Plot:
5 years after the attempt of The Fall, peace have returned and the Apathy Syndrome ended... Thanks to her sacrifice. Everyone had moved on with their lives, but his life goes crazy when a girl who looks exactly like her appears...
And another darkness threatens the world...
Chapter 2: Welcome to Tartarus!
No one understands why it was named as such. It was the name of a grim and terrible place. A hell... And yet, the place was heaven to most. Nice and simple furnishings, clean floors, well-lit area and most of all, the best food in the city. This place used to be a co-ed dormitory to a certain group of students who disbanded some four years ago. The building was to be demolished, but one of its tenants wished to keep the place and turn it into his own...
This was Tartarus, the best diner in the city. If you haven't been there, you're missing a piece of heaven...
April 2, 2014-Wednesday
"You're awake" The brunette said in his rough voice after putting down a tray on her desk. The smell of bacon and eggs wafted in the morning air. Her bright red eyes were still quite blurred since she had just woken up. The girl was lying on a rather large white bed. There was a desk on the left side, a closet to the far right and another smaller desk to the left which had a white lamp on top. Beside the lamp was a picture frame. It was a bit hard to make out the image because of the light streaming out from the windows beside the closet.
"So, wh-Whoa!" Before the man finished speaking, the girl suddenly stood up and glomped him in front, wrapping her arms around his waist. His face immediately flushed red at her sudden attack.
"Aragaki-sama! You're alright! I'm so glad!" She exclaimed happily. The male's face burned even redder as she tightened her hold. After a second or two, she suddenly let go after realizing her impulsive action.
"M-my apologies!" The girl bowed, feeling really sorry. Her face was bright red from embarassment. The young man coughed, turning his eyes away from the girl, though his face was almost equally red as hers.
"J-just eat..." He mumbled. The girl finally stopped apologizing after saying thos words and she sat down in bed, took her plate and began eating like there's no tomorrow. The man sat down on the desk's chair and faced her after regaining his composure.
"So, who're you?" The question was supposed to come out a lot earlier, if a certain someone didn't interrupt. He couldn't help but ask... They look exactly the same... Plus, with the events that night... She knew him, so they must have a connection... Though she should be a lot older by now. Still, their personalities seem different so far. This girl was polite and somewhat repressed to some extent, they seem to both be heavy eaters though, seeing the way she was eating now.
The girl put down her breakfast for a while and faced her male companion with a serious look on her face which was hard to take seriously because of the rice on her cheeks. "I'm Master Arisato's Shadow" She spoke in a serious tone. The man's eyes widened, there was a hint of confusion on his face.
"Well... More like Persona though, since I'm tamed... Sort of..." She added awkwardly before turning back to her meal. "And... as you know... She was a Wild Card, having multiple Personas... So I guess I'm the representation of all of them combined" The girl continued and gave the man a quick glance. He looked as if something hit him on the head... Like he was still processing what she just said. It was obvious that a flurry of thoughts began swirling in his mind. So, while the female ate and he was in a daze, there was an awkward silence in the room.
"... Aragaki-sama...?" She muttered in a weak voice. Her call snapped him back into reality, shaking off his thoughts after deciding to think about it some other time.
"Cut that crap... You can call me Shinjiro" He spoke in a rough tone. His expression showed a hint of annoyance, coupled with embarrassment.
"Uh... Y-yes... S-sorry... Shinjiro-sama..." She answered apologetically with her head lowered. Shinjiro wanted to facepalm at the girl... But at the same time, he can't help but feel happy for some reason... Deep inside, he's not sure what to feel. It was a strange mixture of happiness and confusion. He also wanted to ask her many things, the events last night, her 'master', her reason for being there and many more. Somehow, he couldn't get himself to ask her though... Since he knew she had been through a lot last night and he's not really the type to ask too much...
The two were in awkward silence yet again. They were alone in a room... The girl had just finished eating and laid the plate on the tray on top of the desk. It was clean that was almost no trace of food. She took the mug which was filled with warm coffee and slowly sipped from it, blowing the drink before doing so. From time to time, she tried to peek at the man who in turn tried to peek at her pinkish cheeks. The sound of the birds chirping outside and the voices of the people filled their silence.
"Umm... About e-" The girl's attention was cut off before she finished speaking when the door opened. Both of their attentions shifted to the figure which had just entered the room.
"Yo! Uncle" The young man who just entered turned to Shinjiro. He had straight blue hair and equally blue cat-like eyes. The boy was wearing white headphones which gave the appearance of a horn on his head. He was wearing a white jacket and long black pants.
His attention then moved from the man to the girl. He gave out a whistle before speaking again. "Uncle, since when were you hiding your cute daughter?"
"Wha-?" The brunette's face burned slightly red with the girl who was now shaking her head. He pulled up his hair and stood up from the chair, giving the young man a glare. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me uncle?" He groaned. "And I'm only 22 you idiot! How could I possibly have a daughter that old!"
The boy shrugged with a slight smile on his face and approached the girl.
"Heya. I'm Shunta Megumi, you can call me Shun. I'm one of this old man's slaves" He winked at her. The girl tilted her head in confusion of what he just said, while Shinjiro groaned, crossing his arms.
Finally, she shrugged. "Nice to meet you Shun-sama!" She bowed to him and replied with a bright smile.
"Shun-sama... I like the sound of that..." He smirked, rubbing his chin. The older male fumed and smacked him in the head. The young man turned to him with a pained and apologetic look as he rubbed the part where he was hit.
"What're you waiting for? Get down and change. It's almost opening time" He sighed, pushing the boy with him forcefully.
"Yeah sure..." He answered in a bored tone. Shunta turned to the girl, then to the older man. "Hey, she hasn't told me her name yet" The boy continued, pointing to the girl who seemed to be in a daze. To be honest, she doesn't really have a name, which was why she didn't give a straight answer when she was asked "Who are you?". She was the manifestation of all of her master's Shadows since she was a Wild Card, so one can say her existence was a new one, kind of like a child born from the union of two microscopic critters... The girl turned to Shinjiro trying to figure out what to answer. He gave her a gentle smile and turned back to the boy.
"It's Hamuko Arisato. Now, get to work!" He said in an irritated tone. The girl's face burned red yet again as she stared at the two males. Finally, Shinjiro got the boy out of the room and closed up the door with a sigh.
"W-why did you say that? I can't possibly take on Master's name!" The girl spoke as if in a panic as she stared at the man with a bright red face. He scratched his head and replied. "You're her Persona right? So you're a part of her, she's a part of you. Doesn't that make you one and the same?"
The girl's face flushed even redder and a bit more than that, steam might come out her head. She gripped her skirt tightly and face the man. "Yes... But..." She paused and turned her eyes to the cedar-brown floor. "... Thanks" She smiled shyly, trying to avoid his gaze. Shinjiro smirked and waved his hand before leaving the room.
'Shit...! What did I just do?' He leaned on the door with a bright red embarrassed face. He grasped his chest, feeling the loud and fast thumping of his heart...
"Another order of Pork Scallopini and chocolate sundae!" The young man shouted through the small window after sticking a piece of paper on the counter, while the older one nodded and proceeded with his chopping. He was wearing a white apron and a white collared shirt under it with matching dark pants. Instead of wearing a toque or a hairnet, he insists on his beanie, saying that he's more comfortable with it. Shunta believes that his reason was only an excuse from wearing something embarrassing though... Or at least something he thinks was embarrassing...
"Got it" He answered, lifting up the chopping board and dropping the meat to the frying pan. The table was filled with ingredients, vegetables, from cabbages to carrots, meat, from poultry to beef and fruits, from apples to bananas. There were shelves on top containing bottles of seasonings of different shapes and sizes. There were also utensils hanging on the hooks on the wall. Beside the table was the stove and across it was the sink. On the other side, close to the table was the white fridge with notes stuck all over the door.
'Tch. Busy day... Why are there a lot of people?' He sighed while sauteing the onions. The man then turned to the large pot and opened the lid and filled a small porcelain bowl with mushroom soup - their soup for the day. Noises of people chatting outside the window crawled into his ear as he approached the small window and placed the tray with the soup and a plate of Beef Stroganoff on top. He rung the small silver bell to call the boy's attention.
He turned back to the kitchen after catching sight of something black and frilly... Wait... What? He immediately turned back to peek at the window, almost hitting the tray. His eyes widened, his face flushed red again.
"Order for table 5... One bowl of mushroom soup, Chili Pepper Pasta and iced tea? Okay! Got it!" The red-eyed girl smiled, holding a small booklet and a pencil. Her reddish-brown hair was tied to the back as usual, complete with the barrettes forming the usual XXII. This time though, she was wearing... A maid outfit, complete with frills and headband. Speaking of which, there was a lot of people in the diner, most being male.
Immediately, after recovering from what he just saw, the cook stormed out of the kitchen. The people stared at him and his menacing aura. He then pulled the girl by the wrist, dragging her inside the kitchen much to her confusion.
"What are you doing! What's with that get up?" He was holding back his voice, but it still sounded rather angry. His face was still red as he spoke. The girl flinched and looked rather terrified, though it was more like a sorry look.
"I'm sorry! I... Just wanted to help..." She muttered, avoiding his line of sight. The man sighed and pulled down his beanie. He put his hand on her right shoulder, which in turn the girl responded by staring back at him.
"Look. I'm not mad okay?" His voice finally sounded calmer, though the girl still looked uneasy. "It's just... Ugh... T-there are..." He looked away as if he cannot say what he wanted to. He gave a quick peek at the window and saw the disappointed males. The man turned to the girl again and continued. "You'be better watch yourself. You're no kid anymore"
"Yes, Shinjiro-sama..." She answered apologetically, bowing her head. He finally facepalmed much to the girl's confusion.
"Drop the 'sama'... Shinjiro is fine" He sighed, flicking her forehead. She rubbed the part he hit and stared at him with a bright red face.
"If that's what you want... Shinjiro-san..." She said in a weak voice. He sighed again and massaged his forehead. 'This girl...! Ugh... Least that's better than Shinjiro-sama... And uncle...'
"Hey! Customers are waiting!" The blue-haired boy entered the kitchen with a notepad on hand. He was wearing a white collared shirt like Shinjiro and a white apron, plus the white headphones. Shunta stared at the two with a careless expression on his face.
"Oh... Y-yes...! Um... I'll be going now..." The girl gave the man a final glance before exiting the kitchen.
Before the younger male exited, the older one suddenly closed the door. Shunta's eyes twitched, daring not to look back at the his boss. "And where are you going?" Shinjiro spoke in an extra rough tone. The young man turned to him, trying to force a smile.
"... Work" He answered in a low voice. Shunta tried to maintain eye contact, but each second felt like being pierced by daggers.
"You're the one who gave her the outfit... Am I right...?" He asked in an angry, yet suppressed tone.
"... Yes" He gulped, but immediately followed it up. "B-but that's cause she said she wanted to help and that's the only suitable female outfit we have! And she does look cute right...? I know you like it..."
"... That's coming out of your salary" The brunette's tone finally sounded calm, but the boy seemed as though he was ready to cry... "But... You don't even pay me anymore..." He mumbled, making a kick on the floor before slowly exiting back outside...
It was a busy day. During their short break, Shinjiro managed to find Hamuko's old clothes in her old room, so she changed into it for work, much to the disappointment of the male customers. No one touched her room ever since they got through the Abyss of Time. Most likely, that's where his 'subordinate' obtained the maid costume.
During work, the Persona was able to chat with the blue-haired boy for quite a while. From the looks of it, he's a Gekkoukan High student in his 3rd year. Apparently, he got held back twice and was currently 19 years old. The diner was run by Shinjiro. It used to be their dormitory, but he 'loaned' it from Mitsuru and turned the first floor into a diner, while the other floors were kept the way they used to be as his home. So, basically, the place was both his house and business. Also, Shunta was a tenant of the place. He doesn't have to pay rent, as long as he works. This includes the meal, electricity and other household stuff. Apparently, there are other two people living there, one was his older brother who was a novelist and only works when Shun's not available and the other was also a 3rd year student in Gekkoukan who was currently away on vacation. Among the three, this student was the only one who pays his rent. So all in all, this young Shadow was the only female around...
"I think my free breakfast had just been cut off..." The blue-haired boy sighed as he wiped the the table clean with a rag. Other than his free accommodations, he'd normally receive salary, though due to his frequent blunders and mischief, it's been reduced to zero recently...
'Hamuko' patted the poor boy at the back trying to comfort him. She was wearing 'her' old orange cutsew which they dug up from her old room. "I know he didn't mean that... I'll try to convince him... It's my fault after all" She said after sitting down on a chair nearby. The boy smiled and sat beside her and wrapped his arm around the girl's shoulder.
"So... I wasn't able to ask... But how do you know the old man?" He asked with a scheming face. The girl shot up from the chair, escaping from his arm, looking rather flustered.
"H-he... We... Um..." She stuttered, unable to answer. No way can she tell him that she was the manifestation of a certain girl's inner self who happened to be a close friend of his boss. The boy's face twisted into a sly smile and snickered at the poor girl. 'Oh you old man... Never knew you were a pedo~' When she noticed his malicious expression, the girl pouted at him. "Hey! It's not what you think!"
"Hey, what're you doing?" The usual gruff voice called out to them. Shinjiro was now wearing the same old black turtleneck shirt, minus the beanie, revealing his chestnut-brown shaggy hair. He was holding onto a small white cloth and was currently using it to wipe his hands, most likely wet from washing the dishes.
He gave the young man a glare and signaled him to get out. The boy shrugged and ran up the stairs, giving the girl a wink before doing so. She flinched and looked away, much to the older man's confusion...
She chuckled as the white beast glomped on her and began licking her face. The man smiled as he watched the two. It seemed like Koromaru recognizes her even though she wasn't exactly 'Hamuko'. It was almost dark, and the place had just closed up after the busy day thanks to a 'new employee'. Despite the lack of people helping out in the place, they managed to pull it off...
"So, what're you doing here?" He finally spoke. The girl turned to him while the dog ran off toward his direction and began nuzzling its nose on his leg.
"I don't know" She frowned. The man who was previously patting the dog shot her a confused glance. The girl sighed and continued."To be honest... I just woke up in front of the station yesterday. I didn't have any memories until you pulled out the Evoker..." She paused for a while and took a deep breath. The man was intently listening to her as she spoke, so was the dog. "They came back bit by bit last night... Until now... There's still gaps in between them... Clearest ones are those during the Dark Hour"
Shinjiro froze for a moment and looked as if he was pondering about something. He then turned to her with a slightly red face. "... Ho... How bout' the time from around September to October...?" The brunette asked wide eyed, with hesitation in his voice if he should ask or not. Though it just came out of him anyway. The girl stared and looked up the ceiling, trying to recall everything. She then turned back to him and shook her head. "It's still a blur... I remember the battle with the Shadows... Especially the... October 4th incident... And that's it... S-sorry..." She said apologetically and paused, giving him an assuring glance. "But... I'll try to remember!" The girl clenched her fist before continuing. "Why'd you ask? Did something important happen in that timeline?" She furrowed her brow at him. His jaw looked as if it would drop any moment now. Her words felt like it pierced him... After all, he was only around for that one month... And of all things to remember about him, the one which stood out was his 'death'. If she insists that all she could recall was their times in the Dark Hour... Then that means...
The girl and the dog stared at him waiting for his response. Finally, he took a deep breath and turned to them. "Then you don't re... Uh... Nothing... Never mind..." He said, standing up from the chair and turning his back on them.
"Are you sure...?" She asked worriedly. The man nodded and forced a smile before heading toward the stairs while the dog followed from behind.
"What're you waiting for? Aren't you going back to your room?" He turned his head toward the girl who flinched from his sudden response. It took a while before she answered.
"...My... Room...?" She looked at him with confusion. "I can stay?" She added in disbelief
"You ARE stupid huh? You live here remember?" He chuckled before waving goodbye and heading upstairs...
Normally, I use the name Minako, but I'm using Hamuko here because... Okay, that's sort of a secret...
Anyway... It didn't turn out the way I imagined but... I guess it's okay like that?
And I was so confused by how I'm supposed to portray Shadow FeMC... In the end, I went with the one that thinks highly of her master. That's not the whole of her personality though, since she is supposed to be Hamuko in a sense... It's also difficult to think how'd Shinjiro should react to her actions... After all, she was gone for 5 years and she's not exactly herself now... So I guess he's awkward with it? But most of all, he's just happy to see that face again...
Just to make it clear, the room she stayed in the beginning was Shinji's and he slept downstairs. Early in the morning, he fixed up her old room and that's where she'll stay now.
Oh yeah... Just wondering, did anyone notice something on the day/date she appeared...? I'll say it on the next chapter... It's not really related to the plot though :P
Note: I don't own Persona 3 or P3P
(P.S. Check the poll in my profile pls.?)