Shattered Justice (A Persona Quest)

Nemi has talked about Kanji-san before. Not in great detail, he never talks about anything in great detail, but it's clear that he doesn't really have anything negative to say about him- in fact, he seems to respect him a lot.

This is enough to garner your curiosity. After all, just being mentioned by Nemi is something that rarely ever happens, so it's clear that Kanji-san has to be someone important to him.

You'd like to figure out why.

Kanji-san looks up when you approach him. "Oh, hey." It's not much of a greeting, but it's not like looking at him ever gave you the impression that he was any good at talking to people. "Why're you...?"

"I was... wondering why you're on your own like that," You admit. "And I... haven't really had the chance to get to know you yet." You aren't sure how much opportunity, overall, you'll have to talk to this new group of people, but that just means you have to take all the chances you can get.
We're probably going to have this conversation so many times...
"Really? Didn't anyone ever tell you not to talk to people like me?"

You nod. "All the time. Then I met Shinjiro-san, and..." Well. A lot of the things people used to tell you don't seem to matter so much anymore. They said there were only twenty-four hours in a day, they'd say you were trouble for living someplace that wasn't completely safe, and later, for not having parents... "You kind of remind me of him, actually." You couldn't say why, but it's just a feeling that you get.

Kanji-san glances over to where Shinjiro-san is still arguing with Akihiko-san, to the surprise of absolutely no one ever. "What do you mean?"

"You both look scary, but you seem really nice, so..." It's hard to be scared of people who are nice to you. "Though, you're also a lot like Akihiko-san. The two of you have the same element and Arcana." The idea of Akihiko-san and Shinjiro-san as a single person is kind of terrifying when you think about it too long. You think the best outcome would be a person like Kanji-san.

He shrugs. "Does that even mean anything, though?"
More than you'd like, less than you'd think.
You're pretty sure it does. But you'd have to ask Lavenza or Elizabeth about that, and you aren't entirely sure about the answers you'd get. "I mean, I read a book about using them for fortunetelling, once..." You can't entirely remember what it said about the Emperor Arcana, but you do remember thinking that it fit Akihiko-san pretty well.

That the Star Arcana also fit was a thing that you hadn't really thought about, at the time.

"You... did? They can be used for that?" He sounds sort of confused. "I've... only ever heard of them as Persona stuff."

"Well, that's probably where the fortunetelling came from, really..." It's the answer that makes the most sense to you, anyway. "I think the people from the Velvet Room would know more about that than I would, though. And I'm not sure it matters as much as what the Persona itself is?" Not that you've let yourself think too deeply about what different Personas could mean for... a while, now. Not since long before Nemesis became Kala-Nemi.

You think that might say more about you than even the change in your Persona.

"So... Since our Personas are us, that means they're supposed to say stuff about us?" That's... more than you would have expected anyone on your team to get.


[ ] You're surprised he picked up on that so easily.

[ ] Suggest that he not think too much into it.

[ ] Use this as a chance to ask about his Persona.

[ ] Suggest, again, that he go to the Velvet Room if he has any questions.

Figuring that this conversation probably is actually going to last, you sit down next to Kanji-san. There. That's much more comfortable than just standing around all the time.

"Would you be... all right, telling me more about your Persona?" You ask. It's definitely a personal question, but it's also about something that everyone here gets to see. You aren't sure if there's any rules about this stuff, but if there are, they're probably as complicated as everything else.

Also, probably the only place you'd ever be able to learn said rules is Mikage-Cho, and that's not something you picked up on when you went on vacation there. Maybe some other time.

Kanji-san blinks at you. "What do you mean?"

"Well... Personas are supposed to say things about the people who summon them." Sometimes, these things are more obvious than others, but even in the many cases where a Persona's name isn't a perfect fit- including, for some reason, all of the newcomers except for Narukami-san- they still say something, and that thing is always accurate. "So... it could be a way for me to learn about you." You think it's a good one. The questions are less awkward than some of the ones you could have come up with.

"...Well, I guess that's better than if it was my Shadow teaching you..." This actually gives you pause.
No, I'm not entirely sure what he's talking about, either.
That almost everyone here has a Persona is something that comes up a lot, and is acknowledged by everyone present. But the flip side of the equation is never mentioned.

Or. It was never mentioned. Not until an aside muttered under somebody's breath, that you get the feeling you were never meant to hear.

"Your... Shadow?" You repeat, wondering if you even heard him correctly.

He glances up at you in shock, as if he'd forgotten you were even there. "...It's nothing. Just... a bad memory."

For a moment, you wonder what that could possibly mean, and then you remember the giant panther from hell. If something similar to what happened to Morgana last year also happened to Kanji-san... you can see why he wouldn't want to talk about it.

"...All right." You're not going to ask any further than that. "So, about your Persona..."

"Not sure what there is to say," He shrugs. "I'm big and tough, so he's big and tough. I dunno what the lightning means, or anything, though... and I know there's a story about him, but I can't really remember what it is."
...I know it's somewhere in here, but this place clearly isn't as well-organized as I thought it was. Or maybe it's just part of whatever's keeping us from making real memories here...
It's sort of strange hearing him say that. You've always been interested in the stories behind people's Personas, even if your own was something that, for a long time, you weren't particularly excited about. It's told you a lot about them.

Even if people don't always look for stories about their Personas, you'd think that, once they'd heard it, they'd at least try not to forget. "I think there's stories about every Persona, really..." You think you might be interested in learning all of them, one day, and not just the ones belonging to the members of SEES.

Among other things, you don't even know what the story is behind Kala-Nemi. You're sure there is one, but you don't think you've ever heard of it before.
The biggest downside to not being Greek.
"Can't really keep track of all of 'em," Kanji-san agrees. "Whatever the story is, I don't think I've heard it a lot. I'd remember if I did."

You don't doubt that in the slightest.

---

Once Yukari-san gets back, you all continue along your way, until you reach a set of doors that are different from the ones you've seen before. It's the only path forward that any of you can see, so you have to go through it, but it feels really strange.

The next room feels like it's not there at all. All around you is a void of pale pink-orange, except for another set of doors in front of you, which are chained shut.
I can't help but feel like this Labyrinth is trying to imply something about love...
"Welcome, stray lambs." It's the mechanical voice from earlier, still with no visible intercom. "This is a Selection Room of Destiny."

Makoto-san blinks. You think he might actually be surprised. It's the emotion that's most often visible from him. "Selection Room?"

Narukami-san doesn't appear to be any less surprised. "Of Destiny?"

Oh, good. None of the others seem to know what it is, either.

"Questions of destiny will be presented for you to answer with your intuition, or however you feel like. There will be multiple questions. Answer them all and you'll be united with your destined partner." This sounds surprisingly simple. "Step forward, and be presented with question number one."

Nobody steps forward. "So... are we supposed to choose a representative, or something?" Yukari-san asks. "Or are we supposed to do it all at once?"

"Let's start by sending forward a representative," Narukami-san says. "I don't think it really matters who does it, though, as long as someone does..."

You get the feeling that, by themselves, they won't come to a decision on this anytime soon.

Maybe you could help them with that?


[ ] Suggest Yukari-san represent the group. (Pros: She is a leader, and thus can probably be talked into it. Cons: Risks creating fractures in the polycule.)

[ ] Suggest Narukami-san represent the group. (Pros: Learn more about a possible future. None of your close friends are emotionally invested in the outcome. Cons: It's probably not your future that you're learning about.)

[ ] Suggest Makoto-san represent the group. (Pros: Hilarity. Cons: Will probably create fractures in the polycule. Will definitely make enemies of the polycule.)

[ ] Suggest Mitsuru-san represent the group. (Pros: Odds are that nobody will die or become hostile to Ken. Probably. Cons: We know where this one's going already.)

[ ] Suggest Junpei-san represent the group. (Pros: Junpei and Chidori being adorable. Cons: Junpei gets some amount of responsibility. Yukari will probably take offense.)

[ ] Suggest Shinjiro-san represent the group. (Pros: No risk to Ken's personal safety. Might actually be helpful. Cons: Any relationship development will probably not stick.)

[ ] Suggest Kanji-san represent the group. (Pros: It'd be hilarious. Cons: Good luck talking him into it.)

[ ] Step forward yourself. (Literally nothing good can come of this.)