melodiesofeternity | [Closed] Another Persona Redux

"I'm Amamiya," says Ren, as though that answered that. Look, he's even raising a hand as though this was some kind of... roll call? Maybe he's just being a bit of a shit. Only a bit...

"It was April of last year that I moved to Tokyo, where I met..." he lowers his head now, glancing over at each of the Phantom Thieves present.

"Sakura, Futaba." Man it was nice being able to give her name in normal order. Not that... everyone here didn't know her already, but still.

"When Ren moved to Tokyo, my dad, Sojiro Sakura, took him in. He was staying over at my dad's cafe though. And..." She hesitates here, glancing at the others. But well, given who all is present... the other Phantom Thieves already know her story. And Naoto and Kanji would probably hearing the rest of it, or at least enough. "I didn't get to meet him, or the others until that summer."

That's enough for now. More than enough, really.

"Tatsumi Kanji," he chimed, dusted off his hands as he settled in on a spot on the couch, propping elbows against knees and slouching. One might have noticed that a lot of the snacks were of particular shapes, of pandas and rabbits to start. That's just what happens when you put him in charge of refreshments.

"I'm from Inaba. We had that freaky serial murder case goin' on, which I didn't think would hit national news until I heard bits n' pieces about it from you guys. That's how I met Naoto n' the rest of our group. I would've been one'a the victims if it weren't for her."

Edited 2018-06-20 14:47 (UTC)

Morgana jumps out from behind Ren, who he'd been semi-hiding behind, as honestly he was pretty noticeable anyway.

"I'm Morgana!" He announces like he's some kind of big deal. "You know about the Metaverse now I presume? That's where I first met Ren." He pauses as if he was about to continue, but didn't really fancy saying he was trapped in there by Kamoshida's Shadow. Mentioning Ryuji wasn't important either.

Edited 2018-06-20 16:49 (UTC)

For her part Makoto stayed in her corner, one hand to her lips and another across her waist. While she was keeping close attention, mostly they were there to prevent her from fidgeting with her hands.

"Niijima Makoto." She added, looking around the room. "I... was assigned the task of identifying and capturing the Phantom Thieves back in May and joined them officially in July." She closes her eyes, not wanting to get into much more detail then that. "Its a long story."

Before moving on to the last person, Makoto decided to address a concern she had been having and turned to Naoto. "I would also like to apologize for being cautious, Shirogane-kun. I was more than a little surprised at the discovery that our world may have more Persona-users than our group. Before divulging more information I wanted to devise your intentions and character."

"It seems my worries were unfounded." She added with a nod.

"It's fine, Makoto-san. Kanji-kun told me what happened and I put everything together from there. Also, we're only one batch of Persona users before your group." And from there, it had been a mite easier to go along with everything, but not too quickly. Not every Persona user could be trusted... though, Naoto had to sigh, "Phantom Thieves..."

If things were to be believed, someone - likely Morgana - may have gotten that silly name from her Grandfather.

"Anyway, I'm Shirogane Naoto, Private Detective by trade, 2nd Year student at Yasogami High for now in Inaba. I was involved in the murder as well starting in May 2011 before Kanji-kun's disappearance, but I didn't join the others until October. What your group calls the 'Metaverse' was the Midnight Channel for us and the... Dark Hour on another occasion."

Ren's eyes followed along, around the room as everyone spoke. Although his expression didn't change, he was surprised to hear Makoto to be the one to mention the Phanton Thieves by name— though, he supposed, Kanji and Naoto had proven themselves to be trustworthy by now.

Still, he didn't much feel like elaborating on that fact much more, unless they asked directly about it. Hearing Naoto reveal her status as a private detective too, well... it would probably have to happen sooner than later.

What was more interesting however, was the Midnight Channel and... the Dark Hour, was it? A hand cupped at Ren's chin as he chose to press that issue. Issues? "And— the Midnight Channel. That's where you encountered Shadows and probably where your personas awakened, is that right?" it was probably obvious, but best to reiterate. "What about... Palaces?"

Though he was also curious as to what 'the Dark Hour' on 'another occasion' meant...

Morgana if you keep trying to act like a hotshot she's gonna give you a noogie. Like Ren though, Futaba's surprised to see Makoto actually talking about the Phantom Thieves outright. And her face actually does show it. But hey, Makoto was the most cautious out of all of them. If she thought it was safe, they could probably trust them. Though if she needs to she will absolutely stand up for her friends.

Thankfully though, the conversation seems to be continuing along without any probing questions about their group and activities yet. Like Ren, she's curious about these other groups, though her interest reaches a bit wider than that.

"Does the Dark Hour, or any of those other groups you mentioned have something to do with Apathy Syndrome?" she asks, frowning thoughtfully. And then, to keep everyone on the same page, "It was something I found online when I was looking for Mom's research. The symptoms were... a lot like mental shutdown, something that's happening in our own time. Except most victims of Apathy Syndrome did eventually recover."

Mental shutdown victims, as all the Phantom Thieves knew quite painfully, were not so lucky. And if there is a connection? It makes her wonder how long this has been really going on.

Edited 2018-06-21 02:59 (UTC)

"That's correct. However, they weren't called Palaces, but Dungeons. They only appeared when someone entered the Midnight Channel of course; usually, never by their own accord." So they could probably figure out how things possibly went down considering those limited facts... and if they didn't, it would give her a gauge on how their group figured things out - who might keep track of information besides Futaba.

"As for the Dark Hour, it does. Apathy Syndrome would rise and fall between the Full Moon cycles between 2009 and 2010. However, that incident was handled by another group of Persona users based in Iwatodai." She raised a hand to her chin and considered. "... I can tell you what I've learned from Kirijo-san and the Shadow Operatives, but they would be a better source for detail if they ever arrived here."

Naoto was the one who had all the information and would go over it better than he ever could. Now that he thought about it, it seemed everybody had things under control.

But in an act of utter control from him, he was just staring at Morgana and trying to formulate the words. He knew to ask now rather than just going for it, even if it was torturous to work up the courage to ask to just... pet. He wanted to pet this goddamn cat.

It also distracted him from not looking at Makoto. He was grateful that he hadn't completely blown it back when... w-well...

So far so good. Some good questions have been explored, and some new directions were being made. Though Makoto was sure that the two groups were still sizing each other, she couldn't help but feel that this was thing were moving in a more collaborative direction.

"Actually, that was another question that I would like to ask. The places we explored were called Palaces because..." Though she tried not to say she couldn't help herself as her eyes drifted to Kanji and then to Morgana. "...we had a guide that informed us how the... cognitive world functioned."

"Did you have somebody like that as well?"

Oh, something he could answer. Though, he sounded awfully distracted.

"Yeah, we had one'a those, too. From what I was told, he just kinda walked outta the fog one day in the TV world. Without him, we would've been stuck down there after usin' a TV screen to jump in." But he puzzled a moment. What was it the others had said...?

"He is, or... was a Shadow, I guess. I didn't know Shadows could get Shadows, but he did. We beat its ass and then after he got his Persona he was able to become a person." He looked to Morgana, pointed.

"So Morgana's a Shadow, right?"

Ohhh boy. This probably would have come up eventually on its own, but she'd only talked to Naoto about it a couple days before during the Golsaucian Gauntlet. She hadn't really had time to talk to the others about it much, especially Morgana. And... part of her was nervous to, given how close to home it would've hit and how little she knew about how it might be replicated.

As for the actual question, though, she'll keep quiet and let the others answer. Honestly? She's rather curious herself looking from Ren to Morgana to Makoto intently. She had no idea herself but... had they found out something?

Not that she didn't find her own borderline-derailing questions in that little bit there.

"Wait, so he met his Shadow?" she said with a slight frown. And given the almost nonchalant way he spoke about the whole process.... Not to mention Naoto's own comment about Dungeons forming quiet differently from Palaces, with someone physically present in the Midnight Channel. And hadn't Kanji said something when they first met, about being kidnapped "again?" And implied the same had happened to Naoto on the flight back after their chocobo eater adventure... 'never by their own accord,' huh?

"Did... you guys all get your Personas that way? Meeting your Shadows?" she asks finally, biting her lip.

It would be quite a departure, since... well, in their time, the only people to actually manifest Shadows were those with distorted desires of some kind. Mainly Palace rulers, or Mementos targets (which were kind of Palaces in gestation, in a way). Admittedly she hadn't seen the others get their Personas, not even Haru technically. But she knew that the process had been... pretty different from her own.

"Ah..." so even if some things were the same, others remained different. Ren recalled the cases of Apathy Syndrome that had been mentioned in their investigations about the mental shutdowns. To think that yet another group of persona users tried their hand at helping their neighbourhood...

But there's an "Mm?" as the conversation turns towards Morgana. And, glasses catching the glare of the light in the room, he looks down in the direction of his near-constant companion. He knew how much Morgana had wanted to be human, insisted on it even... and a hand comes down to pat his friend between the ears. (Jealous, Kanji-kun?) And for the sake of Morgana he had to ask— "Could you tell us more about that? Your friend just— became human after that?"

There had to be more to it than that, right? But, regardless... he turns back again, the glare from his lenses finally subsiding. But as a follow up to Futaba's question, he also wanted to know, or maybe just to confirm... "Your Personas, the Midnight Channel— it's actually thanks to all of you that the murders were solved, isn't it?"

He knew Naoto Shirogane, first coming of the Detective Prince, had a hand in it but to hear that they all had the power of Personas on their side, well. That certainly put a slightly different spin on it all...

Morgana was giving a thoughtful look at everyone as they spoke, taking all the information in. It was all very interesting. He remembers the mention of Naoto Shirogane on the TV once. She was Akechi's predecessor. He only wished he remembered everything about himself, perhaps he would have already known about the past Persona users if he did. It wasn't worth fretting over though. He was here now and getting the information now. That was more than enough. That and the pettings from Ren who he never thought he'd see again was an added bonus. He lifts his head a little in response. Possibly purring slightly.

He couldn't help but be starry-eyed at more Persona users of course, though his thoughtful (yet slightly enamoured) look turned shocked at Kanji's words.

"What!? A shadow became a human!?" He lets out a sigh of disappointment, a feeling that doesn't last long. "Wait, if a shadow can do it, maybe I still have a chance!"

Kanji's last words were like a dagger through his little heart though. Fortunately he knew what he was now, but the nightmares were still fresh on his mind. He shoots Kanji an angry look. "I'm not a Shadow, I can assure you of that!"

He sat up and ruffled his hair. He wasn't the guy who could give the best details, but it looked like he was on the spot now.

"It's a long story, but... put simply, the Midnight Channel would show somebody that the whole town was thinkin' about without knowin' it. I was on the news for some shit I don't apologize for to this freakin' day, so I was talk of the town, and I showed up on the Channel that night. This weird guy thought I needed to be "saved", so he rolled up to my shop, kidnapped me, and threw me into a TV he had stashed in the back of his truck.

That's... how I wound up in the TV world, and a dungeon had formed all around me, filled with all the shit and doubts that were eating at me lately, all headed by my Shadow. But the people that would become my pals saw me on the Channel and went in to bust my ass out, fight my Shadow and help me accept that part of myself. That's how we got our Personas."

But despite how cute he was, Morgana just got a confused look from Kanji. "You sure about that? Teddie didn't know what he was, neither. He was missing a bunch of his memories. Then he had a ton of doubts, his Shadow showed up, and when he accepted that part of himself it was... he..."

He canted his head and fought to recall. "Right, he stayed in the TV world to train, get stronger now that he had a Persona. Then he showed up and popped out of the weird bear suit with a whole new human body. We dunno how he trained, only that he was all fired up to be better. Knowing that bear, he probably doesn't know how the hell he got a human body."

Accepting a part of yourself that you didn't want to acknowledge, huh? It... makes a lot of sense. And when you accepted that part, accepted the truth of what they were telling... then you gained a whole new power. It's all hitting uncomfortably close to home in some ways. But she'd known that would be a possibility, walking into this conversation.

It's almost a subconscious thing, her shifting closer to Ren and making sure Makoto was in easy reach as well. Just. Just in case. Just in case she's the one who needs a Moral Support.

"Palaces..." she starts, "work differently. Nobody has to be physically present to for them. Strong desires cause the Metaverse to distort, which in turn starts affecting the person in reality." Thankfully she's had practice with this part at least.

"If it gets bad enough, a Palace forms, and the person's Shadow manifests as the ruler. Usually, the kind of people who have Palaces... aren't good ones." Criminals, those abusing positions of authority or family relations, things like that.

Then again, not always.

She doesn't answer about Morgana - again, she doesn't know, but she does shift a hand closer to him as well. She's got your back, bud.

He knows Futaba is expressing important information, but he just has to reiterate to make it perfectly clear.

"I'M NOT A SHADOW!"

It's worse than calling him a cat, honestly. At least he can kinda take that comment in stride (though he'll still correct anyone who calls him that).

"I know what I am now. I... we figured it out. If it wasn't for Ren and everyone, I never would have found out!"

He's honestly in two minds about saying what he truly is, so sticks to just being... oddly vague about it. He also wasn't sure how these people would take the whole concept of stealing the hearts of these people to get them to change and confess their crimes, especially if one was a Detective. It may not go down too well. Best to err on the side of caution as they did before.

Makoto knew that insistence in Morgana's tone was necessary to get on damage control. Or at the very least give his assertion more support.

"Morgana is not a shadow. Perhaps the best way way to think of him would be an adviser. Or a guardian." Her glance turns to Morgana for a moment, giving a small nod whether he turned to see her or not. "But to us, he is our friend. Anything more than that is for him to discuss at his own discretion."

Instead, there was more to discuss with the topic of the metaverse. There was a lot going on, but there did seem to be some commonalities. Instead of keeping them to herself she decided to voice her thoughts audibly. "Hearing your account, it sounds as though your Midnight Channel has something similar to the mental landscape of everyone. The dungeons, as you describe them, sounds like personal mental representations of the person who are within them."

Arms folded and eyes lowering, there was one thing that stood out to her. "But you said that it was the acceptance of those inner qualities that you did not like that allowed you to summon your Persona? It would seem that your experiences are similar to ours." With... two exceptions.

"... Which is fine. If he says he's not a Shadow, then he's not a Shadow."

But, Futaba had said he wanted to be human - Morgana thought he used to be human. It was a peculiar situation, but there were things that were similar, but obviously different between the two parties. Just like their situation when compared to Kirijo's group of Persona users, things had been similar, but different with only a singular dungeon and the Dark Hour.

"That is correct. The Midnight Channel was a collective of human thought. When the rumors began of the Midnight Channel, the individual would appear long before they were thrown in. It's only once the person was introduced to the other side did their dungeon truly manifest and further expand it. There was a point where it couldn't be contained however..."

Looking over at Makoto, Naoto considers. "... Yes, it sounds like these Palaces are not your individual constructs. However, I'm sure each of you had to play a critical part in clearing them in order to gain your Personas... and possibly had exceptions to those rules."

Her eyes flitted over to Ren and she stared at him.

Makoto made the most important point clear on what Morgana was, and as she says the word 'friend' Ren gives a nod of reassurance in the direction of their feline-like friend. Whatever other details there were to that— and he wasn't sure he even knew them all yet— that was what it boiled down to.

He listened intently as Kanji recounted his tale, but when the whole "Collective thought...?" descriptor came up, he couldn't help but glance at each member of his team again, knowing they were probably thinking the same thing he was. "That almost sounds more like... Mementos."

Maybe he should be more clear. Shifting just a little beside Futaba, he dipped his head just slightly to the side. "If the Midnight Channel is the collective landscape, then Dungeons are where the Shadows rule."

He can feel those cool eyes on him though, and he looks over the rims of his glasses to meet Naoto's gaze. "For us, that is largely how Mementos and the Palaces correlate." In the simplest terms, at least.

Man, he hadn't had one of these meetings in a long time. It made him forget how much he secretly dreaded them. He wasn't the most... academic... person, but he felt like he could sort of follow what was going on.

Not right now, though. Palaces, Mementos, that was Greek to him as far as he was concerned, even if Ren said they correlated (wha-what does that word mean? God damn it. He wasn't gonna graduate high school, was he?).

Kanji set his jaw and nodded, eyes steely. He'll ask for a translation later.

Futaba... nods slowly, her chin set and her hand definitely reaching out to grab at Ren's now.

"I guess... I kinda was one. Or... maybe not?" she pause for a moment, glancing over at Makoto hesitantly. The older girl's words had kind of put something in perspective for her just now. That overall, just because her case was external and the others' had been internal, didn't mean it hadn't ultimately been the same process. Though it was... kind of hard to think about and explain all this on the fly. Not impossible though.

"I... actually had a Palace. You guys both saw my memory." Specifically, the part with the hallucinations "You saw... what was happening to me. I'm pretty sure I was being affected by the Metaverse by that point. It only got worse from there."

Deep breath. "By the time I got to meet the others, I could barely leave my room. I knew I needed help, and I found out what they could do from eavesdropping on The Leblanc. So I asked them for help."

Which brings her to her point: more information to be shared. She's swimming in dangerous waters here, but if she can play this as a one-time thing that they did, just with her, they could hold off talking about their general activities as the Phantom Thieves for now? At least until they felt they were ready. And she had an idea how, too. She closed her eyes. The next words she says are ones that Ren, Makoto, and Morgana should all know fairly well.

"'The cognitive world can become distorted through desires. If it becomes distorted, a person begins exhibiting problematic behavior in reality. That cognitive world disappears when you remove its core, and further problematic actions stop.'" She pauses, using her free hand to shove her glasses into a more steady position on her face. "They were in my mom's notes about cognitive psience. I'd realized by then that that was what was happening to me, and if I could get them to steal the core of my cognitive world then maybe..."

Maybe they'd be able to help her.

Makoto's attention immediately goes to Futaba as she describes everything that happened to her. As she continues her shoulders soften and a warm smile come to her face. Her hand subtly reaches out for Futaba's and gives it a tight squeeze. Its okay, Futaba. You're not alone anymore.

She continued to hold her hand as she returns to the conversation at hand. "That is what we mean when we describe the palaces we entered. A person's altered and destructive world-view creates their own understanding of a place that is close to them. A school becomes a castle with a king. A city becomes a bank with a mobster. A bedroom becomes..." She couldn't help herself, she looks over to Futaba. "...a tomb with a pharaoh."

"Now imagine if the root of that distorted world had a way to manifest. A... singular object that represents the source of that worldview. A lodestone. A pillar. Remove it and the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that are created and justified can no longer be maintained."

Her attention returned back to Futaba. "...and life will change."

Morgana's sense of pride in Futaba swelled inside him as he inched closer to her in between the "strangers" as a sort of protective instinct. He nods at Makoto's words with a smile. "It might be difficult to understand without being there..." He glances at Kanji, who's giving some serious Ryuji vibes. "But everything they've said is correct. To add to that - Mementos itself was like a huge palace for the general populace's cognition, in the simplest terms."

There was something he was curious about though no one had mentioned. He wasn't planning on divulging too much or outing Ren, but he really was curious about other Wild Cards.

"Naoto, Kanji... How many Persona's could you use?" He gives them a determined look.

Mementos and Palaces... interesting. It also explained why Futaba was so reluctant to speaking somethings and the fallback on technology. She had her focus; even the statement she made had Naoto nod. While the worlds where Shadows roamed might not be exactly the same, who affected it was.

"Hm, I see... Certainly more trouble to dismantle since you're not exactly seeking out an individual alone in the center of a maze... in most cases." But there were other issues that arose with that especially when to came to strangers. She'd only look around for a moment, but her attention was still somewhere else. "Still, explains why you called yourselves 'Phantom Thieves' now..."

Even if that name just made her think of her Grampa.

"Neither of us wield multiple Persona. We weren't the one 'challenged', but we were awakened as a result." She blinked. "What about you, Amamiya-san?"

Futaba's hand would easily find Ren's— and there was a gentle but firm re-assuring squeeze for her as she found the courage to tell her story. A soft, sympathetic smile is waiting for her at the conclusion, obviously proud of how far she's come.

And an appreciative glance Makoto's way as well, knowing that her support likely helped their Navi, too.

As the conversation turned another corner, Ren didn't flinch. Not when Morgana brought up the potential of multiple personas, and not when Naoto questioned him directly. That was an interesting choice of words that she used, however— 'challenged.' There's a brief silence as he chooses his words carefully, leaning his head just slightly downwards to look over his glasses again.

"You're right," there was no sense in being dishonest, especially with potential allies. "I was the one. And— it sounds as though you knew someone capable of the same..." And even he had to admit, his curiosity was piqued.

One hand on each of her own. It's sort of like they're a wall keeping her secure. Kind of like at the beach that one time. A part of her feels embarassed that she needs it - she knows Kanji and Naoto. She trusts them. But... there's no denying that it makes things a lot easier. She's already holding Ren's hand but she'll shift her grip until she can hold Makoto's back too, briefly glancing at all three of her teammates gratefully.

Like Ren, she isn't too surprised at Naoto's question, though perhaps for different reasons. "You said that there's always someone like me in each group. Is it the same with Ren? Is there always somebody who can use multiple Personas?"

Kanji canted his head. "I think so. It was because of our Senpai that we were able to get our Personas, and maybe it was gettin' in contact with that Meta-thingy that you were able to get yours."

But he blinked, snapped his fingers. "Wait, the Iwatodai group didn't! Right, Naoto? They all had their one but nobody was doin' weird switch-up shit! Their leader was that scary chick with the fur coats n' leather. I think. She looked the part."

"Iwatodai?" Makoto mouthed, raising a hand to her mouth. Iwatodai. Iwatodai... No, no matter how hard she thought she could not come up with an event that was anywhere close to the Inaba murders. Were she back at home she would check the internet or ask her sister for records to try to get more information. But here? She only had one source of information.

"You've mentioned this before, did you not, Shirogane-san? Would you mind telling us more about that?"

"That's because Kirijo-san, while influential, is their leader. However, not in the sense our groups would consider..."

Arms crossing, Naoto considers, silent. Even if she said nothing, someone might eventually show up and tell them. However, it wasn't like she knew all the details as closely as she worked with Mitsuru sometimes after everything.

"I can tell you what she's told me... Should anyone arrive from Iwatodai or Tatsumi Port Island though, remember to give them time before informing them I've made you aware since they might not be from any present time themselves." She feels like a great deal of details were too personal for her to be repeating anyway.

"... Over ten years ago our time in Inaba, the Kirijo Group took part in experimenting on Shadows. Before any of you become concerned about Kirijo-san's role in these experiments, she was only a child at the time with no influence whatsoever. It was her late-grandfather leading the project until the explosion occurred, consequentially allowing fragments of their subject to escape. What they did during that time following... well, Shadows and humans aren't normally supposed to interact."

Glancing over at Futaba, perhaps she had found some records on the incident during her own internet scouring. "It was also because of that incident the Dark Hour began for them. The explosion and release of Shadows resulted in a temporal distortion where a thirteenth hour would only be experienced by those with Persona or those drawn in by Shadows themselves at midnight. It also transformed the focal point into a labyrinth for Shadows to congregate...

"Anyway, under the guise of a High School club, Kirijo-san and her group gathered all the Shadow fragments, but that triggered an event she referred to as "The Fall". In order to stop it, their leader - the one who also bore the ability of the Wild Card... gave up their life."

Futaba will... gladly follow up on what she knows about Iwatodai and what happened there - though she's said a fair bit of it already - but... well. The news about what happened to their wild card stops her cold. Ren in particular will find that the grip on his hand is suddenly vicelike. She remembers. Remembers how upset he was when he got here; how it wasn't easy for him to speak about it. How she never pressed and never followed up. How nobody else was telling her what happened. How much danger they'd been in back home.

The logical part of her is fairly certain. Makoto didn't treat Ren like he was someone who only existed here in Vaikuntha. Who disappeared. But there are many ways in which Futaba is not her mother; logic is not the ruling party in her mind, and the person with the knowledge to confirm the truth is right there.

"M-Makoto-" her voice is stiff with anxiety. Please just. Just confirm this for her. Confirm that Ren isn't dead. Doesn't die.

The panic, no... the distress immediately draws Makoto's attention to Futaba. Why would she--oh. Oh right. The sudden explanation of what happened to the other wild card would make her aware. Sometimes she forgot that what she knows was not what was commonly shared among everyone.

Her eyes softened and a warm smile came to her face. "Futaba..." A second hand reached out and held hers. "...its okay. He's fine. He... will be fine." Sure there was more to that. What happened aboard Shido's ark. What happened at the bottom of mementos. Both ends of The Game. Sure, there was some points of uncertainty, and she still wasn't sure how much she should share. But on this there is one thing that she could at least reassure.

"Everything works out. Didn't I tell you that when you asked me last time?" Whether she needed it or not, Makoto was going to reach over to a warm and protective embrace.

Hooray, how grim. But it was just like something like the metaverse to have a lovely death plan for any one of them. The leader of Mitsuru's group, their wildcard, offered their life.

But Futaba's reaction added to the goosebumps he had on his arms. He'd discussed this with Naoto before. Hell, he had to wonder what would have happened if he never came back.

"So we've pushed back everything that meta-thingy throws at us so far. I'd like to see that glow-eyed shithead try somethin' here." He stood and dusted off. Right, he needed to grab the finished project. Makoto was an MVP, but maybe this might help cheer up Futaba, too.

"Be back in a sec." He slipped off to his room.

Ren's attention was on Naoto throughout the entire recount of what happened with the Iwatodai-users, though when the words gave up his life fill the room, he seems to freeze. Not in any obvious way, though his glasses seemed to catch the light just right again, glazing them over.

There's a ringing in his ears, and he doesn't quite hear what the others say. He can feel a tightening grip on his hand as the ringing comes in louder... His hand that had disappeared right in front of him. Faded from existence just like the wailing cries of the Phantom Thieves, whose screams become a roaring static in the back of his mind...

Back in a sec.

"Ah—" it was as if he remembered he was in the room again, surrounded by people. "That was a lot of information..." He shifts in his seat, relinquishing his hand from Futaba's slowly as Makoto embraces her, and uses it to adjust his glasses, the glare shining away.

"Thank you, Shirogane-san," and when he returns— "and you too, Kanji-kun— for sharing it with us. It seems as though even if our circumstances were different... we both had similar goals in mind when it came down to it," making the world a slightly less terrible place, he meant.

"But after hearing all of that I wonder... if maybe we shouldn't be calling you both senpai." Deflecting with humour and a max charm smile, that's Amamiya Ren.

Edited (phantom thief of edits) 2018-07-09 05:42 (UTC)

He stooped and gathered it all up, an ornate box wrapped up in paper and a big ol' bow. Kanji couldn't help but beam, having never done a collaboration project before, but a combination of his tailoring and her tinkering... god, they needed to do something like this again.

His face burned when he stepped back out. "Senpai...? Wh-whaddayoumean, I-I'm only second year, what the hell! I-I'm the youngest in my group, I ain't got shit to teach anybody..."

Yet he still looked pretty pleased. But he plopped the box onto the coffee table and ruffled his hair, smoothed it back.

"M-man, you're too much. Uhm... Futaba! This is a present from me n' Naoto. I figure since we're all here, now's a good time to roll out this bad boy."

There's something obviously going on for them - perhaps at different moments in which they all come from. That was just the problem with time travel, wasn't it? 'Everything works out' huh... Hopefully...

"You're welcome."

She had to blink at Ren's suggestion.

"While that would be accurate if we were both from your points in time, you don't need to refer to either of us as 'Senpai' here." That would be far too strange. Also, she didn't know if she was ready to be referred to as 'Senpai'. Looking from the box to Kanji, and then to Futaba, Naoto nodded. "Yes. Also, take it as a small token of apology from myself. I could probably do with being less... uptight."

Futaba does let herself be folded up into a hug, even leaning into it a bit. A lot of Makoto's reassurances sort of.... need Futaba to trust her on them. Trust that Makoto isn't hiding something unpleasant that Futaba deserved to know, whether to avoid upsetting her or hurting Futaba's own future or both.

It'd be a lie to say that Futaba was able to immediately do so without reservations. She'd had far too long a period of her life where she felt like she couldn't trust anybody but Sojiro. Still. Still. After all the things Makoto herself had done to help, both back home and here in Vaikuntha... Futaba nods, slowly.

The reassurance is admittedly tempered a bit as Ren pulls his hand out of hers. Given how tightly she'd been clinging, that wasn't exactly a simple task, and impossible to ignore. It sounds a warning note in the back of her mind. Why was her key item de-equipping himself? Why was he putting himself back in her inventory? Why wasn't he saying anything to all that? Just... glossing over what Naoto had said, to completely disregarding what she and Makoto had been talking about. She'd been worried before, but she's certain now.

Something's wrong with Ren. What she isn't certain about is what to do about it. What to say.

And before she can try to figure it out, Kanji's back and they're talking about- things? Something about titles and honorifics, stuff she doesn't normally bother with anyway except for Kana, and- oh.

Oh.

"For... for me?" her voice sounds... confused and distant to her own ears. She'd normally be feeling a lot more things about this. A lot different things too. But now she's just feeling almost kind of... numb? Like a computer that's running so many programs it just freezes up.

Still, she glances back over towards Makoto for a moment before easing herself out of the hug to tug the present over. Her fingers are a bit jittery, so it takes a bit of time and fumbling, but she does get the paper off. And the box open. And she just... stares at the box's contents. Despite the overwhelming maelstrom of emotions she's having trouble being able to process at the moment, her face does flush a bit.

She's. Never had anybody do something quite like this for her before. Certainly nobody that wasn't Sojiro or her mom, at least.

He caught the red in Kanji's cheeks at the mention of the change in honorific— a tidbit that Ren would tuck away for later, with a light chuckle. There was a Naoto's response to it, he had been mostly trying to lighten the mood really.

But in his need to try and change the channel on his mind's eye— he'd failed to catch some of the signals that Futaba was giving off. Shit. There's a quiet, "Ah..." as he shifts, then lifts himself up from where he'd been sitting.

It really was a lot to take in, wasn't it? And that gift that the two of them had given her... well, it's hard not for him to look down at the sight of it even just a little fondly. Futaba... look at the friends you've made. She really had come so far...

But— just in case that was more than a little overwhelming, "Why don't we take a break? Anyone for a cup of coffee?"

Yeah. Yeah a break sounded good. Thank you so much, Ren. She was... pretty sure she needed to go collect herself too, before the coffee got there so she didn't start crying messily into her own cup or something. Placing both hands on the table, she stands up, rather abruptly, voice still a little stiff.

"B-bathroom."

She knows where it was though, and immediately stumbles her way out from between chairs to flee to it. Then, halfway there, she stops, turns right around and goes back to the table. She very deliberately lifts the Carbuncle puppet from the box, hugging it to her like a stuffed animal.

And then she bolts properly this time. Give her a minute. Or five.

He'd nodded- of course it was for her. Had her name on the box and everything. Kanji couldn't help but lean in a bit as she opened it and he was so sure that everything on Futaba's face was a good thing. Everything had gone quiet, and for just a moment he wondered if maybe he was missing something. Should they have waited, or-

"Huh? Oh- coffee sounds good. Thanks." Oh thank fuck. Okay, so they didn't screw it up somehow.

...And Futaba needed to go to the bathroom. And needed the carbuncle to go with her. That's fine, a puppet could be a bathroom buddy too if you needed the company. Usually you'd need a book or something.

"So I'm- I'm gonna guess she doesn't hate it! Right?"

Naoto sat by, keeping her face neutral despite being worried internally. It was difficult to say if Futaba would like to puppet, or would've been happier with something else. Though, what something else could be, Naoto didn't know. Maybe something more robotic looking instead of fluffy?

"... Yes, coffee would be appreciated."

Her voice cut somewhat near the end when Futaba stood to go to the bathroom... but then returned and took the carbuncle doll with her. To say she was confused was a bit of an understatement. Blinking, she looked back at Ren, Morgana, and Makoto.

There's a quiet, "Hn," as Ren seems to chuckle to himself as Futaba doubles back for the gift. Making his way over to the kitchen, he got his brew started, thinking of how best to explain what was going on.

"I think it's safe to say she's added a new key item to her inventory," and yes, he seems to be perfectly serious when he says it, though he's smiling. Adjusting his glasses, they start to take on some of the steam as the water he's keeping an eye on comes to a boil.

"She may just need a few minutes but, as you saw..." Bathroom buddy, indeed. Heh.

[Closed] Another Persona Redux

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