Taking Hearts, Breaking Limits (Persona 5 Royal x Final Fantasy VII)

XXIV

5/7 - Saturday - After School

Joker's POV

"So... I've been curious about something." Cloud said while driving. "Mona... Skull said that you've been in Mementos before. Is that true?"

Besides the revving of the engine, the Mona-car stayed silent. Joker understood why. It was a sensitive topic for him.

"Oh yeah... we haven't talked to you about that yet..." Skull murmured.

"Talked to me about what?"

"You see..." Joker said, "Mona has a problem. He doesn't have his memories. Sure, he has memories about the Metaverse and all that, but he has no clue about who he is and where he came from."

"So... what does that have to do with Mementos?"

"Back in Kamoshida's Palace, Mona said that the Metaverse distorted his memories and shit." Skull added. "He thinks that those distortions caused him to get amnesia and made him lose his human form."

Cloud tilted his head. "So... that's why he's a cat?"

"We don't really know... not even Mona does." Panther said. "But he believes that if those distortions in the Metaverse disappear, he'll get his true form back. At least... that's what I remember."

Cloud didn't openly show it, but Joker noticed it in the look of his eyes. He was sad for him.

Why does this dude always gotta have a straight face? Joker wondered, It's not like he isn't allowed to show emotion or anything...

From the passenger seat, he observed Cloud a bit more. His demeanor was the same as it always was: serious and unyielding. Joker always wondered what kind of person he truly was. He knows that he was a nice guy who never hesitates to help people, but what else was there? Was he shy? Nervous? Maybe a tad bit of introverted? Whatever it was, it made him hide himself from them.

Although, he did have a flaw in hiding his feelings: his eyes. His sky-blue eyes always showed how he felt. No matter how serious of a face he put on, Joker could always look at his eyes and know what he was feeling like. In that moment, Cloud had a sympathizing look in his eyes, as if he understood what it was like to not remember anything from your past.

Speaking of his eyes... Joker noticed something really fascinating. Around his pupils, there was a neon greenish tint. If he looked close enough, it looked like they actually glowed.

"Hey... Cloud?" Joker said.

"What?

"What's up with your eyes?"

Cloud's magic eyes widened, surprised at his comment. "You mean the green tint, right?"

"Yeah... what is that?"

"You remember Mako?"

"Yeah. Isn't that the energy from the Lifestream?"

Cloud nodded. "Prolonged exposure to Mako energy can form a greenish tint around your eyes, causing this." he pointed to his eyes. "They're called 'Mako eyes'. Usually all SOLDIERs have them, even Zack and Sephiroth."

"Wait so... if all SOLDIERs have Mako eyes..." Skull butted in, "does that mean you're a SOLDIER too?"

Cloud stayed silent for a while, then shook his head sideways. "No... mine's a different cause. It's really complicated so... I'd rather not say." he said melancholy.

Joker knew Cloud kept his feelings inside again, so looked at his eyes once more. He saw regret... guilt... sadness... all those feelings bottled up inside him. He assumed that it was probably a sensitive topic on how he got Mako eyes, so he decided to not ask him about it now.