A Place I Belong: A Persona 5 Prequel/AU Quest

Part 8: Welcome To Shujin

You awoke feeling refreshed… no… you didn't know how to feel. You felt happier, more open, and more… dare you say alive.

You got into the Shujin academy uniform, made sure it was properly on and prepared yourself for the day.

It was a feeling that you carried to breakfast, and everyone seemed to notice the grin on your face as you served them some eggs and rice.

"Someones in a good mood?" Jiro stated as he sat down. "What happened?" He asked.

You thought for a moment but shook your head. "Let's just say I got some perspective from a source I never saw coming." You replied.

Jiro nodded but decided to not ask about it. Clearly, it had done you some good, and questioning it would not change how better you feel. "Good for you." He stated.

Sae grabbed a few pieces of toast. She was dressed for the day, which was to say, some pants and a shirt, with a pair of tennis shoes. "I'm sorry father, but I have to go." She hugged her father and then gave Makoto a kiss on the forehead. "I'll be home for dinner."

"Have a good day Sae!" You said as you sat down to eat.

"Have a good day honey." Jiro replied.

Makoto did not give a greeting, she was stuffing her face with food.

You looked at the clock and saw the time. "Aww crap. I need to go to." You said.

"Take care, and remember that you don't need to worry about lunch, the school provides them," Jiro stated.

"Thanks!" You said, grabbing your bag and slugging it over your shoulder.

The Ride to School was the same as it was yesterday, though, instead of being in a car, you were cramped in a subway car.

But somehow, it was better than yesterday. And it was perfect.
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-[X]Go To School: You have to go to school for all six days of the week. (You will meet your fellow classmates automatically, and their actions will be gained automatically at the end of the day.)

You sat down in your home room by the window, looking out in the courtyard. Somehow the school's architecture was really good looking from the inside of the building. However the bars over the windows, and the old flyers from after the earthquake still littered around the place.

"Hey, Kamui!" You turned to see that Miko you met at the shrine, Kiyo. Her black hair was down straight, and without the kimono, she wore the Shujin Academy uniform, with a pair of large glasses on her face. "So, welcome to the struggle." She stated.

"Yep." you replied. "But it's a struggle I'm ready for."

That made her look at you all confused. "Wow, I thought you had a rain cloud over your head all the time from the way we talked at the Shrine… why did you brighten up?"

You gave her a smile. "I got some inspiration."

"HEY KIYO!" The loud voice shouted, causing everyone to look to the door.

The kid had the Shujin uniform on, looking exactly like you, in the way it was worn. What was different about him was the large amounts of cuts and bandages that were covering his lower face and mouth. Like he had lost a battle with a wall. "I'm back!"

There was a small cheer from the students as he walked over. Kiyo gave him a hug. "Good for you."

"You okay?" You asked. "What happened?"

Kiyo took a deep breath. "A shelf fell down on him during the earthquake, took out the table he was hiding under, all of the contents of it fell on him."

There was a twitch from The boy before he turned to face you. "Hiro. Sotatsu Hiro" He gave a slight bow, before he slumped down in the chair in front of Kiyo, his eyes clearly showing pain.

Then the door opened and everyone stood up. "Okay everyone, I am Kawakami Sadayo, I will be your homeroom teacher." She looked at her clipboard and sighed. "We have a new student joining us this year. Mr. Tanaka, could you please come forward."

You stood up and walked forward. Without prompting you wrote your name down on the board, understanding the song and dance you were about to go through.

"This is Kamui Tanaka, he will be joining us at Shujin for the remainder of his career. I expect you all to treat him as you would a fellow student." She stated.

The class nodded, and you bowed before them. "It's nice to meet you all." You replied.

The whispering began as soon as you began to walk back to your desk. You ignored them, but the words, "Creep" and "Emo" Entered your ears.

When you sat down, Hiro bumped your shoulder. "Hey, don't listen to them, man. You look like you don't know what to do?"

"Not really." You replied.

"Well, I don't know what to do either." He stated. "But if you need some help, I'm your guy."

"You always offer help to a stranger?" You asked.

"Kiyo seems to think your an okay guy… That's good enough for me." Hiro replied.

School went by normally… but you felt better. And maybe you were going to make some new friends.

Reward: Hiro Sotatsu met. Arcana Unknown. New Actions Available
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[X]Spend Time with Makoto: You are going to spend time with that cute little girl… That sounded weird

Makoto was a ball of energy, who really really liked to emulate kung fu scenes from action movies and Featherman.

"KEYAH!" She made noises as you cooked tonight's dinner and emulating the poses she saw. Her stance was too wide, because she was still pretty short, and it made her look like she was doing yoga.

"Do you take any martial arts lessons Makoto?" You asked as you continued to watch her kick and punch.

Makoto stopped and sighed, standing up straight and looking deflated. "No. Dad says he wants me to focus on other things. He says that it's too dangerous and that if I continue to try it, I'll break something in the house."

You sighed. "Have you tried to discipline yourself and act in restraint, making a space for yourself to practice so you do not break anything important? And have you given your father any other reason to practice martial arts then being like the action movie heroes that you see on TV?"

Makoto looked confused. "Why would I need other reasons to learn Martial Arts?"

"Because your father is right. It is very dangerous to learn Martial Arts, especially when you just want to be like an action movie hero. That isn't a good reason because there are far more important reasons to take them up. Like getting into a healthy lifestyle or learning to defend yourself in case you are in trouble. Acting out like an action hero and looking for danger is not something that any Dojo in their right mind would ever teach." You walked over and crouched down and placed a hand on her shoulder. "They would teach you discipline, and restraint."

"How do you know all of this?" Makoto asked.

You sighed. "It's a long story Makoto." The image of a dojo flashed in your mind, of a man you knew you would never see again. A single ray of light in your otherwise bleak existence.

Reward: You spend time with Makoto. +3 EXP to all stats. New Action Available.

Kindness Leveled up to level 2! +1 Action!.
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[X]Study the Metaverse: You need to know what the hell you went to. Maybe there are some scientists or people who know about this kind of stuff.

You looked at Jiro's computer and poured through search after search results, looking for anything that might explain what happened.

Separate person doppelganger, strange app? You searched for whatever you thought could give you an answer.

There was a rumor going around in Inaba, that on a rainy night at midnight if you looked at a TV, you would see your heart's desire or some crap on the TV, but you didn't take stalk in country tall tales. You were not going to waste your night doing that. Especially since you had other more concrete research for your question.

The only result that you could find that made sense was by a Dr. Wakaba Isshik, who wrote about something called "Cognitive Pscience" The theory that you read about online was something about the interconnectedness of all of mankind through our own cognition, in a place called, "The Metaverse". You didn't have access to her articles or published papers, but from what you got, she worked out of her Lab in Tokyo.

Maybe you can drop in and visit her… Hopefully.

Reward: Research done. New Action Available.
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4/12/20XX Tuesday.

Weather: Rain, Pack an Umbrella.

You awoke and stretched. Alright. Time for rain… You better unpack your raincoat.

You looked to the desk in your room and noticed a letter on your table, along with a large wad of Yen

"You may not know it, but your guardians, all of them have been arrested today for Child Abuse, negligence, and other crimes. If you want to eat out to celebrate, here's some money."

-Jiro

Reward: +50,000 Yen

What do you do?:
(Choose 4)

Actions Available:
[X]Go To School: You have to go to school for all six days of the week. (You will meet your fellow classmates automatically, and their actions will be gained automatically at the end of the day.)
[]Spend Time with Jiro: You want to spend time with Jiro. (Can only be done on Wednesdays or Sunday's)
[]Spend Time with Hiro: The Bandaged boy looks like a true pal, and him offering his friendship so easily is… refreshing.
[]Spend time with Kiyo: Kiyo has surprisingly been a good person to be around. She's nice, pretty, and is not very judgemental about you.
[]Spend Time with Makoto: You are going to spend time with that cute little girl… That sounded weird.
[]Spend Time with Sae: Sae seems like a cool person to hang out with… most of the time.
[]Explore Tokyo: You want to find out the new and exciting places around Tokyo.
[]Go to Dr. Wakaba: You need to tell her about what you saw. Maybe she can help you.
[]Try To Enter The Metaverse: The App that you had sent you to another world? Maybe you can go back.
[]Go To the Library: Read some books, check out a book.
[]Look for a Dojo: You are going to find a Dojo, for both yourself and for Makoto. If Jiro does not like it, you will accept the consequences.
[]Watch Action Movies: You want to see some of the awesome action classics that Jiro has.
[]Spend Extra Time on Homework: You are going to make extra sure you get an A.

AN: Plan format, please.

Sorry for not updating sooner, the update was kicking my ass whenever I was writing it, and I rewrote it like three times to get it right.

Part 9: Routine and Beginnings.

-[X]Go To School: You have to go to school for all six days of the week. (You will meet your fellow classmates automatically, and their actions will be gained automatically at the end of the day.)

You smiled as you sat at your desk. Lunch was delicious and you felt ready to take on the entire world.

Then you saw the subject that was up today.

Math.

"Oh no." You whispered as your head fell to your desk.

"What's wrong?" Kiyo asked as Hiro wiped a cloth over his bandages.

"I hate math." You stated.

"It can't be that bad." She said.

Then the Teacher, Ms. Unnio wrote down a problem on the board.

What is 5349 to the third power?

Kiyo's face fell onto her desk. "Nevermind."

Do you know the answer?

Knowledge 4 required. Knowledge=1

Failure.

+1 to knowledge EXP.

"Ahhhh!" You screamed as you slammed your head against the desk.

"Mr. Tanaka are you alright?" Ms. Unnio asked.
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-[X]Spend time with Kiyo: Kiyo has surprisingly been a good person to be around. She's nice, pretty, and is not very judgemental about you.

Kiyo joined you on the roof after class. "You okay?" She asked as she sat down on the desk that was there.

You sighed. "No… Everythings been getting better, it just feels like it's getting harder too." It had never occurred to you that the change would bring about that.

Most of the time, you were alone to your own thoughts, only worrying about your school work, what to eat, how to avoid your problems, and the people who caused them.

Trying to change… to see the world for what it was, with an open mind with an open heart… was exhausting.

"I'm just lost." You replied.

"Yeah I know, It's pretty rough moving around and meeting new people," Kiyo replied. You gave her a look. "I work at a shrine… trust me when I say that I have seen almost every kind of people." She gave you a smile. "You may be lost now, but I promise you that you'll find your place in it."

"Did you learn that from the shrine?" You asked.

"No. I learned it by helping people in simple ways." She replied. "Try to help someone, and maybe you'll find your path."

You huffed. "Maybe I'll help you. You know, as scratch your back and my back kinda thing?"

That made Kiyo laugh. "You sound like Hiro…" She looked up to the sky. "If you feel like you need to do that… then do it, don't let anyone stop you."

She held out her hand, and you accepted it.

You felt a small bond form between you and Kiyo.


Reward: Kiyo's Lover social link begins. Every few weeks, she will notify you of something, that can increase it.

-[X]Spend Extra Time on Homework: You are going to make extra sure you get an A.

You spent an extra hour on homework. Now you won't be a fool.

YAY!

Reward: +3 EXP to Knowledge.

-[X]Go to Dr. Wakaba: You need to tell her about what you saw. Maybe she can help you.

It was easy to get to the Doctor's Lab before sunset.

You knocked on the good doctor's door as you tried to peek through the window. But you could not see anything.

"Hello. Dr. Wakaba! It's Kamui Tanaka! I'm the student that wished to speak to you!" You raised your voice.

Dammit, should you have waited a few days to allow her to get back to you? You called last night at pretty short notice.

You were impatient. And it might cost you.

Then the door opened, causing you to step back in fear, as you noticed the tall men in suits walk out. "We're expecting results, Dr. Wakaba. The director will want to see it soon, or your project will be gutted."

"I already told you and the director that I need more time. I think i-" A female voice shot back.

"He does not care for excuses Doctor. He expects results." The suit replied.

The men in the suits then walked away, pushing you out of the way. "Get out of the way you fucking kid."

You caught yourself and pushed yourself back onto your feet. The door was open and you walked into the door frame to look inside.

"Dammit, Sojiro! I told them I needed more time." the woman you assumed was Dr. Wakaba stated.

The man with her had a suit like the others, though you could tell he was clearly more laid back than his coworkers. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's not your fault Sojiro…" The Doctor huffed before sitting down. "I'm so close to cracking that puzzle."

"Excuse me." You made your presence known to the two people in the room. "Dr. Wakaba, I'm Kamui Tanka." You bowed. "I called you about something strange last night."

That made the doctor smile, brightening up like a light bulb. "Ah yes, something about a strange app on your phone that sent you to another world."

You stood up straight and shut the door behind you. "Yeah… No offense I thought you would have told me off."

The doctor waved her hand. "Oh nonsense what you described has proved my theories."

"What?" You asked, dumbstruck.

"He what?" Sojiro asked, looking shocked.

"What you described last night was what I call the Metaverse. The collective unconscious of humanity." She stated, before pulling out a paper from her desk and showing it to you.

It looked over a hundred pages long.

That was a lot of papers. With a lot of big words on it.

It was then you noticed a toy wrapped up on the desk. It looked like a sword. "Is that a sword?" You asked.

Dr. Wakaba noticed. "Oh that, Sorry, my daughter likes ancient Egypt, and she needs it for a project for her school."

"You said that the phone app on your phone somehow transported you into the metaverse… What did it look like, was there anything there?" The doctor asked as she pulled out a notepad and paper.

"Hold on Wakaba," Sojiro stated. "You're going to overwhelm the poor kid."

Dr. Wakaba took a deep breath. "But I need to know, this could save my project."

You took a deep breath and told her everything you can remember about your trip to the metaverse. From your confusion to the landscape, and to meeting your… other self.

Dr. Wakaba took notes of everything. Sojiro watched you with interest, but just sat around in the lab.

When you finished Dr. Wakaba was silent. The silence was strange.

Then the doctor began to celebrate. "YES! I WAS RIGHT!" She then stood up and hugged Sojiro. "I told you I was right Sojiro! I Told you!"

"I never doubted you Wakaba." Sojiro replied, returning the hug.

"Um… I should go." You replied.

"No Kamui wait!" Dr. Wakaba stated as she let go and shook her hands frantically. "I need you to do one thing for me."

"Okay… what is it?" You asked, feeling a sense of dread.

"Could you show me the app on your phone?" She asked.

You pulled out your phone and showed her the strange app.

She looked like she was seeing something for the first time, and then she snapped her fingers. "Do you have to say something in it for it to work while activating the app then it transports you?"

"Yeah… I think." You replied.

The Doctor smiled. "Well. You have been a great help Kamui. I hope to give you something to you as a memento for helping me."

"Recognized." The familiar voice of your phone spoke.

"What the hell!" Sojiro shouted.

The world changed and you felt sick. And then the world went dark.
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You awoke feeling strange.

As you stood up you saw the toy sword resting in front of you, it's wrappings gone. It gleaned of steel like it was real. But that was impossible… it was a toy!

But on the ground beside you was a clipboard. A clipboard that had somehow gained size and was now big enough to be a shield.

You need to find Sojiro and Dr. Wakaba before anything happens to them.

And your uniform was gone!

Reward: Toy Gladius Gained: it's a toy short sword… but it can still give a good whacking.

Clipboard: You have a clipboard the size of a shield. It's strange as hell.

What the hell are you wearing:
[]Insert an image of what you look like in the Metaverse.

What do Mementos look like:
[]A Subway: Why does this subway look like it's trashed.
[]A Tower: A tower? What the hell?
[]A Desolate Town: This place… it looks like a town… but there's a thick fog over this place.
[]A TV Studio: Why does this place look like a TV studio?


Who do you see:
[]Sojiro: He's armed with a gun… and he's frightened. What does he see?
[]Dr. Wakaba: There's some monster attacking her! You need to protect her!
[]A girl?: She's wandering around, calling out for someone? She's scared and alone. You should help her.
[]No one: You are alone.

AN: Plan format, please.