Chapter Text
November 20th, 2016
Aigis found herself in a truly ridiculous situation.
Accompanied by only a dog, she walked the streets of Shibuya trying to gain some semblance of sense and direction. She had never really seen so many people in one place at the same time. Iwatodai was busy, certainly, but this was quite excessive. It intimidated her slightly, but Aigis forged ahead. She did not really have time to lose, considering how she found herself in this situation in the first place.
It was complicated to explain to any outsider, but if she were to try, she would start with a particular group
The Phantom Thieves of Hearts.
This group had been active for the past few months; since April, it seems. It began with an incredibly disturbing event in which a teacher at Shujin Academy confessed to abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual assault against a number of different students. A truly disturbing case to be certain. The following month, a renowned artist broke into tears, babbling about plagiarizing his mentee’s works, and abusing them in some cases. Yet another despicable individual intent on aggrandizing himself at the expense of others. What finally caught Mitsuru-san’s attention, however, was the third instance of strange Changes of Heart yet another month later. A mafia boss by the name Junya Kaneshiro turned himself into the police in Shibuya, plead guilty to all charges, and divulged numerous secrets about the workings of his mafia. Mitsuru-san found this alarming.
“This person was a pathetic excuse for a human. I find it hard to believe the likes of him would ever willingly give himself up to the police.” She had said. She had known of the artist’s public outburst and taken note of it at this point, but Kaneshiro piqued her interest due to its similarity. Only then did she dig backward to discover more similarities in the Shujin case. “This is something we should keep our eyes on going forward. Our main priority is the mental breakdown incidents, however I suspect these things may turn out to be connected.”
Things heated up in the next case, of which the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, as they were called, were targeted and threatened by an international hacker organization known as Medjed. The plans of Medjed were dismantled somehow, but without the involvement of the Phantom Thieves seemingly. There was no public announcement, no calling card, nothing that would imply that the Phantom Thieves would have retaliated. So Mitsuru-san waited. By this point, she was on the fence as to the morality of the Phantom Thieves. They had clearly only targeted people that seemed irredeemable, reprehensible, and plainly evil. Aigis’ own sense of morality pulled her heart to believe in the Phantom Thieves. They reminded her faintly of the act of selflessness someone she loved dearly many years ago had performed at no benefit to themselves. Albeit, these Thieves had a flair for publicity and theatrics, something that person would never have engaged in, but the core of their actions felt as though they resonated strongly.
That was until yet again, one month later, the Thieves seemed to take action against one Kunikazu Okumura. The Phantom Thieves had gained immense amounts of popularity after their altercation - or as some saw it, victory - over Medjed. They had a website that hosted a collection of fans, and that site began putting bounties on various public figures. It seems as though many people had a grudge against a public opponent of the Thieves: the Detective Prince Goro Akechi. Though in the end, the Thieves chose to pursue Kunikazu Okumura. The head of Okumura Foods had long been a mogul that many suspected of abusing workers with little regard for their safety and wellbeing. Aigis found this to be quite in line with her own perception of the Thieves.
This was incredibly misguided, it seems.
Okumura, at a live press conference, just a few days later, died on camera in front of the whole world.
The Thieves had assassinated a massive public figure in broad daylight.
Mitsuru-san jumped into action almost immediately.
Mitsuru-san began an investigation into the happenings of the Phantom Thieves, however she didn’t get far before encountering an extremely unsettling barrier. Using the resources of Naoto Shirogane and hacking skills of Fuuka Yamagishi, Mitsuru-san attempted to perform any sort of reconnaissance in Shibuya. Naoto-san was stymied by refusal to comply with her requests to assist in the ongoing investigation. It seems they had no need for such an “outdated” kind of Ace Detective with the young, brilliant, and exceptionally popular Akechi-san. Naoto-san did not take that information well.
Fuuka-san on the other hand, experienced a very unusual sort of interference. At every turn, Fuuka-san encountered wall after wall preventing her from making any sort of headway in the government and police records. Whenever she would get close to discovering something, she encountered an even stranger impediment: a phenomenon she described as “a self-reconstructing system that acted more like a person trying to defend themselves than a random number generator using a seed to calculate new defense mechanisms.” Fuuka-san claimed that she had never seen anything like it, even amongst the sophistication of anti-shadow weapons like Labrys and herself.
Finding little to no leads on the Phantom Thieves, Mitsuru-san resolved to mobilize Shadow Operatives into Shibuya.
The Thieves had grown bolder and bolder, targeting higher profile targets time after time. After the Okumura Incident, Aigis and Mitsuru-san began to panic over the safety of someone specifically that may be endangered by the Thieves. She was working quite diligently in Shibuya on her own career, gaining her own high profile presence all over Japan. She had become a very successful and famous actor, something that Mitsuru-san always glowed with pride over whenever she spoke about her to Aigis. At this point, whatever the Thieves claimed to be doing to change hearts seemed to line up far too cleanly with the methods of mental shutdown cases following the Okumura Incident. As such, Mitsuru-san and herself became exceptionally worried that their friend’s popularity could make her a target.
Of course, Aigis was created to protect humanity from the existential threats that Shadows and phenomenon like the Dark Hour and Midnight Channel can pose, and she was driven to continue to serve humanity as such even with her own free will, but she still had her own Heart and Soul, and she was driven by her own personal desires as well. Mitsuru-san shared a similar sentiment, assuring Aigis that being concerned for an individual when a greater whole was under threat was not something to be of which to be ashamed.
So, in addition to solving the mental shutdown incidents, Aigis and Mitsuru-san decided to add on the rescue and extraction of a specific individual.
Yukari Takeba.
Yukari-san was dear to both of the women, but in recent memory she had grown quite distant from them. Seemingly, she had withdrawn from all of her friends from the past. Junpei-san and Fuuka-san both recalled hearing less and less from her over the past year or so. Naturally, Aigis feared for the worst. Yukari-san kept the same story consistent however, maintaining to all of them that she was becoming busier and busier seeking higher profile jobs to advance her acting career. Aigis supposed that could be the case, but Yukari-san had only been as distant now as she was before they became friends. But one thing was now certain: none of the Shadow Operatives could get into contact with Yukari-san.
It seemed as though there were forces at play that made information in Shibuya a one way street. Thus, Mitsuru-san assembled as many Operatives as she could. Few were able to answer the call.
Assembling only a limited collection of operatives, Mitsuru-san had informed the group of only the reconnaissance mission, insisting to Aigis that the two of them could handle Yukari-san alone. From the old SEES members, Akihiko-san, Fuuka-san, and Ken-san and Koromaru-san were able to join the operation. Of the Investigation Team, Yu-san, Teddie-san, Naoto-san, and Labrys joined as well. The operation would begin simply: infiltrate the city by way of private helicopter, set up their headquarters in a private Kirijo Group safe house, and begin to collect information as to the happenings around Shibuya.
How that lead to Aigis and Koromaru-san free-falling through the sky without any inkling as to the whereabouts of their transport is something that Aigis would be sure to agonize over for the next few days.
Regardless of the situation, Aigis decided that idly recounting events she could not determine the cause of was not a smart way to spend her time.
Instead, Aigis had managed to find herself wandering the streets of Shibuya. She was left with a small amount of funds, significantly less than the other Operatives, which she insisted was unnecessary in the first place. As a machine, she required little in the way of natural sustenance. Everything she required was provided by the Kirijo Group, but if there were any retail services that could accommodate her specifications, she had never been informed of one.
Regardless, Mitsuru-san had given her a small collection of funds in case something should happen. Given the circumstances, Aigis found that Mitsuru-san had excellent foresight.
For nearly a week, Aigis had spent the little funds she had caring for Koromaru-san. She reserved a small portion for a new outfit for herself, finding that her tactical gear and robotic body made her stand out more than she should, but the rest had been spent on ensuring Koromaru-san was healthy and safe. She selected a simple outfit with as cheap a price she could manage. A plain white tee, tight black jeans, a simple pair of grey sneakers, and a zippered hoodie in a comforting shade of dark blue suited her needs seamlessly.
Though, in the past week, Aigis had made no progress on finding any leads on either of her two objectives. Yukari-san was nowhere to be found, no matter how many times she walked the streets. Furthermore, there were effectively no traces of the Phantom Thieves either. There was chatter of them on the streets, but little was actionable information.
Those were rapidly becoming the least of her worries, however.
As a robot, she was able to persist for multiple days without much issue. As the week began to drag on, she had to begin preserving more and more power. She was uncertain if she would even be able to find any Kirijo Group facilities here. The ones that Mitsuru-san had marked had already been ransacked, presumably by whatever corrupt forces were controlling the legal enforcement. So, Aigis shut down several subprocesses, and focused on only making more vital movements and decisions. With no way to replenish her energy, she began to enter a state she would describe to others as closely related to 'exhaustion.' She felt sluggish, the world felt unfocused, and it was harder to process the sounds around her.
Koromaru-san was very vocal about his worry for Aigis.
"Sister. We can't keep doing this." Metis' voice rang out clearly in her mind.
I know, sister. But I have no better options. I have to ensure Yukari-san's safety. I have to make sure these people are safe. If I must wear myself out to the last ion to protect them, I will.
"You're too noble. If you're broken, how can you protect them?"
If I break, I will have broken doing what is right.
"Sister..." Metis' voice was sympathetic, but Aigis felt the pity that came from her other self.
Admittedly, Metis had a point. Perhaps Aigis had made too many careless decisions over this past week. It happened too frequently, but Aigis saw instances of petty crime all over the streets. Back alleys with assaults, women being harassed, despicable things that went against every impulse Aigis felt. Instinct, she supposed was the most fitting word. Things she knew were wrong, but not because she had been told so, because she felt it in her heart that these were vile behaviors.
After a few too many catalogued instances, Aigis began to take action on her own. She would intervene in multiple different altercations. Of course, the culprits were extremely unpleasant nearly every time, but occasionally, she encountered a person who was extremely remorseful upon her intervention. Out of fear? It was possible. She was not afraid to be physical with them, considering many of them found it fitting to be physical with their victims. As such, they would have certainly noticed just how powerful her limbs were constructed. But Aigis felt that many of those remorseful criminals were victims themselves.
She felt conflicted over her involvement in those incidents.
Clearly, they needed assistance. They were disadvantaged and desperate. In the same vein, they were acting irrationally. They had taken to illegal and reprehensible activity in an attempt to solve their problems.
Aigis was truly unsure what the correct course of action was in those cases.
She had since decided she did not have nearly enough energy to process these questions further.
Aigis had bigger problems than morality at the moment.
Unfortunately, as she paced slowly along the streets, yet another altercation caught her attention.
A young man in a cream suit seemed to have stepped out of a limousine, and rushed toward a young woman. She wore a pink cardigan and had a short, floofy head of auburn hair. On instinct again, Aigis felt protective of this woman.
That impulse only grew when the man grabbed the woman by the wrist and spun her around and began berating her. As Aigis moved closer to them, she witnessed the man reel his other hand back and bring it down toward the young woman.
Aigis was not close enough yet to jump in to action.
Instead, the young woman caught his arm and attempted to restrain him. She wasn't succeeding.
Luckily, Aigis had been able to reach them by now.
"You insubordinate bi- huh?" he growled, but was cut off by Aigis' solid grasp on his opposite arm. She yanked it off of the woman's wrist, and she stepped back, releasing his other arm, "Who the hell are you? If you know what's good for you, you'll leave now before things get ugly!" He punctuated his final word with another strike, this time aimed directly for Aigis' face.
She let him learn his lesson the hard way.
The back of his hand landed with a dull thud against her cheek. He suppressed a shriek of pain, it seems.
"What the hell was -" Aigis yanked his arm down so he was eye level with her. She squeezed his wrist tighter. She still had more than enough energy to spare a broken wrist.
"Are you finished?" She asked flatly. The man's face scrunched up in frustration. He yanked his arm back once, but Aigis held firm. He yanked it again, and Aigis released it at just the right time. He stumbled backward and landed flat on his rear with a short yelp. She stared at him plainly. Metis laughed heartily in her stead.
The man scrambled to his feet and dusted off his suit. Deciding Aigis was no longer worth the effort, he returned his attention to the auburn haired woman, and declared, "Come on, we're lea- ack!" Koromaru-san leapt in front of the woman and bared his fangs and snarled at the man, his skin tight against his skull. He jolted back in fright. For good measure, Koromaru-san let out a quick and threatening bark.
"Damn brat. My lawyers will be hearing about this." He shuffled away, rubbing his hand and wrist.
He should be undamaged. Most likely.
She took a short glance at the young woman again. She was watching as the suited man walked away in shame. Upon closer inspection, she did share a few surface level similarities to Yukari-san, but this was decidedly not her.
She seemed relatively unharmed. Her heart rate was elevated, likely experiencing an adrenaline spike at the commotion, but nothing out of the ordinary. She gave the young woman a small, kind smile, one that she hoped would reassure her that she was safe again, and turned to leave. Koromaru-san offered a cheerful yip before pattering up beside Aigis yet again.
"Excuse me! Miss!" Aigis sensed the voice coming from behind her, "Thank you so much! You really helped me there. Please, let me make it up to you!"
Aigis turned around to face the young woman yet again, "Oh, no, that will not be necessary. Thanks is not required for my actions."
Anyone with a heart would do the same as I have done.
"Please, I insist! May I ask for your name?" she grabbed Aigis' hand suddenly.
"I... Aigis. My name is Aigis." She stated.
"Aigis-san. It's nice to meet you! My name is Haru," she said with a bright, friendly smile on her face, "Please, allow me to treat you to dinner. As thanks. I know an excellent place for sushi around here!"
Aigis simply responded, "Thank you, but I do not require sustenance."
Haru-san took that comment surprisingly undaunted, "Oh, but there must be some way I can thank you."
Koromaru-san gave Aigis a short bark.
"He's right, Sister. We need a safe place to conserve our energy, and I'm sure Koro-chan would like a comfier place to sleep tonight." another bark confirmed Metis' suspicion.
"Actually, could you direct me to a cheap place to spend the night? I am... here in Shibuya on business, but my accommodations were... not prepared in advance."
Haru-san's face lit up instantly, "That's perfect! Aigis-san, follow me! I know a perfect spot." She crouched down and scratched Koromaru-san's ears heartily, "And don't worry, you'll love it there too!"
And so, Haru-san led Aigis through the streets.
Aigis must not understand just how valuable the Yen was.
If this is what was considered cheap, her latest data on it's value had to be outdated. Maybe her dormant subroutines contained a piece of data she was missing.
"Haru-san, I do not intend to be rude, but I believe this location may be out of my desired price range."
"Who said you were going to pay for the room?" Haru-san chuckled lightly. Her cheerful demeanor betrayed just how large of a decision she was making for a stranger.
"Excuse me?" Aigis said, seeking some clarity.
"You heard me. I'm putting you up here for the night! In fact, I've decided I'm spending the evening here too. I don't think I'd like to return home tonight." she said it just as cheerfully as before, but Aigis was still able to detect the uncomfortableness in her voice.
The attendant returned from the room behind the concierge and handed two keycards to Haru-san, bowed, and wished for them to enjoy their stay. Haru-san beckoned Aigis and Koromaru-san to follow, only to lead them to a small room on the second floor of the lobby.
Apparently, this building had a grooming service in house, and Haru-san had taken notice of how rough Koromaru-san's coat had become. Despite her best effort, Aigis was no expert on care for a canine. She was able to keep him fed, and did her best to ensure he was as comfortable and safe as possible with the little resources she had available. Unfortunately, that frequently amounted to cheap dog food and a few layers of cardboard most of the past week.
Koromaru-san seemed to understand exactly what this service was for. His tail was rapidly beating back and forth. He looked up at Aigis with an exceptionally effective pair of puppy-dog eyes.
Even if she did not have emotions to be manipulated, Aigis would be certain this look was statistically impossible to resist.
Haru-san knelt down to Koromaru-san, yet spoke to Aigis, "If it's alright with you, Aigis-san, I'd like to treat your dog as well tonight." She rubbed her hands all about Koromaru-san's face, "I've been planning on treating my own friend to this for some time now, but I've heard nothing but good things about this service and this location. I'm sure they'll be well taken care of!" She smiled sweetly as she continued to pet Koromaru-san.
Aigis knelt down next to the dog and held out her hand. Koromaru-san took notice, and placed his head in her palm. She scratched his cheek softly, "I apologize, this one's name is Koromaru-san," she informed Haru-san, "You've been a great boy, Koromaru-san. Would you like to relax here? I will be back for you as soon as you are finished." Koromaru-san let out a cheerful yip, "Very well. He said he would appreciate your offer very much." Aigis turned back to Haru-san to relay his choice back to her.
"Wonderful! I'll go get him set up, and then I can take you to your room." Haru-san clapped her hands together, "Alright, Koro-chan, follow me!" she marched into the room with Koromaru-san pattering close on her heels.
"I like her, Sister. She's so kind!" Metis' nearly squealed with delight. As usual, Aigis found it hard to disagree with her other self.
She is exceptionally generous. I am sure everyone would have loved to meet Haru-san. Junpei-san would certainly love this exquisite location.
"Ugh, he'd probably be trying to hit on her too, though..." Metis lamented.
Sister, Junpei-san is happily married now. For a long time now. He would not dare do such things anymore. He knows it would upset Chidori-san greatly, and he would not be able to get away with it either, should he even have the desire.
Metis grumbled, "Yeah, you're probably right..."
Haru-san emerged from the room again and offered another warm smile to Aigis, "Okay! Let's go get you situated!" Haru-san led Aigis to the elevators, where they ascended a number of floors rapidly before disembarking and navigating themselves to their rooms.
"Here we are!" Haru-san turned to Aigis, "Hey, Aigis-san. If it's okay with you, I'd like to get to know you better. Do you mind if we chat for a moment this evening?"
Aigis was taken aback, "Are- are you certain? I cannot guarantee I am good company. I can almost ensure the exact opposite."
"Nonsense. You're a kind person, Aigis-san. I don't have a large circle of friends, but I would like to surround myself with kind people like you. It helps me remember just what I fight for."
Aigis considered her words for a moment, "I..." she struggled to reply, "I think... I would like that."
"Yay!" She cheered, "Okay, here's your keycard. I'm going to go clean up real quick, but take your time! My room is right next door, so whenever you're done, you can just knock on the wall and I'll be right over as soon as I can." With that comment, she smiled sweetly again, and waved before walking to her room and disappearing inside.
Aigis stood stunned for a moment.
"Sister!" Metis' voice shook her back awake, "Come on, let's not waste Haru-chan's generosity."
Aigis unsheathed the card from the ornate envelope and swiped in through the reader, granting her access into the room.
It was a modest room, though that was not saying much. Immediately inside was a small kitchen, pristine in it's maintenance, and appearing brand new directly to her left. Designed in a manner such that the cabinets and refrigerator shared a similar face and blended in with one another, the kitchen offered a simple and clean wooden design, with pure white countertops. It had a stove, oven, microwave, and sink, all stainless steel in construction. It offered an open design such that the stove faced out into the common area, and the sink, dishwasher, and refrigerator were positioned behind on the opposite wall.
The common area offered no drop in quality. The couch was long, stretching across nearly the entire wall, into the corner, and extended slightly on the far wall. It was a deep maroon, plush, and exceptionally spacious. A recliner sat close to the border of the kitchen and common area, designed similarly to the couch it sat beside. Opposite the couch and recliner was a mounted television set framed by dark wooden ornamentation, polished and shiny. The center of the area had a small table long enough to be reached from nearly every seat on the sofa. The far wall had a sliding glass door that led out to a small balcony overlooking most of the city, allowing the nightlife lights to pour up from the streets below into the room.
She turned left around the kitchen counter, coming to two doors on either side of a small hallway. To her left, the bathroom door stood ajar, revealing yet more well designed amenities. Constructed out of flawless white tiling on the walls, the shower also had a sliding glass door, leading into a spacious cleaning area. The rest of the walls were constructed out of similar white tiling, with a deep obsidian flooring to contrast. The cabinets were yet more polished and engraved wooden panels, perfectly flush with one another, framing a vanity with powerful lights illuminating the sink countertop. A washing and drying unit was also included in the appliances. The shelves above the toilet held complexly folded towels despite their thickness. Two bathrobes hung nearby as well.
The bedroom was opposite the bathroom. Aigis opened the door, where she found a single large bed beneath a large window. The bed and window took up nearly the entire far wallspace. To the right of the bed sat a large office desk facing the wall shared by the mounted television on it's opposite side. It too, like the rest of the apartment, was designed with dark wooden faces, engraved with complex patterning.
"Wow. Is this girl like, crazy rich or something? Or just stupid?"
Sister.
"Sorry! I'm just stunned. How can she afford to put both of us up on a whim like this? And treat Koro-chan? AND we just met her? Something's gotta be wrong with her."
Sister. Do not be ungrateful.
She let out a huff, "Hey, I told you that just a minute a go! Anyway. Let's get cleaned up. That week on the streets have left us looking worse for wear. She must just pity us."
Metis was right. Aigis returned to the bathroom to take a closer look at herself. The zippered hoodie, plain tee, and jeans were incredibly filthy. The sneakers she had removed at the door were also quite filthy. Her face, too, was marked with grime and dirt. Her hair had been matted, and her headpiece had been scratched and marked in numerous places as well. Though she doubted that there were any forms of proper care for her exoskeleton's plating, she did make note of the shampoo bottles in the shower. She stripped out of her dirtied garments, and sat them on the countertop. She turned on the shower, and while she waited for it to warm up, she noted the parts of her headpiece and face that had sustained the most tarnishing. Hopefully a simple rag and some basic cleaning supplies would help her look more presentable. She tossed her clothes into the machine in the bathroom and switched it on, then stepped into the shower.
She let her hair run under the showerhead.
Admittedly, Aigis was not uncomfortable in her mechanical body. It was practical, yes, but being comfortable with one's body was more complex than finding it useful. She was designed as a young woman, but this body would never function like a human woman's would. That was unimportant to her. She still had many of the senses that a human did, though she had reduced the sensitivity of many of them in order to reserve energy in any way she could. As she cleaned herself, she did allow herself to relish in some sense of comfort. Aigis could understand why Yukari-san, Mitsuru-san, and Fuuka-san allowed themselves this sort of relief every day.
She began lathering shampoo through her hair, attempting to wash it clean.
No, Aigis found it much more important to find connections to others through their hearts. As a Persona user, Aigis had proof of her heart. Her connection with her Sister, her other self, her Persona, was proof that she was Human in a way that people would recognize and connect to in spite of her mechanical nature. Her bond with everyone in SEES, the Investigation Team from Inaba, Labrys, and even her Leader were insurance of her value as a Human. This body could rust, chip, crack, shatter, and dissolve, and it would do nothing to make her soul any less real.
She closed her eyes and began to rinse her hair clean.
And now, Aigis had met someone new, something that she had never really done before. Haru-san was no Persona user, and she met her under somewhat normal circumstance in relation to what Aigis was used to. She was a little nervous about speaking with her more. Should she divulge that she has a mechanical body? Would that be offputting? She was unsure. Her other close friends bonded over their shared experience as Persona users and was done so in high pressure situations. This was very different. Calm. Normal.
Aigis was not normal.
She went through all the motions of a normal human woman, but she wasn't.
That was okay.
Aigis was okay with not being normal.
But she could indulge some normalcy for a little while.
She quickly finished scrubbing the grime from the rest of her body and stepped out into the steamy bathroom once again. She quickly patted off the excess moisture, leaving the plating much more polished than before. It wasn't perfect, but it would do.
She wrapped her head in a towel to slowly dry her hair. Her clothes would not be clean for some time, so she instead grabbed one of the bathrobes from the nearby wall. It was soft and thick, plain and pure white. She wrapped it around her body and was enveloped in warmth.
"Feels familiar, huh?"
Yes... His embrace felt much warmer though.
Aigis performed a quick scan of the wall connecting her and Haru-san's rooms. Finding the thinnest part, she rapped on the spot as Haru-san had instructed, signaling that she was free to join her in her room whenever she was ready.
While she waited, Aigis made her way to the balcony and stepped outside. It was cold, but that did not faze her. She leaned on the railing looking into the city.
Yukari-san... What is happening here? Where are you? I promise, I will do everything I can to keep you safe. He would have done the same, but you know that already, right?
"Of course she does... Yukari is a strong woman. She'll be okay, and we're going to find her and make her she's safe." Metis assured.
She placed her hand over her heart, Thank you, Sister.
A knock came from Aigis' door. She quickly discarded her towel back in the bathroom and shut the balcony door. She opened the front door, and Koromaru-san burst through it and spun around when he reached the living room. Haru-san had seemingly retrieved Koromaru-san while Aigis had taken her time relishing her cleaning. How long had she taken?
Koromaru-san did not seem to mind. His tail was beating back and forth yet again, his coat was fresh and shiny, and he was panting with joy.
"Hello there, Ai-chan!" Haru-san poked her head through the door. She, too, had wrapped herself in one of the plush bathrobes, "Do you mind if I come in?"
"Yes, please come in Haru-san. Did you retrieve Koromaru-san for me?" Aigis let Haru-san through the doorway and shut it behind her. Haru-san giggled.
"No, actually. I asked them to bring Koro-chan up to my room after his session." Haru-san crouched down and Koromaru-san rushed to meet her. He was met with more pets when he arrived, "He's so well behaved. Apparently, he was so relaxed during the treatment he nearly fell asleep!" she giggled again, "How did you train him so well? He was an absolute angel while we waited in my room for you."
Aigis found the angel comment quite funny. His Operative suit had wings for good reason. She answered Haru-san simply, "I did not train him. Koromaru-san is very intelligent. He understands us much more than other animals do."
"Wow, aren't you just the best? Who's a good boy? You are, Koro-chan!" Koromaru-san relished the adoration and praise, "Ai-chan, do you mind if I order some room service here? I know you said you didn't need to eat, but I'll order you something too if you want. Koro-chan too!"
Aigis shook her head, "No, thank you. Please, help yourself. Koromaru-san, would you like something as well?" Koromaru-san let out a satisfied sounding growl, though it was clear he was intensely interested in the kind of food they could provide him, "He would be very pleased to have something as well."
"Excellent! Give me just a moment then," She pulled out her phone and made a few taps on the screen, then sat down beside Koromaru-san and turned the screen toward him. She scrolled slowly down the menu until Koromaru-san found something he liked. He gave a quick yip as indication, and Haru-san seemed to get the message, "This one, huh? You've got good taste Koro-chan." She gave him another scratch under his chin, then stood and made her way into the kitchen, "Do you mind if I prepare some tea as well?" Aigis simply shook her head, and Haru-san began preparing her beverage while tapping away on her phone.
"You said you wanted to speak with me earlier, Haru-san. What did you want to discuss?" Aigis asked.
"Oh, nothing in particular. I just wanted to spend some more time with you. I'm not really particular where our conversation goes," she said. She made her way over to the corner of the couch. Koromaru-san followed behind her closely, and leapt up on the couch when she sat down, "Come on! Join me!"
Aigis complied, sitting just a seat away from Haru-san and Koromaru-san. Koromaru-san had laid his head down on Haru-san's lap. It seems he has really taken a liking to her. That was fine. Aigis has been enjoying Haru-san's company too. Having his approval reassured Aigis that her judgement was not poor.
"So, Ai-chan, sorry, is it okay if I call you that? I've been doing it but I didn't even ask for your opinion."
"Yes, that is fine."
She smiled, "Ai-chan, you said you were here on business? What brings you to Shibuya?"
Aigis pondered this. How exactly should she answer? Lying to Haru-san did not feel right, but divulging the truth of the Phantom Thieves' activity, the Mental Shutdowns, and Yukari-san's peril did not feel right either.
"I am here on... investigative business. My employer has been curious as to the Mental Shutdown incidents in here in Shibuya. She is afraid that the Phantom Thieves have been conducting these actions and wanted to visit the city herself to conduct her own investigation."
"Wow, fascinating. I suppose the Thieves have made quite a name for themselves after all," she giggled. As she spoke, her hands found their way to Koromaru-san's fur yet again, "How come you and your employer were unable to find housing here in Shibuya? If you were able to take a trip here, surely you should be able to arrange that much?"
"Yes, we were able to do so, comfortably in fact. We ran into some... complications, entering the city, however," Complications was an understatement, surely, but Haru-san did not need to know the details of her work, "She and I separated, and since then I have been unable to contact her or access our resources. Your generosity has been greatly appreciated Haru-san."
"Don't mention it!" That charming smile never seemed to leave her face, "You showed me an incredible kindness by helping me earlier. This is the least I could do,"
"This is the LEAST she could do?" Metis marveled again at Haru-san's flippancy for monetary value, "Just who is she? The Heir to Wilduck?"
"I would not call my assistance kind. any given human would desire to help others. It is what makes us human."
"Well, on that we agree. Though, of course, here in Japan it's a little bit harder to lend a helping hand. Some people reach out to assist those in peril and are punished for it," she looked downcast for a moment, "A close friend of mine was brought to Shibuya under circumstances like that. He is an excellent person, but his help was thrown back in his face. I could do the very same to you, in fact. I find that quite unsettling."
Aigis agreed. Taking action to help others being punished? Her work as a Shadow Operative aside, how would someone take offense to the good she had brought to the world? She had intervened in many criminal activities as she roamed the streets, but those people had the ability to take action against her for her help.
A knock at the door shook Aigis from her musings.
"Ah, that must be the order. One moment, you two, I'll be right back." Haru-san delicately moved from under Koromaru-san's head, and leapt up to retrieve their food.
"Well, let's see what ritzy meal she got herself and Koro-chan. This should be good."
Sister.
"What? Everything about this place is ritzy! The food's gotta be too!"
Haru-san returned with a small box first, setting it down on table, then returning to the door and retrieving the other items that had been delivered. She sat a set of three boxes down, slightly larger than the first, and picked up the first again, "Here you go, Koro-chan!" She opened the container to reveal a steaming collection of typical dog food, with perfectly cooked and diced grilled chicken breast meat. It had seemingly been drizzled in the juices that had seeped out of the chicken in order to add and retain flavor.
Koromaru-san stared wide-eyed at the container.
"It's all yours, please, dig in!" Haru-san sat the container down on the floor and pat him on the head. She gave him an encouraging smile, and he leapt down to devour his meal. As he began to eat, Haru-san made her way back into the kitchen to finish preparing her tea, and returned shortly after.
Aigis was extremely relieved to see Koromaru-san in high spirits again. Her own care of the shiba had been lackluster at best. Now that he was in better conditions, he was cheerful, just as he had been in all of her memories of him.
Haru-san settled back into her own seat with the other three boxes, gave a quick thanks for her meal, then unwrapped the ribbon tying the containers together.
"Do you like confections, Ai-chan?" she asked, inspecting each box to determine which item to eat first.
"I cannot say I do. I do not eat. Really."
"Hm," she shrugged, "I've never been much for sweets myself, but a friend of mine has convinced me to try a few recently. I was reluctant at first but I think after what happened earlier this evening, and indulgence could do me some good." Haru-san settled on a rolled pastry, topped with a few dollops of whipped cream, sliced strawberries, blueberries, powdered sugar, all drizzled with melted chocolate, "She's especially fond of these, in fact," she giggled, "I hope she's doing okay tonight..." Her tone betrayed the ever-present smile on her face.
Aigis felt a pang of sadness for Haru-san, "Did something happen to her?"
She shook her head and swallowed a bite of the desert, "She should be okay, just... our group is a little concerned. One of them is doing something pretty dangerous right now, and we can't really help him either, so we're all a little on edge," she played with the food in the box for a moment, "He's the one I mentioned earlier, actually. He's very kind and he's very protective of all of us. I admire him for that."
Aigis noted the light pink dusting across her cheeks.
I understand that feeling. That kindness is something he had as well. He's still protecting all of us now.
"Are you okay, Haru-san? I understand how terrifying it is to watch someone take on danger alone."
"Yes, thank you, Ai-chan. I'm okay. Admittedly I need a bit of a distraction. We won't hear any more news from him until later tomorrow... at least I think..." she took another bite of the pastry, "But I'm very glad I met you tonight! It has made a miraculous turn around from just how stressful it was turning out!" she giggled.
Koromaru-san seemed to finish eating by now. He sat up and let out a long, satisfied yawn, then climbed onto the sofa between the two women and rolled over onto his side. He stretched, pressing his face into Aigis' lap, and settled down, fully prepared to sleep. Aigis smiled at the shiba, and rested her hand on him, softly petting him to help him relax further.
"Did he enjoy his meal?" Haru-san directed the question at Aigis instead of Koromaru-san.
He let out a deep huff in response.
"Thoroughly."
Haru-san laughed at her answer, "I'm pleased to hear it," she continued to eat for a moment, passing the time in silence. She must be looking for something else to talk about.
"Ai-chan. You mentioned the Phantom Thieves earlier." Her smile had faded now. She stared down into the half empty box. Her expression was not unkind, but it lacked the affable disposition Aigis had come to associate with Haru-san, "What do you think of them?"
That is a difficult question, she thought. Aigis was still very conflicted at her own interpretation of the Thieves actions. Should they be the ones behind the Mental Shutdown incidents, Aigis would find them unforgivable. Causing chaos, committing murder, wreaking mass havoc and damage, only to aggrandize themselves openly in public, and complete the performance with a public execution would be grounds for a life of imprisonment, in her opinion.
On the other hand, something did not sit well with her. The only cases in which the Thieves had claimed responsibility before the Okumura Incident had all been exposes of reprehensible individuals. Did they themselves undergo a change of heart somehow? Unlikely. Furthermore, the existence of their Phan-site, as they say, documented numerous instances of changes of heart in similar veins to Kamoshida, Madarame, and Kaneshiro. If the Thieves were indeed taking action to make individuals reform their twisted ways, would that be a bad thing?
And if they can change the hearts of people to reform themselves, could they prevent them from wishing for peaceful ignorance? Could they prevent people from wishing for...
"Sister. You can't seriously think..."
Sister, if this is possible, should we not at least try? He sacrificed everything for us. For everyone. If we are able to free him... to let him rest...
"Hold on, we still don't know the first thing about these guys! We're jumping way too far ahead." her other self warned.
You... are right...
Maybe it was her own self-induced exhaustion thinking for her. It was surely wishful thinking. Some vital subroutines required to parse out that thought had to have been killed in order to preserve her energy.
"Ai-chan?" Haru-san caught her attention again.
"I- I apologize, Haru-san. I was... lost in thought, for a moment. You asked me about the Phantom Thieves, correct?" she nodded, "In all honesty, Haru-san, I am entirely uncertain what to make of them," she laced her fingers together and laid them in her lap beside Koromaru-san's head, "They have declared their desire to reform society and force criminals to repent. Words are meaningless in the face of action, however. They have upheld those values in the months since they have been public, but their assassination of Okumura-san has made me rethink many things. They have made me believe they could be the perpetrators of the Mental Shutdown incidents."
"They are innocent."
Aigis turned her head to Haru-san. She was staring intently into her teacup. She had stated her opinion resolutely, and held a stern look on her face.
"How can you be certain?"
"They're innocent. They wouldn't kill people, especially not my- especially not Okumura-san." she said, "Someone else had to be behind those incidents. Everyone the Thieves helped, everyone they saved. They wouldn't dare throw it all away for a public stunt like that."
Aigis wanted to agree. She looked down at the sleeping shiba in her lap.
Sister. Am I mistaken? Should I trust them? Is there something else going on here?
"I- Sister, I don't know what to think... I wanna believe them too but... one of their victims was executed in front of the world. We can't just ignore that." Metis did her best to rationalize the situation for her other self.
It did little to reassure Aigis.
"I'm sorry, Ai-chan. We were having such a pleasant chat and I just had to take it there. I must just be too stressed."
"No, it is fine, Haru-san. Your conviction is encouraging to me. I am still unsure, but seeing someone as generous as you defending their actions is a very reassuring thing."
Haru-san met her eyes with a small smile. Aigis was pleased to see her face return to some sense of normalcy.
Haru-san took out her phone, checking the time, "Whoops!" she exclaimed, "It's gotten far later than I expected. I should probably let you rest now," Aigis watched as she wrapped the other two boxes up in the ribbon they'd been delivered in, and quickly rinse her dishware out in the sink.
"Ai-chan, before I leave, could we exchange contact information? I quite enjoyed our chat this evening, and I'd like to help you and Koro-chan out for the time being."
"WHAT?!" Metis screeched in her head.
"Haru-san, no, what you have done for us is far more than enough. I could not ask you for more assistance."
"Aw, c'mon. This is nothing. Besides, why wouldn't I help out a friend? You've been so kind to me tonight, and I think having you around in Shibuya is going to be a good thing. If I can help you with your work, I would like to do so."
"This girl is insane..."
Sister.
"I..." Aigis must be running lower on power than she estimated, because she felt that accepting this offer was her only option. Was she desperate? That must be it, "Okay. I can not bring myself to ask you for assistance, but a safe place for Koromaru-san would be beneficial. I cannot reliably care for him on my own," she rationalized her acceptance in the best way she could. If she would accept assistance, she would use it in service of another.
"Good, then you two are free to stay here for as long as you need!" Haru-san smiled brightly at Aigis. The women exchanged contact information, she bid Aigis a restful sleep, and left.
Aigis was unsure if she could call this evening 'normal' any longer.
This young woman she had helped at no second thought had just offered to help her conduct an investigation into the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, and offered to house her and Koromaru-san while she did so. Despite her own resolute stance in support of them, she had offered to support an investigation that could lead to their imprisonment and downfall. Aigis did not have an excellent reference point for 'normal,' but she was certain this was strange in a way she was unfamiliar with.
One thing was left lingering in her mind in spite of the strangeness.
She kept calling me kind. She is wrong. What kind person allows their friend be endangered like I have? Yukari-san... I am sorry for letting this space grow between us.
"You're too harsh on yourself, Sister. Just watch, we'll find Yukari-chan and make sure she's safe, and she'll be more than happy to see us!" Metis assured her.
Thank you, Sister. Your support is invaluable. She felt Metis' pride shining in her heart. It was electrifying.
Aigis decided one thing for the evening, however. She was tired. That had to be what this feeling would be described as. She had never worn herself so thin before. Damaged systems were one thing, but depleted energy was an entirely different sensation. Do normal humans experience this every day? That sounds unbearable.
She resolved to take a page out of their book and hit the hay, as they say. She made her way to the bedroom, laid down, and let her system and mind enter a state of dormancy.
She would awake tomorrow and continue her mission with a new day on the horizon.