In Need Of A New Adventure

There's Nothing Holding Me Back Pt. 1

Living in Shibuya after the adventure they had in Inaba was…boring.  It had been six years since you and your brother, Yu, fell through a damn television into a different world filled with palaces and shadows, and even at 16 the events of your life when you were 10 and living in the sleepy town of Inaba were more exciting than anything that happened to you during your teenage life in the bustling city of Shibuya.

So far.

Since your big brother, Yu, was making a living in Shibuya, and living with his girlfriend Rise, you were able to stay in Shibuya as you completed high school, even when your parents took off overseas (again).  You had made some friends in Inaba, but you had made many more back in your home of Shibuya.  Still, even in the bustling city things were boring.  So, you’d hit the streets at night, sneak into parties, even put a fake ID to use multiple times.  As a result of that, the transfer student on probation, half a day late on his first day, didn’t bother you in the slightest. You shot him a glance with your [E/C] eyes as he took the seat to your left, and he looked back with a furrowed brow as he instantly noticed how bored you looked. 

Based on what Akira had heard, and the way Kamoshida approached him, everyone knew about his assault conviction and there were already rumors that he was a violent psychopath.  So why did it seem like you weren’t even phased by it?  You just glanced at him, eyeing him with a bored pout as you leaned your chin on her hand, before looking back up to the front of the class and paying attention to class.  Akira had planned on minding his own business, even with an unhealthy amount of curiosity surrounding that strange castle he found himself in with Ryuji, but you and your long [H/C] hair and [E/C] eyes caught his attention.  Not just because of your bored pout or the black thigh-high stockings and black high-heeled Mary Janes, though Akira had no idea what they were actually called, he was also unaware of the fact that your stockings were decorated with lace a the top, and while it was interesting it wasn't the black choker with two silver pieces forming a lightning bolt with a diamond shape hole in the middle that caught his attention.

You were looking for something, adventure…danger, and the transfer student with a criminal record and a multitude of rumors making him out to be a homicidal maniac wasn’t nearly dangerous enough.  Maybe…

No, he couldn’t ask you to do that…but…if Akira was right about you, you’d love traversing through that weird world, and would maybe even be able to defend yourself.

Maybe…maybe it was worth a shot…

“Hey…” Akira wasn’t the most social person, despite his ability to accurately read people with the slightest glance, so approaching anyone, let alone the attractive girl he sat next to in class, wasn’t easy.  Still, he wanted to know just what the hell he and Ryuji had walked into, and it looked like you wanted something more exciting than the average student life.

“If you’re here because I look easy I will throw you out that window,” you didn’t even look up from organizing your notes for the day.

“No, it’s not…you just look bored and I thought you might want to help me and Ryuji figure something out…” Akira was already thrown off by how confidant you were, and how closed off you were.  Most girls your age were open books, despite being quite complicated at times, and even Akira couldn't get an accurate read on you.  There was no doubt in Akira’s mind that you actually could, and would, throw him through the window.

“I’m not helping with some cockamamy plan to spy on Kamoshida, I have dance and gymnastics to focus on as well as-“

“It’s not like that…we found some strange castle with weird monsters, and a talking cat…thing…” oh god, saying it out loud just sounded insane.  He was going to die…

You froze.  A castle?  Monsters?  A talking cat?

Could it be…?

You looked right up at him as she stood up and held your bag where it hung on your shoulder as you looked up at him, your gaze piercing right through his glasses and staring him right in the eyes, “My interest is piqued, Kurusu.”

“…What?” he couldn’t believe it.  He didn’t even know this your name, though you remembered his from when he was forced to introduce himself in front of the class, and you were already willing to help investigate a castle with monsters and a talking cat that could not possibly in Shibuya.

“Yes, I assume you’re meeting with Sakamato sometime today?” you questioned.

“Yeah, on the roof.”

“Let’s go, I want to hear more about this magical castle.”

“Wait, why are you so-“

“Most girls are looking for the perfect date, the rest of us are looking for the perfect adventure.”

The second the boys found their way back into the Metaverse, taking you with them, you were familiar with the area.  To make things stranger, at least to the boys and Morgana, you were already dressed in some strange outfit with a mask.

“How did…why are you…what…” Ryuji gaped.

You looked at your attire as you calmly put together the pieces, “That’s new…last time I was in the Metaverse we were never put in costumes, and especially not masks…”

“You were in the Metaverse before?” Morgana questioned with wide eyes.

“Yeah, years ago.  There was a Persona user who kidnapped people and locked them in their own hearts to face their Shadows.  The second the victim told their Shadow that they weren’t the same person, the Shadow separated from the person.  The man behind it intended them to be killed by their own Shadow, but my brother and I along with some of our friends managed to get there in time.  Of course, once they faced their Shadow, it then became their Persona.”

“Did you ever enter a Palace?” Morgana questioned, excitedly, “A cognition formed by a severe distortion of the heart.”

“Well there was a castle, and we never called them Palaces, though I suppose that would be an apt term,” you replied but were quick to add, “Though, the distortions were based on their cognition of themselves and while they were pretty big distortions, they weren’t anything dangerous to other people unless they came across Shadows.  It was just a conception that the less savory parts of their character didn’t exist…though that was why they were targeted anyway…”

“You’ve been in Palaces too?  Did you ever steal their treasure?” Morgana was getting more and more excited by the second.

“No, our goal was to get the real person out of their Palace before they were killed by the Shadows, or god forbid their own Shadow.  I didn’t even know there was treasure there…why are we in costumes?”

“This happens when you’re seen as a threat or intruder in a Palace,” Morgana explained, briefly.

“So because we were there to save the owner of the Palace and not harm them, or steal something from them, we were never considered threats so we just stayed in our regular clothes,” you deduced, “That makes sense…alright, let’s get going.  I’m curious to learn more, and anxious to call Luna again.  The last six years have been breathtakingly boring.”

Finally, you had the adventure you were craving for so long.