sheridan | (closed) painting up a promise

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(closed) painting up a promise

[ After a enlightening conversation with Futaba, Sae figures she should hear the story straight from the source. A hikikomori can't go to school, she had said. At the time, Sae hadn't wanted to press her. From what she heard, Futaba was an incredibly bright child, with the aptitude and grades to enter any university of her choice. Akira had confirmed it during her interrogation.

Smart enough to not only know the cognitive world, but also to ask the Thieves to steal her heart... it had been almost impossible for Sae to imagine, but she's starting to think she understands. Maybe.

She arrives at her usual time, around 18:00, and stays a while to accommodate Futaba's request. Instead of sitting at the bar, she's chosen one of the booths, and she's even sampling the curry this round. Mm, it's better than she remembered.

Upon seeing Futaba, she closes her laptop and sets her curry plate aside. ]

Hi. I'm sorry if my request seemed urgent... I just figured, it would be easier to talk in-person.

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[Futaba's a bright girl, and of course, her memory is almost flawless. Having heard Sae's order once before, and knowing that Sae was coming, she's already setting a cup of Sae's coffee down as she sits across from her, with a glass of orange juice for herself.]

If it's not easier, I'll just start texting you.

[... from across the table. Just go with it.]

What did you need?

[ There's a blunt way to ask, and then a not-so-blunt way, and Sae's pretty sure that she'd tragically fail if she went for the straightforward approach. She leans forward, reaching to take the coffee mug and try a sip.

Oh holy - ]

You've gotten better. [ . . . ] Not that the coffee last time was terrible or anything.

[ But she has a purpose, and that purpose wasn't to try Futaba's (new and improved) flat white. ]

I just - you said something to me earlier, and I wanted to know exactly what you meant by it.

I've been practicing!

[She tilts her head, and then just.

Recites their earlier conversation, perfectly, word-for-word.]

Which part?

[ she might as well get to the point: ] The part about hikikomoris being unable to attend school. I wasn't quite sure what you meant, and I know I might be overstepping my bounds, but... could you elaborate on it?

I couldn't attend school while I locked myself up in my room. Isn't that obvious?

[This might not have been the right question.]

[ . . . ]

Well, yes, but... [ maybe subtlety wasn't the best approach. ] You're not locking yourself up now, right?

... I'm right here?

[Now she just looks confused.]

Let me rephrase my question: what would cause you to lock yourself up inside your room for so long?

[ she grows quiet, before explaining - ] I know it's apples and oranges, but my father passed away while I was in law school, so it's not... it's not like I'm completely unfamiliar with that feeling.

[oh.

well, now she's looking down and pulling out her phone. And Sae will have her own phone buzz a moment later, with a bunch of messages from an anonymous account.]

I am the Phantom Thief Alibaba. I have heard your questions, and must ask my own instead. Did you not hear all of this from Joker? I had thought your methods forced a complete confession from him.

[ Hm. Sae pulls it out and gives it a once over. If texting is easier, then she'll oblige. ]

Joker was careful to not incriminate his associates.
He was equally careful to leave out what wasn't relevant to the overall story, or what would've given your identity away.
He told me about the grief and undeniable guilt you must've been feeling.

But from what I understand, there now seems to be more that he wasn't telling.

I see. The drugs weren't as effective as I had thought. That is fortunate. Well, then. You know of the death of Wakaba Isshiki, do you not?

Yes.
I also know that she was studying the effects of the cognitive world, and that you had learned of it through her studies. Joker told me about the "palace" inside you.

What I don't understand: you asked him to steal your heart.
But there was a Palace in me too, and beyond receiving the calling card, I was completely unaware of everything.

[She starts typing again... then, hesitates. And then she puts the phone down.]

... I entered my own Palace. I ended up with the Meta-Nav on my phone somehow, and used it. And... My Shadow had used it, too. Somehow, in reverse, she used the Meta-Nav to combine with my hallucinations to talk to me in the real world.

[there's... probably one important word in there.]

[ !!! ]

Like me, then... except you consciously were aware of it and you had - [wait up. ] Hallucinations? Like the kind you could interact with?

Yeah. Except I did it on purpose.

[she looks down.]

... I'd been having those hallucinations for a while. I managed with them for a while, but by the time I locked myself up in my room, they'd gotten so bad I couldn't handle it anymore.

I couldn't really interact with them. Mostly, they just yelled at me. Repeated things. Like the fake suicide note, or... the stuff all my relatives, or Mom's friends, said.

I'm so sorry... [ She bows her head, unsure of how to proceed. Even after visiting her own Palace, she still can't wrap her head around how real the cognitive world (Metaverse?) felt. ] And you were dealing with them right up until you visited your palace?

[ If her math's right, "a while" had become... two years... ]

No wonder.

[She nods, still not looking at Sae.]

... It wasn't too bad at first. It was living with my uncle that... made them even worse. They went away for a bit when I started living with Sojiro, but then they came back...

That must've been hard on both of you. [ In hindsight, she feels especially harsh for pulling the social services card on Sojiro. He didn't deserve that. ] But once you acquired your Persona, they went away entirely?

[She takes a long drink of her juice.]

... They haven't recurred yet, anyway, but it's possible nothing's triggered them yet. It's not like my hallucinations were the fault of the Metaverse, so I don't know if the Metaverse can fix them entirely.

True. If you don't know for sure, it's best not to speculate.

[ She pauses, ] I know I apologized already, so... thank you for trusting me with this.

[She shakes her head.]

... There's a lot I still won't talk to the other Thieves about, but... For this sort of thing, I want to be sure you understand, more than anyone else.

Of course. I won't breathe a word of this to them.

[ There had been quite a bit she'd kept from Makoto before, but this feels different. Futaba's secrets wouldn't be Sae's to tell. ]

[She nods.]

You remember how, when Mom died, I got passed around my relatives a lot?

Yes. Sojiro adopted you after... [ she pauses, ] your uncle, right?

[She nods.]

Sojiro... He paid a ton for me. Most of the inheritance went to my uncle so he'd let Sojiro take me. Because... He was...

[She looks down again, and then pulls out her phone, typing again.]

Youji Isshiki was a cruel and petty man. In his foolish jealousy and resentment towards his sister, he sought revenge on her through her daughter. Though his heart has now been changed, while she lived with him, Futaba Sakura was kept in conditions not fit for an animal. Sojiro Sakura saved her.

[ As she reads the text, a wave of anger washes over her. How dare anyone treat a child - much less someone as intelligent and creative as Futaba - so cruelly? Futaba wasn't her mother.

Sae draws in a breath, her brow furrowing, ] No child should have to pay for the so-called "sins" of their parents.

I'm so sorry. [ In hindsight, her threats about custody were harsh. Tone-deaf. Far ruder than she had anticipated. Her voice grows quiet: ] If I had known... no. I can't take back the past, but I'm glad you're in a better place now.

[ Both literally and figuratively. ]

[She looks up again, nodding.]

So I wanted you to understand. It's not a matter of trusting you. I want to be sure you understand, so I can stay with Sojiro forever.

[ Of course. Sae doesn't know what her career will look like, post Phantom Thieves, but she does know where her justice lies. ]

Well, you have my word. I'll do whatever I can to make sure it stays that way.

[that's enough to get a genuine smile out of her at least.]

Thank you.

Of course. [ Even if she doesn't have much personal experience with this, she knows: ] Family's more than just blood.

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(closed) painting up a promise

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