05/22 Su
Cloudy
I shouldn't have watched that show. Now I'll have that stupid jingle in my head all day.
Yu finished keying in his order to "Tanaka's Amazing Commodities", then called up his friends.
"Hey, Chie. Tell Yukiko we're going in today. I'll contact Yosuke."
It followed me from the Shrine, huh?
Yu looked hard at the Fox, who had ridden up the elevator after him. His friends, of course, were as baffled as he was.
"Huh, this apron... I think I've seen it at the Shrine before..."
"Dude, it looks scary."
Yu sighed, then tried to explain his previous encounters with the animal...
"It seems pretty friendly, and given what we're up against, I don't how it could hurt to let it hang around the Entrance. Those leaves could be pretty helpful, considering what they're capable of here..."
Everyone ultimately agreed to allow the Fox to follow them in...
The Fox yipped.
"So, did anyone find anything more on Kanji? I met up with that boy in the hat, who told me he has a... 'Complex'."
The Investigation Team swapped theories around a little, before determining that all four of them had come to roughly the same conclusion.
"Hm. Then we may as well talk to Teddie now..."
"Hmmhmmhmm... A complex.... WHAT?! That's all I've got to go on? You're working me to the stuffing..."
Teddie was rather incredulous.
"Sorry, Ted. He's kinda an enigma for us, beyond that."
"Oh, well... I'll open my nose as wide as I can and sniff real hard!"
Teddie took in a deep breath through his nose.
"Oh, I think I've found something! Right this way!"
You came through! Knew I could count on you, Teddie.
The bear led his friend through the fog...
It's awfully muggy around here...
Teddie had brought the team to a changing room area, near a door that poured out think steam...
"C'mere, pussycat..."
That's not Kanji... But it is pretty...
"Oooh, such well-defined pecs!..."
... That's a bit much.
"There's no need ta be scared..."
"Uhh..."
Chie was visibly uncomfortable...
"Now, jus' relax..."
Yosuke nearly screamed.
"W-wait a sec! I don't wanna go!"
The group confirmed with Teddie that, yes, Kanji was indeed trapped inside...
There's nothing wrong with this sort of thing, but...
It just had to be played like a creepy late-night ad, didn't it?
"Gotta say, you're way better at healing than Yosuke. I'm really impressed, Yukiko."
"Th-thanks..."
Yukiko tried to cool herself off with her fan...
"But why'd you bring that as a weapon?"
"Oh, well, um... The Amagi Inn has a history, and that's about all I can say. Ugh, it's so humid in here..."
"I still don't get something, Sensei. Why is it so steamy inhere? does it have something to do with Kanji?"
"I... I think I get the hints."
"Aah, that's my Sensei! Is there anything you don't know about?"
Stupid Basalt Shadows, hit like a tank, only weak to wind... Ugh.
Yu tossed Yosuke a can of TaP after a very intense battle...
Yu decided to head back to the Entrance after reaching the third floor of the Steamy Bathhouse...
"We understand- A breather sounds nice right about now, really."
What...?
Yu had entered the Velvet Room, but Igor was nowhere to be found...
"Oh... Excuse me. Do you have any business here? Mmm... As you can see, my Master is currently away."
Where? There's not many places a man with a foot-long nose can go...
"If you're errand isn't urgent I request that you come back lat- ... No. No, that won't do. This Room is bound tightly to your fate. Nothing here happens without a reason... There must be meaning in our meeting here alone."
Oh. Right. Magically bonded to my lif- Is she coming onto me?
Margret straightened her posture and faced Yu again.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room. I am Margret. I am the one who rules over Power, invited here after my predecessor's sudden disappearance. You may be the first person who has ever been welcomed here by someone other than my Master."
'Rules over Power', yet is still subservient to Igor... Huh. And I'm the first to be invited by someone other than Igor... How many people have been here, anyway...?
"The Velvet Room is inseparable from the heart of its invited guest. The shape of the Room and its residents are selected by my Master, based on the number of guests and their destiny... Shall we chat?"
It's strange, but she seems less aloof than she did at first...
Margret grew a faint smile, her eyes slightly gentler than before...
Time stopped for just a moment, as a card bearing the number "III" and an abstract image of a queenly figure appeared before Yu...
Thou art I... And I am thou...
Thou hast established a new bond...
It brings thee closer to the truth...
Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Empress Arcana...
A wave of light particles flowed out of Margret's eyes, and into Yu...
"Hmm. It seems you have forged several Social Links already. Recurring meetings, recurring words... By deepening your understanding of one another, your bonds strengthen. But remember: Sometimes the heart is shaken more by a single action than by a thousand words..."
"I understand..."
Yu nodded earnestly.
"Hmhm... Today's meeting might be classified as that single action."
Margret closed one of her hands into a resolute fist...
"I've decided. This strand of fate you follow... Entangle me within it as well. Let's see how this new bond will be spun... In light of today's unique circumstances, I believe this is proof... That we are both special to one another."
Yep, she's coming onto me. I don't know if I should be flattered or frightened...
Margret smiled a little more.
"I want to know more about you. First, I think I shall have you show me your rare Persona ability, and what you can do with it... Show me an Ippon-Datara that knows the ability
Sukaja.
The heart is shaken more by a single action than by a thousand words... Have you already forgotten? Hmhm. I have something to look forward to... I wish you well..."
And with that, the Velvet Room faded from Yu's eyes...
That damn Fox... Highway robbery ain't cool, you.
Yu stared at the Fox.
The Fox stared back.
Maybe a little pat'll change that attitude.
Yu was granted a chest key for his friendliness.
But the discount was practically nothing... Damn.
The Team returned to the third floor of the Steamy Bathhouse...
Oh, no.
Not far in, Kanji
Or his Shadow, rather...
Was encountered...
"Oooooh, my my! Thank you for your undivided attention!"
Oh, no. That sax music can't mean anything good.
"At last, I've penetrated the facility!"
No.
"These images are coming to you live from inside this STEAMY paradise!"
The Shadow let out a disappointed squeak.
"But I've yet to have any charming encounters. Perhaps this hot fog is the cause? It's like steam risin' from sweat! Mmmm, my body's tingling with excitement!"
Suddenly, a cheap-looking titlecard appeared behind him..,
"MEN ONLY! Kanji Tatsumi in ROSY STEAM LOVERS PARADISE!"
Yosuke blurted out his feelings on the matter.
"Crap... This is so wrong in so many ways..."
Gotta agree. There's nothing wrong with swinging that way, but this is just creepy.
Chie sighed a little.
"Yeah... I remember it being kinda like this on Yukiko's show, too."
"N-no... It wasn't like THIS..."
Yukiko was rather embarrassed...
Suddenly, a crowd could be heard, laughing...
Where the hell is that coming from?
The group expressed their fears that the voices were from those watching the Midnight Channel...
"That elusive thing I truly yearn for... Will I finally find it here? Teehee! Well then, onward and deeper to reach further realms of romance! Let's get going, dammit!"
And with that, the Shadow marched off...
Teddie pointed out that the Shadows around the area were getting really restless...
"But his Shadow was much worse than Yuki-chan's... At his rate, it might end up getting 'bear' naked."
Yukiko was stunned for a moment.
"...'Bear' naked?"
Chie sighed.
"Oh, man. Here it comes..."
"Um... Was I supposed to laugh?"
The human portion of the team ran forward, as Teddie fell to his knees in despair.
"Here I go! Galactic Punt!"
Chie ran at full speed towards the Daring Gigas, and threw herself into a massive kick, flinging it into the distance.
"... Wow."
Chie smiled a little at Yu.
Kanji's voice rang out...
"A man can't back down at a time like this! Just watch, and I'll show you how manly Kanji Tatsumi can be!"
Yu once more returned to the Entrance, and fused several Personas together...
"Hmhm. An Ippon-Datara with
Sukaja.
Well-rounded, strong, flexible... I'm impressed."
Yu saw a second Empress card appear before him for just a second...
"Well then, for my next request... I'd like to see a Matador with the
Mahama
skill. If anyone can do it, I know you can."
"Heheh! Yosuke Strike!"
Yosuke twirled like a whirling dervish into the Nizim Beast, knocking it onto its back.
"What ya think, Partner?"
"Not bad. Chie's was better, though."
Yosuke sighed.
"A man's... A man's got this thing called pride. Heheh, I'll never lose."
Kanji's voice rang out again...
"Hrmm. It's no good. I can't tell where Kanji is through all this steam. Maybe it's time I retire from being a guide..."
Teddie's all depressed again... Poor bear.
"Hey, Yu."
"Hmm? What's up, Chie?"
"I just wanted to say thanks for packing so many Dr. Salts. Now Yosuke won't guzzle 'em all until I'm stuck with something nasty tasting."
"Yu."
"Hmm? What's up, Yukiko?"
"You think you could bring something more citrusy than TaP or Dr. Salt next time? I don't hate them, but I'd prefer something like Second Maid or The Natural."
"Hey there, cutie pie! Are you trying to break the barrier of the acceptable, just like me?"
"No! Sensei came to rescue Kanji!"
"OoooooOOOOoooh!! Does that mean you're yearning for me? Is that so? Ooooh, that makes me soooo happy! Well then, I simply MUST prepare something spectacular for you! I'm so looking forward to it! Well, tootaloo!"
"... Sensei... This little bear's getting too scared to go on..."
That thing's pure evil. It acts like every ugly, greasy stereotype it can, then sicks a giant masked wrestler on us.
"C'mon, Principality!
Twin Shot!"
"No... No, dammit! That ain't important to a man's man... That's not what I want to become... That ain't it at all!"
I get the feeling there's more to this than a locked closet...
"Hey, Sensei? The world you guys come from seems really complicated... Ever since I met you, I really had to think hard about stuff like what I am... So I think I can kinda understand how Kanji feels... Sensei, we gotta save him!"
The bear is more understanding of all this than Yosuke...
Why am I not surprised...?
These Basalts are even worse than the last! Nothing resisted our All-Out Attack before...!
"Hmm, a Matador with the
Mahama
skill..."
I don't know what it is, but something about this Persona really pisses me off. I can't even really hit on what it is... Maybe if I just breathe a little...
Wait a sec, this guy is me. So I'm pissed at myself, aren't I...? Huh.
"What a beautiful Persona... This fascinating dance, performed by a true sportsman... I'm amazed. You're still young, but you hold such masculinity in your soul. I can feel my heart beat faster."
Margret locked eyes with Yu.
"Thank you. I am confident that you are the one I've been searching for. I want to see more of your soul..."
She's coming onto me, no doubt. Well, she IS rather...
Yu saw a third Empress card appear...
"Well, for my next request... Bring me a Gdon that knows
Rampage.
If anyone can do this for me, it's... Yu."
Cute joke.
"I can't decide what's weirder- Finding gold leaf-covered greaves in a bathhouse, or the fact that they're exactly your size."
"Whatever! Just let me try 'em on, already!"
... Or that she's so into them.
"Beware, Shadows! I, Chie Satonaka, shall crush you beneath the my soles! Fear the wrath of my Kintabi Gusoku!"
"Aaah, it feels so wonderful here!"
"Sensei, he's close by! We need to save Kanji right away!"
"... You're a little punk, y'know that?"
Yosuke glowered at the Fox as Yu handed over a small pile of yen to the animal.
The Fox yipped.
The Investigation Team burst through the doors on the 11th floor...
A Castle having that many floors, fine, but a sauna?
Kanji was staring his Shadow down, on equal footing...
"I-I..."
"Oh, come now, enough with the charade. Isn't it awful to deceive people? To deceive yourself? What's so bad about doing what I want to do?"
Fair point. But can you please do what you want to do in more than a loincloth?
Kanji stammered...
"That has nothin' to do with it..."
"I'm what you REALLY want, aren't I?"
This has suddenly taken a really weird turn.
Kanji shouted back, enraged.
"Hell no!"
"Ohh, how I hate girls..."
The Shadow paused just a moment.
"So arrogant, and self-centered! They cry if you get angry, they gossip behind your back, they spread nasty lies..."
Chie's bootprints are gonna be all over this guy.
"They look at me like some... Some disgusting THING, and say that I'm a weirdo, laughing at me, all the while!"
The Shadow raised it's voice into a girlish squeak.
"'You like to sew? What a queer!' 'Painting is so not you!' 'But your a guy...' 'You don't act like a guy...' 'Why aren't you manly?' What does it mean to be, 'a guy'? What does it mean to be 'manly'? Girls are so scary...'
Poor guy... I'll admit, a younger me would have agreed.
Kanji got defensive.
"I-I ain't scared of 'em!"
"Men are much better... They'd never say those awful, degrading things. Yes, I vastly prefer men."
So this isn't about what it seemed at all...
"Hell with that! What makes you think you can say that shit with my face!?"
"Why, you're me... And I'm you. You do know that, don't you?"
"No... Nuh-uh! No way! There's no way in hell that you're me!"
Great. Here it comes...
The Shadow's dark glow flared up...
"Teehee. You're me, and there's no denying it!"
And with that, the shadow transformed.
The Team ran towards the enraged giant...
"I am a Shadow... The true self... I'm just being true to myself. And that's why... I'll get rid of anything in my way!"
Wow. This is... Flamboyant. I mean, giant muscular Kanji covered in roses, wielding two metal male symbols... The little muscleman helpers just kinda hammer it home...
Yukiko was shocked.
"Are these... Kanji-kun's true feelings?"
"This isn't really him! It's just his emotions going haywire!"
''Real respectful of you, Yosuke. Or should that be wobble-doodle-ninja?"
"This has nothing to do with you guys anymore! Didn't I just say I'm gonna get rid of you!?"
"Rakshasa!
Marakukaja!"
A purple aura strengthened the party's defenses...
One of the musclemen cast a similar spell,
Heat Riser,
on Shadow Kanji...
"Eyes closed!"
Shadow Kanji suddenly brimmed with strength from a
Power Charge...
"Something tells me that Nice Guy isn't so nice!"
"Gotcha, Partner!"
Yosuke threw a
Dekaja
to nullify the boosts...
"Ah!"
Swift Strike
Something tells me that would've hurt a lot more if we left
Heat Riser
up.
"Everybody! We need to focus on the one to the left!"
"Gotcha! Here I go!"
Tomoe descended into a massive
Assault Dive!
"C'mon, Matador!"
I swear, by my sword and red capote, that we shall once again prove victorious!
Arm Chopper
"Grahh!"
And with that, Nice Guy is no more!
"Come, Konohana Sakuya!"
Yukiko's birdlike, flowery Persona unleashed a fierce
Agilao
on Shadow Kanji, who recoiled very slightly...
"I've already made my decsion to go through with this! Get out of my way... Or I'll crush you!"
Another
Swift Strike
wracked the party...
"Hyah!"
Yukiko later responded with a well-timed
Media.
"Ahh!"
Dammit. Stupid Tough Guy thing...
"It's alright! If we take out Shadow Kanji, his little minion couldn't stand around anymore, right? So we keep piling on the assault!"
"Alright, I was hopin' you'd say that! Let's do this, Jiraiya!"
The Persona complied, shooting out it's shuriken with all force in a
Sonic Punch.
"Mhhmhh!"
The Shadow uttered its
Forbidden Murmur...
Ah, what the hell! I like you come closer big boy bigboyIlikeyou closer likelike IbigbigboybigIlikebig
Yu and Yosuke both suddenly had their bodies overridden with poison.
"Yosuke... Drink that tea I packed..."
The two guys did so, and felt cleansed quickly afterwards.
"Ack! G-guys...! Aahhh!"
The Shadow had soon made use of another strange taunt,
Roar of Wrath,
and both Chie and Yukiko's minds were clouded with wrath...
Actually, that might be a help. Go get 'em, Chie!
Yu pulled a sedative from his pocket and tossed them to Yukiko, who was suddenly much calmer...
"Thank you... I can't believe he'd stoop
"Stay out of my way! What's wrong with acting however I feel like?... I know you all thought I was weird! Deep down, you don't accept me at all!"
The Shadow slammed its male symbols into the ground and punched its palm, releasing a wave of electricity,
Fanatical Spark.
"Damn, that hurt! Right then! One last strike! Come forth, Rakshasa!
Brain Shake!''
The warrior-demon unleashed three bursts of blue energy on Shadow Kanji's head...
"Ahh! ACCEPT ME!"
The Shadow fell to its knees, releasing a cloud of red fog, then fell flat...
Kanji rose from his back after the battle...
"Dammit..."
The Team expressed their concern for his well-being... Then the Shadow arose once more.
Teddie sent his alert.
"I-it's still coming at us! Kanji is still rejecting it!"
"Well, I can't blame him, with this many witnesses..."
Yosuke sighed a little after talking...
The Shadow giggled.
"Such a passionate approach. Hmmhmm... I think you three... Would make wonderful boyfriends."
Yeesh. Creepy as hell, even after all that.
"S-stop it! Y-you've got it all wrong!"
Yosuke, you're strong denial makes me... Suspicious.
Kanji glowered a little.
"Enough... Stop... What the hell are you blabbering about?"
The Shadow slumped up into itself...
"I don't care who... Won't someone... Anyone, please accept me...?"
"Stop it!"
"Accept me, for who I am!"
Yu became worried at the Shadow's outburst.
"No! It's gonna attack again, isn't it... We're still wiped from the first fight..."
"I said stop it!"
And with that, Kanji ran forward and punched his own Shadow to the floor.
What the hell. One punch.
"Tch. I can't believe something like this is inside me."
"Kanji... You're..."
"Tch. Yeah, I know. I've know all this time I've had something like you. I ain't a matter of guys and chicks... I was just scared shitless of being rejected... I'm at total pansy who tries to make everyone hate me."
Kanji...
"I know we only just met, but... We're here, too. You're not alone."
Kanji gave a surprised grunt at Yu's words...
"C'mon. Get up. Anyone looks like me, I know they ain't so weak they can't take a punch."
The Shadow rose up again...
"I already know that you're me. You're... You're me, and I'm you, dammit."
The Shadow nodded.
The strength of heart needed to face oneself has been made manifest... Kanji has faced his other self... He has obtained the facade used to overcome life's hardships, the Persona Take-Mikazuchi!
Kanji fell over...
The group pulled him out, back to Junes...
The group made sure Kanji was still in one piece.
"Woah... Heheh... I feel great. It's like my mind's all cleared up!"
"Glad to hear it, Kanji-kun."
Yukiko smiled gently, as Yosuke helped him to his feet.
"Hey... About what just happened..."
Yu nodded.
"There's a lot to cover. We'll tell you later."
"Yeah. You better."
The group reassured Kanji a little, then Yosuke offered to escort him home.
"If anyone asks, I'll just say I found him like this."
That night, as Yu ate a large Chinese-takeout dinner with his uncle and...
Little sister, basically...
Dojima brought up that Kanji had been found...
"I thought I'd let you know, since you go to the same high school."
I must choose my response carefully...
"Huh. I didn't know about that."
"Yeah, well... I doubt there would've been too much fuss over a guy like him disappearing."
The meal started to resume...
"One other thing. Some people have seen you around that textile shop lately. It's... Not the kind of shop students normally visit... Just what kinda business did you have there?"
Crap, he's getting wiser on me...
"My friend took me there."
"Huh? Oh... That Amagi girl? That's right, her family's inn buys their stuff wholesale."
"And she asked me to help carry some of it."
Dojima sighed.
"... Fine. Just don't get yourself in over your head, okay?"
Nanako looked up from her food.
"... Are you fighting again?"
Yu's Level: 27
Current Personas:
Matador
Rakshasa
High Pixie
Principality
Sarasvati
Andra
Anzu
Mokoi
Yaksini
Berith
Social Links:
Fool: Rank 3
Magician: Rank 3
Priestess: Rank 1
Empress: Rank 3
Hierophant: Rank 2
Chariot: Rank 3
Justice: Rank 2
Hermit: Rank 2
Strength: Rank 4
Temperance: Rank 3
Moon: Rank 1
Sun: Rank 3
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