5/3
Sunday morning, Constitution Day and the start of Golden Week's days off had left Mukuro realizing she had little to do with her spare time after she'd completed a morning jog and practiced her fighting technique moves while wearing a backpack filled with some random things from her room to help weigh it down. She could absolutely understand Akihiko's frustrations at being benched with an injury that could get aggravated at the slightest wrong move as she herself felt a similar feeling of restlessness that she practically wanted the next full moon to arrive already and see what sort of threat the strange boy had spoken of in her dreams.
Laying on her bed and sipping a water bottle, the young soldier took up her TV's remote and turned it on, finding the news.
"Apathy Syndrome cases continue to be on the rise again," the reporter said. "Cause remains unknown, but hospital beds are beginning to fill again quickly as a result. Another strange and unexplained fatality has also occurred overnight, with no apparent cause of death..."
Mukuro shifted position and sat up, gazing with curiosity as the report continued, she recalled something about unexplained deaths that seemed to just happen overnight.
"Could this be the work of rumored spirits summoned to avenge grudges, or has Apathy Syndrome become fatal? If so, whom shall be next?" the reporter asked forebodingly.
The young soldier cocked an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Now, we move on to brighter things to start our Golden Week with. Tonight, we have a lowdown on Golden Week's weekday hotspots, the awaited juicy interview with Tokyo's top young fashion idol, and the highly-anticipated hour-long special of Phoenix Ranger Feathermen R!"
Mukuro rested her chin in her palm and changed the channel, seeing there wasn't going to be any more details on what she was interested in hearing about, finding herself now being witness to some sort of home shopping show.
"Here comes Tanakaaaaa~! Over the airwaves to youuuuu~!" a catchy female chorus sang to a title screen with an image of the world with three cartoon figures of a middle-aged man in a gray suit, presumably depictions of the show's host, performed a dance in sync with the jingle.
"Hell-oooo, everyone! Welcome to Tanaka's Amazing Commodities!" the host said with a devious smirk as he lowed his sunglasses and flicked them out of frame. "I'm your host, TV Tanaka!"
"Granter of your desiiiiires~!" the chorus sang.
Slowly, with an unimpressed gaze that did not leave her TV screen, Mukuro raised her remote to change the channel again.
"Hey, now, don't touch that dial till you've seen our prices that are unbeatable!" the host declared swiftly with a knowing smile and raised finger. "...Now, our first item, for all you kids trying to make the most of that time off you've no doubt been waiting for, we've got Yawn-B-Gone, a fantastic new beverage to make that goal a reality so not a second goes to waste from the tempting lure of a daytime nap! Now, I'm just the salesman, so let's have our guest, the gorgeous girl genius whose desires got a little help from this fine concoction, come out and see if she can convince you further!"
He gestured to his right, and the camera scrolled over to a girl Mukuro was certain was about her age, donning a form-fitting pink fuku and leather harnesses over her very well-endowed, hourglass figure she wasn't shy about as she tossed back her wild blonde hair and smirked widely at the camera.
"Thanks for havin' me, Tanny!" she said, flashing a grin. "You heard him right, bitches!"
"IRUMA!" the host cut her off.
"Sorry. Ladies and gents!" the girl, Iruma, declared. "Aaaaas I was saying, I hate sleep! Yeah it feels good getting all comfy and cozy between the sheets but then you miss out on other sh-things you know you could be doing in that precious little window you got between that and work or school, and for me, that's inventing sh-stuff! And for that reason this brain knows it can count on this perfect stimulant that manages to stay totally legal so you can stay totally awake and cloud nine doesn't make you put it off!"
"And not only that, but order now, and we have a special offer to go with it!" Tanaka continued, "Not one, but TWO Muscle Drink protein milkshakes, all this and a pair of Yawn-B-Gone for the total of 1980 yen!"
"That IS an awesome deal!" Iruma said with a haughty laugh. "Especially when you're like me and know preparin' a meal can feel like you're wasting time, too!"
"You heard right, the price of some extra free time in your busy life, the thing any hard worker wants most, is only 1980 yen!" the host declared proudly. "Supplies are limited, so don't miss this golden opportunity!"
The young soldier blinked in confusion at what she'd just allowed herself to finish watching as the program cut to commercial break. Admittedly, the deal sounded pretty good for her morning workouts and she had plenty of money.
Sighing, Mukuro took out her phone, and made the call.
The matter resolved and the order made, Mukuro felt her body flop back on her bed as she stared at the ceiling pensively. She'd already done her morning activities, TV had nothing interesting on, it seemed her options were rather limited. The girl's ice-blue eyes drifted over to her laptop on her desk, recalling that game Junpei had given her that'd finished installing along with its "Forever Penance" expansion, and with the internet back up and running and her having nothing better to do, an opportunity had indeed presented itself.
Getting up, she made her way over to her desk and sat down, opening her laptop and booting it up.
This game is a work of fiction.
Sumaru City, the year is 199X
Mukuro cocked an eyebrow. She recognized the city by name and only because of a murder spree that had occurred there the same year as...
She shook her head and continued to scroll through the opening dialogue, watching a cutscene play out. She wasn't going to throw away her dignity by letting unpleasant memories scare her away from some old video game.
A new screen came up, a message by someone named "PHIL".
Reality is just a series of events and players acting out what they believe is real. When we accept that fact, our world becomes "reality"...
...Reality is but a reflection of our thoughts and expectations. But, what if we were merely reflections in another's mirror? Are you prepared to look through that mirror to discover the truth?
Resting her chin in her palm, the teen clicked "Yes".
A new screen appeared, with a prompt to design the character she'd be playing. Scrolling through the options, she came across a type who apparently used hand-to-hand as her fighting skills. Moving through the menus, she gave her character blonde hair in a ponytail and blue eyes, wearing a black and white fuku uniform with a red scarf, then and spent the next few moments pondering a name before hitting the random name generator and deciding on "GINKO".
"Your journey to find truth through rumor and deception begins," a male voice, presumably PHIL, narrated. "Will you succeed in your innocence, or fall to punishment for sin?"
Her character had appeared in a place called Lunarvale Hospital, learning she'd suffered a relapse from a terrible incident. Mukuro, however, did not have much time to dwell on it or how relatable that felt as well as another player's character nearby suddenly turned and approached.
[Oh. Sup. New?]
It was a female character with neck-length brown hair and a ribbon, and a similar uniform, her username appeared as "MARY".
[Kung-fu? Good choice. Used Revelations DLC for my toon. U like?]
Mukuro stared at the screen, though had not responded.
[Sry, didn't mean to be rude. I'll leave u alone if u want.]
Mukuro tapped several keys, a help menu finally appearing that answered her issues.
[No. Sorry. Just found out how to respond.] Mukuro replied.
[Ah. U r new then.] MARY replied, the character doing an excited clasp. Mukuro's gaze flickered to her help menu on the corner of the screen and tried the command that seemed like it would do something similar, only to stare in confusion when her character instead leapt in the air with a fist raised to cheer.
[lol. Ur enthusiastic. Wanna co-op?] MARY asked.
[Co-op?] Mukuro asked.
[Team up. Do missions together. Usual partner sleeps all day so using low-lvl alt.] she explained.
[Oh. Right.] Mukuro replied.
[Hm, very new. But with me u cn master the world of co-op!] MARY answered.
MARY turned away from Mukuro's character. She'd called it a 'toon', the young soldier had no real understanding of this vocabulary or manner of speech she decided she'd have to look it up later when she got the chance if she was going to play this more.
[Srry. Spose to be alternate selves, right?] MARY asked.
[Nice to see you've come around! School's waiting, you know!] she added.
[What?] Mukuro asked.
[((Be in character! You wanna co-op? Make it fun and be how you think your toon would be!))] MARY replied.
[I'll speak normal 4 u, but look up gamer lingo when u can 4 OOC.] MARY replied.
[I was just thinking that.] Mukuro typed out.
[It's Golden Week anyway so no school IRL leaves me plenty of idle time.] MARY replied.
Mukuro cocked her eyebrow in curiosity, seemed if MARY was legit she was possibly around her age, not that she'd given any indication of her own.
[NE way, sucks being alone on days off, and you wanna check this game out, right? Win-win!] MARY answered.
[So, nice to see you've come around, school's waiting you know!] she messaged, repeating her earlier in-character statement.
Mukuro shook her head, getting it this time and taking a second to ponder what she'd say, not really having 'roleplayed' before in her life. She was a soldier before coming her, not a spy. The only person she could think of whose demeanor could come off radically different from herself would be...
[Oh. My God! I hope I didn't miss too much! That'd be like super-awful!] she replied.
[LMAO! Fits! U've leveled up with me!] MARY replied.
[Leveled up?]
[Well, not literally. But you'll be a fun co-op, I bet.] MARY answered.
MARY's avatar giggled. Mukuro couldn't help but smirk a little in amusement. It would be a lot easier to navigate this game with someone who knew it.
Mukuro heard glass shatter within the recesses of her mind, time slowing down and reality darkening as Theodore's voice spoke to her.
Thou art I... and I am thou...
Thou hast established a new bond...
Thou shalt be blessed when creating
Personas of the Hermit Arcana...
[Ahem! Ginko, right! We're in class together, remember? I was told to get you!] MARY messaged, getting back in character as reality returned to normal for Mukuro.
[This way. I'm sure everythng will be fine when we get there!] MARY added, leading the way.
Mukuro paused a second, before putting her hand over the arrow keys and following her out of the hospital to the high school.
Mukuro slumped in her chair as she looked at the time, surprised by how much of it had gone by.
[Fun, huh? NY way, g2g, meeting with friend!] MARY said.
[If we're both on again sometime we can level together some more!] she added.
[You catch on fast. Total co-op material!]
Mukuro had to admit this was in no way like the shoot-em-up arcades she was good at, but she did have fun.
[See you later.] she replied.
[NO! IC, rmembr?] MARY responded.
Mukuro rolled her eyes and typed.
[Catchya later, Mary-chaaaan!] she replied.
[There u go! Loved the kung-fu phrases u did too when u pummeled demons!] MARY replied.
[More fun getting to be someone else sometimes huh?]
[Right. Seeya soon, Ginko-chan!] MARY ran off down the school hall and suddenly vanished as her player logged off, Mukuro scrolling to the menu and doing so as well for the day.
Whoever this "MARY' was, she was certainly good, and had actually been an enjoyable teammate to pass time with.
With the evening soon to come and having spent so long sitting down, Mukuro decided she'd go for another jog before figuring out what she'd do for dinner before studying the various words and terms her 'co-op' partner had used in case she ran into her in the game again.
5/4
Mukuro's evening looking up and trying to process the concept of 'gamer lingo' did her few favors, but it had also occurred to her that she had little in the way of personal reading material as well for time off. Mitsuru had mentioned an old second-hand bookstore had reopened recently at the strip mall called Bookworms she enjoyed visiting for the things she spent her evenings reading for fun or to help with her studies and the young soldier had decided to go and check it out.
Standing at the entrance in a casual white turtleneck, black coat and skirt over tights and boots, Mukuro eyed the grand reopening sign at the window for a second, she opened the door and stepped inside.
The place was quite small, and extremely cluttered. Books were shelved and stacked just about everywhere, the young soldier wasn't sure if there was any sort of organization to them or not, and it had a musty smell to it. A few old scrolls and paintings depicting Feudal Japan and Japanese mythology adorned the walls and an aging clock ticked away on the far wall, giving it a more homey feel.
"Ahh, welcome, young Miss!" the owner greeted as Mukuro entered. He was elderly, probably in his eighties from what she could tell, with receding white hair and a bushy mustache, a pair of thick glasses framing kind eyes resting on the bridge of his nose as he drew his pipe from his mouth, and wearing a white pullover sweater with red and blue zigzag patterns across the middle. "And what brings you? We got in fresh mackerel today!" he said with a merry chuckle.
An elderly woman about his age turned from the bookshelves she was stocking and let out a sigh. "My apologies for my husband, I should probably let you know we don't sell fish here."
"...I figured," Mukuro said dryly.
"Hey, you're a high-schooler, right?" the old man asked. "Gekkoukan student, perhaps?"
"I am," Mukuro said with a nod, not really in the mood for small talk and hoping to get around to asking about some books she'd had in mind. "...What of it?"
"The persimmon tree, by any chance have you seen it?" asked the owner, nursing his back.
"The small tree outside on the way to the gymnasium?" Mukuro asked, recalling having seen such a tree when she'd gone to ask about the volleyball club. She'd thank her wilderness survival courses in Fenrir for recalling how different trees looked, namely this one for its ability to bear fruit that was edible.
"Yes! Yes! That's the one! There's not a day that goes by we don't think about it!" the old man said with a jolly laugh.
"My apologies, again. He tends to ramble like the old man he is," his wife muttered.
"I'm not ramblin'! I'd love to see it but these stumpy, brittle old legs wouldn't be up to it!" the owner replied. "...How's it lookin', Miss? Has it bear any fruit yet?"
"It's still pretty small so no," Mukuro said.
"Ahhh, you seem to have quite an understanding of them, don'cha?" the old man asked with a chuckle.
"I do, yes," Mukuro said. "I... used to camp often, so I was told about them."
"Well, it makes me happy nonetheless knowing the tree's doing well!" the owner replied. "I imagine, though, you're here for some books, right? Well, let me introduce my wife Mitsuko, and myself, Bunkichi. As you may have guessed, we run this humble bookstore," he explained. "What might your name be, young Miss, should you come by again?"
"Mukuro. Mukuro Ikusaba," the young soldier said.
A concerned look appeared on the old man's weathered features. "Interesting name, if you don't mind me saying, Miss Ikusaba."
"It's mine and no one else's to my knowledge," Mukuro replied dismissively. She'd not used her old family surname name in years and didn't intend to do so any time soon.
"I apologize, it was uncalled for," the old man, Bunkichi, said with an apologetic bow. "Since we're your seniors we'll just call you "Mukuro-chan" from now on!"
"I... appreciate it," Mukuro said, unsure how to respond and looking around at the books nearby for a cover that would get her interest.
"My husband's quite a character but he means well," the wife, Misako said with an assuring smile. "We appreciate you coming by, and you've brightened his day knowing you've seen the tree. It..." The elderly woman went quiet a moment. "...It means a lot to us."
Glass shattered within the recessed of the young soldier's mind once more, as time slowed down and reality dimmed, and Theodore's voice echoed within her mind again...
Thou art I... and I am thou...
Thou hast established a new bond...
Thou shalt be blessed when creating
Personas of the Hierophant Arcana...
Misako chuckled a little as reality returned to normal. "...Well, you needn't listen to us ramble, I'm sure you have business, don't you? Is there anything in particular you're looking for?" she asked. "We're open every day except Sunday. Unfortunately we don't have any manga, though there is a shop further up that sells them.
Mukuro gave a small smile. "No, not what I came for," she said. Even though the place was still disorganized a bit, likely due to it having just reopened, she did like its atmosphere and the owners seemed pleasant enough. "Anything on the Tokugawa Era?" she asked.
"Of course, we have historical non-fiction and fictional stories taking place in those times, right this way," Misako said, heading to one of the shelves while her husband puffed away silently at his pipe as he sat down in a nearby chair still tending to his back. The young soldier noticed he seemed deep in thought but decided it was not her place to press as she followed his wife over to the shelf she was referring to.
Emerging from the bookstore with a few new books loaded in her bag, Mukuro had prepared to head back when she paused noticing several people standing together near the entrance to the strip mall.
Cautiously approaching closer, she immediately recognized their deathly pale complexion, their gaping expressions that seemed to be staring off into space. They paid her no notice at all even as she briefly stood before them, snapping her fingers a few times.
She recalled what she'd been told about how people became afflicted with Apathy Syndrome, something the news reporters or normal people out of the loop of what SEES knew would ever believe. Mukuro's brow furrowed a little as they remained where they stood, unflinching in their slouched posture.
Slowly, as one, they turned their heads to face her, causing the girl to step back in surprise. Their faces were unnerving, Mukuro would have to take back the post-traumatic shell-shocked comparison, now. They weren't even looking at her, it seemed, rather, it was like they weren't looking at anything. They were more like very realistic, but no less creepy-looking mannequins.
Thoughts went back again to what had been said earlier, and how more appeared before that evening when that massive Shadow with the knives that had nearly killed her and Yukari had shown up at the dorm during the Dark Hour. The boy from her dream had said a full moon would come by the end of the week and one of 'them' was going to appear then. Was the full moon affecting the Shadows somehow as well? She didn't know but she suspected when the time came, she may get her answers for certain.
5/5
Childrens' Day, the last day of the Golden Week holidays had come, and then school would start up again, Mukuro noted as she'd finished getting ready for her morning jog and headed downstairs.
"Hey," She paused, looking over at Akihiko, who was still in his sleepwear laying on the couch with an open book laying spread on his chest. "Goin' out for a jog again?"
"No school, thought I'd not waste it," Mukuro said, cocking her head a little.
"Heh, want a running partner?" he offered. "Just need a sec to change."
"How's your injury?" Mukuro asked, if bluntly.
"I'm fine, just really wanna be doin' something," Akihiko fumed. "I swear, an injury that lasts through Golden Week, like someone up there's laughing at me."
"You sure you'll be alright?" the young soldier asked.
"Toldya, I'll be fine," Akihiko said, rising from the couch and stretching as he set his book aside. "Can't let a little thing like this get me lazy, ya know? Gotta keep myself active somehow so I'm ready once my rib's better, right?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Hurry up, then," Mukuro replied, sitting in the empty armchair while Akihiko headed upstairs to change, and returned moments later in his jogging clothes.
"Same loop as before?" he asked with a smirk.
"You figured me out," Mukuro said, giving him an approving nod and a faint smirk of her own as they headed outside.
Finishing getting dressed for the day after her post-regimen shower, Mukuro had decided to head back to the strip mall and to the secondhand bookstore to find something to read for the rest of the night.
"Oh! You came back!" Bunkichi said, greeting her with a kind smile as he puffed away at his pipe from his chair, his wife arranging one of the shelves nearby. "Welcome, um... what was your name again, Miss?"
"Mukuro. The strange name, remember?" the young soldier asked, cocking her eyebrow with a judgmental stare. The old man, however, just let out a jovial chuckle.
"I'm just joking!" he said with a mischievous smirk. "I know I'm old, but I'm not that old! My wife and I were actually just thinking about you, Mukuro-chan..."
Now the young soldier felt confused, either he was pulling her leg again or sheer coincidence had come into play. "What do you mean?"
"Well, a vendor was giving out melon breads, and offered us a few, and... well, I think we have more then enough so why not take one?" Bunkichi asked, getting up from his seat and opening a small mini-fridge, likely Mukuro suspected to save him a walk if he needed to get a drink or a snack as he took out a small packaged bread and handed it to her.
"Um... thank you," Mukuro said, she'd never actually had melon bread before but was curious, now. "I'm... not used to gifts," she said, deciding not to go into detail and wind up weirding the elderly couple out with her unorthodox life story.
"Don't worry about it! They're actually quite good, too!" Bunkichi said with a friendly smile. "No need to thank me, either. We had plenty."
"Still," Mukuro said, looking at the packaged bread the shopkeeper was offering before accepting it. "...Thank you."
"Heh, you seem a little anxious about thanking people... not in a bad way, though," Bunkichi said. "More a... are you simply not used to favors done for you?"
Mukuro looked down a moment. "My life was... it's not something that's what most would call 'normal'," she said.
"Well, it's no business of mine, but you're still certainly a polite young lady!" said Bunkichi with a chuckle, though his smile began to fade on his weathered features as he looked down at the desk. "...If only HE'D been that way, too..."
Mukuro blinked in curiosity, but said nothing, feeling it wasn't her business to pry.
"Sorry, my thoughts were getting a little sidetracked!" he said with an embarrassed smile. "Take a few, share them with friends if you like, um... what was your name, again?"
Mukuro blinked slowly, opening her mouth to speak as she wondered if he was teasing again, but Misako interjected.
"Mukuro-chan, dear," she said with slightly stern tone before giving Mukuro an apologetic smile as she took some more breads from the mini-fridge. "I'm so sorry, he actually has been rather forgetful, today. Here you go."
Mukuro gave a small, but grateful smile and bowed politely. "Thank you..."
Misako chuckled warmly. "See, you're very well-mannered, after all!" she said. "But really, think nothing of it, we're glad to brighten your day a little."
"I don't need to worry where to go for lunch," Mukuro replied with a faint smile.
"Such a lovely smile, too," Misako replied. "I'm sure you have plenty of boys' attention at school, don't you, Mukuro-chan?"
Now, the young soldier's pale face took on a shade of red.
"...Maybe," she said, recalling what Junpei had told her a few days ago.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you, it was just a compliment," Misako assured.
"Like I said, my life was... different then most," Mukuro said, glancing away and brushing back her hair as she tried to make the blushing she felt in her cheeks go away.
"Well, however it was, you seem like you've still come out of it a well-mannered young lady," Misako said.
"Mmm, where is he? Maybe we should introduce her to him?" Bunkichi asked, taking a puff of his pipe as he sat back down.
"Who?" Mukuro asked, "Does someone else work here?"
"Of course! Our spoiled son!" Bunkichi said, chuckling fondly. "He's not been back for a while, but I'm sure he'll be along..."
"...Must you, dear?"
Mukuro looked over at the man's wife. Any joy and warmth she'd had a moment ago had disappeared, rather, now, she looked on the verge of tears after she'd spoken as she gave her husband a disapproving look. Yet, the young soldier didn't feel certain if it was her place to ask and did not wish to offend the eldery woman further by asking about it. Misako's husband, however, found his voice first amidst the silence.
"Right... I'm sorry, dear..." Bunkichi frowned, shaking his head as he looked down at his lap, holding his pipe aside a moment. "Mukuro-chan, I suppose you're curious, right? No use denying it..." He took a puff of his pipe. "He's... he's deceased. I apologize, I hope I'm not making things too uncomfortable..."
Mukuro once again found herself unsure how to answer or what she could say. Comforting people wasn't exactly her strong point. "...I'm... I'm sorry," she said, glancing away.
Misako turned away, shaking her head. "It's alright, dear. It is what it is," she said softly, as if trying to reassure herself most.
The young soldier frowned, but her expression was softened. She could only wish her time in Fenrir, surrounded by violence and death had desensitized her to her own loss as well. "If I may say so... I think I understand how it feels."
"What do you mean?" Bunkichi asked, confused. "Did you..."
Mukuro nodded. "Ten years ago... my family and I were in an accident. Only I made it," she said, trying to word things right. "...I said my life wasn't exactly normal. I'm... not... trying to compare notes or anything, just... you don't need to... be ashamed of feeling like that with me. I'm just saying I... think I understand."
"Oh, Mukuro-chan, you didn't need to share that with us if you didn't want to," Misako said, frowning apologetically.
Mukuro shook her head. "My apologies, I didn't mean to bring things down more, though."
"It's quite alright, I understand you meant well," Misako said with a sad, but genuine smile. "We appreciate your concern, but don't worry, you needn't dwell on our matters so much."
The sound of glass shattering resounded within her mind.
"Hey, now, let's not have the gloomy faces, hm?" Bunkichi asked, looking back at Mukuro and managing a smile. "We got a business to run and I guarantee you and your friends'll enjoy that melon bread!" he said with a warm chuckle. "Now, anything you came by for? I imagine you didn't just visit to hear an old man ramble!"
"I appreciate it," said Mukuro, managing a small smile of her own. "I felt like staying in and reading for the evening since I have school tomorrow. Anything you recommend?"
"Oh, well if you liked what you got last time, I believe we have a copy of Shogun," Bunkichi said, looking over to his wife. "...Should be on that shelf back there, Misako, I apologize we're still a little disorganized. One of my old favorites, actually."
Mukuro gave a nod as Misako went over to the shelf and retrieved the copy for her. "Thank you, I am actually taking an interest," She could certainly empathize with her history teacher, now. The Tokugawa era was actually very interesting, it may have just been the soldier she'd grown into that allowed her to relate more to it.
That, and, in a way, she was in another battlefield of sorts, even if there was little that could be done until, by the strange boy's implied words, the next full moon, which was only a few days away, now...
5/6
One of the Yawn-B-Gone drinks that had been waiting for her with the rest of her order when she'd gotten home the previous night had done wonders for Mukuro as she came to school that day after having ended up reading the book she'd bought in its entirety.
As she approached the gates of Gekkoukan, however, she spotted Seiko Kimura, the girl she'd encountered after being subject to Mr. Edogawa's 'medicine' last week, who seemed to be in a tense conversation with a short-haired girl with a pink cardigan and a strawberry hairclip.
A tense and very one-sided conversation, it seemed. Curious, she paused at the gate, pretending to look around as she eavesdropped.
"No one's attacking you or forcing you, Seiko-chan!" the short-haired girl said in a voice like poisoned honey, sweet yet dangerous and Seiko seemed to perceive it the same way as she wilted against the tree the girl had cornered her at. "...I'm just wondering if you're really my friend, sometimes!"
"I... I'm sorry, i-it just slipped my mind. It's my fault!" Seiko squeaked out meekly. "Don't... don't worry, I'll have it ready for you tomorrow, promise!"
The short-haired girl giggled. "That's the spirit!" she said, her voice cheerful and upbeat, if overly so as she slapped the other girl on the shoulder in a playful manner that Mukuro suspected had a degree of passive-aggressiveness to it. "Plus, I'm practically carrying the cooking club's dessert projects with Yamagishi's embarrassing incompetence! You don't want us losing our funding, do you?"
Seiko stared down at the grass. "No... I... I wouldn't want that. I promise you'll have it tomorrow."
The short-haired girl smirked. "I knew I could count on you. Thanks, bestie!" she said as she rushed inside with a big smile. Seiko, however, did not move from her place, instead leaning against the tree. Slowly raising one gloved hand, the girl tugged away her surgical mask to take a few breaths. Concerned, Mukuro decided to approach rather then head inside.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"I'm fine," Seiko said softly, quickly putting her mask back in place. "Just... I'm a bit... behind on a favor for a friend."
The girl stared down at the grass once more. "You were eavesdropping on all that, weren't you?" she asked. "I saw you over there, why did you do that? It's r-rude, you know..."
"My apologies," Mukuro said. "It seemed like you were getting bullied and I wanted to see if you were alright."
Admittedly, the young soldier thought, she'd considered intervening sooner, but starting a fight or using extreme force out in the open in a crowded courtyard especially so soon after her skirmish with Akihiko's admirers probably would have put her in hot water, especially being a new student and having been put on student council by Mitsuru.
"N-No! No bullying was happening!" Seiko insisted. "It w-was my fault, honest! I didn't get my friend's order ready in time, but she's giving me some extra. We're friends, after all... I gotta be a good friend after she's stayed by me all these years."
Mukuro's brow furrowed. "...If you say so," she said dryly, hearing glass shatter in the recesses of her mind as she could tell the other girl seemed extremely stressed but didn't want to talk about it.
"Oh! Um, how did those medicines I gave you work out?" Seiko asked, looking up at her though her mask covering the lower half of her face making her expression unreadable that Mukuro couldn't tell if the other girl was eager or fearful of her response.
"They worked well, I appreciate it," the young soldier said with a faint smile. "You're very talented."
Seiko glanced downward again, her eyes the only part of her face visible though Mukuro could see a hint of red. "Th-thank you. If you need more, just ask, I'm... sure we can work something out. Anyway, I should get going... don't wanna be late for class!"
The other girl promptly rushed inside before Mukuro could say anything in response, leaving her to go inside on her own and deciding she'd try and keep a closer eye on her when she could to get a better idea of what was going on between Seiko and her so-called friend.
Junpei let out a loud yawn as class ended for the day. "Goodbye Golden Week, hello school," he muttered in dismay as he came over to Mukuro's desk. "How'd you manage to stay awake? Even that Yawn-B-Gone and the melon bread you shared with me couldn't save me from those lectures!"
"You could try going to bed earlier," Mukuro remarked dryly.
"C'monnn, you stayed up, too!" Junpei whined. "It some kinda mental discipline the military..." Junpei's eyes darted around noticing some were looking their way. "...school you were at taught?"
"...Maybe?" Mukuro asked, cocking an eyebrow. She had been on a very strict lights-out and wake-up call schedule back in Fenrir, after all. "I was trained to be awake for long periods of time and up and ready at a moment's notice in case of... circumstances."
"Maaan, bet that could do me some good!" Junpei replied with a laugh as he scratched the back of his head anxiously.
"Think you'd be able to handle it?" Mukuro asked, choosing to make as tactful a response as she could think of from what she knew of her friend's habits.
"...Nah, prolly not. Guess I'm just a little jealous is all," Junpei sighed. "Maybe if that was what I was doin' for a while, now... but I'll show ya what I'm made of soon as we can go back into Tartarus again!"
"I checked in with Mitsuru this morning," Yukari said, coming over. "She was up during the Dark Hour in the command room, said there's been no changes to the signals she was following in Tartarus, so I guess that barrier's still up."
"I wonder..." Mukuro folded her arms in thought over what the boy in her dream had said.
"Hm?" Yukari looked over, curious.
"Nothing," Mukuro said. "...Just thinking of last time at the dorm when there was a full moon, the "Lost" increased a lot in the days before, there have been more of them lately and a full moon's this weekend, right?"
"There is, yeah," Yukari said. "That's also when that huge Shadow appeared."
"Huge Shadow?" Junpei asked.
"Before you joined, Junpei," Mukuro said, before looking back at Yukari. "...True, it did appear when a full moon was out."
Yukari had taken notice as well, it seemed. The boy's words processed in the young soldier's mind again. Was it what the boy meant by an ordeal and 'them' after all? Maybe both it and the Lost were connected to the full moon after all...
"Hey, this all seems weirdly connected, doesn't it?" Junpei asked. "You guys mentioned this big Shadow attackin' the dorm, n' more Lost appearing near a full moon? Somethin's gotta be going on affecting the Dark Hour during those times!"
"That'd make sense, it's a lot of coincidences," Mukuro said.
"Maybe that barrier'll disappear when we get a full moon?" Junpei offered. "We could check out Tartarus then and see!"
Mukuro didn't see any reason to doubt the boy, and she did honestly want to go back in and fight Shadows again and see what lay beyond. "We should do that."
"Ha-ha! Leave it to the deductions of Junpei, Ace Detective!" the boy said with a grin and an approving nod, getting a facepalm from Yukari.
"...Sure, Junpei, just don't let it get to your head. We'll have to wait and see before we go assuming it's true," she said. "Anyways, I got Archery Club to get to, so I'll see you later!"
"Right, think I'm gonna head out, too. Seeya, Mukuro!" Junpei said, his tone cheerful likely high off his contribution, causing the young soldier to feel a hint of concern about his need to prove himself so much, hopefully it wouldn't cause issues once the full moon arrived.
Getting her things, Mukuro made her way to the hallways, where she found Aoi, who'd been facing one of the walls, hunched over a bit as she was apparently eating something.
"Asahina?" the young soldier asked. The brunette sharply turned, blue eyes wide and alert and the sound of crinkling plastic could be heard as her hand flew into her red hoodie's pocket.
"Mmm? Mmukwwo?" She hurriedly swallowed what she was eating and gave a big smile. "Oh! Mukuro! Hi! What's up? We got club today, wanna come?"
Mukuro's eyes flickered to where Asahina had hidden whatever she'd been eating, and some crumbs on her face and blazer. The girl immediately took notice, too, and hurriedly brushed them away. "Ehh, you didn't answer my question. I was... eh, just getting a little snack before club. Don't wanna have an empty stomach for that sorta thing and I feel stiff as a board right now... kinda fell asleep in class," she muttered, blushing harder. "Golden Week, long weekend, kiiiiiinda screwed up my internal clock a little... maybe I shoulda gone for that offer that Tanaka guy was pitching..."
The girl promptly pepped up. "Well, no use complaining! I'm feeling more rested now! I'll make up for what I missed in class by studying later! So... coming?"
"C'mon! Let's go, let's go! Get those legs moving, girls!" Asahina shouted. However, despite her coaching, it seemed by Mukuro's observation none of the other girls seemed to be trying in the least. In fact, by her observation, it seemed as though they were doing it intentionally as if to deliberately wear down the brunette's patience.
"Asahina, can't we take a break?" one asked, stopping.
"We just had one!" Aoi replied, her shoulders slumping. "It was fifteen minutes long, too! Besides have you seen the clock? We've barely started!"
"We're still tired, though," another girl said dismissively, stopping as well. "Besides, why are you being such a taskmaster? It's not like it matters, we won't get in the finals or anything."
Asahina's expression fell. "Hey, we can if we try, you know..."
"How? By having you and maybe Ikusaba carry everyone?" a third member asked, folding her arms and looking at her and Mukuro critically. "You're both on a level way above us, whaddya need us for if you just do that? No point."
"Hey, now! There's no "I" in team!" she huffed.
"But there's "me" in it when you spell it backwards," the first girl remarked.
"That's totally missing the point!" Asahina protested. "Look, you may not be as experienced as me, but it pays to have a goal! We can if we all put our minds to it!"
All the other girls paused, looking at her with judgmental, sullen silence. "You're the only one who wants that, Asahina," the first girl said.
"Is it just because you're still salty about the swim team not having a girls' division?" the second girl asked. "Seriously, who do you think you are dragging us into your grudge?"
"It's n-not...!" Aoi's shoulders slumped. "...It's not about any grudge, I swear. I just..."
The girls didn't even let her finish as they went over and gathered their things to leave.
"Hey! Wait! We aren't...!" Asahina called out desperately before stopping herself, her form deflating slightly. "...Ikusaba? I think we're done for today, so if you wanna leave..."
"It gives me a chance to exercise, I should take what I can get," the young soldier said.
"Well, no point in continuing, honestly. You saw what they did," the brunette replied, glancing back at her. "...Am I being selfish? Am I asking too much out of them?"
"Is having people who join a club do what the club's for asking too much?" Mukuro said.
"Maybe, I mean they usually just try to loaf around or chat about boys, they don't play or work out unless I tell them to," Asahina said with a sigh of defeat. "You, though... you said you never played volleyball but you're so fit and you're not tired either. You mentioned four-mile runs, too?!"
"Military school," Mukuro responded, going with the cover Mitsuru had given from her slip with the student council.
"I see," Asahina said, frowning and evident what had transpired was still bothering her. "Maybe I'm acting too much like a drill sergeant and less like a de facto coach, then. Volleyball's not the sport I'm into either, swimming is, but still... I wanna give it my all like I do any sport."
"Military school expects that by default," Mukuro said with a slight smirk as she folded her arms. "Still... it didn't give much room for personal interests."
"Why go to one, though? You don't seem like a troublemaker," Aoi asked, looking over at her in concern.
"...I went by choice. I guess..." the young soldier paused. "...I guess I didn't feel like I had any real goals in life, then."
"Well, I guess I have a different issue... it's like the path I want's closed to me, here, so I go with what I have. Maybe I am just using them to get what I want and compensating for it and I'm not really seeing it. But then why are they even here? They don't seem to have any interest at all in the sport," Aoi mused.
The brunette shook her head. "Sorry, I don't wanna waste your time... wanna spot eachother for situps and stuff?" she asked.
Mukuro gave the girl a small smile, that she could appreciate as she gestured for Asahina to go first.
"No, no. You first," Aoi said with a smile, though it looked as if she were trying to hold back tears from what happened. "I want to believe they joined out of interest. So we're... we're helping eachother out, right?" she asked anxiously as she crouched down while Mukuro took position and began doing her situps.
The brunette sighed, looking away as though she wasn't even sure if she believed that.
"Look, Ikusaba, just... don't think I'm forcing you to be here. There's a lotta work ahead, so if you don't wanna be here, I won't make you stay."
"I'm here now, aren't I?" the dark-haired girl asked, pausing from her situp.
Aoi managed a small, grateful smile. "Thanks. I'll treat you to something at the strip mall once the bell rings. I could use a snack myself, honestly."
Mukuro heard the sound of glass shattering within the recesses of her mind from the young athlete opening up to her more.
"...What to have, though? It's nice to have a reward waiting for you at the end!" the brunette said with a smile.
"...I have an extra melon bread in my bag," Mukuro offered. Asahina's face promptly lit up so much Mukuro doubted even the Dark Hour could mute it...
5/7
Thursday. Class had ended and Mukuro could only feel herself getting more and more overly anxious about what lay in store for everyone come the weekend once the full moon arrived. Even more of the Lost had appeared after she and Asahina had gone and had an after-practice meal. It really did feel like something big was indeed going to happen.
If it was indeed another larger and more powerful Shadow, though, a thought crossed Mukuro's head on how she and Yukari had nearly died that night, and would have were it not for that other Persona appearing suddenly that she could not sense anymore in the Dark Hour. Hopefully it was merely inexperience with them and lack of manpower and not that they were on the verge of being faced with something completely out of their league. It made her internally lament again that it wasn't people they were against. People she got, in the sense of how to eliminate or rescue them depending on a mission. Shadows seemed to be things that operated on an entirely supernatural level in every way that, while posing a challenge and the knowledge they were drawn to negative emotions, they were still otherwise an enemy she and the others, even Mitsuru and the chairman, knew very little about.
As a soldier, Mukuro had always made sure to have a full understanding of how her enemies thought and fought prior to engaging them, but now it was essentially having no option but to charge in blind and try to survive until a winning strategy presented itself.
"Hey, somethin' on your mind, Mukuro?" The young soldier's blue eyes turned as she saw Junpei standing there.
"What we discussed yesterday, mostly," she said.
"Oh yeah? Anything you wanna talk about?" asked Junpei. "I mean, we're a team, right, so if it's about that, at least ya got me to vent on it with!"
Mukuro looked about. Mitsuru had not come by, and Yukari had already left. She gave him a small smile. "Not here," she said.
"Oh, how about that cafe at Paulownia? I've always been kinda curious about it!" Junpei said with a grin.
Mukuro recalled when she'd gone there with Yukari, and had enjoyed it. "Started taking up coffee?" she asked.
"Hey, I know my way around it, I'll have ya know!" Junpei said with a laugh. "'Sides, Yuka-tan goes there from time to time n' Mitsuru got real scary about studyin', so, no reason not to, right?" he asked with a sheepish laugh.
"I actually enjoy it did last time I went with Yukari," Mukuro replied. "...The latte art's kind of... cute."
Junpei cocked an eyebrow. "Not exactly my reason, but hey, if that's a "yes" then what am I complainin' about? Let's head on over!"
"Whoa... so this is what it's like inside this place, huh," Junpei stared in awe as he looked around its well-furnished interior. "Guys can't really come to places like this together without, like, bringin' a girl as date or somethin'."
Mukuro gave the boy a slightly sharp gaze. "You brought me as a date?"
"Whoa, no! No!" Junpei insisted defensively. "Heh, okay that prolly sounded kinda wrong, I mean, like that wasn't what I had in mind. Was just sayin' guys usually don't come here together without it bein' like a double-date with girls."
"I see," Mukuro's expression softened. She didn't really feel sure Junpei was her type, but then again, the young soldier was so inexperienced in the dating world or even the romancing scene she wasn't even entirely sure what it was. Then again, Junpei didn't seem particularly choosy over the type of girls he was in to; he flirted with Yukari a little, though it seemed more playful or just meant to fluster her rather then a belief she'd be interested, and he seemed intimidated by Mitsuru. Which left her wondering as well...
"Do you think I'm datable?" she asked.
Junpei's eyes went wide, not expecting that response and even less clear on how to answer as he did not want to offend her or come off as a pervert either. "I... what?"
Mukuro faced him, now. "Junpei... am I the kind of girl you'd ask out on a date?"
Junpei attempted to process an answer. He certainly did find Mukuro Ikusaba very attractive, his comments he'd made before and the awkward encounter the other day when she'd come out of the shower, it made him wonder why she'd doubt that about herself.
"Eh, is this the time or place for that, Mukuro?" he asked anxiously and more then a little red in the cheeks. Mukuro may have been a soldier, he understood, they'd fought side-by-side in that freaky Tartarus place, he noted, but neither could come close to the battle in his mind right now over how a fair-skinned, dark-haired badass with a body whose curves and assets had not been invisible to him was asking him these things. Normally she had a cold demeanor and a powerful aura like Mitsuru, though that of a seasoned fighter rather then a fierce commander, then there'd been when she'd had only that towel and it was like...
"Just..." He heard Mukuro pause from her cold tone to a more curious one. "...Please answer my question."
"If I thought I had a snowball's chance, Hell yeah!" he said, giving an approving smirk.
"You don't think you're good enough for me?" the dark-haired girl asked.
"Okay, uh, enough with the tough questions! We should find a seat before people start starin' doncha think?" Junpei asked anxiously.
The young soldier blinked, noticing he had a point and led him to a table, sitting down across from him.
"What was up with that, Mukuro?" the boy asked.
The girl seated across the table shook her head. "...My apologies, it's... a personal matter from long ago," she said quietly.
"You said your sister got all the compliments when you were kids, that it?" Junpei asked.
Mukuro's gaze shifted to her side briefly. "...Yeah, something like that," she said. "She'd... joke about it, too." She noticed Junpei's concerned look from what she'd said. "...She didn't know better, I mean, we were just six years old."
"Hm, so like without gettin' to resolve that you don't feel so sure?" Junpei asked, frowning a little. He didn't pride himself an expert on reading people, but it seemed almost like Mukuro was playing it down somehow, so he elected a different approach. "...Well, I'll say you earned your spot at school!" he said with an approving grin. "C'mon, give a top-five Gekkoukan cutie like yourself a little validation!"
Mukuro gave him a brief look, on the one hand, that was a bold thing to say but his foot did sometimes live in his mouth, yet it also seemed from her time spent with him that Junpei was the type who could encourage anyone but the same could not be said of himself, she thought as the two of them placed orders for some coffee. She herself wasn't someone who prided herself on uplifting others with flattery or anything outside a mere honest observation, and as a soldier in Fenrir she let her CO's decide her merit. Even if she didn't peg Junpei as her type, his flattery which would have unnerved her in the past and made him come off as crude now sounded like an honest if clumsy compliment, which did still feel... nice.
"...I guess this is a place girls are more likely to hang out together, then? What sort of places would you and your guy friends hang out?" she asked, deciding to make it up to him by shifting the topic away.
"Well, more like acquaintances, really," Junpei said, smirking a little in relief. "Wild Duck, the ramen place, karaoke, the manga café" His eyes widened in embarrassment. "Okay, wow, that actually sounds a lot lamer now that I say it out loud!"
Junpei shook his head, laughing nervously as the server brought them their coffee and Junpei promptly took a sip of his. "This is damn good coffee, though! Bet the guy who runs the place knows his beans, and prolly brews 'em in special waters, too!"
"Didn't think you'd be a coffee expert," Mukuro replied, picking up hers and noting the cute bear art made on the cream before taking a sip.
"What, I like coffee!" Junpei said with a smirk. "Toldja I know my way around it! Plus, the bitter taste I actually like, helps me stay up when I wanna, and I feel cool when I drink it! How 'bout you?"
"I've had instant sometimes in Fenrir, but nothing fancy," the young soldier replied.
"I see," said Junpei. "Well, glad ya found somethin'!" he chuckled. "So, uh, not to bring up earlier but... why so self-conscious to the world of romance, Mukuro? There a guy you got a crush on already? If you like, I can totally help you out as your Cupid! Might be fun!" he asked, giving a sly smirk.
Mukuro instinctively bring her hand to both pinch the bridge of her nose and cup the lower portion of her face, to hide the blush she was starting to feel. This was embarrassing, she thought, someone like herself who had been disciplined to keep focused on the mission and yet subjects like this still made her feel utterly lost with no idea what she'd do if she really liked someone. She couldn't help but wonder if this was another reason Fenrir agreed to having her discharged and sent here...
"Oh! What about Akihiko-senpai? You two seem to be hitting it off, and you know all the girls are crazy about him!" Junpei offered.
"I've noticed," Mukuro said dryly, still concealing most of her face, Junpei did not seem to notice, though as he took another sip of his coffee. "Remember, they made that pretty clear to me."
"Heh, yeah, honestly though just shows you're not gonna take their shit!" Junpei said with a grin. "Best be careful Akihiko doesn't play ya, though!"
Before Mukuro could respond in any way, though, he quickly backtracked. "Wait, nah, he doesn't seem the type who would. Guy was blunt as hell about his fans right in front of 'em, so he seems like a pretty honest dude. Might be real serious, though, if you were in a relationship."
"We have done morning workouts together," Mukuro said. "...And I think he's still wants to spar with me once his injury's better... hopefully I don't cause him to get benched again when that happens."
"Well there ya go!" Junpei said, his grin spreading. "Your question earlier? I betcha he's interested! You oughta make a move! The mysterious transfer student sweeps in, steals the heart of the boy every girl wants and kicks her rivals' asses when they try and gang up on her! It'd be like somethin' out of a manga! Bet it'd even be the talk of the school!" he narrated in a dramatic tone and topping it off with an amused chuckle.
"...I'd rather be fighting enemies I don't need to hold back and can use weapons on," Mukuro said, blushing even more, now and looking away and anxiously sipping her coffee.
"Just joking, Mukuro!" Junpei laughed. "...But I can totally agree on that, too! But still, if you ever decide to give it a go, better take a shot while ya can! Or just counsel me about it!"
Mukuro heard the sound of glass shattering within her mind from Junpei's words. He did like to crack jokes a lot, and whether he simply felt she was out of his league for some reason or some other cause, he had a depth under his carefree attitude that the young soldier appreciated.
"Aw, crud, looks like the sun's gonna set soon," Junpei remarked, looking out the windows. Mukuro noticed the sky's color had indeed taken on a late afternoon orange. "...Guess we should be headin' back once we're done."
Mukuro gave a silent nod as she took another drink of her coffee, relieved to feel her blushing finally subsiding off her otherwise pale face.
"Hey, where you guys been?" Akihiko asked as Mukuro and Junpei finally arrived at the dorm, the sun having since set a good while ago.
"Big holdup," Junpei said. "You see how many'a those "Lost" freaks have been appearing lately? They're really all over the place, now!"
"We were at Paulownia, they're starting to really gather around the monorail station, especially" Mukuro said.
"I've noticed, yes," Mitsuru said from her spot on the sofa, setting down the book she was reading. "Their numbers have certainly gone up..."
"A full moon is in just two days, right?" Mukuro asked, stepping forward. "A lot of them showed up the day before the dorm was attacked on the night I awakened to my Persona, which was a full moon."
"Yes, I do recall that," Mitsuru said. "It's possible that it is more then mere coincidence. Many Lost returned to normal after that evening, though... but now the epidemic of Apathy Syndrome seems to have spiked once more."
"Just like last time," Yukari said, coming out of the kitchen area with a snack. "Hey, Mukuro," she said giving the other girl a small wave.
"...Senpai, you think there's a chance something like last time will happen again when the next full moon comes?" Mukuro asked, folding her arms.
"The Shadows got way more aggressive that evening, tons more appearing outside Tartarus then usual, then there was that huge one, too," Akihiko said, pinching his chin in thought and smirking. "...In that case, I'm going back on active duty this Saturday! Gonna need everyone, right?"
"Akihiko, are you trying to make me angry?" Mitsuru asked, giving the boy a sharp look.
"I understand you wanting to join, but Mitsuru's right," Mukuro said, her gaze turning towards him as well. "In battle, injured soldiers are a liability that affects the whole unit either way. Can't take that risk."
Akihiko sighed. "You too, Mukuro?"
"No arguments, Akihiko," the redhead said sternly. "Whatever's in store for us, we'll handle it. Even if you've been recovering I can't risk an injury putting you out of the fight and forcing a rescue. If I have no other options then I'll consider it if I'm forced to use all our resources and manpower, but otherwise I won't knowingly cause the team to be potentially jeopardized."
Akihiko sulked at her, but said nothing. "...May as well ask me to die of boredom instead," he fumed.
"For these reasons," Mitsuru continued, "I think it's important tomorrow you come straight back after school. Everyone needs to be rested and ready for anything when the Dark Hour arrives Saturday as we have no idea what could happen when the full moon arrives considering we lucked out last time."
Yukari looked over at her in concern. "Senpai, we've been thinking about that barrier in Tartarus that was blocking those stairs,"
"...From what I can determine, it's still there," Mitsuru replied.
"We were thinkin' once this full moon passes, we should go back in! Maybe something'll change, then, if it's affecting Shadows like this!" Junpei offered.
Mitsuru nodded. "It's possible, we don't exactly have any other theories or options behind it," she said. "Very well, when the full moon comes, we'll see if it does anything."
The older girl looked over at Mukuro. "All things considered, please be sure you're ready, soldier," she said with a small, slight smirk. "If it is indeed anything like last time, everyone participating must be fully able."
"Understood, ma'am," Mukuro said with a nod, then blinking and looking a little embarrassed when she'd noticed on instinct she'd stood ramrod straight at attention at the upperclassman's words. Yukari stifling a giggle had not gone unnoticed by her.
"...At ease," Mitsuru said, closing her eyes and stifling her own amusement herself, "...I'd also like to ask, Mukuro, it's been a month since you've come, how do you like it here?"
"I like it just fine," Mukuro said, relaxing her posture. "It's very different from what I'm used to but I like it."
"C'est fantastique!" the redhead said with an approving smirk. "If we get through this, I expect you'll be staying with us, so I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable," she said. "...And speaking of that, exams will be next week, so I don't want any of you using this weekend's concerns as an excuse not to study."
Mukuro could hear Junpei's audible and exasperated groan behind her.
5/8
"Ikusaba?"
Mukuro glanced up from her lunch to see Ms. Toriumi standing over her. "Yes?"
"You haven't joined any committees yet, have you?" she asked.
"No, ma'am,"
"Well, no reason you should, now. Both the Health and Library committees are full, now," the teacher replied. "...Which is why instead to fulfil the obligations of students being in a number of after-school activities, as an alternative you can join a culture club, however, that also brings us to a snag..."
"And what would that be?" the young soldier asked, taking another bite of her food.
"...The fact they're also full, save one that currently has gone vacant save its current leader and faculty advisor," Toriumi explained. "In order to stay open, it'd require another member after the last one fell under Apathy Syndrome last month. Once class is over, go speak to the faculty advisor and he'll show you where to go."
"And who is that?" Mukuro asked, curious.
"...And that, Ikusaba-san, is why I have not been overtaken by Apathy Syndrome, my connection to the Loa beings has rendered me impervious to dark spirits robbing me of my higher functions," Mr. Edogawa rambled to a stone-faced Mukuro as he led her down the halls, his medical coat billowing behind him and his slippers slapping the tile floor with each step while he scratched the side of his stubbled neck.
Mukuro couldn't wait to get away from this man before the temptation to use several things she'd learned in Fenrir for quick and easy methods of rendering a person temporarily or permanently mute grew strong enough for her to act upon it. Her ice-blue eyes cast a withering glare at the man but he seemed to not notice any more then he did her need to empty her entire stomach from the so-called medicine he'd given her the last time she'd seen him.
"Alright, head on in and say hello!" the doctor said, sliding open the door leading into a darkened classroom and gesturing she enter. "...Now, the Maians of Pleiades seek audience with me so alas, we must now part ways..."
Mukuro stepped in, pausing to glance back only to discover Edogawa was no longer there. Stepping back outside and looking around, she saw no sign of him in the halls, either.
"...He does that," a snide female voice said from behind her in the shadowy classroom, prompting Mukuro to turn, seeing a female figure holding a flashlight on her. "...Welcome to the Paranormal and Occult Studies Club..." she tilted the flashlight upward several inches under her chin as her voice took on a menacing tone. "...I take it you're the new member I've been told about?"
Mukuro's cold stare and impassive frown spoke volumes of how she was already hardly in the mood for the theatrics.
"...Whatever," the girl said, shining her flashlight on the wall switch and flipping it on, revealing a shapely teenage girl Mukuro's age. Her Gekkoukan uniform was spotless with a slight alteration of choosing black kneesocks instead of white. The girl's sunny-blonde hair draped down just past her shoulders, framing her fair-featured face... she'd have likely been considered stunning if not for that her green eyes were furrowed in a sharp, arrogant gaze and her lips in an unfriendly smirk that gave her expression the look of a jungle cat observing potential prey for a moment of weakness, though it faltered a little when she noticed Mukuro gave her no such concession. "...Huh. Not much of a talker?"
"...There's no other members?" the young soldier finally asked.
"No, just you, me, and technically that burned out hippie who runs the school clinic, but the year's still young," the blonde said dismissively, placing the flashlight on a desk and sitting atop it, her hands at her side and crossing her legs as she gazed back at Mukuro, in a way that made her feel as though the blonde were trying to establish dominance with her. "...Natsumi Kuzuryu. Pleasure, I bet. Does the last name ring a bell?"
"No."
The blonde's brow furrowed more, though in irritation, now. "Jeez, you transfer from a cave out in the middle of nowhere or something? I'm the daughter of the Kuzuryu clan's oyabun," she declared, placing her hand to her chest proudly. "... Largest remaining Yakuza clan in Japan? Thirty-thousand strong members?" she asked, looking at the girl standing in front of her as if hoping any of what she said made a difference.
"...I've never heard of you, I've been out of the country for years," Mukuro replied. The other girl let out a sigh.
"Okay, you're not a dumbass, you're just out of the loop is all. Fair enough, I guess, the 90's were a real bitch to our business practices, after all," the girl, Natsumi remarked with a haughty shrug. "...Still, I'm a little disappointed."
Not exactly a way to make people feel welcome, Mukuro thought to herself. Fenrir were strict teachers but they were never trying to make her feel unwanted. In fact, the girl didn't seem like she was particularly happy to be here any more then she was, which did leave the young soldier a little curious as to why she was even here in the first place.
"You don't come off as someone who'd run a club focused on paranormal studies or the occult," she said.
"...And you'd be right," Natsumi said, switching her toned legs' position but keeping her attempted regal demeanor. "...Gundham Tanaka-senpai transferred out at the end of last year, with the insistence the club must remain running... apparently he believes "the dark spirits that reside on these grounds must remain appeased" or whatever nonsense he was going on about. Edogawa agreed but no one wanted the spot and the Photography Club was full... and since I needed the extra credit so dad would let me put hits out when I graduate... here I am!" she explained with a slight spreading of her arms in emphasis.
"...Hits?"
"Oh don't worry about that," Natsumi said with dismissive wave of her hand. "...Unless you manage to really piss me off by the end of the year," she hissed, a dangerous glare suddenly on her face. "...Our only condition is you can't be part of the Photography club!"
"...Actually, now that you mention it, I could probably do hits if you want me to," Mukuro offered, deciding to at least make an effort to get on the girl's good side. Natsumi's harsh gaze turned to mild amusement.
"Nice sense of humor. Maybe we can get along!" she said, her dark smirk back in place. "...Hell, if you can scare Edogawa enough he sticks to just keeping the club funded and I don't have to hear him rambling about... mandrake feces curing sinus infections or... the moons of Jupiter's next musical coming up, I'll kiss you at the end of the year! So... you in or what?"
"...I wouldn't be here if I wasn't, didn't have much of a say, anyway," Mukuro replied dryly.
"Then it's settled. Just do as I say and remember the terms," Natsumi replied. "...Which really just amounts to what I say goes, Edogawa stays away so he doesn't piss me off, and no joining Photography Club."
"Why the last one?" Mukuro asked with a slight raise of her eyebrow and a tilt of her head.
"Because we're on the same day and all!" Natsumi stated, if a bit sharp and abruptly. "...Yeah, that's it. But we still do some photography if you were actually into that, just of more interesting stuff, or so Gundham wrote in the old flier underneath Necronomican citation and gerbil care, though the latter's a bit outdated.
"...I see, then what's that, anyway? What do we do here if there's only two of us?" Mukuro asked.
"Pfft, keep it open so I get my extra credit?" Natsumi asked. "Well, to this club's credit, I admit this does give me a window for my own camera work, which I'm pretty damn good at if I do say so myself!" the blonde muttered something else under her breath before speaking more audibly again. "...We'll investigate and discuss bizarre rumors to BS through club till the bell rings, and to keep appearances so Edogawa and the school board are satisfied, but our actual activity will be at nighttime." Her green gaze sharpened again. "...I trust you'll be fine with that?"
This girl certainly was sure of herself, Mukuro assessed, likely due to her upbringing which also explained her abrasive personality that probably in turn explained the lack of members, though where actual competence ended and dangerous recklessness began was still up in the air. And what Natsumi had mentioned the previous leader of the club had said was also curious, especially considering the Dark Hour and what happened at the school when it came. There was always a chance Natsumi might stumble on something Mukuro would have to relay to Mitsuru or Ikutsuki if worst came to worst, so her mind was made up.
"I am, yes. Do as you will with me," Mukuro said with a nod.
"Good sport, nice to know we'll get along great!" Natsumi said with a mischievous smirk as reality darkened, though not by the room's lighting this time, and slowed to a halt, and Theodore's voice spoke within Mukuro's mind once more...
Thou art I... and I am thou...
Thou hast established a new bond...
Thou shalt be blessed when creating
Personas of the Tower Arcana...
The sound of glass shattering resounded, and reality returned to normal once more.
"You're Class 2-F, I was told?" Natsumi asked. "We meet Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'll find you during lunch if I expect you there, though," she explained before her expression grew dark again. "...If you flake on me enough that something happens to this club and my grades as a result, though, don't think we can't find you. You may have made an example out of those thirsty plebs that wanna get their hands on Sanada-senpai's dick, but yakuza cleaners are a slightly higher weight class... remember that."
Mukuro chose not to divulge the details of her own life that'd likely diffuse the blonde's threat and humor her for now. "...I understand," she said. Natsumi didn't seem to hold any malice towards her, personally, nor seemed to be actively trying to bully or belittle her so much as assert her dominance as leader, if overly so. Fenrir had made Mukuro no stranger to crime syndicates, so it was probably common practice for her, unlike...
Mukuro shook her head to get the thought out.
"Hey, you spacing out?" Natsumi asked. "Just show up when I say, got it? We're both stuck in this situation, so may as well get eachother through it."
The blonde hopped down from the desk and went over to the closet. "Now, just so we can vouch for eachother, here's two cases other then the shit Gundham went on about that I've been replaying and BS-ing at the time to keep the club alive. Memorize 'em and you're free to go, we'll hang out again sometime once exams are over. Till then, consider us on haitus," she said, taking out a folder, one titled "Apathy Syndrome" the other titled "Revenge Curse". The former was nothing new to the young soldier, the latter, though, did make her curious.
Opening the former, she saw Natsumi had taken photos of several Lost, standing in random places with vacant stares on their faces and notes on them. The latter folder was even more strange: crime scene photos of unexplained overnight deaths, and a note about urban legends of a cursed website found only on the dark web haunted by avenging spirits as the supposed cause.
"...I know, pretty crazy right?" Natsumi scoffed, as if taking morbid amusement in them. "People turning into zombies? The school being haunted? Ghostly hitmen? The bullshit dead-end plebs come up with to add a little excitement to their lives!" she said with a laugh.
Mukuro, however, felt more concerned. Unlike her fellow club member, she could easily answer two of the cases. The last one, however, brought back memories of the TV report she'd heard part of when the chairman had been over. Possibly something else the Dark Hour was responsible for. She'd definitely have to ask Mitsuru what she could do to keep Natsumi satisfied without giving too much away should a worst case scenario happen...
Returning to the dorm after picking up dinner, Mukuro was immediately greeted by the sight of Mitsuru and Akihiko seated in the lounge.
"Welcome back," Mitsuru said with a polite smile. "I trust your day went well?"
"That's a way of putting it. Ms. Toriumi made me join a culture club. The Paranormal and Occult Studies was the one that was open," the young soldier replied dryly as she set her bag down and signed in on the registry.
"Isn't that the one that Kuzuryu girl got put in charge of?" Akihiko asked, looking away from the TV. "She must've been a handful from what I hear about her."
"Gekkoukan's a very highly reputed school but it also gets that from believing in giving anyone a chance at a bright future," Mitsuru said, glancing away a moment as if something briefly troubled her. "...Regardless where they come from, if they pass entrance exams. She's certainly hard to get along with, but she's not gotten out of line with anyone, yet."
Turning her attention back to Mukuro, she stood up from her seat, setting her own book down. "...As you know, Mukuro, we have school tomorrow. Once he's done with his work as part of school faculty the chairman will arrive and we prepare for when the Dark Hour comes, we'll need to be ready for whatever the full moon brings..."
"Yes, ma'am," Mukuro said, avoiding going to full attentive stance again this time and instead just giving an affirming nod.
"The Lost have been appearing everywhere, now," Akihiko said. "You guys' hunch was right, something big's definitely looking like it's right around the corner!"
Mukuro regarded him a moment. Akihiko sounded both concerned and also disappointed, likely the latter was due to, by her guess, his not being on the front line for it.
"It is the one month anniversary of the full moon the attack happened on. Soon as we make it through this, we'll know the connection for certain," Mitsuru said. "...And with any luck, the hunch about Tartarus will be confirmed as well. It, like the Dark Hour itself, exists for a reason, and if we're going to learn that reason, we need to proceed further in..."
"Anxiety is spreading near Port Island, where many of the victims are from," the reporter on the TV said, regaining everyone's attention as footage of many people afflicted with Apathy Syndrome staring vacantly at the sky appearing on the screen, and from hospital beds they'd been restrained to in the emergency room the reporter was standing in. "...This is Kaede Kuroki, reporting from Tatsumi Memorial Hospital..."
Whatever ordeal the strange boy had spoken of that would come tomorrow night, Mukuro decided, as a soldier, she'd deal with it. Besides, with Tartarus's higher floors still inaccessible, she'd been itching for another chance to be on the battlefield again...
A/N: Yup, NO continuity can keep the Ultimate Inventor out of TV Tanaka's hair! Also "MARY" is based on the old translation's Americanized dub for Maki who appears in Persona 1 and 2. "GINKO" is the nickname of one of the other main characters of Persona 2 as well.
Those who don't know, Mukuro Ikusaba means "dead body on the battlefield" or "corpse on the knife's edge", so naturally the elderly couple may be slightly put off by her name.
Hope you enjoyed the introduction of the latest (and last for now) DR character to appear, too! Next chapter, the second Arcana Shadow, and a bit of internal team turmoil!
Yup, draining those last several days before a full moon when you've cleared Tartarus early on in the game does leave little to do but eat the days away. I'm hoping Reload makes more nighttime activities available, too (I think only like one or two social links are available at night in that and you don't get them till later(or with higher stats)). Seeya next time!
0 - The Fool - SEES: Rank 2
I - The Magician - Junpei Iori: Rank 3
IV - The Emperor - Kiyotaka Ishimaru: Rank 1
V - The Hierophant - Bookstore Owners: Rank 2
VI - The Lovers - Yukari Takeba: Rank 1
VII - The Chariot - Aoi Asahina: Rank 2
IX - The Hermit - "MARY": Rank 1
XII - The Hanged Man - Seiko Kimura: Rank 2
XVI - The Tower - Natsumi Kuzuryu: Rank 1
Mukuro's Personas: Alp, Nekomata, Forneus, Omoikane, Ara Mitama
