The Silent Pair (Gabby)

Gabby looked over at Ruo as she began to speak. So, she had reached the same conclusion: that they both had Persona and that little girl was creepy. She tilted her head and stared in the direction the girl had walked, “Think she has one too? Or is she just reading our minds?” She wasn’t exactly comfortable with this girl now, but there was no reason for them to hide what they both knew. How could she find this anything but creepy when she knew nothing about her, “That reminds me, no one calls me Aithne. It’s just Gabby.” She could see the girl next to her tense up, “Would you please not look as though you’re ready to kill me? I’m no threat, so long as you don’t attack first. Personally, you are not a real problem in my mind.” Her tone became harsh, not insulting but very clear Gabby would rather not waste her time fighting the girl, “So, do you and 06 Maya get along well?” She had assumed the 06 was part of Maya’s name, not Ruo’s. She also knew one other thing: the couldn’t let this incident start clouding her judgement. It was important to know, yes, but she couldn’t allow it to lead her off track.

Looking back at Aithne, she seemed to be willing to drop all pretensions and just admit to it. That was refreshing to say the least, though all Ruo would show is a confirming nod and half a grateful smile. But her question gave her a pause for thought. “Whether she has one or not, I don’t want to believe she was just reading our minds. I believe she knows about the business and what we have are,” she said. There is no way that the girl knew nothing of Personas. Really there was nothing she could use to prove her claim, except if mind reading was all she was doing, she did not think of Personas at the moment. Unless she could do more, but she would never be able to explain or prove it. “For what reason would she address us like that otherwise, right?” she would say. In truth there was no way to know. All she could do is speculate, and perhaps plan a trip to Shibakuzoi to meet this mystery girl.

Returning her current state back to calm, she would learn that the girl’s name-or what she goes by, is Gabby. Ruo found it odd that she kept remembering this fact, but Gabby never introduced herself after she did. Did she have a need to protect her identity like she did? It’s not like the name Ruo held any weight as it was not something that could be looked up. Then again she has come across this situation twice where the people oddly know who she was. Were they connected? She was unsure. “Gabby it is then.” Once she learned of her rather impatient tone that she did not want to fight, Ruo at least nodded and became a bit less tense. Gabby could probably be believed right? “Good…honestly, fighting you is the last thing I need to do, since there are more pressing matters to worry about,” she said. She would hear Gaby’s question of her Persona, and to be honest, Ruo considered just rolling with her Persona name, but did it matter that she was named Ruo_06 to Gabby unless she told her the truth herself? “It’s only Maya actually,” was all she would say regarding her name. “But I suppose we do. She tried to attack me when I first met her, most likely as a sort of test, but she and I do not talk much. Why? Do Personas talk with their wielders?” she asked. It’d be interesting to see your other self talk with you more often than passing sighs or small lines. Did Gabby have that interesting feature?

Gabby went back to staring in the direction the girl has left. It was strange. She would never have been able to have a conversation about creepy little girls only a few months ago, now it was at the front of her mind. She would glance back at Ruo and nod, “You’re probably right. It makes me worry though. I don’t exactly like to go around advertising that I can summon a monster into this world. Do you?” With that, she let out a sigh and leaned back, “Think it’s important, or can we just call it a side effect of having an otherworldly power?” Honestly, Gabby was more curious than anything. What was she going to do in Shibazuzoi?

As soon as Ruo figured out not to call her Aithne, Gabby would give a smirk, “Don’t worry about it. It’s just a personal preference.” She stood up, unsure of what to do next. This was another person with a Persona, and they seemed to not be at each others throats. She also seemed more capable that either of Gabby’s other two allies, and she had only known the woman for a few minutes, “I don’t want to be in anymore senseless fights. I don’t exactly have the time for that.” She clenched her fist at her side, her nails digging into her palms causing them to bleed,  “Hippocamp and I actually don’t have the greatest relationship in the world, but we don’t mind working toward the same ends. He’s better than me in the heat of battle, but I’m better than him when it comes to having to be in the know. How about you and Maya?” She didn’t really answer Ruo’s question. After all, she didn’t know how much everybody else spoke with their Persona.

Her question actually made Ruo chuckle. This woman was rather similar to her. Then again, Gabby was most likely just naturally secretive about her Persona. And who wouldn’t be? “Absolutely not. I am rather “hell-bent” as it were to keep things like that secret. So it can only shock me when that happens,” she said folding her arms. That girl could not be guessed by simple questioning alone, as much as Ruo wished to, she did not have all the information. “I cannot say for sure. Maybe she has one, maybe she is just supernatural. But one thing we do know, is that she will probably be in Shibakuzoi later or in the near future,” she said. Maybe she should take a trip to it. In the meantime however, maybe she should get to learn Gabby. If she is this willing to be calm, perhaps they could both be allies. RUo was not blind though, she had to remain on guard if she attempted something. It was not Gabby’s fault, Ruo was just naturally paranoid.

Ruo would nod to her when she explained her name. Aithne to Ruo sounded much better, but she did not want to disrespect her. Ruo would still sit for the moment when Gabby stood up, who would now look like something more serious was on her mind. She saw that the ends of her fingers were turning a bit red. Ruo looked up at Gabby and waved her hand to grab her attention if possible. “Something on your mind?” she would ask softly. If she didn’t answer that was fine, it was probably something personal. On the topic of her Persona Hippocamp, it seemed she talked well enough with them. Perhaps she should attempt to talk with her Persona one day, and see where that gets her. “I have never attempted to speak to Maya much apart from my first day, but she seems to have a personality of her own,” she said, recalling the day she sparred with Kahn, Destiny, and Hibiki. When Maya remained on the field to help her, she seemed to gaze at the battle as if she had eyes on her face, and she even yawned at one point. Was this supposed to be a side of Ruo she had not seen before? Maya said as much that she was her and Ruo was Maya. But maybe Personas really can engage in more conversation than she thought.

She tilted her head to the side and shrugged, “Maybe we shouldn’t worry about it. If we assume the wrong thing and chase after it, we will only get further away from the truth.” She tapped her head and smiles, “Our minds are our best friends and worst enemies. Just remember that. Of course, they also make great weapons.” She nodded, “I hope yours is clear enough to show you what to do next. As for mine, I only know a little of what I’m doing, so I’m sort of confused. That’s just how this all goes though, right?” She loosened her fist so that her nails stopped biting her flesh, “The only thing on my mind is helping a friend of mine. If that’s what Hippocamp and I can do at the moment, even if we fight the entire time, as long as we can win, it’ll be enough.” She realized what she said and then blushed in embarrassment, “I sound like a Saturday morning cartoon. Forget what I just said, please.” She put her hands together and bowed, “Hippo is going to give me hell as it is for saying that, and so the less it gets around, the better.” She stood up, “I hope you and Maya have matching personalities. It stinks when you’re too different.”

She would nod in response. “Assumptions I do not like to resort to.” Listening to her, Ruo knew without a doubt that Gabby seemed to be going through something rather tough. Did something happen to her involving her Persona or otherwise? “Well, I know enough what I am supposed to do. My only issue is what I want to do is mostly decided because it is being recommended. I have not decided what I want to do yet, but you at least knowing a portion of your goal is better,” Ruo said. Gabby seemed rather set on whatever she had in mind. She hoped that she had a plan for the future, but it seemed like she would say no more on the subject. Maybe she will have enough time. Though her having conflict with her Persona seemed….not so different from her and Maya conflicting. “If I could equate Maya to anything, I’d equate her to someone like an older figure. An older sister perhaps,” she said. She did not know what it was like, but looking it up gave her some general idea. She at least acted like an older figure. The way Gabby stood up seemed like she was ready to leave. Ruo would sit still unless something came up.

Gabby tilted her head once more. She felt like she was forgetting something. It was something important. Then, she realized just what it was, “Shibakuzoi…?” She nearly panicked when she understood what that meant. Lori was still at the hospital, in a coma. She couldn’t let her friend face whatever was going to happen alone, “I’m sorry, Ruo. I have to check on someone.” She bowed quickly and ran off toward Shibakuzoi.

[EXIT]