(A/N: What can you say about Morgana? Fragile ego, idealistic views on everything, boastful, prideful, and treats the protagonist like he's a character to be played in Sims. Still, given his desire to be human and live a human life, everyone should have the chance to get what they want, right? I'm sure Morgana has completely considered the ups AND downs of being human. Just be careful what you wish for. Side note: I'll be using the manga protagonist names as personal preference.)

Akira Kurusu was deep in thought as he walked through the merchandise displayed at the Junes in Inaba. It had been a couple years since the defeat of Yaldabaoth, with the only real things left behind as evidence of the Phantom Thieves were memories, Morgana, and a residual gift of the Third Eye.

Ever since the events on Christmas Eve all those years ago, Akira didn't really use it all that much. It was a convenient way to find his lost keys or remote, identify the right elevator key to push for his floor, or to locate his friends in a crowd. All his friends still had their arcana visible to him when he looked at them with his Third Eye, a dancing tarot card above their heads.

So, when while he was here in Inaba with his political internship with Yoshida Toranoske, he was rather surprised to see an arcana marker on the Inn's manager. Not his marker, but someone else's. He was checking to see where Morgana had run off to when she entered his field of vision. The woman introduced herself as Yukiko Amagi with a standard hostess' greeting, and Akira was a bit too flummoxed to reply with anything other than an apology and an excuse that the trip was too tiring.

Inaba was a small town, the conference Old Man Tora was to take part in was pretty much exclusively held at the renowned Amagi Inn, leaving Akira free to wander the town. Junes was the only real thing worth checking out. Gave him some background noise while he thought. He always suspected there was other traces of other contracts out there, but he never really expected to stumble across one. And if whoever's involved has some insights on the Velvet Room or that other world…

"Wow, check it out, Akira. Beef Croquettes! They don't have those at the Junes in Tokyo!" Morgana cried out, leaning over Akira's shoulder. "Mmmh, they smell delicious. We should try some!" The cat was still a cat, much to Morgana's chagrin. He often spoke about becoming human, even though he never was originally one, and living with Akira gave him ample opportunity to research possibilities. All leads had come up cold though. But if there was another contract out there, then maybe, just maybe, this could be the information they need.

"Hey, listen, Morgana…" Akira began, not wanting to get the feline's hopes up, but figuring he should bring it up anyways. "You know how during our Phantom Thief days, I forged all those bonds that guided me through?" He began, considering how to broach the subject. Morgana beamed with the fond memories.

"Yeah! You were running all over the city with those confidants of yours. It was crazy how quickly you could find them in a crowd!" The blue eyed-feline mewed. Akira glanced around to ensure the meowing the general public heard wasn't disrupting anyone, the young man ducking into an isolated corner to continue the discussion.

"Yeah, it's a gift I still have." He smirked. "In fact, when I was looking for you at the inn, I think I stumbled across someone new."

Morgana's blue eyes went wide. "Woah! You're kidding! Does this mean we have another adventure coming up?!" He grinned.

"Actually, I think the woman is a bond for… someone else."

"Huh? Wait, you don't mean-" Morgana thought. "You think there's another person my master formed a contract with around here?" Akira nodded, letting his friend work through the possibilities. The former trickster himself was rather excited at the potential as well.

"Just keep your eyes out, alright? It may be nothing, so let's not get too excited."

"May be nothing?! Akira, this is HUGE! Another persona user? What metaverse did they enter? What caused it all? Can they go back? Oh, this might help me become human!"

Akira winced. Morgana was, after all, a creature created from hope. But after seeing that hope get dashed and Morgana to get so dejected time and time again, Akira wanted to avoid causing his friend any more grief. "Morgana…"

"Akira, can't you see? I'm just so DONE being stuck like this! I HATE it. Having to get carried around like some stupid PET? Only being able to talk to SEVEN PEOPLE? You've been great to me but I NEED to be human! Live my own life instead of playing support to yours!" Morgana cried, desperation cracking in his voice. Akira looked at him with concerned empathy.

"… I get that Morgana. I really do. And we're going to make it happen." He vowed. "We'll keep our eyes open around here and... Morgana? Morgana?" He turned his head slightly to face his companion, but Morgana was staring wide eyed at the store's mascot, a strangely colored bear thing, who was walking by.

"Akira! This guy's a SHADOW!" He exclaimed loudly, the bear turning to face them with a tilt of its oversized head.

"Huh? Did that cat just talk?" It said.

Time froze.

Akira and Morgana stared at the fuzzy face, which stared back blankly.

"Is it powerful?" Akira said, slowly taking a defensive stance, fear and uncertainty pulsing through his veins with the adrenaline, the tension from their earlier conversation replaced with this new unknown.

"Extremely." Morgana replied, with excitement and terror in his voice.

"Hey, your cat DOES talk!" The strange creature exclaimed happily. Akira looked the thing over with his thief's vision. Not only was the thing a shadow, but an arcana as well. Someone out there bonded with a shadow, which was now in the real world.

"What are you doing here?" Akira asked, finding his voice. He didn't think the think was a threat, but it was an anomaly that needed investigation.

"Huh? I work here. Say, where did you get that cat?"

"No, I mean, what are you doing in this world, Shadow?" Akira pressed. The mascot stared back blankly, its body taking on a barely visible tremble and taking a scared step backwards.

"Wha-? I mean… how do you… um... YOSOKEEEEEE!" The thing cried, turning tail and running off. Akira blinked at the reaction, swiveling his head to gauge the reaction of the other shoppers. A few curious onlookers but nothing too bad. Akira took a fast stride in the direction the mascot ran off, giving chase.

"I don't believe it. A SHADOW. In OUR WORLD!" Morgana exclaimed excitedly as Akira tried to look as natural as you can awkwardly speedwalking after a cartoonish store mascot.

"I know, I KNOW! Just, try to keep quiet for now, that thing can understand you!" Akira hisses under his breath. The subject of his hunt seemed to have found someone it knew, Akira firing up his Third Eye again to confirm the man also was an arcana. He seemed to be using his vision quite often since arriving in Inaba. The mascot took off its head as it hurriedly spoke to the man as Akira caught up, surprising Akira further that he looked just so human under the costume.

"Is there a problem here?" The man wondered, standing crossed armed between him and the blonde anomaly.

Akira tried to slow his heart, slightly out of breath from the adrenaline and the quick pace he took to get here. "I just… found your friend there a bit interesting." He said guardedly. So many arcanas in the same town with a SHADOW, no less, was too much to ignore now, Akira needed to play it safe and gather all the information he could. Something happened in Inaba. Something supernatural, and it might be the key to helping Morgana in his search.

"Yosuke, this guy knows I'm a shadow!" The man in the bear suit stammered, still trembling slightly and regarding Akira with white faced terror. The man, Yosuke, snapped his head at his friend in surprise, but composed himself as he turned back to face Akira.

"I… see. Sir. I think it's best if you leave." He ordered coldly.

"Hey, I'm just a normal guy and-"
"And I'm the manager of this store. I am telling you to leave. Now."

Akira held up his hands placatedly. "Alright. Yeah, that's fine. I get it. You're scared. I'm a bit surprised myself." He said, backing off. "My name is Akira Kurusu. I'm staying at the Amagi Inn. Give me a call when you're ready to talk." Turning around and hoping he handled that right, he left Junes.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" Morgana wondered as Akira returned to the Inn. The manager cast her eyes away warily when he glanced over at her. Seems like news travelled fast in the small town.

"Hey, the ball's in their court for now. Neither of us expected to come across each other, I think it's best to let them make the first move after that." He rationalizes. He just hoped this other group could be reasoned with. Akira inserted his room's keycard and heard it click to unlock. "Besides, whoever they are, they're probably just as curious as us about all this."

"You've got that right." A voice said from within the room. Akira jumped as the door swung shut, revealing a silver haired man sitting in the room's chair in the corner. Akira stared, gauging this newcomer. "Detective Souji Seta. Inaba Police." He introduced neutrally.

He certainly looked the part too. A well-tailored but slightly worn suit under a light trench coat, various tools on his belt, and a suspicious bulge under his breast pocket. The detective stood up and extended a hand which Akira took and shook. Firm grip.

"Akira Kurusu." He replied, matching tone. He could see the other man sizing him up. "If you don't mind me asking, detective, how did you get in my room?" The man chuckled and gave a shrug.

"I'm close with the family that owns the place." He replies with a dry smirk. Despite the headache it was giving him, Akira glanced at the man through his Third Eye, catching a few interesting details. The detective had the Fool Arcana, like him. And a familiar blue key with a mask motif on the exposed keychain hanging from his belt. This was the man who had the contract. Akira relaxed. "Now then, would you mind sharing how you know about my friend Teddie?"

The detective's voice was sharp, probing, and portrayed a protectiveness Akira found familiar. He felt the same way about his confidants and friends. That comradery helped lower his defenses.

Akira gave a slight chuckle, feeling giddy. "Well, the answer to your question lies with this." He smirked, getting out his own keychain and holding up the decorated blue one he always kept on him. The detective's eyes narrowed slightly in confusion. "I couldn't help but notice you have one just like it." He continued, gesturing his key towards the other man's. Souji glanced at his belt then back up at Akira in shock and understanding.

"You've been to the Velvet Room."

"Heh. It seems that long-nosed old man gets around." Akira grinned. "Can't say I expected to ever meet someone else like me, or someone like this friend 'Teddie' of yours. A Shadow with a human form existing in this world?" He chuckled, shaking his head. Morgana chirped as he realized something, Akira already a step ahead.

"Say… do you think he could teach my friend here how he did it?" He asked with an excited grin.