A/N: Hey, all. Here's some more for you. Interesting part? This is my favorite chapter in this story. ;P Those of you who know/have played P4, you'll probably know why.
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"Seta-san and his friends spoke to me again."
The teen glanced up at his friend, raising an eyebrow. "Oh? About what?"
"The Morooka murder. They wanted to know what I thought about it."
He tilted his head. "And you told them it was just a copycat?"
"Hai. Though it seems Seta-san had already come to that conclusion. I feel he brought me there just to convince his friends."
"Nn…. And Kujikawa-san has joined his group, just like Tatsumi-san?"
"Hai. You were right about anyone they save joining up with them." She shook her head. "But, how do they know what to do….?"
He bit his lip, then just went for it. "I have an idea, but it sounds a bit ridiculous…."
"Nani?"
"The—The other day when the Midnight Channel was on, I got really close to the screen to try to see better, which didn't work, by the way." Naoto smirked at his sheepish grin. "Um, but I tripped, and my hand went through the TV."
"…You broke the TV?"
"I—Iie! I went through it, like it was water or—or I was intangible!"
She scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "Impossible. People can't simply go through—"
He shoved his hand into the TV next to them.
Her eyes went wide. She scrambled over next to him to look more closely at his arm. The screen rippled around his elbow, looking for all the world like a sideways pool of water. "H—How—? That's—That's not—!"
She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, then pulled his hand out and pushed her own towards the screen. It stopped at the surface. She brought her hand away and motioned for him to try again.
His hand went through.
"Why does it work for you and not me…?" she asked in that pensive tone she used during tough cases.
"I don't know. But, if Seta-san and his friends can do this—"
"That would explain how they are able to save everyone. The victims of our murderer are somehow put inside TVs."
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The day they brought the rather creepy, fish-eyed Kubo Mitsuo in for the murders was the first time Naoto's friend heard her yell.
"They have the wrong person!" she screamed. "But, iie! Seta-san said it was him, so it must be!" She huffed, throwing herself down onto the couch.
Her friend gave her a look that was half concern, half curiosity. "They… didn't believe you?"
"The head detective, Dojima-san, took me off the case." She crossed her arms, looking like the spoiled daughter who didn't get the doll she wanted. "It's up to him and that goofy assistant of his, Adachi-san, now."
"So… what will you do?"
"I don't know. But, I will think of something."
Thou art I…and I am Thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fortune Arcana….
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Naoto stared in shock at her friend. He'd been twitchy, almost panicky, since the school had announced that they would be taking a trip to Iwatodai. She'd had no idea why he was acting this way… until now.
"N—Nani?"
"I—I'm staying here."
Her brow furrowed. "You have to come."
He shook his head rapidly. "I—Iie! What if I see Aigis-san? I—I haven't answered her calls since March! Sh—She'll kill me! O—Or Yukari-senpai, she—she blames me for Mina-kun's death still! I—I can't go!"
"You have to. You'll be in trouble with the school if you don't!"
He got that glazed, far-away look in his eyes that she sometimes saw when he thought she wasn't looking. "I'll be leaving the school soon, anyway."
"Na—?"
"Never mind. I'm not going."
"…You'll get to talk to Minato-kun again." She knew it was a low blow, but she had to convince him.
His lip quivered. After a long, tense moment, he nodded shakily. "A—Alright, I—I'll go."
She grinned. "Good. I'll need the back-up to interrogate Seta-san and his friends."
That glazed look came back, but only partially. "You have Tatsumi-san confused, y'know."
She turned her nose up at him. "I have them all confused," she said haughtily. "They all believe my ruse."
"Iie. He thinks he's gay for you."
She blushed brightly.
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The teen spent the day hiding from any and all Gekkoukan students and teachers that would recognize him. It worked, until Mr. Edogawa called on him.
"Hm, how about… Shun Yamada-san…. Wait, Shun-san?"
He pushed himself lower into the desk as the Gekko-High students stared in shock.
Fushimi Chihiro, one of the many girls Minato had dated, gasped and hunted him down after the class, cornering him with the help of her friends.
"Aigis-senpai has been going crazy, Yamada-san! You have to speak to her!"
Between her and her friends, he was frog-marched to the third-year classrooms. They knocked on the door of 3-B, then ditched him. He was still gaping in shock when the door opened and Junpei stared down at him.
"Y—Yamada-kouhai? B—But—"
"I—I've been told to s—speak with Aigis-senpai," he murmured.
Junpei half-grinned. " 'Bout time, man. She's been—"
"Going crazy, I heard. Gomen nasai."
"Not me you should apologize to." Then he moved out of the way as Aigis pushed by and pulled the younger teen away.
She dragged him into an empty hallway and immediately pushed him against the wall. "You broke your promise," she growled.
"You broke yours."
She froze. "Nani?"
"You said you'd hunt me down if I didn't call. You never did."
"They would not let me."
He sank to the floor. "I… missed you, Aigis-san."
"…I have been worried. I heard about the murders in Inaba, and you were not calling."
"Go—Gomen nasai. I didn't mean to worry you, Aigis-san. I—I've been busy."
"…I smell blood on you. Lift your sleeves."
The teen leaned back, trying to find a way out. "I don't see any reason why—!"
She pushed his sleeves up, neither noticing the person spying on them.
"Some of these are fresh!" Aigis exclaimed.
He twisted his head away. "They aren't nearly as deep as I used to do."
"Why? You were doing so well before you left! Why would you regress back to this? H—Have you been using the—?"
"Iie! I would never use your gifts that way!"
"Then what?"
He bit his lip, studying the floor. "…Scissors, razors, a knife one time…."
"Yama-kun…. Is this why you did not call me? You knew I would find out?"
"Partially. I've been… helping with the murder case."
"Nani?"
"I'm rooming with a detective who's working on the case."
"I see. Still, I fully expect to have a long talk with you."
"As do I," a shaking Naoto declared as she came into view.
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"I guess now I know why you keep those kunai and that gun around," a rather betrayed Naoto stated.
Her friend watched as she paced, trying to calm them both. "Iie—"
"You cut. You—You're suicidal! Do you even comprehend how idiotic I feel for not realizing this sooner? I'm supposed to be a detective, and I couldn't even tell my best friend and roommate was suicidal!"
"But I—"
She spun on him, snarling now. "What? You were careful around me? So I wouldn't find out? When did this even start? Was it only just after Minato-kun died? Or was it when you knew he was about to? Did he even know?"
That did it. "Of course he knew!" the teen yelled back. "He's the reason I stopped trying to kill myself when I cut!"
Naoto blinked at him, sinking into a chair as her legs gave out. "N—Nani?"
"I—It's not a means of death to me. At least, not anymore. It's just a bad habit. More addictive than drugs and harder to quit." He sighed. "Mina-kun was trying to help me quit."
"W—When did it start?"
"I can't even remember. It just sort of… happened."
She knew what that tone meant. She nodded. "I understand. Would you like to hear my plan?"
A curious glance met her. "You have an idea about how to lure out the real killer?"
She smirked. "Of course."
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Souji and co. ended up dragging Naoto to a club in Port Island's Paulownia Mall, which, of course meant that Naoto dragged along her friend.
He was still mad about her plan, but she knew he wouldn't bring it up among Souji and his friends. He went without a struggle until he saw the club they were headed for.
He froze. "Iie. I—Iie, I—I can't—"
Naoto waved the others on. Then she turned to her friend. "Yama-kun? What's going on?" She tilted her head. "You didn't even react this badly to being at Gekkoukan High."
"I—I'm very—very—sensitive t—to alcohol."
She blinked, then frowned, hands on her hips. "What was my cousin doing, letting you drink when you—when you both were still minors?"
"He didn't—!"
"I'm not going to allow you—any of us to drink, alright? You have nothing to worry about."
"But it's not—!"
"Come, the others are waiting."
And she dragged him inside.
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Her friend was purring. Almost immediately upon entering, he became sluggish, tired, and disoriented. He was now snuggled up next to her, mumbling to himself. It seemed he thought she was Minato.
Souji and his friends were chuckling. "Is… he alright?" Souji asked.
Naoto sighed. "I think I understand why he was so hesitant to come in…. It seems he really is sensitive to alcohol."
Yosuke blinked, shocked. "He was slipped something?"
"Iie. It appears that he is able to get drunk from the mere smell of alcohol. Not common, but not unheard of."
"Mmm… Mina-kuuun, I wan' go home," the "drunk" teen murmured.
She blushed. "Ya—Yama-kun, I'm Naoto, not Minato-kun!"
He pouted and curled tighter. "Liar. Blue hair, Mina-kun." He yawned, stretched, and made that purring sound again. "Ao-kun."
"Who's Minato-san?" Yukiko asked, giggling slightly.
"A… friend of his. Yama-kun, M—Minato-kun isn't here."
"Always… chasin' after a girl or guy…. Nev'r time f'me…."
Naoto blushed, having forgotten how close the two were and her cousin's dating habits.
"What's he mean by that?" Kanji asked gruffly. Not that he ever spoke and wasn't gruff.
"Ah, Minato-kun was a bisexual polygamist." Naoto got lots of blank stares and sighed. "He dated many people, both boys and girls, at the same time."
Souji's eyes went wide, Yosuke looked like he was about to pass out, Kanji had turned bright red, Teddie seemed confused still, and the three girls were blinking. Finally, Rise grinned. "Sounds like an interesting guy! Can we meet him?"
"Um, he's—he's dead."
The group went silent, except for the teen's mutterings. "Mina-kuuun, I wan' go h'm!"
Naoto gave up correcting him. "We'll go home later, Yama-kun."
"Mm… won't even use your n'kname f'me…."
She blushed. "There are others here, Yama-kun."
"N'ver this cold 'round Yukari-s'npai…."
She sighed. "I never should've brought him…."
"What nickname?" Teddie asked.
Naoto blinked. "Um, Dai-chan."
The purring teen beside her snuggled closer, throwing her arms around her. She blushed. " 'Boutime, Mina-kun…."
While the teen snuggled with Naoto, Souji's friends decided to play a game. Teddie, Rise, and Yukiko were slowly but surely getting drunk on the atmosphere, and Naoto was left worrying over how to sober not one but four drunk teens. Meanwhile, the others drew chopsticks.
Naoto ignored them until Teddie slipped a chopstick each to her and the teen dozing off at her side. She immediately protested.
"Nonsense! Naoto-kun and Yama-kun are going to play, too!" the exuberant, obnoxious blond that was Teddie declared. So Naoto sat back and pleaded for any God listening to let it not be her that was called this round.
The teen beside her yawned, lost his balance, and fell into her lap. She froze, tensing and blushing, but he simply curled up and dozed off again.
"Ooh! Ooh! Teddie is the King! Teddie is the King!" Naoto could've sworn the boy was five with how hyper he was. "King Teddie demands that Number Six kiss the King!" He grinned happily. "So? Which girl is Number Six?" He glanced around at Chie, Yukiko, and Rise. The all shook their heads. "Whaaat? Then who—?"
Everyone but the sleeping teen took a quick glance at their numbered chopsticks. Naoto breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the number eight on her own. Then, she glanced down at the chopstick in her friend's hand, chuckling. "Teddie-san," she called, smirking.
The pouting boy turned to her. "Nani?"
"Yama-kun is Number Six."
Teddie fell onto his butt in front of the two. "N—Nani? Iie! I—I'm not kissing him!"
"But you haff to!" Rise slurred, grinning widely. "Iz the rulez!"
The teen on Naoto's lap glanced blearily at Teddie through one eye. "Ja. Ich küsse ihn nicht." Then, his eye snapped back closed. "Nur Mina-kun…."
Naoto blinked in shock, the others staring blankly.
"Was that—?" Souji began.
"German…. I—I didn't know he even knew another language!"
The teen in her lap rolled over to look up at her sleepily. "Ja, du wisst! Ich habe mit dir gesprochen, Mina-kun."
Naoto sighed, then, hoping to break him out of calling her that by giving him a shock, said, "Nein, du hast mit mir nicht gesprochen. Ich bin nicht Minato-kun."
He just stared blankly at her. "Ja, du bist." Then he rolled again so his face was pressed into her stomach. "Und ich bin dein Dai-chan."
She huffed as he fell back asleep, unable to be truly mad at the drunk boy.
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Once they got back to their hotel room, Naoto huffed, crossing her arms. "Never again. We are never doing that again."
Then she blinked, surprised, as two arms encircled her waist. "Danke, Mina-kun, für mich mitbringen." His head burrowed into her back. "Es macht Spass."
She lowered her head slightly as her signature half-grin fell onto her face. "I'm glad you had fun, Dai-chan."
Thou art I…and I am Thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fortune Arcana….
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A/N: Okay, any problems with the German are entirely my fault. All of it was dug out from what I remember of the four courses I took in high school. Also, please point out any spelling/grammar errors or anything that was confusing. I was typing this up while recovering from a concussion, so… yeah, I'm not entirely sure I made that make sense….
Sorry I forgot to put the translations before now, but here they are.
"Ja. Ich küsse ihn nicht." = Yes. I will not kiss him.
"Nur Mina-kun…." = Only Mina-kun.
"Ja, du wisst! Ich habe mit dir gesprochen, Mina-kun." = Yes, you knew! I spoke with you, Mina-kun.
"Nein, du hast mit mir nicht gesprochen. Ich bin nicht Minato-kun." = No, you did not speak with me. I am not Minato-kun.
"Ja, du bist." = Yes, you are.
"Und ich bin dein Dai-chan." = And I am your Dai-chan.
"Danke, Mina-kun, für mich mitbringen." = Thank you, Mina-kun, for taking me with you.
"Es macht Spass." = It was fun.
Read and review, y'all!