The zeppeling speaks to me for being the one option that's in motion. As for Colette, she does seem to come with the biggest plot hook out of the three beyond just us owning her some thanks.
Thought of the Zeppelin as a Rule of Rose reference, most of that game taking place on an airship. I guess the Plot Hook you're referring to would be her distrust of the All-Aces?
By the way, I was thinking on retrospect of switching Kikuko and Eitaro's Aces around, since the Ace of Cups easily fits a star athlete, as Swords would a girl from a Samurai lineage. Then again, Swords is linked with forcefulness while Cups (Grails) is symbolic for family ties, so it still makes sense as is.
[x] A frilly dress that looked like a pastel princess with ballerina shoes and tights, with long bright red ribbons flowing off the back.
[x] Zeppelin cockpit.
[x] Talk to Yuya, even if he's not a childhood friend, he's still your friend.
To elaborate on the costumes, or rather 'Regalia' a little, the first is your standard Magical Girl, the second was inspired after the armour in Saint Seiya, which I felt would fit Theodora what with being Greek and a 'Saint' (and in the original, female Saints wore masks), and the last one's supposed to be a Jester or commedia dell'arte clown, but more girly.
I also gave Melissa your basic Hollywood gown as Regalia, but on reflection I feel a Queen bee-style costume (think Vespiquen in Pokémon) may be more fitting. Of course she could easily wear both, wouldn't be caught dead wearing the same outfit twice, so to say.
Speaking of the All-Aces, I've been updating the Cast List, though there's still a bunch they won't tell you yet.
[X] Talk to Colette, you owe her one after she stood up for you.
[X] A golden-bronze set of armour that came with a pleated skirt and wing-like designs.
[X] Zeppelin cockpit.
Awkwardly giving a "Well, catch you later!" to Keiko and Yuya, you stepped away only to soon bump into Colette again.
"Oh hey, Colette. I, um, have to hand it to you there, I mean I haven't had anyone stick up for me in, well, a little while," you fidgetingly gave a smile.
Colette laughed. "Oh please, it was effortless for me. Still, you seem awfully perturbed, is there something on your mind?" she inquired.
You gritted your teeth and looked behind you. "Hey, erm, yeah there is. But y'know, mind if we talk about it in private?" you asked, tugging on your collar.
"Ah, I know just the place!" Colette cheerfully clasped her hands together, before taking your sleeve, "We're still setting things up in the Occult Club right now, in preparation for our grand opening this year, and my tired hands would much appreciate someone to help carry the boxes".
Walking up the Hall to the Occult Club, the two of you were stopped halfway by Himawari, of all people.
"Haruka, I knew you'd be alright!" she beamed, raising her hands to her chin, "I mean, it's normal to faint after-" she then stopped, seeing Colette was also there, "After, er, everything that's happened, so don't feel bad, and it looks like you're all okay now".
"Wow, thanks," you were taken aback "Far as I know, you're the first All-Ace to come and check up on me".
Himawari's words seemed to have less effect on Colette.
"What is it you want, pretty girl?" she snarled.
The bright expression on Himawari's face started to fade. "Sheesh Colette, why do you always have to be like that?" she said through gritted teeth, before she turned back to you to hand you an invitation, "Anyway, Melissa asked me to give you this".
You picked up the invitation, which read: Good, you're ready to really get started. First thing tomorrow at school, we're giving you your first real mission to prove you didn't just get lucky. Better be there!
"Strange they wouldn't just get one of their 'Jacks' to deliver this to you," Colette muttered, "Unless of course, they decided to demote you on a whim, Himawari".
It took a while for Himawari to have any response to that, but she eventually said "No, of course not. Besides, that'd be quite the formal process, it's not something they'd just do behind my back". Colette had to roll her eyes at that though.
"Okay, see ya tomorrow, Haruka, we're looking forward to... things," Himawari gave one last grin and wave before heading off.
"Well, with her gone, the Occult Club now, hmm?" Colette leaned up to you.
You grunted as you heaved a stack of boxes around, not having been told exactly what was in them, but you thought you could see dangling spiders and hear heavy books and a crystal ball sliding around within. The near total lack of light in the Occult Clubroom didn't help, and when you tried to clean a cobweb out of the way, Colette insisted on having it kept there.
"Okay, just put it down there and... perfect!" she smiled at you, hands clasped to the side, before she sat down on a rickety chair, a second chair set aside for what looked like an old stuffed rabbit, one of its eyes missing, and offered you tea. "It's Kashmiri Chai! Oh, and don't tell anyone, but I used to have a horrid coffee addiction, and I'm afraid that wouldn't fit with my image. But anyway, I believe you said you had something to talk about?"
"Uh, yeah, well I'm trying to process... the fact that my friend Keiko didn't come see me when I was in the hospital room, for like an entire day. I just, ah, don't know how to feel about that," you finally found the words.
"Ah, I see," Colette murmured, idly stirring her tea, "I suppose you could look on this positively, that Keiko was so worried about you that she was scared to even see the condition you were in. Most noble of her. However-" her good cheer faded, "More cynically, and I suppose you could tell I'd say this, it's just as likely that one of the All-Aces ordered Keiko to go nowhere near you. Cutting you off from your previous contacts is a common tactic used by hierarchies to keep their subordinates in line, after all".
You almost fell out of your own chair upon hearing that. "What? Oh, come on! Like, most of the school friggin' adores the All-Aces, so there'd be a huge scandal or something if they really did act like that," you blurted out.
"Oh, how naïve, that's what good PR is for," Colette giggled at that, then said in a low tone "I've seen this happen before. And think, was the makeover they gave you just to make you more respectable in their company? No, it was also about controlling you, about telling your mind that your identity is theirs', not your own".
You were left stuttering, wanting to say something but not finding the words.
"Not I'm saying you look bad now, quite the contrary. I will at least credit Melissa her beauty know-how, even if it's not a look I'd ever go for myself," Colette at least had to add.
You anxiously then raised your phone, opening that social media profile that'd been edited. "They had my online bio changed, making me lie about who I am and who I've been, said they had to erase my dull, normal life. I guess this would... only support your case," you said.
"Huh, I ran away from my aristocratic..." Colette began reading, but in the end had to laugh, "This is Azuma's work I take it? Hah, people may swoon for his performances, but as a scriptwriter he's still a novice. So, I take it you never really did know him until you came to Hanataba?"
"Well, he says I did, that I just got him confused for another guy I know," you blushed, having to rethink everything.
"My, dearie me," Colette said, dipping a biscuit in the last of her tea, "Afraid the bell's about to toll, but Haruka, if you ever need an ear to talk about your problems, please know you can confide in me. After all, disturbed if not broken souls are typically attracted to the occult, so I've had to play Agony Aunt for quite a few of my clubmates in my time," she patted you on the back.
"Oh, er, t-thank you," you said, only to hear that throbbing voice in your head from before:
"I am thou... Thou art I
Thou anointest a new Knight to defend thy Crown
Thou shalt take the mantle of the Moon Arcana"
"The Occult Club opens on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays, so please, feel free to, hmhm, embrace your dark side," Colette grinned, then stood up to curtsey.
The bell for the school day's end soon came, and you headed out the front gates for the first time as a second-year student, though of course it would've been the second time if not for, well, your coma.
Hanataba was in Kuchinashi City, a pleasant enough place nestled in Hokkaido's mountains, and for trade and tourism it made a convenient halfway stop between Sapporo and Hakodate. Despite its distinguished air, like many Hokkaido cities it was relatively recent by Japan's historical standards, only dating back to the 19th Century. You could tell this from not just its more vintage European-style buildings that lined the main streets, but also said streets' grid-like layout. You wondered if that might've played a part in why Melissa chose to transfer here.
While Hanataba Academy was clearly what the town was most known for, it's not as if there weren't other points of interest. There was a food arcade where the wafting aroma of steamy eel, miso, and udon was balanced with the sweet scents of mochi and ramune, there were several good nature-walks on the outskirts, if perhaps not the most stunning Hokkaido had to offer, and of course your basics like cafes, izakaya, a cinema, a town library, a video arcade, a local museum, and so on.
Honestly though, you didn't feel up to any of that right now, your thoughts were largely occupied with just getting back your place, as you desperately needed to relax after everything you'd gone through. Said place being:
[ ] Your parents' house, and they were very much your birth parents unlike that fake bio. Good thing they didn't tend to check your social media accounts.
[ ] At a little apartment you'd started renting.
[ ] At your aunt's place.
[ ] At Keiko's place, which made your earlier encounter all the more awkward.
[ ] At Yuya's place, which it'd be better if Azuma didn't find out about.
[ ] In the room above a part-time job you had (write-in said job).
[ ] Write-in.
[X] Your parents' house, and they were very much your birth parents unlike that fake bio. Good thing they didn't tend to check your social media accounts.
The involvement of potential characters that are unknowns at the moment makes the choice a bit tricky, but ultimately I figure that the break from our cover story makes living at home the most interesting.
Pretty much, yes. Granted, given the tone so far displayed and implied, I'm not going to immediately give my trust to someone that wants us to confide in them, but she at least saved her vitroly for their pretty shady group so far.
[x] Your parents' house, and they were very much your birth parents unlike that fake bio. Good thing they didn't tend to check your social media accounts.
[x] Your parents' house, and they were very much your birth parents unlike that fake bio. Good thing they didn't tend to check your social media accounts.
Little correction here, 'Winter Lane' is by the artist DSX, it was just selected by Nujabes for a compilation album.
I also would've gone for something with vocals, as Persona Town Themes usually have them, but couldn't find anything fitting on short notice. Still think this works out pretty well though.
[X] Your parents' house, and they were very much your birth parents unlike that fake bio. Good thing they didn't tend to check your social media accounts.
QM's Note: While it's a little dry and technical, I'll be titling updates by the Social Link featured in it, since I was rereading Persona: Another Calling and kinda wished there was an easy way to remember which update had which Social Link Event in it.
[X] At a little apartment you'd started renting
There was one last event that came up before you could get to where you were staying, when you noticed Kuchinashi's Local History Museum had a strange side door in it that had never been there before, to your knowledge. the door glowed a translucent blue, and you could see a glimmering butterfly slowly fluttering around.
Biting your lip yet unable to take your eyes off it, you gently pushed it open only for your whole self to become shrouded in a deep blue haze. Next thing you knew, you were back in that Velvet Room, just like Igor had invited you before.
"Ah, glad you could make it," he began, clearing his throat, "Now as promised, it is time I divulged to you this room's purpose. You wield the power of Persona, the mask you wear from within to face the blunt force of the world, but you in particular face the uphill battle of defining your psyche by others, and in turn having them define you. It is likely that this is what has resulted in your aberrant Wild Card, the power to pull forth mirror images of the Personae and Shadows you encounter".
From behind you, a tiny little creature stepped up, resembling a:
[ ] Pegasus Pony.
[ ] Cartoon Pig.
[ ] Plump Pigeon.
[ ] Write-in.
- its face covered in soot, and said, in a squeaky yet scruffy childlike male voice, "Hello there Miss, my name's Popo! My usual residence is out on the Gameboard, but Mr. Igor says he permits me to visit his Velvet Room.
You might be wonderin' why I popped me head out? Well, granting folks Personae happens to be my thing, so since you can, if you'd like to use any of your friends' or enemies' Personae, just ask me and I'll have it in a jiffy".
It was then Lauryn stepped up, having gotten dressed in a pilot's scarf, goggles over her head, and a stewardess uniform. "But your friends' didn't get their Personae last night, they've had a while to train them, so replicating them at the same level of power is unlikely. But that's how I can help, I can Supercharge a Persona by revving our Engine capacity here, our Airship acting as a lightning rod".
"Of course, said energy must be generated somewhere," Igor followed on, "If you desire these more powerful Persona, you must embrace the world around you to form Social Links with others. It is from these such cognitive acceleration must be gained".
That definitely took you aback though. "Wait, you mean socialise?! Okay, I really think you've gotten the wrong person for this".
Igor had to laugh, "'Gotten the wrong person'? It is you who chose to step into this room. As for socialisation, have faith in yourself, and surely your Fool's Journey won't remain at Zero".
"Alright, Miss," Popo started up again, "It looks like you've already got two Personae queuing up and waiting for you". The winds around him then blew a stack of shogi pieces together, congealing to form a copy of Melissa's Anjou, and that fish-like Shadow you'd faced earlier:
"I am Strength Anjou, let us stain the gardens of war with red!"
"I am Emperor Forneus, we shall arise from the depths!"
"If you would seek entirely new Personae though," Igor went on, "I will offer my service, to fuse two or more Personae, separate parts of yourself, into one. Of course, you have yet to have the chance to wield the Personae you've been given, so perhaps next time?"
With the words 'next time', the world around you began fading again, until you were standing back in Kuchinashi, just outside that History Museum. What the- you thought, Ugh, better just get back to my place.
The apartment block you were staying was a somewhat austere building, built from now moss-stained red timber and with basic white door and window frames.
"Hey Megumi, I'm back," you called out, upon walking up the stairs and throwing open your door. The apartment wasn't much, being small, cramped, and thanks to your roommate Megumi, quite messy, though at least there was enough space for a little balcony.
"Oh hey, new girl," said roommate nonchalantly replied, lying on the couch, and flicking through streaming services when there were a bunch of assignments piled up around them. They did have to turn to you to say, in a softer voice, "Sheesh, heard you were out cold for a day. That must've blew, especially on your first day back, hope you're feeling better. Course I'm in college, so I understand what it's like to get seriously conked out".
Umebayashi Megumi was a stick-thin young adult who still hadn't changed out of the suit they wore to college, though they'd rolled their trouser legs up all the way past their thighs. They'd told you they honestly couldn't care about gender, you remembered they'd cited several anime and manga characters to explain being non-binary to you, but honestly their long, flowing dark green mane of hair was easily more glamorous than many women you knew (despite being somewhat tangled due to neglect).
Admittedly, you were nervous a couple of days ago when you found out your roommate was already in college, but so far they'd been a nice enough person, even being okay with you sleeping in the apartment's one bed while they took the couch, though you could joke about how they barely moved from said couch.
"Yeah, thanks," was all you said in return, sitting down beside them while they chuckled at some old sitcom they had on.
"You hungry? Want any of these chips? They're caramel-flavoured," they said as they passed you the bowl, before thinking "Oh, know what, I should totally order in pizza tonight! No wait, maybe tacos, hmm, whadda you think 'Ruka?"
"Er, well," you began, wondering how much money Megumi exactly had left, "I guess pizza, since it was the first one you said?"
"Cool, and ooh, you okay with anchovies?" Megumi piped up, you just nodding in return. You reminded yourself Megumi was like this even when sober.
"So uh, other than going comatose and stuff, how was your first day, er days, back?" they then asked, that question really sending you scrambling for an answer.
Not good, I've fallen in with a really bad crowd, and my friends have been driven away! "Fine, just fine" was the difference between what you thought and what you actually said.
"Man, I'd be fine with 'fine', compared to the shitload of work my professors' have been given me," Megumi sighed, "I guess being a community college they seriously feel the need to compensate".
You spent the rest of the night chatting about nothing much in particular, Megumi only getting in like a paragraph of their essay, and as you later chowed down on the pizza you were grateful you were having takeout over Megumi's own recipes. they could cook you guessed, it's just that their tastes and sense of what foods worked together were... bizarre, to say the least.
And then you saw what Igor had said about building social bonds:
"I am thou... Thou art I
Thou anointest a new Knight to defend thy Crown
Thou shalt take the mantle of the Temperance Arcana"
Wednesday, April 6th
The next morning, your arrived at school early, perhaps conscious about the classes you'd missed yesterday, only to find that when you walked in the front door you'd immediately run into the same hall monitor, with neat black hair and a few freckles, who Melissa had been arguing with the other day.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" you began, only for the monitor to just smile.
"Ah, Miss Nakamura, no need to fret, in fact I appreciate you coming to school so early," he said before sighing, "You wouldn't know it from Hanataba's reputation, but we get more than a few latecomers, if not truants.
Oh, and on behalf of the school, I of course apologise for your fainting spell yesterday, something like that should not have happened on our watch, especially on the first day back," he then bowed deeply.
"No really, it's alright," you tried to tell him, "I'm... fine now, that's what matters".
"Really? Why, that's good to hear," the monitor was relieved, "Well, I expect to see you around, oh, and you may refer to me as Ozaki Daisuke, makes things easier," he waved goodbye.
Wow, he's actually a lot nicer than I pictured, you thought, I guess Melissa must've done something really bad to rile him up back then.
Your first class proceeded as normal, a standout question Miss Tanizawa asked you out of nowhere being "Okay Nakamura, now you're back in action, name the author of No Longer Human."
Of course, when the break came, you automatically knew the All-Aces would be expecting you.
Quickly scarfing down the leftover pizza slices you'd taken with you, you then made the trek up to the Prized Pupil Lounge. However, it turned out they'd came to you, as you were approached by Melissa directly by the stairway.
"Okay newbie, time to really prove yourself to us," she flashed a sharp grin.
The two of you entered the Lounge, where the rest of the All-Aces were already waiting. Come on, are they in here all the time? Don't they have Clubs and stuff to run, food to eat?
"Alright, your first real mission, straight from me" Melissa spoke up, pointing to the Gameboard "Guess you know how everyone here, well everyone except us, has a Shadow on the Gameboard?"
At your nod, she immediately went on "Well, there's a guy who's been a real shit to me lately, so you and I are gonna track his Shadow down and remind him who's boss around here".
"It is imperative we as All-Aces maintain our influence over the student body, that's the role we've been given, after all. You see, plays need directors, stories need authors, and subjects need a monarch, so any would-be rebels should be stamped out swiftly," Azuma monologued.
"Can't have some little upstart upsetting the hierarchy, can we?" Gakuto smugly chimed in.
You tensed, already expecting the worst, "And who does this *gulp* Shadow belong to?"
"Hey, we didn't bring you in here for you ask questions," Eitaro stated bluntly.
"Yeah, you seriously need to know his name? Okay, fair's fair, it's that Hall Monitor narc Daisuke Ozaki". She then cocked her head, "What are you worried about? It's not like we're gonna kill him or anything, we're just gonna get him to shut up a little".
Himawari had something to say, "I mean, if he has a Shadow, then he's clearly hiding something. Like, those monsters are someone's inner darkness, a genuinely good person would never manifest one".
You instantly looked back at the door, you'd be ready to bolt if it weren't for Melissa's grip on you, or if you didn't lack the Resolve. So you just stood there, quivering as you looked down on the Gameboard, letting it sink in that even if you told Melissa no, that the All-Aces' status and influence was enough that they could turn the whole school against you if you refused, get you expelled, hound you through town...
"Fine, I'll do it," you snarled beneath your breath, as a deeper voice echoed within your head:
"I art thou... Thou art I
Thou shalt take the mantle of the Fool Arcana"
The Great Gameboard's checkered hexagons weren't as featureless as they first appeared, the landscape ascending and descending into rolling hills and deep valleys, and forming staircases that went all over the place.
"We call this neutral territory No One's Land," Melissa said, eyeing you closely, "And your job is to help our Empires fill it in", she then gestured to the neon malls in the distance upon the word 'Empires' .
It was right there, at the border of Melissa's Shopping Empire, where you saw the very Shadow that'd been described to you. Ozaki's Shadow looked like a mutant peacock strutting around, but with a host of actual eyes on stalks instead of tail feathers, a searing visor where its eyes usually should've been.
[ ] Overwhelm the Shadow with Theodora's radiance.
[ ] Go for a double-Anjou beatdown.
[ ] Freeze it in its tracks with Forneus.
[ ] Write-in.
The name 'Popo' is actually a cutesification of Poe, as in Edgar Allen, though I thought a raven would be too obvious, plus too close to another Persona Quest I once ran. The main thing is an animal that flies (metaphorically, in pigs' case).
QM's Note: Whille it's a little dry and technical, I'll be titling updates by the Social Link featured in it, since I was rereading Persona: Another Calling and kinda wished there was an easy way to remember which update had which Social Link Event in it.
A joke occurred to me:
P3 - Monster Hunting Squad
P4 - Amateur Detective Team
P5 - Phantom Thief Troupe
PTB - ...Tabletop Gaming Group?
Either that, or they're more Grand Strategy Civ types.
I do think, if there was ever a PQ instalment for this, that it'd be a 'Most Dangerous Game'-style thing with the All-Aces trying to hunt down the past Persona-users, though on second thought that may sound more Arena-y.
On that note, if I had to include past Persona characters, I'm guessing Naoto or maybe Makoto (Niijima) would probably make the most sense, or Futaba since Gakuto would likely be aware of her. Only problem, especially with Naoto, is trying to figure out how they wouldn't immediately bust the whole thing right open.
When I think of plump pigeon I think of Shuu Iwamine thus I wanna run away fast. Yes I know he is really a chukar partridge, but the worldbuidling in Hatoful Boyfriend has certain connotations behind its cutesy premise.
When I think of plump pigeon I think of Shuu Iwamine thus I wanna run away fast. Yes I know he is really a chukar partridge, but the worldbuidling in Hatoful Boyfriend has certain connotations behind its cutesy premise.
Probably doesn't help then that my planned Arcana for him is Tower.
Anyway, I was leaving the year ambiguous, but it probably makes sense to set this in either 2019, before COVID started spreading, or in 2022, (hopefully) after COVID. That kinda does make me wonder how future Persona/SMT games' concepts would be affected by the outbreak though.
Was also wondering whether or not it'd be okay to @ some people to see if they'd be interested in this Quest?
I would recommend 20XX (ie the ambiguous option) but all three options would work. 2019 is likely the best choice but I hope you can find the option that helps your Persona muse/worldbuilding the best.
Or simply ignore the issue. Because it was made in the mid-2000s, Persona 3's depiction of 2009 Japan didn't make any mention of the Great Recession, but even with Persona 4 set in the same world 2 years later, there's still no mention of how the national economy got walloped.
