Fenrir's Masquerade

by ShadeJak

A catastrophic accident cost her everything ten years ago, Mukuro Ikusaba has recklessly danced with Death having pursued a life as a mercenary as she grew older, until a sudden discharge sends her to Gekkoukan High in Iwatodai, a city plagued by a sinister "Dark Hour" every midnight, and the reason for her arrival may be more then she believed. A P3 Re-Tell starring Mukuro.

6. New Bonds, New Experiences

4/27

Earlier...

"Ah, welcome back!" Igor declared as Mukuro once more stood within the Velvet Room elevator, Theodore standing by the long-nosed man's side. "So you have already begun your journey into the labyrinth that is this strange tower, and faced several of the beings that dwell within it, I see..."

"I have, yes," Mukuro said. "I noticed the door shimmering as I came in, so it seemed you wished to see me."

"You came by your choice regardless, a wise option," Theodore said with a smile.

"Indeed, as you have no doubt seen, Shadows of many kinds lurk within the labyrinth, many of which are far stronger then you have otherwise encountered," Igor explained. "Therefore, it is time I explain to you what it is exactly that I do, here!"

"And that would be?" Mukuro asked, folding her arms.

Igor chuckled. "As you have the potential to take in many Personas, it is my task to create new ones for you! To do this, however, I must fuse the ones which you already have... in essence, I take two weaker Personas, and combine them to create a new, stronger Persona..."

Mukuro brought her hand to her chin, intrigued by the strange man's words. "Interesting, but doesn't that mean I would have fewer to use, and therefore less of a variety to fight with?"

"That is where I come in," Theodore explained, approaching her and holding out the blue tome with the Velvet Room's symbol engraved upon it that he'd kept tucked under his arm. "This "Grimore" also functions as a registry. In addition to allowing me to observe the power of your social links, the names of Personas you have already let into your heart will be recorded here." the young man smiled. "...Therefore, you may resurrect a Persona you have sacrificed for fusion back into use again."

"Whenever you take on a new Persona, its name shall be recorded within this registry," Igor said. "Furthermore, it contains a compendium, allowing you to know which Personas are required to fuse into a stronger one, and which Persona will be the result," he explained. "If need be, you may also summon those Personas you once had carried again for the purpose of completing a particular fusion as well."

"We encourage use of this ritual," Theodore said. "Many more powerful Personas can only be procured through this "Fusion", and a Persona that corresponds to an Arcana of which you have established a bond through someone with will gain increased power from that bond in turn."

"As we have told you," Igor explained, "The more you permit your heart to open to others and allow a bond to further form between you, the stronger your power shall become. Remember this well, and bring me more of these Personas as you accumulate them, that I may fuse them for you."

"I see," Mukuro said, nodding in understanding. This would provide an advantage the further they journeyed into Tartarus. Given tonight's mission, there was a chance she'd need them, and could acquire more in the process, even if she was still only just getting accustomed to trying to connect with her peers better.

Perhaps it was time to give that a chance. "...What do I do, then?"

"Simply look here with the options laid before you, and choose what piques your interest," Theodore said, opening the Grimore. Blue light flashed across the once-blank pages as the names of the Personas Mukuro had appeared, alongside others, with new names at the end of each sequence. By her assertion, it implied which two Personas would create the one at the end. The girl raised her hand, curious as her fingertip moved towards the final names on each column. Theodore simply nodded in approval.

Visions filled Mukuro's mind of different mythological beings, their power and abilities as her finger touched each name, vanishing as she pulled it back.

Immediately, she felt as though something were being pulled from her, watching as five cards appeared before her eyes, each bearing the image of one of her Personas. Igor's grin seemed to have a hint of mirth as he raised his hand, Mukuro staring at awe as the the cards landed face down upon his table, bathed in blue light, shifting about along a strange glyph and several of them combining together into one...

---

Present time...

Mukuro stared down her group's impending foe after securing another gateway back to the entrance. That trio of giant hands in bright pink gloves further down had been a nuisance, but this adversary that stood guard in the spacious room at the end of the corridor was far larger and more intimidating in appearance.

Standing about twice any of their height, the Shadow resembled some sort of grotesque machine with a torso covered in a long tabard, in place of its legs were a pair of large metal gears with formations resembling bent legs in place of where their teeth should be. Two large rotating drills jutted straight out of where the entity's arms should be, and its face was a gold mask with eyeholes as its only features, its head and neck covered in a gray chainmail coif.

"We ready?" Yukari asked, getting an arrow ready.

"You betcha!" Junpei cheered, gripping his broadsword. "Just you watch!"

"You've survived this long, I see no reason you shouldn't be able to win," Mitsuru's voice said over their communicators. "Its Arcana is the Chariot. Engage now that you've gotten its attention."

"Roger," Mukuro replied, leading the advance to the end of the corridor, which opened into the room beyond.

Immediately, the Shadow let out an unearthly howl as the walls suddenly began to break and shift, forming new columns and arches around them amidst sickly green space, a stairway just beyond the chamber. The Shadow's strange wheel-like legs rolled it forward as it reared back, crackling electricity gathering before its eyes as it suddenly thrust its head forward.

The three teens immediately leapt out of the way to avoid the bolts of lightning the Shadow unleashed upon them before it promptly charged forward, its legs grinding loudly with every metallic step that click-clacked loudly across the mismatched tile floor.

"Persona!" Yukari cried out, firing her evoker as Io appeared above her, unleashing a cyclone at the creature in its path. The glowing green funnel caused the mechanical beast to stagger a little, slowing it down.

"Check this out!" Junpei shouted, firing his evoker and Hermes rose up behind him, fanning out its wing-like fixtures and releasing a blast of flame at the creature from behind, striking it.

Immediately, their enemy stopped rolling, its upper body spinning 180 degrees to face Junpei as electricity gathered above its mask-like 'face' again.

"NEKOMATA!" Mukuro ordered, her evoker summoning a Persona resembling a female humanoid in a ninja costume with cat features. The Persona did a spin in the air before shooting a fireball from its paws at the enemy, causing it to stagger in surprise.

The creature, however, did not dissipate its electrical currents, instead the lightning began dancing along its body as its upper half began to spin really, really fast...

"EVERYONE! TAKE COVER!" Mitsuru's voice cried out in urgent alarm. Obeying, the three teens immediately rushed for the nearest columns to get behind. Immediately after, powerful currents of lightning exploded from their foe, crackling violently along the walls and any surface they touched and sending debris into the air as the Shadow stood anchored in the middle, its upper body continuing to spin as lightning danced and jolted about all around it.

"Shit!" Mukuro heard Junpei cry out from behind another, nearby column he'd taken cover behind as the lightning finally subsided. Turning around the corner she saw why, as the Shadow was making a swift dash for them, its drill-like limbs whirling and spinning, ready to demolish the column she and Yukari were behind. The other girl shrieked in alarm as she saw it, too, making a run and Mukuro doing the same in the opposite direction.

"Kirijo! This thing have any weaknesses?" Mukuro asked urgently as she took cover behind another column.

"Scanning," Mitsuru replied, a second passing as their foe began to seek them out like a cat searching for scattered mice. "No, it has no weaknesses, but is resistant to lightning and physical attacks. You'll need to wear it down with your Personas' magic."

"Great. FORNEUS!" Mukuro declared, standing and using her evoker as the manta-ray Persona appeared above her, breathing a powerful blast of ice at the floor around the Shadow's feet, immobilizing it for the moment, even the Shadow itself seemed surprised as it attempted to free itself.

"It can't rush us, regroup and use magic!" Mukuro ordered, Yukari and Junpei coming out of hiding as they pulled out their evokers.

"ARA MITAMA!"

A Persona resembling an inverted red droplet with an angry face appeared above Mukuro, the enemy was bathed in a strange light and it slumped in fatigue.

"IO!"

"HERMES!"

FWOOSH! Yukari's Persona's gale struck the enemy from one side.

SHOOM! Junpei's Persona's flames engulfed it from the other.

The metal beast let out a inhuman howl, its movements jerky now and indicating the attacks had harmed it more then before.

"Hell YEAH! Let's end 'em!" Junpei cheered, raising his fist proudly.

"Yes, lets!" Mukuro said with a smirk, machete ready as she and Junpei dashed forward at their reeling foe while Yukari took aim upward with her bow.

SHINK! Junpei's broadsword hacked one of its wheels clean off.

CHURNK! Mukuro's machete tore through its chest.

THUNK! Yukari's aim was true this time, the arrow striking the Shadow's mask-like face right in the forehead.

The Shadow staggered, smoke bursting from its joints as it promptly collapsed apart in a heap of scrap metal before its remains, too, dissolved away as well.

"...Enemy neutralized and detecting no other Shadows present on this floor. Well done, team," Mitsuru said. "Check in, how is everyone?"

"No sweat!" Junpei declared proudly. "Told'ja I'd make up for last time!"

"That was close," Yukari said, catching her breath and leaning against a column that was still intact.

"Ready to proceed," Mukuro replied, catching her breath as well and brushing sweat from her brow as she looked over to the stairs ahead.

"Good, you shouldn't be much further to where I'm getting the barricane signal," Mitsuru answered. "Continue up the stairs."

With a nod, Mukuro led the way, her and the others moments later finding themselves hit with the smell of blood.

"The signal, it's on this floor!" Mitsuru's voice stated.

"Dude..." Junpei paused, wrinkling his nose.

"What the...?!" Yukari stared agape.

The floor they'd found themselves on seemed to have no walls, instead appearing to be a wide bridge, the walls spaced far from the edges where Mukuro could see portions of the tower shifting and floating about, rearranging themselves at random. As she cautiously stepped forward, she saw strange waterfalls of what looked to be blood trickling down into the abyss below from an unseen blackness above.

This, however, was hardly the strangest thing about this floor. Rather, it was the odd barrier of shimmering green energy that surrounded the stairs ahead that lead to the next floor, at its front at the foot of said stairs was a golden staff of some sort, taller then any of them, as Mukuro determined when they drew closer.

Cautiously, Mukuro held out her machete to the barrier, only to hear a resounding 'clack!' noise as though she'd tapped glass when it couched the waves of green light emitting from around the stairs from where the scepter stood.

"The barrier's signal is very strong, whatever's producing it, I can't seem to track," Mitsuru said.

Mukuro frowned as she gazed at the stairs, trying to see where they lead through the shimmering waves blocking her progress. "Further orders?"

"Return for now," Mukuro said. "There's nothing else we can do for the time being."

"Damn, just as I was getting my game on!" Junpei sighed.

"Hm?" Mukuro paused as she noticed something on the floor.

"Oh? What's up?" Yukari asked, looking over at the other girl in concern as Mukuro picked up a piece of paper with typed writing on it.

The electricity's hooked up.

But, why do they need so much?

There's only a school on this island.

Mukuro raised an eyebrow in curiosity, it looked like some sort of journal entry though it did not appear to have a date on it, and what was written was both minimal and had virtually no context in it.

"Mukuro, what is that?" Yukari asked, approaching and looking over her shoulder.

"...Not really sure," Mukuro said, folding the paper and tucking it in her belt pouch as she made her way over to the nearby portal arch to head back to the entrance. If it was from a journal entry and had a connection to Tartarus, perhaps more of them were within the tower as well...

---

4/28

School had once more ended for the day, and with Tartarus having presented itself with a seemingly impassible barricade, for the time being Mukuro could already feel the sense of how she may as well be sitting on her hands until an explanation behind the barrier or how to bypass it came up, thus they'd have no reason to return for the time being.

The dark-haired girl had remained in her seat, chin resting on her gloved palm as she sat pensively, her mind on the document and what it could have entailed. Vague as it was, it made her think of the explosion ten years ago, and what Yukari had told her when she'd woken up in the hospital about a laboratory accident on the island. The matter of why Tartarus was imposed over the school during the Dark Hour... the young soldier wondered if it was all connected, somehow.

The girl's thoughts were halted as she noticed Yukari approach her desk once she'd gathered her own things.

"Hey, Mukuro, um... Wanna... go visit the mall today?" the other girl asked, shifting a bit where she stood. "Last night's trip in, that document you found, it made me wanna talk to you about something, if that's alright?"

Mukuro tilted her head in curiosity. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Umm, there's a cafe at the mall, dunno if you've seen it, how about we go there and I'll explain, alright?" Yukari asked.

The young soldier wasn't sure what was on Yukari's mind, but having no plans today and feeling some of the Dark Hour-induced fatigue, still, she decided to humor her. "Sure."

"Where ya two off to?" Junpei asked, coming over.

"Girl talk," Yukari said with a coy smirk.

"Aw, man!" Junpei groaned. "Golden Week comin' and nothin' to do! When's the dorm gonna have internet again?"

"Mitsuru-senpai said it'll be fixed by tomorrow, Junpei," Yukari sighed.

"Better be! Computer without internet's like a TV without cable or somethin'!" the boy grumbled as he left.

Yukari shook her head as she looked over at Mukuro. "Well, let's go..."

After reaching the mall, Yukari had lead Mukuro into a café that was located nextdoor to the mall's nightclub. The young soldier was soon greeted by the smell of coffee and sweets, her gaze taking in every detail of the café as Yukari got them a seat at one of the round tables covered in green linen cloth and featured green sectional sofas for chairs. Setting her things down next to her while Yukari sat across from her, the other girl ordered them both lattes.

"Aw, the art they put on these is cute, isn't it?" Yukari giggled once their orders arrived moments after.

Mukuro couldn't help but smile a little, it actually was, she thought, looking down at the surface of her drink. "Wonder how they do it," she said.

"Heh, asking the wrong person," Yukari said with a smile. "Doubt I could do it, honestly."

"So, what was this all about?" Mukuro asked, deciding to wait for her drink to cool a little.

Yukari frowned. "Well, it's... remember back at the hospital, when you woke up from that coma?" she asked.

A hint of confusion came to the dark-haired girl's face. "...What about that?"

"Well," Yukari said, looking down at her hands as she rested them on her lap. "...I said all that stuff, like how I thought we were alike. I know you said it was alright, but... I guess I didn't really put as much thought as I should have on how you had to cope with all you went through."

"...Yukari," Mukuro started, but the other girl shook her head.

"No, I feel like I sorta forced my opinions on you, or made you talk about it when I should have known people react to things differently. Plus, yeah, I lost my dad, but not... my whole family," Yukari said softly. "I can't imagine that, even if my mom and I aren't on speaking terms right now..."

"I..." Mukuro sighed. "My parents and I... weren't that close," she said. "We were in poverty for a few years, practically on the verge of ending up on the streets, then my dad got a lucky break before my sister and I started school. Before then it was just "Look after Junko, Mukuro, be a good big sister, she needs you"."

"Junko, was that your sister's name?" Yukari asked.

Mukuro nodded. "Dad did whatever jobs he could find, Mom did, too when she wasn't taking care of the apartment we had, and when he struck lucky he poured all his time into his job. That meant I had to be my little sister's rock she could feel safe with."

"I see," Yukari nodded. "Kind of makes... my issues feel piddly, honestly."

Mukuro shook her head. "...It's like you said, people react to things differently," she said, repeating what Yukari had said. "It... sounds like he... meant a lot to you."

"He did, and..." Yukari went quiet, looking uncomfortable. "Before... what happened, he was always busy, but I knew how much I meant to him. He was wonderful to me, and mom just..."

The girl shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'm... probably digging up memories that hurt, now, aren't I?" she asked. "Still... Mukuro, I guess what stood out to me and drew me to you was... I've never had anyone who could understand it around me. Everyone else at school, the girls who hang around me, the ones in Archery Club, all of them have both parents to go home to. Even when they complain about them being too controlling or fussing about them getting home late, I just... I feel jealous."

Yukari looked down at her untouched drink, frowning. "...I hate feeling that way, so I hide it, because I can't tell anyone that, and because of that, I feel distant, and... lonely..."

Mukuro watched in silence as the other girl tensed for a moment.

"...Mukuro, you get that, though, don't you?" she asked, looking up at her. Before Mukuro could even open her mouth to speak, though, Yukari gasped, blushing. "S-Sorry! I'm sounding selfish again, aren't I? I guess... it felt like you were someone who could save me from that," she sighed.

Mukuro's gaze flickered to her dissolving latte art, then to her embarrassed friend. "...I do," she said, frowning as well, though Yukari noticed it was not the other girl's usual one, which was somehow both neutral yet fierce. This one was... downcast. Yukari didn't need to guess why.

"Mukuro, you... didn't need to answer that," Yukari muttered, looking away in embarrassment.

Mukuro shook her head. "No, I... I think I did," she said. "Even with Fenrir I felt the way you described. Like I'm just..."

"...Going through the motions till something happens?" Yukari asked.

Mukuro gave a slight, but bitter smile. "...Something like that," she said. "In battle, I'm an expert. Out of it, I feel lost and alone... maybe it's why Fenrir wanted this for me."

"Well, for what it's worth, the fact you're part of our group makes me feel better. I'm glad you joined us, not just because of your skills from Fenrir, but... having someone who understands me," Yukari said with a bashful smile, before looking down again in embarrassment. "S-Sorry again, I just keep going in circles on this pity party, don't I? But it's... it's how I feel. I hope I can do the same for you, Mukuro, and I want to."

Mukuro blinked at Yukari's heartfelt, and reassuring words, feeling them touch her heart in way counseling and her foster parents never did. Maybe it was like Yukari implied, having a girl her age who understood that empty void she felt, and not feeling alone. At that moment, though, in that regard, the young soldier no longer felt as alone, either.

As those feelings came, reality seemed to darken and slow down around her, as she heard Theodore's voice speak.

Thou art I... and I am thou...

Thou hast established a new bond...

Thou shalt be blessed when creating

Personas of the Lovers Arcana...

His words were followed by the sound of glass shattering within the recesses of Mukuro's mind before reality around her returned to normal.

"...By the way, that document page you found," Yukari mused. "I wonder, maybe it's connected to what happened back then?"

Mukuro took a sip of her drink, which had cooled down, now. "Possibly. It's a strange thing to have in a place like that."

"Even Mitsuru didn't seem to know what to make of it," Yukari said with a sigh. "Still, it feels like there's more to it then that... but it's not like there's much we can do, is there?"

Mukuro sighed, closing her eyes as she took another sip. "I did get that feeling, yeah," she said.

"If we find more of them, maybe then if she is hiding anything she'll have to come clean, then," Yukari said. "But that just means we gotta find a way to go in deeper..."

"There didn't seem to be away past the barrier, so either it goes away on its own, or something else gets rid of it," Mukuro said. "Until then, we are at a roadblock."

"Yeah, not much we can do till then," Yukari said. "It's probably best we keep the documents to ourselves, then, and figure this out after if we find more."

"Agreed," Mukuro finished her drink as the two got ready to return to the dorm for the evening.

---

"Welcome back, you two," Mitsuru said peering over from her place on the sofa. Mukuro and Yukari soon saw another familiar face was present.

"Good to see you again!" Ikusuki said with a warm smile as he looked over at the two girls from where he was seated in the lounge armchair. "Now that you're both here, have a seat!" he gestured to the other sofa, where Junpei was seated.

"First, I'd like to say, Miss Ikusaba," Ikutsuki began as Mukuro sat herself down next to Junpei, who put aside the manga he was reading while Yukari sat on her other side. "...Mitsuru and Mr. Iori here have filled me in on your last visit there. You've certainly more then met our expectations of you in terms of exploring Tartarus!" he explained.

"I appreciate your kind words, Chairman," Mukuro said with a nod.

"Regarding this barrier," Ikutsuki said, "I imagine we'll find a way past it in due time. We will use our systems to keep tabs on its signal now that those portals to the floors closer to it have been made active, and once it's gone, we can proceed further!"

"Then we gotta wait, huh?" Junpei asked. "Talk about dullsville! Just when I was gettin' my game going!"

"Well, that aside, keep up the good work!" Ikutsuki replied. "Your continued infiltration into the labyrinth allows us to learn more and more about this place, so your "break-in" produces a "breakthrough" for us!"

Any flattery Mukuro may have felt from the chairman's commending her efforts instantly deflated from his terrible joke. Even Yukari and Junpei alike looked unimpressed by it.

"Golden Week, well, the first day of it, begins tomorrow as well, doesn't it?" Ikutsuki asked. "Well, it should give you a nice little break, tomorrow!" he said, rising from his seat. "Well, anyway, that's all I wanted to say. I should be getting back home, you kids enjoy your vacation in the meantime!"

"Wednesday, then we get Sunday through Tuesday," Junpei sighed again once the chairman was gone. "Y'know, I always looked forward to these days but now with bein' a Persona-user and fightin' Shadows and all on hold, it feels like it's gonna be boring!"

"Oh come on, Junpei! It won't be that bad!" Yukari muttered. "After our last trip I could use some time to breathe till something happens with the barrier."

"You could study since exams will come soon after," Mitsuru said, opening her book back up to read again. "I've given you some slack since you were in a coma, Ikusaba, but that's come and gone and while you're not at Iori's level, your grades could use work."

Mukuro's neutral gaze deepened into an annoyed frown. It seemed she would have to apply herself more if she was going to pass exams. Even though she'd been educated, she did have little interest in most subjects taught that it was sometimes she found herself relying on her Fenrir training to keep herself awake and attentive in class.

"I'll do my best," she said, brow furrowed slightly as she felt a hint of annoyance at being scolded like a child.

"...As for you, Iori," Mitsuru said, her sharp glare turning towards the boy seated next to Mukuro. "...you have no such excuse and as Student President and you sharing this dorm with me and we are at least, on paper, members of an extra-curricular club, your performance is technically a concern of mine."

"Ugh, don't make me puke, Kirijo," Junpei fumed. "Maybe the arcade'll have some games that can keep my skills sharp for when we go back in!"

Mitsuru sighed. "...Just don't complain if your grades aren't up to par," she muttered. "Also, the internet line will be fixed by tomorrow morning. You have a computer, correct, Mukuro?"

"I do, yes," Mukuro replied. "My superiors in Fenrir got me one before I came here."

"Very insightful of them," Mitsuru said with an approving smile. "It may be helpful with your schoolwork, We have a wireless printer set up on the first floor if you need to print any of your assignments off of it, as well. It takes care of everything damaged, save Akihiko's rib."

"Ooh, speakin' of internet," Junpei said, eyes wide with realization. "Reminds me, I was totally addicted to this one online game a few years back, Innocent Sin Online. Got the new Eternal Punishment expansion but haven't really played since getting here..."

He looked over at Mukuro. "You get bein' bored, right, Mukuro? Howzabout ol' Junpei make a sacrifice and save ya from that, I'll let'cha use my copy!"

"You really think she's the type to play video games, Junpei?" Yukari asked, raising an eyebrow, Mitsuru having already tuned them out as she continued reading.

"I've played a few games, though they were all FPS ones," Mukuro said. "They're nothing like using a real gun but I've heard they do help with hand-eye coordination, or so I'm told."

"Eh, well, I think they got one at the arcade, but you oughta give this a try, it's actually real fun, plus teamwork's a big thing in it!" Junpei said with a grin. "C'mon, I'll get it for ya! Don't worry, a potato can run that game!"

Mukuro raised an eyebrow in confusion at Junpei's words, but decided to humor him as she got up and followed him upstairs to his dorm. With little to do with Golden Week coming and Tartarus offering no progress for the time being, the young soldier, who constantly needed some form of mental stimulation, had to concede her evenings were going to get extremely boring fast in between equally boring study sessions.

Once the game had been set for download, however, Mukuro soon discovered the timer on the progress report for the game indicated midnight would happen before it was done, leaving Mukuro with few options for the time being other then get some studying done and go to bed early for the evening.

---

The Dark Hour had come, though how long ago, Mukuro was not entirely sure as she lay silently on her bed in her sleepwear as sickly green light poured through the curtained window of her dorm room, Mukuro could not help but feel restless as she decided to get up, sliding some slippers on her feet as she left her room, deciding to roam a bit as she wandered upstairs.

The sound of electronics from the doors leading to the command room, however, got her attention as she reached the fourth floor. Silently, she approached the doors, one closed all the way, the other slightly ajar. Inside, Mitsuru sat at the control board she recalled remained functional even during the Dark Hour, eyeing the monitors though the young soldier could not see what was on them from where she was, whatever video or videos the older girl was watching were muted.

Mukuro thought about the document, and what Yukari had said about Mitsuru's family having been in charge of the labs the accident that took her father happened in, as she peered through the crack, positioning herself to ensure she'd not be seen. The other girl continued to silently watch, sipping a coffee she had with her. A moment passed, and Mitsuru looked down, her arms slumping to her sides and sighing deeply as though she were troubled by something, though the young soldier had no intention of making her presence known to her and quietly made her way back down, deciding to visit the kitchen for some water, only to find someone else had beat her there.

"Mukuro..." Akihiko smirked as he sipped from a water bottle wearing a tanktop and gym shorts, his gaze flickered to the refrigerator he was leaning against. "...Kirijo tech. Can't have the Dark Hour spoil our stuff!" he chuckled. "...Couldn't sleep either?"

"You're figuring me out more and more," Mukuro said, folding her arms. "Decided to just walk around the dorm a little," she explained, choosing to leave out her having spied on Mitsuru.

"I feel ya. If I were able I'd prolly be out there, looking for Shadows to fight!" Akihiko smirked.

"Mitsuru has you benched, and I doubt she'd approve any of the rest of us going out unsupervised," Mukuro replied. "Even in Fenrir, despite a lone mercenary being trained to handle missions single-handedly, we still depended on some form of supervision to keep an eye on us in case something went wrong."

"Yeah, back when I was going 110%, Mitsuru would keep an eye from the command station," Akihiko said with a wistful grin. "Really missin' the excitement."

Mukuro couldn't help but smirk a little. "...I can understand that."

"It's what you know, you're in your element," Akihiko replied, opening the fridge and offering a water bottle. "Thirsty?"

Mukuro stared at the bottle a second before giving a faint, resigned smile and accepting it, twisting open the cap and taking a sip.

"Tartarus on hold, betcha you're hoping they figure out whatever's causing the barricade, huh?" the boy asked.

"I need something to do that I know I can do," Mukuro said, taking another sip.

"I know the feeling," the boy replied, letting out a sigh, after. "I swear, Mitsuru must be enjoying watching me squirm."

"Do you know her much?" Mukuro asked.

"Since Middle School, when she approached me about joining, so we worked together a while, but she's always been pretty private so I wouldn't call us "close", really," he said.

"I see," Mukuro took a longer sip of her drink.

"Still, once I'm active again, I can go out and train a bit during the Dark Hour again like I used to," Akihiko said.

Mukuro gave a smile. "I'd be glad to join you."

"Heh, that's the spirit! It'd be a blast!" Akihiko said with a soft laugh, pausing after he'd looked over at her as she smiled, and quickly looking at his drink.

"...Is something wrong?" she asked.

"...Nothing," he said, and as if on cue the oppressive green hue faded and the kitchen light turned back on. "...Well, don't wanna sleep through the day, do ya?"

Mukuro noticed a hint of red on the boy's cheeks again as he put his water back in the fridge and headed to the stairs without another word.

---

4/29

Mukuro had just emerged from the girls' washroom when she heard Junpei's voice call to her from the stairs.

"Hey! Mukuro! That you up there?" he asked.

"It is, yes," She heard footsteps as Junpei appeared from the stairs, wearing a casual t-shirt and jeans rather then his school clothes.

"Was wonderin' if you had time annnNNNNND...!" The boy froze in place, agape, mainly because Mukuro was standing there, body wrapped in a towel and nothing else, her short hair hanging freely in loose locks down her neck and around the sides of her face.

"W-WHOA! SORRY! Please don't tell Kirijo or Yuka!" he cried out, sharply turning away and nearly tumbling down the stairs in his panic.

Mukuro blinked, but did nothing else aside from bring her hand up to where her towel was around her chest to secure it more. "...I think they're both already out for the day," she said.

"R-Right, yeah, nice to know or I'd prolly be dead already! Heh..." Junpei kept his back turned to her and his hands gripped on the bannisters likely to ensure he didn't accidentally fall as Mukuro regarded him with a critical stare.

"Junpei, you're not seeing much more then you already have and you know I could break you in two before you can make even one crude move," Mukuro said dryly as she turned towards the dorm. "...Now, what were you wanting to ask?"

Junpei slowly turned, his face beet red and his lips now a perfect horizontal line. "Ehh, i-it can w-w-w-waaaii..."

No muscle in his neck or legs would obey his commands to turn him away, now. True, Mukuro's towel did its job covering everything he had no business seeing, but Junpei couldn't argue all dressed down and with that curious look on her face rather then her usual cold or neutral one, she was... stunning.

How the hell is SHE a soldier?! he wondered, she really did have a sort of natural beauty to her that'd net her a modeling career and her towel couldn't hide it, especially as it was around her tight enough to emphasize her figure, and her shoulders and legs were plenty exposed, and the fact she was still noticeably damp...

Mukuro's own resolve broke and she couldn't help but blush, now as well. Heavily. She'd heard the rumor mill at school, she'd had boys look at her, but they also looked at a lot of other girls, and Junpei found a lot of girls attractive as well. There was also the thought about the things her sister said to tease her when they were kids, and growing up entirely away from people her age, after. It just felt weird. Flattering, but weird. Weird and outside her area of experience and increasingly like she were a bug under a lamp.

Seeing Mukuro blush and look flustered, however, only made her look even more cute, a far cry from the scary and intimidating demeanor she normally had by default, Junpei thought. He felt something trickle out of his nose that quickly snapped him from his trance and granted him the will to quickly face away from her, pinching his nose and feeling a numbness in his face that he could only guess was courtesy of blushing. Once more he thanked his lucky stars and God that Yukari and Mitsuru were not here or he'd have surely been executed on the spot.

Mukuro felt a sense of relief when he turned away, though she knew she could easily send him flying all the way down to the first floor with a single kick if she wanted so she didn't feel threatened so much as out of her element and unsure what to think, but then realized the awkward silence occurring and disliked it. "...You asked about if I had time?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah! Was wonderin' if you wanted to hang out today? Not much else to do with it bein' our day off!" Junpei replied frantically, still facing away.

Mukuro let out a deep sigh to de-stress herself. "...Let me get ready first."

"So, not gonna pummel me for...?" Junpei asked anxiously.

"...Why would I do that?" Mukuro asked, Junpei was unsure if her tone was one of innocent confusion or thinly veiled rhetorical threat as he practically flung himself back down the stairs and out of sight.

A half hour later, Mukuro had descended into the lounge in her casual clothes for the still cool April weather, the white blouse, black skort over black leggings and boots she'd worn when she'd first arrived, her coat draped over her shoulder and her hair brushed.

"Hey, sorry about..." Junpei didn't get to finish as Mukuro simply raised a hand in a silencing gesture.

"What'd you have in mind?" Mukuro asked, folding her arms and willing and eager to put the earlier incident behind her right away.

"Oh, right, that! Well, we got school tomorrow but no Tartarus so thought I'd spend the day out at Paulownia Mall, and I remembered there's a shoot-em-up game at the arcade and thought you'd wanna check it out, you said you've played those kinda games, right?" Junpei offered.

Mukuro nodded. "I have, though I can't promise you'd last long against me."

"Why don't we find out?" Junpei asked with a big grin, clearly also eager to put earlier behind him as he was still blushing a little from what Mukuro could tell as he lead her outside and to the station.

---

"Holy shit!" Junpei cried out, eyes wide and mouth practically reaching his chest as his arms hung limp, gun-controller clasped in both hands.

Mukuro glanced over at him as she lowered her own controller, noticing the crowd of patrons at the arcade who were now bearing witness to their matches. Junpei had certainly done well, but Mukuro had not missed a single target and gained a new impressive score. This, however, was not what had sent a small chill down the boy's back.

Rather, it was when he had suffered a game over from an enemy's lucky shot and Mukuro had continued, she carried out every turn of the gun and pull of the trigger with a cold, razor-sharp focus and unnerving professionalism. It was like Mukuro just tuned out the rest of the world and her blue eyes took on an eagle-like tranquil ferocity as she slay every enemy practically soon as they appeared, striking each weakpoint like a seasoned killer. In Tartarus, he'd not gotten so good a look as he was always focused on keeping himself alive in the fight as well, but now...

It really was kind of scary to think what his friend was capable of with a real firearm with all she'd mentioned of herself.

"Junpei?" she asked, he noticed she was now looking at him.

"Oh, uh... sorry. Wow, you're seriously badass, Mukuro!" he said.

"It's about aiming and firing," Mukuro said, placing the controller back in its holster. "Point, shoot. Point, shoot. No hesitation or you'll be the one who gets shot. Don't point unless you intend to fire. Don't fire unless you intend to kill."

"You really got into it, though," Junpei replied. "It was a little... scary, kinda."

Mukuro frowned. "...You think I'm scary?" she asked.

Junpei went pale, worrying if he'd hit a sore spot. "I-I didn't mean it that way."

Mukuro looked away, turning to leave without a word.

"Hey, Mukuro! Wait up!" her friend called, rushing out after her as she stopped by the fountain. The girl sighed. She didn't look angry, or insulted, rather... ashamed.

"...I'm sorry," she said. "...I... didn't mean to scare you."

"N-No! Nothing to be sorry about!" Junpei replied anxiously. "I..."

"Junpei," Mukuro turned to face him, frowning. "...That's the stuff I'm good at. It's literally all I'm good at because it was all I spent my life on for years... kill or be killed, and now I feel like I'm not sure what I want most. When I'm in Tartarus or... doing that, I'm in my element like you said, I feel comfortable, at ease in a way... but that's not what the people I was in Fenrir with think is what I should make into my life. For that and... other reasons."

"Why not? Bein' a hero and all is cool, you make a difference and stuff n' people are alive 'cuz of you! Nothin' wrong with that!" the boy replied.

Mukuro blinked at his response before giving a stern look. "Battlefields are life and death, and..." Mukuro could have said more, accused him of treating it like a game or looking for excitement, but had stopped herself as a cold, inconvenient voice in her mind told her a part of her still did the same as much as it also was a place she felt she was where she belonged.

And also...

"...I may not have a scar on me," she said after the pause. "...But there's a lot of times I almost died, and when I didn't, all I could do was ask myself why."

Now Junpei looked concerned. "Mukuro, why would you ask that? You make it sound like you hoped you would..."

The dark-haired girl gave no response, just a cold, silent stare. Taking initiative, Junpei decided to make a bold move, and give her a crisp, hard, yet friendly pat on the shoulder and a big smile.

"Mukuro Ikusaba, I'd never want that to happen to ya!" he said. "And I say that 'cause scary or not sometimes, you're my friend!"

Mukuro's eyes flickered down at the pavement, then at the boy, giving a faint smile and a nod. His words were not exactly eloquent in any way, but some of it was what she felt maybe it was what she needed to hear, and it did make her feel better. "...I appreciate it."

"Great!" the boy said with a wide grin. "So... howzabout we go back in and do one of the fighting games next?"

Mukuro gave an approving nod as she followed him back in and to the arcades. Yukari and Junpei had both already found a place in her heart that'd felt so hollow before coming here, she didn't want to make either of them afraid of or disappointed in her.

---

4/30

Mukuro couldn't help but feel this was almost pointless, having had yesterday off, then two days of school, then several days off after. Of course, she'd not been in Japan in years so a part of her also felt like maybe she wasn't in a position to argue about it as she sat in class listening to the history teacher's lecture.

"Let's see, today's lecture was supposed to be about ancient tombs," the teacher, Mr. Ono, still wearing his samurai helmet, stated. "How is this even relevant? I can make better tomb decorations then the ancients! I can't wait to get to the Sengoku era, it's so exciting!"

Mukuro leaned forward, resting her chin in her palm with her elbow and her other hand on her desk as she attempted to sit through Mr. Ono's half-lecture-half-tirade. She could at least sympathize with him, as this topic was actually rather dull and uneventful and the premise she'd gotten of the era he kept referring to did sound far more interesting to the point of up her alley.

Still, if she wanted Mitsuru to remove her from her shit list as far as the dorm residents' grades were concerned, the young soldier opted she'd have to at least try to process everything that'd potentially be on the upcoming exams. Her eyes flickered over to her teammates.

Junpei had adopted a similar position as her, but was noticeably slumped forward more, no doubt he was already asleep or well on the way. Yukari was faring much better, sitting attentively and taking notes, if a bit frantically as if she were more concerned about exams then actually interested in the subject.

The dark-haired girl raised her chin, positioning her hand in front of her face to stifle a yawn as Mr. Ono continued.

"...To save all of you the trouble," the teacher said, adjusting his helmet, "...Study the Kitora Tomb of Nara. That's what'll be on the exam..."

As class ended, however, as if whoever it was knew, Mukuro heard her phone chiming. Curious, she flipped it open and answered. "Hello?"

"Miss Ikusaba? Hello. This is Theodore," a male voice she recognized as the Velvet Room attendant said, causing the girl to pause wondering how this was even possible, to the point she wasn't entirely sure how to even respond.

"Miss Ikusaba, are you there?" Theodore's voice asked.

"I am, yes," Mukuro answered. "You can call me from that... place?"

"I can, yes," Theodore answered as though it were obvious enough she should have known this and have no reason to find it odd at all. "There's a matter I'd like to discuss with you. If you could, please come to the Velvet Room."

"How? It's daytime," Mukuro replied.

"Indeed it is," Theodore replied. "Come to Paulownia Mall where the fountain is. There's an alleyway that will take you to the door, you'll know it when you see it. I'll see you soon!"

The call on Mukuro's phone ended, the girl looking at it in confusion once more as she saw there was no trace of a number having even called her, but as it seemed Theodore, and possibly Igor as well, wished to speak to her, the young soldier gathered her things and decided to oblige.

---

Upon arriving at the mall, Mukuro's eyes caught notice of an alleyway near the stairs that led up to the second floor of the mall. Moreso, however, she noticed a strange blue hue coming from it, the young soldier's gut telling her this was the very alleyway Theodore had been referring to, especially as the closer she got the more it seemed to hum a little more brightly, as though affirming her suspicions.

Entering the passage, Mukuro saw a familiar blue door standing at the end of it, though it was not attached to the wall behind it, rather it seemed to be about a foot away from it, emitting a blue light that bathed the walls, pavement, and ceiling around it. Slowly, Mukuro took the key from her bag and held it to the door, it promptly opening and in a flash of bright light, she found herself within the elevator-like chamber that was the Velvet Room.

"Welcome," Igor said, greeting Mukuro with his uncanny rictus from his spot seated before his table.

"I appreciate you coming," Theodore said with a welcoming smile as he held the blue tome from before tucked under his arm.

"You did call me," Mukuro pointed out. "You said you had a matter to discuss?"

"Indeed, first, in regards to the door you have just entered," Igor explained. "We have brought forth an alternate entrance to this place from this location, so that you will be able to visit us outside the Dark Hour and the labyrinth, be it if you require our services, or if we require audience with you."

"I see," the young soldier replied, glancing over to the side. This would certainly be convenient.

"Furthermore, the other reason I have summoned you here is a more personal task," Theodore stated. "Our task of watching over your journey has given me interest in your world, and I would like to see it for myself if you'd be willing to escort me..."

Mukuro raised an eyebrow. "You're... asking me to give you a tour?" she asked. "I've only been here for about a month, and about ten of those days were spent in a coma..."

Theodore let out a small chuckle. "Then perhaps it will be a new experience for us both, then," he said with a kind smile that made Mukuro blush a little. "My first assignment, however, is actually right in the area... I would like to humbly request you permit me a chance to explore this "Paulownia Mall" you were brought to, if you are free to..."

Mukuro looked away sharply, not having anything else planned today. Theodore did have a sort of mystifying, tall, dark and handsome look to him, and there was his incredibly smooth voice and his elegance and smile that was like that of a fairy tale prince from a dream then a normal young man around her age. "I-I... I don't, no. I mean, I'm free, yes, Theodore, I can."

"Thank you very much, and please, you may call me 'Theo' if you wish," Theodore said with an appreciative nod as he set the tome on Igor's table. "I won't be gone long, Master."

"Worry not, go and fulfil your desire to see our guest's world," the strange old man said, his beak-like nose resting atop his steepled fingers barely concealing his wide grimace.

The attendant extended his hand to Mukuro. "...Well, then, Miss Ikusaba, please lead the way."

Mukuro silently reached out, her own gloved hand clasping over his as she stared a moment in silence. The cold, professional mercenary Theodore had observed was momentarily gone from her blue eyes, only a teenage girl in her place unsure of what to expect before she blinked again, as if regaining her senses and giving a nod, leading him by the hand back to the door and both were enveloped in bright light.

Theodore looked about in awe as they emerged together from the alleyway and into the courtyard. "So, this is Paulownia Mall? Indeed, it's exactly as I imagined," he said, letting go of her hand to stand beside her. Despite the professionalism in his voice, the attendant's golden-yellow eyes were practically glimmering with excitement as he took in his surroundings.

"Really?" the young mercenary asked, looking at him with suspicion as she noted how much his expression betrayed his words. "You imagined this?"

"Of course! This is what a "mall" would look like, wouldn't it?" Theodore asked with an attempted haughty laugh to preserve his dignity. "I'm not someone so easily amused!" he declared before looking away, mumbling a little to himself.

"Is that so?" Mukuro asked, skeptical of his response.

Theodore seemed to not hear her, or perhaps did not wish to answer that, as his golden gaze took note of the large fountain at the center of the mall's courtyard. "...Oh, such as that over there! What might that be?"

Theodore walked sharply ahead with purpose, reaching the stone basin that was wide enough to sit on, though the attendant simply leaned forward and sideways, inspecting every detail with great curiosity. "...An aqueous duct in a place like this?" he asked, a look of confusion on his face as he looked back at Mukuro. "The dwellers of this place must get thirsty very easily!"

Mukuro stared at him a moment, initially suspecting it to be a lame joke, but no, Theodore seemed to be fully sincere in his inquiry. The young soldier wasn't sure which she would have felt more comfortable with. "It's... not for drinking."

"Oh, of course!" Theodore said abruptly, standing up straight again and attempting to regain his professionalism. "I... know it's true purpose, naturally! It's clearly meant to wash one's hands! I understand in times of human history, a water source shared within a settlement lent such a role, yes?"

The teen's eyes slowly closed in exasperation. "Yes. That's exactly what it's for." she said in a dry tone.

"Aha! I knew from the start!" Theodore declared with a proud smile. He paused, then frowned in concern.

"...This is that thing humans call "sarcasm", isn't it?" he asked, trying t hide his embarrassment. "...I was... merely using it as well, but perhaps remind me what it is for, then?"

"I think it's just part of the scenery," Mukuro said. "People enjoy looking at it as they enter, I suppose. I honestly don't pay much attention to those things."

Theodore frowned again, bringing his hand to his chin in thought as he studied the fountain more. "...Hm, perhaps it is to provide something that is pleasing to look at, and make people who come here feel more at ease, or excite them with something they don't see often!" he concluded. A smile spread upon his face. "Well, it certainly had that effect on me. You truly do not feel that sense as well, Miss Ikusaba?"

"My life before coming here makes mundane things not have as much of an effect on me, usually." Mukuro said, folding her arms as she looked about at the stores and businesses.

Theodore gave her a concerned frown. "Miss Ikusaba, perhaps you simply need to give yourself a chance to appreciate them more. When one goes on a journey, they should take the time to make the most of the experiences that occur on it, and make memories to remind them of its worth," he said. "To simply go through life in apathy... mission to mission... hardly sounds fulfilling at all."

Mukuro raised an eyebrow. "Is there a self-help pamphlet tucked in that big tome you're usually holding?"

Theodore, to her surprise, chuckled in response. "Not at all, Miss Ikusaba. It is my own mission as well as my master's, to oversee your journey and provide guidance. But what I said, I believe you are already aware of this, correct?"

Mukuro's gaze fell towards the pavement, unsure what to say. She had befriended Junpei and Yukari, and had begun to dabble in some things, but yet the life she'd had up till now offered a comfort of routine she hadn't denounced entirely sometimes, if only because it was one she always knew how to tackle any situation said life put her in. This one, though...

"Well, our outing isn't over yet, I hope! Perhaps you may yet find something of interest, such as..." Theodore paused as he took notice of a police station Mukuro had recalled the officer who supplied SEES with their weapons worked and approached it. "Hm, what pray tell is this facility... photographs depicting people as "Most Wanted" with rewards offered... the concept of subjugation requests are not unknown, here, I see..."

"More or less," Mukuro said as Theodore looked over the bullitin board near the door.

"Well, in that case, I assume one would need to bring a piece of the body back as proof of the kill, correct?" Theodore asked, looking at the posters and photographs.

"A few of Fenrir's missions requiring confirmed kill did entail that," Mukuro said, resting a hand at her hip. "...Others required bringing the subject back alive, either as a prisoner or a refugee."

"Ahh, how fascinating!" Theodore said with a triumphant nod. "With hunters of such talent in the world, perhaps I should make a few requests of my own to them, unless you, our finest guest, would rather take them yourself?"

"Honestly given enough time I'm certain I could successfully claim the bounties on these fugitives," Mukuro said, looking at the wanted posters a well. "...But due to my age, I doubt they'd let me."

"Well, I could indulge you with a few requests regarding certain Shadows in Tartarus," Theodore offered.

Mukuro sighed, shaking her head. "It's fine, I get enough exercise from my trips in already," she said.

"Oh, my apologies, I was making a joke," Theodore said with a slight chuckle. "I suppose I've much to learn on this "sarcasm", don't I? You are much more then a warrior, Miss Ikusaba, so I don't intend to render you merely as such."

Mukuro found herself unsure how to respond once more, feeling a blush from seeing the attendant's reassuring smile, before another look of awe came upon the young man's face.

"Oh! What is this?" he inquired, walking past Mukuro over to the establishment at the far end. "...Club... Escapade...?" Theodore read the sign aloud, his gaze tracing next to the advertisement flier next to the entrance. "..."Dancers, dictated by the sway of one's inner passions, a subterranean garden of uninhibited spectacle!" How very fascinating, befitting of its name! Since we are here, why not venture in?"

Theodore's awe became disappointment, however, when he saw a third sign, one on the door that indicated the place was closed. "This can't be... how will I find something to bring you joy and make this outing..." He paused, his pale face blushing lightly in embarrassment. "...A-Apologies, Miss Ikusaba. If this establishment is not open, we may need to turn back."

"What about that?" Mukuro asked, pointing behind him to the arcade. "I was there yesterday with one of my... my friends, there may be something there you'd enjoy."

Theodore turned, curious and looked at the sign. "Ar... cade? A series of arches?" he asked, looking unsure before attempting to appear professional once more. "...Very well, let's investigate!"

Mukuro did not need to wait long to find something that took the attendant's interest after they entered, the worst of it being the patrons who noted her strangely-dressed company, though Theodore did not seem to notice, or perhaps care. He was far too captivated by one particular attraction.

"A bird-controlling game?" he wondered aloud, before glancing over at her. "I see no bird, only this peculiar appendage with hooks at its end... oh, perhaps these are the birds?"

Theodore pressed both hands against the glass case of the crane machine he'd become entranced by, leaning forward at the plush prizes within. "Ahh, though they appear to be merely stuffed animals made of cloth, some of them do bear likeness to birds! They're quite pleasing to look at, too!"

Mukuro's eyes darted about, hoping they weren't attracting an audience though she did find Theodore's childlike wonder and optimism were... endearing. It wasn't, she assessed, like she could really fault him when it was something he'd never seen.

"Are you familiar with this "game" which perhaps simulates the practice of catching cranes, Miss Ikusaba?" Theodore asked, standing back up straight and looking over at her.

"Same word, but different meaning," Mukuro explained. "The crane it refers to is that..." She pointed at the hooked robotic arm hanging above the plushes. "A machine used for gripping and picking things up, then carrying them. You put money in that slot, and then use those levers to position it. Then you make it open so it lowers down to collect the one you're trying to take and places it in this chute."

"Ahh, of course! ...That was my next guess!" Theodore said with a sheepish chuckle, adjusting his hat. "I take it you must be quite seasoned with this device, then!"

"Not since I was a kid," Mukuro said. "When we were both six, months before... well... my sister once wanted these two bear plushies they had, a black one and a white one. She guided me and I caught them both for her."

"Ahh, I have heard tales where twins demonstrated a form of synchronicity," Theodore said. "What became of them? Did you each keep one?"

"No, actually, once we got home she... got some scissors and cut them both in half, and then took mom's sewing kit and stitched the right half of the white one and the left half of the black one together to create a new one from both," Mukuro said. The result was anything but pleasant to look at, but she remembered how proud of it her sister had been.

"Hm, sacrificing two things, and combining them into a singular yet more desired form?" Theodore pondered, stroking his chin in thought. "...Not unlike fusing a Persona! Very fascinating indeed! This world certainly does have its charms!"

"That's one way of looking at it," Mukuro said, before eyeing the machine a moment, then looking over at her companion. "...Were you wanting to try it?"

Theodore smirked. "If it wouldn't be any trouble. But don't worry, I've come prepared..." The young man immediately produced a small coin purse from his blazer, placing several coins into the slot. "Let us see, now, how well I fare in this "crane's" ability to capture the smaller cranes!"

Needless to say, Mukuro was a little surprised to see Theodore collect a plush resembling a small, dwarfish snowman with a big wide smiling face and a blue collar and jester cap on his third try. It seemed that beneath his somewhat naïve demeanor regarding the world outside the Velvet Room, Theodore was very astute with the amount of care and focus he used.

"A trophy to my victory!" Theodore said, holding the plush up with pride before noticing Mukuro's stare and a slight blush once more came to his fair features. "...My apologies, that was unprofessional of me. Nor did I succeed in acquiring one of the birds for you."

"Normally these games aren't as easy as they look to win," the young soldier replied.

"Yet an accomplishment was made, nonetheless. This one appeared to be much rarer then the bird toys as well. Perhaps my efforts were not in vain after all?" Theodore gave her a warm smile as he handed her the plush.

Mukuro blushed, looking at the prize then at her companion's kind smile before cautiously accepting it, as though expecting it to be pulled away. Looking down at it now as she held it in her hands, she couldn't help but smile a little.

"...Now, shall we be on our way? I'd hate to keep you out too late," Theodore asked, no less a gentleman, it seemed.

Returning to the Velvet Room, Igor sat idly at his table as Theodore was now standing before him with his tome now tucked under his arm again, though facing Mukuro as well with a warm, grateful smile and placing his free hand over his chest to give a polite bow. "...Thank you, Miss Ikusaba, for showing me around Paulownia Mall, today. It's unfortunate but I doubt my master will permit me a fountain or a crane catcher machine within this place... that said, I have prepared something special for you..."

Theodore opened the tome he was carrying, and a new name appeared upon it, though the name was not glowing like the others.

"As your heart's spiritual strength grows, allowing you to bear stronger Personas, Hua Po will become available to you via fusion," Theodore explained as a phantom image of a fairy-like Persona with long hair briefly appeared over the tome. "...She is a very charming Persona if I may say so... combining the looks of a sweet girl with powerful abilities..."

Mukuro could feel her face redden again as she took in his words and that smile, a part of her sensing he was applying them to her as well, making her blush all the more, the soldier vanishing briefly once more. "...Thank you..."

Theodore chuckled warmly. "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Ikusaba. I look forward to seeing you again when you return..."

A white light once more engulfed the Velvet Room and Mukuro as she was returned back to the real world.

The teen came back to her senses standing outside the alleyway of Paulownia Mall, shaking her head as she noticed she was holding the snowman-looking plush in her arms. It was actually kind of cute, she remembered having shelves in her room where she could likely put it.

It was then her phone chimed, and she saw Junpei was calling her. Right, she'd remembered Mitsuru had everyone exchange numbers. "Hello?"

"Hey! Mukuro, where ya at? Headin' back?" Junpei asked.

"I was, yes," she answered, her gaze flickering down at the plush she was holding and tucking it in her bag. "...Why?"

"Eh, I'm at the station and I remembered the movie theater's here and I been meanin' to see "Double-Barreled Justice" now that it just came out. Wanna join me?" asked Junpei.

Mukuro did remember some of the boys talking about it in the halls at school, that it was an action movie, which did sound up her alley, actually. She didn't have any other plans today, anyway.

"I'm at Paulownia. I'll meet you there," she said.

"Great! I'll get us some seats!"

---

"Well, THAT was not what I was expectin'," Junpei sighed as he and Mukuro left the theater. "I mean... the villain wasn't even all that evil, it kinda killed it for me when it went all into his tragic past. It's not cool if you gotta beat up someone who didn't want to be a bad guy. Bad guys who are just pure evil all the way to the core are more satisfying! Ever deal with someone like that?"

"I never gave it much thought, honestly," Mukuro said. "Missions were missions, different rules. Though... it is different seeing it all from both perspectives. I think I understand your point though... something like that could potentially affect a soldier's resolve to do their job."

"Yeah, maybe," Junpei said, folding his arms behind his head to stretch. "At least the stunts were cool, kinda reminds me of you in Tartarus!" he added with a laugh, his face suddenly lighting up. "Hey! Maybe after you graduate n' all you can get into showbiz! Be one of those stars who does their own stunts!"

Mukuro shook her head. "That doesn't sound like my thing."

"Hey, maybe you'll change your mind one day," Junpei mused. "Since we're out here, wanna go grab somethin' before we head back?"

"Where did you have in mind?" asked Mukuro.

"Umm... I know! I'll show ya!" the boy said, leading the way already and the confused girl following in silence.

Junpei's chosen destination was certainly different from the ramen place they went last time, despite it being in the same area.

The two were now currently seated in a fast food place called Wild Duck Burger that was located on the bottom floor of the strip mall. The place had a smell of what Mukuro could only properly describe as grease. Junpei had ordered them both burgers with a side of fries, the young soldier staring down at her food for a moment.

"Whass' wung?" Junpei asked, having already taken a big bite of his.

"...Is there any nutrition in this?" Mukuro asked, eyeing it.

"Don't worry about that! Just enjoy it, once ain't gonna kill ya! Especially someone as fit as you!" the boy laughed.

Mukuro took a breath, grabbing up the large double-patty burger and taking a big bite of her own. The girl's eyes widened. It didn't taste like what she'd expected by name, but it was... heavenly.

Soon, she was scarfing it down at a quick rate of her own.

"Heh, welcome to junk food!" Junpei said with a grin. "Not even sure if it's duck or just in the name but it's pretty good, ain't it?" he asked, looking over at the cardboard cutout a cartoonish duck mascot in red overalls.

"Not like any kind I've had," Mukuro said as she finished another bite.

"Oh, did Fenrir treat'cha guys?" Junpei asked.

"Not exactly," Mukuro replied. "Some missions, I'd be out in the wilderness. Sometimes longer then expected that rations could run out. You needed to know how to catch and prepare meals since eating one at all was practically a luxury..."

"Uh, Mukuro? Don't take this the wrong way, but..." Junpei stared in astonishment before speaking again. "That... is seriously cool. Like really badass."

Mukuro blushed a little. "...Don't expect me to make meals in the dorm, though. I'm practically useless in a kitchen. I can flame-cook or heat things over a campfire but that's pretty much it, really."

"Well, either way, sounds like you'd be the one to get stranded with!" Junpei said with a playful laugh. His eyes suddenly went wide. "Whoa, just realized something... Place like this, guys might see us together an' say stuff!"

"You didn't seem to mind yesterday," Mukuro said, taking another bite of her burger.

"Well, that was then, this was today. Hear the guys talkin' about it lately, even comin' up to me!" Junpei explained. "Told ya back when we got ramen then you got some admirers, and then there's the famous Yuka-tan and Mitsuru-senpai all in the same dorm as me. Guess my hunch was right, there's a lotta dudes who envy me for that!"

"So your wish is finally granted?" Mukuro asked, recalling when she and Junpei had seen Akihiko come out with an ample number of girls around him.

"-Tch!- I wish!" Junpei said with an eyeroll and a bitter laugh. "They're jealous of me for livin' there but... they also say I don't have a chance with any of ya."

Mukuro stayed silent, unsure how to respond to that. She honestly wasn't even sure what her type was, mostly she'd just been left with confusing emotions and unsure how to react to male attention.

"I'm... sure someone'll... come along when you least expect it," she said, a bit more awkwardly then she'd have liked. Consoling others especially over matters like this wasn't exactly a strong point of hers.

"I can dream, right?" Junpei asked, scratching the back of his head and sporting a painted-on grin at her comment. "Y'know, you didn't ask me who these guys were talkin' about'cha! Aren't ya even a little curious?"

"...Not really," Mukuro said, blushing a little, though it was at the fact she had received attention rather then imagining anyone in particular.

"Fair enough, no girl I know of's that desperate," Junpei replied with a triumphant nod. "Guess you're really not used to that, huh?"

"Lack of experience, and I have enough on my plate anyway," Mukuro said.

"Yeah, same, havin' my hands full with my own stuff," Junpei said, his smile fading as he looked out the window a moment, frowning. Mukuro wondered what it was specifically, but she did feel like she understood her friend a little more, know.

The sound of glass shattering echoed within her mind at the thought.

"...But hey, let's not focus on stuff like that!" Junpei said quickly, his playful grin back in place. "For now, let's just enjoy dinner before we head back! Maybe you can give that Innocent Sin game a try later if you haven't taken a look yet. Just two more days of school then a three day weekend!"

Mukuro nodded in silence, taking another bite of her food, it seemed Junpei's carefree demeanor wasn't quite as carefree as she thought, though she chose not to ask now and risk bringing down the mood as she turned her attention to the fries he'd ordered for her to try next.

---

5/1

Mukuro had hoped she wouldn't see this place again for a good while, but fate clearly had other ideas. Soon as classes were over, Junpei had mentioned Akihiko having had to go to the hospital for a checkup and wanting him to bring a class roster for 2-E. Then before she knew it, Yukari had insisted on going as well, and she found herself roped in on this trip as well.

"Brings back memories, huh?" Yukari joked, getting a look from the dark-haired girl in response.

"Still don't get why y'all needed to come. I can handle this!" Junpei insisted.

"Why, what's the problem?" Yukari asked. "I didn't have practice or anything."

"To be fair, coming here wasn't something I was hoping to do any time soon," Mukuro said, voicing her thoughts.

"Well, it seemed like a good idea we all just came together, he is gonna be working with us soon as he's better, after all," Yukari replied.

"We're here!" Junpei said, stopping at one of the doors and opening it, yet Akihiko was nowhere to be found, though the room certainly was occupied.

"Uhh... is Akihiko-senpai... supposed to be here?" Junpei asked the young man seated in the armchair by the empty bed.

The visitor glanced up at them, scowling. He looked to be around their age, with long dark-brown hair and a rather piercing eyes on his pale face as he gazed silently at them. The young man wore a dark red peacoat and black pants and boots, a gray beanie covering the top of his head. He looked each of them over, but said nothing before Mukuro noticed he seemed to no longer be looking at them, but past them, causing her to turn first.

"Hey, what're you all doing here?" Akihiko asked, standing at the door with his jacket in hand and looking at the small group before him in confusion. Mukuro was giving him a critical look while Junpei and Yukari both looked surprised.

"We came to see you!" Yukari responded, finding her voice first.

"You seem well," Mukuro said, folding her arms. "I heard you needed to go to the hospital?"

"Just here for a checkup is all," Akihiko said, his tone like he was still confused why they'd all be here.

"Is that it, Aki?" the brooding you man growled irritably from across the room as he stood from his seat, glaring at the other boy.

"Yeah, thanks," Akihiko said, looking past the others at him.

The young man shook his head in annoyance. "Whatever. I ain't got time for this shit," he fumed, sliding his hands in his pockets as he approached, pausing suddenly as he looked over at Mukuro.

"You..."

Mukuro turned to face him, folding her arms and giving him a quizzical tilt of the eyebrow. "...What?" she asked.

The visitor glanced at Akihiko, then her, and just shook his head. "...Nevermind," he muttered before letting himself out without another word.

"Someone you know?" Mukuro asked, looking back at Akihiko.

"Someone from school... sorta," Akihiko said. "You know how the Apathy cases have been rising, lately? Well, he knows a few people who are suffering from it, so I was asking him what he knew about it." He looked over at Junpei. "You brought what I asked?"

"Yup! Right here, Senpai!" Junpei said proudly, taking a folded piece of paper from his pocket and holding it out. Instead of accepting it, though, Akihiko just began flexing and stretching his free arm in a slow punching motion, the one on the side he'd been injured, Mukuro noted.

"Should you be doing that?" she asked.

"Eh, it's fine," Akihiko said with a shrug as he took the piece of paper, tucking it into his own pocket. "I've wasted enough time already, anyway. I need to get back to my training!"

"Yeeeah! Gekkoukan's golden boy! Born to be in the ring!" Junpei cheered.

"...Sometimes I really don't get you," Akihiko remarked dryly. "Sorry for the trouble, by the way", he said, giving Mukuro a small, sheepish smile. "Anyway, we should probably get going."

"I've been wondering, Senpai, why boxing?" Yukari asked, deciding to speak up.

"You mean the sport?" Akihiko asked. The group noticed he'd started to frown a little. "It's not really the sport itself, actually. I just... wanted to learn how to fight. I know what it's like to feel powerless and I don't ever wanna feel that way again."

The boy quickly managed a small, but cocky smirk, though it seemed a little forced, now. "...Besides, I'm curious to see how strong I can get! It's like a game, where I'm competing against myself!"

"I guess that's a way to look at it. I'm into games, myself, y'know!" Junpei chimed in.

"You mean video games?" Yukari snipped.

"Hey! Don't knock it till ya tried it, Yuka-tan!" Junpei protested. "Mukuro here played some with me at the arcades! She can vouch!"

"Whatever, they're not really my thing," Yukari said. "So we're good to go, now?" Yukari asked, looking back at Akihiko.

"Yeah, I gotta stay the night but you all can head back, now. I'll seeya all tomorrow," the boy said with a small, apologetic smile as the doctor came in.

As the three left, Mukuro filtered out Junpei and Yukari's bickering over video games that followed as her thoughts remained on what Akihiko had said earlier, along with their conversation they'd had the other day as well, about not wanting to feel powerless...

...Something she felt years ago...

"Hey, Mukuro?" Yukari asked, suddenly getting her attention. "What do you think?"

"Hm?"

"Ya think that guy was Akihiko-senpai's friend?" she asked.

"Couldn't say," Mukuro replied. That other boy visiting Akihiko was an enigma, too, now that she thought about it with the way he seemed ready to tell her something only to just walk out, and Akihiko didn't seem to have much to say about him, either.

"Said he goes to our school, but I'm pretty sure I'd remember a guy like that roamin' around the halls!" Junpei said. "Kinda scary-lookin' though, like some of the guys everyone says are delinquents."

"Akihiko-senpai doesn't seem the type to hang out with trouble-makers, though," Yukari said. "Besides, we don't exactly know him, we can't go making assumptions."

"Maybe he'll tell us another time," Mukuro offered.

"Yeah, they seemed like they really knew eachother, considering how he reacted when Akihiko came in and if Akihiko had a way of bringing him over," Yukari mused. "Probably shouldn't worry about it for now."

"Right, one more day till Golden Week days off!" Junpei said with a smirk.

"We should probably try and focus somewhat on studies, Mitsuru's expecting us to do well on exams, after all," Yukari stated.

"Yeah, yeah, gotta get on my case," Junpei muttered.

Akihiko's past, and this mysterious friend of his, Mukuro couldn't help but wonder again what the story behind either matter was as she and the others headed back...

---

5/2

Mukuro felt her stomach turn as classes ended, suspecting that sandwich she'd gotten for lunch was maybe to blame. Luck of the draw, or maybe the snack she'd gotten from the vending machine as well had gone bad, she wasn't sure. Regardless, she'd decided she was going to go by the nurse's office to see if they had anything for her that might subside it, even a little.

"Hello?" Mukuro asked, politely knocking on the nurse's office door.

"Come in, come in," a dismissive male voice replied.

Opening the door, Mukuro winced a little from her upset stomach as she entered...

...Only to pause as she saw perhaps the most unprofessionally-dressed faculty member she'd ever seen in this school, leaning back in his chair and staring at the ceiling for some reason.

THIS guy's the school nurse?! she wondered to herself as she looked the gaunt, middle-aged man over with no small amount of skepticism. Under his labcoat, which seemed to have a stain or two of some unknown substance on it, he was dressed in a loose yellow t-shirt with some sort of hand symbol Mukuro was unfamiliar with, khaki shorts, and brown slippers. His chin had a 5 o'clock shadow and his graying hair was a mess, a small pencil was tucked above his left ear and he sported a pair of large, thick-rimmed glasses with photochromic lenses that hid his eyes, his nametag on his labcoat reading the name "Edogawa"

"And how may I help you, young Miss?" the man asked with a strange, uneven chuckle.

Mukuro felt like there was something she'd been told a while back that she should have been remembering right now.

"You're..." she began, only for him to suddenly hold a hand out in a hushing motion.

"SHH-SHH-SHH!" he said, looking sharply towards the ceiling again. Mukuro stared, unmoving and her expression neutral though she'd by her own internal admission, not expected this as he remained completely silent for a moment.

"...Ahhh," the school nurse exhaled. "I have foreseen you are here for a reason, hm-hm-hmmm?"

"...Very observant," Mukuro answered flatly. "Do you have..."

"Hang on, hang on! We must consult the spirits once more, as you seem quite unwell..." Edogawa stepped back, craning his head upward and closing his eyes. "...A wound, perhaps? No, a virus? A curse?" he inquired. "...Or is it love?"

"...None of those, I think," Mukuro replied, becoming less and less certain she should be trusting her health to this man but giving him the benefit of the doubt if he had kept his job this long despite his odd behavior. "...I think it's... food poisoning."

The doctor slowly lowered his head to look right at her. "Well, well, well! That makes this is a good day for us both!" he said with a devious chuckle. "It's a perfect opportunity to try my new concoction!"

The man shuffled over to a nearby kettle, pouring something into a small bottle and bringing it over to her with a very wide grin on his face. The young soldier suspected most would have immediately left at this point, but her stomach was already causing her issues and she didn't want any sort of illness to get in the way of her training regimen she hoped to get to before the day was over.

"Here, try this!" Edogawa stated, holding the bottle out to her. "...It includes bitter mugwort, poison carrot, henbane, jujube, rabbit's foot, etcetera, etcetera, even Hakusan's finest alchemist would be astonished by the ingredients!"

Mukuro suspected anyone would be as stared at the bottle, her nose crinkling at the foul smell that came from it before looking up at the man, who had an expectant look on his face, at least from what she could tell from his foggy glasses and wide grimace. She had no idea what nearly any of those things he listed were, and none of them sounded like anything that belonged in medicine, or certainly any she'd been exposed to in Fenrir.

"Go on! I shall treat your illness here and now if you'd drink up!" he declared.

Another pang to her stomach told the teen that perhaps she had nothing to lose at this point if she wanted to have any plans tonight. Taking a breath, she seized the bottle and chugged it down as fast as she could...

---

Mukuro wondered if that was partially-digested food, whatever it was Edogawa had given her, or possibly one of her organs now drifting in the toilet she was currently kneeling in front of and gripping the sides of in the girls' bathroom before she hastily wiped her mouth once she'd finished gagging and finally started to feel her stomach begin to settle after spending the last several minutes depleting its contents and feeling overwhelmingly grateful fate had at least been kind enough to ensure she was alone in here or her dignity may have been forfeit as well.

Shakily getting her knees off the floor and standing herself back up, Mukuro gave the toilet a firm flush and watched its contents swirl away out of sight and out of mind as she turned and opened the stall door and having to convince herself assaulting a faculty member was neither going to be worth it nor be in her best interest in any conceivable way in the long run.

No sooner had she opened the door, however, when she found herself face to face with a girl with gloves and a surgical mask she vaguely recognized as the one she'd encountered in the hall a few weeks ago. She looked a little less disheveled but no less anxious-looking.

"My apologies, it's all yours," Mukuro said bitterly as she walked past her to wash her hands.

"Umm... n-no, I should... be the one apologizing" the girl said softly, her mask muffling her stilted words slightly as she looked down at the floor and clutching her bag.

"What do you mean?" Mukuro asked, glancing back at her as she dried her hands off with a sharp stare, causing the girl to wilt a little.

"I stepped out of the... nurse's office for a bit to... do an errand for someone," the girl said, her voice gentle and meek. "You... drank the medicine didn't you?"

"How did you guess?" Mukuro inquired, her tone completely dry as she made her way to the door to the nearest fountain to rinse down the taste of stomach acid from her mouth.

"W-Wait!" the girl said, rushing out after her. "Are you... alright now?"

"Do I look alright?" Mukuro asked, causing the girl to wilt again.

"Sorry," the girl muttered with an urgeant bow. "Edogawa's... eccentric, I know..."

"I got that hint when he told me Saturn was calling as the excuse for sending me out the door to find the bathroom rather then let me use the sink when I was about to throw up after he poisoned me," Mukuro said.

"Here! Let me make it up to you for stepping out!" the girl said frantically, reaching around in her bag and taking out a small bottle, looking it over carefully before holding it out as she bowed again. "Drink this, I promise you'll feel better!"

Mukuro's brow furrowed. "I think I've taken enough 'medicines' for today..."

"No, no, I'm really good! My dad taught me and I've always been passionate about it, it's why I help out there as part of the health committee... a reason, anyway," the girl said nervously, her speech becoming increasingly stilted as her pale complexion reddened. "Just... go on, if you get sicker, then... well... do what you will with me..."

Mukuro's hardened features softened slightly, the girl seemed to feel really guilty and Mukuro did feel her anger begin to subside enough to feel the girl didn't deserve to be the brunt of it. Sighing, she accepted the bottle and drank it down.

The girl watched anxiously as Mukuro suddenly felt refreshed. Very refreshed, actually, as though the food poisoning and all that followed had never happened. By her guess, she could probably do her regimen without any problems, tonight.

She couldn't exactly tell what the girl was thinking or feeling as the lower half of her face was covered, but she seemed a little less fearful despite her disheveled and timid appearance. "D-Did it work?"

Mukuro nodded. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

The girl blushed again, but now seemed more flattered then embarrassed. "Thank you. I mean... you're welcome," she said very softly. "If you ever need more, or anything if you're... n-not feeling well again, my name's Seiko Kimura. I'm... usually in the nurse's office after classes. Usually. I'll give you whatever should help."

"Your own brew?" Mukuro asked. The girl nodded.

"Yes! I have my own license and everything! Dad had to pull some strings because of my age, but I met all the qualifications..." Seiko gripped one hand with the other against her chest as she looked cautiously down the hall. "...S-So, yeah, I'm real good... even my friend I was doing the errand for says so."

Mukuro pondered a moment, Seiko's medicine had really done wonders. She honestly felt good as new in practically no time. The pharmacy at Paulownia Mall had its medicines she'd considered getting earlier, but she doubted it'd be anything like what she had just taken.

Thoughts of their last trip in Tartarus and what it may have in store for them whenever the barrier disappeared went through her mind.

"Do you have any more, or can you make me any, just in case I have any other bad run-ins with food?" she asked.

"Excuse me?" Seiko asked, cocking her head slightly in confusion.

"This was all due to some bad food poisoning as well, but your medicine cleared it all up. I was wondering if you had more I could take with me for emergencies?" she asked.

"I suppose it's... the least I can do," the girl said, looking down at the floor meekly.

The young soldier shook her head. "No, I'm..." she took a breath, trying to think of a way someone like Yukari might have asked, attempting to make it clear she was being genuine and appreciative. "You already... really helped. Don't... feel like you... owe me. It was just if you had any you were fine with... giving me."

Mukuro grimaced a little. She really needed to either get advice from Yukari or find a book or something. Fortunately, the other girl looked like she'd calmed down.

"I see, okay, sure, yeah... you don't... seem like you wanna just..." she said softly. "I-I mean, thank you. I'd be happy to."

Seiko dug around in her bag again and pulled out another bottle with an identical label. "Here. Um... if you ever need anymore, just ask. The school doesn't like me using them, I'm just supposed to help Mr. Edogawa but... gotta practice somehow..."

"Maybe we can work something out?" Mukuro asked, accepting it and sliding it in her bag.

Seiko glanced sideways, blushing a little and fidgeting with her mask with her gloved hand. "I guess, sure. I mean, between my... errands for my friend, and you, I'm sure I can spare some. I... always make a lot." She looked back over at Mukuro. "If it's really for your health I'll help however I can..."

Reality darkened suddenly and time slowed down with it as Mukuro once more heard Theodore's voice speak to her...

Thou art I... and I am thou...

Thou hast established a new bond...

Thou shalt be blessed when creating

Personas of the Hanged Man Arcana...

"Thank you, and... glad the medicine worked," she said. "Um, next time though... come to the nurse's office when Edogawa isn't here. Sometimes he goes off to the Occult and Paranormal Studies club since he's its faculty advisor."

The girl blushed suddenly, once more. "Oh God!" she squeaked, her eyes wide and her voice barely above a whisper "I just brought these out to make sure you were alright. I must... I must look like a drug dealer, now!"

"Don't worry about it, I won't tell anyone," said Mukuro, giving a small smile in hopes it'd calm the panicking girl down. "I appreciate your help, Kimura. I'll let you know how it works out."

The other girl tugged her mask away a little, allowing herself to breathe more easily. "Well, I should probably head back before Mr. Edogawa poisons someone else with his concoctions..." she turned and bowed politely. "It was nice to meet you, um... what was your name again?"

"Mukuro Ikusaba."

"Oh, right. The transfer student. Yeah," Seiko nodded. "Well, I'll see you later..."

As the girl quickly headed down the hall back in the direction of the nurse's office, Mukuro glanced down in her bag again. If it helped them with Tartarus, perhaps Mitsuru should know, maybe she could find a way to make getting and making more a little easier for both of them. She logged that thought away for the time being till the chance to put that to the test presented itself as she prepared to pick up dinner and head back home to train.

---

Mukuro stirred from her sleep as she felt someone in the room with her. Immediately, her hand gripped the handle of her combat knife under her pillow as she snapped awake.

The strange boy from when she'd first arrived stared down at Mukuro as she lay in bed before him, despite the sharp tip of her knife barely an inch from his neck, the room bathed in the uncanny green light of the Dark Hour.

"Hello, how've you been?" the boy asked, his neutral expression unchanging and seeming entirely unbothered by the girl's blade.

Mukuro relaxed, lowering her arm. Ice blue eyes glared in irritation at the boy's far more otherworldly and brilliant cobalt ones, as it felt to her almost as though her response to his arrival were humorous to him in some morbid way.

"With what I've seen and been through this past month, one can never be too careful," she said, sliding her knife back under her pillow. "...Why are you here?"

The boy's expression deepened, to a concerned frown. "...One week from now, there will be a full moon... and with it, a new ordeal..."

"What do you mean? What kind of ordeal?" the young soldier asked.

The boy's expression went from concerned to outright ominous. "...When the moon is full once more, you will encounter one of THEM..."

"..."Them"...?" Mukuro repeated.

The boy nodded. "This is all I know, so please, be ready when it comes... time is of the essence," he said. "...I'm sure you're aware of that, though."

His form began to fade. "...I'll come and see you again when it is over, should you overcome this ordeal," his voice echoed as he vanished, leaving Mukuro alone in her room pondering what he had meant...

---

A/N: Well, got a bit to cover here... Seems the Persona 3 remake(sorry, RELOAD) is not a hoax after all, which motivated me to churn out one more Fenrir's Masquerade chapter (and make it a bigger one, with a new SL) before the next HoJ chapter as I wait for when I'm released and back at work again(work-related injury).

I'd almost forgotten how much freetime you end up with when you bulldoze a Tartarus block! Also Mukuro being, well, Mukuro, one way or another, simply doesn't know how to respond to or process romantic feelings with the life she had, so she's left off-guard when shown such attention, like an overdue "awakening" like her crush on Makoto Naegi and how she responds to it in main DR lore, and comforting others didn't come off as something she's good it, from being emotionally distant due to her survivor guilt here, and even in DR lore where she attempts to imitate her sister in THH and she comes off as forced and unsure how to respond to things drawing it off whatever she thinks she'd say. Here she's got only herself to rely on.

Also originally Seiko was gonna be the Moon, but I felt she also fits the Hanged Man as the Moon Arcana's enemy is themselves and their own delusions of an idealized self and a false face(plus it's Shinjiro's SL), while the Hanged Man often faces a dilemma from an external force that holds them back and renders them indecisive and in a limbo where they are easily controlled by others who take advantage of that(for the little girl it was her parents for Iwai it was his old Yakuza members). I'm still in the air on whether I should have Shinjiro or the elderly couple as the Hierophant, and Chihiro as the Moon if the former. In OG P3, Shinji's arcana was the Hierophant despite not being a social link, and could combine it as such.

As for the thing everyone's asking about and calling, juuuuuuuuuuust wait and see!

0 - The Fool - SEES: Rank 2

I - The Magician - Junpei Iori: Rank 2

IV - The Emperor - Kiyotaka Ishimaru: Rank 1

VI - The Lovers - Yukari Takeba: Rank 1

VII - The Chariot - Aoi Asahina: Rank 1

XII - The Hanged Man - Seiko Kimura: Rank 1

Mukuro's Personas: Alp, Nekomata, Forneus, Omoikane, Ara Mitama