CHAPTER 13:
PROPOSALS
It was the next day, a Sunday. And the next morning, Harry and Futaba had come to Leblanc to have breakfast with Akira and Morgana in their room. Akira wanted to do some errands today, as well as discuss a few things with Ryuji and Ann, so they came early, no mean feat for the redheaded hacker.
As they ate breakfast, Futaba being persuaded to have something other than the Leblanc curry, and having brought some fatty tuna sushi as a treat for Morgana, Futaba said, "I've been looking into that thing you mentioned, Akira."
"What thing?" Harry asked.
Akira pursed his lips, before he turned to Harry. "Remember how I told you about how I got charged with assault by some drunk would-be rapist? And remember how Ryuji was complaining about someone we met at the hotel who basically treated us like dirt? I realised those two looked like the same person, and I'm glad the bastard didn't recognise me, if he was the same person. Last night, just before I went to bed, I sent a message to Futaba, to see if she could do some digging."
"And here's the result," Futaba said, tapping away at an iPad, a computer tablet, of all things. "I didn't even need to really hack anything, all that was needed was a look at the event itinerary of the hotel, which is public. There was a dinner for certain members of the incumbent political party, along with a few wheeler-dealers. And all I needed to do was a quick search to find this guy. Is this the one you meant, Akira?"
Akira peered at the photo, before nodding. "He's definitely the guy I saw at the hotel. Whether he was the same guy who framed me…I think it's him, but it was dark, and my memory of that time is a bit fuzzy. The police who arrested me went to town on me a bit, on his orders, which didn't help matters, so I can't say for sure."
Harry looked at the picture of a bald man with a neat goatee and dark glasses. His shoulders were broad, and the suit gave him the air of a cultured thug, though honestly, he could have been a hardarsed businessman or a politician. "Who's this guy?"
"Bad news," Futaba said with a contemptuous wrinkle of her nose. "Masayoshi Shido. He's one of the most powerful politicians in the ruling party in the National Diet's House of Representatives. His reputation is definitely that of a kingmaker. He used to be the equivalent of a Chief Whip years ago, like Francis Urquhart from the old House of Cards show, or Frank Underwood from the American version."
"I see," Akira said.
"I don't," Harry said.
"A Whip is a member of a political party who ensures their party members turn up for important votes, and also ensures they follow the party line," Futaba said. "I don't know how many Whips act like Francis Urquhart did, but Urquhart was supposed to know the dirty secrets of the various politicians so that they can use that as leverage, and apparently others in the UK did as well. Shido may have done something similar. Certainly, he's been said to have been behind many incidents that have made the careers of other politicians…or broken them. And what's more…he has a Palace. I checked. I haven't done anything further, Akira, you only wanted me to do some research. So, what do we do?"
"…We put him on the backburner, at least for now. I reckon Ryuji would be raring to go after him, but there's a few good reasons why we should try another target instead of Shido. Instead, we concentrate on Madarame for now."
"I can think of a good reason already. If Shido is the one behind your false assault charge, well, it hasn't been long since it happened, right? Shido has a long list of enemies, I'm sure, but you could be high up on that list as far as the police are concerned, if he has a Change of Heart right now," Morgana mused. "So letting him go for now might help."
Akira nodded. "Exactly. In addition, using the Change of Heart for personal revenge doesn't feel right, especially as I am not absolutely certain it's the same guy. We all nearly lost it with Kamoshida, and I want to be absolutely certain Shido deserves it, not just because of what he did to me. Not to mention that, if we escalate too quickly to a prominent politician, we might catch heat too quickly, whereas a famous artist, while not exactly low-key, is a lot less threatening than Phantom Thieves targeting a politician. Thanks to the Phan-Site, we're already gaining some small notoriety, but I want our reputation to be a lot better before we set our sights on any politicians or any truly important public figures."
Harry chuckled. "PR work for thieves. I'd never have really picked that."
"Bee tee dubs, I did a quick bit of research on Madarame before I slept last night," Futaba said. "Now, on most public sites, there's nothing but praise for the guy. There's some speculation as to how he can do so many styles, and some accusations, but they get shouted down. The only critics allowed are those debating the merits of his artwork, not how or if he made them. But I did a bit of digging here and there. And there's a few accusations floating around on some less public sites of abusing students and plagiarism."
"Plagiarism? Another Lockhart?" Harry mused.
"Who?" Morgana asked.
"Gilderoy Lockhart was a famous monster hunter amongst the British wizards, indeed, worldwide. But here's the thing: he was an incompetent idiot whose best spell was the Memory Charm. So what did he do? He went around to wizards who'd vanquished certain monsters, questioned them about them, then erased their memories and wrote best-selling books on his supposed feats. He was a narcissist of the highest order," Harry said.
"Something to consider, but let's keep an open mind," Akira said.
To their surprise, they found Sirius entering Leblanc with Sae, of all people, as they walked down. Futaba huddled closer to Harry. As Akira made to leave, Sae spoke to him in Japanese. A brief, albeit terse and quiet exchange happened between the two, before Akira finally nodded, and left Leblanc. On Harry's look of confusion, Sae said, "I heard about him through Makoto. Apparently his record was leaked. Kurusu may be on probation, but he deserves a chance of reform. I told him to consult with Makoto if he had any problems at school from now on. Unfortunately, my sister isn't really favoured by the rest of the student body at Shujin. They consider her a sycophant."
"You don't judge him for what he did?" Harry asked.
"Oh, I warned him not to try anything with my sister, or towards anyone else. He was convicted of assault, after all, and being wary is just common sense. But he does not appear to be a violent thug, so I have given him a chance. Note that it is a chance in the singular. If he forfeits that chance, then he deserves punishment." She looked past Harry at the nervous Futaba. "And you must be Futaba Sakura." Her expression softened, giving the shut-in a gentle smile. "A pleasure to meet you. I am Sae Nijima of the SIU."
"Uhh, hey," Futaba said timidly.
"Futaba has had…issues before, severe social phobias," Sojiro said. "As you can see, she is still trying to overcome them."
Sae nodded. "But that is not what I am here for. Is Futaba aware of…?" She gestured at Harry and Sirius.
"Yeah, I know Harry's a wizard," Futaba said. "Ditto Sirius."
"Hmm. As I said, I work for the SIU of the Office of Public Prosecutors," Sae said. "This is a matter of public record, as is the fact that I am currently investigating the Mental Shutdown and Psychotic Breakdown epidemic. I am at my wit's end trying to discern any links between them, or the cause. Many of them expose pre-existing failings within governmental systems, but others seem entirely at random. Which is why I'd like you, Sirius Black, to act as an unofficial consultant for the SIU, or rather, myself."
Sojiro frowned, even as Sirius and Harry stared at her. "…Don't you have that Akechi kid as a consultant?"
"On purely mundane matters, and he is an official consultant. I need someone who is knowledgeable about supernatural matters, even if they relate to another timeline," Sae said. "And even if it's only for a different perspective on matters. I actually tried reaching out to certain affiliates of the Kirijo Group, as I had heard rumours about their dealings in areas that could be considered pseudoscience or supernatural, but they're remaining tightlipped. I also reached out to those who may have been involved in tracking down Tohru Adachi, including Naoto Shirogane, but again, my efforts have been fruitless."
"He also seems to enjoy the limelight a little too much," Sojiro observed. "The Akechi kid, I mean. Oh, he acts humble and pleasantly enough, but he seems a bit like he enjoys the media circus more than he should."
"Akechi is a young man with a strong sense of justice, Mr Sakura. And if nothing else, he keeps media attention off those who actually have to do the hard work of investigations," Sae rebuked him, albeit gently, before turning to Sirius. "Keep in mind, I'm unable to pay you, at least until I can find a way to put that on the paperwork for expenses, and you are a foreign national on Japanese soil. Honestly, I am bending or breaking a number of regulations to even do this. Actually, by the way, did your identity papers come through?"
Sirius nodded. "Thank you. And Miss Nijima, I…I'm honoured that you'd ask me to help you, but I'm still not sure what I can do to help."
"If nothing else, be there to brainstorm at times. It also may have to be discreetly, probably here. I may not be as much of a media darling as Akechi, but as the sole female public prosecutor in the SIU, I have to be conscious of the media. If they saw me meeting an unknown man, I'm sure more than a few papers would sensationalise it."
"A shame. You're a lovely-looking woman, Sae, and sharp as a tack," Sirius said. "I wouldn't mind a date with you. But I'll keep things platonic, but not professional. I'm not respectable enough for that."
Sae harrumphed. "As long as you understand the boundaries. I should go. Oh, but before I do, I'd like a cup of house blend, Mr Sakura."
Sojiro nodded, getting a cup of coffee ready. "To go or to have here?"
"To go. I have a few places to be. However, I would like to bring up something with you, Mr Sakura. When I remembered your name, I did my homework…and while my area is not family law, I will give you a warning." Her gaze flicked over to Futaba for a moment. "Your daughter's uncle, Youji Isshiki, has been making tentative enquiries to potentially regain custody of her."
Futaba began breathing heavily, her eyes wide. Harry moved closer to her, while Sojiro scowled. "Did you have to bring that up in front of her?"
"Yes. Her reaction is very telling. It can be a cruel tactic, but useful in my profession. The lawyer in question is someone I knew from university. He didn't take the case, though, for a number of reasons, which my fellow alumnus kept confidential. But you and I both know that the system can be gamed, Mr Sakura. This is some friendly advice. It's possible that Youji Isshiki may either hire a shyster to gain custody over Futaba, or contact the relevant authorities. I'd suggest beginning to prepare a case, as a contingency."
"I'll keep that in mind, but why bother telling me?" Sojiro asked, bringing over a paper cup of coffee with a cap.
"While Makoto is old and mature enough to look after herself, I still have had to act as her parental guardian, ever since our father was murdered in the line of duty," Sae said. "And when you spoke of Futaba the last time we met, I could tell how much she meant to you. Of course, those are far from the only reasons, but I do not need to discuss those for now. And thank you for the coffee, Mr Sakura."
Sojiro harrumphed. "Just try not to…I believe they call it trigger Futaba again."
"I apologise. As I said, it can be a cruel tactic, but a useful one in my line of work." She stood, and left, the coffee in hand.
"Futaba?" Harry said.
The redheaded hacker shuddered. "I'm okay…well, I'm not okay, I'm just coping. Uncle Youji is trying to get me back? But why?"
"I've no idea, unless he's wasted the money I gave him," Sojiro said bitterly. "I'm surprised Nijima gave us a heads-up about that. I know her type. Hard, ruthless, and utterly pragmatic. You sure it's a good idea helping her?"
"Look, if there is someone behind the Mental Shutdowns, I'll do what I can to help stop them," Sirius said. "What worries me is if there's a link with Wakaba's research."
"Yeah. If she's really done her homework, Nijima probably suspects that much," Sojiro said, before he turned to Futaba. "Futaba, is there anything I can do to help you?"
Futaba, after a moment, just gave a shaky smile, and said, "Just be there for me, Sojiro, like you've always been…"
Futaba decided then and there to hold another viewing session for herself and Harry. Sirius had, in earshot of Sojiro, teased Harry about it being a date. Sojiro, of course, was unamused.
This time, Futaba put on something called Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works. Just the first couple of episodes, with English subtitles, but Harry was gobsmacked, especially when Futaba told him who Saber was. That the blonde teenaged girl in armour was actually King Arthur.
It was something of a bonding experience, though. Harry felt that he and Futaba were getting closer. True, his bonding with her Shadow paved the way, but the young hacker's social anxieties didn't help matters. But he felt he was getting to the point where he could call her a friend.
Still, he couldn't help but be anxious about the situation. There were those he cared about back in his timeline, for example, to say nothing of the situation with the Phantom Thieves and whoever was behind Wakaba's death. It bothered him quite a bit, enough that it took him quite a while to go to sleep later that night.
And yet, he soon found himself dreaming. Of Hogwarts, of the Gryffindor Common Room…only, it seemed to be bathed in blue light, with the chairs covered in blue velvet. The sound of singing filled the Common Room, melancholy and operatic. It felt like an aria of the soul(1).
Oddly enough, Hedwig was flying into the room. But there was no letter clutched in her talons. Instead, she landed on the chair in front of him, and peered at him with her golden eyes.
And then, she flickered and changed.
Harry stared at what, or rather, who took her place. She appeared to be a girl, maybe ten to twelve years old, and yet with a solemnity that made her seem far older. Her frilly and yet gothic dress was blue, her silvery-white hair cut short in a bob, her golden eyes, so much like Hedwig's, and also like others he had seen recently, seemed to peer into his very soul. A pair of wings sprouted from her back(2).
"Hello, Harry," she said, her voice a soft, gentle monotone. "It is good to finally speak like this, after so long. I am Godwin, and welcome to your Velvet Room…"
CHAPTER 13 ANNOTATIONS:
…WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?! HEDWIG IS A FUCKING VELVET ROOM ATTENDANT?!
Okay, I have to admit, I'm exaggerating, I knew this was coming, but honestly, I'm sure a lot of you feel the same way. I'll get to the particulars in a moment, but first, time to analyse the chapter.
I think Akira not truly recognising Shido only works for dramatic tension in the game. Here, he thinks Shido might be the guy who sued him for assault, but he's not sure, and he gives a good reason not to target him, at least right off the bat. I also thought Futaba's information-gathering skills might help in researching Madarame, thus shaping things differently to canon.
As for Sae's actions, it's a combination of Sirius being in her Palace, his explaining his life story to her before, and her knowing that there may be a potential explanation for the Mental Shutdowns. Her warning Sojiro about Youji's intentions is a bit of stick and carrot, as she still has Wakaba's research into Cognitive Psience in mind, though having met Futaba, unlike in canon, she is reluctant, at least at this point in time, to actually threaten Sojiro. Plus, her threatening Sojiro like that later in the game's timeline left a bad taste in my mouth, as much as her 'Useless' diatribe against Makoto.
However, here, she'll now be reluctant to use such a tactic. It's partly because what Sirius has told her about his life and his false imprisonment have had her re-evaluating her own choices, albeit subtly. It's also due to actually meeting Futaba, and the moment she brought up Youji and she saw Futaba being badly triggered, she knew Youji had abused Futaba. It could have been a faked reaction, but Sae, as a public prosecutor, is used to seeing people fake reactions. So she's fairly convinced Futaba was abused. She can also see how skittish she is around strangers, and how close she is to Harry.
Both Sae and Makoto will learn the truth about the Phantom Thieves by the time the Kaneshiro arc comes around, and under different circumstances to canon. Just saying…
And now, finally, to the elephant, or rather, the owl/Velvet Room Attendant in the room: Hedwig. This was something I had considered for a number of my attempts at a Persona 5 crossover. Hell, I even posted a challenge, due to Hedwig's colouration being similar to a Velvet Room Attendant. But I decided to put that into this fic.
Now, there'll be a partial explanation in the next chapter, but I'll give a more complete explanation here and now. There will be spoilers for Persona 5. Because Igor and Philemon's reach extended to other worlds, they sensed the potential for at least this timeline's Harry to become a Wild Card/Fool. But because this Potterverse is a bit further away from their influence, Igor created an Attendant in the form of Hedwig.
When Yaldabaoth usurps Igor and begins their game, he has some small influence over the Potterverse, so he locked away Hedwig's memories and abilities as an Attendant, before Harry could Awaken his Persona, which would have happened either at the start of his fourth or fifth year. This was partly to curtail a potential threat, but also because Yaldabaoth is a petty piece of shit who faps to people's suffering. Of course, he also promptly forgot him. After Akira and Justine brought him up, he does remember him, but believes that, as long as he denies the Velvet Room to him, he won't be a true threat.
Oh, and by the way, why is Hedwig called Godwin? Because the Attendants all have a theme of being named from Frankenstein, so I thought I'd go big and name Hedwig's alter ego after Mary Shelley herself, or rather, her maiden name, Mary Godwin. Godwin has similar syllable sounds in some ways to Hedwig, so I thought it apt.
Review-answering time! Yorae Rasante: I've never really watched any adaptations of the book, aside from part of a French adaptation starring Gerard Depardieu as Edmond Dantes, and the anime science-fiction adaptation Gankutsuou (which, ironically, was meant to be an adaptation of a science fiction novel called The Stars My Destination, which owed a lot to The Count of Monte Cristo, but they couldn't get the rights). So I don't know about that scene.
WearyCurmudgeon: Don't get too excited, I'm not really doing that here. The Doctor has two evolutions, one of which, the final one, I have pinned down. If you want a clue, it's a famous figure from myth whom the Doctor has been mistaken for in one story, and who may have been a future incarnation of the Doctor.
1. Aria of the Soul is the actual title of the musical theme of the Velvet Room.
2. After some consideration, I decided that Godwin resembles Fitoria (albeit with the hair and eyes of an Attendant) from The Rising of the Shield Hero, though her clothes are closer to Filo's in style.
