Shattered Justice (A Persona Quest)

Sometimes, you wonder how it is that you can encounter your friends in public so often when none of you ever discuss your plans with each other, unless they're plans that you're making together. You don't think a lot of people would have continual chance encounters with a certain group of people six or seven years older.

Honestly, you don't think much of it most of the time, but sometimes you can't help but wonder whether this is more or less likely than an eight-year-old waking up in the Dark Hour, or a resident of the Velvet Room deciding to leave it.

And the missing resident of the Velvet Room is actually important right now, with how she's talking to Makoto-san and Yukari-san at the moment.
I mean, where else would she be?
Maybe you should just avoid the area of the mall from now on. It'd probably help with keeping your sanity. "Hello, Makoto-san. Yukari-san. ...Elizabeth-san."

Yukari-san blinks. "You know Liz?"

This, of course, gets an overly-enthusiastic response from the silver-haired Wild Card. "Why, yes! As a matter of fact, the two of us share a fledgling bond. Perhaps, one day, it shall even take flight." Somehow, you doubt Japanese is her first language.
That, or she's just entirely out of touch with reality. I think it might be a bit of both...
Still, Makoto-san seems to take something from those words. "So... I guess you could say the two of you are linked together?" It doesn't look like he's expecting an answer, but Elizabeth-san nods quickly either way.

"Yes. It is exactly like that. It is still a young bond, but one with the potential to become quite strong."

"...You guys sort of lost me," Yukari-san admits. "What's all this about bonds?" You'd sort of like to know the answer to that, too.

Sadly, Makoto-san doesn't seem to want to share. "...It's probably not something you could understand. Inside joke." He looks nervous as he says this, as much as he can when his voice still lacks inflection. "...Say, have you heard if Yamagishi'll be moving in or not?" That's a pretty fast change of subject.

"I don't know. Mitsuru-senpai's been doing a lot of talking with Akihiko-senpai and Shinjiro-senpai, but I've never been able to overhear any of it. I think they're avoiding the cameras a lot, too, but there's been no word about Fuuka-chan." You guess that, after the Tartarus thing, there's a lot that they'd need to straighten out.

Among other things, you think Yamagishi-san has actually semi-attentive parents. That would probably slow things down a bit, depending on how honest everyone feels like being.
Don't worry. If Mitsuru-san wants to get back on the field, she already knows she has to lie through her teeth.
You don't think anyone would willingly allow someone they actually care about to move into a place where the one supposed to be looking after them is plotting murder, after all.

"Maybe I'll ask sometime," You volunteer. "I mean, if nothing gets figured out soon." It's strange. You'd almost expected that Yamagishi-san would be pulled right in.

But then, you also don't think Ikutsuki knows about her yet. That would probably do a lot for being able to ease her into things.

---

"Maiko-chan? Is something wrong?" It's Akira who asks first, though the both of you probably noticed at about the same time. It's hard to overlook Maiko not being cheerful, after all.

"Well..." She starts, and then she stops, and shakes her head. "...It doesn't matter."

"I think it matters," You say. "You're acting sort of strange." You don't want to say she seems sad, even if she does, so these are the best words you have for it.

"...My parents are still fighting. They... don't want to be together anymore."

"...And you think that doesn't matter." You need friends with actually good priorities. You know this probably isn't helping, but.. "Why would you think it doesn't matter?"

Maiko looks at you and Akira like you're the ones being idiots right now. She still doesn't actually say a word. You have no idea what she's getting at, but then she changes the subject. "So, Ken-senpai, how are things going at the dorm?"
...Oh.
"Shinjiro-san and Mitsuru-san have been acting sort of strange lately." Because, really, Yukari-san's right. And you're pretty sure it's centered around the two of them at the moment, though Akihiko-san definitely knows what's going on. You don't think they've ever actually tried keeping something secret from you before- just not talked about things- which makes it even weirder.

Akira tilts his head to the side. "Isn't Shinjiro-san always a bit strange?" Why is it just him he finds strange? It's not like Mitsuru-san's ever been a shining beacon of normality.

Still, you're not going to get into that right now. "Even for him," You say instead. "I think it's because one of his school friends has powers now, but I can't be sure, because no one ever actually comes out and says things." You'd be annoyed, if you didn't know you're not much better sometimes. "Maybe I'll try talking to them about it." You already told Yukari-san and Makoto-san that you would, after all.

This, of course, leads to you being questioned about Yamagishi-san, most of which you can't really answer because you've barely met her. But it's a lighter conversation, and you're glad for that.

It's nice to get the chance to relax for once.

---

You remember when Mitsuru-san never really used telepathy to broadcast outside of Tartarus. It was only a couple months ago, and none of you ever really thought much about the full variety of her powers.

For the past few days, her eyes have been red a lot. Always in the presence of either Akihiko-san or Shinjiro-san, often both of them. The three of them are always silent, which says a lot more than her eyes do.

Today, as well, her powers are visibly active. Shinjiro-san, also, is there, and this is not a surprise.

However, today it isn't Akihiko-san sitting with them.

It's Yamagishi-san.



[ ] Ask them what they're doing.

[ ] Just sit down nearby.

...Well, you're not going to know what's going on with them if you don't ask. "Are you... doing something right now?" You ask, trying not to make it too obvious that the tip-off was Mitsuru-san's eyes. She's probably heard it a lot of times before.

"Not in particular," She tells you out loud. Inside your head, however, it's a different story. (We are plotting against the chairman. Would you care to join in?)

(...You know, Mitsuru, there's a lot of better ways you could say that.) Hearing Shinjiro-san's voice is pretty strange, but you suppose being able to connect other minds together is sort of a prerequisite for completely silent conversations involving more than two people.

You shrug, and sit down on the couch, hoping that's enough to be understandable. (So what are you doing?)

(As unfortunate as it is that Shinjiro and Yamagishi were in Tartarus last week, the fact remains that it has opened up a number of opportunities. For example, Yamagishi's powers let her extend her senses over a wide range, as well as the ability to project her voice. Speaking of which, Yamagishi...)

(Akihiko-senpai's almost got the secondary cameras recording,) Yamagishi-san reports, her brows furrowed. (He just needs another minute or so, and then we can get started.)

You still don't know what they're going to get started on, other than that it's something to do with Ikutsuki. Somehow, that's not the most intriguing thing at the moment. (You actually figured out the cameras?)

(Somewhat. At the very least, if it fails to record, we can always try again. But I think we'd all rather get this right the first time. I don't think the chairman would worry about the security footage looking rehearsed, but... It's best not to risk it.)

(If we put the cameras back the way we found them, I don't think he'd suspect a thing. I mean, he actually thinks he could get Ken to kill me.)

(...Could you repeat that?) Yamagishi-san asks. (I knew he wanted you dead, but... Amada-kun, how old are you, again?)

(I'll be eleven on the twenty-fourth.) Why is that always the first thing about this people question? Shouldn't the fact that the man ostensibly looking out for you is trying to use another person as a murder weapon at all be the most important bit?

(Then why does he think...?)

(It's complicated. I'll tell you later. When we're not trying to set a trap for the guy who's supposed to be in charge of us.) Huh. You don't think he's ever been the one to suggest talking about it before. (Anyway, once he actually does figure out you're not into killing people, he's probably going to look for another plan. And while we can't outright tell him how to plot murder, we can still give him ideas.)

You sort of want to ask what kind of ideas, but before you can, Yamagishi-san lets herself relax a bit. (It's ready.)

As soon as those words are out, Mitsuru-san is all business, complete with the ability to resist glancing at the nearest security camera. Though, it probably does help that it's behind her. "I see. And how much has he told you, exactly, about what we do?"

"Well... you fight monsters, right? Because the school turns into... a giant... tower?" She glances down, and she'd probably look unsure, if viewed from above. "Was he... not supposed to say that?"

"Well, the Dark Hour's never actually been an official secret. People outside the Group can wake up in it, it would be impossible to make contact with all of them to deliver a gag order." (And I hate to say it, but that was actually an idea in consideration for a while, before they realized just how impossible the logistics would be.) You don't think you wanted to know that. "But you don't think you were aware yet?"

Yamagishi-san shrugs. "I don't... usually stay up late at night."

"Oh, like Yukari-san?" You ask. "She didn't realize the Dark Hour even happened until she was living here for a while." And even then, it had to be actually explained to her.

"I guess so..." And now Yamagishi-san is actually unsure. You don't know if this is going to help with whatever they're planning or not. (But it does explain a lot about Shinjiro-senpai.)

(...In what way?)

(You heal faster than anyone else, you can carry heavier things than Akihiko-senpai does, that one time a pot fell on your head and just bounced off...) Sometimes, you really wonder just what goes on in the Cooking Club. But then, Shinjiro-san's probably the most unusual thing about it. (I think Natsuki-chan and Nozomi-senpai are starting to notice that something's off.)

Mitsuru-san sighs. "I suppose it's a good thing you're informed. It makes the process of asking you to join a fair bit easier."

(Hey, at least you now know not to just walk up to someone while carrying an Evoker, right?) Wait, Mitsuru-san did what!?

(I was fifteen!) You're positive that you would never hear any of these things if you just stuck to having conversations out loud. If only because her dignity would never be able to survive it.

Yamagishi-san ignores this turn to the conversation. This was probably a smart decision. "You... really want me to join you?"

"You've only just come into your power, and your sensory capabilities already far outstrip mine. Unassisted, I can cover line of sight, or a small room if I focus. And your range is..."

"About the length of the school. More if I'm looking for something in particular. Is it... really that special?"

"I don't think I've ever heard of a range that large." Left unsaid is that nobody ever talks about things like scanning Personas, because this isn't Mikage-Cho. Persona Users are so much of a minority here, most people don't even know that you exist. "We would be very fortunate if you were to join us."

"Then... I will. If it'd be useful..."

(Fuuka, I know we've talked about this, but that's really not the reasoning you should actually be using. Trust me.) Shinjiro-san shifts, actually making the effort to sit up and look serious for once. He doesn't do that a lot. "I guess you'll be needing this, then." The Evokers that were given to Makoto-san and Junpei-san were brand new. Yours and Akihiko-san's are older than that, but you still take good care of them. Mitsuru-san's has been in use since she was your age, and it shows, though it still hasn't lost its shine.

The one that's being handed to Yamagishi-san is both littered with scratches, and appears to have only just been cleaned of a year's worth of dust and neglect.

"...Shinjiro, are you sure about this?" (You can still back out, if you want.)

(Why would I do that?) "It's not like I'll be using it." You remember, now, seeing Shinjiro-san fighting Shadows in Tartarus, with no Evoker in sight. You hadn't really thought much of it- it wasn't the time, you're just about the only group of Persona Users that actually needs them- but you guess this is as good a way to address it as any.

(...How did you get Akihiko-san to let you use yourself as bait, anyway?)

(By telling him he can zap Ikutsuki once this is over, so long as he's still alive afterwards.) Okay, you guess that makes sense. (By the way, did he manage to actually get it on tape?)

Yamagishi-san just nods, and everyone immediately relaxes. Mitsuru-san's eyes return to their natural shade. Still, she manages to keep herself somewhat businesslike, which is probably important if Akihiko-san couldn't get the cameras to stop recording. You aren't sure how much of their operations they actually understand.

"I suppose our next step will be getting you moved in, then. Fortunately, we can use the fact that there are multiple companies willing to offer young Persona Users full scholarships..."

---

Being in Nemi's room, with the Shadow in question nowhere to be seen, is something you're probably a lot more used to than you should be. If other people are in the habit of dreaming their way to their own mental world, it's not something you've ever heard about.

At least, not beyond the normal descriptor of dreams as such, which actually makes these things sort of hard to describe.

Still, you have no idea where Nemi is, not even a hint aside from the fact that, for once, the closet door is hanging wide open, leaving nothing but a passageway to the most hidden parts of your mind, and the nagging idea that you might be able to reach more places than usual if you go exploring today.



[ ] Enter the closet. You think you'd be able to find more than usual, at the moment...

[ ] You think you might be able to access another room tonight...

[ ] Inspect one of the photos on the desk.
-[ ] Which one?