Time to continue the adventure where our heroes will meet a future ally and there next target.
Disclaimer: I own nothing in this
Persona 5 Royal Fanmake Lysandre Arc Chapter 7
The Art Gallery
The next day Aqua meets up with Uzi at the train station. The drone girl yawns tiredly.
"I'm so sleepy." Uzi said as she yawned. "I ended up pulling an all-nighter once I realized today's the last day of exams."
"You? Staying up studying?" Gatomon said coming out of the bag and doubtful of what Uzi said.
"Nah, I gave up on the exams." Uzi admitted "I was playing some games, watched some anime and then before I knew it, it was morning."
"I know that feeling." Aqua said, even if it wasn't like Uzi did she knows how getting caught up in something makes you lose track of time.
"Bull. You say that, but you probably just spent the whole night studying." Uzi said to that.
"I was more on the losing track of time thing" Aqua said.
"Morning…" Alexis said arriving and yawning.
"Well, look who else is yawning." Uzi said grinning.
"Exams are almost over, so I though I'd make one last effort across the finish line." Alexis said recovering from her tiredness.
"Impressive, Lady Alexis." Gatomon said smiling "You're quite different from this stupid junkpile I know."
"Huh? Don't give me that scrap. Your brain's tiny compared to mine." Uzi said glaring.
"Size is meaningless if there nothing inside, you know." Gatomon said grinning.
"What that that?!" Uzi asked in anger.
"Ugh will you please shut up?!" Alexis said annoyed "You're going to make me forget everything I memo…" She then gasped as she looked over her shoulder. "Am I imagining things?"
"What's wrong Alexis?" Aqua asked concerned.
"What, you see a groper or something?" Uzi asked also concerned
"No, that's not it. It's…nothing." Alexis admits through Gatomon doubts that, something must have spooked her.
The group then board the train unaware to some of them someone else got on the same train.
They soon arrive at the station that leads to their school and disembark and head up the stairs, the mysterious figure also got off.
Alexis looks behind them and sees the stalker and said "Oh my god, that guy got off!" Aqua looks back and sees them "Isn't this bad?"
"Maybe…we should do something" Aqua said thinking.
Uzi yawns and streatches and Alexis glares at the drone "Hey! At least act like you care!"
"Fine…Come on." Uzi said and leads them up the escalator to the top to Alexis and Aqua's confusion.
We then see Alexis seemingly alone on the streets standing there, he back to the underground entrance. The stalker gets to the top and sees her. He then moves towards her with his hand streatched out.
Just then Alexis turns to face him and gasps while Aqua and Uzi stop in to block there way and the stalker is revealed to be…a silver robot humanoid with blue optics, silver hair and was wearing a white smark shirt and blue pants. He didn't look at all threatening and just standing there stairing at them confused.
Uze, Aqua and Alexis also look at him confused, they weren't getting any creep vibes off him. Uzi then asked Alexis "Hey, uh…are you sure it's him? Or are you really just self-concious?"
"Grrr…I'm not that-" Alexis said in annoyance.
"Parden me, is there something you want?" The silver robot asked them.
Alexis annoyed squeezes past her friends and said "That's my line! You were the one stalking me!"
"Stalking you…? That's ridiculous." The robot said shaking his head.
"I know you've been following me! Ever since the train!" Alexis told him.
"That's only because…" The robot began but a car horn gets the fours attention.
They look to see a limo stop by them, that rear door mirror lowers to show the figure known as Lysandre, through this point Aqua wasn't aware of his identity.
"My goodness…I had wondered why you left the car." Lysandre said with a smile "So this is where your passion led. All is well that ends well." He then laughs in the car.
"I saw you from the car….and I couldn't help myself from chasing after you." The robot said to explain himself "I didn't even notice the calls from Sensei…But thank goodness, I caught up to you."
"Okay…" Alexis said sweat dropping still confused.
"What?" Uzi said confused very much.
"Um…I don't get it." Aqua said.
"You're the woman I've been searching for all this time!" The robot said to Alexis "Please, won't you…"
"W-Wait a minute, I…" Alexis said getting flustered
"…Be the model for my next art piece?!" The robot said finishing what he was saying.
The surprised and confused the three. Alexis said confused "…Model?!"
"All that I've drawn till now has been lacking, but I feel a passion from you unlike anyone else." The robot said firmly.
"This man's highly suspicious!" Gatomon said in anger.
'Pretty sure that is just your jealous instincts.' Aqua thinking confused and the Personas nod in agreement.
"Ain't this a recruit for some shady business?" Uzi asked concerned.
"Will you cooperate with me? What do you say?" The robot asked Alexis.
"Hold your horses! Who're you anyways?" Uzi said in annoyance.
"Oh where are my manners?" the robot said and begins to introduce himself "I'm a second-year at Ninjago High's fine arts division. My name is Zane." He then moves past Uzi to get closer to Alexis "I'm Lysandre-sensei's pupil, and I am being allowed residence at his place. I'm striving to become an artist."
"Huh?!" Alexis said surprised at what he said "Do you mean THAT Lysandre? The one who was on 'Good Morning Galactic' the other day?"
"The very same." Zane said nodding.
"You know who that is?" Uzi asked Alexis confused.
"He was introduced as a super-famous Japanese-style artist who's been recognized all over the world." Alexis explained then realized and said "But we heard that name the other day in Mementos…"
"Zane!" Lysandre calls out from the car.
"I'm sorry, Sensei. I'll be right there!" Zane said bowing to Lysandre.
"That old guy's Lysandre?" Uzi asked confused.
"He's not that old it looks like" Aqua said.
"Lysandre-sensei's exhibition will begin at the department store near the station tomorrow." Zane said approaching Alexis "I'll be there to help out on opening day. Please come by. It'll be great if you could give me your answer in regard to being a model then…" He pulls out three tickets then said to Uzi and Aqua mainly Uzi "I bet you have no interest in fine arts, but I'll give you tickets too." He then turns away and said "Well then, I hope to see you there tomorrow!"
Zane then goes and gets in the car and it drives off.
"That guy's as easy to read as a book…" Uzi said rubbing her head. She looks at Alexis "You're not planning on going, are you?"
Alexis thinks and said "…I think I will." Surprising both Uzi and Gatomon. She gets her phone out and checks the time "Darn it! Look at the time! I'll see you later." She runs off to school
"How dare he go after Lady Alexis…" Gatomon said in jealous anger "I've memorized that face of yours, Zane!"
"Calm down boy" Aqua said to Gatomon as they head to school
We return to the present as Aqua takes a sip of coffee she was allowed to have thanks to Jacob.
"You became acquainted with Lysandre's pupil by chance?" Windblade asked in disbelief.
"That sounds all too convenient to me." Jacob said as the law trooper gets closer "It is making me wonder if you're even telling the truth."
"It doesn't really matter much Jacob." Jess said "What we really want to know is her method."
"I guess so." Jacob said nodding "After all, it's true Lysandre was n unforgivable criminal worthy of the scorn thrown at him."
"Indeed." Jess said nodding bringing up Lysandre's criminal record on the table "He was an adult who cultivated his own fame and fortune by sacrificing the livelihood of children…"
"But he'd been covering his tracks for years." Windblade points out and looks at Aqua. "How did you uncover the truth in such a short span of time?"
"That's quite simple I uncovered it in the Metaverse" Aqua said simply.
"Seriously, this 'Metaverse' business again?" Jacob said sighing annoyed.
Windblade sighs just as annoyed "Alright, let's suppose that people's hearts can be changed by stealing their Treasure, like you've said. If so, a different suspicion arises." She nods to Jess.
Jess brings up examples as she explained "People have gone mad or lost consciousness, never to recover…like the subway accident in April. Depending on how you look at it, that could be taken as a phenomenon for a sudden change of heart too."
"I guess the question we're asking it…" Jacob said looking right into Aqua's eyes "…Were you related to those as well?"
"I don't know…" Aqua said looking down.
The Jet themed robot and two Law Troopers remain silent and Windblade said "…I see."
"Hmmm we not got a lot of time" Jacob said checking the clock.
"Fine. Let's get back to Lysandre's case." Windblade said "Keep it concise and stick to the facts."
"Right now…where was I?" Aqua said as she goes to continue.
We return to the past, where Aqua was in class working on the final exams while Mr. Small watches them.
"Today's the last day of exams, huh?" Gatomon said and Aqua nods as she was finishing up "Seemed like some of those were kind of tough. Well, It wasn't too bad. You should have gotten a decent score, right?"
"I hope so, I kind of need least a passing grade." Aqua said nodding.
The rest of the school day passes and Aqua hears the other students of Citadel Academy talking about how glad they are exams were done with, about the new counselling sessions available especially for volleyball team.
Soon it was after school and Aqua met up with Alexis and Uzi at Beacon station.
"Mmmmm, it's over!" Alexis said stretching and smiling.
"It's over…." Uzi said in relief. She looks at Aqua "How about you?"
"In all honestly, I'm feeling confident." Aqua said smiling.
"You traitor!" Uzi said to that and Aqua giggles. She gets her phone out and said "Anywayhs, can we stop talking about the exams? Like it or not, they're gonna come back graded next week. Rather than focus on stuff that's over with…"
"What're you looking at?" Alexis asked curious.
"The usual site." Uzi said showing she was on the Phantom Thieves Phan-Site. She sighs and says "…It's no use. These ain't any useful info. The number of posts are getting less and less too…"
"I am not letting this end as a one-hit wonder, okay?" Gatomon said determined.
"There's no point in getting antsy, though." Alexis said smiling "I know! Why don't we go eat lunch somewhere? We still have some money left over from the other day."
"I want energon sushi, then! Or domestic-raise eel energon." Uzi said in excitement.
"We don't have THAT much left." Alexis told her "Oh right. There are those tickets to Lysandre's exhibit! Wait, that's tomorrow."
"Don't tell me…Was it love at first sight with that Zane guy?" Gatomon asked concerned.
"It's not like that." Alexis said rolling her eyes
"O-Of course not." Gatomon said as he calms down.
"Smooth…" Aqua said sarcastically in a whisper.
"When I was watching that special on TV, his artwork was pretty nice. Plus, we've got free tickets." Alexis explained to the group "Besides, this could also be related to what we heard in Mementos."
"…Lysandre, was it?" Uzi asked thinking.
"I am curious on it too." Aqua said with a nod.
"Hmmm…" Gatomon lets out thinking
"That aside, what should I do about the other two tickets?" Alexis said smiling "Wanna go appreciate some fine arts for once?"
"Fine arts, huh…" Uzi said thinking.
"I suggest we should all go together!" Gatomon said firmly. "Appreciating the fine arts builds character. A phantom thief who can't identify an original is lame."
"I agree" Aqua said nodding.
"Well, if everyone's going…" Uzi said shrugging
"It's settled then!" Alexis said smiling.
"Yeah, it should be fun." Aqua said smiling.
"Just the phrase 'going to an art exhibit' sounds kind of mature." Alexis said excited smiling. "Let meet at the exhibit entrance tomorrow."
A while later Aqua was back at Leblanc and put her stuff away.
"Tomorrow, we got to that exhibit with Lady Alexis." Gatomon said smiling "I'm curious to know if this Lysandre has anything to do with the name we heard in Mementos…We can't afford to be late tomorrow. We'd better not go our right now."
Aqua nods and gets a notification in the Dragon Gems group chat and she looks to see a message from Alexis saying "So I keep thinking about what Sunstreaker said…Could he have been talking about the famous artist Lysandre?"
"That sounds about right." Aqua said thinking, it wasn't like Lysandre was a common name.
"I second that." Uzi replies.
"Great. The name really stood out to me…" Alexis said.
"Yeah I mean, you guys ever head of someone else called Lysandre?" Uzi asked.
"It's really not common at all." Alexis said and Aqua nods she had the same thought "It what we heard is true, Zane is studying under a corrupt teacher."
"You mean a teacher who treats people like tools." Uzi said.
"Zane's like is probably pretty terrible…" Alexis added to that.
"We have to look into this." Uzi states.
"Agreed." Aqua said and closes the chat. Tomorrow they have a look into it, she then goes to have her, Gatomon and the Personas to begin watching Bubbly Hills 90210
It was a show about young adults set in a ritzy upscale neighborhood of Bubbly Hills.
"Whoa, is this what high schoolers are like overseas?" Gatomon asked "Don't get any ideas, all right."
"Yeah no silly ideas, Hi-Ho!" Jack Frost said giggling.
"Like he would" Pixie said firmly.
Soon they get through half the show and they decided to call it quits for the night and finish watching it another time. But watching it has improved Aqua's Charm a bit as she goes to bed.
The next day was raining as Aqua heads to meet the others at the art exhibit, she hears the public talking about it and were excited for it. Soon the three in there regular clothes arrive at the exhibit.
"So crowded…" Gatomon said looking from the bag.
"It'll be a pain in the rear if someone sees you, so don't stick your head out too much, all right?" Uzi said to Gatomon in a whisper.
Gatomon goes back into the back as Zane walks up and says to Alexis smiling "You came!"
"Um…yeah." Alexis said in response to that,
Zane looks at Uzi and said less enthusiastically "You really came."
"Bite me, what'd you expect when you left us those tickets?!" Uzi told him.
"Make sure that you don't get in the way of the other visiters." Zane told her and looks to Alexis "Come now. I'll show you around. I'd like to speak more about the picture I'd like to draw too."
"Well, see you guys later." Alexis said to Aqua and Uzi and leaves with Zane.
"Will Lady Alexis be all right?! What if he drags her behind some paining and tries something funny?" Gatomon said coming out the bag panicking.
"I told you not to come out!" Uzi said in annoyance. Gatomon goes back into the bag. She then groans and asked "Are we really going to 'appriciate' the fine arts? Can't we just go home?"
"Let's view this as a way to learn about Lysandre." Aqua said thinking.
"I guess we should do a quick pass through it once…" Uzi said sighing. She looks at the area "Uh…Which way are we supposed to start?"
"Let's just go where the crowd is" Aqua said and they head in.
"Hm?" Uzi said seeing something and sees Lysandre talking to some people from a TV station. "It's that old man from the other day."
"We continue to be truly surprised by your imagination." The female interviewer said to Lysandre smiling "You have such expansive styles, it's hard to believe that is all stems from one person…Where in the world does all your inspirations come from?" Uzi gets closer to listen in
"Well…It is rather difficult to put into words…" Lysandre said thinks "They naturally well up from within my heart like bubbles rising one after another in the spring."
"Naturally, you say?" The Interviewer asked as Aqua comes to join Uzi in listening in.
"What's important is to distance oneself from worldly desires such as money and fame." Lysandre explained "My atelier is a modest shack, but it is more than enough to pursue true beauty."
"...A shack?" Uzi said thinking on that.
"I see...So the act of emptying one's mind gives rise to inner beauty." The Interviewer said thinking "Still, to think we could hear the word 'shack' coming from the great artist Lysandre."
"You would understand if you saw it. Hahahaha…" Lysandre said chuckling
"Wasn't the word 'shack' something…" Uzi said thinking still
"What is it Uzi?" Aqua asked
"Lysandre is actually here?!" A sharp-eyed customer said stepping up.
"Over there!" An excited customer said running up
"I'm so glad I came on opening day!" A fangirl said running up.
Soon many more fans ran up forming an excited crowd which begins to squish Aqua and Uzi.
"Hey, stop pushing?" Uzi said to that "There's way too many people!"
"I'm getting crushed…" Gatomon said in the bag.
"This is insane!" Aqua said struggling
"Anyways, we got to head for the exit!" Uzi said as she makes her way through the crowd "Don't die on us, all right?!"
The two make there way to escape the crowd. Meanwhile we see Alexis with Zane looking at some of the artwork.
"I didn't know there so many types of Japanese art." Alexis said looking at it all.
"Usually, one concentrates on their own style. However, Sensei creates all this by himself." Zane explains to her. "He's special."
"There you are, Zane." Lysandre said walking up smiling.
"Sensei!" Zane said in surprise
"Ah, the girl from yesterday." Lysandre said upon noticing Alexis. "Are you enjoying the exhibit?"
"I don't know how to put it into words…but it's really amazing." Alexis said smiling.
"You're sensing something from the artwork…That alone is enough to give us artists satisfaction." Lysandre said smiling. "I hope this becomes a wonderful piece, Zane. Well then, if you'll excuse me." He then walks off.
"You'd imagine artists would be difficult to approach…but he seems really friendly." Alexis said to Zane smiling.
"Indeed." Zane said nodding.
Alexis looks around and sees a painting that looks to be a landscape at sunset and approaches it "Oh, this is it the paining I wanted to see in person."
"…This one?" Zane said walking up concerned.
"I guess it's the painter's anger? I'm not sure, but I sense this…. strong frustration from it." Alexis said looking at it thinking. "To think such a cheerful and gentlemanly person could make such a piece…" She notices Zane looking down and seemed uncomfortable "Something wrong?"
"Don't mind me." Zane said simply "There are better pieces then…this one. Come now, this way!" He then walks off.
"H-Hey!" Alexis said to that concerned
We come back to Aqua and Uzi who where now relaxing somewhere in the station overlooking the outside.
"That old lady totally elbowed me…" Uzi groaned sitting on the ground. "…But thanks to that, I remember now."
"About what?" Aqua asked her.
"Well, let me get to it." Uzi said getting her phone out "It's about a post online." She searches and finds it nodding "…Here, look at this." She shows the post on the phone
"Why'd you leave without me?!" Alexis said looking annoyed as she arrived.
"You got it all wrong; we got dragged into this huge crowd and…" Uzi tried to explain but shakes her head and shows her phone "…Eh, anyways. You got to look at this too. This post might be about Lysandre."
"Really?!" Aqua said as she and Alexis were surprised.
"What's it say?" Alexis asked.
Uzi begins to read the post "A master of the Japanese arts is plagiarizing his pupil's work. Only his public face is shown on TV."
"Plagiarizing?!" Alexis said in shock.
"I didn't think much of it when I first saw it, but hearing 'shac'' and 'Lysandre' triggered it." Uzi explained and continues to read the post "His treatment of the pupils who live with him is awful. He teaches nothing and bosses them around. He treats them inhumanely, as if discipling a dog…"
"Abuse on top of plagiarism, hm?" Gatomon said thinking
"If this is real, it'll be a huge scandal." Uzi said with a smile.
"I wonder is Zane posted this." Alexis said with a thought. "I mean he IS a pupil of his."
"Who knows? It's anonymous and all…" Uzi said shrugging.
"In that case…It's possible the Lysandre we heard about in Mementos is referring to the same one." Gatomon said nodding.
"A man like that, doing such a thing?" Alexis said concerned "I wonder if we can ask that Shadow from earlier about this. Oh. Actually, we just need to talk to him in reality."
"And how are we gonna go about that? Are we gonna explain it all, starting with Mementos?" Uzi asked her.
"Besides, if we make a move out in the open, there's the possibility that Lysandre will find out." Gatomon points out with a nod.
"Oh…Yeah, right…" Alexis said looking down.
"Hey, what do you think about Lysandre?" Uzi asked Aqua "Doesn't he seem suspicious?"
"He does a bit" Aqua said thinking.
"I know right? This all fits way too well to just be a coincidence." Uzi said with a nod. "If this post is legit, ain't this the kind of target we've been waiting for?"
"Well, yeah, but…" Alexis said thinking. "Is it really true?"
"By the way, what did you do about the whole modelling thing?" Uzi asked the blonde hair girl
"Zane game me his contact info." Alexis said smiling "And the address to his sensei's atelier."
"He said he lives there, right? Perfect timing." Uzi said smiling standing up "Let's try going tomorrow. We're off to Lysandre's house right after school!"
"Huh? You want me to model tomorrow?!" Alexis asked shocked. "This is too sudden…"
"What? We're just going to go talk to Zane." Uzi said surprised.
"Oh, that's what you mean…" Alexis said calming down.
Aqua giggles at the confusing and the three hang out more before separating for the day.
Aqua was back in her room at Leblanc with Gatomon.
"In any case, we need to find out if that rumor about Lysandre is true…" Gatomon explained to Aqua. "If it is, this might just be exactly what we needed!"
Aqua goes to check the shopping channel as Chris hosts it saying "Hi everyone, it's time to do some shopping! Here's what we've got for you today! First up, the Allergy Relief Pack! Great for anyone who's sick of being sick! 2 Calming Masks and 20 Wide Eyed Drops! These will be in one set! What a steal!"
"But wait! There's more!" Chris continues "Next up, the Cosmetic Cure Gift! Great for anyone seeking peace of mind! 1 Aroma Machine and 1 Omni-Vitamin! These will both be in one set! What a steal!"
Aqua thinks and nods and orders the Allergy Relief Pack which was the last one available and will be delivered tomorrow. She then does some studying in the middle booth improving her knowledge.
Aqua and co have met Zane and Lysandre, how will this all play out, find out soon.
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