[Akira knows it isn’t a very difficult picture to paint; he was never great at keeping the phantom thief thing a secret, anyway. and in a world where their innermost souls were placed on clear display. . . well. Minato seems smart. Souji probably is, too. he’ll answer their questions when the time comes]
Orpheus and Messiah.
[he repeats those names aloud as he thinks his head against the wall]
One who faced death to save a loved one, and one who conquered death to save he world. [. . . hm] Fitting.
[as a succession of Personas, he means. he has no idea how well they fit Minato’s situation, although he suspects the symbolism is just as on-the-nose as the symbolism involving his own]
Minato wrinkles his nose a little. It is on-the-nose, but he doesn't want to talk about it. Instead, he doesn't respond to that, changing the subject.]
... You seem pretty okay with all of this. Don't you have anything pressing to get back to?
[Akira huffs a laugh, eyes slipping shut. he can feel Minato’s gaze on him, boring holes through the casual, blase demeanor he’s so carefully cultivated, but he doesn’t return it. he’s already starting to feel like if he isn’t careful. . . Minato will see right through him]
Because our Journeys ended, and we’ve entered a stage of suspension?
[Minato blinks a little placidly, before he shrugs.]
To me... it means we've done everything that was expected of us. I guess this future in front of us now means it's ours to make of it what we want to. Nobody's telling us what to do here.
[A beat.
He yawns.]
Maybe that's why our attendant is Tama-chan. [No words, just cat.]
[but then. . . why is their future here, and not back home? or does that mean, even after how hard he fought, even after his victory over Yaldabaoth, even after breaking the chains that bound him. . . that Akira's future was still forfeit? that even though his heart was free, every single pathway ahead of him in the real world led to bars and prison jumpsuits?]
[his shoulders slump]
. . .
I think I could get used to that level of freedom.
[he says deceptively lightly]
And to the complete absence of Igor's nightmare-inducing nose.
[aaand as soon as he's called out, Akira is stiffening again, brows furrowing]
Why are you assuming I'm upset?
[Minato isn't that far off base, but even though Akira had already allowed himself to be more open than he might've been with any other complete stranger? he's still got his walls up to some degree. and talking about his current imprisonment is something that's about as off the table as Minato talking about his death is]
[Akira's hand closes around Minato's tightly in a firm shake. he sure does know what this means! he has no Persona to heed the call this time around, but that's okay. having one of a matching Arcana has never been strictly necessary. he can still feel the way that ethereal presence of a Confidant settles into his mind, can still hear Lavenza's calm yet forceful words echoing in his ears. I am thou, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new vow. . . it shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity. . .]
[(Do I really have more chains to break? Akira thinks to himself, almost ruefully)]
[there is a small quirk of his brow when the feel of Death enters his heart, but it's immediately replaced by a look of surprise as another new presence settles in his mind. or rather, the potential for a new presence. it wasn't a Persona he had used often, but it was one he was intimately familiar with nonetheless]
. . . do you feel that?
[because with the forging of a new vow with Death comes a new power: Alice and he wonders if Minato received it, too]
The promise of a Social Link created (the Star, huh...? It makes Minato want to see Akira burn brightly, instead of this subdued, cagey person he's been thus far) is familiar, and Minato doesn't think much of it until--
... That presence... it's Lucifer, right...? So close he can almost taste it, but not quite there.]
... Ah.
So that's how we're supposed to get more Personas...?
[... He wonders how they're supposed to actually obtain them, though.]
. . . there has to be a reason we each have our own personal Velvet Rooms within a Velvet Room. Right?
[with no attendants, no compendium, and no other Personas on hand with which to perform fusions, Minato is right, though. the potential is there, but how are they supposed to obtain these Personas?]
[and further--]
There are also only three of us. If we get one Persona for every Confidant-- [Social Link for Minato, not that Akira knows the term] -- then that's still only three for each of us.
[it's a wider repertoire, at least, but still not ideal when it'll mean that some weaknesses will remain uncovered]
Three each, I suppose, for three Wild Cards... that brings us to nine Personas total.
[It's not bad. Not what they're used to, but not bad.]
I think we can probably work with that. It's better than what we had, at least.
[Minato loves Messiah, but as the only one with any healing, and with Messiah's weakness to dark, if they came across something with Mudo they would've all been fucked.]
[Akira's eyes slip shut as he reaches into the back of his mind and tries to remember what Alice could do]
. . . Even with Alice, all I'm really good for is Curse attacks. Both the instant kill kind, and the normal damage causing kind.
[there you go Minato, something else weird. Dark skills that do actual damage instead of just being a crap shoot over whether they kill the enemy immediately or not]
Satanael has a Nuclear skill, as well as an Almighty attack and a Gun attack. But if neither you nor Souji know what Psy is, then we might be in trouble if I don't get a Persona with Psy.
[Strategy meetings are fine. Despite how lackluster and sleepy Minato has seemed this entire time, he...does engage here.]
Messiah has light, ice and megidolaon, like you've seen. Physical skills, healing skills...
[Enduring Soul, which is going to be helpful in its own way.]
What you'd give me... is Lucifer. That'd be... Morning Star, physical skills... fire?
[Hm...]
Even if we can't hit all of the weaknesses of Shadows, so long as we can avoid getting trapped into only having their strengths, we should be fine. I think we can overpower them, at least right now.
[Those Shadows had been tough, but not particularly threatening in the end.]
[they're leaders; this sort of planning in advance is what they do]
Right. If we can't hit their weaknesses, we can at least overpower them with pure strength.
[Morning Star is one hell of an Almighty attack on its own. and even -dyne level attacks can pack a punch against Shadows who aren't weak to those elements when used correctly]
And if pure strength isn't enough, we'll just have to get. . . clever.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
messianic) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
realpolitik2018-09-25 10:30 pm
no subject
[Akira knows it isn’t a very difficult picture to paint; he was never great at keeping the phantom thief thing a secret, anyway. and in a world where their innermost souls were placed on clear display. . . well. Minato seems smart. Souji probably is, too. he’ll answer their questions when the time comes]
Orpheus and Messiah.
[he repeats those names aloud as he thinks his head against the wall]
One who faced death to save a loved one, and one who conquered death to save he world. [. . . hm] Fitting.
[as a succession of Personas, he means. he has no idea how well they fit Minato’s situation, although he suspects the symbolism is just as on-the-nose as the symbolism involving his own]
no subject
Minato wrinkles his nose a little. It is on-the-nose, but he doesn't want to talk about it. Instead, he doesn't respond to that, changing the subject.]
... You seem pretty okay with all of this. Don't you have anything pressing to get back to?
no subject
[but Akira rolls with the subject change easily as he lifts his shoulders back in a small shrug]
No. Not really.
[a small, child cramped jail cell and three shitty meal a day]
Don’t you?
no subject
And then he huffs out a soft noise, almost ruefully amused, and eats another piece of his snack.]
... No. Not really.
[So...]
Maybe that's how we ended up here.
no subject
Because our Journeys ended, and we’ve entered a stage of suspension?
[that may be a little too poetic]
no subject
He crunches peacefully on his snack and:]
Because we're not needed anywhere else right now. We'll have to ask Seta-san if that applies to him.
no subject
That’s a depressing way of looking at it. . .
[used and discarded by the Velvet Room???]
no subject
[Minato blinks a little placidly, before he shrugs.]
To me... it means we've done everything that was expected of us. I guess this future in front of us now means it's ours to make of it what we want to. Nobody's telling us what to do here.
[A beat.
He yawns.]
Maybe that's why our attendant is Tama-chan. [No words, just cat.]
no subject
[his shoulders slump]
. . .
I think I could get used to that level of freedom.
[he says deceptively lightly]
And to the complete absence of Igor's nightmare-inducing nose.
no subject
Softly, Minato asks as he tilts his head:]
... What's upsetting you?
no subject
Why are you assuming I'm upset?
[Minato isn't that far off base, but even though Akira had already allowed himself to be more open than he might've been with any other complete stranger? he's still got his walls up to some degree. and talking about his current imprisonment is something that's about as off the table as Minato talking about his death is]
no subject
[LAYING THAT OUT THERE...
Though Minato just lets his eyes slide shut, reaching for more of his snack.]
Don't worry. I won't pry it out of you if you're not ready to talk about it.
[A wave of his hand.]
Sorry for crossing a line.
no subject
No. You're fine. You didn't cross a line.
[no more than Akira had, simply by asking about Messiah]
. . . I'll be ready to talk about it whenever you're ready to talk about yourself.
no subject
[That he's not ready to talk about himself...]
Well... I guess that's a fair deal. Either way, we'll be able to work together to get through this.
no subject
[Akira replies with a breathless laugh. and finally, he cracks one eye open and peers at Minato again, amusement dancing in his irises]
I'm the kind of person who works in deals, so. . .
[he extends a hand, brow raised]
Let's shake on it?
no subject
[He lifts a hand out of his pocket to reach over to shake.
It's a deal, Akira!!
You know what that means!!]
no subject
[(Do I really have more chains to break? Akira thinks to himself, almost ruefully)]
[there is a small quirk of his brow when the feel of Death enters his heart, but it's immediately replaced by a look of surprise as another new presence settles in his mind. or rather, the potential for a new presence. it wasn't a Persona he had used often, but it was one he was intimately familiar with nonetheless]
. . . do you feel that?
[because with the forging of a new vow with Death comes a new power: Alice and he wonders if Minato received it, too]
no subject
The promise of a Social Link created (the Star, huh...? It makes Minato want to see Akira burn brightly, instead of this subdued, cagey person he's been thus far) is familiar, and Minato doesn't think much of it until--
... That presence... it's Lucifer, right...? So close he can almost taste it, but not quite there.]
... Ah.
So that's how we're supposed to get more Personas...?
[... He wonders how they're supposed to actually obtain them, though.]
no subject
[with no attendants, no compendium, and no other Personas on hand with which to perform fusions, Minato is right, though. the potential is there, but how are they supposed to obtain these Personas?]
[and further--]
There are also only three of us. If we get one Persona for every Confidant-- [Social Link for Minato, not that Akira knows the term] -- then that's still only three for each of us.
[it's a wider repertoire, at least, but still not ideal when it'll mean that some weaknesses will remain uncovered]
no subject
Three each, I suppose, for three Wild Cards... that brings us to nine Personas total.
[It's not bad. Not what they're used to, but not bad.]
I think we can probably work with that. It's better than what we had, at least.
[Minato loves Messiah, but as the only one with any healing, and with Messiah's weakness to dark, if they came across something with Mudo they would've all been fucked.]
no subject
. . . Even with Alice, all I'm really good for is Curse attacks. Both the instant kill kind, and the normal damage causing kind.
[there you go Minato, something else weird. Dark skills that do actual damage instead of just being a crap shoot over whether they kill the enemy immediately or not]
Satanael has a Nuclear skill, as well as an Almighty attack and a Gun attack. But if neither you nor Souji know what Psy is, then we might be in trouble if I don't get a Persona with Psy.
[this conversation has turned into strategy]
no subject
Messiah has light, ice and megidolaon, like you've seen. Physical skills, healing skills...
[Enduring Soul, which is going to be helpful in its own way.]
What you'd give me... is Lucifer. That'd be... Morning Star, physical skills... fire?
[Hm...]
Even if we can't hit all of the weaknesses of Shadows, so long as we can avoid getting trapped into only having their strengths, we should be fine. I think we can overpower them, at least right now.
[Those Shadows had been tough, but not particularly threatening in the end.]
no subject
Right. If we can't hit their weaknesses, we can at least overpower them with pure strength.
[Morning Star is one hell of an Almighty attack on its own. and even -dyne level attacks can pack a punch against Shadows who aren't weak to those elements when used correctly]
And if pure strength isn't enough, we'll just have to get. . . clever.
no subject
True enough. I think we'll be okay. If nothing else, I feel pretty confident in our resilience.
[They've all been through a lot, right? He's assuming so, anyway.]
We'll have to see what arcana Seta-san also gives us.
no subject
After everything I’ve faced? I feel like I could fight the entire universe.
[. . . so yeah. Akira also believes in their resilience]
Can I ask you one more thing before I let you get back to your nap?
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
1/2
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)