Naomi Suzuno/Connections

The Precious Few

IV - The Emperor Akatsuki Enda: "When I do name him, let it be thy part to praise him more than ever man did merit." -- Much Ado About Nothing; Act III, Scene 1 Quotes: Red, gold, and orange/Will autumn kindle a flame/To scorch black my soul? The greatest treasure/To assuage a wounded heart:/Your pure, azure sky Purpure galaxies/A sense of no gravity/Ah, your sparkling eyes -- Akatsuki's Christmas haiku to Naomi "Even if I can't speak for them, I would have done it. And I'd *rather* be 'bothered' than hear gang members on the street talking about what they'd do to you next time they saw you! There were plenty of options--you just refused to entertain them!" "You wouldn't have even told anybody if I hadn't found out on my own, would you? Of course I did! Don't you understand how important you are to all of us? Naomi... you're irreplaceable. To all of us... Can't you rely on us, just a little more?" 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. He revealed to her and others that he is currently dating Daiya Kagami, and while nice enough, Naomi does not believe that her current Vice President is a good "fit" for Akatsuki. However, she has resigned herself to wish him the best despite her misgivings. VI - The Lovers Tohya Kidzuki: "For in my youth, I never did apply hot and rebellious liquors in my blood." -- As You Like It; Act II, Scene 3 Quotes: "It's just that he mentioned it and I...thought of you? You always surprise me with the things you say." "Even if it's just because, you can call me anytime." "I don't want to do it. I bent, on the last test like this, and I started to feel like maybe I was doing the right thing, but I can't hurt someone like this." "I feel the same way about you. You're my closest friend. There's no one I've been able to share as much with." 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, Himeru 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. While in Hong Kong during Golden Week and knowing that Tohya missed her family, Naomi filmed a video of her touring around the city-state so she could send it to her parents, who are currently in a secured location for their protection. XIV - Temperance Miwa Saitou: "O, she is ten times more gentle than her father's crabbed, and he's composed of harshness." -- The Tempest; Act III, Scene 1 Quotes: "You need to find whatever it is that makes you happy. Trying to compare your happiness to other people's, well... you'll only make yourself disappointed in the end." "We have to do something, right? We're prepared for the worst, and we're together. We'll be okay." 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! Recent discussions have revealed to Naomi the depth of Miwa's concerns regarding her and Tohya's affiliation with KNOWS, and after a heartfelt discussion, 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. XVI - The Tower Himeru Namikawa: "But I have that within which passeth show; these but the trappings and the suits of woe." -- Hamlet; Act I, Scene II Quotes: "If you ever draw the attention of SEBEC, be wary. They offer power, and power is never free." "I have no interest in making friends and acquaintances who will get themselves killed, Suzuno-sempai. Death only causes unfurfilled promises, lost possibilities and regrets to those left behind." "Innocence of youth is a luxury rarely appreciated by those who still have it." A chance encounter during Port Island's 25th hour had Naomi running into Himeru 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. While she does not know the whole story, Naomi knows a bit about Himeru's own, tragic past, and is rather certain that the circumstances around her sister's death is something that profoundly caused Himeru to become the way she is. Naomi is the first person Himeru has invited into her home in a very long time, a gesture that touched the heiress beyond words, and after the younger girl's confession regarding what she saw between the Shinsengumi members during the DVA debacle, Naomi shattered Himeru's conceptions 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. XIX - The Sun Tatsuya Suou: "Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them." -- Twelfth Night; Act II, Scene 5 Quotes: "Words can't fix everything, and sometimes you just have to live with consequences." "Honestly, you really are a troublesome woman." "You're safe. I'll protect you." "I like the way you are, too." "This isn't a story, it's real life... Nobody's the hero, or the main character. Everybody's...everybody's dreams are as important as everyone else's. Everybody's 'destiny' is just as pivotal to the world as anyone else's. So if there is a destiny guiding us, yours is just as important as mine, Naomi. Besides, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get rid of you anytime soon. I'd probably start getting complacent." 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 deeply, 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. It frightens her a great deal whenever he tells her he would protect her, a promise he's made repeatedly, because of what happened to her mother in the crash. She continuously tries to be as best of a friend and partner to him as she's able (even if it means butting heads with him heatedly) and despite rampant word of his involvement with Lisa Silverman, she has promised to celebrate his upcoming birthday with him.

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III - The Empress Mitsuru Kirijo: "Take that life, beseech you, which I so often owe; but your ring first, and here the bracelet of the truest princess that ever swore her faith." -- Cymbeline; Act V, Scene 5 Quotes: Quote 1 Quote 2 Once upon a time, there were two princesses who spent most of their early childhood together. Some would say that Mitsuru was the first "real" friend Naomi has ever made in her life, and vice-versa. They went to the same educational institutions, rubbed elbows with the same elitist constituents... they were even in fencing club together when they were old enough to wield foils safely. Naomi made her laugh, while Mitsuru did her best to encourage Naomi's independent streak (within reason) and dragged her to every high-class French restaurant within ready access. With tragedies assailing both Kirijo and Spencer families within precious few years of each other, the two girls have fallen out of touch, but never forgot one another. Now, with Mitsuru being the figurehead of SEES, and Naomi being a high-ranking member of KNOWS's Daybreak Squad, will their fondest memories of one another survive the strain of being on the opposite sides of the line? Covertly, they have been seeing more of one another lately, in hopes of rekindling the degree of sisterhood they have lost. Her recent departure from KNOWS has only steamrolled the re-development of their lost kinship, culminating into a night of drunken shenanigans in Tokyo and later on an impromptu sleepover at Naomi's penthouse. While Mitsuru still considers Naomi as one of her kouhais (and in fact her first one), given their one year age gap, they talk to one another as equals. Mitsuru has recently confided in her some of the darker aspects of the Kirijo family history, circumstances that are dire enough that she was initially afraid Naomi would turn her away after hearing about it. However, the other ojou remained by her side and reaffirmed her promises to the Kirijo heiress that she'll always be around when she needs her. V - The Hierophant Shinjiro Aragaki: "He expressed no regret for what he had done which satisfied her; his style was not penitent, but haughty. It was all pride and insolence." -- Pride and Prejudice; Chapter 36 Quotes: "...maybe you'd like to tell me what the hell you were thinkin', walkin' through here. This ain't a place for you, 'jousan." "You might as well just come with me. No one'll fuck with you if you're with me." 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. VIII - Justice Kai Nakamoto: "In that day's feats, when he might act the woman in the scene, he prov'd best man i' th' field, and for his meed was brow-bound with the oak." -- Coriolanus; Act II, Scene 2 Quotes: "It's fine, but...I'm just wondering what that would say about me." A first year when he should be a senior, most of the circumstances regarding Kai's situation continues to mystify Naomi given he was far from a simpleton. Nevertheless, she is presently tutoring him so that he would be eligible to take an acceleration test so he could skip a year and join his age group. While intimidating due to his sheer breadth and stature, she found him to be surprisingly shy and friendly. Recently, she proposed the idea that the both of them learn sign language to ease communication between them, and while hesitant at first, a single question from her prompts him to change his mind. Ichiya Chigiri: "Let every eye negotiate for itself and trust no agent; for beauty is a witch against whose charms faith melteth in blood." -- Much Ado About Nothing; Act II, Scene 1 Quotes: "Most of us don't think about it, but we all hide something, just as we all hard our darker sides from public view. Very few show their true selves out in the open." Unbeknown to her, Naomi already met him; as his alter-ego, "Fox," a masked individual who aided her group's efforts in Mikage-cho and who taught her a few bare-handed techniques in exchange of a few fencing lessons. As handsome, college-aged mechanic Ichiya Chigiri, he was recently contracted to see to the upkeep of the Spencer household's vehicles. He seems to have taken a shine to her and has asked her to address him by one of his nicknames. She has recently discovered that Ichiya Chigiri and the mysterious Fox are one and the same, though she has yet to react outwardly to this revelation. His lavish White Day gift has clued her into the depth of his feelings for her, and Naomi wasted no time returning it and gently rejecting him, hinting without explaining that her present situation prevents her from carrying on romantic connections with anyone. While saddened, fortunately, Ichiya understood. XIII - Death Shirou Sekigawa: "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them?" -- Hamlet; Act III, Scene 1 Quotes: "I promised her. That if he tried to take her away from me... I would tear the world down around his ears." "I'm a survivor at heart, Naomi. Kandori has gotten the best of me, but I hope that I've shown him that... well, I play to win." Despite their first accidental and largely inconsequential meeting, this hardworking Inaba country boy became the first among her newest acquaintances to address her by her first name and is one of the few who she sincerely liked instantly. Their friendship during the Mikage-cho incident developed quickly, and while she sensed a degree of awkwardness from him around her, she wasn't quite certain as to why. She worried about him constantly while she stayed at Fort Junes with him, given his tendency to work his fingers to the bone at the expense of his well-being, and made conscious efforts to ensure that he got the rest he needed at Thora's or Yosuke's absence. A few run-ins has her confiding in him as to the circumstances of her awakening and vice-versa, becoming better and closer friends in the process after they parted ways. Most recently, he has asked for her help in tracking down a British journalist named David Goddard, Shirou's biological father. Seiichi Miyamoto: "I stand accountant for as great a sin - but partly led to diet my revenge." -- Othello; Act II, Scene 1 Quotes: Quote 1 Quote 2 The only son of Naomi's ex-piano tutor, Takeshi Miyamoto, Seiichi came barreling into her life and 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 youngest self, something about him nags at her. No matter how hard she tries, she can't trust him completely. XIV - Temperance Dona Kimura: "In the poison'd entrails throw. —Toad, that under cold stone. Days and nights has thirty-one; swelter'd venom sleeping got, boil thou first i' the charmed pot!" -- Macbeth; Act IV, Scene 1 Quotes: "I...came to check out the clock tower again, but... I changed my mind at the last second. The last thing I want to do is get cocky..." Quote 2 In many ways, her friend Miwa's dark counterpart (though she has absolutely no idea that this is the case), Naomi first met Dona in the aftermath of the Mikage-cho incident where her strange, fellow second year asked about a mirror. Despite her less-than-stellar reputation around Sevens Sisters High School, Dona's misanthropy tends to lessen while she's around Naomi, who makes the time and effort to reach out to her due to her own nature and further encouraged to do so by the advice of Daiya Kagami, a third year in the same school who has displayed some interest in Dona's welfare. Like with most of her friends, Naomi tries to keep Dona out of trouble, though this does not always work. A conversation has revealed that Dona knows about Miles Spencer's temperament, and how he seems to be a stand-up individual; a statement that earned Naomi's curiosity considering as far as she knows, her classmate has never met her father. Or has she? Dona has recently worked with her and Tohya to break the mirror curse that she has placed on Tohya, and did a considerable amount of research on the Clocktower ghost at Naomi's behest. As the young occultist slowly opens up to the world around her, Naomi continues to encourage her reconnection with fellow human beings. It has become a tradition for her to give Dona something from her travels, to give her a piece of the more exotic places she has visited. Daiya Kagami: Insert Shakespeare Quote here Quotes: Quote 1 Quote 2 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, 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. XVI - The Tower Takahisa Kandori: "How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees? Thou know'st we work by wit, and not by witchcraft; And wit depends on dilatory time." -- Othello; Act II, Scene 3 Quotes: "Fear. That is what you can taste in those bowls. A single drop, distilled for each of you from the collective fear of so many broken souls, carried with each of us like an emperor's cloak after battle. Fear. The blue phial contains love. I did not use it, it is so scarce. But one drives the other, as pollen creates the honey, and the crucible needs much more at the starting end than it gives you at the end." "You have a skill for asking the difficult questions." 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. Thora Kobayashi: "As I told thee before, I am subject to a tyrant, a sorcerer that by his cunning hath cheated me of the island." -- The Tempest; Act III, Scene 2 Quotes: "Well this new arrangement has me learning from him. There's nothing /I/ can do right now besides go with the flow." 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. XIX - The Sun Taiki Himuro: "Hereby, upon the edge of yonder coppice; A stand where you may make the fairest shoot." -- Love's Labors Lost; Act IV, Scene 1 Quotes: Quote 1 Quote 2 Blurb coming soon.