Authors Note: Hello all! Here is a second Persona-based story, this time focused on the cast of Persona 4 and Persona 4: The Golden. Neither of which I own, or the references to Persona 3 and Persona 3 Portable in this prologue.
Through my browsing of this site, and other various fandoms, nothing is truly devoted to the so called "Sadistic Stud-Keeping Secretary" Margaret. With that in mind, and wanting to try my skills at something that is more OOC and more original to me, I decided to write this story; The Desire for Perfection. A look at living with OCD, and the effects of it on everyone around them.
This story is based in the Eclipse Universe, and references will be made to it. They will not take away from the story, hopefully.
Reviews are appreciated, but not necessary.
So, without further ado, enjoy!
Prologue
Margaret was a simple girl.
When she woke up, a bath of exactly 65 degrees Celsius was drawn for her. Once she had spent eleven minutes washing and rinsing, her servants would dry her off and dress her for the day. Most days, she wore the uniform of Yasogami High School; a black jacket with a grey collar, hiding a white shirt and a thick, tartan style skirt with black leggings underneath.
Once this was done, her maids would position her in front of a mirror and apply make-up and comb her long blonde hair into its usual style; held back in a bun with a black head band keeping the excess out of her eyes, barring a single lock that fell down her left side of her face. Her marred skin was hidden underneath layers of foundation, leaving her skin pale and almost ghostlike. Her lips were covered in red lipstick, and her golden eyes were surrounded with eye shadow and mascara.
She felt simple by her standards.
After this, a healthy, balanced breakfast was presented to her; cereal, alongside a collection of fruits and nuts was laid at her place at Father's table, and she would dutifully eat.
With only half an hour until the first bell that signalled the beginning of classes, she would join her younger siblings Theodore and Elizabeth and adjourn from the Velvet household via their private car.
With exactly ten minutes until the beginning of class, they would arrive at the school and she would make it to her classroom with seven minutes left.
She was a simple, clockwork girl. If anything was out of place, she wouldn't rest until it was fixed. If it couldn't be fixed, it would be on her mind forever.
And on this particular day, the fourth of May, 2011, she noticed a speck of dust on her normally spotless desk. It wasn't a big speck; it wasn't even a strange speck. It was just there.
Frowning slightly, she tried to flick the offending dust off. When it didn't fly through the air and land gracefully on Satonaka's back, she frowned harder and shoved it off, letting off a loud crashing sound that both silenced and filled the classroom. Reddening slightly, she smirked at the spotlessness that was her desk now.
"Velvet-san?" A timid voice asked from her left. Composing herself quickly, letting all of her emotions fall under her control, she turned to Yukiko.
"Yes, Amagi-san?" She answered professionally.
"Are you alright?" The raven asked, her eyes dropping to the now spotless desk.
Margaret was a simple girl. Anything that was resolved had resolved, and thus was forgettable.
"Yes."
Then Marooka-sensei walked in and her attention was drawn back to the class. Right on schedule.
Everything was perfect.
…
After eating a well-balanced lunch of a vegetarian bento, delivered to her by her maids, Margaret continued through her classes, diligently finishing each task as it was given to her. To her surprise, Hanamura only tried to talk to her once, and only one slap had been administrated, and she now had some spare time in her schedule.
Once the final bell had rung, she collected her pens and papers, completing it within her allotted two minutes. Waiting outside of the school, she sighed as Theodore and Elizabeth came four seconds late. They were grinning and laughing, but her glare quietened them.
"Why are you two late?"
"Late? Sister, we are on time!" Theodore frowned, making a point to pull his pocket watch out and check it. "We left class as soon as the final bell had sounded!"
"You were meant to arrive here at four past three PM sharp." She glowered and turned to the arriving car. "Not before. Not after. You are late."
"So? Nothing is harmed" Elizabeth pushed passed her and climbed in.
Margaret seethed at her sister silently. "What do you mean-"
"You have to do what the other students call 'loosening up.'"
"Ah, yes. The loosening up." Theodore smiled, holding his strange blue hat as he climbed into the car, taking a seat next to his twin. "Hamuko has said that I do need to do the 'loosening up' sometimes."
"And what does that entail?" She all but jumped in, desperate to realign her schedule. Even though Hanamura had graced her with some free time, she knew her siblings would eat it up. "And why do I need to partake in the lower-class ritual of 'loosening up?'"
"Hamuko has not told me of what 'loosening up' entails." Theodore lowered his head in shame. "So I cannot answer your question."
The car took off, and Margaret ignored the chatter of her siblings as she pulled out her notebook. Her schedule deigned that she needed to reread it, and she wasn't going to break it.
"Margaret, please." The book was snatched from her hands, held by Elizabeth's blue gloves. "We are still discussing-"
"Give it back!" She screamed, reaching for the stolen object. "I need it!"
"Elizabeth, it would be wise-" Theodore started.
"No!" The petite girl held the book to her chest, leaning as far away as possible from the elder Velvet. "You need to open up, sister. Of the three of us, you are the only one without any friends."
"Give it back to me! It's mine!"
Elizabeth sighed as she finally handed it back to her. "You really need to do the 'getting out,' sister."
Margaret ignored her, instead studying twice as fast to make up for the lost time. Theodore sighed, adjusted his hat, and the rest of the car trip was silent.
…
Margaret waited in her father's study.
Why did her father want to see her? Why was he back?
Did he know she had homework and study planned? She needed to do this.
Did he not understand?
"Margaret." His voice was smooth, and she didn't turn to meet it.
"Father, why I am here? I have to study." Her voice was still polite, still composed, as a good daughter should be. Her father placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her around.
Philemon Velvet smiled at her, his half mask hiding half of his face. He was a young man, still well in the prime of his life. Dark brown hair covered his scalp, and long, robe-like clothes finished his look. "I merely wish to know what my eldest has achieved in my latest absence."
"I need to go and study. If I don't-"
"You can take a minute to talk." Philemon didn't frown, but his voice was strained. "I, understand, but-"
"No, you don't understand!" Margaret cried out, trying to push through him. "I need to follow my schedule, I need to!"
Her father sighed, and stepped aside. "Daughter of mine…"
"You don't understand!" Margaret began to run towards her study, trying to sort through her head.
Father was here again.
Father still didn't understand.
Father was here to argue with grandfather, and ruin her schedule.
She-
She ran into someone, and Theodore grunted and fell down. She stared at him, not quite comprehending.
"Sister, what is the matter?" He asked, reaching out for his cap, his eyes wide.
"I- I need to study." She pushed passed him. "Stay out of my way and let me study!"
"Sister?"
…
Yu Narukami stood at attention, waiting for Mr Edogawa to start his speech.
"Well, I don't suppose you already know, but Narukami-san is leaving due to familial obligations." The strange science teacher bowed slightly towards him, then returned his attention to the class. "He will be gone by the end of the week."
And with that, the class was in uproar. Yu smiled weakly, looking to his friends for support.
He felt that he was going to need it.
…
Breathless, Yu stopped by a vending machine, leaning on it slightly for support. That was a lot of questions, and teary farewells.
He hated that. It always ended with this. Separation.
Why now? Why did they have to choose now?
He was a tall, lithe male with short, bowl-cut silver hair, silver eyes and an oval, pale yet handsome face. His family was well off, almost upper class, yet their constant travels had wasted both money and time for them to settle down and live.
He did consider himself extremely lucky. He knew his parents had only gotten so wealthy from a stroke of pure luck, and he knew he was still lucky to be riding this stroke of luck out. Gekkoukan High had managed to keep him ensnared for a full year, and he had made the most of it. And now, his parents were going to some godforsaken place in the middle of nowhere, and they were leaving him behind with his uncle. Someone who he didn't remember existed until a week ago.
He wished he could stay.
"Hey!" A soft voice called out to him, and a pair of students walked up to him. His mouth curled into a smile in reflex, and he stood himself back upright. A brunette with a red ribbon tied through her hair, keeping it in a ponytail, and a bluenette, who let half of his hair hang down his right eye.
"Aristato-chan, Aristato-san." He bowed slightly. "It's good to see you. I hope my announcement-"
"Enough with the formal talk, Yu-kun." The brunette latched onto him with a hug. "Why didn't you say sooner?"
"Hamuko is right." The bluenette nodded, sounding bored.
Yu knew he was anything but.
"I wish, but I only caught wind that there was a plan a week ago." Yu returned the hug, then began the arduous process of unlatching her vice grip. "Then yesterday, it was made official."
Hamuko stared up at him with tears in her eyes. "But why?"
"I don't know. All I do know is that my parents are going overseas, and I can't come." Yu clenched his fist slightly. "And I have to go away again."
"It's not your fault." The bluenette shook his head, and Hamuko nodded in agreement.
"Minato is right; it can't be helped if your parents want to move you out." She frowned, then glanced at her twin. "Are you sure you can't stay at the dorm with us? I assure you our friends won't bite."
Yu laughed bitterly. "Apparently that means I might fuck every woman in view if I did. 'Dojima will keep you on the straight and narrow, son.' Yeah right…"
The brunette gave him a long look. "You do realise you are attractive as hell, right? If I weren't already dating someone, I would consider dating you."
"Same."
Hamuko froze. "And you had to go and make it weird… Look, I'm ninety-nine percent sure that even ice queen herself wants to fuck your brains out. Yu, everyone has it out for you. I'd be more worried about you getting jumped at a par- oh."
"Hyperbole." Minato stated. "We are both taken, Akihiko would try to force protein on him, Fuuka and Aigis would try to get him to turn into a cyborg, Ken wants you, Chihiro hates men, Junpei already is working up his courage for Chidori and Kenji wants Miss Emihiri. Oh, and Korumaru is a dog."
This time, the laughter that erupted was genuine. "Thanks, but I really do not have any interest in romance or sex. I just don't see the point."
"As you told Yuka-tan when she-" The bluenette smirked, then doubled over in a coughing fit. Yu and Hamuko instantly rushed to his side, worry and panic spreading over their faces. "I'm ok! Stop fretting!"
"Oh no, we won't." Hamuko scolded him, then her eyes met with Yu's.
How long? He mouthed.
According to Kirijo Medical, about six months. She mouthed back, before looking away.
"Fine!" The bluenette pushed them both away, readjusting his jacket. "I'm going to Hagakure. Join me if you want to."
Yu watched the slouching boy walk away, his sister still keeping close to him. He felt a small pang of jealously at their familiarity, at how they could be so casual with each other. He wished his family could be around.
He turned away, ignoring the guilt and regret building up in his stomach. He needed to pack, and lamenting over a friendship would just break him further.
He was tired of gaining something to just lose it.
…
"Hanamura! We have an order for more food for the inn!" A random employee that Yosuke had never learned the name of called out. "Can you take it?"
He sighed, throwing down his apron and stretching. "Sure! Keep an eye on the checkouts for me!"
"Sure thing, Hanamura."
Yosuke Hanamura was a short, tanned boy who had neck length brown hair, and kept it swept back and parted. He was from Tokyo, but had moved to the quiet town of Yasoinaba over a year ago with his family, who had just opened a Junes shopping centre there.
And he hated it.
It wasn't his fault, he had reasoned after a discussion with his only friends. The local businesses had felt threatened by the superstore, and had made it very damn apparent every single day. They hated him, they made their children hate him, the teachers hated him. Yukiko, Chie and Margaret were the only three people who actually tried to get to know him, and one was extremely ambivalent at best.
So he held his head high with a smile and went about his business, hiding everything.
Speaking of who…
"Ah, Amagi-san!" He bowed to the kimono-clad girl in front of him, faking a flirtatious smile. "Another order for the inn?"
"Yes…" She frowned slightly. A small flare of pride built in his heart as he turned away.
She was learning.
"Same as usual?" He asked, walking slower to account for her. Yukiko murmured in agreement, and soon the two had fallen into a comfortable silence. Grabbing the cart and taking a few seconds to remember the Amagi Inn order, they began their trek into the food aisles.
"So, how many today?" Yosuke started, opening an egg carton and checking the contents.
"What?" The brunette froze, and he sighed.
"How many people asked you out as you tried to walk home?" He closed the carton and pulled out another, unsatisfied with its content. "You know I'm keeping count."
'Well… I don't know." Yukiko glanced down, fidgeting with her hands. "At least three people walked up to me today, but I was more focussed on Velvet-san."
"Velvet-san?" Satisfied, he turned back and placed the carton carefully into the shopping cart.
"Yeah. She was distracted the whole day." The two continued on, ignoring the glances sent towards them by the other shoppers. "I don't know by what, though."
"It's Velvet-san." Yoksuke said, rolling his eyes. "She probably was thinking about the money she has stuffed into her bra- hey!"
Yukiko lowered her hand down, satisfied with her slap. "Don't be rude; she is your friend."
"Somehow I think it's just me being her friend." The brunette shrugged. "And not me being hers."
The raven-haired beauty smiled sadly. "I think she needs all the friends she can get."
"Well, at least you and Chie are mine." He laughed. "If she would ever admit it."
Yukiko joined him in his laughter, both completely oblivious to everyone and everything around them.
…
Margaret stared at the roof of her bedroom, annoyed.
She was supposed to be asleep five minutes ago. Her schedule required her to have exactly nine hours, fifty-seven minutes and not a second longer. It was something she had created, researched from her own sleeping patterns and sleep cycles and based on actual science conducted by nocturnal scientists.
And it was all for naught. She let out a grunt of frustration and turned onto her left.
Then onto her right. Her bedsheet was getting tangled, and her hair was getting messy.
More minutes in the morning lost. The next day haven't even started, and she was already losing out on time. And tomorrow was a day she couldn't afford to lose time out on.
She couldn't concentrate.
That was a lie, she could concentrate. On everything.
She wasn't good enough. She needed to be perfect, and she couldn't get to sleep on time. She couldn't keep a basic schedule. She couldn't even get a friend and fit them into her schedule.
She was a pathetic woman. It was a wonder her siblings and father hadn't disowned her. Grandfather would have, if he was here.
She wished she could be perfect.
…
"In today's news report, the ancient city of Vigrid has been completely destroyed. Officials and representatives from the Ithavoll group have launched an investigation, telling correspondents that they will figure out if this was a natural disaster, or whether foul play was involved. The only images we have seen of the former City of Paradise, is nothing but a volcanic hell-scape. This is the Inaba New, signing off. And now, a word from our sponsers."
"…"
"Every day is great at your Junes!"