(no subject)
This... this wasn't her dungeon. Her dungeon wasn't made with sand stone and lion faced door knockers. So did each new person create their own dungeon? Oh wonderful, and Naoto couldn't see a foot beyond her nose. Regardless she continued her way into the dungeon until the first of the Shadows found her. Naoto learned quickly to run, a 'lot', as the Shadows targeted her and were extremely powerful. She just wasn't prepared for such a dungeon run, everything Seta had told her from before about her dungeon barely seemed to apply to this one.
Three flights of stairs, though she was injured, she finally found Nanako. Huddled up in the corner with Shadow's ghosting over and around her as though she didn't exist. The girl's soft whimpers for her dad and for her big brother were the only reason Naoto realized she was in the right area.
“Nanako-chan? Can you hear me?” She called out, but that only alerted the Shadows that she couldn't see. They left their positions chasing down Naoto into another exhausting battle. Yet oddly Nanako could see pretty well in the dungeon. Watching the battle with wide, frightened eyes as Naoto fought off the Shadows. Shadows that for the most part had been quite neutral towards young girl.
Naoto collapsed after the fight, breathing hard as she did so when small hands touched her arm. Confused she looked up to see Nanako standing before her, the girl clearly was trying to hide her fear.
“Nanako-chan, are you unharmed?” Naoto asked, while the small girl shivered.
“Yes, Shirogane-san, they never hurt me. It's like I'm not here to them at all.”
Well.. that caused Naoto to pause a moment and think. The Shadows didn't bother the child, in fact, given what she had learned, no one was bothered. It wasn't until after a person faced their Shadow did they become targets of the Shadows. So what was the point? Until the person accepted their Shadow, turned their Shadow's into Persona's, did Shadows view the person as another of their own kind? If that was the case, then Nanako would be safer away from Naoto then with the detective.
For a moment Naoto wondered if she could somehow convince Yamato-Takeru to revert back to being a Shadow. Then turned against the idea, she didn't have time to think on that, Nanako needed to get out of the dungeon.
“Nanako-chan? How well can you see in this place?”
“I can see the doors over there,” the girl's small arm lifted up so she could point with her hand towards a door farther then Naoto could see.
“Nanako-chan, I want you to listen to me. These Shadows, the creatures around this place will more then likely target me if I come into range of their senses. If they do, let me know if we can outrun them we will. But if we can't then run, just get out of the range of the potential fight. I can't see as well as you can in this fog, but I will not let you into the battles. If something happens to me, then find whatever stairs you find and run. The Shadows will not harm you as you do not possess what attracts them. Eventually you'll...” she had paused, still figuring out the escape plans for the child when Nanako spoke up.
“Why are you talking like that Shirogane-san? Aren't you coming with me?”
The girl's voice sounded so small and alone as she looked down at Naoto where Naoto sat. The teen shrugged finally as an answer, “I'll be by your side for as long as I can. However; I can not make promises that I will be able to see you through this all to the end.” Her body ached from the injuries, the few bits of healing items she had found would not be able to sustain her if she kept getting caught. But her top priority was to return Nanako to her father, not sit around nursing her wounds. So despite the pain she forced herself to her feet. Only to feel small arms wrap themselves around her waist.
“I don't want to go! If you're going to die just trying to rescue me from this place, then I don't want to go!”
Naoto started in surprise, looking down at the smaller girl in confusion before sighing, “Nanako-chan, it will be fine. Soon you'll be able to see your father and Seta-san, so do not think of the negative possibility.”
It took work and time, time that Naoto didn't feel they had, to persuade the child to allow them to move on. Avoiding most of the Shadows, though Naoto ended up in several that eventually left her so weak and tired she needed to lean on Nanako just to walk. They had gone four flights up and finally as Naoto felt ready to collapse, they found the fifth flight of stairs. But Naoto didn't know how far up they needed to go, in fact she wasn't sure if up was the right direction.
She slumped to the ground in the room with the doors shut behind her by Nanako while she tried to catch her breath. This wasn't going to keep working, she needed to get Nanako out, or at least to a secured position for the others to find her. But the building was with little room for deviation from the main path.
“We can rest here right?” Nanako asked quietly as she walked over to Naoto's side. The detective nodded wearily while Nanako plopped down beside her. “Why don't we take a nap? We'll be safe here after all, right?”
Naoto blinked thinking on the idea, it did have merit, but sleeping with the chest bindings hurt so she would have to take them off. “You first Nanako-chan, it was already late and I know it has to be well past your bed time. I'll watch over you.” In fact it had already become morning in the other world, but neither of them could tell time anymore. Nanako settled down curling herself up around Naoto and falling asleep rather quickly. Naoto took off her coat and let it rest on Nanako, before she finally took off her shirt to remove the bindings. Once she had them off and rolled up, she slipped her shirt back on and went to sleep as well. Soon the pair were curled up against each other for warmth and security sleeping away a few hours.
When she finally awoke she peeled herself away from the smaller girl and set about putting the bindings back on. She felt a little better, yet her mind was still a little foggy from the nap. Thus she didn't notice Nanako behind her waking up as she was working on getting the bindings on.
“What are you doing Shirogane-san?” Nanako asked, watching as the bindings were being put on. Which nearly sent Naoto dashing forward if she weren't already sitting down. Instead she covered her chest with her arms and looked about almost wildly blushing.
“I-I ah, well I'm putting on my bindings...” How to explain this to a child...
“What are bindings? Does your chest hurt?” Nanako got up and walked over, her clearer vision allowing her to see Naoto better then Naoto could see her.
Naoto turned around so her back was to Nanako as she quickly went back to work. She needed them on before she left the room, or worse, before someone found them. “No, I wear bindings to hide my gender. I suppose I should stop, it's not like everyone doesn't already know that I'm a girl.” Oh and how it annoyed her. She didn't know which was more ridiculous, the girls attracted to her when they thought she was a boy. Or the girls attracted to her being a girl in men's clothes because of some outlandish sexual fantasy.
“Why don't you want people to know you're a girl?” Nanako began holding the bindings to her back.
“Because no one wants a girl detective. When I was a child it's all I ever heard, that it was a disappointment that I was a girl. That the things I love to do were inappropriate for girls to do and I was shunned. So I hid my gender so people would accept me,” she replied, this was such a bitter topic for her. But Nanako was a child and didn't know any better.
“Why is it a disappointment? What's wrong with a girl detective?”
“People don't believe a woman can be a detective, it's a man's job in their eyes. They believe girls should just be home makers,” she sighed quietly.
“So what are you going to do now?” Nanako was a bright girl, she figured out what Naoto was doing and was adapting into being actual help.
“Once this case is done, I will be traveling to America to live with some of my Grandfather's friends. They are also in the same field as I wish to be in, and I will continue training, there and in other countries,” the bindings were finally done. Allowing Naoto to pull her shirt back on and begin buttoning it up again. “Nanako-chan, do not think on my past, there is more that I am not telling you. Simply because there isn't enough time to explain it all. Best for you to live your own life and not ruminate on mine.”
“Shirogane-san? What does 'ruminate' mean?”
*****************************************************
It took hours of traveling, but finally they reached the top of the dungeon, and Naoto realized she should have gone down.
“The child...” Naoto's eyes widened as she turned to try to find the source of that voice. A man's voice clearly, but one that was imbalanced in tone. “I must save the child.”
Naoto backed up from the gaunt looking man walking towards them from the higher platform. She opened the door and pushed Nanako back outside, her voice urgent as she spoke “go, do as I told you and get down from here. The Shadows are still ignoring you so go. When you reach the bottom just hide yourself until Seta-san arrives.”
She shut the door pressing her back against it as she looked into the fog, “Namatame I presume. How did you escape the police?”
“Police? What police? I explained that I had been handcuffed by a child with a gun and they uncuffed me. They promised to have some firm words with the child who did that to me and I was free to go. It was when I saw the child's father giving chase that I had to escape into this world.”
Naoto closed her eyes as she heard that, her time as a detective could very well be over now. There was no way to explain this world in such a manner that anyone would believe her. Falsely imprisoning another person was a serious offense. Given the experiences from the other victims of the kidnappings odds were that Nanako would be in no condition to tell her father the truth. She had planned to leave Japan in order to continue her education regarding being a detective. But never did she imagine that she would be leaving out of disgrace.
She released the safety on her gun, checked the bullets and squared her shoulders. Odds were running high that she could possibly die here, or leave in disgrace even if she some how survived. “You are the one attempting to murder people are you not?”
“No, I'm saving them... At night, when it rains, they call to me begging to be saved.”
This... didn't make much sense...
“Did you kill Yamano, Mayumi, and Konishi, Saki?”
“No, I couldn't save them in time... I saw them on TV, and begging me to save them both. But I won't fail again, I'll save all of you...”
Naoto began walking forward, gripping the rope on the bridge as she began. It didn't make sense to her, he viewed being put into the television as a type of salvation. If he didn't place them into this world, it meant someone else 'did'. Somehow... did this man get duped into doing the kidnappings? Was it possible?
“I must save that girl...”
“She's safe...” Naoto pointed out, though she didn't put up her gun either.
“No, she's not safe, I have to save her and until she's saved she's not safe.”
“I can not allow you to approach Nanako-chan.”
“I won't let you get in my way...” Namatame's voice shifted, the madness never left it, but there was something. It rippled through the fog filled air and sent a strange shiver down Naoto's back and through Yamato-Takeru. Then the screaming began, rising up into a mangled sound while the shadowy figure that was Namatame began to change. Mutating in ways that alarmed her into backing up, was this a change? When a Shadow transformed? Perhaps she had been only talking to the Shadow, and the real Namatame was somewhere else? But if that was the case...
Three flights of stairs, though she was injured, she finally found Nanako. Huddled up in the corner with Shadow's ghosting over and around her as though she didn't exist. The girl's soft whimpers for her dad and for her big brother were the only reason Naoto realized she was in the right area.
“Nanako-chan? Can you hear me?” She called out, but that only alerted the Shadows that she couldn't see. They left their positions chasing down Naoto into another exhausting battle. Yet oddly Nanako could see pretty well in the dungeon. Watching the battle with wide, frightened eyes as Naoto fought off the Shadows. Shadows that for the most part had been quite neutral towards young girl.
Naoto collapsed after the fight, breathing hard as she did so when small hands touched her arm. Confused she looked up to see Nanako standing before her, the girl clearly was trying to hide her fear.
“Nanako-chan, are you unharmed?” Naoto asked, while the small girl shivered.
“Yes, Shirogane-san, they never hurt me. It's like I'm not here to them at all.”
Well.. that caused Naoto to pause a moment and think. The Shadows didn't bother the child, in fact, given what she had learned, no one was bothered. It wasn't until after a person faced their Shadow did they become targets of the Shadows. So what was the point? Until the person accepted their Shadow, turned their Shadow's into Persona's, did Shadows view the person as another of their own kind? If that was the case, then Nanako would be safer away from Naoto then with the detective.
For a moment Naoto wondered if she could somehow convince Yamato-Takeru to revert back to being a Shadow. Then turned against the idea, she didn't have time to think on that, Nanako needed to get out of the dungeon.
“Nanako-chan? How well can you see in this place?”
“I can see the doors over there,” the girl's small arm lifted up so she could point with her hand towards a door farther then Naoto could see.
“Nanako-chan, I want you to listen to me. These Shadows, the creatures around this place will more then likely target me if I come into range of their senses. If they do, let me know if we can outrun them we will. But if we can't then run, just get out of the range of the potential fight. I can't see as well as you can in this fog, but I will not let you into the battles. If something happens to me, then find whatever stairs you find and run. The Shadows will not harm you as you do not possess what attracts them. Eventually you'll...” she had paused, still figuring out the escape plans for the child when Nanako spoke up.
“Why are you talking like that Shirogane-san? Aren't you coming with me?”
The girl's voice sounded so small and alone as she looked down at Naoto where Naoto sat. The teen shrugged finally as an answer, “I'll be by your side for as long as I can. However; I can not make promises that I will be able to see you through this all to the end.” Her body ached from the injuries, the few bits of healing items she had found would not be able to sustain her if she kept getting caught. But her top priority was to return Nanako to her father, not sit around nursing her wounds. So despite the pain she forced herself to her feet. Only to feel small arms wrap themselves around her waist.
“I don't want to go! If you're going to die just trying to rescue me from this place, then I don't want to go!”
Naoto started in surprise, looking down at the smaller girl in confusion before sighing, “Nanako-chan, it will be fine. Soon you'll be able to see your father and Seta-san, so do not think of the negative possibility.”
It took work and time, time that Naoto didn't feel they had, to persuade the child to allow them to move on. Avoiding most of the Shadows, though Naoto ended up in several that eventually left her so weak and tired she needed to lean on Nanako just to walk. They had gone four flights up and finally as Naoto felt ready to collapse, they found the fifth flight of stairs. But Naoto didn't know how far up they needed to go, in fact she wasn't sure if up was the right direction.
She slumped to the ground in the room with the doors shut behind her by Nanako while she tried to catch her breath. This wasn't going to keep working, she needed to get Nanako out, or at least to a secured position for the others to find her. But the building was with little room for deviation from the main path.
“We can rest here right?” Nanako asked quietly as she walked over to Naoto's side. The detective nodded wearily while Nanako plopped down beside her. “Why don't we take a nap? We'll be safe here after all, right?”
Naoto blinked thinking on the idea, it did have merit, but sleeping with the chest bindings hurt so she would have to take them off. “You first Nanako-chan, it was already late and I know it has to be well past your bed time. I'll watch over you.” In fact it had already become morning in the other world, but neither of them could tell time anymore. Nanako settled down curling herself up around Naoto and falling asleep rather quickly. Naoto took off her coat and let it rest on Nanako, before she finally took off her shirt to remove the bindings. Once she had them off and rolled up, she slipped her shirt back on and went to sleep as well. Soon the pair were curled up against each other for warmth and security sleeping away a few hours.
When she finally awoke she peeled herself away from the smaller girl and set about putting the bindings back on. She felt a little better, yet her mind was still a little foggy from the nap. Thus she didn't notice Nanako behind her waking up as she was working on getting the bindings on.
“What are you doing Shirogane-san?” Nanako asked, watching as the bindings were being put on. Which nearly sent Naoto dashing forward if she weren't already sitting down. Instead she covered her chest with her arms and looked about almost wildly blushing.
“I-I ah, well I'm putting on my bindings...” How to explain this to a child...
“What are bindings? Does your chest hurt?” Nanako got up and walked over, her clearer vision allowing her to see Naoto better then Naoto could see her.
Naoto turned around so her back was to Nanako as she quickly went back to work. She needed them on before she left the room, or worse, before someone found them. “No, I wear bindings to hide my gender. I suppose I should stop, it's not like everyone doesn't already know that I'm a girl.” Oh and how it annoyed her. She didn't know which was more ridiculous, the girls attracted to her when they thought she was a boy. Or the girls attracted to her being a girl in men's clothes because of some outlandish sexual fantasy.
“Why don't you want people to know you're a girl?” Nanako began holding the bindings to her back.
“Because no one wants a girl detective. When I was a child it's all I ever heard, that it was a disappointment that I was a girl. That the things I love to do were inappropriate for girls to do and I was shunned. So I hid my gender so people would accept me,” she replied, this was such a bitter topic for her. But Nanako was a child and didn't know any better.
“Why is it a disappointment? What's wrong with a girl detective?”
“People don't believe a woman can be a detective, it's a man's job in their eyes. They believe girls should just be home makers,” she sighed quietly.
“So what are you going to do now?” Nanako was a bright girl, she figured out what Naoto was doing and was adapting into being actual help.
“Once this case is done, I will be traveling to America to live with some of my Grandfather's friends. They are also in the same field as I wish to be in, and I will continue training, there and in other countries,” the bindings were finally done. Allowing Naoto to pull her shirt back on and begin buttoning it up again. “Nanako-chan, do not think on my past, there is more that I am not telling you. Simply because there isn't enough time to explain it all. Best for you to live your own life and not ruminate on mine.”
“Shirogane-san? What does 'ruminate' mean?”
*****************************************************
It took hours of traveling, but finally they reached the top of the dungeon, and Naoto realized she should have gone down.
“The child...” Naoto's eyes widened as she turned to try to find the source of that voice. A man's voice clearly, but one that was imbalanced in tone. “I must save the child.”
Naoto backed up from the gaunt looking man walking towards them from the higher platform. She opened the door and pushed Nanako back outside, her voice urgent as she spoke “go, do as I told you and get down from here. The Shadows are still ignoring you so go. When you reach the bottom just hide yourself until Seta-san arrives.”
She shut the door pressing her back against it as she looked into the fog, “Namatame I presume. How did you escape the police?”
“Police? What police? I explained that I had been handcuffed by a child with a gun and they uncuffed me. They promised to have some firm words with the child who did that to me and I was free to go. It was when I saw the child's father giving chase that I had to escape into this world.”
Naoto closed her eyes as she heard that, her time as a detective could very well be over now. There was no way to explain this world in such a manner that anyone would believe her. Falsely imprisoning another person was a serious offense. Given the experiences from the other victims of the kidnappings odds were that Nanako would be in no condition to tell her father the truth. She had planned to leave Japan in order to continue her education regarding being a detective. But never did she imagine that she would be leaving out of disgrace.
She released the safety on her gun, checked the bullets and squared her shoulders. Odds were running high that she could possibly die here, or leave in disgrace even if she some how survived. “You are the one attempting to murder people are you not?”
“No, I'm saving them... At night, when it rains, they call to me begging to be saved.”
This... didn't make much sense...
“Did you kill Yamano, Mayumi, and Konishi, Saki?”
“No, I couldn't save them in time... I saw them on TV, and begging me to save them both. But I won't fail again, I'll save all of you...”
Naoto began walking forward, gripping the rope on the bridge as she began. It didn't make sense to her, he viewed being put into the television as a type of salvation. If he didn't place them into this world, it meant someone else 'did'. Somehow... did this man get duped into doing the kidnappings? Was it possible?
“I must save that girl...”
“She's safe...” Naoto pointed out, though she didn't put up her gun either.
“No, she's not safe, I have to save her and until she's saved she's not safe.”
“I can not allow you to approach Nanako-chan.”
“I won't let you get in my way...” Namatame's voice shifted, the madness never left it, but there was something. It rippled through the fog filled air and sent a strange shiver down Naoto's back and through Yamato-Takeru. Then the screaming began, rising up into a mangled sound while the shadowy figure that was Namatame began to change. Mutating in ways that alarmed her into backing up, was this a change? When a Shadow transformed? Perhaps she had been only talking to the Shadow, and the real Namatame was somewhere else? But if that was the case...