Chapter 3: Presumption of Innocence
One of the foundational principles to most legal systems from English common law to Islamic law to Roman civil law is the assumption that the accused is innocent until the prosecution can prove otherwise beyond a reasonable doubt to the trier of fact (judge or jury). This places no burden of proof upon the defendant. This means that the judge and jury cannot make negative inferences about the accused. Instead, relying on facts presented in the trial to make their verdict. It has been described by jurists and legal scholars that this idea of presumption of innocence is the single "golden thread" that ties the precedent-based common law system together (the system that is used by the UK, the United States, Canada, and others). And it isn't hard to say that this thread extends back to the Romans too. Third century jurist Julius Paulus writes, "Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat." Proof lies on him who asserts, not on him who denies.
Wednesday Night, July 27
"This is concerning." Mitsuru said.
Makoto sighed heavily, "Of course it is." The night was dark and somewhat rainy. He was stood outside of the Shibuya subway station, pretending to smoke to keep onlookers away.
"How did the Thieves handle themselves?" she asked.
"About as well as I expected." Makoto said, "Took down the Reaper too."
"The Reaper?" Mitsuru said.
"Yeah, he seems to show up everywhere." he said, "The real wild card here is this new girl, Ryuko Matoi."
"Indeed." she said, "I've had Fuuka investigate her for me, but she's found nothing at all. It's almost like this Matoi girl just appeared out of thin air. Fuuka's also detecting some breaches in our servers from their navigator, Sakura. Also, her experiments with summoning her persona in reality are going well, she says she could probably teleport people soon."
"That's useful, I'll let her know to stand by when I'm tailing the Thieves. And I'm starting to think that's literally what happened, with Matoi appearing out of the blue I mean." he said, "When I was at Leblanc, the mic you gave me didn't work properly, I only caught snippets of the conversation. So, I'm not exactly sure what she told them."
"Damn." Mitsuru said under her breath.
"Mitsuru, you know I understand where you're coming from, but we can't let this go." Makoto said with conviction. "Let me tell them the truth. They don't know what lies ahead in Tartarus, and from what Ryoji said, I don't know if it will be the same as back then. Any guidance I can give them is a win-win."
"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I want to let this play out further. They handled the last crisis. And if Tartarus appeared for them, it's their fight, not ours." Mitsuru said.
"I'm not asking to handle it for them, you know I don't mean that." Makoto said, "And since when were we on different sides? This isn't an us versus them situation."
"There's a reason why Osaka went so badly Makoto. Inaba went fine when we stood back. The Thieves were successful with us holding back. There's no reason to fix what isn't broken." Mitsuru said, her tone stern.
"Osaka was different, and you know it." Makoto replied. He couldn't believe she was speaking to him like this. He could feel in his soul that he had to intervene.
"I know this is a shock f-" Mitsuru started to say.
"I can feel this in my bones Mitsuru, something here isn't like the other incidents." Makoto interrupted, "Just let me offer some guidance, some expectation of what it's like in there."
Mitsuru sighed on the other end of the phone, "Makoto." she said with an air of finality, "Keep observing them. I cannot dispute your abilities as a tactical commander but there are other things that I need to handle on my end before we intervene."
"What things!" Makoto burst, "You're always being vague like this ever since Osaka. We fucked up there bad but being cautious isn't going to fix anything. I'm starting to wonder what the point is if we don't take any action."
They were both silent after his outburst. Neither quite knew what to say.
After a pause Makoto spoke, "I'm sorry for getting worked up."
"It's fine." Mitsuru said, "And I understand your concerns. I'm just waiting to see if more information presents itself before acting."
Makoto paused. He wasn't going to get anywhere with her tonight. He sighed, "I'm going to get some rest, it wasn't relaxing using the Evoker again."
"I'm sorry you had to put yourself at risk. This swordsman doesn't sound like an easy fight." Mitsuru said.
"It's fine, I know what I signed up for." Makoto said, "Send me a spare Evoker though, I don't want to be left with just a sword in case this old one breaks."
"It'll be at your door tomorrow morning." she said.
Makoto gave Mitsuru a half-hearted farewell before hanging up. He looked out at the thin crowd around Shibuya. The bike he had was parked not far away.
Not one to usually indulge, he finished the cigarette. The smoke shot down his lungs and exited through his nose. Makoto suppressed the urge to cough. It was a Djarum Black clove cigarette, not something worth wasting. The taste of the cloves and spices mixed beautifully with the tobacco. It provided him with a brief solace before he had to return home.
It didn't take him long to drive to the building Yukari and he had chosen. Leaving the bike in the garage he stood in the elevator going up. He took care to check for any spare ashes on his clothes. Yukari gave him hell when he didn't cover his last cigarette's tracks. He checked his phone, surprised that it was only around nine o'clock. Maybe he'd be able to catch his girlfriend before she went to bed.
He got off at his floor and unlocked the door. He could hear whistling coming from the kitchen and the sound of something frying in a pan. He ditched his shoes and took off his suit jacket.
"You're cooking awfully late." Makoto called as he went towards the bedroom. He passed the living room, a space dominated by a nice couch amongst unopened cardboard boxes.
"I thought you'd like something to recharge with." Yukari called cheerfully.
Makoto smiled as the smell wafted through the penthouse. It was the chicken sauté that they'd made together back at the dorm. He remembered how it was the first time they'd ever gotten closer than friends.
Despite the memory and the nicotine, he could feel his face was still fixed with the emotions from his expedition and call with Mitsuru. As he got into more casual clothing, he tried his best to put on a better mask but failed.
"Hey, dinner's done." Yukari said. He could hear her walking towards the bedroom and gave up on trying to dispel those feelings he'd had. "You'd better clean your plate too. I already had enough bullshit today with the new stunt coordinator. She's some former idol and a kung-fu freak with blonde-"
"What's wrong?" she asked. Despite just poking her head in, Makoto knew she could read him well.
Makoto tried to think of the right words to say but drew a blank. Yukari sat and draped an arm around him.
He leaned into her and looked blankly at the floor.
"Tartarus is back." he said blankly.
He could feel her go stiff.
"But the Dark Hour hasn't happened." she muttered.
"It's in the Metaverse." Makoto said, "It's evolved from what the Phantom Thieves call Mementos."
"What happened there?" Yukari asked, she lifted his chin with a finger so she could look at his eyes.
"Lots." he said simply, "I saw Ryoji again."
He told her about his experience.
"God, I don't know what to say." Yukari admitted. The two found themselves laying on their sides as Makoto told his story.
"I'm so tired." Makoto said, "Coming back to the Evoker after so long…"
"I wish we'd never had to use them." Yukari said, she buried herself into his shoulder. He knew how much of a struggle she had with the tool. He held on to her for a long time. He didn't care how much time passed, how cold the food got, or what waited for him tomorrow. She was always his rock. And he was hers. But the Evokers were the one thing that got her to crumble, when they rarely came up.
An innate fear of death was a major hurdle with Evokers. He had an easier time, but it always left him a little hollow whenever he pulled the trigger, even back then. Not that he didn't fear death. He felt rather ambivalent towards it, like it was an old rival rather than a penultimate foe. A give and take where accepting it with the Evoker sapped his senses while the power granted in return robbed death of its chance to take him. A duel one of them would end eventually. He dies. Or surpass his mortal limits and become something greater.
They stayed like that for a time before shuffling to the kitchen at Yukari's insistence. She laid out two plates at the table.
"I talked with Mitsuru after I got out." Makoto said, his head a little clearer.
"What did she say?" she asked.
"She said to keep observing the Thieves. She said it was their fight since Tartarus appeared for them or whatever." he said petulantly.
"Don't be like that." Yukari said, "She has her reasons."
"I just hate inaction." he said between bites, "There's only everything to gain if I were to provide them with even the lightest assistance."
"You might be right." Yukari pondered, "Just promise me that you won't close up, no matter what you decide."
"That won't happen again." Makoto said, "Osaka happened a long time ago."
"Things like that are ageless. We've seen too much death for it to fade, you know that." she said.
He paused and finished his portion of food, "You're right."
"Just stay with us if things go bad, stay with me."
"I promise."
"You'd better."
Leblanc was closed by the time Rio and Ryuko got back. Morgana excused himself upstairs as Rio warmed up some curry.
"I didn't think I'd be this worn out." Ryuko said, "I've faced a ton worse than the Reaper."
"I think it was Senkestu." Rio said, "Since he's basically your persona and your clothes, you have to keep him summoned constantly. Lest the boys get a show."
"Ha! In their dreams." Ryuko said, a plate of curry sat in front of her on the bar. Rio stood on the other side with her own portion.
"It's a shame he didn't come with us when we left Mementos." Rio said.
"Yeah, but he'll always be a part of me." Ryuko said between bites, "So it's not all that bad."
"The contract for all of us started with I art thou, thou art I after all." Rio said.
"The way you describe those past awakenings is pretty wild." Ryuko said, "Couldn't imagine what it was like to rip off your face."
"It was just a mask. And it honestly wasn't bad in hindsight." Rio said lightheartedly, "But you used that glove to summon Senketsu's battle form. Not that I really care about the details, but knowing there's another way to summon a persona is interesting."
"More than one way?" Ryuko asked, "Do you mean to say that there's other persona users out there?"
"It's been a thought in the back of my mind for a long time." Rio admitted, "Igor mentioned near the end of my last job that I had been an extraordinary guest. I hardly think I was the only visitor to the Velvet Room."
"Do you have any ideas on who the others might be?" Ryuko asked. Both were about halfway finished with their food.
"No clue." Rio said, "But if we make two assumptions. First, they're older than we are. Second, they went through the same positive developments that the Thieves and I went through. I'd bet any other users would be living pretty successful lives. My power as a Wild Card feeds off my relationships after all."
"So, rule out the deadbeats." Ryuko said sarcastically.
"Sure, if you want to see it that way." Rio chuckled, "But given these two criteria, along with some digging on Futaba's part, I think Mitsuru Kirijo is involved somehow. Whether she's aware of cognitive psience, the Velvet Room, or even is a Wild Card. Ryoji did say he was waiting for another after all."
"Naturally that lobbyist you've made friends with is involved too." Ryuko said.
"It's just a thought is all." Rio said, "A little window into my thinking."
"It's a nice window." Ryuko said. Rio blushed a little.
"Thanks." Rio said, "I think you'll be an excellent addition to the Thieves. I do hope you stick with us."
"I'd have it no other way." Ryuko said, "Oddly this is the most normal I've felt in a very long time."
"How so?" Rio asked.
"Back in my world society was super centralized. I mean, a high schooler could wage a civil war with no repercussions since her family was influential." Ryuko said, "Everyone there also had some sort of weirdness to them which took getting used to."
"Weird how?" Rio asked.
"It's like everything they did was played for a joke or for instant gratification." Ryuko said, "My friend Mako would always insert herself into tense situations to go on long rambles. Her dad and brother used to perv on me whenever they had the chance. Satsuki's deputies were too loyal for their own good before I showed up. Just, so weird, hard to put it into words."
"I think I get what you're saying." Rio said, "Satsuki was your sister, right?"
"Yeah, her and I weren't close for a long time." Ryuko said, her voice turning lower, "But, I think she did come to care for me. I remember the last thing I heard before waking up in the Velvet Room was her screaming my name."
"Was she trying to catch you?" Rio asked.
"I don't really know. The last clear thing I remember was Senketsu burning away." Ryuko said, "Despite the weirdness, I really hope nothing bad happened to everyone I left."
"I'm sure they're all okay." Rio said.
"Yeah, but just having some proof would be nice." Ryuko said.
"Well, let's make a deal then." Rio said, "In exchange for helping the Thieves, I'll have everyone work on finding you a way home while we defeat whatever's at the top of Tartarus. I'm sure if we press the right buttons, something will happen."
Ryuko smiled and took Rio's outstretched hand, a warmth spread between them.
I am thou, thou art I
Thou hast established a new vow
It shall blossom into the fire
that burns the threads binding your heart
With the birth of the Aeon Arcana
We empower you to never lose your way
Thursday Afternoon, July 28
"These numbers are crazy!" Asa said. Rio looked up from her desk and leaned out from behind the cubicle wall. Across the floor was the office's staff assistant, a classy older woman.
"What's up?" Rio asked, she got up and went to Asa's desk.
"I just got one of our internal poll's preliminary numbers and our general approval rating went up ten points." Asa said.
"Ten percent?" Rio said, reading the paper Asa had herself.
"Yeah, we should get this to Odagiri-san." Asa said.
"I can take it. I'm going to see him and Tora-san anyway." Rio said.
"Okay." Asa said before handing over the report.
Rio took the packet and went through the staff office towards Tora's personal office. It wasn't huge inside, but Rio could see the similarities it had with her new Velvet Room. It was an odd realization to her, and she stood spaced out in the doorway.
"Amamiya?" Odagiri said after clearing his throat. He was sitting in front of Tora's desk, the man himself sat still reading through a policy draft.
"Sorry." Rio said, "I lost my train of thought."
"No worries." Odagiri said, "Are those the new poll numbers?"
"Yes, we went up." Rio said, keeping the papers close to her chest, "Guess by how much."
"We were expecting to go up because of that education interview, I'd say four or five points since it's gone viral." Odagiri guessed.
"Ah, I don't think that was anything special." Tora said, looking up from his papers, "I'd guess we're up but well within the margin of error."
Rio couldn't help but grin at their guesses, "You're both wrong. We went up ten points."
"Ten points!" Odagiri said, he reached for the poll and Rio handed them off before taking a seat.
"That's great news." Tora said.
"The sample wasn't just local to our district either." Odagiri said, "This covered the entire Tokyo metro area and parts of Yokohama and Kawasaki. This is outstanding."
"Why don't you go and prepare a more in-depth analysis, I need to speak with Rio for a moment." Tora said.
"Right way sir." Odagiri said before leaving the office, his head was still buried in the numbers.
Tora sighed faintly while he reorganized his desk, "Never trust polls Rio. There's lies, damned lies, and statistics."
"Good quote, but surely we're doing something right with a margin that big." Rio said.
"The election that got Shido's party into power initially had polls saying they'd lose almost completely. And even during that last election the aggregate polls had the race almost at a fifty-fifty. But we both know how wrong that was." Tora said.
"Fair enough. But we should still take whatever wins we can, right?" Rio said reassuringly.
"I guess we should." Tora said, a small smile cracking his lips, "So do you have anything to report on Kirijo?" Rio turned serious. Futaba had given her some updated information that morning.
"The Thieves' hacker has been working Kirijo's servers, trying to dig up anything." she said, "She got into some of the less secure ones but didn't find anything we didn't already know. This morning, she tried breaching some of their higher security servers but failed. She said it would take her more time to crack them."
"I didn't ask you to do anything illegal." Tora said.
"There's no other way." Rio said, "I had the others look around on the Internet and I got the admin from the Phan-Site to look deeper into Kirijo online, but they couldn't find anything related to Apathy Syndrome."
"I see, as long as this doesn't come back to bite us." Tora sighed. Rio's head turned slightly confused. It was unlike him to be so laissez-faire with illegal activity. But she was already in too deep.
"There's also some other things that have happened." Rio said, "I don't want you knowing more than you have to, but as of now I've reactivated the Thieves fully."
"What I don't know can't hurt me." Tora said grimly, "Is the situation bad?"
"It's still unknown, but I think Mitsuru Kirijo and Makoto Yuki are definitely involved somehow." Rio said, "I also don't think we'll have any targets in the foreseeable future. The problem's more esoteric. To put it lightly."
"I understand." Tora said, "And from what you've said about your past exploits, I don't know if I could ever begin to grasp it. For now, though, just keep doing your best. And if you need time away from the office, just let us know."
"Thanks, but I aim to fulfil my duties here as I have been." Rio said, "I've gotten very good at managing my time."
"That's nice to hear." Tora said, "Now I have to finish reading through this draft of the education bill. Thanks for keeping up with the Kirijos for me."
"No problem, sir, but if I might suggest something." Rio said, "For the education bill I think we really ought to use the Kirijo Group's support."
"Their political support would be invaluable." Tora pondered, "And it would be best to keep those you're watching close, right?"
"Exactly, I've already made an acquaintance out of Yuki-san." Rio said.
"What's the deal you made with him?" Tora asked.
"In exchange for showing him good restaurants around the city he'll tell me stories about his old dormmates." Rio said.
"His dorm?" Tora asked.
"Yeah, he's dating Yukari Takeba, there's Mitsuru Kirijo of course, some rising boxer called Akihiko, and a few others he used to live with back in high school." Rio said.
"Interesting." Tora said, "That's quite a collection of characters."
"It sure is." Rio said, "I'll leave you to your reading."
"Of course, thanks again." Tora said as Rio left the room.
Friday Afternoon, July 28
Rio stood outside the House of Representative's chamber in the Diet. The ornate walls surrounded the girl as she tried to organize her things. She had been tasked with staffing Tora during the voting session that day. She was probably one of the last people in the building, the members and most of the other staff having left for the weekend.
Ever since those poll numbers got loose to the media, Tora's office had gotten incredibly busy. Rio had really wanted to properly debrief with the Thieves over their expedition, but she just simply didn't have the time. The refuge of the weekend called to her. She was also really dying to get to know Ryuko more. Her other friends had been taking her around the city in her absence. She didn't want to feel left out.
Rio stuffed the last of her papers into her messenger bag. She looked up and saw two people coming out of the chamber.
She couldn't believe who it was.
Kaguya Sugimura, the interim Prime Minister herself. Rio was surprised at how short she was, she had at least an inch or two on her. She looked quite young too for someone who was allegedly in her late forties.
"Thank you Hayasaka." Kaguya said, handing a folder to her assistant.
"Of course, ma'am." the assistant said before walking the other direction down the hall from Rio.
It was just the two of them in the hallway now. Rio thought she could slip away, but as her heel turned, Kaguya looked over.
"You're with Tora's office?" she asked Rio. The younger woman froze and turned slowly back towards the PM. In her head Rio's emotions were mixed. The rebel within her was howling with indignation. This was the woman who helped prop up Shido after all. The side of Rio that remembered she was a professional took over, however.
"Yes, I'm a legislative fellow." Rio said, giving a light smile.
Kaguya returned it, "That's nice." she said, "What's he like?"
"Sorry?" Rio asked.
"I'm just wondering how he's doing is all." Kaguya said, "I know you've heard stories about me, but I do care for all my members."
"He's doing fine. Happy about the polls that came out." Rio said quickly.
Kaguya laughed, "Of course he is. I bet he told you the 'lies, damned lies' quote, right?" she asked.
"He did." Rio said curiously.
Kaguya started walking closer to Rio as she spoke again, "You know, that quote was always credited to Mark Twain, but he said that it came from Benjamin Disraeli. Anything you can gleam from that Amamiya-san?"
Rio didn't remember telling Kaguya her name, her brow let loose a stray drop of sweat.
"Everything isn't what it seems?" Rio answered.
"You got pretty close." Kaguya said, "As I'm sure you know, there's a thesis and an antithesis, with the synthesis of those two ideas coming after deliberation, right."
"Hegelian dialects aren't new to me." Rio said.
"I'm glad we're on the same page." Kaguya said, "My theory is that Mark Twain might have spoken to Disraeli through letters or voice, and that quote was a synthesis of both their ideas. What do you think?"
"I can't say I ever gave it much thought." Rio said, "But my gut says that it wasn't either of them, it was a fiction crafted by someone looking for attention."
"That's quite the cynical view." Kaguya said, "But given someone of your background, I can't say it's unwarranted."
"How much do you know?" Rio asked. Her face was suspicious, the question had slipped out past her professional mask.
Kaguya smiled sweetly, "I know about Sae Nijima's Palace, cognitive psience, and that you're a Phantom Thief."
Rio was struck by the comment.
"But don't worry." Kaguya said, "Shido always kept me at arm's length, at most I was just another person in the room. I don't like playing dirty. You have my word that I won't hold it against you."
"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say." Rio said.
"I know Shido hurt you quite a lot, and I won't deny that I used him for my own political benefit." Kaguya said confidently, "But I aim to do things differently now that he's gone. Unlike him, when I see that there's extradimensional forces at play, I think it's best not to tamper with it."
"So, what now?" Rio asked, "I doubt we'll reach any synthesis here."
"No, we won't. At least not yet." Kaguya said, she began to ruffle around in her purse. "I make it a point to take my lunches free of any official business. If you'd be willing to indulge me, I'd like the opportunity to pick your brain a little."
She handed Rio a small card with a phone number printed on it.
"That's my personal number, send me a text if you want to talk some time." Kaguya said.
"And what would others have to say about this?" Rio asked, "An intern from the office of a Diet member ideologically opposed to you having lunch with you is a juicy story."
"Ohh, I like the way you think." Kaguya said, "But don't worry, I've been doing this for a long time."
"Okay, I'll think about it." Rio said as she stowed the card, "Thank you Sugimura-sama."
"Drop the honorifics, please." Kaguya said, "And it's interesting that you say Yoshida is my foil. We both came into the Diet under Kuramoto's wing after all."
"Really?" Rio asked.
"Oh, he was such a charmer back then too." Kaguya said, "We were on and off again before he got kicked from the party. His politics have changed quite a lot since then too. If you ask me, almost too much for any person."
"That's something I'd never expect. Him and you together." Rio said, a faint blush gracing her face.
Kaguya giggled, "It was a long time ago." she said, "I have to say your reaction was quite fascinating. You really are quite cute."
Rio was left speechless as Kaguya pulled away from the conversation. "I have to go, do remember my offer." the prime minister said before walking away.
Rio was firmly shaken by the conversation. If it hadn't been for the Diet Building, a place she revered, she would've been a mess.
She didn't know how she got there but Rio found herself in the line at a nearby chain coffee shop. She was sitting in a hard leather chair in the corner. A cup of coffee was vaguely in her hand. She tried drinking but ended up forcing it down. The taste was bitter and burnt. She needed the caffeine to calm her nerves.
What was she to do? There wasn't any way she could deny the offer. Rio knew that Kaguya was a career political operator. She wouldn't just let the fact that she was a Phantom Thief lie, especially in an election year.
Rio was also curious. There was simply no way she, as a person, could let an opportunity like this ride out. Yet the arrangement blowing up in the news was a possibility.
She needed to talk to someone about this. Rio thought about her contacts. Tora was a no. She wasn't sure how he'd react given what Kaguya said about their past. The Thieves probably wouldn't be much help. She enjoyed her friends' company more than anything, but none of them were exactly savvy when it came to politics. She'd spend more time explaining things than venting. Ohya might be a good resource but Rio wasn't sure if the reporter could tell her anything she didn't already know.
Rio stewed on this as she took the train home. She got off and wandered towards the café. She hoped Sojiro had restocked the decaf beans, the chain coffee still stuck to her tongue.
She walked into an empty café, Sojiro was at the counter with Ryuko. He was teaching her about the coffee grinder. Rio looked at her roommate. She looked so at home in her new environment despite just arriving.
Rio remembered how horrible she'd felt when moving to Tokyo. She was glad Ryuko fit in better than she did at first.
"Here's a customer." Sojiro said, beckoning Rio to take a seat.
Rio obliged and sat on a stool, "One decaf, Ugandan Cosmos."
Ryuko blinked at the order before going into the motions, "Of course ma'am." she said slyly before picking up the African beans and taking them to the grinder.
"How was your day?" Sojiro asked, keeping one eye on Ryuko.
"Not bad all things considered." Rio said, a half-lie. "I got to staff Tora-san during the voting session. That was fun."
"Then why do you look so shaken?" Sojiro asked.
Rio's eyes opened a little and she quickly regained control, "Oh, I'm just tired is all." she lied. She really didn't want to drag Sojiro into any of this is she could avoid it. His days in the government were long past.
Sojiro gave her a concerned look but turned away to Ryuko as she made the final pour into the cup. Rio accepted gratefully and tasted the treat. Notes of blackberries, cherries, and orange zest accented the bean's medium roast. Rio smirked as she set the cup down.
"Good cup." she said simply.
"Only the best for you." Ryuko teased, putting an elbow on the counter. "Say, Sojiro, didn't you say you needed to go somewhere?"
Sojiro thought for a second before he remembered, "Ah yes, I need to close up early today, Rio. Futaba wanted to go look at exercise equipment."
"Exercise equipment?" Rio asked.
"She's been going to the gym a lot but Sumire-chan can't always go with her." Sojiro said, "And you know how she can be in crowds. So, she's asked me to help choose some equipment for the house."
"Neat, hope you find what you need." Rio said.
"Do you want something too?" Sojiro asked.
"Nah, Morgana keeps me honest." Rio admitted, "I like doing pullups on the roof beam, it's calming."
"Whatever you say." Sojiro said before departing.
Rio and Ryuko were left alone at the bar.
"So, where's the cat?" Rio asked.
"He said he wanted to work with Makoto on something before the meeting tomorrow. I'm not really sure what, but he's spending the night." Ryuko responded, she poured herself a cup too.
"That's good." Rio said before getting up to flip the sign at the front door.
"Seems kinda boring in here without anyone around." Ryuko said.
"Nonsense." Rio said, "I feel like we've barely done anything since you got here. Why don't we have a girl's night in?"
Ryuko chuckled, "Just the two of us?"
"Yeah, why not?" Rio said.
Ryuko smiled, "Sure, what do ya got in mind?"
"Well, there's some movies I've been meaning to get through. You down with that?" Rio asked.
"Yeah, I'll make popcorn if you want to get things set up." Ryuko said.
Rio agreed and went upstairs. She got the futon in front of the old TV. She also set up some cushions Sojiro had tucked away in storage as a makeshift footrest. The DVD player was ready to go as Ryuko came up, a big bowl of popcorn in her hands.
The two tucked in through the first movie, Ford v. Ferrari, that Rio had rented recently. Ryuko then suggested the next one.
"Hereditary?" Rio questioned as Ryuko showed her the box.
"Yeah, I saw it at the rental place and I'm a huge horror fan.' she said.
"Sure, I'll tell you right now that I'm a wimp with this stuff." Rio said through a chuckle.
Ryuko laughed, "Don't worry, I'll be right here." Ryuko said as she put the disc in the player.
She sat back down, notably closer to Rio. Not that she minded, it was nice having this time to bond.
The movie however wasn't so pleasant for Rio. She lost count of the squeals and gasps she let slip past. Ryuko seemed to find it funny. And she gave Rio a reassuring pat on the back whenever things got really rough. Drawing the two even closer.
The third movie was something Rio had dug up from Sojiro's old stuff.
"12 Angry Men, why are they so mad?" Ryuko asked as Rio set up the player.
"Dunno, but I've been meaning to watch this for a while." she said, "It's supposed to be a courtroom drama."
"Oh, so right up your alley. I promise not to ask too many questions." Ryuko teased.
"Ask away, I like explaining things." Rio admitted as the movie started.
She didn't get to explain much however as she got lost in the movie's plot. Ryuko wasn't feeling it though. And considering the time was reaching past one in the morning, Rio felt a weight on her shoulder as Juror 8 walked into the bathroom.
Ryuko had fallen asleep and was leaning on Rio.
Rio wasn't sure what she ought to do. Her body froze up a little bit. Part of her wanted to wake Ryuko up, but another part liked the feeling. Something down within her felt like this was just right, like it was meant to happen this way.
She resigned herself and paid attention to the movie again as Ryuko's breathing steadied. Near the end as the jurors delivered their verdict Ryuko woke up again.
"Oh, my bad." she said, taking her head off Rio's shoulder.
"No worries." Rio said as the credits started rolling.
"So, what was bugging you earlier?" Ryuko asked.
"Oh, it's nothing to worry about." Rio tried to deflect.
"You can talk to me Rio, we're gonna be close to each other whatever the case." Ryuko said.
"True." Rio said. She thought about telling Ryuko about Kaguya. She decided to stretch beforehand. She raised her arms up and bent her back over the back of the couch. She stole a glance at Ryuko and noticed the other girl's eyes trailing low.
'Is she checking out my boobs?' Rio asked herself. Reflexively she stopped stretching and hunched over. Strangely, or so Rio thought, she didn't mind at all. Like having her sleep on her shoulder, something about Ryuko felt right to Rio. And that idea completely derailed her mind.
"You okay?" Ryuko asked. Apparently, Rio had taken a longer pause than she thought.
"I'm cool. I had a conversation today with the Prime Minister." Rio said.
"Kaguya Someone, right?" Ryuko confirmed.
"Sugimura, technically an interim Prime Minister. But the frontrunner in the election." Rio said.
"What's she like?" Ryuko asked.
"Kaguya, she's, kinda weird." Rio said, "She seemed very comfortable talking to me. Like we were friends catching up at the store."
"I guess you weren't talking about croquette recipes though?" Ryuko asked with a smile.
"Oh, god no." Rio said, "She got really philosophical really quickly. I'd barely said hello before she started talking about Hegelian dialects."
"That is weird." Ryuko said.
"She also talked about my boss." Rio said, "She said they'd dated back when they first came into the Diet." she paused, "Part of me wanted to call her a liar since they're so ideologically opposed, but I just know that it probably happened. She was too open about it to be a bluff."
Rio looked Ryuko directly, "But that wasn't the big thing she said."
"This just keeps getting better." Ryuko teased.
"This next part isn't funny." Rio said solemnly, "She told me that she knew I was a Phantom Thief and that she knew about Palaces and the Metaverse, but she claimed not to have gone too deep into it all."
Ryuko deflated and got more serious, "That is worth worrying about. What'd she want?"
"Nothing but my time." Rio said, "She gave me her number and said she just wanted to talk over lunch once in a while. To pick my brain."
Ryuko hummed as she thought.
"I don't know what to do." Rio said, "You're the first person I've actually told."
"My gut says it's a trap." Ryuko said, "But then again, she might be legit. Why don't you talk to that one lobbyist you know. Yuki-san."
"I think I will." Rio said, "Hopefully I can ask him without revealing myself as a Thief."
"I'm sure you'll do fine." Ryuko said, she flashed Rio with a sincere grin.
"Thanks." Rios aid, returning the gesture, "I tend to get into my head a bit with this stuff."
"Why don't you sleep on it first?" Ryuko suggested.
"Yeah, that sounds good." Rio said before the two turned in for the night.
Saturday at Noon, July 29
Rio straightened up. She'd spent the last half hour arranging coffee for the other Thieves. She was ready to do a full debrief and decide what to do next. She also wanted to tell the others about her conversation with Kaguya. A part of her didn't think it was fair to keep them in the dark.
Ryuko had gone out to the store to buy some snacks to accompany the coffee. Rio still thought about last night. It was good that the two got to spend some time together for once. But her mind still lingered on the nap Ryuko took on her shoulder along with the potential that she had checked her chest out.
Rio didn't consider herself well-endowed in that area. Not flat, but far from busty. In fact, she wondered what others saw in her. Ryuji, Yusuke, Mishima, and a whole bunch of other guys had asked her out. Ryuji thrice. Maybe she ought to ask him. But she didn't know how to without leading him on. She stood in thought as Ryuko came back.
"Hey!" she said, waving a plastic bag at Rio.
"Oh, good thing you got back. I have coffee ready. Two pots ought to do it." Rio said.
"For sure. I got some doughnuts and blueberry muffins." Ryuko said.
"I haven't had blueberry in the longest time." Rio commented as the two set them out on the table.
"Hey-o!" a voice greeted from the stairs. Futaba walked into the room with Makoto just behind. Morgana propped on her shoulder.
"Welcome back." Rio said to the cat.
"I'm sure you've missed my presence." he said pompously.
"We sure did." Rio said, giving a knowing look to Ryuko.
"Oh yeah, we had a girl's night. Tons of makeup and boy talk and clothes and pillow fights and all that." Ryuko teased.
"What's this about boy talk?" Ann called from the stairs. She was accompanied by Haru and Sumire.
"Yeah, did you find a solution to the Amamiya Challenge?" Makoto asked with faux innocence.
"The Amamiya Challenge?" Ryuko asked, "Get real."
"Oh, but it is very real." Makoto responded, "She's turned down every guy who asked her out."
Rio blushed slightly, "You make it sound so dramatic." she said, "What about all those college boys you ditch?"
"I'm not ditching boys." Makoto said, the blush transferring to her.
"They ditch you then?" Ryuko asked.
"How'd this get turned on me?" Makoto blustered, "This was about Rio."
Rio opened her mouth to respond but Ryuko made a move and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Hear it far and wide, Amamiya's my girl now." Ryuko joked, "No one else can have her."
The other girls laughed except Rio, whose face was burning.
A big yawn was heard from the stairs and the blonde spikes of Ryuji came up behind Yusuke's lanky frame.
"We miss anything?" Yusuke asked.
"Just Ryuko claiming Rio's virtue all for herself." Futaba said.
"H-her virtue?" Ryuji said.
"Yep, all mine." Ryuko said. She still had her arm around Rio, and she made a swiping motion in front of her. She held her thumb in her hand like she stole someone's nose.
"For real!?" Ryuji burst. Ryuko cracked up and the rest of the room did too. With all the Thieves present, Rio had everyone sit down as she brought up the coffee.
Once everyone was settled, Rio took a commanding position with her back to the window.
"I'd like to start by apologizing for this debrief being so late." Rio said, "And I also appreciate the time each of you have taken to help Ryuko get used to the city."
Ryuko nodded to the group as Rio continued, "Now, about Tartarus. I think we, as a group, can agree that we can't let it lie. So, I'd like to have us all go in tomorrow evening for a further expedition. And given that we do things unanimously, is there anyone here who votes not to go back."
The group all kept their hands down.
"Excellent." Rio said, "Is there anything anyone wants to talk about regarding Tartarus? Because I have another thing to tell you all about."
Makoto raised her hand and was given the floor.
"Last night, Mona and I got some of the new data that Futaba hacked from Kirijo Group's servers. While she works on getting more data, I think it's prudent to take a comparative look at things like Apathy Syndrome, the mental shutdowns, and other instances in the past that have commonalities." she said.
"Have you found anything?" Rio asked.
"We found some old news articles about a murder case in Inaba that had some unusual activity surrounding it." Makoto reported, "But other than that there wasn't much."
"There's also Osaka." Morgana chipped in, "We found some police files from a few years ago detailing missing persons and medical cases that resemble mental shutdowns."
"Then what's the problem?" Rio asked.
"There were only two files." Makoto said, "One was a heavily redacted dossier for a guy in high school. The other was an incident report that reported that same boy's mental shutdown."
"Does he have a name?" Rio asked.
"A. Kurusu." Morgana said.
"Only the initial." Rio muttered, "Keep looking into this when you can. Anybody else have something to say about Tartarus or the expedition?"
"Oh!" Ryuko spoke up, "Can I get a gun like you all have?"
Rio smirked, "I'm happy you asked." she went towards the work bench and picked up a small black case.
She brought it back to the table and set it in front of Ryuko.
"Consider this a welcome gift from all of us." Rio said, "I had Iwai import it."
Ryuko gladly opened the case and lifted the lid to reveal a handheld crossbow with two over-under bows.
"Oh, this looks really cool." Ryuko said as she lifted the weapon.
"It's called an auto-crossbow. It can fire semi-automatically with the energy from one shot pulling the other bowstring backwards. It can take several types of bolts in the magazine, so the limit is yours to push." Rio said, "It has polymer grips and all steel internals. The iron sights kind of suck, so I also got a red dot if you want it." she pointed to a sight that was also in the case
"This is so neat." Ryuko said cheerfully, "Can't wait to try it out tomorrow."
"That looks rad as hell." Ryuji said from across the table as he ogled the thing.
"What's the range on it?" Sumire asked curiously.
"Iwai said he's gotten these to shoot at one hundred meters accurately." Rio said, "But I don't think we'll be getting to those distances in the Metaverse. It's nice to have a long-range option though."
"For sure." Ryuko said, "Thanks so much."
She put the auto-crossbow away and Rio took charge again.
"Now, before we break today, I have one more thing to tell you all." she said, "Yesterday after I got off my job I was approached by Kaguya Sugimura, the Prime Minister."
She told the others about the conversation they had along with the offer to talk from time to time.
"This stinks." Ryuji said curtly, "There's no way she isn't going to use the Phantom Thieves against you."
"Naturally." Makoto said, "I'm not too familiar with her record but there's no way you make it to the top without having the guts to blackmail people."
"This is all true." Rio said.
"What if she takes refusal as an offense?" Sumire pondered, "Say you ghost her, isn't there a risk that she'd think we were going to change her heart and blow our cover?"
"That's true too." Rio said, "I'm personally leaning towards meeting with her. But I'm going to talk to Yuki-san, the Kirijo lobbyist first. Him and I are friendly, and he's sympathetic to Tora-san at the very least. I doubt he'd want a scandal."
"Isn't there a chance this Makoto Yuki could be involved with Tartarus?" Haru asked, "After all, we don't know if there are other Persona users out there. And Ryoji-kun did say that he was waiting for another."
"Ryuko and I had the same thoughts actually." Rio said, nodding to Ryuko.
"Yeah, we think that since I can use my glove to activate Senketsu as a persona, there's probably many other ways of summoning the power." Ryuko said.
"And if there were other Wild Cards who went through similar situations we did, then we could have an easier time of finding out who they are." Rio said.
"Mitsuru Kirijo is definitely a candidate for a Wild Card." Ann chimed, "She's young, talented, confident among other good qualities. I can think of someone else just like that." She looked over at Rio and the others followed suit.
"You guys are too much." Rio said, brushing off the sudden attention, "Mitsuru Kirijo's potential powers aside, I'm going to look more into Kaguya and Yuki-san. And hopefully I can turn over some clues. Thank you all for coming, I'm counting on all of you."
The group broke apart, with some Thieves having to leave earnestly for other commitments. Ann, Haru, Makoto, Morgana, and Ryuko however started forming a plan to get a proper lunch and invited Rio along.
"I'll catch up with you guys." Rio said, "Ryuji, can I talk with you a moment." the boy was lagging, tying his shoe as the room cleared.
"Sure, what's up?" he said as the last of the others left.
"Uh, I wanted to ask you something weird." Rio said. She was sat on her bed. He was over by the TV.
"Weird how?" Ryujki asked, his expression growing a little more serious.
Rio sighed and straightened up, "You asked me out three times before, I think. First in the Ferris wheel, second at the beach, and then at Destinyland the night Haru's dad died. Right?"
"Yeah, sounds about right. You looking for a fourth?" Ryuji asked slyly.
Rio smiled, "No, my answer's still no." she said, "I just wanted to know, why me?"
"Why, you?" Ryuji pondered.
"I'm just trying to understand what it's like to feel attracted to someone else." Rio said, "I'm sorry if this is totally out of the blue or inappropriate. It's just been bothering me for the last few days."
"Nah, it's cool." Ryuji said, "Mind if I sit?"
"Sure." Rio patted a spot next to her.
The blonde sat down and thought for a moment. Rio noticed that for the first time in a while he was actually thinking seriously. She found that admirable, and he looked somewhat nice this way, or so she thought.
"I guess I just wanted to make you happy." he said finally.
"How?" Rio asked.
"By being there for you like you were for me with the track team. How you were able to force me into rebelling against Kamoshida and all the others who walked over me." he said, "And when we were fighting that God of Control, I'd never seen anyone more inspiring than you were when you shot it."
"I see." Rio said.
"I just wanted to be the guy in your corner. The guy you could always count on. Not just in a fight but as a crutch. A break in the storm." he said.
"I never knew you could be this poetic." Rio said.
"I try. You haven't seen all my tricks yet." he said.
"Oh, really now?" Rio mocked.
"Did we get closer somehow?' she thought.
"I also think you're really pretty. Even if you don't try as hard as Ann does." Ryuji said.
"Thanks, you aren't doing bad yourself." Rio said. A small bead of sweat appeared on her brow. And she could see he was stressed a little too.
"Shit, we have gotten closer!" she thought.
"What do I say now?" Rio wondered out loud. The two leaned into each other subconsciously.
"You don't have to say anything." Ryuji said. He took a hand and moved a strand of hair out of her eyes.
"Is this what I want?" Rio asked herself.
Ryuji and she looked into each other's eyes. Rio saw in them everything he'd said.
His hand went to her chin and tilted up slightly, she could feel his breath on her lips.
"Oh, no." Rio began to think before they touched.
She kept her lips still. Rio's sense of courage failed. It was when she felt the faintest bit of his tongue that her senses returned.
"E-brake." she thought.
She pushed lightly on Ryuji's chest, and he separated immediately, his eyes were sad.
"I'm sorry." he said.
"No, I think you actually helped me by doing that." Rio said almost involuntarily. Normally she could get a hold of her emotions in hard situations. But her desire to learn and her desire to not make Ryuji feel bad were conflicting horribly in her mind.
"I don't think I understand." Ryuji said.
"It's not you, Ryuji." Rio said, she patted the boy's knee to emphasize her point. "For the longest time I've been rejecting guys left and right. Not because I didn't like any of them, but because it just didn't feel right to me."
"I don't know what you mean." he said.
"It's like if you tried kissing another guy. What do you think of that idea?" Rio asked.
"It just doesn't even seem like an option." Ryuji said. Rio was surprised at his level of clarity.
"That's the same thing I feel about not just you, but all the others who've tried." Rio said.
"So, are you into other girls then?" Ryuji asked.
Rio looked down, "That's the thing, I don't know."
Ryuji sighed and the two sat in silence before he stood up.
"Well, I'm glad we talked about all this." he said, "You won't have to worry about me."
Rio stood up and grabbed his arm, "Ryuji, you know that I still love you as a friend. You were the first person to not treat me as scum when I came to Tokyo. You were there when I awakened to Arsene. You've been there from the start. And I wouldn't trade you for the world. You're an athlete with a bright future, you'll be drowning in girls in no time."
Ryuji laughed, "Like I said, you don't have to worry. I'm not going anywhere."
"Thank you." Rio said, she dropped his arm, and he went towards the stairs.
"All you've shown me is that this door is well and truly closed, and that it probably wasn't even open. It's freeing in a way." he said with a smile, "I'm a knucklehead sometimes. I know that at least. But Rio, if you ever want my life, you can have it."
Ryuji walked down the stairs, and she heard him exit. The café was silent save for Sojiro's spoon turning in the curry pot.
Rio stood in the same spot, not sure what to do. Or what to think.
Sunday Evening, July 30
Makoto idly gripped the handle on his sword. The Thieves were back in Tartarus and had made decent progress through the first section. He was careful to stay a floor behind them, using a jammer provided by Fuuka to stay off their navigator's radar.
He was ascending the stairs past a gatekeeper, and he looked at the remains of the battlefield. There were scorch marks and small dents in the floor. Whatever had faced the Thieves didn't have a nice time.
It almost made him worried. He was plenty strong in a fight. Even alone. But not invincible.
Would he be able to face the Thieves if his cover was blown? That was a problem he didn't have a solution to. He'd have to rely on his words.
Another thing that he was concerned with was the fact the Thieves all wore masks. From the few conversations he'd managed to eavesdrop on, he knew this place was made from the collective unconscious of the public. And that they'd even encountered things called Palaces made from one person's psyche. Would he need a mask? Lest his identity get leaked to the public by accident. Then again, they didn't give that Matoi girl a mask.
The next floor was dark, a random quirk that made visibility scarce. But as Makoto tried his best to navigate the area, he found himself lost. He unsheathed his sword and made a small scratch in the wall to his right and continued walking forward. After walking straight for what seemed like several minutes, he found the scratch again.
He considered his situation. If the hallway he was walking down was looping the only way to go was backwards since there were no branching halls.
As he turned around an explosion and a gust of pressurized air swept through the hall, and he ran towards it.
He ran back through the hallway and came across a Phantom-type shadow. The thing's midsection was replaced by a lantern and a sickly green cloak obscured its black body. It was moving quickly towards another figure. A girl in black clothing, a rapier scattered away from her, and long red hair splayed out behind her. Makoto disregarded his discretion and drew his Evoker.
"Helel" he muttered before pulling the Evoker's trigger. The rush of his persona flew from his mind and obliterated the Shadow in a single move. He holstered the Evoker and ran to the girl.
"It's okay, I got you." Makoto reassured. The girl leaned up and looked to her savior.
"You're that lobbyist?" she said slowly. Makoto could tell a weakness to curse damage had taken a toll.
"Don't worry about that. Did you get separated?" he asked.
"We came to this floor, and I lost sight of the others." she said, "Then I ran into that thing and was on the ground before I could react."
Makoto hummed and took out his Evoker again. Cybel should have her healed in no time.
Before he could summon his persona, he heard running footsteps from behind.
He turned and was met with a boot to the chest.
The wind left Makoto's lungs, and he laid flat on his back. He cleared his vision and saw another girl standing over him. Her stance was immaculate for a fight, a pistol pointed towards his head. He could see steely eyes behind the domino mask she wore.
"Joker, he saved me." the other girl sputtered. It was at that comment when his assailant's eyes widened.
"Yuki-san?" Rio asked. Her pistol still trained on him.
"Rio, nice to see you." Makoto said as his voice returned to him.
"Drop the gun." Rio said sternly, referring to his Evoker.
"This isn't a gun." he said.
"Then what else could that possibly be?" Rio asked.
"I'll show you." Makoto said. He saw Rio's eyes widen even further as he pulled the barrel to his temple.
Rio tried to call out, but he pulled the trigger and Cybele appeared behind him. A wave of healing energy embraced the girl on the ground and himself. Makoto stood up and holstered his Evoker. He held a hand out to the other girl, who accepted his help up.
"You're nuts." Rio said, "This is all nuts."
"You summon with a mask. That's pretty weird too don't you think?" he asked.
"It's revealing one's true self." the other girl said, "Violet, by the way."
"Well Violet, an Evoker forces you to stare death in the eyes." he said, taking out the instrument and holding it in his hand. "By that choice, all power is revealed."
Rio shuddered at the implications and started looking around, "We have a lot to talk about, but we need to get out of here." she said.
"Agreed. We need to head backwards." Makoto said, pointing the direction he had been walking previously.
"Do you know this place?" Violet asked.
"I got to the top once." he said, "It's not easy. And I'm here to help. But for now, we need to get back to the floor's entrance."
"What good will that do us?" Rio asked.
"I can contact my navigator, Fuuka Yamagishi. Even from Port Island she can pull everyone out." he said. "She's been experimenting and asked me to call her if something like this came up." The other two resigned themselves and followed him.
After a time, they reached the floor's entrance and saw an endless void of clockwork gears and green glow.
"Fuuka?" Makoto said into a small radio he had in his suit jacket.
A wave of static answered him but after a time a faint voice came through.
"-koto... others are… entran… need to recharge… Shadows coming… following Mat… prep…" was all they could hear before the line cut off.
"What was that all about?" Rio asked.
"Something about Shadows coming?" Violet recalled.
"I think she got the others out to the entrance, but Shadows are following Matoi-san. And they're in-bound." Makoto suggested.
"Damn. What's your Persona's affinities?" Rio asked Makoto.
"I'm a Wild Card." he replied.
"So, it was you?" Rio said, her tone slightly shocked.
"What? Who did you think it was?" Makoto asked.
"Mitsuru Kirijo." Violet said.
Makoto smirked, "No, her strength is ice. She's a great strategist but I handle tactics." he said.
Rio's lips went thin at that comment, Makoto might have stepped on her turf. But any comments she might have had were swept aside as a great whooshing sound came from the dark passage they came from.
Makoto turned again and saw quite the sight. Ryuko Matoi was flying. The back of what looked like a spiked dress billowed behind her like a jet engine. She charted a course that landed her in front of the trio. She had her back towards them. The outfit she had reminded Makoto of a few minimalist fits he'd seen in Club Escapade's bathrooms. If Junpei were here and a few years younger… Makoto shuddered at the mere thought of what he might say.
"Get ready, they're coming." a disembodied male voice said.
Makoto looked around for the source, and thought it came from Ryuko's clothes, but he saw Rio. She just shook her head in a way that said, 'I'll tell you later.'
He drew his sword and Rio checked her pistol. Violet leveled her rapier and Ryuko looked intently at the darkness ahead.
X
Author's Notes:
-So… yeah Kaguya Sugimura is basically a rip of Kaguya from Love Is War if y'all didn't get the references. She is a different character, however, so don't worry if you haven't seen that anime (go watch it tho!). Also, Ryuko's Auto-Cross is a straight rip from Far Cry 4. I just think it's neat and she could really use a ranged option.
-I thought it was kind of weird how in P5R the Aeon Arcana got scrapped for Faith, so I'm taking it for myself. There's one more planned confidant to introduce, and I'm sure it's obvious who it will be.
-Thanks for reading this story despite the slow update pace. I did a significant amount of reworking for this fic's overarching plot/outline. So, now that the path is (mostly) clear things should be more consistent on the actual writing side. I went through three drafts of this chapter reworking things to fit with my plot revisions down the road, so I'm committed!
-Reviews/comments/concrit are always welcome!