#But I Won't Cave In | P5!AU Hamuko

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@wildxcardrebel | X

"Y-yeah, I guess it was obvious, huh?" She let out a small, nervous chuckle as she saw him rub his aching forehead. Luckily, it wasn't his glasses that took the fall or even worse. This was her first time walking or even doing anything in years, so of course, her reflexes weren't the best either.

"Sorry, I'll be more careful next time!" As shameful as it was for a first meeting, she got back into position and lined up the next shot, closing one eye to focus better. Her arm was still shaking, however, and she looked up at the young man. "Um... sorry, but do you happen to have any tips on how to do this properly? I'm afraid I'll hit someone again..."

[fatexbound]

@wildxcardrebel

Blinking, her train of thought paused for a moment. "Black Mask? Who's that? Or... what is that, actually?" She titled her head to the side, showing how perplexed she was. Just from that name alone and the expression on Ren's face, it sounded serious.

"I only wanted to tell you that I'm a wild card just like you. Nothing that ominous. And yes, I knew it from the start." She explained, smiling once again. "I can offer some help if you ever need it. That's why I asked about the supernatural. I just wanted to make sure, that's all. Though I'm sorry if I sounded suspicious."

@fatexbound

"You'd fit right in, honestly." Hamuko's energy was infectious, and right now, they needed some positivity after what happened with Okumura. Especially him. He'd been plagued by nightmares ever since it happened, but he hadn't said a thing about it. He didn't want the others to worry about him.

Grey hues widened significantly at this revelation, and the wild card's demeanor shifted. His smile disappeared, and there was a serious expression on his face. It explained why he felt there was something about her that he couldn't pinpoint. "You're not the Black Mask, are you?" Concern turned his stomach as he considered the very real possibility that Hamuko was the Metaverse user that Madarame and Kaneshiro had alluded to.

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@kxllingjoke​ asked: 💔 for Ham-chan

A fucked up kissing meme | Accepting

8. a  kiss  on  an  injury  my  muse  gave  to  yours.

“Joker...!” The female ran up to him after snapping out the confusion spell she was hit with and sliced the shadow into nothing but smoke. She should’ve seen it coming, however, her agility wasn’t quite what it used to be. She was still adjusting to fighting with a new way to summon her Personas. He seemed to be fine, minus the large scratch on his leg by her naginata whilst she was in her previous state. “Sorry! I’m so sorry...” She quickly apologized and leaned down to kiss it before getting out some medicine she was carrying. “Can you walk?” Crimson eyes gazed at him full of concern.

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“noooo, don’t die, ur so sexy, haha” -aka the Death sinner (with an actual canon name I love this time)

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I’ll make a banner later maybe-

P5!AU Headcanons for mainly Ham, but it applies for both.

- How old are they? They appear to be 20 or so, but they’re older than that. In their late twenties at best.

- Do they join the PT? Yes, if Joker allows them to. It’s why they were awakened again- to help them out.

- Mask design: one half is white, the other is black. Two Arcanas summoned only: Fool and Death. Not to say they have forgotten their bonds with their friends or anything like that. It’s symbolic.

Personas:

Fool:

1) Orpheus Telos (or just plain Orpheus if you don’t wanna be too OP)

2) Loki

3) Black Frost

Death:

1) Thanatos

2) Alice

3) Mot/Loa

[fatexbound]

@wildxcardrebel

"Thank you." She bowed, pleased with herself, although normally, she'd feel a little bad for gloating. When he pointed out how late it was, she tilted her head. It's funny how she wasn't tired in the slightest. It's an effect of being present here unless she were to use her powers. Which, in this case, was a bust.

"Oh, alright then! Please don't let me keep you. Take care and I'll let you know if I need something!" Gaining what she could call a new friend after such a long time was refreshing, and she hoped they'd reunite soon.

"Good night, Amamiya-kun!"

@fatexbound

Once he put the mallet down, he turned to face her, eyes having returned to their natural state. "Nowhere near as good as you were, though. Your reaction time is crazy." It was almost unreal, in fact. And that started pricking the back of his mind. She's not normal, that much he had figured out. The strange aura that radiated from her, her skill, some of her comments...they all pointed to something was different about her.

"More, huh? Sure, it's only..." He finished out his phone again and looked at the time. "Ah crap, it's this late already? Sorry, but I have to head home. But hey, if you wanna meet up again, just message me. It doesn't even have to be to hang out here. I'm fine with meeting up wherever."

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@wildxcardrebel

Hands behind her back, the brunette observed his actions. He moved incredibly fast, even more than she expected. He must've had insane skills or something else up his sleeve that she couldn't see, but feel.

Nothing could escape her, however, she wasn't quite sure what he had used here to achieve his goal. She considered it a win nonetheless.

"Not bad for a beginner!" She clapped for him to congratulate him, grin as wide as it could get. "We could try some other games if you want to beat me so badly!" She teased him, tossing him a little wink. "It comes with experience, as they say. Jealous, huh?"

@fatexbound

Last time he saw one of these must've been...six years ago? At some kid's birthday party. He had been invited just because it was a friend of his only friend and so they were tangentially friends by proxy. Sorta like that six degrees of Kevin Bacon game. He always preferred the racing games, honestly.

"Just being honest, Arisato-san." After a moment, he took the small mallet from the red eyed woman. "Well then, here goes nothing." Plunking in a few yen, the machine came to life again as the phantom thief prepared himself.

Inhaling deeply, he opened his eyes, his irises becoming red as he activated his third eye. His face was just out of view of Hamuko's vision, so he didn't have to worry about her catching a glimpse of them. As the mechanical rodents popped up from their holes, they moved in slow motion for him, allowing him to react faster than a normal person would. Batting them on the head time and again, the game eventually ended.

Hamuko had scored higher than him, by a decent margin, at that. Damn, even with the gift of Third Eye wasn't enough to keep up with her performance. "First time I've played in years. Surprised I did this well. But you're something special, Arisato-san. Looks like I'm gonna have to practice to beat you." Just like a certain detective he had visited here with.

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@wildxcardrebel

"Aw, really? That's so nice of you. I'd love to meet them!" She perked right up at the notion of finally having someone to talk to instead of Ryoji in her head who remained as calm as ever. She was still an extrovert at heart even after all these years of complete isolation from the world because of her duties.

Then, a smirk pulled at her lips. "I'm asking because I believe in it too. Since there's no use hiding it, I can tell you that I have a very special power. And if I can sense it in you, that means that you must know something. You could say that I am on a secret mission here." She stirred her coffee and took a few sips, enjoying the warmth that coursed through her body.

@fatexbound

The ravenet wild card took her compliments in stride, but frowned when she mentioned that she didn't have many friends in the area. "I'm sorry, Hamuko-san. I know what that's like. Maybe I could introduce you to my friends. I think they'd like you." He couldn't help but notice how she was wording things, and it made him raise a brow. Was she onto him? It wouldn't be the first time that someone figured out the truth, but still...

As he set her order in front of her, he couldn't help but blink in surprise at her question. Normally, he'd consider it something silly and out of nowhere, but with the way she's been talking... "I do. Not in everything, but there's definitely stuff out there that's beyond scientific explanation. Why do you ask?"

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@wildxcardrebel

It was a very old game for her now and him. It brought back good memories of skipping her curfew to play at the arcade until it was midnight. She missed those times, but it was also nice to find a new youthful spirit.

"Aw, thank you!" She giggled at the compliment. "Never hurts to try, in my opinion. Go ahead." She moved to the side and took out some yen to get the machine to reset. She looked at him expectantly, leaning in a little forward. "Whenever you're ready, Amamiya-kun."

@fatexbound

He had once heard Ann mention an English saying: "Curiosity killed the cat." While she had been using it to refer to Morgana falling for the Treasure Demon's trap back in Madarame's Palace, it could apply to himself in this very moment. He could just leave Hamuko be, but he felt compelled to learn more about her before they parted ways. "It's been a long, long time since I've seen one of these games. Even longer since I've seen anyone play it so...efficiently, I guess?" In spite of being quite skilled himself, the young man always took note of people with ability, especially when it was something he hadn't done before. Seeking tutelage under them was important, because he always wanted to better himself. However, this was not him looking for mentorship, but rather intrigued by her talent.

He was so lost in his thoughts for a moment that he didn't even realize that she was holding out the small hammer to him. But as soon as he heard her asking him to try, he left the deeper thought process and focused on what was happening in front of him. "Hmm? I mean, I guess I could."

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@wildxcardrebel

"Mhhm... well, yes, you could say that. You're funny, kind and... to be honest, I don't have a lot of friends that are from here." She admitted sheepishly. "They're all in Iwatodai, so as you can imagine... it can get lonely. I'm glad to have met you. For a lot of other reasons. I can tell that there's something really special about you."

A beat as she waits for her order, finger tapping on the counter. "You wouldn't happen to believe in the supernatural, would you, Ren-kun?" Her expression was a giveaway that she was serious about this.

@fatexbound

"Heh. Might have to pass the word along to Boss when he gets back. Would make his life a lot easier." The young man scoffed. While Sojiro obviously loved Leblanc, he made it abundantly clear that he had enough money even without the place open. And considering everything he had gotten Futaba, there was definite smoke to that fire, so to speak.

He rolled his eyes in response. "Well, obviously I am. Wouldn't have a job if I didn't." He said, placing his hands in his pockets. "See, I thought it was the other way around: that you missed me." He retorted, a small smirk on his face.

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@wildxcardrebel

She figured he'd be curious enough to watch her play. "Impressed, hmm? I know, I have some experience with this game and plenty of others. I used to go to the arcade and play every other night." Beaming with pride and self-confidence, she tapped the mallet on her shoulder while she spoke and reminiscing on the wonderful nights she had in Iwatodai. "I won this round pretty easily." She didn't need a boost from her powers for something so simple.

She then turned to Ren and handed it over. "Want to give it a shot?"

@fatexbound

"Arisato Hamuko..." He muttered as his fingers quickly glided over the virtual keyboard of his phone. Why did she seem so familiar to him, though? He was wracking his brain trying to put this all together. He was going to have to get to know her better to figure out just why her presence felt this way to him.

Ren was taken aback by seeing this kind of arcade machine here. It wasn't like there were any prizes to be won or anything. Maybe the owner was just a fan of Mole Whacker? But what threw the thief off even more was how hard Hamuko was hitting the mechanical pests. She was stronger than she looked. "That was...wow."

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@wildxcardrebel

She laughed at his little joke about working here. "Good one. I wouldn't mind working here, though, honestly." She cupped her cheek. She quite enjoyed the busy city life after Iwatodai as she wasn't ready to go back yet and face all of her friends, if she was even allowed to do so. She missed them.

"Haha, I bet you're a hard worker, though. As for your other question... you could say it's both?" With the cup in front of her, she took a sip before continuing. "I think you're fun to hang out with. You remind me of my best friend, Junpei. Though you're a little quieter than him. Why do you ask? Did you miss me?" She teased, giggling to herself.

@fatexbound

"You don't seem the type to need coffee is all I'm saying." It felt like Hamuko was always bursting with energy whenever they met up, to the point where he sometimes had trouble keeping up with her. "Oh? You worked at a café? You never mentioned that. Maybe Boss could bring you onboard." He suggested. He was joking, of course.

Nodding his head, the ravenet began to work on her order. "Better than working at the beef bowl shop on Central Street, I can tell you that much." Even he got overwhelmed with how busy it was. After a few moments, her coffee was ready. Adding the two spoonfuls of sugar as requested, he set the cup on the counter in front of her. "So, be honest: did you really want coffee, or did you just wanna see me?"

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@wildxcardrebel

Hearing his suggestion about exchanging contact information, she turned her attention to her phone. "Oh, sure! Sorry about that." Once he was ready, she let their phones touch to transfer the details with a soft 'beep', and she quickly punched in his full name. A polite young man who had an interesting vibe to him wasn't a common opportunity for a former wild card like herself.

The game she chose was called Mole Whackers, holding a red mallet in her hand, her goal was to hit each mole that popped up out of five holes and gather as many points as possible before her time ran out. It might have taken a few tries to get used to it, but her strength wasn't to be underestimated. "Got you! 2,000 points! How about that?!"

@fatexbound

"You can say that again. And it's only been a few months since they first showed up." About five months, to be precise. It didn't feel like five months for him, though. It somehow felt like it was shorter and longer than that simultaneously. His arrival felt like it was only yesterday, but with everything that had happened, it was like he had already spent a year in Tokyo. "Ah, speaking of phones, I know we've just met, but I can give you my contact info, if you'd like.

He looked down at the table, nodding his head. "Pretty good for someone who just learned to play." He complimented. He didn't say anything else as he followed her after a moment. Eyes swept over the arcade cabinets, having forgotten they were here. The selection was smaller than the arcade in Shibuya, and was dwarfed in comparison to Akihabara's. Onyx spheres eventually found Hamuko before tilting his head, surprised at the game she had chosen.

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@wildxcardrebel

"Wow, sounds like I missed a lot..." She expected some things to change over the course of the years, naturally. It's only been six years since her absence and technology had advanced so fast, it's hard to believe. The Phantom Thieves were a lot more popular too, given how much people talked about them on the streets. "I guess I'll check those rumors out sometime. I'm still not used to my new phone and its features." Smartphones were so complicated compared to her old flip phone.

A few shots later and she had won this round all by herself. "Alright, I'm all done!" Feeling accomplished, she placed it down and stepped back to give the table a good look. "I'll be at the arcade games if you want to come join me, Amamiya-kun." She was having a blast, and it'd be a shame to leave so soon, so she headed off to find them in the club, and settled on an old game that brought back some good memories.

@fatexbound

The second year stroked his chin, still contemplating what she could've meant by that. Seems like she wasn't going to be telling him anytime soon, however. Looks like this was something he was going to have to keep in mind if he ran into her again. "Alright, then."

"I mean, it's not just the news. They were everywhere over the summer. People were selling all sorts of merchandise, social media was going crazy about them... it was like, a national sensation." Then again, Sojiro wasn't really aware of them at the time either. "Beats me. There's all sorts of rumors online, but nobody knows for sure. Whatever the case, it works." Ren explained, watching as his new acquaintance sunk another pair into the pockets.

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@wildxcardrebel

She gasped, "That's a first! I'll have you know I used to work and have coffee at a cafe back in Iwatodai. I had a lot on my plate back then, so I had to like it at some point." She was more of a tea person at night, but she couldn't miss this opportunity to try something new other than pumpkin pie.

Finally, she took a seat on one of the chairs at the counter. "It must be nice working here at a quaint little shop. That being said, I'll have your best coffee with two spoonfuls of sugar, please!"

@fatexbound

He had mentioned Leblanc in passing quite a few times, but he never predicted that Hamuko would actually visit him while he was working. Truth be told, she didn't seem the type to need coffee. She always seemed to be beaming whenever they spoke.

"Can't say I was. You never really struck me as a coffee person." Ryuji wasn't one either, so he wasn't going to judge. Thankfully, Sojiro wasn't here to grill him about having yet another girl in his life.

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@wildxcardrebel

"Yeah. It's... a long story. I'm relieved things have changed for the better around here." She didn't want to bore him with all the details of her encounters just yet. They weren't any of his business and she preferred to keep it private regardless, for her own safety. Albeit her name not ringing any bells was a good sign.

She made a mental note of that number. She wasn't a detective or anything, but it was her mission to find out who they were and if supernatural abilities were involved in their schemes or heists. "Well, honestly, I've been... too busy to pay any real attention to the news, so sorry!" She chuckled, scratching behind her head. "I wonder how they do it. It seems interesting how a person's heart can change so quickly." Another set of balls went in as she spoke.

@fatexbound

"Still kind people?"

Such a specific way of phrasing it. Maybe she had issues with people in the past and had lost faith? No, that can't be it. The look in her eyes told him differently. They were vibrant and kind, but yet, somewhat sorrowful. Not the eyes of someone who felt the world was shit. So what did she mean by that? The more and more they spoke, the more his curiosity piqued.

"About...three, I think." Well, it was four, but only three were public knowledge. While they were attributed to stopping Medjed, they had never done anything against them in the public eye, no calling card or anything of the sort. There were also numerous others that they had changed through Mementos, but nobody really kept count of those. Well, nobody except Mishima. "I'm surprised you're asking, though. It's been all over the news these past few months."