Unusual Melancholy [Closed / Shion]

[Kagami Ayasaki]

Kagami neatened herself up, smartened up her blazer, the dress pants she had on, black vest, and all - it was part of the dress code for hosts at the Swan Song. While a majority of the hosts there were young adult men who possessed some manner of masculine beauty about them, whether it be androgynous in nature or something more mature, or one of those tender grizzly types, Kagami struck out as that one babyfaced boy who was shrouded in mystery - the eyepatch, the silver hair, what did it all mean? Kagami would never say, and it was that mystery, combined with her seeming compassion and willingness to make merry with the clients, that made her a big sell. Women would always confide in her and encourage Kagami to serve drinks to them. They liked her cold look.

The club always made exceptionally good business whenever Kagami was around and her commission was excellent. Tonight, Kagami was on her way to the club as usual when she was stopped by a coworker. "How's everything doing?"

"Fine, as usual." Kagami made small talk with her fellow host, a man around her own height, he looked like the member of a boyband, a high school heartthrob in spite of his age. Kagami smiled awkwardly and finished talking to him before sighing and continuing to walk to the host club, slower than her coworker. It seemed he had said something that upset Kagami, which caused her to walk more slowly.

--

tags: Shion Amanomiya

[Shion Amanomiya]

Night had fallen when the photo shoot finished. After one last glance at a nearby mirror to check her appearance, Shion bowed to the store manager, saying her goodbyes before stepping out onto the streets. Kaede hadn't been with her today; he had another appointment somewhere else, and it had seemed important, so Shion reassured him that she would be fine on her own and that she had done this many times before. Really, it wasn't actually necessary for Kaede to accompany her to every shoot, but Shion lets him anyway since he wanted to.

Shion had taken the liberty of changing into one of the pieces she had just modeled in; it was just a little black dress and dark winter leggings, but the crowing glory was the capelet on her shoulders, thick white fur lined with gray. It wasn't so odd that she looked like something out of a fairy tale, but lovely enough to stand out. And in the cold night air, Shion was glad that she had it with her.

She started walking, heading for home. Earlier today, she'd received a call from someone she hadn't heard from in a long time. The news that the caller relayed had been... well, Shion had mixed feelings towards having her cousin around. It was kind of a good time for that; Shion had already adjusted with going to school at Kanehira, but at the same time, with the disappearances and her recent discovery of the Inverse... Shion wasn't sure that it had been wise not to deter her cousin from going through with her plans.

The young lady's thoughts were disrupted when her foot slid on a part of the pavement covered with ice and unbalanced her, forcing her to compensate by flailing and grabbing the nearest thing... Which happened to be the arm of another person.

"Oh!" She gasped, hurriedly skidding onto a less slippery part of the pavement before letting go. "So sorry, I didn't mean to cling to you so suddenly. But thank you for you helped me out..." Even though the other might not have intended on helping anyone. Not having enough time to linger and stare at her accidental saviour, Shion bowed in gratitude, long fringe falling in front of her face.

---

Tags: Kagami Ayasaki

[Kagami Ayasaki]

Kagami was casually walking on her way to work, but soon she felt someone grab at her arm, when Kagami tilted her head back to see what happened she noticed that somebody had fallen and caught themselves by grabbing on to her arm. Kagami quickly helped the girl who fell on her upright and kept her steady with her other arm. Though Kagami retracted her arms when the girl seemed to be fine and let go of Kagami. The eyepatched girl looked at the other girl, she had the figure of a model, and dressed like one too. It might not have been too much of a stretch to actually think she was a model...

Wait a second...

"Ah. Is that you, Shion-san?" Kagami blinked. She almost didn't recognize the girl in that getup. But upon closer inspection there wasn't mistaking that hair and those eyes. "You were wearing these really nice clothes, I actually almost didn't recognize you. Are you sure it's okay to be out this late? And are you okay? Don't worry about me, I'm fine as long as you are okay." Kagami continued, bowing back.

"How's everything?"

---

tags: Shion Amanomiya

[Shion Amanomiya]

"Is that you, Shion-san?"

While it wasn't unusual for people to recognize her anymore -- well her face is on Trandy ads, and there were plenty of those circulating around town -- the term of address used suggested a relationship closer than a mere acquaintance, and Shion found out why as soon as she straightened up. "Kagami-san! I certainly wasn't expecting to run into you quite literally."

Something about the other looked... Off, but the model couldn't quite put her finger on it yet. In any case, mentioning it wouldn't be alright especially since she couldn't figure out what was different. She smiled fondly at her classmate, not at all minding the barrage of questions that followed. "I'm alright, thanks to you. Just slipped on a patch of ice."

"Do you like it?" She lifted one of her arms, displaying the capelet a bit. "It's from the winter collection coming out next week. They let me borrow it for a while. I just finished a photo shoot earlier, and I guess we did wrap things up pretty late... But I'll be fine; I usually go home late anyway. If not because of my job, it's the Student Council." It wasn't as if Shion didn't have worries about the kind of people that came with the darkness of night, but she usually just stuck to crowded and well-lit places, or have Kaede with her. However, these days... In a way, having a persona made her less afraid of the world than a girl her age should be.

"But what about you; you look great! Are you having a night out with someone?" She certainly was dressed for it.

---

Tag: Kagami Ayasaki

[Kagami Ayasaki]

Kagami nodded as Shion explained that she had just finished a photoshoot earlier for some Winter Collection wear, Kagami was quite familiar by now that the other girl was a model at Trandy, so Kagami wasn't as surprised as one should have been to hear about it. Shion then proceeded to say that she usually goes home late anyway thanks to her role at the Student Council if she didn't have any job obligations. "I like your look," Kagami said smiling. "I think it suits you quite well. In any case, if you say you can take care of yourself, I will take your word for it" Kagami nodded. Kagami figured that Shion was stronger than she might have appeared in the eyes of some.

Soon Shion turned the question back towards Kagami noting her own outfit. "Hahaha. Me? A night out with someone? Nah. I'm just going to work at a club nearby here. I'm not really sure I want to talk about the details of this right now, but it's kind of a late night thing." Kagami scratched her head sheepishly. "Just need to make some money, you know."

--

tags: Shion Amanomiya

[Shion Amanomiya]

"Thank you." Shion smiled when Kagami told her that she was going to believe that Shion can handle going home by herself. She didn't hear that often, and frequently remarks of further concern from others, especially the older folk, included anecdotes of the daughter or niece of so-and-so encountering some sort of horror of the night. Most of the time it would someone with ill intentions. Other times it included elements of the supernatural. Both sides of the spectrum were also speculated reasons for the abnormal rate of disappearances in Kanehira. And while it wasn't as if Shion was now this fearless person; she just knew that the second possibility was real, and the real cause of the disappearances (in most cases anyway, she wasn't about to disregard the terrible things another person could do) were the rifts. Knowledge... Was a weapon.

Kagami worked at a club? That... didn't quite sound legal. And from how the other girl was acting all secretive, it really didn't seem to be legal. "A late night thing, hm... I see." Shion didn't pursue that branch of conversation... for now. People had their secrets, and so did Shion. Now it might be incredibly hard not to be curious, but Shion knew her limits. Besides, who was she to talk about doing things of questionable legality?

"Well, I shouldn't keep you from your job if it's almost time for you to clock in." She said. "I swear not to follow you or anything. I'll just go on and--" A young man not too far from them and of the hooligan type whistled in their general direction. "-- and I'll continue hoping that wasn't for us."

---

Tags: Kagami Ayasaki

[Kagami Ayasaki]

Kagami smiled awkwardly, she knew Shion might be suspicious. But since Shion didn't ask anything, Kagami said nothing on the matter and bowed. "It's fine. I've still got time left to kill," she said, but once a young man nearby whistled in their general direction, the suited girl in the eyepatch moved closer to Shion in a protective manner. "Hum, this place can be dangerous. Operative word being 'can.' You're in a nice outfit, so people might get some certain ideas. I'll keep you safe in the meantime, if you don't mind." Kagami said, completely unaware of any tricks Shion might have up her sleeves to take care of herself.

"I can explain more about this in a more private place, at a more peaceful time. That a deal?" Kagami asked in a whisper.

---

tags: Shion Amanomiya

[Shion Amanomiya]

When Kagami stepped closer to her, Shion was a little surprised, but it quickly turned to slight amusement when she realized what her classmate's intention was. "Oh, you'll walk with me to my house? But then you'll be walking back alone..." Not that Shion thought that Kagami couldn't handle herself. Heck, she would probably fare better than Shion if things got problematic, sans Metis.

"That's not to say that your company wouldn't be appreciated. Since you're offering, I gladly accept." Aside from safety in numbers, it would be great if the young model had someone to chat with during the trip home.

Shion didn't know what to think when Kagami whispered to her, tying to strike a deal. Explain about what, her job or Kagami walking her home? Since the other was whispering, the model opted not to ask questions for now and just nodded in agreement. She'll find out what it was about later on, then. For now, she gestured to the direction of the way she was going to with a smile. "Shall we go, then?"

---

Tag: Kagami Ayasaki

[Kagami Ayasaki]

Kagami brushed off her fists and knuckles as Shion pointed out that Kagami would be returning back here on her own. "I'll be fine," Kagami said. "I've been walking home from here in the wee hours of the morning, which is actually very dangerous... What with all the disappearances and all" Kagami sheepishly admitted. When Shion accepted Kagami's company and seemed confused about what Kagami meant about a better explanation, Kagami smiled awkwardly.

"Don't worry. I'm just referring to my current work situation. I had to lie about my age to get the job, you know," Kagami whispered into Shion's ear. "It's made me quite big bucks though, so I have to keep at it. It's for my own future" Kagami said now in a normal tone.

"In any case, yes, let's go."

--

tags: Shion Amanomiya

[Shion Amanomiya]

Shion had never been so late in going home that it was practically dawn, nor did she have any cause to doubt Kagami, so she took the other girl's word for it. "I feel safer already. But I hope you haven't been involved in anything dangerous while going home in the morning," She remarked. "And I hope you'll never have to." Especially with the disappearances. She could wander into a rift, just as Shion had, and encounter those Shadows... The model didn't know if Kagami was aware of the Inverse, or if she had something like what Metis was to Shion, but stumbling into that Kanehira was something she didn't want to happen to anyone.

When Kagami explained that the deal she offered had been about her night job, Shion nodded again, refraining from asking anything about it since Kagami will tell her eventually anyway. "Here's to us working students, then." She said, winking at Kagami.

She began walking alongside Kagami, quieting down for a while and letting herself get lost in her thoughts. It was when they've left the bright and noisy part of the nighttime shopping district that she spoke up again. "Sorry, Kagami-san. I don't usually have anyone except my manager walking home with me, so I'm afraid that I'm not very conversant in this situation. Kaede-san, my manager and agent, usually does all the talking." She tilted her head to the side, eyes staring briefly at the night sky, then swept her gaze around them. Seeming satisfied that there didn't seem to be anyone around their immediate vicinity, Shion once again spoke to Kagami.

"... I hope I haven't made you feel that you needed to share that information about your job with me. It wasn't my intention to be nosy or anything, but allow me to make things right, Kagami-san. You may ask me something personal, and I'll try to answer it as honestly as I can."

---

Tags: Kagami Ayasaki

[Kagami Ayasaki]

Kagami shook her head. "Thank you for your concern, but so far so good. Hopefully things continue to go smoothly," Kagami nodded and responded, thinking about the disappearances. A part of Kagami wondered what would happen if she, too, were to disappear. Kagami both didn't want that and wanted that to happen, just so she could find out what was really going on. Shion seemed to accept Kagami's explanation though. As they were walking, Shion apologized and mentioned that she wasn't really that talkative during these moments since her companions would usually do most of the talking, before extending an offer to Kagami to ask something personal.

"Personal?"

Kagami shook her head. "Actually, I've been wanting to ask you if you've seen anything strange in town recently. I refuse to believe that these disappearances that have been reported on in the news are mysterious ones. They must have some real origin or cause, even if it might potentially be something totally alien or paranormal. Do you have any ideas? I want to look into it."

[Shion Amanomiya]

When Shion told Kagami that she could ask about something personal, she had expected an inquiry about her personal life, ranging from what her favorite things were, or her home life, or her stay at St. Bridget. She'd even steeled herself for a question about her parents. But no, Kagami had to touch on something Shion really didn't want to talk about. The disappearances. The Inverse.

Should she say something? Maybe Kagami was hinting that she knew about the Inverse and was looking for fellow Persona users. Seimei-san was one, why the heck not everyone else and their mothers? She had a terrible feeling about telling her classmate; what if she was putting Kagami in harm's way by doing so?

"The disappearances?" Shion repeated, not breaking her pace at all while she stalled, keeping her face neutral, if not slightly worried. "Well, the rate that people are going missing is quite alarming, but my grandmother doesn't want to move somewhere else. She grew up here, and my father also did."

"... I wish there was something more I can tell you." Really, Shion would if she could. But the disadvantages of a civilian finding out about the Inverse outweighed any relief to be gained if it turned out that Kagami already knew about it. "But I haven't seen or heard anything. I don't think the police have any leads either, but what do I know; I don't think I'd be someone that the police would inform about what they know."

---

Tags: Kagami Ayasaki

[Kagami Ayasaki]

Kagami furrowed her brow and listened to Shion.

Or more specifically, listened to her silence. The way she was stalling hinted to Kagami that the model knew something, but was insistent on either keeping it a secret or seemed to want to protect her. Kagami sighed and played dumb for the meantime, but she was determined to learn more about the situation. "I see, fair enough," Kagami nodded. "You're probably a busybody yourself, so you probably don't have much time to explore things yourself. Forget I asked about it" Kagami smiled warmly, though a bit ingenuously.

"If I really wanted to look more into it, I'd be probably better off asking someone older" Kagami laughed, mentioning it in a half-joking, half-serious way. "Anyway, how's life been treating you then?"

--

tags: Shion Amanomiya

[Shion Amanomiya]

Shion glanced at Kagami at her side as they continued walking. Did the other girl believe her? Probably not, but then again, it wasn't like they knew each other very well, nor did they know each other well enough to see cues that only friends would. Sadly, Shion's occupation with grades, the Student Council, and with modeling let her with few friends, especially in school. Funny how the place where Shion was surrounded with people in her age group was the one place she had the least amount of friends in.

"It's interesting that you brought it up, though. My manager said something not too long ago... That it seems that the frequency of instances is something quite unique to Kanehira. He hasn't heard of the same thing happening anywhere else, and he's quite well-traveled. Not really something we want to put us on the map about, but there it is anyway." Shion stared straight as she said this. It was more of her manager's way of warning her than anything else, but it wasn't Shion he needed to convince about relocating. "Maybe," She agreed with asking someone older. "If you do find something out, let me know. I'm curious as well."

How's life been treating Shion? Wonderfully, she should say. She had a good career in modeling, good grades, a loving grandmother... Didn't it seem like things were turning out well for the girl who, a few years ago, seemed to have lost almost everything? Shion shrugged and smiled at Kagami. "It's alright. Things are calming down." Sure, tell that to Metis. "It's not as difficult as last year, when I just transitioned back to going to school here. There's some pressure coming from the school with the teachers asking us what we want to do after high school, but since everyone assumes I'll continue modeling, they're not getting on my case that badly yet."

The model adjusted her capelet a bit and glanced sideways at her companion. "What about you? Do you already have definite plans?"

---

Tags: Kagami Ayasaki

[Kagami Ayasaki]

Kagami nodded as Shion explained that her manager said something about it recently, and that apparently it was something that began to put Kanehira on the radar as something of a curious spot, due to the frequency increasing. Kagami tilted her head, but nodded when Shion said she was curious as well and asked her to inform her about it if Kagami found out something. Though Kagami had a feeling that Shion knew more than she let on. Kagami nodded once more when the model said things were calming down, and saying how life is not particularly as difficult as it was last year. Starting out was usually the most difficult part of doing pretty much anything.

"I don't have any definite plans," Kagami shrugged, lying through her teeth. Her personal life was something she didn't really want to talk to any student about. Especially the eyepatch. "I'm going to study hard and do my best so that I can see if I can at least move out sometime in the future." Kagami explained. She figured she'd at least be honest about that. It was an innocent enough goal to aim for, at least.

tags: Shion Amanomiya