Persona 5 - The Jester's Point Of View

Scene 61

Distortion... ' A change to the intended or true meaning of something '. It was... Complicated. It could mean a lot. But how were they supposed to imagine it? A distortion... It could mean a lot, couldn't it? It was somewhat difficult to imagine. If they just had more leads. Take a shot in the dark? They had no other option but it could only work so many times. And when consulting Ole in Mementos this one only gave them the old fashioned answer. "You have no other choice but to observe her for longer. Maybe then you will get some clues." They had hoped for some other tactic to be honest. It sounded so simple yet also took such a long time. But it was hard without knowing Miyuki herself. There were glimpses at most but there was no way they could tell what this female was thinking. She was twisted but in what way? How did she view the world? That was what they needed answers on. But there was nothing they could think of, no matter how hard they tried.

So, whenever the chance presented itself and they had a 'free day' to spare (or even spent the later afternoons to evenings roaming around the streets to be honest) they located Miyuki. Then again, it wasn't as if this one wasn't doing it herself already just fine. At least when it came to Luka. Does she have some sense for him or something like that? This was a little off putting if not bizarre. As if she just happened to know where they were when they were being 'he' to the public eye. And... It was no different. Because the moment Luka had stepped out of the arcade he heard her voice once more. "Luka–San! What a coincidence to run into you here~" And it all continued from there.

The interactions should be for his benefit, to get more hints as to how to find Ishikawa's 'distortion'. But no hint whatsoever. All she did was try to squeeze out details, asking mundane questions. Yet he would always give his short lived answers.

"I didn't know you liked playing videogames."

"I do."

"Do you visit the arcade often?"

"Whenever I have time."

"Are you always by yourself?"

"Mostly, yeah."

"Oh.Then how about we go there together?"

"If you have the time."

It did not please her, he could tell. She was at the brink of losing it. One could see her eyelids twitching, her smile so close to falling apart at that moment. Not to mention how she clutched his arm, one she so much forced herself upon to hug, suggesting a nonexistent closeness between the two. Yet what was he supposed to do? Push her off? Then who knows what she would do... Maybe cry and then Luka would get himself in hot water. Yeah, he had to endure it for now. And besides, it was easier to read her mood that way, he had to admit.

Though her grip relaxed shortly after and she forced a smile out of her lips. "You're still as talkative as ever, aren't you?"

"I'm not really in the mood."

"You never are."

"Sorry." As if he was. He honestly wasn't even trying to play the 'silent cool guy'. He just really didn't know how to talk to people sometimes. And this was making him extremely nervous. Especially when spotting the crowd nearby... Anyone could be here watching. And that made it even more frustrating in the end. But there was little he could do. Usually it would remain silent after that, Miyuki excusing herself and running off... But not today.

Instead what she said next was completely out of left field. She said it for one reason or another, putting Luka on edge for a quick second when she did. When looking back at her he saw her gaze darkening, at least for this short moment. Her grip became tighter again and her grin wide, having shifted from this small pout on her face. Her golden pupils did not just look at him, no, they bore themselves into his skin, as if trying to look right past him, right into his soul. It felt as if two knives had been pushed into his face and not pulled out, leaving him to struggle. In this case however, he froze, unable to speak.

And what she said... Her tone was so sweet yet the undertone made it seem a little distorted. Perhaps a temporary crack in her voice? "You're always so cold Luka–San. You don't like me, do you?" She asked, putting him even more on the spot. He wasn't sure what to say, how to respond. He wanted to say something, even if it was a lie coming from his mouth, to defuse the situation that way. But his voice was stuck in his throat. But not like it mattered. She continued shortly after, just as she leaned forward to face him, her face too close for comfort. It was as if she got ready to snap his neck at any moment, but she resisted this temptation all the same. "A shame. A young man like you would be a fine doll to have~"

This made him take a step back, or nearly rather. He didn't believe his ears. Or rather, didn't trust them at that moment. He wanted to flee, shake her off, but she wouldn't let him. Instead she held so tightly onto him that it hurt. And when looking closer at his face she giggled like some little school girl, as if this was nothing. As if she was facing her little crush. What added more salt to the wound was her comment shortly after, with this sickly sweet smile. "Just kidding~"

It was somewhat out of nowhere and made Luka pant as soon as he had gotten a chance to escape. It was when the two had hit the Station Square, allowing him to excuse himself. "I gotta be home early. Help my Mom! Bye!"

It was where he had made Ishikawa let go of his arm and run off, fleeing to the usual train platform... Or so it looked like. This encounter was a little off putting, especially since it just happened without any explanation or warning. It took him a little bit of time to process, even when having hidden himself in the next best corner in plain sight. It was too much to handle and yet–

Though her words still rang in his ear... What did she call him? A... Doll... That he would be a fine doll to have. A doll... Luka... A doll. A doll... So a toy? The calmer he got the more he repeated it in his mind. It became more and more frequent the calmer he got and soon his fear was replaced with a moment of realization. How did one define distortion again? ' A change to the intended or true meaning of something '. So a change, how Miyuki perceived the world. And she used a specific word. She could have said anything else yet she called him a doll, the equivalent of a toy. Not a breathing, living being. It was specifically that. This word... It bothered him to no end. Could it be—

The urge overcame him and he took out his phone quickly, opening this navigator app. The first three terms were still there. 'Ishikawa Miyuki', 'Sadist', 'Ishikawa Residence' and... Doll... Doll... Where would one place dolls? Where do dolls 'live'? Where does their owner— Ah, wait! Right there!

Dollhouse

' Match found '

Luka sighed in relief, leaning against the wall as he did. There it was. All of the terms. It took a bit longer than he wanted but he did it. Finally, this was everything he—

And yet before he could finish his thoughts his sight went black again from one moment to the other and he found himself collapsing shortly after... Again.