Taking time out to forget.

Spoilers for the Full Moon in October. The title is taken from the 31 Days theme for April 19, 2008.

He hesitates sometimes, when they're moving through Tartarus together – his eyes stray a little further than they should as he sizes the rest of SEES up, seeking out the person who's supposed to be just at Ken's shoulder but isn't. Won't ever be. He catches himself when they run into a Shadow every now and then, stops himself from thinking up strategies that involve axe-wielders and bruisers when they don't have one anymore. And sometimes, when a fight pans out a particular way and unwittingly follows the pattern of some other fight in some other, lower part of Tartarus did years ago (or, worse, just a month or so back), he gets a little quiet until Mitsuru's hand on his arm brings him back.

He's decided to stand alone – that his Persona changed along with him is testament to that fact. That does not mean, however, that he was ever willing to be alone, or, more like, that he was willing to not have that one particular person (brother) backing him up.