Difference between revisions of "Naomi Suzuno/Connections"

***Handsome, charming, and debonair, Akatsuki by all rights appears to be just the sort of young man Naomi would inevitably get along with....and she does. While their relationship is largely founded on witticisms, banter, and the occasional errant plans to run away together to give the paparazzi something to write about, it has taken a more serious note most recently when a random phone call done at Tohya's behest revealed that they had more in common that they thought initially. Their relationship has deepened after the Ball where he took it upon himself to keep her mind off of her confrontation with Seiichi Miyamoto, and then later visiting her at her home to ensure that she was alright. This continued to develop, almost to an exponential degree, especially after a reckless attempt to get in touch with Shinjiro Aragaki (which succeeded) caused Akatsuki to actually lose his temper and give her a good shaking and talking-to. Shocked by the intensity of his dismay and affection, for once in her life, Naomi actually apologizes to him for a ''successful'' plan....which has never happened to her before. His kidnapping by the hands of [[Rena Kinukasa]] has revealed for the first time a darker side to the Sumaru ojou, the part of her that is dangerously motivated by a relentless love coupled by a debilitating fear of loss. The Spencer heiress loves Akatsuki like a brother, and was deeply hurt when, in a fit of despair from his inability to handle his older brother, [[Kyo Enda]], decided to commit suicide in hopes of coaxing his twin to do the same. When the attempt was prevented, Akatsuki tried to leave everyone else without saying goodbye, and hearing the news shifted those feelings of hurt to searing, blistering anger. At present, it is unknown as to whether their relationship will return to what it once was.

***A senior in Seven Sisters High School, Tohya counts for one of the first people Naomi met in her first few days as a new transferee. While she fostered a reputation for being intimidating, Naomi managed to somehow get along well with her and addresses her as "Kidzuki-senpai." A bit of a mentor in the ways of the supernatural, Tohya was instrumental in Naomi's continued education regarding her Persona's talents and abilities, having offered herself up to be her "spotter" to ensure that she didn't bite off more than she could chew. In that regard, Naomi accords Tohya with the courtesy and respect that she believes the senior is entitled to. Recently, she explained a few things to Naomi that motivated her to join KNOWS. So far, she is the only one who has seen her residence and had the occasion to meet the most important person in Naomi's life; her father, who promptly invited her to stay for dinner. Tohya has confided many things to Naomi, and in return, Naomi has let her in on aspects of her life she has never told anyone before, marking the gray-eyed girl as the heiress's closest friend. It is as if Akatsuki's kidnapping had opened the floodgates as far as Naomi's protectiveness is concerned, and this is especially true for Tohya, who Naomi tends to tunnel-vision over whenever she is in danger. She will do anything; charge into a dangerous situation, cut through her greatest weaknesses, and destroy everything in her path to get to her...so much that another friend, [[Mai Namikawa]], has observed that the depth of Naomi's bond with Tohya runs so deeply that she has never seen anything like it before, and that it was both terrifying and enviable. She tells Tohya almost everything, the only other person she confides in more is her own father, Miles Spencer. She is also one of the very few people around who is acquainted with Tohya's other "facets" after her discovery that her best friend is compatible with the DVA System. Naomi can tell them apart and knows each of them by name. Their bond continues to strengthen and deepen, and has intensified especially after Tohya had taken steps to "get over" her unrequited love for [[Miwa Saitou]] through dating [[Misaki Toritsume]], and even took steps to build a bridge over her differences with Mai. However, she has also detected some worrisome shifts in her personality that has pushed Tohya away from her noted pacifism.

***A senior in Seven Sisters High School, Naomi met Miwa the same time she met Tohya. She occupies the first chair cello in the Music Club, and encouraged Naomi to join. They have plenty in common; gentle mannerisms, fondness for classical music and a certain love for fashion among the foremost of these, albeit their similarities were hinted at to run deeper than that. Naomi regards Miwa as one of the most beautiful people she has ever met, in looks and demeanor. Things have changed between them after the annual Christmas Ball, where she expressed her genuine regard for Miwa through her present and has asked her senior to call her by her given name. She also notably wore Miwa's present, a purple tatted bracelet, the moment she received it during the party - especially since it matched her dress! In past discussions, Naomi has asked Miwa to speak up her mind a little more, and that she prefers that Miwa do this more often. In the heiress's eyes, Miwa embodies most of the innocence and purity of spirit that Naomi feels that she has lost, and deep in her heart of hearts, she would like to see Miwa keep it and would do almost anything to ensure that she does. Miwa is the only person in her group of friends with whom she has talked in-depth about her mother, Midori Suzuno, a subject that rarely ever comes up. She has given Miwa an orchid from her mother's greenhouse as a housewarming present. Out of all of the Shinsengumi members, it was Miwa who has changed the most in the last year; she has become stronger and more self-aware, culminating in her break-up with her longtime boyfriend, [[Kyo Enda]]. Naomi is exceedingly proud of the changes in Miwa, and does her best to cultivate and encourage them (to the point of convincing [[Tatsuya Suou]] that he should perhaps do the same). However, Miwa's dangerous actions of late have rendered Naomi frustrated with her, but largely due to worry and the fear of losing one of her best friends.

**[[Mai Namikawa]]: ''"But I have that within which passeth show; these but the trappings and the suits of woe." -- Hamlet; Act I, Scene II''

***A chance encounter during Port Island's 25th hour had Naomi running into a young woman who introduced herself as Himeru Namikawa in the most unfortunate and surreal of circumstances. Her first, true exposure to the world of Persona-users and the Supernatural, she and this austere, first year Gekkoukan student have run into one another several times since then, and most recently, were trapped in Mikage-cho together. After a few shared meals, conversations, and texts, despite being in opposite sides of the hellish dimension, Naomi and Himeru managed to keep in contact with one another, sharing information and trading a few shards of encouragement along the way. She is one of the few people in her life who shares Naomi's formal and precisely enunciated speech patterns and in that alone, some would say it was almost inevitable that the two of them would strike a friendship...and one built out of the deeper and more concrete foundations of trust. Despite appearances, especially during the Tartarus incident in which KNOWS, SEES, and SEES allies confronted one another, Himeru and Naomi continue to get along despite the grievous injuries the former has inflicted on her, and some would say their friendship has only deepened as opposed to devolved after the fight. Since then, Naomi shattered Himeru's perceptions of her by detailing some of her own troubles, and that rising above them is possible to prevent oneself from becoming an empty vessel. While done out of her genuine desire to bolster Himeru, even Naomi does not realize herself just how close her friend was to the brink and that her words may have more of an effect than she herself knows. Remembering their heart-to-heart, Naomi used the recently re-appropriated ''Argo'' to take Himeru to a place where she could view a meteor shower and in where she could make as many wishes as she wants. This is the only time she has seen Himeru cry, and not out of sadness. Himeru has told her since then that she loves her, and that she would die for her if necessary, unaware of Naomi's constant and debilitating dread whenever someone professes to go through those lengths for her. The heiress, however, has seen a very significant change in her friend in terms of her outlook in life, and can only be exceedingly proud of her. She is the first to know, within their circle of mutual acquaintances, that Himeru is actually Mai Namikawa, and had done her best to assimilate her dead older sister's identity in an effort to be more accepted by her parents, and since knowing this, Naomi has done her best to help Mai grieve properly and face her demons. When they finally faced Mai's past in the Abyss of Time and after an incident which convinced everyone that she had died, Naomi's fear of loss nearly overwhelmed her, and suicidally tried to go back in a collapsing room for her. She was only prevented from doing so by [[Mitsuru Kirijo]] and [[Shinjiro Aragaki]]. Mai was also instrumental in helping Naomi recover from intense heartbreak and is one of the only two people she has cried in front of. These days, Naomi and Mai continue to help each other investigate strange things that occur within the Five Cities area, and they exchange information freely. While they occasionally have their rough spots, they share a considerable and formidable bond.  

***Given his infamy and absurd levels of popularity, the first moment she met him, Naomi anticipated that she would never speak to him again after that. Proven wrong after a random encounter on the street, and then later at a surprise visit by the young man at her home (much to the chagrin and paranoia of her butler) intent to speak to her about some very important things, she has recently discovered that their very obvious differences are offset by their more elusive similarities. Tatsuya has exhibited an inordinate ability to consistently surprise her and in turn, she has displayed a certain adeptness in effortlessly cracking through his stoic shell. Naomi may be one of the very few people in Sumaru who has actually heard him crack a joke, seen him smile, and heard him laugh. Out of all of Naomi's acquaintances, Tohya is the only person who is closer to her than Tatsuya is, especially after a quiet conversation regarding his disgraced family as well as the original reason why he started withdrawing away from others, which also happens to be the same incident which solidified his fearsome reputation in Sevens and the rest of the city. While Naomi normally does not offer up information about herself unless asked, an excursion in an abandoned hospital to save a boy from a rumor-produced demon has her breaking that personal rule to Tatsuya (who surprisingly noticed this propensity of hers), and not only regarding herself but also a bit about her butler, Robin. Since then, they have been thrown together repeatedly in a variety of situations with an increasing level of regularity to the point that they could move cohesively in perilous situations without prior communication or planning. Naomi has grown to care for Tatsuya so intensely that she's literally beyond in love with him, and is normally strained by her efforts to keep the true depths of her affections a secret and unknown to him due to her current circumstances and her worries of being "lumped in" with the rest of his crazy admirers. Unfortunately, her resolve to keep the line between them intact has crumbled significantly after he stole her second kiss while trapped in a stalled subway train together...which has dovetailed since then into other moments that have forced their relationship in the purgatorial divide between friends and lovers. Initially resigned to let him go after witnessing him kiss [[Minako Arisato|someone else]], she returned after a week out of Japan to a troubled Tatsuya who had been waiting that entire time to speak with her, and while things between them have been mended and even intensified, things between them now are just as bad, if not worse.

***Whenever there's a strange situation occurring, for some reason, Daiya is there. Naomi first encountered the unnaturally beautiful senior while she and her posse of girls were warning everyone about the Clocktower Ghost in Seven Sisters High School. Daiya expressed concern over Dona Kimura, and advised Naomi that sometimes, people just need someone to reach out to her. Concerned about her classmate anyway, it poured enough fuel in the fire for the heiress to do so, forging a friendship with one of the school's most infamous misanthropes. That on its own resulted in some unforeseen complications, for Naomi does not know that Dona and Daiya are one and the same, and that the latter harbors feelings of both love and hate towards her for extending both friendship and respect to the former; the more Naomi reaches out to Dona, the happier Dona is and the weaker Daiya becomes, at the same time, Daiya is happy when Dona is happy -- look, [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Ptitlei202y8to?from=Main.ItsALongStory it's complicated]. It's to the extent that Daiya took the opportunity, once presented, to steal Naomi's first kiss in front of a crowd, much to the heiress's eternal embarrassment. Naomi has recently learned that she is now dating her close friend, Akatsuki Enda, and does not believe she is a good match for him. However, out of respect for Akatsuki and Daiya's privacy, she has not pried into it. The fallout of his suicide attempt resulted in Akatsuki's breakup with Daiya, which would have earned Naomi's sympathy and perhaps, finally, a chance to accept her fully as a Shinsengumi member and friend....until her appearance in the TV World in which she helped [[Rena Kinukasa]] spirit a wounded [[Kyo Enda]] away after a hard-won fight. Afterwards, her opinion of Daiya has shifted from uncertain to downright distrust.

***Kyo was one of the first people Naomi met during her first days after being transferred in from Seven Sisters High School, and for a time remained largely unaware of his true nature despite the hint dropped by Tatsuya in his face-to-face encounter with Akatsuki's older twin. Since then, however, she has received reports from people she trusts implicitly that he is dangerous and abusive; something barely human masquerading as such. Given Akatsuki's and Miwa's attachment to Kyo, Naomi has refrained from seeking him out, constantly at a loss as to what to do but knowing that she ought to do something because his treatment of them couldn't be allowed to continue. While Akatsuki's gradually forming detachment from his brother gives her a tremendous sense of relief, Naomi constantly worries about Miwa, who is deeply in love with him. Surprisingly, Kyo has confronted her about consistently putting Miwa's life in danger despite her efforts not to do so. While the conversation started out diplomatically, he pushed things into a breaking point after confiding in Naomi that he forced himself on Mitsuru, driving the heiress to attack him and would've have continued to do so if it weren't for a civilian witness entering the scene. The aftermath has left Kyo being the only person Naomi has, for a lack of a better term, tried to murder in cold (hot?) blood, the irony being that the only thing that stayed her hand was the fact that he looked like Akatsuki, whose guise Kyo was consciously using in an effort to inflict psychological trauma on her. Their interactions with one another have only worsened since then after another attack, when Kyo pretended to be Akatsuki and came upon her in a dressing room at Saks Fifth Avenue; an altercation that became severely violent due to Kyo's constant drive to win and dominate and Naomi's defiance and utter lack of complacency to the efforts levied by that drive. It is perhaps these two qualities that let certain ugly truths surface during Kyo's TV dungeon, and while these encounters have given the observant Naomi a better understanding of Kyo's dangerous psyche, she is also more aware than most as to just how tangling with him is even more perilous now. It may also be that newfound understanding that will enable her to solve the problem, no matter how temporarily....but at what cost?

***Quite possibly the only person who can effortlessly knock Naomi's signature calm off-balance by his sheer presence (or, to be more accurate, impressively oppressive resonance), Shinjiro is a mystery wrapped in a puzzle wrapped in an enigma. His dichotomous nature has many a time forced her to backtrack and question her own perceptions of him...and even during the same conversation. This does not, however, keep her from calling him out on certain truths and being "troublesome." She has also noticed distinct similarities between him and Tatsuya Suou, though they fall short from declaring them pure counterparts of one another as she has also observed one very important difference between them. His dapper appearance in a suit with the stylish and beautiful [[Ran Itoh]] on his arm nearly caused a cerebral meltdown thanks to the sudden incongruity between this and her prior outlook on him. Recent confrontations have marginally changed her earlier first impressions; while he's still an uncouth and rough-mannered delinquent, she has seen other sides of him that mark him deep down as a caring and decent individual, and more prone to his own brand of mischief than meets the eye. She has also teased him for being devastatingly attractive, because he is, much to his chagrin and flustered frustration. It's easy to come to the conclusion that Naomi has a bit of a crush on Shinjiro, given his attractiveness and the passionate, rakish nature she glimpses now and then, and if asked, she would freely admit it. Regardless of that, however, she has high hopes for him and Ran in the future, desirous to see Shinjiro finally letting himself have something worth keeping for once in his life. She likes it when Shinjiro calls her "ojou-chan," and teases him constantly about it and is prone to doing this in tandem with Mitsuru, much to his undying chagrin. An encounter with him in an isolated and secluded Port Island area nearly killed her, which spurred a further conversation regarding his past and the accidental death of [[Ken Amada]]'s mother in his hands. While the Spencer heiress told him that the act was inexcusable, she is gratified to see him undertake active efforts in seeking atonement for that past crime, especially when he was never prosecuted in a court of law for it. Their friendship developed further when the two of them were taken by Russian mercenaries and scientists connected to Shinjiro's year-absent father; an event that propelled the both of them to support one another during their captivity. These days, Naomi shares a cozy and comfortable friendship with him, and they occasionally see each other to catch up. Normally, she is the first person Shinjiro calls when he needs help with a certain redhaired ojou.

***The only son of Naomi's ex-piano tutor, Takeshi Miyamoto, Seiichi came barreling into her life anxious to repair the damage his father has made to the Spencer family. His intentions, however, are skewed, and unbeknown to himself, Seiichi is more like his father than he thinks despite his well-established loathing of him. While Naomi sees some good in him, she remains wary - those wounds remain open no matter how many years have passed. She is constantly worried about Mitsuru's burgeoning romantic relationship with him, and while she has made a more concentrated effort to get to know him and see past the visage of his father's  younger self, something about him nags at her. No matter how hard she tries, she can't trust him completely. In an unexpected twist, Naomi has prevented him from killing his father, Takeshi Miyamoto, a man who has leveled much torment and misery on the both of them. The conversation that followed dealt mostly over Mitsuru's position in Seiichi's life, albeit Naomi was far from forgiving when he brought up the possibility of joining Kandori's organization. While hardly friends, the two have proven that despite their connected pasts that they can commiserate with one another when circumstances necessitate it. This is hardly the case now, however, after his confession that he was the Masked Man that had been targeting her friends, threatened her mother's grave and maliced her whenever the opportunity arose. Unable to take a certain degree of vengeance at that moment, Naomi left his presence and maintained very little contact with him until recently when he arrived with the rest of the SEES contingent in Kyo Enda's TV dungeon, having seemed to recover some of Mitsuru's trust back. Things between them, however, remain unresolved, and it is questionable that Naomi would ever forgive him for running on the same path his father did.

***Naomi met SEBEC's infamous CEO by chance, coming across him with Himeru cooking breakfast in Mikage-cho's version of St. Hermelin and promptly engaged him in a deeply intellectual conversation about food (as well as the preparation of) standing in as a metaphor for the human condition. While content with the idea that she would never speak to the man again, she was surprised to receive a sword forged by his own hand the next days after thanks to Tohya's request for supplies, and then later in Okina where he imparted on her certain truths about Sumaru City. The growing consistency of his interactions with her may or may not be one of the main reasons why she agreed to join KNOWS. The controversy regarding the DVA System has prompted both Tohya and Naomi to leave KNOWS, with the latter departing its ranks rather than subjecting herself to Kandori's disciplinary review. The last report that he requested from her served as her formal resignation letter. The state of affairs between them is largely unknown, but Naomi knows that this will not be the last time she would hold communications with SEBEC's CEO. A more recent string of events have landed Kandori in prison, and Naomi is currently struggling between the decision to sever all ties with him completely (bolstered by the fact that the SEBEC figurehead is a touchy subject between herself and Tatsuya) and the desire to visit him while he languishes behind bars. She did end up visiting him, accompanied by Tatsuya who was unwilling to let her go alone, and witnessed Kandori expend nearly all of his spiritual power to reverse the prison lockdown and send Masquerade agents running through the facility in a killing spree. This has unwittingly brought them into crossing paths with Tatsuya Sudou, whose connection to Tatsuya, while unknown for now, proves to be dangerous extremely quickly. Naomi only learned of his death recently and is secretly conflicted about it, having a certain difficulty in reconciling his generous treatment and mentorship of her with the scheming, dangerous and immoral man that she also knew him to be.

***Fellow Daybreak Squad member and Shirou's girlfriend, she was, for the longest time, the only Persona-user who she has known about through the power of her sheer and infamous reputation. Now that they are in the same group in KNOWS, Naomi has met Thora on several occasions. It is perhaps due to her friendship with Shirou that she unabashedly reaches out to Thora, and finds herself occasionally envying her for having no qualms showing what she is feeling on her expressions. Naomi has recently found out what sort of information Kandori is holding over her and is appalled by the motivations surrounding Thora's conception and birth. Strangely enough, Naomi has found herself in the position of "Girly Stuff" counsel for her fellow half-gaijin. Naomi is currently doing what she can to help her assist Shirou in the mystery surrounding his vanished, British-born father....who disturbingly appears to have some connection with Takeshi Miyamoto. After a series of excursions together, especially after Thora's involvement with her rescue from the Dreaming, and her continuous regard and respect for Naomi's capabilities and counsel, the two girls have struck an unlikely friendship, underscored by a strange sort of camaraderie that can't help but be generated between such disparate creatures in terms of looks and personality. Familiar with Thora's own aspirations for the future, Naomi has promised to support her however she can. These days, they are the most unlikely of friends, occupying the extreme opposite sides of the spectrum, but Naomi will always do what she can to aid Thora and vice-versa. She has recently started calling Thora by her first name.

***An executive of the Masquerade, he and Naomi have had several encounters in and outside of the office. His connection to Tatsuya is one that constantly worries Naomi, and whenever the two of them are at the same vicinity, she does her best to keep them apart. Much like her views on Kandori, she is sometimes conflicted about King Leo, whose psychotic hatred for Tatsuya typically runs incongruously to his high opinion and gentlemanly treatment of her and his occasional demonstration of being a decent person. Regardless of this, however, she knows he is extremely dangerous and more than just a touch mad, and her allegiances will always fall on the members of Shinsengumi. Unfortunately, Miles Spencer, a business acquaintance of Sudou's father, is oblivious to his daughter's history with him and typically drives them to interact in elite business functions.