Vangran: Hehe, well I'm glad you liked it. I don't know about fixing the whole Mona and Skull issue seeing as how complicated it can be but I do have a way of working through it. That idea's also a way for me to introduce Mercurius in the story later, I'm not waiting till the SL maxes out. I totally agree that Skull shouldn't be needling him all the time but it seems more like a case of both sides being wrong as Mona isn't really helping with how he kept insulting Skull too.
The Phantom Thieves were finishing up preparations for their next entry into Futaba's Palace. Namine and Makoto took care of the supplies and medicine while the others promised to see to the weapons. One thing lead to another and Makoto wound up learning that had been taking some time to prepare food for Yusuke from time to time, something Sojiro happened to overhear as the girls were heading up to Namine's room.
''Huh, I wondered about those boxes...'' Sojiro mused. ''...never thought you'd be making food for that kid. What, does he use up all his money for art supplies or something?''
Namine and Makoto exchanged glances, wondering how to tell him that he was likely more or less spot on.
There was no need to worry though as he caught on fast ''Wait, seriously?'' That had actually been the first possiblity that came to mind so he really didn't think it was right. ''Good grief, someone needs to talk to him about priorities...''
''I tried.'' Makoto shook her head ''Honestly, I'm not sure how much of that sunk in. Yusuke tends to be so single minded at times that it's a little worrying.''
''Yeah and getting stuck with someone like Madarame for this long wasn't exactly doing him any favors.'' Namine added.
Sojiro thought that could be the root of the problem ''Yeah, habits can be pretty hard to break so he's just going to need to find some balance in life. Well he's got friends like you two, that sounds like good support to me.''
The girls smiled ''Thanks, Boss.''
A while later, Sojiro left to get some ingredients and the girls decided to keep an eye on things...
''We've had a practice entry exam recently...'' Makoto started. ''...my score was significantly lower than last time. I'm concerned...''
''Is it because of the Thieves work?'' Namine wondered.
''No, I was sure to set aside an appropriate amount of time to study. The truth is...recently I've started questioning the entire point of my education. What do I stand to gain from getting good grades and living up to the high expectations my sister has set for me? I spoke to Eiko about this matter as well but the answer hasn't become any clearer...''
''Really? What happened?'' This was a surprise, Makoto had always seemed so driven when it came to her studies. She had never thought the girl would question that.
''Well, we've been calling each other every so often since we exchanged contact information. Because of those calls, we've actually grown somewhat close. When I voiced my concern to her, she asked me how I would benefit from going to a top university...But...I couldn't come up with a good answer. As for Eiko, her grades are not the best but she claims she doesn't even think about that stuff. Apparently, her parents can use their connections to find her a job. But isn't that a little irresponsible? It's nice that she can rely on her parents but this is her life not theirs...'' She closed her eyes. ''...I guess that's a different way of approaching things. Even at that, her vision of the future is still clearer than mine.''
Namine thought this over ''I'm not sure hers is all that clear either. But with the way things changed lately, your own perspective changed too, right?''
''Exactly. I used to think doing what others expected of me was the best way forward. I was going to major in law, like my sister did. And after that, I would simply have headed down whatever path society had made for me...But everything changed when I joined the Phantom Thieves. I've realized now that there are more important things than being a prim and proper honor student. Honestly, I would have looked down on Eiko's line of thinking in the past but I know better now.'' Makoto took her phone out as it buzzed, giggling a moment later. ''She must have known I was talking about her. Lately, Eiko's been telling me whenever she buys makeup or finds a cute new outfit. That reminds me, she asked me the other day what kind of hand cream I use. I sent her a picture...and it's apparently the same brand they use in the nurse's office at school.''
''Huh, what're the odds?''
''I know, right? She told me like I'm a middle aged man in the body of a high school girl...Regardless, that stuff works wonders for dry skin and it's great value. My father used to use it all the time. Did I ever tell you he was a police officer?'' Namine nodded and Makoto continued. ''He detested the corruption in our society and worked tirelessly to bring it to justice. But despite the rough exterior, he was extremely gentle deep down. When I was little, I told him I wanted to grow up to be a police officer just like him. He was glad to hear it but he was quick to say that he didn't want me doing something so dangerous. I had completely forgotten about that dream to be honest...''
''So you want to make it happen?'' Namine inquired.
''I don't know. I barely just remembered it...Either way, after everything that happened...''
''Yeah, our situation would make that pretty awkward.''
Makoto hummed in agreement ''I think I need to re-examine what goals for the future are outside of just plain studying. You know, it feels like I remembered something important today thanks to you. As you say, my perspective changed and now after meeting Eiko, my viewpoint has broadened.''
Namine smiled to herself, she liked that the girl was opening up. Makoto was proving to be a kind friend and a reliable advisor but it was times like this that made her feel closer to her friends.
''For what it's worth, I don't think there's anything wrong with that.'' She offered. ''If anything, people who remain inflexible and don't adjust to the changes in life are the ones with a real problem. Sounds to me like you have to figure out what's right for you now. It's something we're all experiencing in our own way."
''You may have a point there...'' The brunette returned. ''...it's nice to have someone to talk to about these things, thank you, Namine.''
The younger girl was about to say something but both were then distracted when the cafe's door opened, revealing a newly arrived Akechi.
''Oh, hello there.'' He started, the girls returned the greeting (albeit a bit tersely in Makoto's case) before taking a seat and requesting coffee.
While Namine went to get it ready, the detective raised an eye ''Ah, so Sakura-san isn't here?''
''No, but Namine's been helping out plenty so he knows he can trust her to watch things.'' Makoto replied.
''I see...''
''I'll try not to poison you, Mr. Ace Detective.'' Namine joked as she joined them.
Akechi looked amused as he responded ''I'm sure it'll be fine.''
''...You know, I've heard a couple of strange things about you lately.'' Makoto began after a few moments. ''Oh?''
The girl decided to address something she had been wondering about for a while ''My sister was talking on the phone earlier the other day. She seems convinced that you're not taking things seriously, even moreso now that you apparently picked up some new investigation.''
''It sounds like Sae-san.'' Akechi shook his head. ''The officer in charge of that investigation really helped me out back when I first started working as a detective. It's thanks in part to him that I made the progress I did so I think it's only fair to help.''
Namine walked over, giving him the coffee before asking ''That's nice of you-what's this investigation about?''
''A politician's wife was admitted into a hospital, there's been suspicions that he was abusing her but they can't prove anything.'' Akechi informed. ''She's in too much of a bad shape to even consider testifying, though it looks more and more like he is responsible. The less said about his personality, the better. Apparently, he just left her in a terrible state and someone took her to the hospital once he saw her. The trouble is, he seems to have gone off the grid.''
Namine blinked ''Wait, isn't that like really bad? If he's under suspicion, then...''
''...it's effectively giving them a reason to arrest him, that's right.'' He finished for her "I can see why the case troubled him. I only came here for a little break before going back to the station, but I'm not about to let things lie as they are.''
''I hope your efforts pay off. This guy sounds like a menace.'' The girl remarked, frowning.
''So that's why...'' Makoto eyed the boy with some surprise ''...do you have any leads?''
''Not yet.'' Akechi replied. ''Even if it does seem like he disappeared, there has to be some clue we've missed. I'd hate to think that we'd let him get away, he has to face justice.'' He took a sip of the coffee. ''Ah, seems you've been taught well, Hyakuya-san.''
''It's not even close to Boss' coffee but thanks.'' She returned. ''Say, out of curiosity, what made you want to be a detective?''
''Well, actually...''
''Thanks for coming with me, Namine.'' Shiho said as they entered one of the shops.
''I should thank you for telling me about this place.''
The former had suggested coming to Jinbocho as she was searching for a certain couple of books. Namine had been trying to find the other books in a story she had read after borrowing a book from the school library but to no avail. After hearing about Jinbocho, she decided this was worth giving a try. As luck would have it, she found all three books rather quickly and Shiho had gotten her own books as well.
''I think I've heard of this series.'' The dark haired girl remarked, glancing at one of Namine's books. ''Is it good?''
''Yeah, pretty interesting actually. I just came across the first book a couple of days before the holidays kicked off and I really wanted to find out what happened. I was beginning to think I'd have to wait until school restarts or something...''
Shiho looked intrigued, she was about to comment when she happened to spot a familiar face nearby, not one she expected at all. It was Mishima.
The boy was rigid, looking rather nervous when his eyes fell on her, though the girl wasn't sure why. Namine came around the corner, curious after her sudden pause.
''Oh, Mishima-kun...''
Namine was left similarly confused by the sudden tension in the air, more from Mishima than Shiho and she wasn't sure what to make of it. It looked like the boy wanted to say something but he kept hesitating.
'Is it so surprising? This may be the first time they came across each other ever since that incident.' Arsene suggested.
That actually made a lot of sense. And considering the way things went down...well, maybe she could help here.
''We were just finishing up here.'' The girl's voice broke the silence. ''Everything's fine, in case you were wondering. In fact, I was just considering maybe picking up getting some ice cream or something after this. But I digress, you wanted to say something?''
''Oh...a-ah, right...'' Mishima faltered. Truthfully, he'd been afraid to face Shiho again. He hadn't known the girl well but she was kind. She certainly didn't deserve what happened to her.
Mishima could be honest with himself and admit that he wouldn't be surprised if Shiho hated him. ''...S-Suzui-san, I...I'm so sorry!'' Shiho looked surprised but the boy went on before she could verablize the emotion. ''I knew...I knew what Kamoshida did was terrible and...and I just p-played along. B-but, if I hadn't...I'm sorry!''
''...You heard Namine-chan. Everything's fine now.'' Shiho closed her eyes ''Yes, things were terrible but we're all moving on. I can't blame you, I was hardly any better at handling things under Kamoshida. We were trapped but now we're free and that's what matters to me, we're never going back.''
Mishima could hardly believe his ears but he bowed and managed to respond after a few moments ''T-thank you.''
The girls exchanged a look and smiled before Shiho went on ''I like that ice cream suggestion. You want to join us, Mishima-kun?''
''If...if that's okay...''
''Sure it is, let's go.'' Namine returned.
Morgana jumped onto the bed and faced Namine, the two had returned to the attic after dinner ''Huh, so that's how it was? I never thought he didn't see her before...''
''Me neither but I'm glad it's worked out. Their time dealing with Kamoshida is a distant memory now, that's for the best.''
''True,'' the cat agreed. ''Wonder what memories I had before all this went down...you know, I've been thinking...remember when I went to spy on Futaba? From the way she acts, I kind of get the feeling that there are somethings she doesn't remember.''
Namine looked surprised ''Wait, really?''
''It's a hunch, so I'm not sure. Still, it would make sense, right? Watching what happened to her mother must have been a terrible shock, not even counting everything else. I figure it would stand to reason that she wound up repressing some of her memories.''
''You're right.'' Namine had not considered that angle. And she felt all the more foolish for it because she could relate to that all too well. ''We're going back tomorrow, let's hope we can figure it all out.''
''Mm, I want that too...it'd be good to have someone like her on our side. We might be able to retrieve my lost memories too if we pull this off.'' Morgana mused. ''I'm not saying that's all the reasons I want to help or anything...''
''I know, I know.'' She cut in. ''I think we came far enough for me to say you're not like that. Sounds like what we all have in common as Phantom Thieves is that we don't like watching injustice and cruelty and doing nothing about it.''
''Yeah...yeah, you're right!'' Morgana agreed, perking up. ''It reminds me of what you said about Zorro-a strong defender of justice. That's the kind of person I want to be.''
Namine began to smile ''Well, for what it's worth, you're doing pretty well.''
The cat grinned at this before responding ''Ah, it's nothing compared to you...'' And he meant it too, not even counting what she had been through two years ago, there was what Namine did now. She had more than enough reason to choose not to be a Phantom Thief but she did it to help others.
Take Futaba for instance, part of the reason things wound up the way they did at the Palace was that Namine had gone simply out of concern for the way Morgana saw it, Namine had a heart of gold. Wild card or not, he was glad she was the team's leader.
''Thanks...'' Namine leaned back. ''...I never imagined it would be like this when we started out but what we do is actually liberating for me. I've decided a long time ago to give everything I do my all, so I wouldn't have any regrets. After the arrest, I felt oppressed, that I was trapped no matter where I went. Even when I found out that my record was spread. But I was released after finding out about Personas, after awakening, partly thanks to you too."
Morgana couldn't help smiling, it was nice to know he made such a difference already...
"You remember how I told you that I read about Arsene Lupin? Well, I know he's an anti-hero but the whole story left a good impression on me. At the end of the day, he still had the strength and freedom to be his true self. That's what I wanted for me...Does that sound weird?''
''No, I get it.'' The feline assured. ''I can see why that would appeal to you. It sounds like you've done good on that too, just look at us. Personal reasons aside, even if some people don't understand it, we're fighting for what's right in our own way, being true to ourselves. There's no denying the effects we caused already.''
''That's totally true. And we're going to keep it up, we'll stop the black masked guy and get rid of the distortions in the depth of Mementos.'' Namine stated.
''Right, at the end of the day we're the only ones who can.'' Morgana proceeded to lie down. ''And tomorrow's another step forward, so let's rest up.''
Namine nodded and went to switch the lights off...
Later, that same night, Namine awoke in the Velvet Room...
Caroline walked up to the cell's entrance ''So you wanted to come again, Inmate? Well, what is it?''
''We're going back to the Palace tomorrow so I was thinking of stopping here to prepare my Personas.''
''All right, here you are then.'' She handed her the Compendium through the gate's bars just as Justine joined them.
Minutes later, after running things through, Namine fused Sandman with a Sudama from the Compendium and created the Ame-no-Uzume Persona the twins had asked for.
Caroline smirked ''Not bad, Inmate. That's another one done. You know, I never thought you'd keep at this even though it's not mandatory.''
''Well, it's been pretty useful so why not?'' Namine returned.
''Heh, you're pretty interesting, Inmate!''
''I must say...as Caroline noted before, this list is quite well thought out. The tasks are designed to push you toward achieving your foals while also measuring your true strengths.'' Justine remarked.
''Hm? I guess so...'' Her twin said. ''...Hey, Inmate! What're your thoughts on these tasks?''
''Well, they're pretty tough but they seem to help out in the long run so I think she's right.''
''Such a response is proof that they are the proper difficulty.'' Justine noted with satisfaction.
''Oh. Well, we should give her the next one. Let's see her...'' Caroline's eye suddenly widened. ''...Huh?! W-what the...It feels like I've seen the writing on this before.''
''Do you speak of the penmanship?'' Her sister wondered.
''Yeah, dammit...I can't remember! Do you recognize it, Justine?''
''Hmm...'Compliment her after she finishes the next task. Don't spoil her though. Do it just like you've practiced, with a piercing glare and angled hips'...''
''Wait, not that! Those are my notes! I...uh, mean...''
Namine blinked twice, that kind of sounded like she was...
''It seems you have been rather looking forward to the Inmate's visits.'' Justine gave a small smile while Namine looked at the girl in surprise.
Caroline was clearly embarrassed ''Never mind that! I-I'm talking about the handwriting of the tasks themselves! Stop yanking my chain!''
''Hm...Now that you mention it, I do feel as though I've seen that handwriting somewhere before.'' Justine mused.
''Hey...I just had a thought.'' The twins looked at Namine. ''How long have you two been here?''
''What're you bringing that up for now?'' Caroline demanded.
''Well, this world has been around for a while. Two years at least if our suspicions about the mental shutdowns are all true. Couldn't that list have been left by some of the people who were in the Velvet Room before you?''
The two shared a surprised look, neither having thought of it that way.
''Now that you mention it...'' Justine eyed the list with some curiosity.
''How about that...?'' Caroline blinked.
''It may explain this sense of deja vu I feel when reading the list.'' Justine went on. ''You may be right about this, Inmate. I wonder who it could be...and why they made the list?''
''Whaddya mean? The goal's pretty obvious. It's to help train the inmate.''
Justine wasn't satisfied with that ''Beyond that though, what exactly is the purpose of training her?''
''...Rehabilitation?'' The girl offered, uncertain.
''But that is merely our master's conclusion. Someone else wrote this correct? It's even stranger if you consider the Inmate's theory.''
Caroline paused to think ''...Then let's just assume there's some purpose we don't know about. If we're right in out assumption, the purpose'll be clear once she finishes the whole list, right?''
''...I suppose you have a point.'' Justine smiled. ''Hearing something logical from you is like a cool rush of air amidst the sweltering heat of summer.''
''You didn't need to say that!'' Caroline retorted. ''And what're you smiling about, Inmate? You better not be laughing at me!''
''No, I'm not...'' Namine assured, still amused. ''...I just can't help but think...you two remind me a little of a pair of siblings I used to baby sit before. They couldn't be more different if you tried but they still got along really well.''
The girl was surprised by the response ''Oh yeah?''
''I suppose that is fitting...Now then, Inmate, let us reward for successfully completing the task.'' Justine carried on. ''We will grant you access to the Guillotine Booster.''
''Think of it as a way to increase the number of personas you can make with the Group Guillotine.'' Caroline elaborated. ''Plus, you can no some super strong fusions using five or six Personas. You should be able to figure it out with some effort, Inmate, I mean you've come this far, right?''
''We trust you will employ it wisely.'' Justine added.
''Thanks.'' Namine half-smiled.
Justine nodded slightly ''Now I will give you the next assignment. Please note that the next privilege we provide for you will be quite powerful indeed. Therefore, we will require that you complete three tasks before you can receive it.''
''Whoa...okay, must be some privilege. Let's hear it.''
Caroline chuckled ''All right, here's task number one! A Neko Shogun with the skill Dekaja. You know the drill, come see us once you've got it. But first, put all your efforts into the job tomorrow or else you're going to hear it from me. You got that?''
Namine held back a laugh ''Well, we certainly wouldn't want that. You got it, Caroline.''
And we're done!
I really like working on this story, I never played Persona but I liked reading about it so I hope you enjoy this like I enjoy writing it. The whole idea with Shiho's SL was a complete shot in the dark but I'm really liking working on it, I'm glad I worked it out this far.
Confidants:
Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)
Morgana (Magician Rank 5)
Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 8)
Takemi Tae (Death Rank 5)
Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 4)
Igor (Aeon Rank 4)
Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)
Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 5)
Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 7)
Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 5)
Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 3)
The Phantom Thieves (Fool Rank 3)
Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 5)
Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 3)
Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 3)
Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 3)
Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 2)