[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.
[orrrrr else Minato probably wouldn't be standing here. Akira takes the device in his hand, turning it around thoughtfully as he runs his finger across the handle and then the barrel. it's clear he's somewhat familiar with how to handle handguns, which is probably not surprising considering what he told Minato he fought with just an hour or so earlier]
Why do you need an Evoker?
[all Joker needed was his mask, and Souji. . . he had summoned a tarot card, right?]
Habit, I guess...? We didn't really have time for me to sit there and test out new techniques.
[That's said pretty dryly, though Minato just shrugs a little.]
We summon in the real world because we have to. The... Dark Hour, that's what it was called. It was a hidden hour of time, but... it wasn't a completely different plane, not like this.
[And...somewhere else he's been...? He feels like that's right, but really can't remember.]
![[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
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
But, well:]
What is it?
no subject
[but he lifts his hand to his head, pressing his index and middle finger to his temple as he steadily meets Minato’s gaze]
What was that gun you used to summon? I’ve never seen anything like it before.
no subject
It's my Evoker. Back home... we use it to summon our Personas.
[a beat.]
It's not a real gun.
no subject
[orrrrr else Minato probably wouldn't be standing here. Akira takes the device in his hand, turning it around thoughtfully as he runs his finger across the handle and then the barrel. it's clear he's somewhat familiar with how to handle handguns, which is probably not surprising considering what he told Minato he fought with just an hour or so earlier]
Why do you need an Evoker?
[all Joker needed was his mask, and Souji. . . he had summoned a tarot card, right?]
no subject
Ultimately, he ends up looking at the ceiling of the train station (or...towards it...?) and into the shadowy, blue darkness there.
And, in response:]
Have you ever tried to summon your Persona in the real world?
no subject
No.
[of course he hasn't. he couldn't. without his mask, he couldn't summon at all. and that mask wouldn't manifest anywhere except in the Metaverse]
We can't. We can only summon in the cognitive world. Why?
no subject
[A pause, and musingly, more to himself:]
I think i could summon without it here, maybe... But I've never tried.
no subject
Why haven't you tried? And why would you need to summon in the real world?
no subject
[That's said pretty dryly, though Minato just shrugs a little.]
We summon in the real world because we have to. The... Dark Hour, that's what it was called. It was a hidden hour of time, but... it wasn't a completely different plane, not like this.
[And...somewhere else he's been...? He feels like that's right, but really can't remember.]
(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)