The Phantom Strangers

Process of Assimilation (April 11th - April 15th)

Prelude

The Day it Breaks

Buzzing lights.

Empty walls.

A mirror of glass and steel, reflecting the room back at its occupants.

Two high schoolers, hands locked tight with one another.

And a detective, clad in blue.

"You already know me." The detective cleared their throat, placing a simple silver briefcase on the table in the center of the room. "However, for the sake of the record, I will introduce myself regardless. I am Naoto Shirogane, commonly known as the Detective Prince."

"I'm..." The girl on the left, the one with auburn hair and red eyes, hesitated a moment. She took a deep breath, squeezing the hand of the girl beside her. "My name is Kotone Shiomi. I'm a second-year at Shujin Academy, in Tokyo."

"I am Aigis Kirijo." The girl on the right's eyes flashed, a bright blue glare that contrasted with her short blonde hair. "I am also a second-year attending Shujin Academy."

"Thank you." Naoto nodded, carefully opening the briefcase. "I appreciate your understanding, as well as your compliance. Shall we begin?"

"This information." Aigis frowned. "You promise it will only do what you said it will?"

"You have my word." The detective nodded. "My sole interest is in uncovering the truth. All else is ancillary."

"Alright..." Kotone squeezed her eyes shut. This was it. After everything, after the months of wondering and searching... they were here. They'd made it. All that was left...

Was the truth.

"Let us start from the beginning." Naoto pulled out a pair of school files, setting them on the table. Photos of the two students looked back at them. Kotone, grinning and happy. Aigis, stoic and unreadable. "Tell me about your time in Shujin. Your earliest days there, the friends you made, how much you saw and knew. And of course..." Naoto reached once more into the briefcase, pulling free a black and red calling card from within.

"How you came to join the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."

Monday, April 11th 2016.

The First Day of School

Rain.

There was always something so calming about rain.

Most people hated it. Kotone loved it. She wasn't sure why. Something about the cloudy sky, the pitter patter of rain drops falling on the city, the smell in the air, all of it came together to form this supremely calming experience.

Life was weird like that.

Of course, she wasn't an idiot. As wonderful as rain could be, it was also dangerous. What at one moment was a gentle drizzle might swiftly turn into a typhoon, the gentle sounds of rain crescendoing into a swell of overwhelming sound and violence. Life was also weird like that. There was a certain beauty there, she thought, in the eye of the storm being a place of both absolute beauty, and incomparable terror.

All this to say Kotone was smiling as she stepped out of the station near Shujin Academy, casting her eyes towards the sky and sighing contently as the raindrops pattered against her face. She stood there for a moment, just feeling the rain fall... happy.

"Kotone." The voice snapped her out of her trance, bringing her back to earth as the world went on around her. Aigis was staring at her. So were a few of the passing students, weirded out by her adoration of the rain.