Lost Navigator

Hey there my name is Cassie, I’m 24 years old and I’ve been RPing off and on for about 10 years now. I’m still in college due to health issues that kept me from doing well in certain classes. If I’m not here then I’m either working part time or playing World of Warcraft on US-Proudmoore, Alliance. If you need help in-game feel free to reach out to me and I’ll see what I can do.

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Phantom Thief AU

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@fogchanged || HIATUS || Persona 4 Fog End AU Multimuse @foolishwinds || Low to Medium || Persona Inertance Yosuke Hanamura @fallenheroine || HIATUS || Akumatized Marinette Dupain Cheng

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I fell. The shower wasn’t working. I just wanted to go for a swim. All of that will be greeted with judgment. No chance for escape, much like the latest turn of events.

“I can’t inconvenience you or your grandmother.” Showing up unexpectedly is an inconvenience, and even if there is an extra room on the upper floors of Marukyu, it’s still an inconvenience. To put it simply, she doesn’t like springing things onto others without prior notice.

“I suppose I already did inconvenience you,” she enjoys using this word it seems, “but…” I can walk home. How will that turn out if she said it out loud? Never mind how she’s already following Rise to the shopping district.

“You are not an inconvenience.”

If Naoto wasn’t soaking wet, Rise would have turned around in that instant and looked the detective right in the eyes. Her tone was firm yet held a sense of gentleness and concern that came with being Rise’s friend. There is absolutely no way that Rise could see Naoto as an inconvenience, especially if she’s clearly in need of aid.

“Now that you mention it I can see why she wouldn’t mention it.” He would of definitely said no, since he would much rather prefer to stay home or hidden somewhere far away from people.

Tricky, she did mention Rise would need a guard for a while so the length didn’t really concern him and he’s been all over both Japan and the united states but Europe, he wondered if Mitsuru knew if something persona related could happen there. He’d be researching Europe tonight. He fiddled with his hands thinking before returning his eyes to Rise’s bow, anywhere but direct eye contact.

“She said it be long, so it’s not too strenuous personally, is there anything else you can tell me? Any places on your tour bus that you can get out besides the front or back door? Allergies? You mentioned your a navigator? So I’m assuming like Fuuka?”

He knew about many places all over the US and some places in Japan and obviously Rise knew it as well, that’s probably why she chose him specifically, and his versatile knowledge. Still he couldn’t help his hand shaking slightly, he was really bad at talking to people, was he really the best person for this? Or did Mitsuru choose them cause they were close to age? He definitely be talking to her after this.

Rise wasn’t sure why Mitsuru wouldn’t bring up such an important piece of information. This wasn’t a short tour they were going on. Hitting three different countries and around two dozen different venues if she remembered what Inoue had told her. Plus any mini events that they decide to throw into the mix as well. Though that was a question for another time, what she needed to focus on was the present.

“If I remember correctly, there are about two dozen different performances planned plus any mini events that are planned. I’ve been busy preparing so I might have forgot something. So it’s going to be a long tour.”

A finger is placed to the side of her chin as she recalled the tour bus layout. It was a standard one, so it shouldn’t be too different from the ones that other artists use.

“I think there’s a roof hatch in case the bus tips over but that’s it. No allergies that I’m aware of.”

“Hm. Maybe. Shadows do seem to have their own rules, after all. Wouldn’t surprise me to learn they’ve got their own set of powers they can use.” Maybe Shadows were able to create cracks, and get out from the cells they were supposed to be in? Or that it looked like they were supposed to be in. “If I knew how to take them back, I might entertain the idea. And, you know… if I knew it’d have any effect on their behaviour. Easier to keep ‘em in my Palace for now, lock them up in the cells I added.” Shadows and Desires both, because sometimes you wanted the entire Shadow, just in case.

It was easier to lock up the entire Shadow, in regards to keeping track of them, than just yanking the stone out. And also with changing them - small adjustments with the Desire stone, big ones with the shadow.

He shot her a sympathizing look as she spoke, though. Decaf couldn’t imagine how hard it must be in the entertainment industry - having to listen to all those people telling you what, when, and how, to do everything. He wouldn’t have been able to stand it, all the orders and demands.

“Want any help with them? Shadows, palaces… desires. got a whole host of options I can pick from if they’re awful enough.” It felt odd to offer, but he wasn’t about to let another set of shitty people go free if he had any say. That aside though…

“Oh definitely. It’s big, it’s got chains coming off of it, and more importantly, it’s sitting outside the cells, not in one of it’s own. And sure, I could argue that the chains might be ‘cell’ enough, but I don’t think so.” He began, following her. “Anything more I can learn about that thing, I’ll take. Made a replica of it to study in my off-time, and I’ve been wondering if it can even talk. Seen weirder shadows. Nice to get a name, if that’s the case, ‘cup’ feels so… rude. What’s another word for… oh! Chalice! That’s better.” Much more impressive.

And much less rude if the thing actually could understand him. Which it likely could, all things considered. There was no way it was just there for decoration. Mementos didn’t do decoration like that.

“That chalice is the most interesting thing I’ve seen in a while. Something about it, I don’t know…” Decaf muttered, trailing off as he followed Rise down. Something about it drew him in. He needed to know more. “Answers would be nice. Be good to have some sort of direction, and not just flail around on the surface taking out shitty people.”

“Shadow Selves definitely can have their own set of powers. I remember one Shadow Self I saw in the TV World, she was able to take a teenager and age them up to be old men. Thankfully we had recovery skills for it, but that’s just the tip of the ice berg.”

She knew what her own Shadow Self could do in her berserk form. Dodge attacks and retaliate with the exact skill type the attackers were weak against. Though with the new element types that exist in Mementos, she wasn’t sure if she could counter those. However, that didn’t matter. She knew who she was and as long as she followed the Lord’s path there would be no need to worry about her Shadow Self reappearing. 

“If you have the time, I know the names of a few people who are willing to promote idols if they trade certain favors... or tarnish a reputation if you get on their bad side.”

Thankfully before she learned of the Lord’s path, she didn’t have to deal with those individuals. Offers were made, and suggestions heard. However, Inoue quickly turned them down and thanks to her popularity and how she interacted with her fans. The was no point in them trying to tarnish Risette’s reputation, as it would be quickly called out as fake. 

A small smile came onto Speaker’s lips listening to Decaf talk about her Lord. A chalice was a much better way to describe them without knowing their true name. She kept quiet, listening intently to Decaf’s thoughts as they walked deeper into the depths. This hidden path really sped things up and with no threat of Shadow attacks, made it perfect to get down into the Depths without a vehicle. 

“I haven’t gone to see it up close recently. Though I did do a quick scan of it and I could tell that it’s alive somehow. But that’s all I could get at the time.”

A partial truth, she hasn’t gone close to her Lord’s sanctuary recently. She’s been busy with other tasks that’s she’s either undertaken or requested to oversee, that kept her away from the heart of Yaldabaoth’s domain. Though she was very aware of what the chalice is. 

“Oh, well, I can’t go spoiling the surprise on myself, then, can I~?” Decaf responded amusedly. Part of him expected a trap, but then, why pick the bottom of Mementos to do it? Surely if she wanted to ambush him with friends and family, she’d pick somewhere easier to get to? “Much as I really do want to learn more. You’ve got me hooked and everything!” He could wait. And maybe interrogate some Shadow or other on what they knew of the subject.

The right shadow could tell him everything he needed to know.

“When I first went in I didn’t think the doors would shut behind me. Kinda makes me wonder how any of the People shadows manage to get out at all if it’s that hard to find an exit without a persona.” All the more reason to round them up, he supposed. Question on of them on how they got out of the Depths, or even if that’s where they came from at all. Things to do later, he supposed, mentally shaking the thoughts away. For now, he had to focus on the present.

Decaf made a contemplative noise when Rise suggested it was the lack of masks. That… made sense, actually. Real life required mask after mask, costume after costume - even worse when you could pick out the little parts that were awful, that they didn’t hide well enough. That made him want to drag their Desires out kicking and screaming as he locked them up in his Den to alter later.

“…Maybe. I definitely don’t like hiding very much, literally or metaphorically.” Decaf began, looking away for a moment. “In the Metaverse, I’m… powerful. I’m strong, I can go where I please and do what I want and just… be me. In the real world you’ve gotta play by a dozen sets of rules at once, or the big fish on top try to squish you like a bug. Bastards.” Big fish he’d eviscerate the shadows of given half a chance.  A sigh, shaking these thoughts away too, before he resumed looking at Rise, and nodded. “To find new things in the Metaverse? Always. Especially if it involves the cup… Wanna know more about that. What it does. Why it’s so deep. It’s interesting. Never seen anything like it before.”

“Trust me, it’s worth the wait. I think it’s more exciting to see it first and then learn about this other place that shared a similar property.”

The TV World was cleansed, Izanami defeated, and her Lord had no need for that part of the collective unconscious. Telling Decaf about the place where she found her power by finding her true self shouldn’t pose any problems. If anything, it might make him even more curious about other parts of the Collective Unconscious. Maybe curious enough that she can manipulate this situation to her advantage and dragging him closer and closer to the Lord’s path.

“They probably slipped through some crack that later got repaired? This place changes based on humanity, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are times where it changes enough to leave small cracks that the corrupted use to try and escape.”

Even she isn’t sure how people escape from the Depths. Nor has her Lord shared with her the reasoning behind it. No matter, any who stray from the sacred path could always be guided back... or forced back if the situation demands it. 

“Wearing masks all the time can get tiring, I should know. That was the reason I took my break 5 years ago in the first place. Though through meeting my true self, I learned that they were not masks hiding my true, but just different parts of myself taking center stage at different times. Though that didn’t change that I still had to act in front of those from the shadier parts of the entertainment industry.”

The thought of having to trade unspeakable acts to bonuses within the industry enraged Speaker to the core. Though she calmed down quickly, a reminder that under the Lord’s guidance that will be a thing of the past. It was only a matter of time before those bastards got what was coming for them. Shaking her head, she pushed the thought out of her mind. She’ll bring them before the Lord’s judgement another day... hopefully with Decaf’s aid.

“I haven’t seen anything like it either. Though if being a Persona user taught me one thing... something like that does not exist without a good reason.”

Speaker felt like she should be insulted on her Lord’s behalf. However, if Decaf didn’t know her Lord’s name then it made sense why he described them as he did. No sense in lingering around here any longer as she turned away from Decaf and headed towards the secret passage down into the Depths. No sense in taking the long way down anyways. This wasn’t a fighting trip after all. 

This was the problem when you had an actual doctor on the team. There was no ‘asking for a friend’ or ‘it was an accident’. One look at the small scratches left on the idol’s body and the way she held her right arm would give Tae all the information she needed to know what happened.

Opening the door of the clinic, Rise winced in pain as she walked in. She wasn’t sure if Akira called ahead to make sure that Tae knew what had happened today in the Metaverse. 

“Do you have a few minutes?”

Flipping through the pages of unfinished songs, nothing really stood out to the idol as something that would help with her current mood. The front of the notebook were the more traditional pop songs that she got famous for. The later half were the songs that held more personal meaning. The songs she wrote to share with others the experiences she learned by being a Persona User and looking death in the mouth every day.

She settled on one of the songs from the back off the book and started to hum the lyrics to herself while strumming the guitar. Maybe some inspiration would strike soon.

The sound of metal hitting metal echoed through the eerie silence of the Dark Hour. An odd sound so soon after the Full Moon Shadow fight. Yet here Rise was, sparring against her Persona. Kouzeon was roughly the same height as Rise, which is unusual for the Persona. Speaking about unusual, Kouzeon looked completely different than the last few time she’s appeared on the battlefield. Most notably the missing telescope head, two less arms and the two swords she held with matching shields. The swords had a soft pink glow around the edge of the blades looking like a protective cover of sorts.

The duo kept on going back and forth. Kouzeon blocking Rise’s strikes while Rise was dodging out of the way and deflecting the sword swings with her staff. It seems like they’ve been going at this for awhile as Rise looks like she’s growing tired while Kouzeon seems un-phased.

“You should stop.”

Kouzeon spoke to her other self, continuing to block the incoming strikes. Though the Persona already knew the answer that would be coming.

“I can keep going.”

- Luke -

He gave a small nod, glad it wasn’t a bad time. Perhaps it was the perfect time so she took a break, if the fact she looked ready to go at the training dummy again was anything to go by. 

“Well, it’s about navigation. I know you were the team’s only navi for a while there. From the start I was planning on leaving once we got you back and the fight was over, but…” Hm… How to word this…

“Mostly I’m wondering if that’s a good idea, I suppose. I don’t really know anyone else here yet, and I’m unsure about how you feel, with everything that’s gone on.” She did lock away a majority of her navi skills, from how he understood the situation. And that said nothing about before he arrived. Depending on what happened, she was probably still wary.

He rubbed the back of his head, his smile betraying some of his nerves. “Heheh, basically, I’m asking if you wouldn’t mind having me around still. I could even take up the role as main navigator, if you’re feeling off about it?”

Rise knew that only so much time could pass before the elephant in the room would be brought up. Her actions during the Lovers fight and the consequences that came with it. By locking herself out of her Navigator abilities, she was able to protect the rest of the teams from dealing with her skills. However, that doesn’t change what happened. She was lured away from the others, she left her team without a navigator. She felt guilty for letting her team down... even though she had no way of knowing what was going on until it was far too late.

She was able to get Kouzeon to take her combat form with no problem now, but there were still a few unresolved issues that made Navigating difficult. Though those issues were ones she needed to sort out herself. Issues tied to the past that she understands now that she needs to stop running away from. A quiet sigh came from the idol’s lips.

“A lot has happened to say the least. Though... “

Does she tell him? She hasn’t brought this up to anyone else, not even Futaba yet. They were still recovering from dealing with the Shadow. No, this is part of her problem. Wanting to help others, but being fairly tight lipped about her own issues. The Navigators were their own “sub-team” and if she couldn’t speak her mind there, then how would she be able to say things when the group gets larger.

“I wouldn’t say I’m okay... I am doing better though. Being under the Lover’s charm woke me up to a few things, and I haven’t come to term with those problems yet. It’s making it hard for me to comfortably get my head into the Navigation mindset.”

The offer to take over her spot as Team 1′s navigator caused her to pause. That wasn’t what she was expecting to hear, and a few seconds pass as she thinks about it before nodding her head in agreement. 

Maruki looked up as he was reading something on his phone, noticing that he had managed to wander into a room. He really needed to pay attention to where he was going for once. 

Though, now that he was here, and seeing who was inside it… he decided to stick around. Maybe if he talked things out with her, they could mend things and improve their relationship. And even if it didn’t… well, at the very least, he could tell her that he’s always ready to listen when she’s ready to talk. With that thought in mind, he took a deep breath and spoke up. 

“Do you… mind if I sat here with you?” 

Hearing his voice caused Rise’s grip around the glasses tightened. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath in. If there was a single good thing that came out of the last fight was some semblance of comfort. She was able to stop her powers from harming the others even while being influenced by a Shadow.

‘This wasn’t him. This wasn’t him. I don’t have to fear him.’

The breath was slowly exhaled as she released the death grip she had on the glasses.

“Sure, go ahead.”

- Luke -

With everyone getting some rest in, Luke had decided that among the first things he had to do was find Rise first. He might’ve only been here a day or two, and from the beginning he was only a temporary navi, but after everything, he felt it best to talk it over with the actual navi of team 1, and perhaps Yu later on.

He found her after searching for a while (and maybe getting lost), seeing how she went after the poor dummy with her staff. For a few moments, he wondered if it’d even be wise to approach now. Evidentially, she’s been here for a while, so perhaps he’d be fine to approach- if with some level of caution. 

“Um, sorry to interrupt, Rise. Is now not a good time to talk? I’ve got something I wanted to ask regarding team 1.”

Taking a few steps back from the training dummy, Rise was about to go at it again before she heard someone call out to her. She paused and looked around to see who it was. Her eyes finally landed on Luke as she stood up properly. Shaking her head no, Rise walked over to where her stuff was and put the staff down.

“No, it’s fine. I should stop for a little bit anyways.”

She was getting tired after all of the repetition, and she still hasn’t fully recovered from the fight yesterday. However, after the Nyx fight Rise had issues staying in bed for long periods of time. Which is what brought her out here, even if she still should be inside resting. Not that anyone needed to know that. Since her Final Guard was broken not by external damage, rather through her own will. Her SP levels were not nearly as low as the last fight she was actively in.