Shattered Justice (A Persona Quest)

"It wouldn't be safe." This is probably the best thing you can possibly say. You could go directly into exactly what might happen if she's out in the open at midnight, but Isshiki-chan happens to be here at the moment, and this really isn't how you'd want to have that conversation.
Sadly, if we stay in contact with her, we'll probably need to have that conversation eventually.
Maiko looks at you as if she needs elaboration. You continue. "There's people out there who aren't very nice, and traffic, and it's going to rain eventually." You aren't sure when, this city is surprisingly desert-like for somewhere on the coastline, but it still rains sometimes.

People say that it used to rain a lot more often until a bit over ten years ago. You aren't entirely sure it matches up to the Dark Hour, but it wouldn't really surprise you. Shadows have made everything else weird, why not the weather patterns?

"Probably not anytime soon..." It comes to mind that none of you can remember a world where rain wasn't unusual in Iwatodai. Changes in weather were maybe not the best argument for you to use.

"It'll still happen, though," Isshiki-chan points out. "And the weather's the only thing you can really predict. Everything else..."

"You probably don't have to worry about the weather," Akira agrees. "But people can't survive out there on their own."

You know, for a fact, that his words aren't entirely true. Shinjiro-san made it a month, and might have lasted longer, if Akihiko-san hadn't dragged him back home. And Morgana made it here all the way from Tokyo by himself, and you don't think there's anyone who could get away with claiming that he's not a person, albeit one who is cat-shaped.

Also, you have no idea what Elizabeth was doing for the first month or so of school, but you highly doubt she was staying anywhere in particular.
Of course, she's nigh-invincible, so that presumably allows her a bit of leeway.
Still, something tells you that pointing this out wouldn't really help. "We wouldn't want anything to happen to you, Maiko-chan. But as long as you keep yourself safe, maybe we'll be able to meet up again one day."

"I-I guess so..." She sounds like she's considering it, at least, and that's probably the most important thing about this.

As much as you wish she wouldn't leave... it's more important that she stays safe.

---

It's nice to have had a week where, other than the inherent abnormalities in studying in a place just outside of normal human observation, you can be just another kid for once. That doesn't happen often enough, though you really wish it'd be just a bit more common.

Still, while normal life has passed you by, you can still enjoy yourself, as long as you don't slip towards anything too serious. (Pick up to three.)


[ ] Spend time with friends.
-[ ] Maiko.
-[ ] Akira and Isshiki-chan. (+Expression)
-[ ] Kyouma and Oyama-chan. (+Empathy)
-[ ] Elizabeth and Morgana.
-[ ] Junpei-san and Koromaru.
-[ ] Makoto-san and Shinjiro-san.
-[ ] Yukari-san.
-[ ] Akihiko-san.
-[ ] Mitsuru-san. (+Diligence)

[ ] Practice Channeling
-[ ] Zio
--[ ] By yourself
--[ ] With Akihiko-san
--[ ] With Makoto-san
-[ ] Kouha
--[ ] By yourself
--[ ] With Makoto-san
-[ ] Hama
--[ ] By yourself
--[ ] With Makoto-san

[ ] Explore the library. (+Courage)

[ ] Focus on studying. (+Knowledge)

[ ] Acquire new outfits.

You're about fifty-percent sure that, when Makoto-san asks you to show him how Bless magic works, it's a distraction from whatever everyone else is planning for your birthday. If only because this is the first time you've seen so much as a hint that he has any interest whatsoever in being able to use magic.

"I mean, if I use my Evoker, people... probably wouldn't react all that well," He tells you, and you accept this, if only because you have no idea how general Evoker design got past any sort of institutional review board.
You're saying that like there was any sort of oversight at all.
Still, that leaves you with another major question. "Would you like to start learning with Hama or Kouha?" You think things would be easier if he were to practice his native magic instead of what his Wild Card gives him, but you can sort of see why he'd do otherwise, even without your suspicions. Thanatos has proven that he isn't entirely safe to work with, and untrained fire magic just seems like a really, really good way to burn down Iwatodai.

Makoto-san just shrugs. "I'll be... glad if I can get anything to happen at all, really."

You understand the feeling. It was frustrating, those times you burned yourself trying to get Zio to become something useful.

"Let's start with Kouha," You decide. "If only because it's a bit less dangerous to work with." You probably don't have to worry about yourself too much, you're told you have a strong resistance to Bless magic, but today is not the day you start messing with someone else's cards of death.

You've never tried teaching someone to use offensive magic before. You have no idea where to even begin. You can't even ask for help, because you have the strongest Bless affinity out of the entirety of SEES. You're somehow the most qualified person to handle this.
I mean, you could try Elizabeth-san, but I don't think that would go very well for anyone.
Still, this is the most interest Makoto-san's shown in anything, so you may as well give it your best shot.

---

Today, Isshiki-chan has found her way to Akira's classroom at lunchtime. You don't know whether this should surprise you or not.

"I can't go exploring with the rest of you today," You try and apologize. You can't tell how much they're listening- Maiko seems pretty absorbed in her meal- but you think they'll at least understand the things you're saying.

"Really? Why not?" Isshiki-chan readjusts her glasses. Unlike the other two, she seems more interested in you than in the food.

"Makoto-san- that's one of the teenagers from the dorm- wants me to help him with something." You don't know if now is a good time to talk about magic with her. It might not be an official secret anymore, but it feels like there should be some sort of buildup to introducing a kid's mind to the concept that magic is real, and that it comes from the soul.
Akira-san and Maiko-chan haven't even heard the second part yet. At least, not in a way they know is true.
"What, does he want you to look through a crawlspace or something?" This is the first time you've heard her really skeptical of anything. Something tells you you'll be seeing that a lot more often.

"It's probably a magic thing," Maiko says without thinking.

"What do you mean by magic?"

"Ken-senpai can heal things," Akira explains. "And he can do all sorts of stuff with energy. Mostly light."

She doesn't seem to believe him. You don't blame her.



[ ] Demonstrate magic for Isshiki-chan.

[ ] Try and change the subject.
-[ ] To get to know Isshiki-chan better.
-[ ] To the upcoming release of your book.
-[ ] To theories about the library.