Your sentence lasts until next spring. Remember, cause any problems and you'll be sent straight to juvie. Anyway, we'll be headed for Shujin tomorrow morning."
He noticed that brief look of confusion on her face, must have forgotten the name of the new school she's supposed to be transferring too. Either that or no one bothered to inform her before arriving to Tokyo. "Shujin Academy is the school you'll be transferring to; I know tomorrow's a Sunday but we have to go properly introduce ourselves to the staff." He could feel his energy draining from having to explain so much. "There's hardly any places that would accept someone like you, so be grateful about that...what waste of my Sunday."
Right before the Mister Sakura left Akira to her own devices in the attic, he said that her 'luggage' already came in before she did. She looked around for some kind of suitcase, but only discovered a cardboard box with the address of her home address. She wanted to cry at the thought of how little her parents thought of her now; her stuff wasn't even worth being put in a proper suitcase anymore. Opening it up to find some clothes and necessities she would need such as towels and body wash. At least, they still cared enough for her to give her this much.
It was time to finally change out of this school uniform into something more comfortable. Putting on a denim skirt, a tee shirt, and some sneakers; afterward, placing her school clothes in the box due to reluctance to simply lay them in the dusty attic. Speaking of which, it was no way she could tolerate an entire of being in this attic while it was in this condition and decided she might as well clean as much she can now. Dusting, sweeping, and clearing out any cobwebs close enough in reach; anything to make this attic decent enough to be her new 'bedroom'. By the time she felt somewhat satisfied or at least too tired to keep going for the rest of the night, Mister Sakura came upstairs once more. Most likely to do with the noise she must have been making due her cleaning.
He seemed to be relatively impressed by how cleaner it already looked with only a couple of hours. "Well, this place actually doesn't look too bad. Eh, well I guess it makes since you wouldn't want to be in a messy room. Best go off to bed, not like you have anything else to do, huh?" Mister Sakura does have a point there, it wasn't much else for her to now. Besides, she was pretty tired anyway from all of that cleaning. He said he was going to close up the café for the night and head back to his own house before heading off.
Akira now laid onto the cheap, spare bed; now dressed for sleep in a couldn't get what happened to lead her in this situation out of her head. "So, this is how it is not now, isn't it? "She still couldn't let it go, how could she? From the golden girl of her family to misfit with a criminal record in a restaurant's attic. The memory of the woman and the drunk man kept coming back to her, no matter how many times she tries to forget. She could feel her face scrunching as she continued to think with the ringing of her phone stopping her train her thought. Taking it out of the pocket of her night shorts to see that unsettling red and black eyeball icon was back. "I thought I took this creepy thing off...please don't be a virus." Tapping to put it back in the trashcan folder and hope this time it's finally deleted.
Now she can finally let her heavy eyelids close and try to get some sleep in. Suddenly, her eyes shot open and finds herself in what looks to be a jail cell, hearing the sounds of chains. However, the walls looked way too plush for a standard prison cell. Sitting halfway up, she tried to make sense of what was going on around her. Looking down at her waist, even her clothes were different in some kind of worn out prisoner jumpsuit. It wasn't just her clothes either, but she had on handcuffs as well. Was this some kind of kind of dream? It had to be, but it felt way too realistic for her own liking if that was the case.
The sound of a little girl giggle caught Akira off guard, footsteps soon following afterward until stopping to reveal to small girls behind the cell door that separated them from her. Finally, getting up from the hard slab of a bed she could get a better look at these two. Both of them have incredibly pale, platinum blonde hair and eerie, bright golden eyes; both with eyepatches. One with her hear done up in buns, while the other in a long, neat braid. Wearing those blue uniforms with hats to match, mimicking those of old fashion officers or guards from decades ago.
One was grinning, but her smiles felt as if it was laced with unwelcoming intentions. While the other simply look at her with a cold, empty gaze. If Akira's assumptions were correct, these two must be twins guessing from their matching faces despite their different expressions. When the teenager tried to move any closer, she felt a heaviness halting her; in fact, for a while she felt something restraining her movements. Looking down to at her ankles to see a ball and chain tighten around her one of them. Carefully moving in small, sluggish steps to not put too much pressure on herself until she was close enough to touch the bars. Now that was she was closer, it looks like someone was further away this whole time. Focusing her eyes in that direction even more when the small girls move aside a bit, it looked like a peculiar man was sitting at a desk.
She was unsure if this was rude to point or not, whether or out of a dream but the man had an unsettling, bizarre look. He had an inhumanely long, pointy nose with elflike eyes and bulging, bloodshot eyes; wondering if he could even blink. Making her think this is what a happy, lawn gnome might look if it was evil. The most normal feature about the man was probably his sharp cut suit. Grinning and staring intensely in her direction as if he were waiting for her, the girl could feel a cold sweat fighting to break out. Her eyes darting around, unsure and unsettling about what is going on here.
"Trickster...welcome to my Velvet Room." His voice was booming and deep, feeling it echo around the small area which only intensified it even more. Akira didn't inspect for the man's voice to be such a deep baritone at first glance. Not that matters right now, she wants to get out of this dream. It has been going on far too long and this imagery was doing nothing to calm her down, grabbing onto the cell bars as she made a sharp, needed breath.
"So you actually come, Inmate?" An audible noise of confusion escaped from the girl when one of the small girl called her an inmate; with such a authorize tone at that. The other interjected in a duller tone, "The you in reality is currently fast asleep, so you are only experiencing this as a dream." At least Akira's hopes this was just a messed up lucid dream was confirmed. Meaning eventually, she'll wake up and forget about this. As soon as she shown any sign of relief, the other child sternly told her to stand up straight in the presence of their master. She could only assume this 'master' was the gnome-like man sitting across from them at his desk.
"Welcome, I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. A room that only those whom are bound by a "contract" may enter." At least the man was polite and well spoken, even if she didn't entirely understand where he was going with this. She doesn't remember agreeing to any contract, certainly not one that would place her in a gloomy cell. "I am Igor, the master of this place. Please, remember it well, my dear." Though she was unsure what for, if this was simply a dream, she still took the time to take in everything said to her.
"I summoned you to speak of important matters, it also involves your life." Akira wanted to be let out of this jail cell, but withheld that to herself for the moment. It didn't feel appropriate to demand at the moment, especially since this 'Igor' and these two children of his are intimidating to her at the moment. "Excuse me, but what do you mean by important matters" Instead of answering her question right away, he commented on the room itself. Stating that it was a reflection of her own heart. At first, that didn't make sense but she had to remind herself this was a dream and not reality. Figurately, she did feel imprisoned in her own life right now; so, she suppose it only make sense if this place was to reflect her heart, then it was pretty accurate of it being a prison. Just thinking of how on point the comparison was making her upset with her breathing becoming heavier and unconsciously scrunching her face.
"You truly are a "prisoner" of fate. In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin await you." When the long-nosed man said that, a thought accord that this dream is getting too hyperbolic for its own good. It felt like all this man was doing was ensuring that her life was going be in a downward spiral after everything that happened to her. She didn't want to hear that! "Excuse me, but ...um I'm not exactly following what you're talking about."
The man continued on and explained that he's talking about the end of the everything. What did he mean by everything, it may have been to elaborate what he was talking about? However, all it left Akira with was more questions. "However, there is a means to oppose such a fate. That is "rehabilitation", to be rehabilitated towards freedom...that, my dear, is your only means to avoid ruin. Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?" Pausing awaiting the prisoned girl's answer, who was at a loss for words. How exactly was she supposed to answer something like that?
"Well...I rather not be in ruin, but wait um...what?" Stammering over her own thoughts as she was still trying to register was going on. Apparently, he took this unsure mess of a sentence as a positive answer. She didn't exactly agree to overcoming any kind of upcoming ruin, but she didn't actually refuse to either. "You didn't decline, hm. Well, I suppose that is enough." She wanted to make him aware that her answer wasn't meant to be of acceptance, but she didn't feel that she was in a place to interrupt him either.
"Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation." Akira had a feeling that whether she was accepting or not of this rehabilitation idea herself, that she had no real control in the matter. The two pale haired girls turned heel first to face her once more, that moment reminding Igor to properly introduce both of them to the prisoner. "Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others...to your right is Caroline and your left is Justine. They serve as wardens here." Her eyes going from one direction to other to indicate which child is which. Caroline, the one to her right was the authorities sounding one with hair buns; Justine was the one to her left that sounded duller and uninterested with the long-braided hair. These two girls were apparently supposed to be wardens, but they looked around ten years old at the oldest. There was obviously something odd about them and Mister Igor as well though, and it would be useless to point logic in a dream like this.
"Hmph, don't even attempt to get out this." Caroline barked at her with a haughty, mocking tone. The duller voice Justine followed after with her own input. "The duty of us wardens are to protect inmates like yourself. We will also serve as your collaborators...if you remain obedient that is." That last part held a bit more of a warning threat.
"I'll explain the roles of these more on a different occasion." According to Igor it was even more to be explained about these mysterious girls. For some reason, he wants to withhold it though for another time. How can he though, if this is a dream? For all Akira knows this might be the last time she even see these characters ever again. "Now then, it seems that the night is waning...it is almost time. Please take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again...eventually." After that a alarming sound come out of an area Akira cannot see herself. The girl looked around in attempt to see if there was an alarm system somewhere, but the bun haired girl broke her thoughts and told her time was up; to hurry up and go back to sleep. Before she could say or do anything else, her mind faded into nothingness; eventually the next morning came.
I apologize for how long the chapter was, I wanted to cut some but every time I tried it seemed odd.
I wanted my Fem!Akira to seem have a different vibe than the original Joker. Similar to Persona 3 Portable with the male and female protagonists, looking and reacting differently than each other.