Shattered Justice (A Persona Quest)

"...It's like having a big family," You finish.

"A... family?" You can't tell what Mitsuru-san's thinking right now.

You nod. "I mean, it's... what I think it'd be like." It's hard to have any sort of idea of what it would actually be like when you have a complete lack of any sort of experience. "But everyone here cares, and, it's just... I like to think that's what a family should be. I've... never had so many people that cared about me before."

It's a bit of an oversimplification, but... You aren't sure there's any better way to explain it. People are complicated, even the people that you've known for... basically years, at this point. A couple weeks, a few months... however you count it, it doesn't really make that much difference, does it?

You're just not sure you're putting it into words right. You'd never thought you'd actually be having this conversation before.
Or, at least, not to one of the people you mean. On the bright side, if you mess this up, you won't have to remember it later.
Mitsuru-san glances uncomfortably to the side, where a table meets her gaze and instantly vanishes in fear. "I... wasn't aware that you thought that way." Things are a bit cooler than they were a minute ago, but have yet to plunge into the icy temperatures you've come to expect.

You're really not sure how to respond to this. You'd never even thought the subject would come up. Honestly, it feels kind of pathetic, that the people you're most attached to are the ones you met with the purpose of going out and fighting monsters, even if it does feel, sometimes, like they're all you have.

But... that's still how you feel. And there's really no way to deny that. "You're the ones who've been taking care of me," You point out. "And... I'm not sure trying not to care is something that ever really works out." Really, if you didn't care... you get the feeling that things around SEES wouldn't be anywhere near as good as they are now. "It... wouldn't be so bad. Having a family like this."

Mitsuru-san looks like she's thinking about something, but ends up not saying anything. You try not to be disappointed.
It's not like talking about feelings has ever been something she finds easy.
Maybe you just haven't gotten your thoughts across well enough... Or maybe she can't think of a good way to. Or she just didn't get it. Or maybe it's that at least one of you is too scared to come out and state your feelings plainly. You don't know.
Again, on the bright side, at least neither of you are going to remember this in the morning.
The table she scared off reappears, and Makoto-san summons Orpheus to immolate it. It probably says something that this is considered just a normal part of things.

---

Unlike Tartarus, this Labyrinth is, for the most part, straightforward. Sure, there's the occasional turn that doesn't go anywhere, but those always stop before they get very far. You see interesting things on the way- circles of light, for example, which Rei reaches into and pulls out what looks like a page from a storybook. She's quick to fold it into an origami crane.

"You... like origami, then?" Yukari-san ventures, uncertain.

"I'm... not sure," She admits. "It's pretty easy to do, you just need your hands and some paper, so I make things sometimes, but... I'm not very good at making things other than cranes."


[ ] Encourage her to practice more.

[ ] So, she likes cranes, then?

[ ] Even if she's not that good at it... what other sorts of things can she make?

"Even if you're not good at it... you're still making things," You point out. "So what sort of other things can you make?"

"Um... I've made flowers, before," She starts listing them on her hands. "Real simple ones, though, not roses or anything... I've made rabbits... hats... I tried making a kitty once, but it didn't go well at all." She pauses, before asking, "You want to see?"

You nod. "I mean, I don't see any Shadows to interrupt us..."

"Got it!" She snatches another page from the glowing spot, starts working, winces as she rips the page, and starts over again. This happens twice more before she comes away with something looks vaguely like a rabbit. "I know it's not great, but..."

"It's better than I've managed," You admit. You've tried origami only twice before, and neither time actually managed to make anything useful. "But maybe we both just need more practice." Not that you're particularly interested in getting practice, but you suppose it's something worth considering, if you ever have time free.

"I guess..." She trails off. "I dunno where I'd start, though. There's... no one around who can really help."

You suppose that's just another downside of there only being a handful of real people in the school.

"Does the school have a library?" Morgana suggests. "If it's anything like the library at Ken's school, you'll probably find all sorts of things there!" What has Futaba been telling him? You'd thought it was a good idea for the two of them to get in contact... now, you're not so sure.

Still, you guess the subject of any interactions between the two of them can wait until said interactions are in a position to really happen. You'll leave it be, for now.

---

...There's another card soldier. Why is there another card soldier? You can vaguely see a path that makes a circuit past it, but it honestly looks like it's coming straight at you.

...Oddly enough, though, when Yukari-san steps forward, the card turns and walks away like you all aren't even there. Weird.

"At least we don't have to worry about it catching up to us this time," Makoto-san comments, seeing how much larger the room is. This isn't helping as much as he thinks it is. "Though, I... still wonder how hard it would be to defeat."

Mitsuru-san sighs. "We're not having this conversation again. Do not engage the FOE."

"We might be able to fight it safely, though," Zen comments. "I do not believe it is able to cross the pond. We can safely attack it from the other side." As if in explanation, he holds up his crossbow.


[ ] That actually sounds like a good idea.

[ ] Or you could not do that, that works too.