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[The first shot of Fuuka that Iris transmits is of her in a posture that her friends from home might recognize; eyes closed, head down, with her hand curled around the necklace she'd been given when she arrived, she looks pretty much exactly as she does when she's concentrating within the protective confines of Juno-- except for the jeans and orange shirt (which is doing wonders for her coloration). But it doesn't last long; she opens her eyes and while there's clarity there, there's also a certain anxiety. There's a lot she's confused about-- not the least of which is what this place itself is, even though there's been some explanation to her already. To have been plucked from her home and planted here in New York is a major adjustment, and she's a little off-kilter because of it.

But she's putting on a brave face here, sitting on her bedroll in a corner of Cabin 11. It's not home-- it's not comfortable like the Iwatodai dorms were, or even tolerable like her parents'-- no, they weren't her parents, were they? They'd never been her real parents. Really, that was something of a relief-- but also a mixed feeling of sadness and hurt. She'd never been enough for them.

But that didn't matter anymore. She'd just have to make herself enough for the true parent she had.]

I... I should say hello, I think. My name is Fuuka Yamagishi, and I'll be in your care-- well, we'll all be in one another's care-- [She flushes, a little awkwardly. When she resumes, her voice is small again.] Anyway, I'm... glad to be here. In a way. And I'll do my best to be of help, so...

[She drops her head again, bowing a bit formally.]

It's a pleasure. Please take good care of me.

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[He offers her a brief, tense smile, to hopefully calm her down. She must be feeling confused right now, like most people did when they first arrived.]

Yeah... and a couple others too.

[But before he tells her who-]

This is gonna sound weird, but can you tell me who our leader is?

[She looks a little confused about the question. He doesn't remember their leader? Is he alright? She remembers Graduation Day like anyone else who'd been there, but they'd all remembered at the end... right?]

It was Minako-chan, of course. She'd been the leader since before I met you. Why? Is something strange going on?

[Is Akihiko-senpai Panicked?]

...Who else is here?

[Akihiko looks visibly relieved at hearing her response. His tense profile relaxes a little.]

Okay... Good. So you do remember her. [Brief pause. There are a couple more names he needs to ask her about.] What about Ryoji Mochizuki? And Minato Arisato?

...I'll tell you in a bit. [After he makes this short assessment.]

[She's concerned, but she'll roll with it. She trusts that Akihiko has his reasons. He wouldn't lead her astray.]

Ryoji-kun? Is he here? [A pause.] Is Arisato-san a family member of Minako-chan's? Their names are so similar... I don't think we've met, though.

Yes, he is. ...No, they're not related. We're not really sure about that situation yet, but I had to ask to see what you know.

[He sighs quietly and shakes his head. Why does Fuuka remember Ryoji, but Akihiko himself doesn't? This is all so damn confusing.]

Minako is here. And... [notable pause] Shinji too. [That will probably be a big surprise to her.]

[There's an understatement. She claps her hands over her mouth-- not just because of Aragaki's presence, but also Minako's. The loss of both of them hasn't been that long ago for her, after all. But she maintains her composure.]

A-Alive? It must be some kind of miracle!

[A bit of light returns to his eyes as he nods in agreement.] Isn't it amazing? I thought I was hallucinating at first, but he's really back. He and Minako are both staying in Cabin 11.

[There's so much more to say, but he has to remember to exercise some discretion. This is an open network, after all.]

[She looks positively ecstatic.] I don't think I was expecting such amazing news! You must be even more happy though, Akihiko-senpai.

[And a pause.] Cabin 11? That's where I am! But I haven't seen them yet, obviously. I've only been here a little while, though.

[Finally, a natural smile creases his lips.] Well... it was pretty shocking, but I'm definitely not disappointed. Make sure you go say hi to him, okay?

I think there's a lot of people in that cabin. Or they might be off doing their own thing. Shinji doesn't really like big crowds, and Minako... [He chuckles softly.] She's probably making more friends.

You should familiarize yourself with the camp grounds, Fuuka. It seems like we're gonna be here for a while.

I'll be sure to do that. [Though frankly, she's not sure what she'd say. 'I'm glad you're alive again'? 'I'm sorry you died'? The entire dorm had been miserable after the events of that October, and while Minako's loss was more recent, it was still a bit of an open wound. One she suspected Shinjiro wouldn't appreciate being poked at.]

You're probably right. It is pretty crowded in here-- I managed to find a spot to set up my bed on the floor, but the entire place is mostly filled up. I wouldn't be surprised if Aragaki-senpai had found somewhere else to be, and Minako-chan has probably made friends with all of the cabin tenants already, and has moved on to other cabins.

I had planned on a walk in a little bit. The natural wildlife here is kind of interesting, isn't it?

[Akihiko laughs, surprising even himself. Face it, the situation over the past few days hasn’t exactly been conducive to fun and games.] I don’t mind sharing living space with other people, but it sounds like Cabin 11 is more than full enough! I guess people can stay in other cabins, if they want to, and there’s space? [That’s not something he’s asked before.] You can ask Chiron about it at your next training session.

[He’s still smiling as he remembers how the girls went on a nature walk in Yakushima instead of going to the beach again.] I agree. Even the air smells different. It’s not like back home. If you can’t find Minako or Shinji, I can show you around.

[She blinks.] I don't know. I kind of don't mind it. It's easier than... well, I can't imagine being alone in a new place. I'd rather not right now. The noise will remind me of living in the dorm-- though I guess it won't be the same without Ken and Junpei playing fighting games in the lounge, or Yukari's listening to music until midnight.

[A pause, as she hesitates and decides not to ask him what's on her mind right now. That can wait. Instead, she smiles.] Well... If you're not busy, we could look together. I'm sure that we'll find Minako-chan pretty quickly, but I don't know whether or not Aragaki-senpai will be able to be found if he doesn't want to be. Since I don't have Juno with me anymore, if anyone's going to be able to do it, it's you.

[He shrugs slightly. He'd always stayed in places with a lot of people, like the orphanage, and later on, the dorm. This would definitely be a new experience, actually having some time and space alone.]

You got used to having all that company, huh? [His smile fades.] ...I wonder how they're doing. The others, I mean.

I'm free. Where do you wanna meet up? [Akihiko hesitates for a few seconds before responding.] Well, it depends... If Shinji really doesn't wanna be found, then he finds a damn good hiding place. As for Minako, we can just look for the center of a big group.

...Juno? [Brief pause as he searches through his memory.] I thought your Persona's name was Lucia.

I did. When I was living with my parents-- [Her voice goes soft, and she corrects herself with a little bit of melancholy.] I mean, the people I thought were my parents... I guess... But when I was with them it was so quiet, except for their fighting. So I really enjoyed living with everyone! [Her smile's a litle wobbly, but remains steadfast-- partially because she believes it, and partially because he needs to hear it.] I'm sure they're all doing fine. Junpei-kun is probably trying to flirt with Yukari-chan, and she's probably punching him in the head or something. Everything is fine for them. At least, that's what I think.

I'd like to see about the others here, though. I'm mostly finished settling my space up. Do you know where Cabin 11 is? Do you want to meet me there? I don't quite have my bearings yet.

[And then she looks a little confused.] Lucia...? I haven't-- since I found my resolve, Lucia became Juno. She's stronger-- I can read further, and I can help everyone out in battle sometimes, too. [Though frankly, Oracle has some questionable effects sometimes...] Don't you remember? It was after Natsuki transferred schools.

So... you think it's all true? About the gods being our parents, I mean. [He's curious about what other people think, since he himself is not altogether convinced. Not in the least bit.]

Heh... yeah. You're probably right. [He can picture that scenario in his head, perfectly. He really hopes they're all right, with so many SEES members here.] They're tough. They can handle things for a little while...

...Never mind. [He says that with a sigh. Must be that damn time distortion thing at work again... It's starting to make him feel like he's crazy.] I believe you.

Sure, I'll come over. Meet me outside, okay? [He ends the connection and starts heading toward her cabin.]

[She has a little more to say, but he's cut the connection, so she let go of that strange pendant and stood up. Picking her way through the cabin, she settled in on the front steps, waiting patiently.]

[He makes his way there within a few minutes, having been to Cabin 11 numerous times since his initial arrival. He lifts a hand to wave it in the girl’s direction.]

Hey, Fuuka.

[Akihiko walks up to her with a casual swagger, looking cool and calm like nothing is out of the ordinary. He takes a seat next to her on the steps.]

This is probably all still a shock to you, huh?

[She nods. She's a little bit overwhelmed, true, even if her friends' appearances have calmed her down a little bit. But she's very aware that looking too scared will only burden the people around her, and even if she's not as strong as the others physically, that makes it even more important for her to maintain her own calm. She uses his cool demeanor as a template for her own.]

There's just... so much going on. So many changes. I don't really know what to do about it, though, so I suppose there's nothing to do but see what happens. [She smiles, a little tremulously.] But I'm not really scared. There's no need to worry, because we're all together... right?

[He nods in agreement, but wants to try his best to reassure the junior. He has always had a particular soft spot for Fuuka, derived from a need to protect her.] Is there anything you wanna know? I mean, I don’t have all the answers, but I’ve picked up a few things here and there.

[He turns to Fuuka and gives her an encouraging smile.] Exactly! We’ll get through this too, just like every Shadow mission, and… all the other stuff we’ve dealt with before.

[Akihiko’s features shift to a more serious demeanor as he lets out a soft sigh just then.]

I mean, hell… we’ve been through worse. [Shinji’s death is still very fresh in his mind. Akihiko doubts that will be the end of it, either. They still have Strega, and one more Shadow, to deal with, before they can eliminate the Dark Hour and Tartarus.] Overcoming this challenge will make us stronger… like all the ones before it.

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