[Akira leans his back against the wall, legs folded at the ankles, gaze flickering away. it's difficult to see his expression from this angle, especially since his glasses are dong a good job (for once) of hiding his eyes. but Minato can pick up on a certain level of pensiveness from him for sure]
[...Right for the jugular indeed. It was only a matter of time before this came out, of course, but... Minato knows that if anyone understands the significance of Persona symbolism, it'll be another Wild Card.
And yet...
... Minato glances away, looking at a stick of the jagariko almost contemplatively, but he doesn't actually hesitate to respond.]
[Akira tilts his head to give Minato a sidelong glance. because. . . yeah, the significance of Persona symbolism doesn't at all escape his notice. sure, as wild cards they're all capable of using a variety of different masks-- creatures ranging from something as simple as Jack Frost to angels as powerful as Metatron. but there was always at least one Persona that reflected the user's soul so much more accurately than anything else ever could. that one Persona that felt like a missing piece of a puzzle upon awakening. that one Persona that made everything feel. . . whole. for Akira, that was Arsene, and now Satanael]
[and he finds himself wondering if that's the same for Minato and Messiah]
[That earns a soft sigh from Minato, and entirely sincerely, he'll give Akira what he's fishing for.]
That's because he's my Persona.
[He reflects Minato's heart, and no one else's. Even as Wild Cards, they have those... and of course, Akira wouldn't have been able to summon or use him.]
[. . . it raises a few more questions, but Akira isn't really sure how to ask them just yet. so for now, he'll keep things light]
Mmm. Yeah. That's right.
[Satanael was his and his alone, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't take a certain amount of pride in that fact. especially considering what he had accomplished with the demon towering at his heels]
When you first awakened, was it Messiah then, too. . .?
[that really only begs one question, doesn't it? which Persona did you start with]
[there's a brief moment of hesitation on Akira's end, but Minato had answered his prying question honestly. Akira owes him that in return; he's always been a man of quid pro quo, after all. no matter what his initial Persona says about who he is]
Satanael came to me at the very end, when the world needed him the most.
[a pause]
Arsene came to me at the beginning, when I needed him the most.
[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]
![[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
. . . what's your Persona's name?
[ah. well. straight for that, it seems]
no subject
And yet...
... Minato glances away, looking at a stick of the jagariko almost contemplatively, but he doesn't actually hesitate to respond.]
... Messiah. My Persona's name is Messiah.
no subject
Messiah. . .
[Akira tilts his head to give Minato a sidelong glance. because. . . yeah, the significance of Persona symbolism doesn't at all escape his notice. sure, as wild cards they're all capable of using a variety of different masks-- creatures ranging from something as simple as Jack Frost to angels as powerful as Metatron. but there was always at least one Persona that reflected the user's soul so much more accurately than anything else ever could. that one Persona that felt like a missing piece of a puzzle upon awakening. that one Persona that made everything feel. . . whole. for Akira, that was Arsene, and now Satanael]
[and he finds himself wondering if that's the same for Minato and Messiah]
I've never used a Persona like that before.
no subject
[That earns a soft sigh from Minato, and entirely sincerely, he'll give Akira what he's fishing for.]
That's because he's my Persona.
[He reflects Minato's heart, and no one else's. Even as Wild Cards, they have those... and of course, Akira wouldn't have been able to summon or use him.]
Just like yours is yours alone, right?
no subject
[. . . it raises a few more questions, but Akira isn't really sure how to ask them just yet. so for now, he'll keep things light]
Mmm. Yeah. That's right.
[Satanael was his and his alone, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't take a certain amount of pride in that fact. especially considering what he had accomplished with the demon towering at his heels]
When you first awakened, was it Messiah then, too. . .?
no subject
[A quiet, peaceful shake of his head, and almost serenely:]
I was only able to obtain Messiah at the end of my Journey. I began with a different Persona.
... I suppose that's one way to judge how far along we all were. Yours... doesn't feel like a beginning Persona either.
no subject
[there's a brief moment of hesitation on Akira's end, but Minato had answered his prying question honestly. Akira owes him that in return; he's always been a man of quid pro quo, after all. no matter what his initial Persona says about who he is]
Satanael came to me at the very end, when the world needed him the most.
[a pause]
Arsene came to me at the beginning, when I needed him the most.
no subject
[Huh... Minato's starting to piece together a picture from that, and it makes him nod a little to himself.
... Interesting.]
I guess that fits. ... Mine was Orpheus. My first Persona, who came to me when I needed him most as well.
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)
(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)
(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)