Catch-22: The Name Game
By: M14Mouse
Summary: You thought that Yu forgot about their "punishment", did you? No, he didn't.
Disclaimer: Don't own them.
Many thanks to AKatsinTcups for betaing this chapter.
Words have meaning and names have power.-Author Unknown
"So, this is Mementos, huh?" Futaba-chain said behind him.
Yu looked over his shoulder to look her reaction. He couldn't really see her eyes, but her head moved side to side to take everything in. The others were filing in behind her.
"Interesting, isn't it?" He quipped.
"It is. Why are we down here?"
"Well…technically, this activity isn't for you since the incident happened before you joined the team."
"What happened?"
He turned his attention away from Futaba to his students, who looked sheepish.
"We forgot to inform Sensei that Akechi was the man in the black mask and he found out in an untimely matter," Makoto explained.
"Ouch. No wonder Support Buddy was pissed off," Futaba said.
"Sensei wasn't pissed off…he was disappointed which is a million times worse," Ryuji said.
"Support Buddy?" Yu asked Futaba at the same time.
"Yup. You're my support buddy," Futaba said as she wandered over to Ann and Makoto.
He looked over to Ren for explanation, but Ren shrugged his shoulders.
"To her, I am her key item."
"Okay…"
"SENSEI! I got everyone here!" Lilim said as she rushed from the tunnel.
He smiled at Lilim with her clipboard in hand. Her fuzzy pencils had ended up in her hair. She really did look like a secretary. A bit, an eccentric one, but a secretary none the less.
"Thank you, Lilim. Bring them all in. I will explain the activity to everyone."
Lilim nodded before darting into the tunnel again. Few minutes later, his shadow friends shuffled into the tunnel.
"QUEEN FUTABA! You came! Your outfit is all funny. Nue like it. Nue learned new things here. Lilim taught Nue to sit. See?" Nue shouted as he rushed toward Futaba then stopped and sat down.
"You can thank me later," Lilim mumbled to him.
Futaba made a noise and hid behind Ann.
"Queen Futaba?" Nue said in confusion.
"Uhh…Nue. Futaba doesn't remember what happened in her palace. So, she can't-"Ann said nervously to Nue.
"Queen Futaba?" Nue said sadly. He made a sad moan then laid down on the ground.
"Nue is one of the shadows who we met in your palace. He decided to come here and live with my other shadow friends." He explained as he turned back around. He walked over to Nue and knelt down next to Nue, who brushed his head against Yu's hand. Yu took that as permission to comfort him.
He watched as Futaba's head slowly popped up from behind Ann.
"Uhh…one of my shadows, huh? I-I guess that if Support Buddy thinks you're alright. T-that it will be fine. And…and my name is Oracle here. Not Queen Futaba," She said to Nue.
"OKAY! Nue like Queen Futaba's new name!"
"I thought that we were going to help with your code name?" Ryuji said to Futaba.
"Nope, it's Oracle. No help needed," Futaba said.
"Do me and Oracle have permission to scratch you?" Ann asked softly to Nue as she moved closer.
"Yes! Ms. Panther and Ms. Oracle have permission!" Nue said eagerly as he got up from the ground and moved closer to the pair.
Ann giggled and scratched Nue's head. Slowly, Futaba moved closer and scratched his head as well. Nue made a happy noise and licked Futaba's hand. She giggled in response. Yu grinned as he stood up and felt something tug on his sleeve. He looked down to see Black Frost with arms up. and grinned as he picked the shadow up.
"You know that I can't always carry you around," He said.
Black Frost laid his head on his shoulder and started to pretend snooze.
He chuckled softly then look over at his students.
Ren and Makoto were talking with Slime. It must have been something exciting because Slime had this awe expression on his face. Ryuji was showing Yaksini his bat then she showed him her blades. Yusuke was drawing Harti and Morgana and Incubus while they were talking about sushi. Rounding it out with Oni and Fuu-Ki standing by the entrance to keep watch.
"Okay, are you ready to get started?" He shouted to the group.
He heard various mumbles of agreement from his students.
"Lilim, if you please…." He said as he turned to Lilim, who beamed.
"Okay. Listen up! Sensei asked for our input on your punish-"
He coughed at the word.
"Okay, not punishment…, activity," Lilim made air quotes with her fingers at activity,"
"You will be giving us names! Good names too!" Lilim shouted happily.
"Why? You already have names," Ryuji said confusedly as he scratched the back of his head.
Lilim gave him a look that remind him a lot of Ann.
"Uh…okay…how about bat girl?"
"You were right, Panther. He really is terrible at naming things."
"HEY!"
"QueEn will GiVe SliMe A goOd nAMe," Slime said happily.
"I will put a lot of thought into, Slime," Makoto said as she patted Slime's head.
"That actually sounds like fun," Yusuke said.
"I know, right? He wanted my code name to be Cat-woman," Ann said to Lilim.
"Hey, Joker helped too!" Ryuji shouted.
"Uhh…I remember that I said Panther," Ren said to Ryuji.
"Man…back me up."
"Anyway, we aren't meanies. So, we got you a book to help. Slime, if you please," Lilim said gesturing to Slime.
Slime moved away from Makoto and spit out some plastic bag. Lilim floated over and opened the bag to reveal a book.
"Thanks, Slime. Here you go. A name book," Lilim said as she held out the book.
All his students stared at Lilim like she grew a second head.
"Disgusting," Futaba said as she made a face.
"Oh, my god. Humans. He didn't eat it. That would be disgusting. Now here," Lilim said with an exhausted tone.
Carefully, Makoto walked over and took the book from Lilim's hands. She moved back to the others and his students started hovering around the book.
"I bet my cookies that Skull is going to call me, bat woman," Lilim said as she floated to him.
"I can hear you!" Skull shouted from the group.
"Good!" Lilim shouted back.
"SlIMe no woRrieS. QueEn GiVe GooD nameS," Slime said as he slides over to them. The shadows followed his lead.
"I agree," He said with a grin.
"Hee Hoo." Black Frost said.
"You don't have to take the name if you don't want too. You are still Black Frost to us."
"Man, this is kind of exciting. A name!" Incubus said excitedly.
"Names are precious. They give power to this place and us," Harti said thoughtfully.
"Agreed. I look forward to what they came up…even if it is to our amusement," Yaksini said with a mischievous grin.
"Don't be too hard on them," Yu said amusedly.
"Okay, Nue is up first. How about Doug?" Futaba shouted from the group.
"Nue is not a dog!" Nue groaned.
"I didn't say dog…I said Doug!"
"Still not a dog! BUZZ! Bad name! Try again!" Nue said.
Black Frost giggled into Yu's shoulder. He coughed behind his hand to prevent himself from laughing. Nue definitely picked up some stuff from Incubus.
"Man, he is harsh for a dog," Futaba mumbled.
"NOT A DOG!"
"Don't worry, Nue. I will pick you a good name," Morgana shouted.
"Thank you, Ms. Human Kitty!"
Lilim snickered.
"Okay, everyone, focus," Makoto said.
"How about for Slime…Slimy or Slim? OUCH!" Ryuji said before Ann hit his shoulder.
"That is my shoulder!"
"Well, you shouldn't have tried to name Slime such a terrible name!"
"It isn't terrible! Right, Slime?" Ryuji turned to Slime, who had this flat look on his face.
"SkULL CaN Do BeTter," Slime said.
"It's strange. That sound like something Queen would say," Yusuke pointed out.
Makoto and Slime beamed.
"Hmm…How about Daito? It means big heart," Makoto said happily.
Slime smiled brightly.
"SLiMe liKe! SeE? GoOd NaME!"
"You just like it because Queen said it," Ryuji mumbled.
Makoto and Slime gave Ryuji another flat look that caused Ryuji to step back.
"I think Daito is a wonderful name. It fits your spirit well," Yusuke said to Slime.
"SeE? FoX liKEs It! FoX's TuRn!"
"My turn! I haven't thought of anything!" Yusuke said in surprise.
"Man, I thought that you were all about heart and art. It shouldn't be too hard for you," Incubus said to Yusuke.
"But I need inspiration."
"Aren't we inspiration enough?"
Yusuke tapped his chin.
"Hmmm….Ah…for Harti, how about Kira…no, Kohaku…no, Hera! No, that doesn't fit her at all."
Harti smiled a little bit.
"Clever names. Hera may be a goddess of childbirth but her temperament and mine do not match."
"Interesting. You know about Hera?" Yusuke asked.
"Of course. She comes from the sea of souls. Just like the rest of us."
"You seemed more aware than most shadows that we come across," Ren said.
Harti smiled softly at Ren.
"Of course. It's like the shadows that become a part of you. They, like us, become more aware with the contract of others. Like our little group, we have grown since coming in contract with Sensei. Through Sensei, we have met your group and thus increasing our awareness," Harti hummed softly at the bundle in her arms.
"Isn't that good thing?" Ryuji asked.
"Can be."
"Or very bad," Yaksini added.
"Can be." Harti said to Yaksini.
"I am not sure how it is bad, though," Ryuji said as he scratched his cheek.
"A good example would be if the wrong people discover your work as Phantom Thieves," He pointed out.
"That is a good point," Ren said.
"Hiroko! Your name is Hiroko! It means generous and fair," Yusuke said happily.
Harti smiled softly at Yusuke.
"I like it."
"Success!"
"You didn't listen to a word of our conversation," Ryuji said with a sigh.
"Oooo…I figure out Doug's name," Futaba shouted in excitement.
"NOT A DOG!" Nue shouted back.
"How about Spot?"
"Still not a dog."
"How about Whiskers?"
"BORING! Buzz!"
"You're tough."
"How about Nom Nom? I mean…you always eating stuff even when Sensei tell you not too?" Ryuji suggested.
"Mr. Skull picked a good name! I like it," Nue said excitedly as he ran circles around Ryuji.
"Wow…you picked a good name for once," Ann said in awe.
"Hey!" Ryuji said to Ann as he gave her a look.
"I think Yaksini is Ume. She wards off evil and protect the others," Ren suggested.
"Hmmm…the boy has taste. Your name is acceptable," Yaksini said.
"It also means plum. So, it might have to do with your colorful skin," Yusuke pointed out.
"FOX!" Ann shouted.
Yaksini laughed.
"It is quite alright, Panther. It amuses me. So, he will get to live."
"Incubus should be Ivan," Morgana said.
"Man, I am not God is gracious type of guy," Incubus said.
"I know that, but you are a soldier in your own right."
"Hmmm….I suppose you're right, I guess. Let me think on it. I know! Ivy. I like Ivy. It such a pretty name. Thanks for the idea, Mona," Incubus said.
Morgana looked to him and shrugged his shoulders.
"OH! Support Buddy's little side attachment should be called Toothless because he is like the dragon! Black with retractable teeth!" Futaba shouted.
Black Frost gave her a look.
"Hee Hoo?"
"Yup, he is Toothless."
Black Frost sighed.
"Hee Hoo…."
He patted Black Frost's head.
"Don't worry. You will always be Black Frost to me and the others," He whispered in Black Frost's ear.
Black Frost giggled.
"Oh, I know. Lilim can be Lila. It means dark haired beauty!" Ann said as she pointed from the book.
"Hmm…yes, that is a good name. Good name for a secretary too! See? I knew Panther would come through!" Lilim said as she clapped.
"What about Oni and Fuu-ki? Do they want names too?" Ren asked.
"They said Sensei should name them." Lilim said.
Yu tilted his head in surprise. He didn't expect that from either shadow.
"I didn't plan for that. I will look into it and picked them out some good names. Now, what was the objective of this lesson?" He asked.
"Give your shadows names to keep them apart?" Ryuji said.
He shook his head as the group grew quiet.
"It is simple really. The shadows down here are connected the people up in the real world. WE might not know their names, but they are here. As soon as we lose hindsight of that, we lose our objective," Makoto said softly as she pats Slime's head.
"Yes, to change people's hearts," Ren said.
"For the better…," Ann added.
"Very good," Yu said as he examined the solemn group.
End of The Name Game
Next Chapter: The Tipping Point
A/N: This was a fun chapter to write and it was fun looking up their names. Yu was trying to prove a point but we know how well that sink in with the thieves. Next chapter, we see Yu starting upping his game on another front. Your guesses on GOMP are great. You will see him again very soon. Anyway, thanks for the wonderful reviews, kudos, favorites, etc! :D