2026-03-14: Letting Go, Holding On
- Cutscene: Letting Go, Holding On
- Cast: Kazusa Motojima, Karin Motojima (Kazusa's mother), Wakana Oosaka (Kazusa's childhood best friend), Kazuhiro Motojima (Kazusa's younger brother)
- Where: Kazusa's family's apartment in Shibuya Ward, then Kazusa's Studio in the Akihabara vicinity
- OOC Date: March 14, 2026
- IC Date: Tuesday, October 09, 2026 (Late Afternoon)
- Summary: Thanks to the efforts of the Persona Users, Kazusa has not only been freed from the Homunculus' control but has Awakened to a new Persona. But she's been gone from her life for a little over a month, and now she has to grapple with what the Homunuclus did to it while she lacked control. Some things that have been lost may not be so easily regained...
Kazusa gasped as the world suddenly snapped into sharp focus. After weeks spent in the Atelier, trapped in that suffocating Cocoon, bombarded with that endless stream of negativity and pressure... to feel real air in her lungs, the rustling of fabric against her skin, the smell of flowers...
It all hit her at once, and Kazusa's head swam as she gripped the table in front of her for support, closing her eyes as she tried to block out all the extraneous sensations. "Ngh..."
"Kazusa-chan?" asked a soft, concerned voice. "Are you okay?"
Kazusa tensed as she slowly opened her eyes. There was her mother, Karin Motojima. Like the flowers in the vase, every part of her was carefully arranged, from the way she arranged her dark hair in a bun, to the way the apron over her dark green cardigan and brown skirt was somehow still completely clean. She would fuss endlessly over an ikebana arrangement and then turn around to make sure that the apartment was perfectly arranged for Kazusa's father. And then Karin would make sure that she, herself, was perfectly arranged, not a hair out of place.
Kazusa hated it. Every tepid smile, every time her mother suggested "Oh it would be nice if you could, but your father...", the way her mother looked at her with such grave concern, but the concern of an ikebana practitioner fretting about a broken stem because it would ruin the aesthetics of an arrangement.
She tried to drop her gaze from her mother down to the table, but that wasn't safe--several flowers and a vase were there--the tools of her mother's ikebana. Kazusa pressed the palm of her hand to her forehead, taking a deep breath. "I'm... fine, okaa-sama. I--" Her fingers curled and brushed against the headband in her hair and she tensed again.
She didn't wear headbands. She looked down at herself: a dusty pink blouse, a light beige skirt, and an apron scalloped edges. What... what had that monster done to her life? This wasn't her style, she didn't do this, she didn't--
Kazusa forced a smile to her face that felt hollow as she looked back to her mother. "I'm just... a little tired from my gymnastics practice today, that's all." That much was true, at least. She could feel the aches in her joints. "Maybe I should go lay down for a bit."
Karin's concern softened. This was something she understood, and an 'expected' problem for her daughter to have. She reached out to place a hand gently on Kazusa's shoulder. "Oh, of course, dear. Why don't you go rest up, and I'll let you know when dinner is ready, okay?"
It took every ounce of control not to wrench her shoulder away from her mother's touch. "Of course! Thank you, okaa-sama." The words tasted sour on her tongue, but she forced herself to keep the smile up until she turned away, retreating to the safety of her bedroom.
She shut her bedroom door behind her and leaned against it, panting softly as a dizzying rush of memories overtook her. Everything that damned Homunculus did while piloting her body, everyone it talked to--
"That's right! We're best friends, and that means we look out for each other, right? And protect each other's secrets?"
"Don't worry, Waka-chan... I'm not upset. I suppose it's my fault for putting all this pressure on you to begin with." "This will all be over soon. And then we'll just forget about all this unpleasantness. Won't that be nice? After all, I told you things would be better, right? And a good friend always keeps her promises. And forgives her friends when they make mistakes." Kazusa's eyes widened in shock and she gasped, feeling her chest tighten. "W-- Waka-chan..." That damned monster had threatened her best friend. And she could remember it now, how Wakana had been growing steadily more distant, avoiding her, making excuses to avoid spending time with her...
"I... I want to cosplay with Waka-chan!"
Rushing to her nightstand, Kazusa snatched up her phone and typed out a message with shaky hands.
> Waka-chan, can we talk? I know you've been avoiding me and I understand why, but please, I just really need to see you right now. I need to know you're okay and I promise this isn't a trap or something.
> I promise I can explain everything I just
> Please text me back and let me know you're okay
Kazusa stared at her phone, but the anxiety of waiting for a reply quickly became too much to bear, and she set it down to look at the rest of her room. Everything mostly seemed in place, but as her eyes scanned over to the flat-panel TV--
There was an empty space where her console and games should be. It felt like a blow to the gut knocking the wind out of her. She could remember it clearly, now. Her father had demanded she give those up, and the Homunculus had agreed willingly. Cheerfully, even, proud of herself for doing something in accordance with her father's wishes.
All those hours spent, the small, fleeting escapes from her troubles at home, the constant reminder that her grandparents, at least, wanted to support her real interests... And as that loss hit her like a physical blow, a second loss surfaced in her mind.
The key.
Something hot and bitter stung her eyes, and she slapped a hand over her mouth, suddenly breathless but still afraid she might make some audible noise. She sank to her knees, shoulders shaking as a tidal wave of emotion battered at her tired psyche.
The key to her studio. The one place she thought her father didn't know about, but somehow did. Her private retreat, even more private than her room, where she could work in peace.
Gone. Given away by some imposter version of herself.
How could it be possible she had regained control of her life only to have lost so much of it in the bargain? Was this to be her punishment for her past misdeeds? Maybe... maybe she could rebuild. Talk to her grandparents...
Or maybe she wouldn't. If this was the only way to atone...
The chime of her phone pulled her out of her thoughts, and she gasped, lunging for it to pick it up off her nightstand.
> Waka-chan: Okay. At the park nearby.
Kazusa almost laughed with relief. Wakana wanted to talk with her. She could explain, she could set things right. She typed a quick message to send it back, then stood up to grab a tissue. She rushed to her spacious closet to grab a jacket, but she paused when she saw herself in the mirror. Headband, blouse, skirt, and apron. She only had to look a moment before she set her teeth.
She flung the headband off of her head and quickly changed. Red and orange top, for autumn colors, black leggings and a fur-lined denim jacket for warmth, and boots.
She rushed out of her bedroom, heading for the front door of the apartment.
"Kazusa-chan," called her mother from the kitchen, offering a concerned look at her. "Are you feeling better?"
Kazusa froze for a moment, hunched over at the door, trying to slip her boots on. "Yeah. I just... need to go talk to Waka-chan for a thing for school."
Karin smiled, giving an approving nod. "Oh, isn't that nice, dear. Take your time!"
"Right. I'll be back later." Kazusa didn't look at her mother as she stepped outside and took the high-speed elevator down to the lobby, rushing one block over to the small park she and Wakana used to play at when they were children.
Kazusa stopped as she caught sight of Wakana. The flower headclip had been replaced by a leaf one, wearing a dress, tights, and jacket. At the sight of her friend, the knot of tension that had been building in her chest started to release, and Kazusa rushed forward to offer her a hug. "Waka-chan!"
She stopped when Wakana flinched back, and suddenly felt a fresh surge of guilt. Oh. Right. She had to explain. "Waka-chan, I... look, I know this is going to sound crazy, but that version of you that you've been hanging out with ever since school started--"
Wakana didn't quite meet her gaze, though still seemed to be watching her to make sure she didn't get any closer. "It was a parasite, right?"
A cold, trickling dread started to claw at the back of Kazusa's mind. "... yeah. It... it was. But... I'm back! And I want to change, okay? I promise, things are going to be different, I'm going to treat you better, I don't want to go back to how I used to be." Somehow she didn't think she could--some part of her recognized she couldn't have grasped this new, terrifying power only to go back to her old ways.
Wakana hugged herself, silent for a long moment before she finally lifted her eyes so she could meet Kazusa's gaze. Her voice was flat, almost emotionless. "... the other you said that, too."
The words were quiet, but they still felt like a dagger tearing into her heart. It was Kazusa who looked away this time, staring down at her feet. "... yeah," she acknowledged, her voice suddenly small and tight. "... she did. I wasn't in control, but... I remember."
The silence stretched out between them. Kazusa finally forced herself to look at Wakana again. "Look, I..." Her voice was unsteady, and Kazusa still wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel, but the words felt too important to leave unsaid. "When I said you deserved to be treated better, that means you deserve a better apology from me, so... I've been a terrible friend to you. All the times I snapped at you, and then apologized, and then I said I wouldn't do it again, or just... forced you into cleaning up my messes for me. It... it wasn't right. I shouldn't have put you through that. We... we both know what my father is like, but... treating you that way was always on me. It always was. If I really cared about you as a friend... I should've found the strength to treat you better. I failed at that, and for that... I'm sorry."
Kazusa bowed deeply at the waist, holding the posture for a few seconds before allowing herself to rise again. When she rose again she looked at Wakana. "There's something else you deserve to hear, too. You are warm, and bright, and creative. You are amazing with your hands, and way better with a sewing machine than I'll ever be. The way you put together those outfits... you're the best cosplay partner a person could ask for, and an amazing co-choreographer, and I probably didn't say any of that nearly as often as I should have, but... I wanted to make sure you heard me say that at least once."
She looked down again. "I know just... words can't make up for how I've treated you all these years. I know I can't expect you to forgive me, or..." Her breath stuck in her throat for a moment. "... or even deserve to ask for another chance to prove myself, after I've wasted so many, I just... I want to make things right for you."
Wakana listened in silence. There had been a ripple of tension through her body, but as she listened, it slowly began to release. The other girl didn't smile, but after Kazusa had fallen silent again she did give a small nod. "Thank you, Kazusa," she said softly, addressing her friend yobisute. "Hearing you say that after all these years really means a lot to me. And... I believe that you're sincere."
The Homunculus version of Kazusa had tried to apologize, but it had been a vapid, shallow thing, trying to sweet everything under the rug instead of facing the ugliness that had lingered between Kazusa and Wakana for so long.
Kazusa felt the traitorous dagger of hope sink itself into her chest, a fleeing moment where she dared to imagine things might be okay. But she yanked that feeling back immediately. This couldn't be how the story worked out.
"But..." The small word hung there in the air between them, a small, fragile thing.
And Kazusa felt everything in her body tighten until she felt ill. She'd been expecting it, but she still hadn't been present for it, and that single word carried a heavy weight. But still she remained silent, head bowed, staring at the ground.
Wakana let her arms drop to her sides. She wasn't approaching Kazusa yet, but she was watching her now, her gaze steadier than it had been moments ago. "... even though I believe you... I'm... I'm not ready for things to go back to how they were between us. All those years... and if you remember what that other you did..."
Kazusa's fists tightened, and she felt her arms trembling with barely-contained anger. Anger at the Homunculus, who had cornered Wakana and threatened her. Anger at herself, for allowing things to get to where they were. A brief flare of anger at how unfair this all felt--that this was due to her father's chastising, or that it as all the fault of the Homunculus for scaring Wakana, that she was trying to do everything right and it still wasn't good enough.
Her eyes squeezed shut and she forced herself to stomp down that last source of anger. No. That was the Demon Queen's anger. I can't let myself give into it anymore.
The words came out raw and hoarse. "Yeah. That wasn't right. I..." I wasn't responsible for that, that was the imposter. "... shouldn't have let things get to a place where that could happen to you. So I think that's on me, too."
Wakana nodded silently, though it took her a moment to find the words to respond. "I appreciate you saying that."
Kazusa tried to force her body to relax, but the tension just wanted to remain tight and coiled up. She couldn't bring herself to look at her friend. "So..." she began, voice trembling with the tension. "... what now?"
There was no response immediately, as Wakana watched silently. Kazusa didn't understand how Wakana could be so calm, while she was a knot of stress, but... maybe this tension was something she deserved, too. Wakana, meanwhile, took a deep breath. "I just need time. Time to be my own person, to decide how I feel, to... to heal. And..." Wakana regarded Kazusa for a moment. "... to see if the changes stick this time."
Frustration twisted Kazusa's stomach. She'd been held hostage for a month, tormented, had to drag herself out of those depths committing to change and declaring that she wants to be a better person, and fought the Homunculus off... part of her wanted to rage about how that could possibly not be enough.
Instead she just nodded. "Okay."
Wakana was silent for a moment longer, watching the inner turmoil playing itself out inside Kazusa, how it reflected in the tightening of a fist or the hitching of her breath. Whatever had happened to her friend, it was clearly having a tremendous effect on her. But even so... she wasn't ready. She wasn't sure she'd even been ready for this meeting today, but she at least had to see... Wanana took a few steps towards the entrance of the park, giving Kazusa a wide berth. "I'll see you around, Kazusa-san."
Kazusa said nothing. She stood stock still until she heard Wakana's footsteps fade into the distance. Only then did she let herself drop onto a bench. A cold October breeze gutted the flames of anger in her, replacing it with a leaden weight that made her body feel too heavy to move. But the heat didn't leave her entirely, instead running down her face in streams of droplets.
She wasn't sure how long it was before she felt the weight of an arm settle around her shoulder. She froze, eyes darting up in panic--only to see the face of her younger brother, short hair disheveled, wearing a long-sleeved shirt, sleeveless hoodie, and jeans. He didn't say anything, just offering a small, reassuring smile.
How did he know how to find her here? How could he be so calm right now when the whole world felt like it had been turned upside-down and torn apart? Kazusa wanted to ask, but her throat wouldn't work, and at a warm, gentle tug from Kazuhiro she let herself lean into his side, accepting his warmth as she let her feelings force their way out.
After a while she felt hollowed out, and the two of them sat there in silence for a long while, watching the clouds drifting across the sky. "Kazuhiro... why are you here?"
The younger boy just gave a small shrug with his free arm. "Because you needed someone to be here."
It was absurdly simple logic, and Kazusa might have normally argued with it--there had to be a catch, a hidden cost, something Kazuhiro was gaining in exchange... but she felt drained and too tired to argue. She closed her eyes again. "Everything's so messed up," she whispered.
Kazuhiro gently rubbed Kazusa's shoulder. "... yeah," he agreed, tone soft.
"Th-there was... this thing. In my head or something. It screwed everything up."
"... Yeah, I know," said Kazuhiro quietly. "You weren't yourself. But you are, now."
Kazusa sniffed. "... Myself isn't that much better than that... thing, though."
"I'd rather have the real thing any day," replied Kazuhiro. "Someone who can care, and feel about things."
The guilt tugged at Kazusa again. Even hollowed out, it was an everpresent weight in her stomach. "I haven't been doing a good job of caring for anybody but myself."
"You can work on that," said Kazuhiro confidently. "It'll take time, but... time is something you have now."
Kazusa sat up, rubbing her face with the sleeve of her jacket. "Why are you being so understanding? You're in that group of people I haven't been treating well, you know."
Kazuhiro shrugged and drew his arm back, leaning forward to put his elbows on his knees. "Because me being mad at you isn't what you need right now."
That answer sat between them for a long moment as the wind picked up and sent a collection of leaves dancing through the park.
"Waka-chan hates me. Or she's scared of me."
"She just needs time."
"That... thing ruined my life. It just... rolled over for our father. I don't know how I'm supposed to pick up the mess, now."
Kazuhiro was silent for a moment, watching a dancing leaf before he looked back to Kazusa. "I think I have something that can help with that." He stood, holding a hand out to help Kazusa up. "C'mon. There's something I wanna show you."
Kazusa stared at the hand for a moment and then looked away. "C'mon, Kazuhiro. I'm just... really tired right now."
"C'mon, Kazusa-nee," said Kazuhiro gently. "I'm asking you to trust me."
There was a long, hard look at Kazuhiro, but Kazusa couldn't muster up any anger or defiance in the moment. She reached up and took his hand, standing up and then zipping up her jacket. "Alright. Lead the way."
The train trip was silent. Kazuhiro didn't force any more conversation, and let Kazusa stew in her thoughts, though once they got off of the stop at Akiba he did buy them both a hot chocolate. "For the walk," he had explained.
Kazusa sipped from her cup, not lifting her gaze to watch all of the lively displays of Akihabara, or the way people bustled about in cosplay or carrying bags of purchases. She'd been here with Wakana many times before, and often under the guise of only being there so the other girl could shop, not for herself. And the lie, the artifice of it all felt so... cheap and hollow, now.
She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she barely noticed as the sounds of the main thoroughfares died behind her, and it was only when they had walked into an old industrial building and stepped into the freight elevator that the rumbling of the old motor drew her out of her thoughts. "Wait--where are we?"
"You'll see," was Kazuhiuro's only reply as the doors slid open on the fifth floor. "C'mon."
Kazusa followed, her eyes darting back and forth as she took in the hallway. Fluorescent lighting, unfinished concrete halls and walls. And they were heading to the end of a hall with a large, steel-framed window that looked suspiciously familiar. "Wait... this... th-this can't be."
Her heart tightened in time with her grip on her cup. She started to lag behind, dread settling in her chest and stomach like a lead weight. Her feet stopped moving, as she watched Kazuhiro proceed to the last door and pull out a set of keys. "Kazuhiro... this... we shouldn't be here."
Kazuhiro just offered his sister a quiet, lopsided smile as he pulled a set of keys out and unlocked the door, pushing it open. "After you."
Kazusa held her breath, her heart pounding in her chest as she felt the stinging pang of hope embed itself deep once more. No, this couldn't be-- It shouldn't be-- she remembered, so clearly, giving up the key. Her feet were rooted to the floor, refusing to move, but Kazuhiro... kept watch by the door, and after a moment offered a hand out.
The Demon Queen had to be in control all the time. She had to know, with certainty, what was going on at every minute. Kazusa knew--she was certain--that nothing waited for her in that room.
But this was Kazuhiro, her younger brother. They weren't really that close now, but...
In the air, a symbol lights up, faded and torn. A photograph of Kazusa, Wakana, and Kazuhiro at their grandparent's house, smiling for the camera.
... there had been a time where they were. And Kazusa knew if she was going to keep moving forward, to escape that old mantle...
Silently, she took a step forward, reaching out to place a shaky hand in Kazuhiro's. Kazuhiro gave it a tight squeeze and led herinside..
It was a long, narrow room, with a high ceiling that exposed beams and silver ductwork lurked within. A patch of unfinished concrete by the door to serve as an entryway, the rest of the floor finished. Along the left, storage and a kitchenette, with a table by a large window, and on the right...
Her desk, with the monitors and the drawing tablet on it. Her bookshelves, filled to bursting, the loft overhead, filled with cardboard boxes. The all-too-familiar smell of paper, ink, and ramen.
Relief forced its way up in great big choked sobs.
"How?" she managed to get out between sobs. "I don't--that thing gave up the key--"
"Yeah," agreed Kazuhiro, watching her calmly as she stepped inside to touch everything on the desk as if making sure it were real. "It did." He rubbed the back of his neck for a moment. "Someone might've tipped off baa-chan and jii-chan so they could have the locks changed."
Kazusa froze. She had seated herself at the computer to fire it to live, and slowly she pivoted towards Kazuhiro as the screen flared to life behind her. "You tipped them off."
Kazuhiro gave Kazusa that lopsided grin. "Yeah."
The only sound that followed was the whirring of the computer's hard drive and the quiet electronic beeps of a system giving an all clear as it started up. Kazusa stared at her younger brother, expression caught between humbled and aghast. Her voice was barely a whisper as she finally found the words. "... father must have been..." 'Angry' seemed too shallow a word to describe that reaction, but she couldn't bring herself to use anything more suitable.
The younger boy didn't meet Kazusa's aghast stare, looking off to the side as the cheer faded from his voice. "... yeah. He was. Big time."
Kazusa could imagine all too clearly what Kazuhiro must have gone through: she'd gone through it plenty of times herself. Her heart twisted, and already the crushing guilt of having somehow inflicted harm on her brother was already making it hard to breathe. "But... why? Why put yourself at risk for me?"
There was a moment of silence as Kazuhiro walked over, leaning carefully against the desk's edge. "Lots of reasons. Because you needed it. Because you weren't around to stand up for yourself. But mostly..." He looked out to the wider studio, drinking it all in. "... because we're both in the same boat, and if we don't look out for each other, nobody else will."
A complicated feeling rose up in Kazusa's chest, another in a long line of overwhelming feelings for the day, but this time the impulse was simple. She got up from her chair and threw her arms around Kazuhiro, drawing him into a tight hug.
"Wh-whoa--hey," said Kazuhiro with a startled laugh as he wrapped his arms around his older sister. "... I got you, onee-chan," he said softly. "... whatever comes next, I've got you. We've got each other."
Kazusa buried her face into Kazuhiro's chest, sniffling softly as she clung to him. "... I don't deserve your kindness, but... thank you. I can't tell you what this means to me."
Kazuhiro slowly rubbed Kazusa's back. "'Course you do. You spent so long protecting me by drawing our father's ire... it's the least I could do for you, when you needed it."
Sniffling, Kazusa pulled herself away, giving a shake of her head. "I'm not that kind."
"Mmm... maybe," said Kazuhiro, with a half-smile that suggested he didn't entirely believe it was true. "Hey, go open the box on the table." He inclined his head towards the cardboard box on the table by the kitchenette.
It had been sitting there the entire time, but Kazusa had been too overwhelmed by seeing her studio intact to notice it. "I didn't leave a box there..." She reached for a tissue to wipe her face, then walked over and slowly pried open the lid. A sharp gasp stuck in her throat; nestled within was her console and all of her games. "Our father took these." She looked to her brother in wonder. "Don't tell me... he'll freak out if he finds out you stole these from him!"
"Teeechnically I didn't have to steal them," Kazuhiro said, grimacing as he walked over to join Kazusa. "I just... took them into my possession under false pretenses. Told him I knew someone who'd take them. Gave him the whole... spiel about not throwing away good money and all that."
Kazusa snorted in disgust. "... yeah, that sounds like the type of line that'd work on him. He hates wasting money, even if it's not his own." She stared at the box a moment longer, pulling out a few of the games, and then the memory card. "He's going to be furious if he finds out about this." She glanced sideways at her younger brother. "... you really went out on a limb for me."
The younger boy just tried to shrug it off. "It was worth it. And, I've got one last thing for you." He held out his palm,revealing a keyring and two heavy keys. "The new keys," he said, perhaps unnecessarily.
It took a moment before Kazusa was ready to reach out and pick them up. They were heavy. With promise, with a risk that was now shared between them, but also a startling lack of expectations on the part of the giver. She looked at the rest of the studio. She had her corner, but the rest of it had always felt... underutilized. All this space...
Her attention was pulled back by Kazuhiro taking a step back towards the door. "Anyway, I'm sure you wanna get settled in or something, so I'll get out of your hair, alright? I'll see you at home, alright? And just remember, you're not alone in this. I got your back."
Kazusa stared, and suddenly her hands were working furiously. "Hey-- wait a sec." She pried a key free from the ring and then lobbed it to Kazuhiro with an underhand toss.
Kazuhiro paused and turned, looking to his sister with a puzzled expression. "Yeah? What's up?" His hand moved to catch the key automatically, and he blinked in surprise as he opened his hand to find what it was. "Wait--but this is your space, onee-san. Baa-chan and jii-chan--"
"Hmph." Kazusa crossed her arms, frowning up at her brother. "You think you can just--do all these amazing, wonderful things for me and leave me in your debt?" Her expression was stern, but then she winced as she heard how her tone sounded--that demanding Demon Queen that required control and hated unpaid debts. She forced her tone to soften. "What I'm... trying to say is...for the last year and a half I've had a space to hide out in. But if we're really going to be watching each other's backs, then... you deserve a space to hide out in, too. You can bring some stuff, there's space for it. Just... text me before you come over, okay?"
She glanced to the side for a moment. "You stuck your neck out for me when you really didn't have to, so... it's the least I can do, to make sure you're supported, too."
Kazuhiro was shocked. He stared at the key and then at Kazusa again, as if he couldn't believe this was real. But eventually he closed his hand around the key, holding it tight. "Thanks. I'll, uh, make good use of it. And I'll keep it safe."
"Good." Kazusa looked to her brother again and took a deep breath. "Since I've never invited you here... want me to show you around?" she asked, quietly, feeling the discomfort of the vulnerability that came with offering to share but pushing past it.
The younger boy grinned, stepping closer as he pocketed the key. "Sure. Give me the grand tour."
Kazusa took a deep breath to center herself and then nodded. "Alright then." She walked back over to her work area. "So over here..."