This story is a work of fiction. Any similarities to events or persons living or dead in your world is purely coincidental.
Peace And Love And All Above
No I Know I Can't Be Free Of Strife
Every Light And Shade Knows
This Is Just My Way Of Life
8/10 Sunday
Morning
JR: so what next?
JR: helloooo?
RH: excuuuse us for taking more than five seconds to respond to a text
NV: the captain decides when we go back to the tower for the test, naturally
NV: everything is back to normal on that front now
AT: i know
AT: not today but soon, can't wait around too long on this
AT: the waves at the coast are still pretty strong, but they could start dying down any time
AT: i'm thinking tuesday or wednesday
JR: got it, will try to keep my schedule open
MS: actually, have you started your summer homework yet?
RH: have you MET Rosea?!
RH: of course he hasn't started a single page of it yet!
JR: i will!
JR: theres no rush, still got like 3 weeks left yeah?
NV: perhaps we could all gather together for a study group then? That would be fitting for our current predicament
RH: right, the 'test'. Clever.
AT: the problem is that we're first-years while Rosea is 2nd year and the two of you are 3rd, none of our material will match up
RH: wait, wasn't Sorano held back a year?
JR: theres gonna be some overlap in the material, we could def do that
NV: before lunch, then?
AT: after lunch. Got some training to do with the captain today first, i promised him.
NV: the captain? You mean Byzael?
AT: yes
JR: alrighty, see yall later then
[Jiachi Rosea has left the chat]
[Noel Vitienne has left the chat]
[Reiha Hayato has left the chat]
AT: you ok?
MS: im fine
AT: i know that's still tough to hear
MS: i said its fire
MS: fine*
AT: ok
AT: catch you later Dada Yangyu!
[Aiko Tsuruga has left the chat]
The fishing boat blasted through the waves with a surprising strength, the displaced water leaking over the rail before sluicing into the back. The impact nearly sent the main sail flying loose, but the ropes held just the way Aiko had been taught they should, and she breathed a slight sigh of relief.
This ship was a fair bit larger, its scalloped hull less rounded than the Fiddler's Green, and she was still learning its intricacies. All the tricks and skills that her teacher, captain Byzael, had taught her weren't rendered useless by this change of venue... but they did require some adjusting to stop the boat from being pulled under.
Of course, the curly-mustached captain of this boat- Kaguro, she thought his name was- was standing by in case things got out of hand. He was the reason that acute twinge of fear not unlike what she felt going up against strong Shadows had been at her side for the entirely of this test. It helped her act faster, think and remember quicker, but it was exhausting to bear with for this long. Still, she was grateful for its presence. Mess up in front of the captain's friends after Kaguro had been so kind as to lend them his ship? A direct hit to the face from a Shadow would be less painful.
But she didn't mess up. At least, not so badly that Kaguro needed to step in and take over in order to save them. He'd been watching her the whole time, his expression kept carefully neutral, only relaxing when they finally reached the shoreline. This part was very familiar and she handled in easily, carefully controlling their rate of movement with the sails until they were far enough onto the sand not to risk being pulled out, but not so far in that they would have trouble getting back. The two lines of stakes buried in the ground were right where they had left them, waiting to be tied to the ship and safely anchor it.
Only then could she exhale. Sure enough, she saw that Byzael wasn't alone. He had several other men standing with him watching the test who looked like they were fishermen as well. They begin to dissipate, heading back to their own ships now that she was done.
"Well done", Kaguro spoke up behind her, not unkindly. "For a first time. I could tell Tongwa was your teacher just by the way you sail. You lack caution, but you also have his luck."
"Instinct, Lag-uro", the captain admonished him, smiling proudly. "Not luck. Instinct. I can always tell when the danger is near. Apparently, so can she."
Aiko tried not to smile too much at his usual backhanded praise. It hadn't even occurred to her that all the fishermen of Tosashimizu and beyond had their own little social system. Their profession would make it easy enough to keep to oneself, but Byzael had made it clear that he actually preferred knowing them. It made it more likely that they might share advice or help each other out in need.
And it had helped in another way too, she knew. From his words, most of the fishermen here had listened and agreed to stop shipping the local area water to the Karma club. Even if there had been a few holdouts who needed the easy money, that had to make a dent in their activities.
And if Lady Scorpio found out she was behind it and considered that a violation of their 'truce', then that would just be too damn bad.
"She's a fast one", she observed of Kaguro's fancy ship behind them. "Lots of sail."
"I ferry cargo to the nearby islands in the Phillippines", he explained. "The faster I go, the more often I am paid for it."
"And the sooner Lag-uro gets back to have a drink or five", Byzael joked, turning back to her. "You did well. No problems with the ties or the stakes?"
"None, sir", she nodded happily, throwing up a half-mock naval salute. Then, to Kaguro: "Sorry if the front deck got soaked."
"That's what it's there for", he waved it away before laughing to himself. "A shame you're underage, or I'd invite you out to a little gentlemen's social gathering we've got planned for tomorrow."
"Proper age or not, I don't think she'd been interested in watching a bunch of crazy old men get drunk off their butts and go crazy", Byzael suggested, his gaze tightening. "Keep it under control this time, got it? Or I'll sort you out myself."
Kaguro shrugged, winking to her. "You see what kind of mentor you've chosen? The old ones always develop an allergy to fun. That's why I plan to never get old. See you later."
It felt unnecessary, but Ai felt the need to clarify once he was gone: "I know what kind of mentor he is. The best kind."
Coughing to hide his smile, Byzael surveyed Kaguro's ship once more for any signs of stress before heading back to his own. "I suppose that's a pass. All that's left is the final test then."
"Lots of those going around lately", she joked behind him. "And I'm not even in school right now. What is it?"
Briefly frowning at the churning water, he gestured to the Fiddler's Green. "Simple enough. A trip from here to the shores of any nearby country. With you running the ship the entire time. No assistance from me. Both ways."
The idea gave her pause. While it was true that she'd now learned nearly everything about how to direct the boat's sails and direction, a trip of that length still sounded daunting. It would be a test of endurance as much as skill, just trying to stay awake that whole time.
"That's probably something you'll want to do before the end of the summer", Byzael remarked glibly. "But you can choose when we do it. And you can choose our destination. Just keep in mind that a trip to the mainland of Japan doesn't count. Same for any of the nearby islands."
"Of course not", she huffed, trying to ape his brusque manner. That would be far too easy for a 'final' test. They'd done that already. She would have to decide, and the decision would be a part of the test as well. If she chose something too easy, he would know she lacked confidence. "Though I've always wanted to visit Cat Island."
Of all the strange people that she'd met in the last six months, there were none that made her feel quite as desperate to perform well as captain Byzael. More than once, she'd had the suspicion that would be the case even if her future ownership of the Fiddler's Green wasn't at stake.
"Guess I'll need to break out an atlas then, and make my choice", she remarked finally. "Good thing the school library stays open for the summer."
"What?", he pretended to be shocked. "You can't just tap a button on your little fancy phone there and see a complete detailed map of the whole world?"
"That costs extra."
"Of course it does. They have to squeeze everything out of you, don't they?"
"Totally."
"That's why I don't have one."
"I know. Plus it's prolly extra to get it waterproofed."
"Ridiculous."
"I know. Still, it's a pain having to take it off every time I take my stuff off to go in the water. I keep worrying someone might prolly steal it."
Grunt. "Don't use 'prolly'. It's idiotic slang."
"Oh but you're okay with 'whatevs' and 'totes'?"
"Did I say that? No."
His ship seemed cleaner than usual, or at least the cabin was. There was a big naval chart in there as well, but old and lacking the detail she wanted when making her final decision. Still, that slight change combined with her success at today's test was enough to let Aiko relax here in a way she hadn't ever thought of before. Before now, considering it a home might have been stretch. A destination far out of reach.
But now? One more test, and it's mine. Mine. This ship, this snug little cabin... in less than two years, it will belong to me. To do whatever I want with it. To go wherever I choose.
It was a rickety little tub of a fishing boat that had to be at least 30 years out of date from whenever it was made. But it would be hers. She would never sell it. Never.
She couldn't help but fantasize some of the changes to be made. Sleeping on the ship was a difficult proposition for anyone without what Byzael called 'sea legs', but she believed the right kind of bed could make it possible. That would likely be a necessary thing to do for her final test as well, to make sure she actually could get a decent sleep on an anchored boat. They had some mattresses and pillows, but no actual beds.
"Just so you know", she called out to him, "when I take ownership of all this, I'm gonna add some proper beds. Also, I'm gonna paint the hull pink. With hearts. Lots and lots of hearts. And frills."
She heard Byzael choke, entering a coughing fit that prevented any kind of sarcastic reply. At first she just watched and smiled, but that amusement vanished when his knees fell. In the space of a breath she was there, cradling him, making sure he wouldn't fall, her eyes studying his face and closed eyes intently.
"Please be okay... please..!"
One crusted eye slowly opened. Winked. "...Got you."
Disgusted, she nearly dropped him on the deck. He was heavy, but not as heavy as she'd expected for such a big man. "That is totally not funny!"
"I thought it was pretty good, myself", he chuckled, sitting back up without help. "And you deserve it for what you just said about my ship. There are exceptions in our contract, you know."
"Exceptions involving hearts and frills?" But she didn't hear his answer. It had been a joke, but the feelings were still there. What if it hadn't been?
"Just how old do you think I am?", he challenged. He'd prepared two cups of hot cocoa, only now bringing it to her, letting her take an exaggerated sip of it to buy time to think.
"I'unno... sixty?"
Byzael barked a hearty laugh. "Try again."
Another sip. "Fifty-five...?"
Calmer now, he took a swig of his own cup before replying. "Forty-six."
"Forty-six? But you're...?"
"I'm what?" Grinning, he doffed his cap before placing it on the table beside the cups. "Yes, child, I am aware of how I look. Like I wandered in from some shabby old pirate novel." Stroking his beard, he shook his head. "It's this, isn't it? Old men aren't allow to grow beards until they hit sixty, right? I should keep a razor and mirror on hand, never mind how bad an idea it is to shave while on the water. Especially this kind of water."
"You could do it when you hit the shore", she protested, staring despite how rude it was. "You come back here to this coastline every few days."
"Aye", he admitted. "But I do that for you. I didn't always use Tosashimizu as my port of call, you know. Years ago, I traveled the entire breadth of the world in my duties delivering cargo. I've seen every nation. Every nation with a port, anyway. Korea, Canada, America, Australia, India, you name it."
Aiko frowned, trying to picture what he was describing. "But... they wouldn't understand you, right?"
His response was in another tongue, an alien-sounding one that she couldn't even recognize. Seeing her mounting confusion, he spoke again. "That's part of the job, kiddo. Learning the languages. You can't ever truly understand someone until you know their home language."
She fell silent. As usual, the entire concept of so many nations and peoples in the world existing at all was difficult to process, even for her.
"But don't worry. I won't expect you to learn the language of wherever we go for your final test. I'll be your translator when that time comes. That's the one thing I'll help you with."
"That's... appreciated", she said wearily. "I'll let you know when I'm ready."
Nearly satisfied, he stopped, focusing in on her face with a new look of concern. "You... What is this? Did you cut yourself?"
She didn't understand until she felt his hand brush across a patch of severed ends along the left side of her face. The spot where Kujou's weapon had slashed into her hair, narrowly missing cutting deeper.
"Um... yeah. Just a little mistake I made when I was trying out a new hair style, y'know? Don't worry, it'll grow back after a few weeks."
He smirked. "You kids and your crazy hairstyles. Better to just let it grow naturally and cut it when it gets too long. Guess you'll need find a good cap if you want to wear it like that. Otherwise it gets in your eyes when the wind picks up."
8/10 Sunday
Lunch
The water might have been wild, but the wind was easygoing today. There was no need to use heavy objects to hold their notes and books down to the tables at the Starlight's outdoor patio, leaving the collection of shells Mira had picked that occasion in a side bag.
She was running late and knew it, but no one seemed to mind. "Hey, Captain!", Reiha waved her over. It had been a while since they'd gotten together like this about something that wasn't related to Faraway Lands, and Aiko vowed that would change.
"I told you not to call me that here", she sat down, immediately flush with embarrassment. "I work here, y'know."
"Good", Julian murmured from across the table. The sight of so many books had left him a bit withdrawn and sullen. "Maybe they'll promote you?"
"Sure. Maybe if I tell them I can order Pelagio to go after the dine-and-dashers."
Seated next to him, Noel raised a brow. "Do you have many of those here, Tsuruga-chan? I would hope not."
"Not very many", she agreed. "Anyways, we're not supposed to go after them. They could be totally dangerous. Not worth it."
"Good to know", Jiachi sat up. "Think I'll just order a huge-ass meal for us all then. Everyone get ready to run like hell in oh, about thirty minutes, 'kay?"
"Sit down", Mira ordered him, briefly annoyed. "I could do with some food though, any suggestions?"
Would they be your friends if you didn't have a Persona?
"The braised curry is good with the daily sauce", Aiko advised. "Maybe with the lemon sauteed chicken and veggie rolls or leeks if you're really that hungry."
"Hey, that stuff sounds pretty good", Reiha brightened up. "I think I'll try that too. I love spicy stuff!"
Before long, the 'study session' had turned into a prolonged lunch session, their notes and books stained with sauce and drinks no matter how hard they tried to keep everything separate. "It'll smell better", Julian remarked cheekily. "Make us more likely to take them out and read 'em."
"Sure", Reiha snickered. "Long as we don't eat 'em by accident." Stretching, she caught sight of a familiar building facade across the street, read the neon sign at the top and became disgusted. "So that's the Karma club, right? The cover for the Masked Circle."
"Uh-huh. Adult entertainment only, naturally. And only at night."
She shrugged. "Not like I was planning to just walk in and punch them. Although... What if Kujou-san's in there right now?"
"Then we can't do anything about it", Aiko confirmed with a sympathetic wince. The memories of her battle with the new 'Queen Aquarius' were still fresh in her mind. Including the part where she'd had her longtime enemy at her mercy, but been unable to finish it. Unable to kill. No. No. I will never do that. Not to anyone. We didn't do it to Samesaji when we beat him, and we won't do it to her. The Phantom Thieves wouldn't. More importantly, I wouldn't.
Would they be your friends if you didn't have a Persona?
But looking at her friend's distress made her realize that there might be one among their number who might. So she fixed her with what she hopes was a tighter, more forceful gaze. "Hayato-senpai... Don't even think about it. Even if you were able to grab her and haul her out of there, you'd prolly get arrested for kidnapping."
"What, and these people don't?", the Goth girl sounded offended. "Typical damn cops!"
It was too late to prevent the others' thoughts from swinging away from studying and over to their 'other' duties however, even with all the books right in front of them. "Kujou-san actually went and joined them", Jiachi murmured to himself distantly, nursing his drink like it was more 'alcohol'. "I can still hardly believe it. This is insane. Doesn't she know how batshit crazy these people are? How they're willing to abuse their powers? How they almost..."
"Nijima-san", Mira finished for him, looking equally distraught about the development. "They hurt Nijima-san because she was looking into them. Their illusions couldn't deceive someone who had experience in the Metaverse."
"And now?", Reiha picked up on it, angry at a new target now. "The Phantom Thieves did nothing about it. I didn't bring it up to Nijima-san at the time since she was still recovering from her wounds, but..."
"The Phantom Thieves", Aiko told her with a firm stare, "have done their time. They live miles away from here, in Tokyo. They're all adults now. They have jobs and families to take care of. We can't expect them to just toss all that."
Already sensing that explanation wouldn't satisfy their tallest member, she circled around the table to match eyes with her again. "I talk to Kurusu-kun on the phone regularly to ask him for advice. He made it totally clear that if there was ever something we thought we couldn't handle, then he would try to make some time to help us. And Sakura-san is doing something for us." She raised her head back up at the nightclub's facade and smirked. "She's spreading the truth about that place. Only a matter of time before someone takes notice of it."
"But nothing will happen to them", Reiha argued back. "Only the cops can do anything about this, and they won't lift a damn finger. Not just 'cause of some rumors on a website. Or even multiple websites."
"Sakura-san also permanently crashed their website so people can't make online reservations with them", Aiko finished slyly. "Drop in the bucket, I know, but it costs them money. Ramps up the pressure they must be feeling right about now, and they can't trace it back to us."
That finally seemed to cool her friend down for now, and she sat back down. "Well... I guess that's something. Need to keep our eyes open though, aight? They've gotta be doin' more evil stuff behind our backs during this 'truce'. That Lady Scorpio..." She shook her head. "She struck me as someone with a lot to hide, and not just her face either. Like some of the high-ranking ladies in-" Paling, she broke off. "Um, never mind."
Instead, she focused on Noel's handsome face for a moment before slamming one gloved hand on the table. "Oh no. Don't you even think about it, Vitienne. I know that look."
"What look?", he asked innocently.
"You know what I'm talkin' about. You think you can go in there and talk to Kujou, use your fancy flowery words and get her to change her mind. Idiot. That's not gonna happen. You'd just get yourself in trouble."
He looked mildly troubled at the accusation, even if it was true. "If Kujou-san were to repent her previous deeds and join with us", he emphasized, "she would have insider knowledge about the Karma club, no? That would be a great advantage to us."
"It sure would", Reiha allowed patiently. "But she won't. Not to you. You don't know Benihime Kujou like I do. Nothing short of a natural disaster changes her mind about anything. Especially not a decision like this."
"Perhaps", he shrugged. "But in many other important ways, Kujou-san is still like us. She's our age, she went to the same school as us. She was raised in a system that respects life. Surely, she cannot continue to ally herself with such vile people for much longer?"
The silent fit of frustration Reiha seemed to go through was almost funny to Aiko, but she placed a hand on her shoulder to stop it. "It's okay, senpai. For now, we need to be focusing on studying. We can't do anything to help Kujou-san yet. That will have to wait until we've saved Niyoga-kun."
"Won't be able to stick around for that if it's happening soon", Julian noted regretfully. "Sorry. I'm cookin' dinner for the fam tonight, and Kibo-sitting tomorrow. Mom's got to visit a doctor about something."
"Something?", Mira worried.
"Nothing serious." Trying once again to throw himself into one of the books, once again he failed, spinning his pencil this time in frustration. "Gahh, it's no use! Can't focus any more with all this Kujou talk."
"Then focus on your summer assignments", she advised him. "I can help. I'll stop by your house tomorrow, help you do it."
His eyes widened. "Really? Um... well... uh... thanks, Sorano-chan. Really." Seeing her smile, he glanced around at the others. "Well, how 'bout it? Anyone else want in?"
"I'll pass", Reiha waved him off. "Too many strange people in there and the kid won't take it well. And I'm guessing Tsuruga-chan already has plans for tomorrow?"
Releasing her shoulder, their captain shrugged. "Yeah. I've got some things to take care of tomorrow too. Sorry."
"Hah. Knew it", Reiha smirked back, folding her long arms behind her head. "You always have so much stuff to take care of. But don't forget; this is supposed to be a vacation for us. All of us. It's the only one we get, after all. Don't crowd your plate too much now, captain. Maybe you should try to schedule a day when you just veg out and relax? Does wonders for me."
"Later", she promised. "Once Niyoga-kun is safe. After that, maybe..."
Surprisingly, it was Noel who caught onto the subtext there, staring into her with new concern. "You really do want to save him, don't you? It's not merely because of your duty either, yes?"
The burning sensation in her cheeks returned, though it was thankfully brief. "Niyoga-kun... He's really smart, but he's a total snob about it. You're his friend but even you have to admit that. But..."
Would they be your friends if you didn't have a Persona?
"But... He mentioned something important to me earlier. Something I've been wondering about myself for a while now."
That caught all their attention, destroying any chance they would get any more studying done today. For once, she didn't care that much.
"I have the Wild Card", she stated quietly. "My power is the power to change, to shift into multiple different Personas that I've created for myself. So... what exactly does that say about me? As a person? Am I just...?"
The words triggered a number of mixed reactions across the table, which was only to be expected. After all, none of them had thought about it as much as she had.
Pelagio surprised them all by speaking up first, and for the first time since they'd begun, his stern voice wafting down from his perch on a shipping warehouse roof. "You are who you are, captain. That is all you need be."
"Grumpy bird's right", Jiachi spun his pencil in a flash. "Details. Gotta hate 'em, am I right?"
Noel was a bit more eloquent. "So you believe that your cognitive flexibility in that other world indicates a certain insincerity in your relationships with us and others? Am I correct?"
"It doesn't mean that", Reiha placed a strong, firm hand on her shoulder in return. It felt like living rock. "Just means I think you'd be an awesome actor, being able to play different roles that way."
Different roles... But am I really just 'acting'?
Would they be your friends if you didn't have a Persona?
Then Mirambela stood up, wordlessly heading over to her, trained eyes studying her face instead of the books until she pinpointed exactly what she was looking for.
"It was something that Kujou-san said to you, wasn't it? When you were fighting?"
She felt her jaw fall. "How...?"
"Because... I know her too", Mira nodded, encouraged by her accuracy. "I know Kujou-san. She was always so good at getting into other people's heads and finding the things to hurt them with. Things that make them doubt themselves. She... she did that to me for a year."
Poison.
Shaking it off, she laughed lightly. "Um. Sorry to worry everyone about this. That's not what I wanted to do at all. Just thinking about it, that's all. Like... what we'd be if we'd never run into all this crazy Persona stuff."
"Sounds like someone needs to go watch 'It's a Wonderful Persona'", Jiachi suggested mildly. "Or whatever the heck that film's called, I can't remember."
"Our friendship is hardly dependent on such a clinical thing as a mere debt for services rendered", Noel seconded eagerly, brushing his bright hair aside. "Please keep in mind that while the others were saved from their 'Lands', you did no such thing for me. Yet, I'm still happy to be here with you all, and join you for all of these fascinating little trips into the other world, dangerous though they may be."
"You try to make friends with everyone, Vitienne", Reiha grumbled behind him. "I swear you must be taking some kind of mood booster when we're not looking."
"I would never take those kinds of drugs", he promised, looking offended. "I am also aware that my successes have been very limited in that regard. Until I met you all, my only friends were Furusato-chan and Niyoga-san."
One of whom is gone, and the other is... Aiko sighed. "You sure have some weird taste in friends alright. I guess that says something about us too."
"It does", he agreed calmly. "Maybe Niyoga-san can tell us what it is, after we save him."
"If we can", Reiha reminded him. "I don't thing anything we're reading here is gonna help with whatever 'test' he's got in store for us."
Julian blinked. "Then why'd you come out here with us?"
For once showing her own embarrassment, she turned one of the pages. "Because... The Doc... Spica. He wants me to do better in school. It's not something I ever cared about until now, but..."
"Of course!", Noel snapped his fingers. "This is your third year, is it not? That is when diligence in your grades is the most important." Standing, he checked her book, taking up a position behind her. "This is also the time when the guidance counselors would be willing to help you narrow down a chosen career field to pursue if you merely ask them."
"Whoa, one thing at a time, blondie", she protested, though only halfheartedly. "Besides, I don't really have any kind of career idea in mind. I..." Raising her head, her arms limp, she admitted a sad laugh.
"Yeah. I know exactly what I am. I'm a buff girl in a country that doesn't like that. At all. Just when kind of career can I possibly get with that?"
"It's time for you to find out", Noel became firm, placing hands about her round shoulders. "Surely, you are not the only such young woman in Japan?"
"No. Just the only one who didn't care much about my grades for the first two years much at all. The only reason I tried at all is 'cause the Doc asked me to."
"All the more reason to get serious about it now. I'll be happy to accompany you for the afternoon today. At least we can try to complete the summer assignments together, no?"
Reiha looked doubtful, but forced herself to stand and start picking up her books for his sake, briefly winking at Aiko. "'Kay. Guess that takes care of tonight then, huh?"
"Guess so", she giggled back. As uneasy as their newest member looked, it actually felt nice to know that the four of them were just fine doing things without her, in or out of the other world. And Vitienne is right. Reiha does need to focus more on her studies if she wants to get anywhere in life. We all do. In a way, those two have it the toughest of us all since this is their last year, while Sorano and I still have lots of time to figure that stuff out.
Reiha took one last murderous glare at the Karma club's maze of dark brick and wrought iron, her distaste a palpable smell in the air. "It's just not fair. We know they're evil. But they just set up shop in the middle of the city and no one does anything. Just like... Just like..."
"Just like the Heavenly Kings of the Yakuza?", Aiko finished for her. The idea was seemingly never far from their friend's mind, and she hung her head in shame.
"...Yeah. Just like them."
"Not like them", Aiko corrected her with a sharp look, the warning in it obvious. "We might have a truce right now, but I know it won't go forever. Especially with Kujou-san with them. Sooner or later, we'll have to settle things with them. Just... not now, okay? We have other stuff to deal with."
"Okay", she agreed, staring back with equal focus. "I'll hold you to that promise, captain. Don't think I won't."
Aiko smiled back. "Don't call me captain."
8/10 Sunday
Afternoon
Daisuke Kujou growled in exasperation. The chair had to be deliberately designed for the hard plastic to grind into his back at a bad angle no matter which way he tried to sit. Combined with the tilted ceiling light of the room being just a little bit too bright when it hit the table and walls, and he found himself inevitably high-strung.
In addition to the real reason, of course.
How many others before him had sat in this very room? People who were accused of crimes and asked to wait here and see how the issue would be handled, if there was an actual case here or if it was mere rumor, to find out if the accused had a lawyer or some kind of alibi that cleared them of the charges.
Those charges were, of course, completely ridiculous. But he supposed many others who had sat in this seat had felt the same way as him, whether guilty or innocent.
Daisuke was still struggling to process it, trying to understand how it had all gone so horribly wrong. How could Beni-ka even think of making such an accusation towards him? Her own father, her only real family? He was almost tempted to believe that the cops had made the whole thing up, to punish him for his repeated calls asking them to do their damned job for once and find Benihime when she was lost.
That idea had gained more credence when they refused to let him see her, though they had assured her that she had been found and was safe. That was just about the only thing that had stopped him from going mad in here. The accusation for Benihime was a trade he would make without hesitation.
He just didn't understand why it had happened at all. Why would she lie about such a thing, accuse him of physical abuse?
His grip on the table tightened. It had to be those 'new friends' she had been talking about before. Whoever they were, they had to have been the ones put her up to this. Told her to lie to the police, to stop him from finding them. If he wasn't here, he could be out there pressing charges against the bastards who had dared to kidnap and brainwash his daughter.
His lawyer, one Mr. Jie Tomodo, was normally very good and punctual. He'd handled many cases for JCAP, nearly always securing the verdict they wanted even against the country's notoriously biased court system. He was getting old for his profession but still spry, able to carry off a thin graying mustache in a way that made him look distinguished.
But he wasn't here now. He hadn't even called, responding to his message. And Daisuke would not be permitted to call him again from here. After failing to do their duties for weeks, they were now treating him like some common criminal.
Didn't they know who he was? Impossible. He was their best spokesman, the person that Sanaki and Yamada called on whenever they managed to secure a big venue for everyone to come out and show their support for the movement. He'd neglected those duties, certainly. He couldn't leave while Beni-ka was out there, lost. But surely that wasn't any reason for them to ignore him now?
No, they couldn't ignore him. The news just hadn't reached them yet. That had to be it. Once they found out what these idiots pretending to be cops had done to him, there would be a massive scandal. He would bring this the way to Prime Minister Tamagami if need be. He would make sure that every single one of these fools from patrolman up to chief would be fired and blacklisted. That would teach them the consequences of imprisoning a man like him.
The squeaking of the door interrupted his musings, and for a moment he hoped it might be Tomodo coming in at last. But this one was far younger, just one of the low-ranking officers assigned to guarding him here at the precinct. Hideki, was it? It didn't matter; they were all the same.
"You have a visitor", he noted unenthusiastically, perhaps understanding better than his superiors what a farce this all was. And what a costly mistake it would turn out to be.
"Tomodo took longer to respond than expected", he remarked, grateful despite his anger. Finally.
But Hideki shrugged. "Did I say that it was Tomodo-san?"
"Benihime, then."
The young shook his head, smirking like it was a private joke, bringing him out to the familiar sight of a hall separated down the middle by a thick plastic screen divided by tall wooden brackets, chairs just as uncomfortable as the previous one on either side. A circle of mesh at the bottom allowed conversation, but no chance of anyone escaping.
Staring through that screen, Mr. Kujou saw his visitor and flinched. It was a young girl, but it wasn't Benihime. "...No. No. Absolutely not. Go away."
Hideki hadn't closed the door yet, and he heard the irritated denial. "If you don't wish to see any visitors, then just say so."
"I won't be long", Aiko Tsuruga implored them pleadingly. "Less than five minutes, I promise."
"If Mr. Kujou doesn't want to talk to you, then I can't force him to listen."
"Two minutes!", she hissed back.
He should have let her go, gone back to his room to wait for Mr. Tomodo. But he'd also spent several days without any human contact outside of the witless wonders they had here at the precinct, longer still since he'd had this degree of power over anything at all, and for once his curiosity got the best of him.
"Five minutes", he declared at last, gesturing to the button on his side of the screen. "If I want her gone sooner than that, I'll ring."
"As you say", officer Hideki agreed respectfully. Maybe that one can keep his job after all.
Now they were both alone, both seated. The Tsuruga girl, who of all the people in the world had earned his daughter's ire the most, at least to hear her talk of it. Her eyes looked deceptively innocent. Her pale hair looked like it had been cut roughly along the upper left side. "Four minutes and fifty seconds now", he noted absently.
Looking nervous, the Tsuruga girl quickly refocused on what she'd come for. "...I know that Kujou-sa- sorry, your daughter... made false accusations against you. I know that she's lying."
"Of course she was lying", Mr. Kujou nodded back. "How do you know?"
Caught off guard, she sighed. "I... I just know."
"You just know", he repeated back to her, glacially slow. He hadn't expected very much, but this was bad comedy. "And I'm sure 'I just know' will be accepted at a witness stand."
"If I have to", she surprised him by regaining her poise quickly. "I would. Your daughter, Benihime... she's fallen in with some seriously bad people, Mr. Kujou."
"Yes. I know that", he growled. "That's the only reason she would ever do something like this. But rest assured; once Tomodo-san finally gets here I'll be free, and those wretches will regret the day they ever targeted my family. So you see, there's no need for your assistance here, you foolish little girl. I will take care of this myself, as adults do."
The Tsuruga girl fell silent for a moment. He nearly cited her remaining three minutes before she spoke up again. "Maybe you're right. But these people we're talking about... they have some resources too. Things you might not expect."
"And you 'just know' this as well, do you?"
"...Yeah." Unwilling to let it go at that, she brushed a loose bang aside, showing him those strangely determined eyes.
"Because... These people? They're my enemy too, Mr. Kujou. I'm just saying... I just wanted you to know. If things here get worse for you... If you ever feel like you're trapped, like you're alone, like the whole world's against you... I know that you're innocent. So do all my friends."
"Your friends are gaijin, miss Tsuruga. Their word is worthless to me, and to the courts."
Just like with their last meeting at his house, she looked like she was about to snap and make an angry remark back at him but then relaxed, stopped herself at the last possible moment. "...I totally see where she gets it from. That's all I need to say, then."
"Congratulations, you've wasted four minutes of my time with nonsense."
She sized up the wood brackets, encountering them for the first time. "Until Mr. Tomodo arrives for you, I believe you have plenty of time to spare."
Tomodo didn't arrive that day. Or the next.
8/10 Sunday
Evening
The 'shack' was still the same as ever. Still incomplete, but still used by people looking for an indoor place, a shelter separate from the usual hustle and bustle of the school's main building. A situation that wouldn't apply for another three weeks yet, but the choice had come up at soon as the afternoon sky had swelled up into a brisk summer rain, canceling the original plan to head to the cliff.
"We should post a list here", Reiha suggested once they saw no one else was there. "Everyone who uses this place for stuff needs to put their name on it. And then after like, a month, we submit that list to Principal Yumika so he can see just how many people take advantage of this half-completed shed-thing."
"An interesting idea", Noel admitted, closing the door behind them. "However, he would likely use that as a reason to close it down completely, or at the very least punish all the transgressors." Examining the lockers, he nodded. "And I must say, this place has been quite useful for us so far."
"I hate that you're prolly right about that", she grumbled. However useful the 'shack' had been, no one who used it could forget that it had been originally built to accompany an outdoor swimming pool that now likely would never be finished, instead left as a half-fallen in crater roped off from the rest.
She was pleasantly surprised to find that Noel meant every bit of what he'd promised. Anyone who met him might automatically assume that such a carefree-seeming person might not care very much for academics, but looking at the vast reams of notes he produced from his art binder quickly helped her realized that he was a serious student after all. "Picked that up from Niyoga, did you?", she found herself wondering out loud.
"In part, yes", he admitted. "I also came to the realization that a failure to achieve a passing grade here would be a massive waste of my family's money and of my time. So, naturally, I took advantage of being friends with the highest-marked student in the school, allowing him to teach me the best ways of writing and memorizing things quickly."
"Lucky you."
"Indeed I was." Thinking back to those happier days, he shrugged. "Though the field he was the greatest help in was helping me to speak and understand your language more fluently. Before meeting him, I had only just learned the basic foundations."
Reiha winced. In truth, Noel's words often came out very formal and stiff compared to the rest of his classmates and friends' more casual talk. But he was still perfectly understandable and hardly ever had a problem understanding the others. Considering where he'd come from, that was impressive to her.
"...Awful kind of him. What did he want you to do in return?"
This, too, seemed to trigger an old and welcome memory. "As hard as this might be to believe... nothing. He did ask me for some clarifications on my country's native language and traditions from time to time, but he picked it up so quickly that it felt like he hardly needed my help at all."
"So he taught you Japanese, and you taught him German in return", Rei marveled. This kind of thing felt like an entirely separate world from the one she knew. Hell, even my Japanese is crude. Yakuza accented, like Nijima said, no matter how I try to fix it. Gutter talk. "Too bad there's no German language class at Koashimizu."
"No", he shrugged. "But there is an English language class. If you desire outside help with that, then I am sure that Rosea-san can provide you with it."
"Oh sure, and give his ego another boost it doesn't need", she joked back. "Yeah, Tsuruga-chan told me about that. Rosea didn't learn English from a textbook. He learned it by watching old American cowboy movies late at night. With the sound off and the captions on, so that his father wouldn't hear."
Amused, he stared out the window across the rain-soaked cliff. "A rare show of academic aspiration for Rosea-san, or so I'm told anyway."
"I don't think he did it for the grades", she snickered. "He just likes those movies, aight?"
"Something he enjoyed that also serves him well at school", he corrected, still pleasant. "English must be his very best class then. I wish that I could say the same."
"Yeah", she considered. "Y'know, if we ever had the time we could have a real language club going on here. Sorano-chan speaks her people's language, whatever it's called, right?"
"I assume so." Amused by the idea, he reached for her book bag. "Come now, no more distractions. We should begin by examining exactly what the requirements for your summer assignment-"
Clink
His voice cut off, drawing silent as his eyes followed the dislodged objected to the tiled floor. It was clearly not a book. It was a round, clear cylinder of tough material, almost completely full of strangely reflective liquid still sloshing about from the disruption. Before she knew it, Reiha found herself reaching down to grab it before he could touch it.
Of course, nothing could erase what he'd just seen. "Hayato-san... What was that just now?"
Deflated, she regarded him in pain. "Shitbiscuits. Would you believe me if I said it was just water?"
Looking equally hurt, he sighed. "I'm afraid not, no."
Noel patiently waited through the following awkward silence, allowing her to get her words- and more importantly her thoughts- in order. No, she decided at last. Won't lie. Not to him. Lying wasn't her nature, any more than it was his.
"It's a canister of Dreamwine", she admitted. "Completely sealed and safe, as you can see."
"And why do you have a canister of that substance in your bag, Hayato-san?"
His tone was the worst part. It was like he'd just discovered drugs stashed in her locker or something. He didn't even sound mad. Just hurt, and confused at what he was seeing.
Mood enhancers, it has to be, I swear...
"Because... I took it from the warehouse at the west side wharf belonging to the Karma club. They didn't spot me."
"And... just what is it that you plan to do with such a substance, Hayato-san?"
The tension was too much to bear, and she snapped, vaulting off the wooden bench. "You know damn well what I want to do with it!"
He didn't seem to, actually. He thought about it for a moment before his gaze narrowed. "You were planning to use it against the Yakuza. By vaporizing it, turning it into mist, you could gain access to your Persona in this world, even if it was only for a few minutes."
"I wasn't gonna do it now!", she protested angrily. "I was gonna wait until after the school year was over. Then..."
"Then you would travel to Tokyo, and use Adrestia's power to kill a man?"
"NOT A MAN!", she screamed back, a heavy fist crashing into a locker leaving him in shocked silence at the indentation it left. "The kind of targets that I would take out with this power aren't MEN! They're SLIME! Toxic slime that devours innocent people and thrives on their misery just so they can buy another fucking luxury yacht!"
It took a while for him to recover enough to speak again, but it hardly mattered. His sad gaze was enough to get across the way he felt about it, and in the end she found herself speaking for him, hanging her head in shame, tears beginning to burn for the first time she could remember.
"I know. I KNOW, OKAY?! I know... that's not something you like. You want to tell me not to go through with it. That vengeance is wrong. That I shouldn't ever use my Persona to kill a human. Only Shadows, right?" The shame, however, couldn't change the way she felt. "But you don't get it! You don't know them like I do! Adrestia is a Persona of Justice, and I already know who the biggest enemies of justice in the whole damn country are. So... why shouldn't I take them down if I had the chance?! You tell me!"
It came as a relief, seeing how that rant had caught him off guard, his usual serenity disturbed in a way she had rarely seen. Like her, he didn't have answers prepared, at a loss for how to handle the situation, and wanting to choose his next words carefully.
When he finally moved again, his sudden grip took her black gloved fists into his, feeling strangely unbreakable. Or maybe she just didn't want to. Not now.
"Killing a Yakuza leader", he murmured, his eyes nearly shut, "will not serve justice. Killing one of them, no matter their rank, Heavenly King or otherwise, will not achieve what you desire."
"And", she challenged him, "what if what I desire is nothing but making the one responsible pay for it? Enmikaeda. That's the bastard's name. The one who took over Kaneshiro's operations, took my mom... I could recognize him anywhere. If I can just catch him out, make him suffer..."
"If you kill him", he maintained, "then another man like him will be sent to replace him. That man might in fact be a worse sinner than Enmikaeda and Kaneshiro, or not. It doesn't matter. He will continue the Dragon Syndicate's business practices in Shibuya, Shinjuku and elsewhere, and you will have tarnished your soul with murder for nothing at all, assuming you survive."
His words earned a stunned pause that he was happy to take advantage of. "You see? I'm not so naive on how organized crime outfits operate in your country as you believe. You might indeed be the expert on this particular subject, but even you must admit that striking down one or two Yakuza leaders will not destroy their power. It will only hurt you, Hayato-san. It will damage you in ways that you haven't even considered. I cannot let you to do such a thing. Not as a friend."
And then she could hold out no longer, breaking down and collapsing into him, nearly knocking him over until he got a firm grip around her. Despite this rare moment of supposed weakness, her words, whispered in his ears, didn't quite match:
"Stupid... idiot... why... why... you...?"
He seemed to tense up against her then, releasing that tension in a breath before speaking. "Hayato-san. Since you were willing to share your secret with me, then perhaps sharing mine, if only a little, might help you to understand." One arm released from her, instead clutching the tiny pendant around his neck, trying to ward himself against something.
"The oath I took to God was taken to try and repent for a sin I committed when I was young. An act of violence performed in a moment of rage, that I will spend the rest of my life regretting, and atoning for." Squeezing his charm, he inhaled. "Though I did not kill my victim, the truth is that was more due to happenstance than intent. Still I inflicted serious injuries on them, injuries that they will always carry with them. An eternal reminder of my penance."
"You?!" Reiha sounded incredulous. She couldn't even conceive of the event he was describing.
He smiled lightly at her astonishment. "You have only ever seen me as I am now, Hayato-san. When I was younger and in my home country, I was a very different person. I was prideful then, and vain. Easily angered by any who insulted me or my family even a little. Only when it was nearly too late did I realize how close I'd come to crossing a line that I could never uncross."
Whether intentional or not, the attempt to picture Noel the way he was describing himself in the past failed, and Reiha found herself laughing. Instead, she'd merely pictured a taller blond Julian Rosea. Or Rurichiyo.
"I'll take your word for it", she promised him.
"Then take my word on this as well; the act of murder is that line. Even the Phantom Thieves made a pact to never commit it, even against the very worst of the many vile sinners they targeted six years ago." Returning his arms to her, he hugged tightly this time. "Imagine it. Imagine what it must have been like for them back then, facing down a grave sinner such as Masayoshi Shido, a man who may have committed worse crimes than even your Heavenly Kings... and finding the strength of will not to end him right there with their Persona powers. Instead, they trusted in justice and the law to punish him properly."
"And it nearly didn't", she argued furiously. "That's the problem. The Heavenly Kings of the Syndicate are above the law in this country. Nothing will ever happen to them. The only way to ever get them back for all the lives they've ruined..."
"Is that what Adrestia told you when you Awakened to her back then? Or...?"
It wasn't difficult to relive that memory. It was something that would stay with her for the rest of her life.
"N-no... She didn't. She said that... that... I shouldn't throw my life away for vengeance. That I... that I should just try to live free of my pain, and be happy."
Noel remembered that day as well. Another who would never forget what had happened. A thought occurred to him then. "...May I please see your hands?"
He felt the instinctive hesitation in that request as well, but it was immediately followed by the unshakable resolve that had made Reiha Hayato- Ruri Kaneshiro- such a formidable person to begin with. If they had already shared each other's secrets, what was one more? "Y-yeah. Okay. Just a sec."
There was pain, a stinging sensation when she removed her gloves, but she had already gotten used to much worse. When it was done, the two black hands rested comfortably on the bench while two alien-looking pillars of flesh splayed out before her, flexing fingers. The arms of someone else entirely, for nearly all of the scarring and gashes she had accepted as a part of her being were now either gone or faded, a massive step forward from when she had revealed them to Makoto Nijima weeks ago.
"Beautiful", Noel remarked, closing his hands around them. They felt cold in the shack, but the chill they created felt more like electricity. The touch of his forehead to them was more like a live wire. "You are beautiful. You see now? Scars of the flesh fade with time. But scars of the soul can take longer. They can take... forever."
Her own internal chill produced more hesitation, more doubt, conflicting and crashing off each others until she was shaking like a leaf from the indecision of someone running for their life through a maze. Can't. Can't lose myself to this happiness.
But part of her wanted very much to be lost to it.
"We are our scars", she whispered into him, her dark eyes closed for there was no need for them now. "And me? I'm just a big open wound. You heard me. Nineteen years old, and I already want to kill someone." Sucking in a sickly breath now that it had suddenly gotten so infernally hot in here, she let the tears etch into her makeup. "Maybe I don't belong with the rest of you after all."
"My sin happened when I was eleven years old", he countered, whispering. "That was when the rest of my life began."
She sniffed in amusement. His flesh felt like fire now. "So what? You think I can get away from all this shit if I just do like you did? Make a vow before 'God' not to hurt anyone?" Sucking down a weak, tear-stained laugh, she shook her head lightly. "I'm not like you, Vitienne. It's not that easy. Not for me. I'm... I'm..."
When she failed to describe what exactly she was, he pulled her closer. "You don't have to do that. But you can make a promise here and now. You can promise that you will never use that Dreamwine. That you will never use your Persona to harm human beings. Adrestia- the witch of Justice- wouldn't want you to do that, I am certain."
"Maybe she does", Rei protested. Fearing what might happen if she spent one second longer in this, she broke free from him, staring back at his astonished eyes. "But I won't. Not now. I promise. Not to 'God'. To you."
"That is all that's needed", Noel agreed, looking proud before finally breaking out of whatever feverish trance they'd both been caught up in. "Though, I'm afraid I will have to let Tsuruga-chan know about the canister as well. She is our captain. She should know of this."
"Yeah. She should", Reiha agreed soberly, turning to stare at her book bag and the temptation inside of it. "It's funny. We're both 3rd years. We're her damn senpai, and yet it feels like Tsuruga-chan is the adult. Most of the time anyway."
"In some fields, yes", Noel allowed, drawing dangerously close to her again until her heart rate started rising. "In others, I'm sure she relies on our expertise just as much as we rely on hers. Just as she relies on Rosea-san, Sorano-chan, and..."
"And the sixth member of our merry band", she finished for him. "Bird-boy. Guardian. Pelagio." Sensing reluctance, she looked at him askance. "...No way. Seriously? You still don't trust him? You, Mr. Sunshine Faith himself?"
"You may make your remarks about the Yakuza, but that one truly is not a human", he maintained. Despite his harsh words, it was his turn to flinch away and look ashamed; he knew how petty that sounded. "Even he doesn't remember just where exactly he came from. Until we do... However, because Tsuruga-chan trusts him completely, I won't raise the issue unless I have a true reason to suspect him."
The sheer amazement wasn't leaving her voice though. "You really trust me more than you trust him. Unbelievable. Just unbelievable. Idiot."
She was also surprised by how quickly his arms shot back up to grip her thick shoulders in an embrace. "You are human, Hayato-san. No matter how you might feel what happened in your past has changed you, no scars, no trauma can ever change that fact. Even the lowest of humans has the potential to recognize their sins, and resolve to do better." He tightened further still, until her arms rose up defensively, and he winced.
"But you... Reiha Hayato. You are no lost soul as you seem to believe. You have devoted yourself to punishing evildoers. That is the source of your power. You feel angry... because you care about other people's suffering. You care too much. You care so much that that heart of yours, so full of respect and love for others, might burst."
"Stupid... naive... idiot... why... what do you...?"
But there was no point in trying to fight it any longer. What he had seen in her, what he was fighting to help her let out of that shell, was too powerful now to ever be stopped. Just as Reiha had believed that her mangled arms might never be worthy of being seen by others again, so too had she believed of her tears. Of so many things and emotions that were a natural part of being human.
Turns out I was wrong, she decided in the hazy euphoria of release. Both times.
Even his chest felt like a big old pillow when her head fell into it. His muscles were merely superficial, kept in passable shape thanks to a healthy diet and the occasional brisk jog but nothing close to the hard, unyielding carapace her lifestyle had given her. Soft.
So soft. And warm. And-
"Hey... Vitienne?"
"Yes, Hayato?"
"Don't you ever, ever stop being a stupid naive idiot, okay?"
"Ah... very well. If you insist."
Outside the shack, the afternoon's rain slowly dribbled to a quiet halt.
A/N: Not the most exciting chapter I know. While I have a fondness for action scenes as I do dungeons over social sim aspects, this is still based off a Persona game, and even in the summer students still have to study and do summer jobs.
Thanks to EnPassant4264, cavmoose and ninjaboy12 for the reviews.
I will be undergoing surgery on 3/25, which may interfere with my ability to do the next chapter soon, but I will try and get it in a timely manner.