"You know the search is pointless if you can't even focus, right?''
Subaru almost jumped at Morgana poked his head out of the bag, pawing at the ad in his hand. He'd thought about looking for a part-time job and happened to see this in school but truth be told, he wasn't reading much of anything now...
"I'll go on a limb and say this is about what the Chief said.''
He nodded, his gaze lowering at the thought of the talk this morning. Try as he might, he couldn't get it out of his head. Morgana gave him a sympathetic look ''Well, I can't say I don't understand-what happened to Futaba is beyond messed up. It's bad enough that she saw her mom die but to treat her like that...''
"Yeah...I want to help but I wish I knew how...'' Sojiro and his grandparents had been at it for so long but their efforts amounted to nothing. What difference could he make?
'Do not think like that.' Aladdin chided. 'It's understandable to have misgivings but do not let that stop you. You still consider her a sibling-would you give up on your family now?'
Subaru knew the answer, no-absolutely not. His grandparents, Sojiro, Akira and Futaba were family to him. Aladdin was right, he had his misgivings but he wouldn't walk away. Futaba deserved better than that.
"Just give it a little time, you're probably still overwhelmed. I know I was.'' Morgana offered.
"I guess you're right. Rushing this would only make things worse.''
"Exactly, just take your time and really think about how you should reach out to her.''
Thanking him, the boy continued on his way. It wasn't long before he noticed a few passerby gathering not too far away, their attention focused on a man who seemed to be making a speech.
Subaru blinked, recognizing the man from the other day. Come to think of it, he had mentioned something about a speech before...
He was talking about today's society, how troubled it was and how they should be looking to improve it for the sake of the future. He spoke of reaching out to help others, to help this generations of youngsters. How there were those who were in trouble but felt unable to reach out to anyone, surely there was someway to change that...
His words made a lot of sense to the teen and his passion was evident in every word. And yet hardly anyone paid him mind, if anything quite a few people looked on with disdain...why?
"Maybe it's just because they think it's all talk, no action?'' Morgana suggested when he voiced the thought, though he also seemed skeptic. He continued to listen to some of the murmurs ''Actually, wait-they seem to know him somehow...guess he has some reputation. His name's Yoshida Toranosuke, huh?''
The man noticed them as the onlookers dispersed ''Hello again! I take it my speech caught your interest?'' His smile widened at the boy's nod.
"So you do this a lot?''
"Ah, I intend to run for the Diet election, you see. I am determined to do my best for the sake of the country, I wish to reach out to others and find a way to deal with the trouble of today's society.'' Subaru gave him a curious look that prompted him to add. ''I was a politician twenty years ago and some mistakes on my end cost me everything. But I don't want to give up-I believe we can make a difference and do the right thing for the sake of the country. For the future.''
"That does sound nice-there aren't many people like you out there. It must take a lot of courage.'' Subaru had seen a number of politicians over the years but he could tell that Yoshida truly cared enough to work hard and help.
Yoshida hummed ''Well, I couldn't say. I simply fight for what I believe in, for my dream. Anyone could do the same.''
"That doesn't make what I said any less true.''
The man chuckled ''Why, thank you. I don't see too many people your age interested in my work. What's your name, if you don't mind me asking?'' Subaru introduced himself, with the former doing the same in turn.
"So, if you're going around the city to make those speeches-how's it working out so far?'' Subaru wondered, hoping that this state of things wasn't the status quo.
Unfortunately...''Not too well, I'm afraid. The past is hard to shake but I will persevere...'' Yoshida blinked as his phone beeped, prompting him to take it out. ''...ah, it's almost that time? Apologies, I have to be on my way but I do hope to see you again, young man. Don't be afraid to approach me.''
"Same to you, sir. Good luck.''
The team was due to meet again today for another excursion to the palace, leaving Subaru and Morgana not too from Shujin while waiting for Ryuji and Ann.
Having grown bored of sitting in the bag, Morgana elected to take a short walk-making sure not to stray far. Subaru thought their plans over, they were making good progress with time to spare before May began. Still, the four remained in full agreement that it was best not to take any chances. For all their powers in the Metaverse, Kamoshida had all cards in hand here. The worst part was, their intervention shouldn't even be necessary. If only the school would actually do its job...
Subaru looked around, this was about the same area which lead them to the Palace the first time. Which meant they could land at the outskirts again, troublesome in its own away but Morgana's abilities would help around that.
It was then that he noticed a glowing blue door in an alleyway, finding to his mild surprise, Lavenza standing before it. The girl gave a small smile as she caught his gaze ''Ah, hello Trickster.''
"Hi...I didn't think I'd see you here. So the Velvet Room even shows up on this side?''
"It's a bit complicated due to circumstances but we do try to be there for our charges if it's within our power.''
"Somehow the more I learn about all this, the more questions I have...but you know, since opportunity knocks...'' Lavenza's curious expression prompted him to explain. ''...I was thinking about asking for any advice that can help us in the Metaverse.'' The girl looked pleased ''You said you'd help but how does that work exactly?''
"I suppose you can say we take somewhat of an off-hands approach in regards to our guests.'' Lavenza thought her next words over. ''We can't interfere too much with your journey but we do our best to guide you down the right path, to help you achieve your full potential.''
"You keep mentioning guests but...how long has the Metaverse been around?''
"Ah, you misunderstand, that world has only existed for two years. There have been other Wild Cards before you but they each had their own battles, their own circumstances. Everyone is different. Now, as for your earlier question, guidance aside our aid also relates to your being a Wild Card. I am to teach you more about it and help you bring out the abilities of your Personas.''
Subaru was admittedly relieved to hear that. He knew that he'd only scratched the surface of that ability, after all most of what he'd been able to pull off was down to pure luck. The boy listened to the young girl state that two Personas can be fused together, how a Persona can even be turned into an item via a process and they can also be trained if left in the Velvet Room for a while.
"I'd like you to remember one crucial fact.'' She carried on. ''A Wild Card is empowered by the bonds they make with others.''
"Bonds?''
Lavenza nodded ''No man is an island after all. If people work together, they can achieve wondrous things. You yourself helped your new comrades awaken just by staying at their side. I know you don't think much of it but your efforts through are remarkable-especially for someone who remains wary of others.'' She gave the boy a sympathetic smile as he stiffened.
It was true. Subaru didn't have anything against the people he was coming to know-he knew he could count on the team to have his back in the Metaverse. He enjoyed their company, the same went for others like the Yoshizawa twins and even Ayumi and Kotone. Were the circumstances any different, he'd be glad to call them all friends. He wanted to but too much had happened for to that to be so easy...a part of him still couldn't be at ease around them. He didn't have it in him to simply be able to open up to others after that terrible betrayal.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of.'' Lavenza assured. ''If anything, all that's happened speaks highly of your character. We're here because you want to do your best to help-when others could've just as easily walked away. You made the choice to do the right thing and that's important. Your heart simply needs time to heal.''
This reminded him of Morgana's words from the other night and he could only hope both were right...
"Although that has me wondering...'' Lavenza hummed. ''...Trickster, what would you do if you encounter the man from that night now?'' Subaru looked taken aback. ''What would you say if I tell you I know exactly who he is and where you can find him?''
The boy wondered how, only realizing he verbalized the thought when Lavenza continued ''He is an inhabitant of this city-someone with quite a lot of power to his name. What would you do if you encounter each other again?''
"...I don't know, Lavenza.'' Naturally the possibility was upsetting but... ''I did wonder about him but with how little information there was-I can't even remember his face...so I guess I just put it to the back of my mind. There's a lot of stuff I'm still trying to figure out.''
Lavenza wasn't expecting an answer. She did ambush him, after all ''That's fair. Then let's leave this aside-did you have any other questions?''
"Hmm...about Personas..."
With the preprations taken care of, the quartet made their way into the castle...
"How far to the treasure now, Mona?'' Panther wanted to know.
"Hmm...I'd say more or less half way. We made some really good progress.''
The girl looked pleased while Skull grinned ''Nice, then let's keep it...''
He hastily bit back a yelp of surprise, as Shadows had suddenly teleported into they had just entered. Mona quickly pulled him behind a pillar while Joker and Panther also made sure to stay out of sight. ''Of all the rotten timing...''
"They're all over the place-what do we do?'' Panther frowned.
"Look!'' Mona led them to a far off away which connected to a staircase, the four went about as stealthily as possible. They had one close call when a Shadow happened to look up but Mona and Joker's quick reflexes put paid to that.
The next area was empty, making a relieved Skull eager to get going. Fortunately, the others were far more cautious and this proved to be well-warranted as two Shadows appeared a moment later.
"We've finally found you, persisent vermin!''
"The King will be pleased, you won't get in his way any longer!'' The two transformed into a pair of Berith and charged. Mona dodged the oncoming lance while Panther put her guard up.
The feline thought back on their previous encounter with this Shadow ''Remember, they resist fire magic-we didn't find a weakness before.''
"In that case...'' Joker summoned a Persona, the team staring in shock at the new figure. ''...Genbu, Mabufu!''
Both Personas were pelted by a multitude of ice shards, throwing them down. Panther's jaw dropped ''Wait, wait, when did you...?!''
"I'll explain later, let's move!''
The enemies were trying to get up but Mona pelted them with a few well aimed attacks from his slingshot, allowing the rest to dispose of them with ease. ''Come on, this might've attracted the enemies' attention. Let's keep moving!''
The feline carried on once they were a reasonable distance from the hall ''Now you've got me really curious, Joker-where'd that new Persona come from?''
"About that...'' The teen proceeded to explain about the Velvet Room, recounting some of his talk with Lavenza. How Genbu was actually the result of Persona fusion, specifically Silky and Cait Sith.
"Whoa...'' Skull blinked twice, missing Mona's thoughtful expression. ''...so wait, if they know so much, can't they actually do something about this mess?''
"I got the impression that they're actually doing what they can.'' was the response, Igor hadn't quite come out and said it but his words implied that there were certain restrictions to their aid. He was glad they were willing to believe him though, he hadn't been sure how to even bring this up before.
The Velvet Room...something about that tugged at Mona's mind. He was sure he'd never seen the place and yet...maybe he was overthinking this.
Shaking the thought, the feline decided to ask how that fusion process worked.
"Lavenza had this book-she called it a Compendium and she summoned my Personas...they did some sort of magic circle-I'm not sure how to describe it. The next thing I know...well..."
"Sure sounds bizarre, I wonder why you're the only one who sees it.'' Panther tilted her head a bit. ''Wait, they told you the change of heart would work, right?'' Joker nodded. ''...What's ridiculous is that this isn't even the weirdest thing we've dealt with.''
Skull laughed ''I know, right? It's like the more we see about this world, the crazier it gets.''
Mona half-smiled ''Well, I can't say you're wrong...'' His eyes widened as more enemies appeared in the way ''Heads up!''
"And here I thought treasure chests were supposed to have useful stuff...'' Panther pursed her lips as Skull lifted what appeared to be a dirty, rusty looking club out of the chest. ''...what even is this?''
"Hey, it ain't so bad.'' Skull gave it an experiment swing. ''Seems handy...I think I can work with this! Just needs a little clean up and we'll be good.''
The girl didn't bother hiding her skepticism ''If you say so...''
Joker looked curious ''Never thought we'd find something like this.''
"It's a first for me too-but I guess if Skull's convinced it can work...'' Mona hummed, odds were this could be a decent weapon.
They found a lever that unlocked a door leading northeast, quickly discovering a staircase leading to a room just below the roof. There were three glowing Shadows, reminiscent of the ones they encountered beneath the library.
"What now?'' Panther grimaced.
Mona checked the map ''There's a few routes once we get to the roof but this is the only way there...and if they're anything like those two from before...''
"Yeah, we better be careful...'' The sole female of their group agreed.
"You used one of the seals before, think we should back track and see if we can find another way?'' Joker wondered.
Mona's eyes narrowed as he thought that over ''The seal would bring us back here if I want it too but still, we'd have to go though that hall full of Shadows again...''
Skull groaned ''It's like we're between a rock and a hard place!''
He had to agree, Kamoshida must be growing paranoid if this was anything to go by. Joker had a thought ''What if...?'' The three looked at him.
"You got something?'' Skull clarified.
"Maybe...Mona, I'm going to need your help.''
Smirking, Mona aimed his slingshot and fired, hitting two of the enemies. It startled them, leading the third to question them. Both blamed each other for the pellets and began to squabble, while the third tried to break them up. The quarreling came to an end once Aladdin's curse magic put out the lights, throwing them for a loop. As they tried to figure out what was going on, Joker took advantage of their confusion to use another new Persona, Slime. It unleashed the skill Evil Touch on the nearest Shadow, leaving it to quail aftter a few moments.
"W-what...?'' The Shadows made surprised noises as it screamed, stepping away hurriedly. The currently dark room seemed to make its fear worse, ignoring its allies attempts at reaching out.
"No, no, no stay away! They're...they're going to kill me...!''
"What're you talking about?!'' But any attempts at questioning were pointless as the Shadow chose the moment to flee. ''Hey!''
"That idiot! Doesn't he realize the consequences of turning on the king?! What was he even talking about?!''
"H-he looked so scared...you think it's those thieves, the king warned us what would happen if we don't take them out! It'd be us next!''
"Not you too! That's why we're here, idiot! They're bound to come sooner or later!''
But it has to be them, who else could be doing this?! If they're so strong that they can get away with so much...! Look what he did to the last group who couldn't catch them...'' The other was not convinced and it wasn't long before it too fell to the effects of the Evil Touch, leaving it to tremble in fear.
Ignoring its comrades calls, it ran away, accidentally crossing paths with the somewhat hidden quartet and they cornered it. Typically a tough opponent, the now frightened Shadow couldn't put much of a fight, allowing them to finish it off.
The third Shadow arrived in time to see it fade away, growling ''So it was you brats all along! Thought you could be smart, huh? Too bad!''
"Yeah, for you!'' Mona shot back as Skull and Panther readied their weapons. The Shadow turned into an Eligor which charged at Joker, who readily stopped the lance with his saber. Aladdin appeared in a flash, nearly throwing it back with a few swipes of his own blade. The Shadow's consequent was halted by Carmen's flames just as Zorro rose above her, his blade unleashing slicing winds. Brushing past the flames, it grunted as it tried to guard againt the wind magic, waving its lance to fend them off. A red aura surrounded a moment later and the team knew it had amplified its attack power.
The enemy suddenly sped up, jabbing its weapon at Skull and Joker. The two were taken aback by the force, barely keeping themselves from hitting the ground. Seeing ths, the Shadow continued pressing its advantage. Zorro's Lucky Punch made it pause for a moment, giving Mona an opening to strike. The Shadow pushed him back and lashed out again, making him and Joker hit the ground.
Skull summoned Captain Kidd, the pirate's lightning magic leaving the enemy dazed. He and Panther kept up the offence while the others recovered with the aid of Mona's magic.
Thinking fast, Joker summoned Genbu and had it cast Mabufu a few times. The others were confused when Joker didn't even bat an eye as the enemy avoided the attack. But then it clicked when the Eligor slipped on one of the frozen areas and was left to struggle to regain its balance.
Skull grinned ''Nice! Let's go, Captain!'' The oncoming lightning blast sent the enemy careening into the ground and the group was quick to keep up the offense. Genbu slashed it, Zorro sent it flying with wind magic and Panther peppered it with bullets with a final Zio from Captain Kidd ending the battle.
"Joker, that was brilliant!'' Panther enthused.
"I'll say, way to make use of your potential as a Wild Card. That was great...'' Mona glanced back at the boy to see he was panting ''...whoa, you okay?''
"Y-yeah, just...'' He steadied himself by grabbing the nearest wall. ''...that was...harder than I expected...''
"No surprise there...'' The feline offered him some medicine. ''...you really worked hard, no wonder it wore you down.''
Panther looked concerned ''Hey, how about we call it a day?''
"Sounds good to me.'' Skull returned readily and Mona nodded. The first frowning as he noted guilt flash in Joker's eyes. ''Don't worry about it, dude. We're doing pretty good.''
"Yeah, no sense in overdoing it. And as much as some people...'' Panther smirked. ''...hate to be reminded of that, we do still have school tomorrow.''
Skull gave her the stink eye while Mona snorted, Joker's lips twitched ''Sorry...and thanks.''
The next day...
As they were about to head to class, Subaru happened to spot Natsumi coming down the stairs.
"Toyama-san?''
Startled, she gave a small smile at the sight of her charge, greeting him. Her eyes traveled to Ann, wondering if she was a friend. The blonde happily confirmed without missing a beat. ''So how do you know each other?''
"I'm this kid's probation officer.'' She admitted. ''Everything I've been hearing about this school is more than a little worrying so I was out to get some answers.''
Ann made a face ''Lemme guess, the principal just brushed you off and harped on about how Shujin is an elite school and there's absolutely nothing wrong?''
"Pretty much.'' Natsumi harrumphed ''He's either delusional or downright apathetic and I'm not sure which is worse. I thought I'd talk to some other people to get a clearer picture. But it's hardly an improvement...'' Neither of the teens were surprised, their expressions giving them away. ''...a few parents realized what I was doing and they approached me for help but it doesn't look like there's much we can do. That slimeball Kobayawa apparently has friends in high places, which is how he got the job.''
"Why am I not surprised...?'' Ann grumbled.
"Thanks for trying to help though-it's a lot more than what plenty of others did.'' Subaru put in, the girl nodding at once.
Natsumi half-smiled ''Just part of the job, I joined the police because I wanted to protect others. I hate relying on rumors and hearsay so I'm getting to the bottom of this. Half the stories I heard about this place had my bullshit detector going off the charts and Kamoshida gives me the creeps.''
Ann couldn't help snickering at this ''I hear you. So then...'' The three nearly jumped as the bell rang.
"Well, don't let me keep you, shoo.'' Natsumi punctuated with a slight wave of the hand, leaving the two amused teens to head off.
"I like her. Didn't think we'd see your probation officer but I'm not complaining-it's cool that she went through all this trouble.'' Ann remarked.
Subaru nodded ''It sounds like she's been that way for a long time. Toyama-san dealt with her share of cops who just don't care and she's decided to never be like them.''
"Huh, shame-really. We need more people like that...''
Morgana grumbled to himself, watching two members of the volley ball team head away. His annoyance rose at the suspicious looks they kept shooting Subaru. The boy had just given them first aid for the injuries they were trying to ignore and yet they looked at him as if he was a snake waiting to strike at any second.
"They're just going to keep burying their heads in the sand, aren't they? Idiots...'' Wasn't it obvious that Kamoshida was far, far worse than Subaru could ever be? Surely they had to suspect something was wrong after all this time.
"I think it's already been proven they're not going to change their tune unless something big happens.'' Subaru hadn't been expecting much anyway, Shiho and Mishima were proof enough of the volley ball team's situation. ''Anyway, you said Ryuji's around the gym?''
"Yup, no way he was going to stick around especially since you all had that free period. I think he wants to convince you to go to the Palace again. I told the blockhead we should take it a little slow after yesterday but of course he never listens.''
Left unsaid was the fact that none of the team wanted to leave Subaru alone in school if they could help it. He almost died and they wouldn't put it past Kamoshida to try something else-the man was just that cruel and spiteful after all.
''Yeah, let's just hold off on that today. Besides, we all know how Ann would take it.''
Morgana snorted ''Good point, I should've led with that...'' After all, Ann had made it pretty clear that she would not appreciate being left out of the excursions. She admitted that she would understand if they absolutely had to but otherwise, she wanted to be there every step of the way. He completely understood though, he'd be the same way.
"Are you just about done?''
The two volley ball team members turned around to see an unimpressed Toni watching them with Ayumi in tow. One of them scowled ''Of course it'd be you two-what do you want?''
She crossed her arms ''You just lap up everything you hear, what, has being under Kamoshida's thumb for so long sucked up your ability to think for yourselves?''
"W-what's that supposed to mean?!''
You're both cowards.'' Ayumi shot back. ''Subaru hasn't done anything to you but you still treat him like a pariah just because that asshole says so. You must be real proud of yourselves.''
"H-he's a criminal! It's only by luck that he even got in here but he just keeps causing trouble. What do we care?''
"Yeah, exactly! We just gotta get through a little more time and everything would be fine. But I guess we shouldn't expect much from you, the girl who flat out offered herself to our seniors and her best friend. What, you hoping to follow in her footsteps?''
Ayumi scowled at the reminder of another rumor started by Kamoshida. He'd tried to pull his moves on Toni, who'd immediately seen through him and called him out. Soon he'd had everyone believing she was easy, starting to flirt and hit on the third year volley ball team members incessantly. ''You just proved Toni's point, nice going.''
Toni remained unimpressed as they glowered at her ''They're not worth our time, Mimi. Let's just go.''
It hadn't taken the pair long to catch up with Subaru and the three quickly began to talk...
"And this is somehow less embarrassing than the day Ryuji met you?''
Ayumi managed to nod in the midst of her giggles as she walked down a hall with Toni and Subaru. The girl was grinning unrepentantly ''Yup, why do you think he doesn't want it getting out?''
He looked at Ayumi ''...We're going to have to watch ourselves around her, aren't we?''
The girl laughed ''Just try not to give her too much material and you'll be good.''
Toni was smirking, amusement in her eyes ''I knew you were the smart one...'' She blinked, noticing commotion near the gym. ''...what's going on?''
"No clue...'' Ayumi started, they managed to just see beyond the small crowd to find a head of familiar brown hair doing a small dance routine. ''...oh, wow-I keep forgetting Kasumi-chan's kind of a celebrity.''
Toni hummed ''She doesn't seem to care much about that though...but man, she IS just as good as her reputation says.''
Subaru had to agree, Kasumi moved seamlessly across the floor, boldly switching from one move to the next without missing a beat. It all spoke of great skill and work ethic, as well as the drive that prompted her to improve.
"Isn't she way too good?'' One of the onlookers mused.
"Guess that's a prodigy for you, huh? No wonder they wanted her here...'' Another added.
"Easy for you to say, you're not going to be compared to her! Man, I don't stand a chance...so unfair...''
A few similar comments followed, all expressing either admiration or jealousy of Kasumi. Toni rolled her eyes ''Oh, yeah-because standing here and whining about it is going to fix everything. Don't they have anything better to do?''
"Are you really asking that, Toni?''
Ayumi's droll tone made her sigh ''Right. Silly me...''
Choosing to ignore the crowd, Subaru made his way around so he could talk to Kasumi ''Hey, Senpai! You were watching?''
"Mmhm, I've been wondering about your gymnastics. That was pretty good.''
"Thanks, but you haven't really seen me get serious yet. That was just a warm up. I'm actually waiting for Sumi...'' Kasumi looked around. ''...she should really be-ah!'' She perked up, as the girl approached, greeting them. ''It took you long enough!''
"And whose fault is that?'' Sumire pouted.
"I said I was sorry-I really didn't think it'd turn out like this.''
"And I told you, I'll believe that when you actually look it.''
Subaru thought that was a fair point, even now Kasumi was clearly trying not to laugh. ''Anyway, come on-finish your warm up.''
"Right...'' Sumire glanced the gathering crowd, now a little uncomfortable.
"Ignore them, it's far from the first time people watch us at it.''
The redhead wasn't about to argue there. Well, they were supposed to show Subaru what gymnastics was like...and she did want to but what if he didn't like it? Heck, he'd surely see that Kasumi was much better than her...
But, he did seem interested-a little voice reminded her, making her think of their talk in the park. He chided her for putting herself down too, maybe she was worrying too much?
Her thoughts came to a halt as they were joined by Ayumi, Ryuji and Toni. ''Hey, so we finally get to see some of your awesome routines, huh?'' The first called.
Kasumi laughed while her sister looked amused ''You know all you had to do is ask. But it's nice to see you all here, interested in learning? I don't think it'd be too far out for you too.''
"Yeah, you're on the cheer team, all those dances and stuff are kinda similar.'' Ryuji observed.
"You know, I never thought of it like that but yeah!'' Ayumi brightened. ''Mind if I join you?''
Toni smiled as the twins happily agreed ''Sounds fun. You in, boys?''
Ryuji chuckled ''I wouldn't be any good. 'Sides, I don't think I can pull some of those moves off even if I wanted to.''
The girl gave him a baffled look, understanding sinking in when she remembered his leg. He waved a dismissive hand as the others exchanged glances, catching on to the darkening mood. ''Ah, don't sweat that stuff now. Ain't this supposed to be fun?''
"Looks that way, I wouldn't be opposed to trying it out.'' He looked at Subaru with gratitude. ''You two must have worked hard.''
"You bet, it's our dream to make it to nationals and win. That motivates to keep working and make it happen.'' Kasumi declared proudly. Despite her own misgivings, Sumire couldn't help smiling at her sister. It was true, they'd had this dream for years, it represented the goal, the hope they wished to see become reality.
"Dream, huh? Must be nice to have something you can pursue like this...''
This left the curious Sumire to ask if he didn't have one, only for him to admit that he really wasn't sure anymore. At one point, he'd had his own goal to pursue a career in music but now? He didn't know.
The others understood, knowing so much happened recently that it undoubtedly shook him to the core.
Ryuji especially sympathized, given recently events ''I get you, buddy. Haven't thought about this for a while myself but shit happens, we got time to figure it out.''
Subaru agreed after a moment and Toni smiled ''Don't we all-so hey, Sumire, what was that about? Something about Kasumi and a phone call?''
Throwing her sister an annoyed look, the redhead explained how one of their relatives caught her after a particuarly rigorous training session a while back. Being already convinced that they were overdoing it, Sumire's half-asleep state at the time only drove the nail in further for her.
"And then she gave me this exhausting lecture about taking care of myself, which I already knew-keeping in mind that I'm the one who told her a good number of the facts-but I didn't want to be rude so I promised I was listening. It was exhausting...and none of this would've happened if Kas had just listened to Dad and talked to her like she was supposed to, instead I had to watch her laugh the whole way.''
The girl was grinning unrepentantly ''Like someone with any sense of humor wouldn't?''
"...You're the worst.''
"You love me anyway!''
Ryuji muffled a snort, not blaming the increasingly annoyed Sumire ''You know, that's called being a pain.''
"I consider it my big sister's prerogative.'' Kasumi chirped.
Subaru blinked ''Aren't you older by like-what, a few minutes maybe?''
Sumire's utter exasperation proved that this was a long standing argument ''Exactly! Thank you, Subaru-senpai.''
"It still counts though!''
Toni snickered while Ayumi was laughing next to her ''You're both ridiculous...''
A short while later, Ayumi invited the group to her home, thus the group headed over to Shibuya...
"What's with the face, Sumi?'' Kasumi poked her sister's cheek. ''Just when I thought it looked like you were having fun there...''
"Mm? Oh, yeah...I'm just not sure all of us did.'' Her twin's puzzled look prompted her to explain. ''I was wondering about Subaru-senpai...I've never seen him smile.''
The girl was surprised, realizing that was actually a good point ''Now that you mention it...'' She glanced at the boy, who was talking to Ayumi up ahead.
A sigh made them look back at Ryuji ''You ain't the only one.''
Toni blinked ''Really? I thought-what with how you guys hang out so often...'' But he shook his head.
It was something that bothered him and Ann too and another reason he was infuriated with the people of that rotten town. The arrest and the consequences were bad enough but the way they treated him was inexcusable. They'd written him out of their lives just like that...it made him sick, thinking they could abandon him all because of that scumbag of a drunk. Ann had told him how surprised he'd been when she called him a friend but it did make sense. He was just glad the boy remained so strong, so kind. Subaru had more than enough reasons to not help against Kamoshida but look at them now, Ryuji honestly wasn't sure where they would've been without him. It just made him want to help the boy all the more.
Subaru may not have heard any of this but Morgana did. The thought of the burglary incident had him aware that the issue was more complicated than it seemed. He wouldn't be surprised at all if Subaru was still coming to terms with everything, he'd found he lost nearly two years of his life and just when it looked like everything was all right, it all went to hell in an instant. His missing memories from the time of that disappearance likely didn't help matters. Morgana had overheard Yuri and Itsuki talking one night and it sounded like Subaru actually had nightmares for a while before he left the hospital, except he couldn't actually remember a thing when he woke up. It was looking more and more like whatever happened at the time was so bad that the boy blocked it out.
"Hey, peanut gallery, what's the hold up?'' Ayumi called, jolting him out of his thoughts.
"Coming!''
Subaru gave the feline a curious look ''You okay?''
"Oh. Ah, yeah-it's nothing. Come on, let's go before they leave us behind!''
Kasumi blinked twice at their stop, a store called Erika's Music Emporium ''This is where you live, Ayumi?''
Mmhm, it's Mom's pride and joy! Our home's right upstairs, come on!''
The woman at the counter welcomed them, surprised to see Ayumi, who cheerfully introduced her as her mother Billerica, Erika for short. ''It's always nice to see Ayumi's friends, make yourselves at home!''
"Damn, you weren't kidding about the goods, this place looks awesome!'' Ryuji told Ayumi.
"Right? Mom worked hard to make it the best it can be.'' She beamed.
Toni was about to put in her piece when she spotted a new presence coming down the stairs ''Oh, you're here too, Mitsu?''
This made Ryuji follow her line of sight ''Huh, so that's Ayumi's sis? She's tinier than I imagined.''
Kasumi blinked ''She's nine, Senpai. What did you expect?''
Toni snickered at Mitsuhide's unimpressed expression ''I mean, he's not wrong.''
"I wouldn't talk, Kotone. You're hardly much taller than me.'' Mitsuhide deadpanned, giving the newcomers a scrutinizing look. ''Ah, I believe I've seen you at that school...''
"Yeah, they do stand out a bit, huh? Especially this dork with the badly bleached hair.'' Toni jabbed a thumb in Ryuji's direction.
"Oi! It is not badly bleached-I worked real hard on this!''
"That's what you're upset about?'' Ayumi snorted while Mitsuhide arched an eye, wondering the same.
Erika watched the interactions with growing amusement as the girls ribbed Ryuji a little more, turning to the rest of the group.
Sumire couldn't help smiling as she watched Subaru go around the store. He looked fascinated, quickly recognizing a number of the instruments. The boy was truly at ease, as if he was in his own element. She could tell that even if he hadn't played for sometime, his love of music ran strong. ''If you're having this much fun now, I wonder what it'd be like with you actually playing one of these, Senpai.''
He gave her a sheepish look ''I was just thinking those look great. Being here takes me back...'' It reminded him of all the lessons he learned, the music stores he'd visited and the times he'd spent trying to figure out sheet music...it brought back so many memories. ''...it's been so long but being since I played but looking at all this. I wonder if...''
"Ah, do we have have an enthusiast here?'' The two looked at Erika with a start.
"Enthusiast nothing-my buddy here's got serious game!'' Ryuji informed at once, thinking of the trophies and what Morgana told them in passing. ''He's been playing music since he was little, bet he can handle a bunch of your stuff like a pro.''
Subaru wanted to say he was pushing it but Erika smiled ''Even better! Which instrument did you play?''
"Well...''
Before he quite knew it, Erika had whisked him around the store, revealing how she even had recording equipment ready to prepare a CD should the need arise.
"I haven't seen Mother quite so animated in a while.''
Subaru looked back at Mitsuhide ''She was pretty excited...''
"She's always happy to meet fellow musicians, especially those who truly love the art. She taught us over the years but I'm afraid we never really got into it.'' The girl shrugged. ''Your conversation proves how strongly you feel about it.''
He hadn't thought of it like that but maybe she was right. Subaru had gotten quickly into that talk himself and the two were soon exchanging stories about their musical experiences. He hadn't had anything like that in quite some time, it was fun.
Talk shifted to different subjects and eventually a few more questions from Mitsuhide led to Ayumi explaining how they all came to know each other...
"So it really was you on the roof, Namikaze-kun, I did wonder but we were too far away for me to be sure...'' Erika thought back. ''...that was amazing. I can't believe the school's still trying to hush this all up.''
"Oh, they worship the ground Kamoshida walks on.'' Toni put in darkly.
"I'll say. Mitsu, as nice as it'd be to have you in school, are you sure you wanna come to Shujin? After seeing how crappy and full of shit it really is?'' Ayumi wondered.
"Language.'' Erika said pointedly.
"You know I'm right!''
Mitsuhide hummed ''I see your point, Ayumi. This is troubling...''
Erika pursed her lips ''Surely something can be done? Did people really keep quiet even after what happened to Namikaze-kun?''
"Oh, that's even worse, Isoshima-san. It's either they're being silenced by the principal or they actually believe that ridiculous story about the yakuza getting back at Senpai.'' Kasumi informed, leaving Erika and Mitsuhide equally incredulous.
"I say they need a massive kick in the ass or a freaking ginormous reality check for anything to really change at school.''
Morgana grinned at Toni's comment, if only she knew...
"Sounds about right.'' Erika sighed, and they were told such good things about Shujin too...''Okay, that's enough of that. It's almost lunch time, why don't you all join us?''
Welp, let's stop here.
Wow, things have been crazy. It really has been a while since I updated any of my stories. I just get wrapped up so much in my book that I tend to block out a bunch of stuff. On the plus side, I'm almost done with the book and it feels great!
So my whole intent with this story was to apply angles and ideas I never got around to use in Twilight. Persona 5's world is fascinating and I love working with it, I even have another story I plan to start when I finish plotting it. Here, the fusion process is more like in Persona 3 (namely because I have no idea how it goes in 4). To clarify, Subaru didn't have that many Personas to fuse but he's keeping Aladdin so now he has three. I plan to get back to Futaba's situation soon, it's just complicated. Subaru knows just how she feels about reaching out to others because he's dealing with a similar problem but he's trying to do something about it. He just got burned big time so it's not that easy. To be clear, Morgana's just guessing but he's actually right. What happened during Subaru's disappearance is bad enough for him to want to shut it out. It's a future plot point of sorts.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Till next time!
Confidants:
Namikaze Itsuki and Yuri (Charity Rank 2)
Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 1)
Morgana (Magician Rank 2)
Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 1)
Yoshizawa Sumire and Kasumi (Hope Rank 1)
Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 1)