Saturday morning. Post. I read Escapade's letter first, that seemed interesting.
...
Ooh, they want me to perform for them in a rock-off on Sunday evening.
That's tomorrow? Seems like short notice but the letter's almost a week old. I'll drop by after school and tell them hell to the yeah.
Other stuff was pretty boring, so I checked my emails. Uncle Amos sent me an Email asking me when the summer holidays were. I replied, saying that I couldn't come over since stuff was happening over here, but we had a break from the 19th of July to the 23rd, then another one from the 26th of July to the first of September.
He must have been online at the time, because he replied within a minute, asking me how I was doing over here.
I told him the truth. I've always been pretty open with Uncle Amos, so I told him that I was doing well at school (very well), I was making friends (for great power), I'd gotten myself a part time job (earning more than he did per year), I wasn't getting into fights (three fights in three months is a record for me. Battles to the death with Shadows don't count), and I was keeping myself busy.
He mailed back quickly, asking me if I'd gotten around to getting myself a girlfriend yet.
Good question. See, I had a good thing going with Jessica, but it fell apart horribly when it did, and it took me a while to get going with her in the first place.
Mind you, I had to learn how to smile all by myself, only getting it right recently.
Anyway, I only had one girlfriend before coming to Japan, and now I'm stuck dating two girls, when I actually want to go out with someone else, who's friends with one of the girls I've some how ended up dating, and knows about that one girl, but not the other.
Yes, I fancy Yukari. A lot. I admit it, Pharos hit the nail on the head. Cookie for him.
Anyway, Amos was usually pretty decent about it, so I Emailed him about it, asking for advice, hoping none of my cousins saw that.
Yeah, I have cousins. Anne and Amos have four kids: a daughter my age, a younger son, and two nine year old twins: a boy and a girl.
Heh, little Mark and Emma were your standard little hell raisers from hell.
I got his reply. -Enjoy it while you can. XD. But seriously, get the hell out of that ASAP- Easier said than done. -If you don't have the balls to do it now, then they'll tear off what little scrotum you keep in your short trousers later- Amos always did have a certain way with words. -Your old man learnt that the hard way, from what I heard at the wedding-
That raises an interesting point. –Who was the best man? I'll look him up- I clicked send.
KNOCK KNOCK. "Arisoto, can I speak with you?"
Mitsuru.
-GTG -
"Sure Senpai." I said, closing the laptop and opening the door.
"I thought that you might have set off already." She said once I got outside into the corridor. "But regardless. Yamagishi will be living in the dorm with us, and starting tonight, she will be providing support for us in battle. So," Mitsuru flicked her hair. "I can rejoin the front line."
"I'm guessing that you still want me to lead?" I asked.
"You've been doing an excellent job so far." Mitsuru replied. "However, are you insinuating that I am unreliable?"
"Um… No?" I replied. Too early for manoeuvring around loaded questions.
"You'll regret saying that." Mitsuru stated. It wasn't a threat, more of a promise. "Even though I am a bit out of practice, I will soon return to my prior form."
"May I inquire about patrols?" I asked.
She raised an eyebrow. "What about them?"
"I feel that the strain of providing support on a nightly basis would be harmful to Fuuka, at least right now." I said. "May I ask you to continue providing support on nights that we don't go to Tartarus, at least until Fuuka adapts to the Dark Hour and is capable of doing this every night."
Mitsuru nodded. "Very well." she said. "I will continue to provide assistance from the dorms for you and Akihiko on your nightly rounds for the next month."
With that, she left.
Sighing, I grabbed my bag from my room and went to the kitchen to make my lunch.
After school I went straight to Escapade. "Hey, I'm here about the offer to let me on stage tomorrow?"
The bar wasn't open yet, but he let me in. "Great to see you." The manager said. "We're doing an instrumentalist night, and thought that you'd be interested."
"So, basically you want me to get on stage and show off?"
"Yes." He nodded. "We've also invited several other skilled guitarists from the area. The audience are hoping for some impressive guitar battles."
Wait, those actually happen? "How do those work?"
"It varies." he shrugged. "Sometimes it works like Horse, but you only get one letter, sometimes you switch doing an incredibly hard song, but normally the two guitarists just try to one up each other in improvised solo's. How good are you at that?"
I flashed a grin. "I spent a whole month learning how to do that perfectly." I said. "I'm in!"
"Great!" the manager pulled out a clip board. "Any stage name you want to use?"
I looked at the list. Kitsune, Sakaboto, KAOS, Kurikinton Fox… wait, I know that last one.
"I'll go for Orpheus." I said. I liked that name.
"Alright. See you tomorrow!"
"See ya!"
When I walked out of the club I heard a familiar voice. "I look forward to seeing you perform."
Twist. "Elizabeth?"
"At your service." She bowed, then looked around. "You know, ever since I came to your room, I've been curious about this world." She smiled. "I wonder if you could perhaps show me around this… mall?"
I checked the time. Well, school would be well and truly closed by now, so, why not?
"Alright." I said, putting my hands in my pockets. "What first?"
"Well, I am quite interested in this fountain…" she said as she walked over to the central fountain, me following. "It's said that you can purchase the fountain spirits favour by giving a monetary offering, in order to gain a wish…" She looked at me. "I assume that it works in a similar way to in the Velvet Room? The greater the wish, the higher the offering must be?"
"I… suppose so?" I asked. I never really thought about it. "I'm not sure if there are any spirits thought."
Elizabeth chuckled. "Oh, surely you jest." she said, pulling out a bulging purse."
Jest? "No, I'm being serious." I said.
"Very well, if that is what you wish to believe." she smiled, opening the purse. "Best play it on the safe side." she decided, then proceeded to TIP THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE PURSE INTO THE BLOODY FOUNTAIN!
Holy crap that's a lot of money.
Holy crap that's a lot of money.
Holy crap that's a lot of money.
Holy crap, how much money is in that little purse?
She pulled the purse back and closed it. "There. One million of your one yen pieces." Holy crap that's six and a half grand. Eleven grand if you're American. "That should suffice." She said, before gasping.
"What is it?" I asked.
"In all the excitement, I forgot to make a wish!" she admitted.
…
Facepalm.
"I'm sorry." Elizabeth told me. "I will be more careful next time." She looked back at the fountain. "But it is a magnificent display of Man's arrogance."
"Whatcha mean?" I asked.
"Water is the elixir of life." Elizabeth explained. "Without it, plants would wither, animals would thirst, and aqueous beings would suffocate. Yet here, it is turned into a plaything for Man's amusement."
Huh. I never thought of it that way. Feels like Pale Rider all over again. Actually, SMASH
"No need to change Persona for me." Elizabeth said. "I am not one of your social links to manipulate so you can get closer to my heart."
"I wasn't trying to." I lied. "Just though I'd be able to see the world more through your eyes that way."
"Well, I suppose what is so fresh and new and… exciting for me may seem dull and mundane for you…" Elizabeth pondered. "I apologise."
"Not at all." I shrugged. I didn't even bother making facial expressions in front of someone from the Velvet Room. I didn't need to.
"Oh! Another fountain!" Elizabeth declared, running into the corner, and started pouring money in again.
I hope for her sake that she remembers to make a wish.
"Oh! Another fountain!" Elizabeth shouted, abandoning her current fountain and ran towards the one at the other side of the entrance.
Wow, she has a short attention span. I walked over to her in time to hear her say "A holy trinity of water spirits… could this mall actually be some kind of shrine?"
"If you're Dan Brown, maybe." I shrugged. Da Vinci code was fairly silly in my opinion. "I reckon that they just did it because three fountains look nice."
"Well, I suppose so." Elizabeth said, pocketing her purse. "Well, at least I remembered to make a wish this time."
Yay. "What was it?"
"I wished… to try Pheromone Coffee!"
…
Facepalm.
"Is something the matter?" Elizabeth asked.
"No… it's just…" I pocketed my hands again and looked at her. "You could have just asked me if you wanted to try that."
"Oh." Elizabeth said. "But I'm sure that the fountain spirits would also help me in my wish, and I so wanted to try out the ritual."
…
Sigh.
"See?" Elizabeth asked. "My wish was granted."
As you've probably guessed, we were sat in Chaghalls drinking coffee. While she was distracted, I got to business.
"So, what's with this Seal on my arm?" I asked her.
"I believe my master already explained that?" Elizabeth asked, sipping her coffee.
"Not very well."
"Very well." Elizabeth said with a smile. "If the occasion should rise that the influence of Shadow's try to infiltrate your mind, then the seal will suppress their power within you. However, if forced to overexert itself to rid their influence, it may cause a burning sensation on your skin."
"Won't that hurt?" I asked.
"My master says that the pain will only make it easier for you to regain control of yourself." She said, then sipped her coffee. "Oh my. I feel more attractive already." She stood up. "Well, I must be off now. I will see you soon, I hope?"
"Sure." I shrugged, downing the scalding liquid and getting to my feet.
I walked her out of the café and towards the alley where the entrance of the Velvet Room was.
"By the way." Elizabeth said, turning to me. "I'm sure that you'll be interested to know that a certain barricade that was blocking your path in Tartarus, has now been removed." She turned down the alley. "That was my original message. I hope that you have a safe journey."
Wait, so that's why I spent all afternoon with her?
Dammit, I'd figured that out already!
…
Ah well, I went back to the dorm.
"Alright ladies and Akihiko!" I declared once I walked into the dorm. "It's been far too long since I kicked some eldritch backside so we are going to Tartarus tonight and..."
"Oh, good evening." Ikutsuki said with a wave. "I'm afraid that everyone else is in their rooms preparing for tonight's exploration of the Tower already. You are quite late you know."
...
Facepalm.
It was in the Dark Hour, in Tartarus's lobby.
"Akihiko, I want you to stay here to look after Fuuka." I announced once I left the Velvet Room with some fresh Personae.
"Huh?" he asked. "Why?"
"Because I want someone to stay here with Fuuka in case anything happens like last time." I reasoned. "I'm leading, Yukari didn't get to come last time, Mitsuru wants to get back to the front line and I don't trust Junpei with any girl between the age of eleven and forty."
"Hey, come on man!" he shouted, then stopped. "Wait, what kind of age gap was that?"
"One that covered all the bases." I said, assuming Junpei isn't Kenji. "Any complaints?"
"Um… It's fine… really." Fuuka insisted, not wanting to start an argument.
"No…" Akihiko sighed. "No, he's right. I'll keep you company, Fuuka." He looked at me. "But I hope that we're taking shifts as we go up, I don't want to be falling behind!"
"Well, how's this?" Yukari offered. "Minato leads, so he chooses the team that goes up. We come back down every time we find a new transport point, and whoever's the most tired switches with whoever's down here?"
"Good plan." I said. "That okay with you Fuuka?"
"Yes." She said, confidently this time. She seems more comfortable here than she does outside of Tartarus.
Probably because it's something she can lose herself in.
"Alright then." I tugged on my new SAP gloves. They were like my old ones, only with metal power inside of the leather instead of just metal plates, so it protects my hand more and makes punch faster and harder due to the added mass.
Sweet, I know, but then I pulled a Macana out from the scroll. Think a stick with broken glass in it, and you're half way there. Actually, think an Aztec sword, and you've got it dead on. "Let's go."
You're gonna laugh when I say this, but remember when I said that I thought I broke my Evoker inside the Empress?
Well, I did. It's completely and utterly kaput. I put it to my temple, pull the trigger, and goop oozes out the muzzle.
And get this, right?
I never asked for a replacement.
And I left the tools scroll with Mitsuru's and Yukari's original Evokers at home for some bizarre reason unknown to me.
"Because you're a retard?"
Shut up, Pharos.
Anyway, I wasn't totally screwed. I'd just focus on Melee and rely on the others until we got to the next transporter. Let's see… we were on floor forty-two now, and the next transporter is at…
~ Floor forty seven ~
"Thanks Fuuka." I turned to the others. "See? Only five more floors without an Evoker, and then I can steal someone else's!"
They looked at me like I was mad. I probably am, but so are they. Not only does it come with the territory of having a Persona, but they are willingly following someone who is clearly insane. "Come on." I encouraged. "Before the Reaper decides that this is a golden opportunity!"
"You never use your Persona against him anyway." Pharos said.
Let's hope he doesn't care about that.
He did.
~ It's the Reaper! ~ Fuuka shouted. ~ He'll be on the floor in fifty seconds! ~
Wow, that's plenty of warning. "GO!" I ordered. "I'll deal with this!" I shouted, pulling out the scroll.
"Without an Evoker?" Junpei shouted, as I got about setting my trap.
"Good point!" I shouted back as I got to work. "You stay here Junpei. You're my backup!"
"Backup?" Junpei gulped as Yukari and Mitsuru began running, grudgingly. "We're not gonna fight that thing are we?"
"Better." I grinned.
I explained my plan quickly as I worked. "Now keep quiet about it once he gets here, or it won't work."
What won't work?
~ It's here! The Reaper is coming your way! ~
I laid the trip wire at head height, where he was sure to get it. "Come on!" I shouted, running for my life.
I'm not falling for that again
We saw the Reaper shoot straight through the trip wire, activating the explosion early. He floated through the dust unscathed.
"NOW!" I shouted at Junpei, as we skidded to a halt.
"RRAGH!" He pulled the trigger, summoning Hermes, who launched a fireball at the wall near the Reaper, igniting the small amount of gasoline I'd sprayed there.
The explosion wasn't much, but it was enough to interest the larger amount of explosives I'd strapped behind the wall supports, where the Reaper couldn't see.
KRAKOOM
That got him. "GO!" I shouted, pushing him towards the stairs, where Yukari and Mitsuru were waiting for us.
Once inside the stair room, we both clutched our knees, panting for breath.
"Man…" Junpei panted, gulping air down into his lungs. "I am never… EVER… doing that again!"
"Let's hope we don't have to." I replied, standing up. "Come on, a just a few floors left."
We climbed the stairs and retraced our steps to see the chasm. The previous three floors had big holes in them, as did this one. Looking down, I saw the biggest corpse I had ever seen.
"Is it dead?" Yukari asked.
~ Yes… ~ Fuuka said. ~ I'm not sensing any signs of life from it. You did it! You beat Death!~
Good Game
THE HELL?
I look forward to playing you again. You are the first to use cunning, instead of simply attempting to overpower me
Oh hell… not good.
I will not fall for such a trap next time we meet
Whelp. I'm well and truly buggered now. I saw Junpei leaning over out of the corner of my eye.
Wait, is he gonna… HE IS!
"DON'T YOU DARE!" I shouted, grabbing him and pushing him back. "DON'T SPIT ON HIS CORPSE!"
"Well, okay..?" Junpei said. "I just felt like it, ya know? Since… ya know… he's… dead? And all?"
"What if he comes back?" I asked.
I honestly wouldn't be surprised if everyone in the team shat themselves at the prospect.
"You serious?" Junpei asked me, pale and sweating. I nodded.
"What makes you think that, Arisoto?" Mitsuru asked.
I turned to Yukari and Mitsuru. "Ever since I taunted the Reaper, he's been taunting me from time to time when we were in Tartarus." I explained.
That surprised everyone. "And just now, he said 'Good Game. I look forward to playing you again'. That kinda suggests that he's gonna get better. "
"Good game?" Yukari repeated in disbelief. "Playing you again?"
I nodded. "Yeah, it's a game to him." I explained. "I don't think he has anything to do with the Shadow's. More likely he keeps the place in check. Since he usually appears if we stay on one floor for too long, I think he only steps in when he gets bored."
"Oh man…" Junpei said, panic rising in his voice.
~ So, you think that the Reaper will return? ~
"I don't think he'll be back tonight," I answered, "But we're gonna need more explosives in future."
"Absolutely not." Mitsuru stated.
I turned to Mitsuru, who continued, "If the Reaper thinks that this is a game, then we simply won't play." She said, glaring right at me like an angry teacher. "Tomorrow, you will go to the antique shop in Paulownia mall and stock up on Traesto Gems."
"Eh?" I asked. "Why?"
"That shop is run by a previous researcher for Kirijo Corp." Mitsuru explained. "She re-opened recently, so you should see her wares. She can replicate many of the gems we've found in Tartarus, and she has recently returned from doing some intensive research into Personae. But from now on, if we encounter the Reaper, we will use a Traesto Gem to escape. Understood?"
"What if he decides to actively stop us from advancing into the Tower in retaliation?" I asked her.
Mitsuru gave me a death glare. "Then we cease exploration and find use alternative means to strengthen our Personae." She said. "Am I clear?"
I sighed. "Understood…"
"Good." She said. "Now let's move to the next floor. Unfortunately for Akihiko, we're going to leave it here for tonight."
Crap…