Shattered Justice (A Persona Quest)

"...I'm glad you exist." You aren't sure how much those words will mean, coming from you, but it's all you can think of to say. Sure, Morgana might have just sprung into existence in Tokyo a year or so ago, and he might never have any conclusive proof of his origins. But he's still Morgana, and you're starting to have problems imagining life without him around.

...Well, okay, it'd probably be a lot quieter, but the same goes for a lot of the people you're friends with. The only obvious exception is Mitsuru-san, and that's because she's the one who keeps the rest of you relatively under control. Without her, you're sure everything would be on fire by now.
Junpei-san... Makoto-san... I don't think we'd have to worry too much about Koromaru, though.
Morgana glances down at his cards. You can't see his expression all that clearly, but you also aren't sure how much that would help. You don't know how body language works for cartoon felines that can control the winds. "...Thanks, Ken."

You think you did good. Now, to actually focus on... what were you playing again?

---

Yukari-san comes down some time later, her team covered in scratches but ultimately fine. "Things went pretty well until we reached floor eleven. Mostly because that's when we all ran out of magic..." Despite her report, she has a small smile on her face. "...What are you playing?"

Akihiko-san glances down at the cards in confusion. "Um... Something between Old Maid, Solitaire, and Go Fish... I think."
We'll figure it out eventually... by which I mean card games with actual rules. Not this one. I think this one's a lost cause.
Makoto-san blinks. "How does that work?"

"Not very well. The cat's winning."

"Not a cat..." Morgana mutters, though he doesn't respond any other way. Makoto-san, meanwhile, has wandered off over to that wall again, so it probably doesn't even matter anymore.

If this is what trips to Tartarus are going to be like now, you aren't sure if you're excited or dreading them. In this situation, you don't see why it can't be both, but... it's probably one or the other.

Mitsuru-san and Yukari-san spend some time discussing the merits of going back in for a bit, but the decision is made for them when Junpei-san slumps over and falls asleep on the stairs. Which does a lot to remind you of the fact that sleep is sort of important and that every time a team goes into Tartarus, they lose out on more of it.

Junpei-san's also the one who grumbles the most about leaving. You aren't sure, but you think you should be concerned about that.

---

Long stretches of time without school are... you hesitate to call them boring. With the sort of people you live with, something exciting is bound to happen every day, so long as you're in the right place for it.

As for what the right place would be... you still haven't figured that part out, actually.



[ ] Makoto-san said he'd be meeting a friend at the mall today. He sounds oddly nervous about it...

[ ] Mitsuru-san's birthday is this week. Preparations are important! And maybe you should get her some kind of present...

[ ] Junpei-san wants to use Koromaru to pick up girls. You'd say he's going to crash and burn, but his element is fire...

[ ] You're just... going to hang out with your friends from school. You prefer to keep your sanity.

Well. You've got a lot of things you could do. Practice magic, try and get ahead on homework, hide out with your school friends until the insanity has mostly passed... But you know what you should do.

"Are we going to do anything for Mitsuru-san's birthday this year?" You ask, once you're absolutely certain that Mitsuru-san herself is not in the building. You know you probably don't have to make a big deal of it- she probably would never have mentioned it passing by last year were it not for the motorcycle- but it feels like a good thing to do.

Shinjiro-san shrugs. "I'm just hoping she won't be sent something that could be used to kill us all, really. But given the last two..."
Honestly, so long as her birthday gift isn't... Aigis-san or something... it should be fine. And I don't think I've changed enough to make Aigis-san into a birthday gift.
"I... don't think that'd be a problem?" Akihiko-san ventures, though he doesn't sound entirely sure about it. "I mean, I just got her a coat..."

You and Shinjiro-san both glance at him quizzically. "It's insulation, it'll keep her from overheating... theoretically."

"And in practice?"
It actually does work. Of course, it also tends to attract attention, but Mitsuru-san was never going to be the world's most stealthy person.
"I'm not sure. I wasn't about to actually ask. I'm... not sure I'd be able to go back there if I did." Okay, that probably would be a strange question to hear from somebody looking through what is traditionally clothing for cold weather.

You lean back, satisfied with what you've heard so far. "I guess that's fair. But... there should be people you can actually ask about that." Assuming anyone's thought about it before. They might not have.

But entire cities of Persona Users exist, no matter how little that knowledge seems to be able to permeate the outside world. There's a good chance that, when it comes to elemental affinities, there's going to be somebody out there with the answer.

Sadly, that doesn't necessarily mean that they're available to you, but that's just how things go sometimes.

"I know a few people who might know for sure," Shinjiro-san suggests. "But I'm not sure if there'd be a good time to bring it up today, and if I try later I'd just be put on hold for an hour." You can imagine that. Pretty vividly, actually.
Word of advice- if a friend's computer stops working while you visit, don't suggest calling technical support until you've done whatever you came for. Unless you needed the computer. Then you're probably stuck.
All right. So you know what those two are doing- or not doing, as the case may be, but he'll probably end up cooking something anyway- which helps a bit, in figuring out what you want to do.

Presents are nice. And while there's not a lot of things you can do to get her something that would impress her, what with all the money she's had... you can still try and give her something nice either way.



[ ] You've never been the most artistic person. But you actually do know how to make homemade cards, and... they say it's the thought that counts, right? (+Expression)
[ ] You aren't sure what the current prize is for the arcade's crane game, but you should be better able to win at it than Lavenza was. It won't be much, but... the effort you put into it would have to mean something, right? (Costs: ??? Yen.)

[ ] It'll take most of your money... but you have just enough time to order an outfit that would let her dress up as Penthesilea, as long as you don't mind picking it up the day of. (Costs 6000 yen. Resists Ice. Ailment resistance up by 25%. Ailment infliction chance up by 45%.)