2026-03-05: Some God or Devil
- Log: 2026-03-05 Some God or Devil
- Cast: Jun Kashihara, Goro Akechi, Katsuya Suou
- Where: Hirasaka - Main
- OOC Date: March 5, 2026
- IC Date: Friday, October 05, 2012
- Summary: After Jun's rescue from the Old Maid, Sergeant Suou and Detective Akechi come by his home. There, they discuss what happened and what it means as far as Jun, Tatsuya, and the ongoing events swirling around Sumaru are concerned.
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
After Jun was rescued from the supernatural space that Sudou had conjured to keep him housed/caged--not just rescued, but Awakened to his own Persona--Katsuya was kind enough to escort him home to his house in Hirasaka. His father and mother, Akinari and Junko Kashihara, were beside themselves with relief and joy, having feared that he'd been kidnapped due to Junko's recent pro-LGBTQ+ campaigning and having tensely been waiting for a ransom call.
No doubt that was a complicated conversation for Katsuya and Jun both. Fortunately, ultimately both of them were satisfied that he'd returned home safely.
That was Wednesday night. Jun took Thursday off to rest and recover, and he's returned to school as of today, neatly donning the Kasugayama winter uniform and passing on a note from his parents to the largely uncaring Cuss High staff that there was a family emergency. (Marlowe-sensei will care, but that's an issue for another day.)
Now it's after school. Jun was too exhausted on Wednesday for it, but he's asked Katsuya to come by so they can have a proper conversation about what happened--and invited Akechi while he's at it. As the two trustworthy law enforcement figures around, this seems like the proper place to start.
"Thank you both for coming by. I'm sure you're both busy," he greets them when he opens the door of his home for them. "I've prepared some tea and snacks, if either of you are interested?"
He'll show them both to the living room either way. It's decorated in a tasteful mix of archaeological artifacts and movie memorabilia--some of them even originals. There's a pair of couches separated by a tea table at the center for when his mother's entertaining guests, and Jun invites them both to sit there. He'll fetch a tray of green tea and crackers, then set it down on the table between everyone. Then he'll seat himself.
Both Katsuya and Akechi will notice that there's a certain extra self-assurance in his stride and expression now. He may have been through a harrowing experience, but he's come out the other side stronger for it.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Akechi has heard what happened. He's very well informed after all. Though Katsuya may not appreciate whom his source on this might be.
Not that he'd tell him.
And so here he is, "My thanks for the invitation, Kashihara-san. And it's so good to see you again, Sergeant Suou." He of course, takes off his shoes at the door. "A cup of tea would certainly hit the spot, if you're sure you don't mind?"
Of course he knows Jun is being hospitable, but he plays the game of faux politeness. He does truly want tea though.
With a glance about the room, like a Detective might with an eye for detail. "My, what a lovely abode. I do rather enjoy the decor."
And indeed, as his eyes settle upon Jun Kashihara, he sees something that perhaps... he expected in a sense. Coming into power does wonders for one's attitude.
For most people.
"... You were being held by the Old Maid for a considerable length of time. Are you certain you're ready for this conversation?"
If he's sour about this development for Jun, he at least is hiding his distaste for now. He at least has to play the part of being concerned for the victim.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
There had been a lot of paperwork involved.
He'd had to file a report about the collapsed building, when all was said and done. Even that had produced a pile of paperwork and further headaches: the building in question had just passed its safety inspection earlier in the year! Now there was an investigation into whether the paperwork had been falsified, or if someone had deliberately caused it to collapse (terrorism? arson?).
And then there had been the matter of Jun's disappearance and the (discreet, as it turned out) report to the police and the follow-up after. Was it as the mother feared, a result of her activism? Or was it unrelated? Katsuya, who is slowly but steadily starting to learn a thing or two, had decided in this case to simply say he had been following up on an unrelated lead when he found the young man and didn't catch a clear look at the apparent kidnapper as they escaped. To outright lie galls him, but to do otherwise...
There's a reason he had suggested Akechi accompany him. He, after all, is the one who had let him know that there are people among the ranks of the fine officers of the Sumaru Police that are corrupt. That are a part of some larger conspiracy. And... this wasn't properly a '#501' case. No one had died, certainly not by any known modus opperandi.
Tatsuya Sudou had kidnapped Jun Kashihara for some reason. There was something he wanted him to do. But what, and why?
"Of course. I hope that you are feeling better, Kashihara-kun."
It's a nice home, Katsuya notes as he takes a quick look around. Larger than his own childhood home, unquestionably larger than his current shoebox of an apartment. While not precisely 'wealthy', the Kashiharas are certainly well-off in society. In any other case he would assume that would be the motive for the kidnapping, or at least one of a few possible motives. Here, though...
"It is quite nice," he agrees, chiming in with Akechi. "Your parents have a good eye for decor."
He looks much as he did, he thinks, considering Jun. But, it's like that young man stands that much taller, seems just a little more self-assured. Is that typical, he wonders, thinking back on his own awakening, and relecting on Ayame's too. It had been the other one he had witnessed, come to think of it.
"As Akechi-kun said," he says. "If you are uncertain, we can speak of other things. After an experience like that one..." He shakes his head.
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
"Much better, now that I've been able to sleep safely in my own bed," Jun tells Katsuya with subtle emphasis. To Akechi, on the matter of tea, he smiles and reassures him, "Not at all." He'll head into the kitchen to finish brewing and serving and return with the aforementioned tray.
Whatever sourness the Sevens student may or may not have about him, he masks it well enough to keep Jun from noticing. The two of them have had some unpleasantness in the past, but Jun has come to understand (assume) that Akechi was trying to protect him by being tough on him.
Especially now that he's experienced for himself what it means to get involved with the supernatural without protection. Not that Jun wanted that--but he simply couldn't let an innocent person get tormented by Sudou if there was anything he could do to stop it...
"Thank you," he adds when Akechi and Katsuya admire the decor. "Mother did most of it, but Father has a few ornaments here and there too." He sobers at his seeming concern, but his eyes are clear and his nod decisive. "Thank you both again for your consideration, but I'm certain. It was a miserable experience, but I'd rather discuss the matter right away, while everything is still fresh in my mind. He's a madman who must be stopped, and I will do whatever I can to make that happen."
He takes a moment to sip his cup of tea; Akechi's and Katsuya's steam quietly in anticipation. It's a well-brewed green tea, and the crackers are light, airy, and full of a not-too-sweet crunch.
"The first thing I should say is that Sudou-san believes I am the 'true' Joker--his reason for stalking me all this time is because he wants me to reassume the title. He even had a special costume prepared for me for that purpose." Jun shakes his head. "Presumably whatever he wants me to remember is related to that. I don't know why he thinks this specifically, but..." He frowns. "I do believe that he, Tatsuya and I have some sort of shared past that I can no longer remember." He sets his cup down. "Not only can I not remember it, I must not remember. If I do, something terrible will happen."
He says this all matter-of-fact. As always, he's quite prepared. Mind, the Joker Killer has said as much in regards to Jun allegedly being the 'true' Joker in one of his videos, but Jun never watched it, and only barely heard it existed. He very much avoided watching anything to do with Sudou.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Taking the tea once Jun brings it, he smiles and nods, "Thank you. Just what I needed." As he takes a sip, something of a caffeine addict, before putting it down on a saucer.
Katsuya does back him up, though of course, he expects that Jun won't take him up on that offer. After all, he did invite them.
It's obvious he wants to talk. And so he does.
"... The 'true' Joker." He echoes, as Jun begins to speak, and he takes out his notebook, turning the pages to a certain prophecy, just to double check. No mentions, though perhaps it's more oblique.
He then begins to write down some notes. "Hmmm..." Some God, or Devil has - or had chosen Jun Kashihara, and he thinks he knows who it is. Still, he's not about to put that forward.
A shared past that he cannot remember, must not remember. Akechi's eyes wander up in consideration. "That does give new context to a certain encounter I had with Sergeant Suou's brother." He brings that up, because he's already brought it up with Jun before.
His pen stops scrawling, as he looks sideways at Katsuya, "But it also begs a certain question. Your brother having a certain 'shared past' with Kashihara-san is plausible... but I find it unlikely that it wouldn't be discussed in your household. Do you know anything about this, Sergeant?"
He suspects that the answer is definitely not, but that begs even more questions. Given that Jun is the son of a celebrity, it's unlikely children would desire to keep that a secret.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
He should be happier about that remark, honestly. But it should have been sooner, Katsuya thinks to himself. He should not have had to endure Sudou alone a single day, never mind an entire week. And the man is still out there. There is comfort, at least, in the fact that Jun can protect himself now, but...
...but the young man shouldn't have to, he finds himself returned to again.
"I see..." he says, as Jun persists and says he's more than capable of talking about this now. That it's important to stop the man before he strikes again. "What you say is true," he affirms with a nod. "It is my aim to stop him. If... it is possible, I would prefer to see that he faces justice for his crimes." But... is this something that the justice system is prepared to handle? Is it even safe?
And does the presence of these facts mean that it's permissible to act as judge, jury, and executioner? If... it's to protect another...
He had been quite aggressive with the suspect then, he supposes. With anyone else, it might have been inexcusable outside impending threat to another person.
What is the right thing to do? And how does he do it? With those thoughts on his mind, he takes a seat to listen.
What Jun has to say to him is surprising.
"The... 'True Joker'? Is it some delusion of his?" he wonders, only to shake his head. Glancing over at Akechi he pauses, then shakes his head again. "I cannot say I have perfect memory of every single one of Tatsuya's school friends when he was young, but I believe I would have remembered someone he had spent time with." The fact of the matter is that he actually remembers most of the names and faces of Tatsuya's elementary-school friends well. For one thing, there weren't all that many of them. For the other, well. ...big brother might have a bit of a complex.
"If he had, he never came home with Kashihara-kun or mentioned him once," he concludes, glancing up at the ceiling.
He, thinking about that again, though. The way Jun had addressed his brother. The way Jun's mother had expressed concern over her 'perfect little man' and the alleged intentions of his kidnappers. ...The way that Tatsuya had...
'Don't read into this,' his brother had said, before he'd gone on to say something else.
"...." Katsuya, lost in his own head, allows his shoulders to sag slightly. Perhaps in search of a pick-me-up (he's a coffee-drinker, however) he picks up the tea and takes a sip.
"Oh, this is quite good. Bringing out the flavor of the tea without scalding it can be quite difficult... Thank you, Kashihara-kun."
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Jun glances at Akechi's notebook. He doesn't remark on it, though. He's sure he has that prophecy that Sudou (allegedly) muttered to him over the phone. This time, Jun can handle hearing about it without going mad, but he'll let him form his thoughts first.
Katsuya asks about Sudou's delusions. "He certainly has plenty of those," Jun replies cattily. "I've had conversations with him where it seemed like he was operating on another plane of reality." He shakes his head. "I'd dismiss it as just that, but... if that's all it were, would Tatsuya be taking it this seriously? Even if Sudou-san is hardly a reliable narrator, I think there must be something to what he says--some grain of truth."
Which is disturbing to Jun. How and why would anyone ever think he ought to be a serial killer...? Granted, that part might be a distortion Sudou's forced onto this 'Joker,' but it's hard to know anything about the matter.
He smiles at least at Katsuya's compliment on his tea. "I'm glad you enjoy it, Suou-san."
Meanwhile, Akechi brings up a 'certain encounter.' Katsuya says he doesn't remember having ever met Jun before, and Akechi doubts that Katsuya would be totally ignorant about any shared past.
"I'm not so sure about that," Jun says reluctantly. Tatsuya's made it clear he doesn't trust either of these two, but Jun knows sometimes personalities just conflict. And in this case in particular-- He turns an apologetic look at Katsuya. "Please forgive me for saying so, but Tatsuya doesn't seem very keen on you. Whenever this happened, I'm not confident he would have confided in you about it."
He huffs a small breath as he gazes down into his own cup. "I don't intend on trying to figure out the truth. I trust Tatsuya in this matter. However, it might be important context for bringing Sudou-san to justice..." Whatever form that justice may take. Jun smiles up at Katsuya; it's noble of him to want to give even a monster like him due process. That smile soon fades. "I've thought about when this might have happened--I don't know of any gaps in my memory, but then, I suppose I wouldn't. Sudou-san said he had a friend once upon a time named 'Jun Kurosu,' and he's since insisted that's what my name should be. Kurosu is my mother's maiden name, so I suppose if my father weren't in the picture for some reason, I might go by that name..."
He bows his head, falling into silence for a moment. "...And, truthfully, there was a period in my life where my parents were in danger of getting a divorce," he adds softly. "It reached its peak about ten years ago. I won't go into details, but the two of them managed to work things out, and that's why they get along so well now. But..." He frowns and trails off. "...No, even with that, I couldn't see myself going by 'Kurosu,'" he says reluctantly. "Back then, I was much closer to my father than my mother. If I'd met new friends in town somewhere, I don't think I would have introduced myself that way."
But, once again, he doesn't remember, so he doesn't know for sure. What's more-- "And even if I had, Tatsuya's... suggested some things that make me believe whatever past we share wasn't that long ago. Though maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part," he admits, glancing away as a hint of pink rises in his cheeks.
You made me happy--the meaning of lilies-of-the-valley in the language of flowers. That had been one of the flower Tatsuya had given him that day in the hospital. The other: butterfly weed, for let me go. It felt romantic to Jun back then, and still does, but... maybe he'd only meant happy as friends.
Either way, if the two of them have a shared past that Jun's since forgotten somehow, that mysterious bouquet would make much more sense.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"It will certainly be challenging for one such as him to face Justice." He remarks to Katsuya, almost as an aside, "The insanity defense will likely still apply and so long as he has his powers... the Dark Hour will make any prison inadequate at containing him. Nevertheless... we must do what we can."
Jun may find it peculiar how easily he slips into speaking about the supernatural aspects, once everyone in the room is knowledgeable about them.
"... Perhaps. It would be the logical explanation." He says of the idea of the 'True Joker' even listening to Jun cattily speak of how he has plenty of them- which may actually raise his estimation of him very marginally, "For now though, let's not eliminate the possibility that there is something to it."
His eyes flick to Jun, as if in consideration, as he listens to Katsuya speak of Tatsuya's school friends. And Jun also states 'But Tatsuya doesn't seem very keen upon you. "Regardless, it's still unusual that it was never spoken about." He asides, "Given your status as Junko Kashihara's son... it would likely at least be remarked upon... this is a city where Rumors spread far and wide. For no one in their family to hear of you at all..."
He sits back within his seat, using his free hand to rub his chin. "... It is rather good tea." He murmurs at Katsuya's comment, seeming lost in thought.
He may still seem lost in thought as Jun speaks about the trouble between their parents, and how they resolved it. He weighs his options, and eventually decides upon something. Putting his hand down, he scrawls a few short notes about the marital strife, and 'Kurosu' given its connection to a clue in a prophecy.
And then, he shuts his book. "If it's any consolation, I trust Sergeant Suou's brother as well. And I have had some contact with him a few short months ago."
There's a distinct pause, he's giving up information, but the possibility of what might be gained is worthwhile. "Are either of you aware that he doesn't seem to remember certain details from his own life?"
He asks before explaining, "We knew each other throughout the past three years at Seven Sisters' casually. One might say it was a 'popularity contest' within the school that caused us to run into each other, in a sense. Well, when he stopped attending school... I performed an investigation, and ran into him."
There's a distinct pause, "He had no idea who I was. And at this time I don't believe it is merely a case of poor memory. It as if he is missing certain key details... while still being Tatsuya Suou."
Closing the handbook, he then states, "Furthermore, he is a Persona User of considerable strength. He wields a strength and skill that does not arise very quickly... instead requiring considerable experience to master."
Pause.
"Moreover, I believe he was not a Persona User at all... before he stopped attending Seven Sisters around April. Or at the very least, he had not wielded his powers in years... which I find unlikely. Powers such as ours are like a muscle. They require continual use in order to develop the necessary mental fortitude to wield them- and are quick to atrophy if one does not. Someone of such incredible strength would be difficult to miss within our community."
It's perhaps a lot to take in, that which he is saying, "Knowing this, I would ask both of you- what is your impression of how such a thing might occur?"
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
Even Katsuya privately has the same doubts that Akechi more openly remarks upon. Only the way that Katsuya glances towards the floor suggests that he might be echoing similarly weighty thoughts. "Yes," he finally says. "It will not be easy, if it can be done. Yet, we must do what we can. It is not my job to judge him, but I must and I will protect the public."
Katsuya shakes his head. "No, if that were all that were necessary... that person would have been rehabilitated a long time ago. Even if he is out of touch with reality, I cannot excuse his crimes..." He hasn't forgotten that Sudou had taunted him, specifically, in a video. He frowns, though, as if thinking over what Jun has said to him. "A 'grain of truth'... but what could that be? Could there be some 'truth' to... that? There were serial homicides and arsons," he doesn't look at Akechi, "a decade ago, but while it's plausible that he was involved then, you would have been..."
He looks at Jun again. Seven? Eight? He can't begin to imagine a young child could have done such a thing.
He sets his cup of tea down, which is fortunate for the Kashiharas' rug in the moments that follow.
'Tatsuya doesn't seem very keen on you,' Jun says, and it should be noted that this is a truthful, politely-worded statement.
It's another knife in the back for an already emotionally delicate Katsuya (at least, where his brother is concerned). "Now--" he says, starting forward in his seat as if he were about to sit up quite suddenly. But while he has an impulsive streak, he didn't get to where he was by constantly flying off the handle: he takes a breath, reorients himself, and addresses Jun again.
"It is... true that we have had our difficulties lately," he says, which is a mild way of putting it, for sure, "but it wasn't always like that. Tatsuya has... been managing his own matters," Katsuya says, which is certainly some way of putting 'going through some things'. "And, it is true, my job has kept me more distant from him and our parents than I would like," he adds, which considering he talks to his parents regularly and has had a nasty habit (as far as Tatsuya is concerned) of dropping by on days off or on Sundays sometimes without letting him (Tatsuya) know, sometimes even with a cake...
Distance may not actually be the problem here. It might be something else entirely, a fracture point from a known origin that continues to reverberate to this day.
There's one more piece of the puzzle, though, that in the form of Jun's name. "Kurosu..." he echoes, thinking back. He had looked up Jun's mother's filmography: come to think of it, he's seen her on daytime talk shows before. "Your mother still acts under that name, correct?" He settles back in his chair. "Is it possible he could have... mixed you up with..." Katsuya trails off, shaking his head. "No, that can't be it. He expressed a clear interest in you, not your mother." So then... what's the meaning of that? Jun might speculate about a time in his life when it's possible that, with the absence of his father, he might have... but no, even that's making too much of a guess. It's getting off into the realm of a science fiction story and certainly doesn't match reality at all.
It's Akechi who provides one more missing piece. He'd met with his brother, and...
"He did not know you? But... you're in the same year," says Katsuya, omitting the obvious other part of that being 'Goro Akechi is a celebrity and is generally very well known'. "It is true that he is quite powerful as a Persona-user, but..." He trails off, thinking about Masao, who has been a Persona-user for longer than most others he has met, and yet, who claims to not be that powerful at all. "..."
Hadn't Akechi himself said he hadn't been a Persona-user terribly long? Just this year. But even at that time, his brother hadn't shown any signs of having one. Or, for that fact, up to that point when he stopped attending school.
"..."
Finally, Katsuya says, "This is all... very strange, now that I have all of the pieces," he says, fidgeting with his sunglasses. "There is much that I don't know about Personas. Is it possible to be... to gain great power from some other source?"
He has another thought then, though, one that he can't even bring himself to speak of because it's so ludicrous: What if that's not his brother? What if that's some imposter, somehow?
But... how could that even happen? It's absolutely nonsense.
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
As someone newly Awakened, it does seem a little strange to Jun. Still, Akechi must be used to this sort of thing, and Jun does appreciate how he immediately gets down to brass tacks. If they're all aware, then there's no need to pussyfoot around, is there? He likewise appreciates his--and Katsuya's--candor about how difficult it will be to do... anything, really, about Sudou. As someone who was his prisoner for a week, Jun is aware of what kind of powers he's got... It's not heartening to hear, but he prefers this to getting lied to.
"Are you sure? Tatsuya is quite a taciturn man," Jun points out to Akechi. "Depending on when exactly we met in the past, it might not be as strange as you suggest."
That being said, if it's a shared past not just with each other but also Tatsuya Sudou, it would have to have been ten or more years ago. He's spent all that time in a sanitarium otherwise--and while he's been able to escape as a result of the power of rumors, that's only by acting as the 'false' Joker. Maybe it would make sense for Tatsuya of the past few years to say nothing, but it's much harder for a seven-year-old child to hide things--especially from an overbearing big brother.
Who proceeds to point out exactly that. Jun blinks, before nodding somberly. "Seven," he confirms. "That really does seem far too young..." When Katsuya lunges into a canceled stand, Jun's taken aback--but he gets a hold of himself, and Jun falls silent. Whatever issue there is between the Suou brothers, it seems plain that Katsuya doesn't want to hear it. Jun privately doubts Tatsuya's interested in working it out either, so: "I see. I apologize then, Suou-san." He nods confirmation about Junko 'Kurosu.' That's followed by a shake of the head. "No, he made it plain he was talking about a boy," he replies. He'd wondered that too, otherwise...
And there's something else strange that Akechi brings up. Jun blinks, eyes wide, at this revelation. "No, I hadn't." He folds his arms and touches a hand to his chin as Akechi continues. This is context Jun's been missing--important details, to be sure. The more he describes, though, the stranger it becomes. Jun's brand new to all this, so he really has no grasp of what is and isn't logical for the supernatural, but...
"Perhaps he was trapped in a supernatural space for a long time? If time seemed to pass for him there, but didn't pass on the outside, that could explain how he'd grown so strong, but forgotten about passing acquaintances," Jun suggests. (Getting trapped in a supernatural space is at least something Jun knows for a fact can happen. Anything else is pure speculation at this point.) He muses on Akechi's suggestion that Tatsuya suddenly never knew him in the first place. That couldn't be, so-- "Then perhaps... whatever affected my memory has also affected his? Perhaps a combination of the two..."
He sets his hand on his lap and regards Akechi with a slight smile. "...However, the way you ask that makes me suspect you have a theory of your own that you're just itching to share."
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Indeed, Akechi nods in response, "We'll figure something out, we must." Of course, that offers no reassurances. What if the only option, Katsuya Suou is to pull the trigger... is that Justice, when the system is unable to handle such a man?
Perhaps it's the only Justice that can exist.
As Jun notes he's a taciturn man, Akechi nods, "You're correct, however - people tend to be quite different as children." Jun had come to a similar conclusion already but he still notes it, "And given the pieces we have currently, it would have had to have been, don't you think?"
His eyelids do flicker some as Katsuya discusses the arson, but he does not bring them up at the time. Jun's statement about Katsuya is certainly accurate, from his own impressions. He then listens to Katsuya speak of their family situation.
"It would be rare to find two siblings with such an age difference that don't have a certain 'tension' between them." Akechi remarks, to Katsuya's explanation mildly. Trying not to weigh in too hard yet on this.
"He didn't. No." And indeed Akechi did purposefully omit that obvious part. There's no way Tatsuya Suou would be ignorant of who he is. However he asks if it's possible to gain great power from another source, and Akechi is quiet for a time, as if in contemplation.
He notes the apology Jun makes, remaining lost in thought. Until Jun notes he had no idea, and Akechi replies, "As expected. After all, if you remembered him the matter would be far less mysterious... still, it is peculiar where the gaps in his memory seem to be."
Jun presents his own theory about being trapped in a supernatural space for a long time. "That is potentially possible." He agrees, "The Dark Hour for example appears to be an event where the normal rules of time are 'suspended' so to speak..."
Jun mentions that he has a theory of his own that he's itching to share, and Akechi smiles, chuckling, "Aha... I'm afraid my answer may be a little unsatisfying. But..." He lets that word hang for a time as he holds out two closed hands now, "... I think the missing element is in fact with the Old Maid himself. Let us presume for a moment that the 'Voices' he speaks of are not 'Delusions' but... that of some God-"
He brings one hand to the side, opening the palm, "-or Devil." As he does the same with the other, as if a dramatic gesture to consider two possible sides, "By all accounts, Sergeant Suou's brother speaks to Sudou as if he's quite lucid, albeit that they're at cross purposes."
He lets them process that for a moment.
"I know it sounds ludicrous. Ordinarily I would categorize it as 'impossible' when dealing with such a prolific serial killer. However, given the nature of our powers, and certain details I've learned as of late..."
He places both of his hands back down, "... I can no longer do so. It has now merely become 'the improbable' and so I believe, it is the truth."
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
When you get right down to it, what can you do about someone with a Persona, legally speaking? A crime could take place in an hour that doesn't exist, of which little could be done to convince authorities of regarding. Or someone could simply break out of prison. Does it become futile to arrest someone, just to see them escape, perhaps even with a greater loss of life than they had while free? What is the purpose of Justice, when there is nothing to be done to 'implement' it?
Is Justice only punishment?
And yet, they still must try to do it properly. If here is where it breaks down, then... of what purpose is the rest? This, Katsuya Suou finds he must believe in.
He doesn't dwell on the arson. It's not his story to tell. The murders, however... cut rather closer to home. For a brief moment he has the impression he's sitting outside a hospital room. He can smell antiseptic. It's there and gone in a blink of an eye and all he can do is look ever-so-slightly disconcerted for just that infinitesimal fraction of a second. Deja vu... again.
Jun isn't the only one, of late.
"That is... true, or so I have read," he says to Akechi instead as things move on towards and past his near faux-pas. "Adolescence can be a difficult time. It's hard to fit in, or to consider already one's own future, or..." He shakes his head.
"It is true that memory can be faulty. Even false memories can be suggested," Katsuya says, as Jun speaks of the past. "Yet, I cannot see how it can be so. Perhaps there's something we're missing..."
Such as the points that Akechi makes, that in turn cause it to be ever more improbable that his brother can be as their eyes have all clearly witnessed him being. "A... supernatural space?"
He can't discount it. He, himself, had been only thinking about normal possibilities: Jun, perhaps more flexible-minded or imaginative, guesses at something else that he hadn't even considered. It makes his own wild (for him) speculation about this Tatsuya being an imposter, or a double somehow even more nonsensical than before. He looks to Akechi.
Who does not have his own thought in the matter of how it could be, save one.
It's how Tatsuya addresses the delusions.
"A... 'god'?"
Or devil. Considering what they have already seen, which is the more likely. "I... see," Katsuya says, fidgeting with his sunglasses again. "It is true, now that I think of it... as if they were both aware of the same 'thing'. Coming at it from opposing sides..."
Is his own supposition true? Is that what gave Tatsuya power-- gave Sudou power?
"...We need to hear more from Tatsuya. He must be able to explain this," he says, straightening.
Except, that's easier said than done. Isn't it?
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Jun nods in agreement with we must. It's figuring out that something that's the trick--but he's new enough at this that he'll place his faith in Akechi and Katsuya to have a better grasp of what they can actually do about Sudou.
Jun also can't argue with Akechi about how people are different as children compared to when they're more grown up. It's not like he has any memories of Tatsuya as a child, and as Akechi says--what other time is there? So he nods back at that too, however trepidatiously.
For all that he commented that Tatsuya doesn't seem to like Katsuya much, though, Jun is an only child and doesn't know what it's actually like to have a sibling. Katsuya doesn't seem like such a bad person to him, and neither does Akechi, but Tatsuya doesn't like or trust either of them. This at least seems more like a conflict of personalities rather than because either of them are inherently untrustworthy, at least... Unlike Sudou, who is quite obvious about his untrustworthiness.
"Everything about this is peculiar. But... you're right. Whatever his circumstances are, they seem very different from my own... or possibly anyone else's besides Sudou-san's," Jun says. If time dilation is at work here, that could be an explanation for it, and Akechi seems to think that's a possibility... but Katsuya is more dubious. "Mmm. No doubt," he says of missing something.
For all that, though, when Akechi presents his theory on exactly what that framework is, Jun's eyes widen. "An actual god? Not just a... Persona, or a Demon?" he utters. His lips purse into a frown as he touches his chin. "...I feel like you might be right. When Sudou-san had me captive, I overheard him carrying on conversations with no one several times. They did indeed seem too lucid for him to have simply been raving to himself, too." Tatsuya told Sudou point-blank that 'he' was lying to him, Jun recalls--not that Sudou listened. "If he has... I don't know, some kind of psychic connection with a higher entity, especially one that's malevolent..."
Still, as curious as Jun can't help but be about everything--he shakes his head at Katsuya. "No. I don't know what it is, but I trust that Tatsuya has a good reason for keeping what he knows to himself. We shouldn't try to pressure him to tell us what he knows, any more than I should try to remember the specifics of whatever I've forgotten," he says firmly. "Trying to decipher the framework around this mystery is one thing, since I suspect we won't be able to oppose Sudou-san meaningfully without some context, but we must keep in mind that this framework surrounds something that must not be known."
Even if that means Jun's feelings will never--can never--go anywhere.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Yes I believe so."
Katsuya and Jun both muse over his theory, it's an uncomfortable thought, and Akechi withdraws for a moment with a hand upon his chin, as if losing himself in his thoughts.
Welcome to My Velvet Room
"I tried to dig up his psychological records in order to discover how long he's been hearing voices. Unfortunately, his father was quite thorough in having them destroyed. What I did locate within his school records was that he was a quiet and lonely child. Rather shy and withdrawn, with a tendency to cry frequently. Hardly the man we see before us today. ... While it's possible that he simply had a psychotic break, most of the time individuals with traits like these are born with them."
He glances towards Katsuya, who almost certainly knows this himself, as another Detective who would examine such things.
"They do not begin dismembering children or starting house fires out of nowhere."
It is unsettling to think about. How much of Tatsuya Sudou's state was induced by his environment - by something influencing him, rather than being 'born bad'.
"Well... this is all speculation at the moment, though I'd like to think of it as being 'educated' in a sense."
Katsuya notes that Tatsuya may be able to tell them, whereas Jun says he trusts them. Akechi looks towards Katsuya, "I understand that you may feel compelled to approach him for answers as his brother, but I'd recommend against it. I do not think he will be cooperative, to say the least. I've managed to win some manner of trust by being his... 'informant' in a sense on supernatural affairs, but he tells me nothing."
He leans back within his seat, "I believe the same as Kashihara-san, that he has a reason for acting as he does and that that reason compels his silence."
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
"You found his records? Most of the files I searched for appeared to have been lost, or more likely destroyed." He pauses, regarding Akechi. "His... school records? I see... So that was the sort of child he was. There are times when someone might suddenly manifest symptoms of a psychiatric illness," like say, schizophrenia, "his actions do not match the symptoms in the literature. What people call 'madness' is not..." He shakes his head. "In fact, his actions are more like a 'madman' in a movie who experiences a break, rather than anything from psychiatry."
He had done his research. It's strange, as it occurs to him, regarding the two young men in this room: three or four months ago, he would have been aghast at the thought of talking like this in front of two younger men, and about the subject of a case, no less. But he has far and few colleagues to properly talk about such things anymore: he's not on the case. His colleagues don't have a Persona. He has to abandon any pretense about even the divisions between adult and child, civil servant and civilan.
Akechi remarks on Sudou's actions, including such things like dismembering a child and setting house fires. Katsuya glances at Akechi, once. He doesn't say anything.
Katsuya is not unaware of the fact that it is not unusual for brothers to fight, even if they had almost never done so. But one time, they had a big fight, but... surely, Tatsuya isn't still mad about that? He'd graduated, and he'd gone to college, then become a police officer, and it's not as if he could be by home all the time, even before their father was released. Is Tatsuya holding a grudge about him not being around? Or, did they just grow apart, or...
He could have gotten stuck somewhere. He's not immediately familiar with, say, Tartarus, but he's heard it's possible for someone to get stuck there. But, would that be sufficient? It doesn't feel right. And anything else, even if he has to acknowledge that there are stranger things in this world than he realized, just feels like they're verging on the cusp of being in some sort of science fiction story.
An actual god. Or an actual 'devil', beyond the likes of any of the demons they have now encountered.
His brother and Sudou, coming at it from opposite sides, as Jun recounts.
"...Logically, it shouldn't be so. Even with what we have witnessed, it shouldn't be..." he starts, only to trail out, only to shake his head. But maybe it's just because he doesn't want to believe that anything like that 'could be so' in this world, which up until a few months ago, had made its own cruel sort of sense. "..."
They're both younger. They're both able to take this far more in stride than he is. He's still in denial, or maybe, it's just his own conceit about how the world ought to work.
As cruel and terrible as it could sometimes be.
Tatsuya would be able to clear this all up, but--
Jun... still trusts his brother. Even, especially, in this.
"You... are certain? Even if he keeps trying to do this alone?" It comes out a little more direct than he'd meant -- perhaps he can be forgiven it, given it's his brother on the line. But all the same, he shakes his head and he apologizes even to Jun, "No, I am sorry. I did not mean to speak to you so sharply, Kashihara-kun. I am... only concerned about Tatsuya and his future." Death aside, if he keeps on skipping school, he'll get expelled.
Still, even as Akechi advises against it, Katsuya again shakes his head. "I am sorry but that... is not something I can do. It is not just about me," he explains, gesturing towards himself. "Rather, Amano-kun is determined as well..."
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Thinking of it like that, that some kind of god or demon might have started whispering madness in Sudou's ear and driven him to be like this... Jun almost feels sorry for him. Or rather, he does feel sorry for him--but it's not to outweigh his loathing of the man for what he's done to him and others. The mention of arson and gruesome murder only underscores that. You can pity someone for a sad past and still revile their wickedness in the present. Right, Akechi?
"I do appreciate the information. Thank you, Akechi-kun," Jun tells him. He smiles a bit too when Akechi takes his side on the matter of Tatsuya. Not that he wants to gang up on Katsuya or anything, but he imagines the police sergeant might need the extra pressure to avoid pestering his family. Jun knows if he were in his shoes and it was something to do with his mother or father, he'd have a hard time letting it go.
For that reason, he doesn't argue with him when he insists it can't be. Jun has always been a flexible thinker--Aquarians are known for being strange and offbeat--so even if this is all new to him, he doesn't have a grasp of what should or shouldn't be impossible.
Likewise, when Katsuya gets sharp with him, he takes it in stride. "No need to apologize, Suou-san. It's only natural to worry about family," he replies. "I won't stop you if you and Amano-san insist, but as for myself--yes, I'm sure."
Besides, Katsuya and Maya can always ask Tatsuya what's going on, but that doesn't mean he has to give them an answer.
Even more besides, from what Jun's seen, he may be less alone than Katsuya believes--but that, too, is a secret of Tatsuya's that Jun will keep for him.