Hi, y'all! Luckily, I got some time to write this chapter, so you get it a week early. Unluckily, I have absolutely no time to write for the next two weeks, so this chapter is nowhere near polished as I'd like it to be.

I hope you enjoy it anyway?

New Experiences

~ Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 07:30 ~

Naoto glanced up as he heard the stairs creak. He was sitting on the sofa in the living area, sipping on a travel mug of coffee, having forgone any breakfast. Takeba hurried down, followed by a blue-haired boy wearing a Gekkoukan uniform and a pair of headphones, the speaker on his right pushed back to expose his ear. Takeba rushed forward, coming to an abrupt halt in front of Naoto when she saw him.

"Oh, you're here!" Takeba said with a relieved smile. "I thought you were in your room, so when you didn't answer when I knocked, I was kinda worried."

"Thank you for your concern, Takeba-senpai." Naoto said. She's scared – more than she reasonably should be. He clamped down on the satisfaction of realisation, turning his attention to the silent blue haired boy instead. Takeba winced, holding out a timid hand.

"Ah, Naoto-kun, Minato doesn't… he's, uh, mute. He uses JSL, but I'm sure we can find him something to write with. Mitsuru-senpai gave me a notebook for you after you went to bed, I think…" Takeba tripped over her words in a nervous rush, directing the last sentence at Arisato, opening her school bag and rummaging around in it. Arisato tilted his head at her unconcernedly, then held out a hand for Naoto to shake instead. Naoto shook it quickly, letting go so he could use both hands.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Arisato-senpai." Naoto signed in JSL, spelling out Arisato's name with careful, precise gestures. (He'd never been so glad for his obsession with spies and sci-fi. When Naoto was younger, he'd begged Grampa to teach him JSL, and, as he'd picked up English, ASL. The primary reason wasn't for communication's sake – it was actually so they could chat covertly, like "super spies using a secret code", as Naoto had put it when he was nine.) He almost missed the near imperceptible change in Arisato's expression – a tense crinkle around his left eye smoothing and a tiny twitch of his cheek – though his face remained blank.

"Nice to meet you, Naoto-kun." Arisato moved his hands with unhurried elegance, clearly far more practiced at JSL than Naoto was. Takeba watched the interaction bemusedly, flicking her gaze back and forth between them as they continued to sign, eventually giving up on trying to follow the silent conversation.

"Um…" She interjected, continuing once she had their attention. "Mitsuru-senpai asked me to show both of you how to get to school. If you like, we can go together every morning – we'll all be getting the same train anyway, and this way we'll all get to school a bit early." Takeba reasoned, handing Arisato a small notebook, which he tucked into his pocket.

"That's acceptable." Naoto stated, catching the odd look Takeba sent his way. Wasn't that…? I thought that sentence was alright. Was it rude?

Arisato nodded at Takeba in silent agreement, then switched on his music, clearly uninterested in interacting any longer. Naoto stared at Arisato's headphones for a moment longer. There was something about them he thought he recognised, but the sense of déjà vu vanished when Arisato adjusted the speaker.

~ Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 08:10 ~

Takeba exchanged a cheerful good morning with a girl on a bike as they walked up to Gekkoukan High, seeming far happier now that they were out of the dorm. Is there something that makes her feel uncomfortable at the dormitory? It could be that she feels threatened in Iwatodai, or it might be that she's scared of things at night.

Naoto cast a glance back at Arisato, who was walking slightly behind him, completely isolated from the world as he listened to his music. His face was completely blank, almost unnervingly so. How am I supposed to react to social cues unless I can read his body language and facial expressions? Naoto studied Arisato's face, trying to find some hint of expression.

There was nothing for him to go off. Naoto scowled, glaring at a blue butterfly that had circled around a flowerbed. He halted, surprised, when it alighted on his school bag, the brilliant azure on its wings shimmering in the sun. It flapped up to his hat, settling briefly on the rim before it flew away, and Naoto followed its path, watching as it darted into the bushes. Takeba cleared her throat, and he turned to her as she indicated towards the building in front of them.

"Well, this is it. Welcome to Gekkoukan High School – I hope ya like it!" Takeba smiled, and Naoto forgot the butterfly in order to appreciate the sheer size of the school. Yes, he'd known that it was founded by the Kirijo Group, but he hadn't quite understood the scale of the place until just now. Arisato, he noticed, only gave the school a passive look before moving on, leaving Takeba and Naoto to catch up to him.

"You two are okay from here, right?" Takeba asked as they changed their shoes. She didn't wait for an answer before she continued. "You should go see your homeroom teacher first. The faculty office is right there to the left."

Naoto followed Takeba's line of sight, fixing his sight on a hallway on the left of the spacious main lobby. As Naoto made to walk off, he saw Takeba tug at Arisato's sleeve as he followed Naoto.

"Hey, about last night. Don't tell anyone what you saw, alright?" She said, anxiously checking their surroundings, probably for eavesdroppers. Last night? Did he see the threat? Takeba must have been there, or at least, she was told about whatever happened by Kirijo, since Kirijo definitely met Arisato last night – she doesn't seem like the type to forgo a duty she takes upon herself. Or perhaps…

"See ya later." Takeba said quietly, slipping away into the crowd with a shifty look when she caught sight of Naoto's calculating expression. Naoto inwardly chided himself for being so obvious with his curiosity as he slowed down so Arisato could catch up.

"What were you two talking about?" Naoto asked. Arisato didn't seem 'talkative' (referring to his personality, of course. Naoto wasn't keen on making puns that were insensitive and, frankly, rather rude) enough to answer vague questions, so being direct was probably his best bet. Arisato blinked slowly, contemplatively, before responding.

"I scared her yesterday, when I arrived. She reacted in a way she must have thought was embarrassing, or something."

"I see. My apologies for the intrusive question."

They walked on without talking, which Naoto appreciated. It gave him time to think things over. She reacted embarrassingly? Takeba likely went down to get dinner later that night, but not so late that she would have difficulty waking up this morning, since she seemed well rested. That gives me a rough time frame – between seven thirty and before, say, two in the morning.

She didn't seem embarrassed by the event when reminding Arisato not to talk about it, however – no flushed cheeks, no physical tics, no stutter. If anything, Takeba seemed wary, like she couldn't let people know what she was talking about, which means… did she have her gun with her last night? If he scared her, in the middle of the night, when Takeba seemed to be afraid of a threat, she may have pulled a gun on him. That's it. That must be it.

"Ack-!" Naoto yelped as he was yanked back by the collar of his blazer. He stumbled away, massaging his throat and glaring at Arisato, who stared back. Arisato raised an eyebrow, pointing at a door Naoto had already passed. The door had a sign that declared it the "Faculty Office" and Naoto wilted, signing a quick apology as they went inside.

The room was fairly standard, as far as faculty offices went. The room was cluttered, files and cases balanced in dangerously tall piles. Printers and computers whirred, a rattling AC providing little relief in the humid room. A group of teachers sat around a table stacked with loose paper and folders. A woman in a peach faculty jacket hastily stood up, dusted off her trousers and approached the two second-years.

"Ah, are you two the new students?" She asked, offering a hand for them to shake. Naoto took initiative, gripping it firmly. The teacher startled, as though she hadn't expected Naoto to shake it (just because he was young didn't mean he wasn't going to let himself be treated as anything other than equal to his classmates – what was so strange about that?), but she smiled awkwardly, taking her hand back when Arisato just watched her, unmoving other than a nod.

"Minato Arisato and, uh, Naoto Shirogane, both eleventh grade, correct?" Naoto didn't miss the hesitation before his name, or the doubtful glance the teacher sent at him. He nodded, hiding his offence under his composed mask. The teacher flipped through a binder she was holding, labelled with "Class 2F, 2009 – 2010" on the purple cover.

"Wow, you've lived in a lot of different places…" She said, not indicating either one of her students. Naoto glanced at Arisato, unsure of who the teacher was talking to.

"Let's see… in 1999… That was what, ten years ago? Your parents and twin sister were–" The teacher cut herself off with a gasp, looking up at Arisato. Ah, so that's who she was talking about. What's this about Arisato's parents and his sibling, now? "I'm so sorry! I've been so busy, I didn't have time to read either of your files beforehand –" She tripped over her apology, bowing her head.

"Ah, no, it's fine, Ms…?" Naoto hurried to move the conversation onward, not wanting to be subject to the woman's discomfort. Although, to be fair, she should have already read the files. She has a mute student and a thirteen-year-old joining her class.

"I'm Ms. Toriumi, I teach Composition. Welcome to our school." Toriumi said, this time with a far more rehearsed tone to her voice. She recovers quickly.

"Nice to meet you." Arisato signed, and Toriumi responded in kind with clean, neat movements. The school had had the foresight to give Arisato a teacher who knew JSL, at least, even if said teacher didn't seem all that organised.

"It's, um, nice to meet you." Naoto said when Toriumi turned to him, startled by the sudden interaction.

"It's wonderful to meet you too, Naoto." Toriumi said, putting down the files she had been holding. Naoto eyed the folders. It was an uneasy feeling, knowing that huge details about his life were stored in those papers, available for anyone to read. "Have you seen the classroom assignments? You're both in 2F – that's my class. Before we get to class though, we have to get to the auditorium. The Welcoming Ceremony is about to begin. Follow me."

xXx

Naoto muffled a yawn behind his hand. The Welcoming Ceremony had been going on for a good half hour now. Half an hour of the Principle droning on about the value of doing your best – hardly a revolutionary idea, and barely interesting enough to stop Naoto from nodding off. He shifted in his seat, glancing at Arisato, who looked like he was on the verge of falling asleep.

A hushed whisper caught Naoto's attention. The student behind Arisato nudged his seat again, and Arisato slowly turned to him. "You two came to school with Yukari, right? I saw you walking together. Hey, do you know if she has a boyfriend?"

Arisato tilted his head, giving the student a contemplative look, then, without a single change in his expression, "Hell if I know. I met her last night, you think I've got a clue about her?"

Naoto's eyes widened, caught off guard by the… unique reply. Somehow, that was the last thing I expected from Arisato. He masked his surprise behind a cough, considering turning around to tell the student that Arisato didn't know if Takeba had a boyfriend, when –

"I hear talking." A male teacher spat, sending a venomous glare over at Toriumi. "I believe it's someone in Ms. Toriumi's class…"

"Shh, be quiet! You're going to get me in trouble!" Toriumi hissed at the student, cheeks dark with shame. There are lots of students talking – even some of the teachers. Naoto observed, indignation towards the male teacher making him pinch his cuff in an effort to compose himself. Yet, he chose to pick on Toriumi specifically, not even telling off the student in favour of embarrassing her.

The Welcoming Ceremony dragged on. Naoto chose to spend his time debating the pros and cons of calling the male teacher out on blatant sexism by writing a letter to the funders of the school, instead of listening to the Principle's rambling.

xXx

"Class, get to your seats! Now, I know most of you from last year, so we'll skip introductions today. We do have two transfer students joining our class today, so I'll let them introduce themselves." Toriumi waved unenthusiastically, motioning Arisato to step forward. He walked up to the front of the class, writing his name on the chalkboard and watching his classmates with an impassive gaze.

"Oh, right. Minato uses JSL to speak, so he's been issued with an electronic writing pad." The class murmured, discussions about Arisato's voice already breaking out. The only one who wasn't gossiping, Naoto realised, was Takeba, who was sitting in the front row and giving Arisato a sympathetic look – not that Arisato noticed. He'd already taken a seat behind Takeba at Toriumi's prompting. Naoto blinked in surprise when Toriumi gestured for him to step up to the front, then steeled himself for the inevitable, taking Arisato's place beside her. Almost immediately, the whispers grew in volume and number.

"What the hell, he's like twelve-"

"-t's a middle-schooler doing-"

"-little swot-"

"-don't he and Arisato look identical-"

"-how old even is he-"

"Alright!" Toriumi yelled over the noise, sighing in relief when the class quietened down. "Now you've all shut up, maybe you'll let our other transfer introduce himself."

"Hello. My name is Naoto Shirogane, and I'll be joining your class for the next year. I hope we'll get on well." Naoto recited his pre-written lines (he'd worked them through with Yakushiji a week ago, just to be safe), forcing himself to ignore the increase in chatter.

"Naoto-" Toriumi was cut off by a swell of talking, and she scowled at her class, clapping her hands to regain their attention. "Excuse me! Naoto, due to a difference in his curriculum, is joining a higher grade than corresponds to his age. Treat him as you would any other classmate, okay?" Toriumi considered the room, then pointed at the other seat on Arisato's desk. "You know JSL, right? It'll be easier for you two to work together on partner stuff if you sit next to each other."

Naoto nodded, hurrying away from the front of the class. The stares and gossip followed him to his desk, claustrophobic and smothering in their intensity as he sat down. It's fine, Naoto told himself. I expected them to act uncomfortable around someone younger. They'll find something else to focus on by next week – that's what all the guides said. It'll be fine. They'll move on. It'll be fine. Arisato didn't react to him slumping down in the seat or tucking away his bag, but when Naoto gave him an awkward smile, he blinked in a way that Naoto could only hope was welcoming.

~ Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 15:30 ~

Sighing, Naoto packed up his books. The first lesson had been nerve-wracking, with everyone in class glancing at the 'transfer desk' as they had dubbed it (Naoto had gleaned as much from the whispers. He'd thought they'd be warier, considering that there was a teacher in the room, but they'd continued to gossip through Toriumi's lesson). Thankfully, that had died down as the day went on, and though no-one seemed to want to talk to Naoto – likely because they were unsure of how to act – he couldn't help but prefer it that way.

"'Sup, dudes?" An obnoxiously loud voice carried across the classroom. The boy the voice belonged to was wearing a dark blue cap and sporting a scraggly goatee, grinning at Arisato with casual ease as he approached. Naoto fixed a neutral expression to his face. So much for no-one wanting to interact with me.

"How's it goin'?" The boy directed his question to the two in front of him, turning his excitement towards Naoto. He's looking at me. He's speaking to me. How am I supposed to respond to him? Should I speak with the same… uh, dialect?

"I'm currently in good health, thank you." Naoto said, not fully thinking his words through in his haste to reply. Wait, was that the right answer? I don't think – I'm not sure I actually responded correctly –

"Aw, you don't gotta be so formal about it! The name's Junpei Iori – you're Naoto, and you're Minato, right? Nice to meet ya." Iori smiled with what Naoto assumed was genuine warmth, and he relaxed a little. Iori seems nice enough. I wonder, what requirements are there to be met before I'm supposed to call someone a friend?

"I transferred here when I was in eighth grade. I know how tough it is, bein' the new kid." Iori clapped a hand on Arisato's shoulder, and Arisato shoved it off without hesitation. Iori continued to talk, not discouraged in the slightest. "So, I wanted to say hi… See what a nice guy I am?"

Ah, I see. I suppose he enjoys being seen in a positive light by people around him, like his classmates – that's why he made the first move to talk with the 'new kids'. Naoto couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed by the revelation, in Iori for raising his hopes, and in himself for even believing someone would approach him without having something to gain from it. Sharp footsteps cut through the uncomfortable lapse in conversation, and Iori turned to greet the newcomer.

"Hey, it's Yuka-tan!" He dragged out Takeba's name teasingly. "I didn't think we'd be in the same class again."

"At it again, huh?" She replied, rolling her eyes and settling her weight on her back leg. Naoto couldn't stop himself from analysing the posture, noticing the subtle way Takeba leaned away from Iori. She's not terribly fond of him, then. "I swear, you'll talk to anyone if they'll listen. Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?

"What? But, I was just bein' friendly." Iori whined.

"If you say so. Anyway, looks like all three of us are in the same homeroom." Takeba deliberately turned away from Iori, ignoring the insulted noise he made. Naoto took a moment to react, his mind still catching up with the conversation, their rapid back-and-forth.

"It must be fate." Arisato signed, deadpan as always. Naoto couldn't hold back an amused huff, quiet enough to pass for him just clearing his throat. Arisato glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, the creases around the bottom eyelid deepening slightly with Naoto's sheepish cough. Iori and Takeba watched them, confused.

"He, um, said that it must be fate." Naoto translated. Takeba scoffed.

"Fate? Yeah, right." Takeba shut him down, chuckling sarcastically. "Still, I'm a little surprised all three of us are together."

"Um, hello? Are you forgetting that I'm in this class too?" Iori cut in. His expression changed, something sly and mischievous creeping into the lopsided grin. "By the way, I heard you're both staying in Yuka-tan's dorm. What's up with that? C'mon, gimme the dirt!" Iori winked – badly – at Takeba, sidling up to Arisato and nudging him. Arisato took a firm step away, putting him out of Iori's reach.

"Wh-What are you talking about?!" Takeba spluttered, her face erupting in a violently red blush. "They both got allocated to my dorm because there were too few people to make a separate dorm, okay? Besides, Naoto-kun's a kid! Why'd you even bring up something that weird around him? Why are people even talking about it? Now you have me worried…" She ranted, breathing heavily as she concluded. The few people left in the classroom gave her odd looks, but otherwise ignored Takeba's outburst. I wonder if she often acts like this, or just when Iori incenses her.

"Hey…" Takeba trailed off, a sudden nervous hunch in her shoulders. She looked at Arisato. "You didn't say anything to anyone about you-know-what, did you?"

"I mean, I'm mute. Not much chance of me saying anything, is there?" Naoto had been trying to follow the conversation instead of reading too deeply into anything they were saying (because that insinuation had been quite something), but the mention of Arisato keeping a secret was enough to draw him right into the moment. Well, that and Arisato's… unique brand of humour. Seeing Takeba's confusion at his gestures, Arisato took out his school-issued pad, scribbling something down and holding the pad in front of him like a prisoner getting a mugshot, with a poker-face to match.

No. The pad read, and Takeba exhaled, puffing out her cheeks.

"Okay, good." She shifted from foot to foot – Insecurity. Seeking comfort or reassurance. The hours spend studying books on body language had the words springing to the forefront of Naoto's mind like a reflex the moment he recognised the movement. "Seriously, don't say anything about last night, alright?"

Naoto perked up, listening to the conversation more intently than before, desperate to glean any hint towards the strangeness of his dorm. Beside him, Iori's jaw dropped open.

"What." Takeba said, giving Iori a wary look.

"L-Last night…?" He asked, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively. Takeba yelped, physically recoiling at the idea of his implications.

"Wait a moment! Don't get the wrong idea!" She blustered, waving her hands frantically in front of her. "Listen, I just met Minato the other day, and there's absolutely. Nothing. Between us."

"Seconded. I'm not touching that kind of crazy with a ten-foot pole." Arisato chipped in, using miniscule movements that went unnoticed by either Takeba or Iori.

"Geez…" Takeba huffed, running a hand through her hair, smoothing the part that had fluffed up. "I've gotta go. I've got something to take care of for the archery team. But, you better not start any rumours!" With that, Takeba flounced off. Iori watched her go, then turned to Naoto and Arisato, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Ah, who cares? No-one takes rumours seriously, anyway. She's so paranoid." Rumours are frequently taken too seriously, Iori-senpai. They get people hurt. Naoto thought the words he wanted to retort with, but he couldn't form them with his lips, the sounds getting caught in his throat. Instead, he stayed silent, shying away from Iori's expectant look.

"Uhm, I suppose…?" Naoto said instead, unwilling to disappoint or possibly anger a fellow classmate. Iori shrugged.

"That just how she is, I guess. But anyway, it's your first day here, and people're already talkin' about you, dude. You da man!" Iori thumped Arisato's shoulder proudly, and Arisato ducked away as the hand came down a second time.

"Personal space." He signed irritably. The clear distaste on Arisato's face was unnerving, especially after the blank expression he'd sustained the entire time Naoto had been around him. Arisato scowled, straightening his blazer and standing beside Naoto, using Naoto like a human barrier between himself and Iori.

"Heheh, this is gonna be a fun year. I can feel it!" Iori said happily, unperturbed by Arisato's reaction. Naoto pressed his fingertips to his temple, trying to stave off the building headache. He picked up his bag and walked out of the classroom, leaving Arisato to trail after him, Iori calling after them and running to catch up. This is going to be a torturous year, I can already tell.

~ Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 16:03 ~

"One moment, if you don't mind." Naoto signed, checking with Arisato as they walked to the station together. Arisato shrugged, so he veered off course, heading to Paulownia Mall instead.

They drew up in front of the police station, and Naoto rapped on the door, waiting for Kurosawa to call him in before he shouldered the door open.

"Good afternoon, Officer Kurosawa." He said, inclining his head respectfully. Kurosawa looked up from his computer.

"Afternoon, Shirogane. Your key's here. Who's the friend?" Kurosawa slid the key over the counter, and he took it, looking back at Arisato. Arisato blinked.

"A dormmate. Minato Arisato." He offered no other explanation, tucking the key away beside his notebook in his pocket.

"I see. Just so I know how to assign your cases, are you going to take this week to get used to school, then start work, or will you be in tomorrow?" Kurosawa asked. It's phrased like he's challenging me. Is this another test, of sorts?

"I'll… I believe that I may need a little time to acclimatise to the time difference, and to school, but I'll be here on Friday. Is that acceptable?" Naoto said slowly, thinking his response through. He previously told me to tell him if I wasn't comfortable. Kurosawa also seemed worried that I wasn't of the appropriate age. He'd probably want me to take the full week off, but… this is a compromise, so I suppose it's alright? And, regarding my previous hypothesis about agreements…

"It is." Kurosawa gave him an approving nod just before the world froze. Naoto exhaled harshly as the flooding warmth in his chest made an appearance, but he didn't panic. As I thought. Now, the voice-

I am thou, and thou art I,

Thou hast woven new power into the twined strings of fate,

The Wheel has heeded thine call,

And blessed thee, as thine bond with the Hierophant Arcana strengthens.

~Rank Two of the Hierophant Arcana has become available to you~

Right on time. The words were different from the other two occurrences, however. Perhaps it's because I have 'strengthened' a bond, rather than establishing one and 'spinning a string into mine'? Additionally, the voice mentioned 'Rank Two', and the Hierophant Arcana becoming available to me. Is there a maximum Rank to whatever this is? What has 'become available to me'? Naoto ran through hundreds of thoughts as time resumed, quickly setting them aside to concentrate on the present. Kurosawa, as before, didn't react to the time-stop, letting him leave without any further queries.

Another thought came to mind as Naoto pushed open the door, waiting for Arisato to walk out of the station ahead of him. Come to think of it, I agreed to travel to school with Takeba this morning and nothing happened. Do the agreements have to be of a more personal nature than that? That's something to consider, at least, when I conduct further investigation into this.

Outside the mall, Arisato looked at Naoto for a few seconds, furrowing his brows slightly. Naoto stopped, glancing up at him.

"Is there an issue?" Naoto asked, but Arisato simply shook his head and kept walking.

~ Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 18:00 ~

"Good evening, Arisato. Shirogane." Kirijo said, offering the two a nod as they signed in, handing them each a list of names.

"Good evening, Kirijo-senpai. This is…" Naoto skimmed over the paper, "…the cooking rota?"

"Correct. We all take turns to cook dinner. Lunch is provided at school, and the dorm will supply money for you to purchase lunches on Sundays and holidays." Kirijo informed them. "I'm cooking tonight. Do you have any particular foods you'd like me to avoid using?"

"I'm sure that I'll have no issues." Naoto said. Arisato held up the same no on his writing pad that he'd shown Takeba that afternoon.

"Thank you. Dinner will be prepared by seven o'clock on most nights, unless whoever is cooking tells everyone otherwise." Kirijo said. She excused herself, heading into the kitchen and rifling through the cupboards.

Arisato wandered off, going up to his room. Naoto followed suit, locking his door and calling Grampa, assuaging his worries about Naoto's first day and allowing his mind to catch up to the rush of his first time in school since he was eight.

"I am trying, Grampa, it simply… requires some more time."

"I know, Naoto. I'm glad you're making an effort – keep working on it, won't you?"

"Yes, Grampa! I can manage making one friend, I promise. I'll call at the end of the week. Call me sooner if there are any changes with your case."

"That's my boy. I'll see you – well, hear you on Friday. Be safe!" Grampa ended the call before he could hear Naoto groan at his appalling attempt at a joke, but Naoto did it anyway, out of spite.

~ ? ??, ? ?:? ~

"Welcome back, dear guest. It is wonderful to see you again."

Naoto's eyes fluttered open. He was back in the 'Velvet Room', as Igor had called it. The cool blue tones were as soothing as the familiarity of Father's study, the room exactly as he remembered it. Igor grinned at him, bulbous eyes scrutinizing his every move. Alexis stood behind him, silent and still, even as the ring of gold in her right iris slowly rotated.

"You remember us, do you not?" Igor gave him an impossibly wide smile, extending a hand. The tip of his index finger touched the desk, and a sheet of paper formed under it. He slid the paper across the wood, and at his prompting, Naoto picked it up.

-Fate is a script to be composed, a wheel to be turned-

-A thread to be spun, but not a puppet to be controlled-

-That which is raised must be lowered, and that which is lowered must be raised-

-The Wheel of Fortune turns endlessly onwards for all-

-And regardless of power, gender or status-

-Delivers all equally to the same end-

-I hereby agree to the statement above-

-And chooseth mine own fate, regardless of whatever path has been prewritten-

Below the writing was Naoto's signature, exactly as he'd written it two nights ago. He pushed the paper back across the table, looking at Igor uncertainly.

"Why am I here? What's going on?" Naoto asked. I'm asleep. I remember going to bed, so this must be a dream – by the loosest definition of the word. With the supernatural time-stops, this may very well be real. In fact, considering that strange things started happening after I signed that… contract? This is real. This is all real.

"You, dear guest, are destined to hone a power gifted to you by Lady Fortune, and you will require our help to do so. All we ask is that you take responsibility for your actions. Is that acceptable to you?" Igor tilted his head, tapping the paper, which shimmered and disappeared. Naoto frowned.

"I suppose... Hold on, one moment. You said the Philemon had given me power last time we met. Now it's Lady Fortune, whoever she is? Which is it? And why?"

"I promise, you'll know soon." Alexis finally spoke up, and something in Naoto's mind clicked when he heard the light enunciation.

"You're the one speaking during those time stops, aren't you?"

Alexis nodded, holding something out. In it lay a single card – a tarot card. Naoto recognised it from the research he'd done the previous night. "This is for you." Alexis pressed it into Naoto's hand, closing Naoto's fingers the simple design.

"The Wheel of Fortune." Naoto said to himself, running his thumb over the glimmering golden Wheel in the centre of the card. Alexis glowered over her shoulder at Igor as she walked around the desk to stand by Naoto.

"Unfortunately, someone won't let me explain anything until you find out more on your own, but don't worry. It'll take maybe a few days, max." Alexis rolled her eyes expressively, sounding more like a put-out child than the age she appeared to be.

"I… alright?" Naoto said helplessly. Alexis grinned at him, draping an arm over his shoulders. Surprisingly, it wasn't uncomfortable – the weight was warm, reassuring in its steady pressure. Alexis leaned over, murmuring into Naoto's ear.

"You be safe, okay? Everything happens for a reason and your Wheel is on the right path, but that doesn't mean you're not at risk."

"Alexis." Igor said reprovingly, giving her a scolding look. Alexis stuck her tongue out, pulling down an eyelid and making a mocking noise.

"I'll be as careful as I can." Naoto said firmly. Alexis sighed, withdrawing her arm and taking Naoto's hand instead, the one holding the tarot card. She touched her fingertip to the first spike on the Wheel of Fortune. The design flashed once, and a bell-like sound resounded in Naoto's head as the golden Wheel on the card began to turn.

"I know you will, it's just that… it might not be enough." Alexis smiled weakly, pressing the card back towards Naoto. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

Naoto only managed a nod before a wave of dizzying exhaustion swept over him and his eyes closed.

Yeah, this chapter is pretty rushed, and feels a little OOC to me. The next chapter might take some time to come out, but I won't keep y'all waiting for more than a month. As always, constructive criticism is appreciated.

Thanks for reading!