[Did Minato just call him tiring or his way of talking tiring?? Both are bad. Sigh.]
It was fun. [Being overleveled was great.] But ah, at least in the Metaverse, people often had Shadow versions of themselves. Consider them something like what we saw in the caverns on the last mission. I could interrogate them for information on facts they were hiding, like if they were extorting money or seeing an underage girl or assisting in drug trafficking or anything like that, then I brought the information to Shido so he could blackmail them. Shadows have no filter as a general rule so it wasn't hard to even find ways of getting proof.
[ Minato meant he himself would be exhausted if he tried to keep up with every thread of conversation. See, this is why he should keep such comments to himself! Which he would do if he wasn't just spitting out the first thoughts that came to mind because of this stupid need to speak!! ]
A Shadow version of themselves. Huh. Um. Hmmm. Where did you find them? Well, the Metaverse. Is that what you call the Dark Hour? But we didn't meet anyone like that in Tartarus. Which you couldn't see from Tokyo. Does Ryoji-san count? Did they have Shadows shoved into them too? Are there more anti-Shadow weapons?
[Oh is this how it is talking to him when he has questions? But he will do his best to answer them all efficiently.]
The Metaverse is a separate layer of reality somewhat integrated into our own, so it's quite possible it's just a different name for the same phenomenon. Most people can't access it. But yes I haven't ventured outside of Tokyo so it's also possible it takes different shapes outside of it? I wish we had Wakaba's research... [Well. They wouldn't have that either way since the world was destroyed.] Either way, um, I haven't heard of anti-Shadow weapons. I was the only Persona user I knew about until I met the others but for years it was just me. My father trained me a bit but he didn't have a Persona, he just knew how it worked. I don't know who Ryoji-san is? But I did have suspicions about Morgana, though I don't know what he was.
Never heard of Morgana. Or Wakaba. [ Does Goro know the people in the Velvet Room? ] Elizabeth? Igor? Hm. I remember. If we ever bring our worlds back and everything goes correctly I have to bring Shido up to Mitsuru-senpai. He's a politician, right? I don't think anyone outside of the Kirijo Group is supposed to know about Shadows. It's dangerous. Even if we eliminate the Dark Hour. Who's Wakaba?
The Kirijo Group...? I've heard of them. Are they involved in all of this? But, ah, Wakaba Isshiki was a researcher, though I don't know who she worked for. She dubbed all of this 'Cognitive Psience'. I admit I don't know much about her... Shido knew her before I ever even met him and he wasn't fond of telling me personal details, not that I always particularly wanted to hear about them depending on the subject. [If it was about a woman, he just did not want to hear it, so that was fine.] But yes, he is a politician. I don't know of an Elizabeth or Igor. Akira said a God manipulated our circumstances, though, if that's related?
['Igor' is just the kind of name he assumes a bad guy would have.]
[ A god? ] How does that work? Aren't gods brain beings? Hm. Maybe if enough people call to it... Anything's possible I guess. I don't know much about this stuff. Nyx wasn't really a god. Not the way the others are. People didn't make her. Wakaba Isshiki. I'll bring her up too. If this works. Which I doubt. People don't come back from the dead.
[ He goes quiet for a moment -- and then starts clicking his tongue, because he has to do something, though it's not very satisfying, before he remembers Goro's question about the Kirijo Group. ]
They did experiments. Like what you went through. I assume. I don't know how they worked.
"Brain beings"? [That is. Not a way he has ever heard Gods described? Ever. The rest is mostly fine—he agrees that the dead don't come back unless they make it here first apparently—but the last bit makes him pause.]
Ah, I see. Well... I don't know if I was experimented on but I suppose I was, in a way. Shido didn't know any other Persona users. All the things he had me do were just learned from Wakaba's research. But I don't know what was in it or where she drew her conclusions. Thinking about it like that, I don't really know much about my abilities at all, just that I had a unique one even among the others. It would be nice to talk to your friend about it, though, or have any sort of guidance at all.
[Wait. Fuck.]
I didn't mean to make this about me. I'm not worried about me.
[ He would answer the brain beings question, but he gets distracted but all the other stuff Goro says. ]
It's about whatever we talk about. That's how conversation works. [ Duh. ] Unless you had something specific you wanted to talk about. Then you should talk about that. But I'm sure Mitsuru-senpai would like to talk to you too. Ah. Now I want this to work so I can find you. Or my world's version of you, anyway. The Director said we weren't really from the same, uh, stuff? Time? Not quite time. I don't know. We could be from the same world and interacted before but the ones here aren't necessarily exactly the ones we knew. Like when you switch masks in front of people. You could have chosen a different mask once and that would be another version of you.
[Listening to Minato explain this is an odd experience. From people like Ryuji and the others of that place, he knows there was another 'him' and resents that fact. But if this is true, then he wonders if this Akira is his Akira? He can't be. This Akira lived and Akechi was dying, mostly dead, as the Hunger descended. Which means his Akira is dead. Ah. All of the ones he tried to spare are gone, huh? The only ones left aren't his but he doesn't care about them any less in this moment. Still, if this works out somehow and they restore their worlds, what then?
And if this works, some other Akechi might benefit but he won't. If they're sent back, it won't matter. He'll be dying and alone and with the memories of friends he won't see again. Fuck.
There are too many emotions happening right now so he squeezes them down until they're quiet for now. Focus on Minato. Just what Minato is saying. But even then, he can only muster a soft laugh.]
I see... Well, I was dying, so if you want to try to save me, we have to hope whenever you're sent back is before then. [But.] And even in that case... I swore myself to that path a few years ago. You'll have your work cut out for you depending on the timing.
Oh. I forgot. Ummmmmmm. [ Crap what should he do?! Apologize? ] Sorry. I need to stop doing that. I keep reminding Shinjiro-san that he's dead too. It upsets him. I don't know why. He chose to die there. Is there a way to bring that up in a, uh, a not upsetting way? Probably not. I need to stop reminding people that they died. Uh, does this upset you? Ummm. Oh god. Think of something else.
[ He grabs more of the papers sitting between them and holds them up. ] How are classes going?
[That is actually very sweet. Akechi smiles and shakes his head.]
Don't worry. It's fine. I only reminded you to warn you that it might be difficult, that's all. It doesn't upset me. [Well. It does somewhat but more because he's starting to enjoy being alive these days but he's not thinking about any of that right now. He refuses.] Though, you probably should try to keep it in mind for your friend at least.
[ Well... As long as he hasn't upset Goro. He doesn't want to break their friendship. He places the papers back down, carefully, as he talks. ]
We would have to defeat Nyx first anyway. And I can't remember how that was going. If we were beating her, or losing, or evenly matched. It's kind of... missing. But not really. More like... I'm not allowed to remember. But. It feels like she brought the Hunger to her. And if she did, what else could she call on? Well, I guess that's pointless to dwell on. We all knew we could die, and probably would. I guess I just thought I would -- Shit. [ He's talking about death stuff again! aaaaaaa ] Ah. Sorry. Uh. Ask me a question.
[Poor Minato. Akechi is very patient through this since he did it to Minato in the first place.]
Well, um. I am actually curious about all of that? I don't really know much about your circumstances so I'm interested in your friends and the situations you were in and what you were fighting.
What do you want to know? I've been all over the place. It must be frustrating. [ He's used to hearing that from people... ] Nyx? My team? Shadows? Tartarus? The voices? The Velvet Room? Oh, Akira-san seemed to know the Velvet Room. And sometimes I talked to a child no one else could see, but he was real.
[ Wait. Wow, way to start sounding crazy. He drinks more of the tea again to make himself shut up for the moment. ]
[ He finishes gulping down that extra shot of tea. At least he didn't ask about the kid. Or the voices. Those are worse, really. At least Pharos has an explanation. The voices do not.
Hey, what happens when Minato drinks even more of the tea? You're going to have a hard time interjecting! ]
It's where Igor and Elizabeth live. Exist. Reside? It's, um. Well. There's a door. And it's blue. And you need a key to enter. When you enter the door you're in the Velvet Room. But. Uhhhh. No one else could see the door. I brought it up once. [ When it first appeared in Tartarus... ] They couldn't see it. They thought I was crazy. I kind of thought that too. Just, "I guess this is finally it," you know? -- Oh, sometimes I would go to bed and wake up there. But it was a dream, so I would wake up again, but in bed. That's how they gave me the key. So. It wasn't real, but it was real. How did he put it? Ummm. Something about, both dream and reality. Hm. It exists between dream and reality. That was it. And Akira-san said the room was a jail? Which is ridiculous. I don't know what he did to make Igor that angry. He's creepy but he was always... interested, I guess. Is that a good word? Good enough. He was interested in seeing what I would do, or who I was willing to talk to, and what Persona I would try out or have him make. Oh yeah, he created Personas. I had to have some, and he would mix them up, and a new Persona would come out. I don't know if he did that for Akira-san, since Akira-san was in jail. And he wasn't allowed to have a key, either? But, um, neither of us have seen any doors here. So. I guess, even though it wasn't entirely real, it only existed as a part of our world. Uh. Oh. They're dead too, aren't they? Wow. [ This never occurred to him before. ] I don't think. Um. Hmmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.
[ He downs the rest of the tea to stop himself from humming incessantly. ]
[Wow. That is so much information that he feels like he should have taken notes.]
They might not be dead if they exist between dream and reality. It's possible they escaped it but whatever is limiting our Personas here could be effecting their ability to reach out to you both.
[That is what he feels the need to comment on. That and—]
I wonder if they knew about me. [No, not that. Fuck.] Ah but Akira's situation seems to have been a little strange. Well, both of our situations. He told me a God orchestrated the entire thing. This 'Velvet Room' sounds very interesting, though. I wonder how they were able to make Personas...
[ Minato finishes the tea and slams the cup down like he just completed a challenge. ]
Bullshit brain magic, probably. They're all, uh. Archetypes? Mmmmmmmm--Gods and goddesses. Heroes and villains. Famous people. Myths. Legends. Ideas. And Igor mixed them. Like a reverse tarot reading. The Persona cards would be placed down and they'd merge together and make a new one. Elizabeth kept track of Persona. She could summon old ones back. She was learning about them. And the world in general. Her knowledge of the world was very slapdash. She was pretty weird. It was nice. I miss that. It was nice to be treated like. I don't know. Like I was the normal one, I guess.
Tch. Like you haven't thought "This guy is weird," or aggravating, or creepy. I've heard it enough. I know. You gave me this tea because I was frustrating you. It's not hard to figure out. When you come back to the orphanage covered in blood and all the other kids start saying you killed someone, and no one believes what you say. When the foster parents pick you because you're low maintenance but then you're just too quiet and creepy for them. "He's unsettling," "he doesn't do anything," "he must be possessed." Well. I guess they weren't entirely wrong with that last one. Uh. Hmmm. [ He brings the cup to his mouth to drink more tea but realizes it's all gone. ] Fuck. I don't want to start humming again. It's annoying.
One, I always think everyone is irritating, so I'm not really the right judge for this. Though yes, going by the conventions of social norms, you are 'difficult' in certain ways that people would find inconvenient to their lives because most people don't actually want to care about or lend empathy to anyone outside their circles. That includes people like us most of all as social pariahs.
And two, I was more worried than frustrated. [He sighs, expression softening.] Because you're quiet in a way that is different from Akira, I don't really... know the best way to help you. But I was worried you were keeping things in so as not to burden others, which I understand. But what I mean, I guess, is that you don't... have to be 'low maintenance' with me. I don't know if that would even be helpful to you, though? If you even want help or... I don't know. [A groan.] Maybe I should have just asked if you want to do something together but I thought it would be a bother.
[He runs his hand through his hair. God, why is he so bad at being a person? The only person he's really frustrated with is himself.]
[ Minato would be happy to be quiet while Goro speaks, but he interjects occasionally with "Yeah"s and "uh-huh"s and "hm"s just to keep his mouth doing something because he has to keep talking. ]
It's not a bother. Well, not worse than anyone else. Everyone's kind of a bother, sometimes. It's just, uhh. It's instinct, I guess. Hmmmmm. I don't know. I don't know the words for talking. It's irritating, and tiring. Yeah. Explaining things is tiring. It takes too much effort. It's easier to talk about other people's stuff. They do most of the talking. They're better at it anyway. And. Ummmmm. I guess I... I'm not used to it? And I don't know the words. Fuck. How do people talk so much. How do you find things to say? Ugh. Can you ask a question so I have something to talk about?
[ He can't talk about this please give him something. ]
[Poor kid. He needs to let him nap when the tea wears off.]
How about Tartarus or Nyx? Unless you'd like to talk about any of the other things you mentioned more. But I'm curious about the differences in our experiences, I suppose.
Tartarus. That's a tower that appears during the Dark Hour -- We call it the Dark Hour [ Obviously there's no reason to explain what "it" is because all Persona users experience the Dark Hour. ]. It wouldn't be visible from Tokyo. It was tall but not in orbit. Probably wanted to be. I didn't know about it until I moved to Iwatodai. Shadows live there. Lived. Sometimes Shadows wandered out of it. Though, never really ran into one growing up. It was more common around the tower I guess. God there's a lot there. Okay. So. Ah. The Kirijo Group were doing experiments with Shadows to, uh, destroy the world I guess? Kill everyone? It's pretty obnoxious to assume that death is the best thing for everyone. But Yukari-san's dad sabotaged it. Uh, he worked there. He was employed by them. And the place was damaged really bad, so they turned the facility into a high school. Anyway. That's why the Dark Hour exists. So. Sorry about that I guess.
That's fine. My life wouldn't have been any better for it not existing.
[The metaverse existing both made his life better and worse so it evens out to fine enough. And in the end, he probably would have just died a meaningless existence around the same time anyway. So whatever.]
But I see... The Dark Hour. We call it the Metaverse but it's fascinating the names we come up with in lieu of anything else. I rather like The Dark Hour. It's a fun name. I have heard of the Kirijo Group but I didn't know they were involved. Well, I can't really check any record now anyway. But that does explain a lot, too. We had some researchers, too, and I suppose in retrospect there were things I was asked to do that were probably testing some things. I know Shido had more than a few things he kept secret from me in those regards but I didn't really have any other way to find out... Well, it doesn't matter now.
[He waves his hand.] So was 'Nyx' a massive Shadow of some sort? Along the lines of the Reaper or something like that?
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It was fun. [Being overleveled was great.] But ah, at least in the Metaverse, people often had Shadow versions of themselves. Consider them something like what we saw in the caverns on the last mission. I could interrogate them for information on facts they were hiding, like if they were extorting money or seeing an underage girl or assisting in drug trafficking or anything like that, then I brought the information to Shido so he could blackmail them. Shadows have no filter as a general rule so it wasn't hard to even find ways of getting proof.
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A Shadow version of themselves. Huh. Um. Hmmm. Where did you find them? Well, the Metaverse. Is that what you call the Dark Hour? But we didn't meet anyone like that in Tartarus. Which you couldn't see from Tokyo. Does Ryoji-san count? Did they have Shadows shoved into them too? Are there more anti-Shadow weapons?
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The Metaverse is a separate layer of reality somewhat integrated into our own, so it's quite possible it's just a different name for the same phenomenon. Most people can't access it. But yes I haven't ventured outside of Tokyo so it's also possible it takes different shapes outside of it? I wish we had Wakaba's research... [Well. They wouldn't have that either way since the world was destroyed.] Either way, um, I haven't heard of anti-Shadow weapons. I was the only Persona user I knew about until I met the others but for years it was just me. My father trained me a bit but he didn't have a Persona, he just knew how it worked. I don't know who Ryoji-san is? But I did have suspicions about Morgana, though I don't know what he was.
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The Kirijo Group...? I've heard of them. Are they involved in all of this? But, ah, Wakaba Isshiki was a researcher, though I don't know who she worked for. She dubbed all of this 'Cognitive Psience'. I admit I don't know much about her... Shido knew her before I ever even met him and he wasn't fond of telling me personal details, not that I always particularly wanted to hear about them depending on the subject. [If it was about a woman, he just did not want to hear it, so that was fine.] But yes, he is a politician. I don't know of an Elizabeth or Igor. Akira said a God manipulated our circumstances, though, if that's related?
['Igor' is just the kind of name he assumes a bad guy would have.]
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[ He goes quiet for a moment -- and then starts clicking his tongue, because he has to do something, though it's not very satisfying, before he remembers Goro's question about the Kirijo Group. ]
They did experiments. Like what you went through. I assume. I don't know how they worked.
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Ah, I see. Well... I don't know if I was experimented on but I suppose I was, in a way. Shido didn't know any other Persona users. All the things he had me do were just learned from Wakaba's research. But I don't know what was in it or where she drew her conclusions. Thinking about it like that, I don't really know much about my abilities at all, just that I had a unique one even among the others. It would be nice to talk to your friend about it, though, or have any sort of guidance at all.
[Wait. Fuck.]
I didn't mean to make this about me. I'm not worried about me.
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It's about whatever we talk about. That's how conversation works. [ Duh. ] Unless you had something specific you wanted to talk about. Then you should talk about that. But I'm sure Mitsuru-senpai would like to talk to you too. Ah. Now I want this to work so I can find you. Or my world's version of you, anyway. The Director said we weren't really from the same, uh, stuff? Time? Not quite time. I don't know. We could be from the same world and interacted before but the ones here aren't necessarily exactly the ones we knew. Like when you switch masks in front of people. You could have chosen a different mask once and that would be another version of you.
[ Ugh. Now he's stuck on this. ]
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And if this works, some other Akechi might benefit but he won't. If they're sent back, it won't matter. He'll be dying and alone and with the memories of friends he won't see again. Fuck.
There are too many emotions happening right now so he squeezes them down until they're quiet for now. Focus on Minato. Just what Minato is saying. But even then, he can only muster a soft laugh.]
I see... Well, I was dying, so if you want to try to save me, we have to hope whenever you're sent back is before then. [But.] And even in that case... I swore myself to that path a few years ago. You'll have your work cut out for you depending on the timing.
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[ He grabs more of the papers sitting between them and holds them up. ] How are classes going?
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Don't worry. It's fine. I only reminded you to warn you that it might be difficult, that's all. It doesn't upset me. [Well. It does somewhat but more because he's starting to enjoy being alive these days but he's not thinking about any of that right now. He refuses.] Though, you probably should try to keep it in mind for your friend at least.
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We would have to defeat Nyx first anyway. And I can't remember how that was going. If we were beating her, or losing, or evenly matched. It's kind of... missing. But not really. More like... I'm not allowed to remember. But. It feels like she brought the Hunger to her. And if she did, what else could she call on? Well, I guess that's pointless to dwell on. We all knew we could die, and probably would. I guess I just thought I would -- Shit. [ He's talking about death stuff again! aaaaaaa ] Ah. Sorry. Uh. Ask me a question.
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Well, um. I am actually curious about all of that? I don't really know much about your circumstances so I'm interested in your friends and the situations you were in and what you were fighting.
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[ Wait. Wow, way to start sounding crazy. He drinks more of the tea again to make himself shut up for the moment. ]
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Well. I'm going to ask about all of that but let's start with the Velvet Room? Since you said Akira knows of it, too.
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Hey, what happens when Minato drinks even more of the tea? You're going to have a hard time interjecting! ]
It's where Igor and Elizabeth live. Exist. Reside? It's, um. Well. There's a door. And it's blue. And you need a key to enter. When you enter the door you're in the Velvet Room. But. Uhhhh. No one else could see the door. I brought it up once. [ When it first appeared in Tartarus... ] They couldn't see it. They thought I was crazy. I kind of thought that too. Just, "I guess this is finally it," you know? -- Oh, sometimes I would go to bed and wake up there. But it was a dream, so I would wake up again, but in bed. That's how they gave me the key. So. It wasn't real, but it was real. How did he put it? Ummm. Something about, both dream and reality. Hm. It exists between dream and reality. That was it. And Akira-san said the room was a jail? Which is ridiculous. I don't know what he did to make Igor that angry. He's creepy but he was always... interested, I guess. Is that a good word? Good enough. He was interested in seeing what I would do, or who I was willing to talk to, and what Persona I would try out or have him make. Oh yeah, he created Personas. I had to have some, and he would mix them up, and a new Persona would come out. I don't know if he did that for Akira-san, since Akira-san was in jail. And he wasn't allowed to have a key, either? But, um, neither of us have seen any doors here. So. I guess, even though it wasn't entirely real, it only existed as a part of our world. Uh. Oh. They're dead too, aren't they? Wow. [ This never occurred to him before. ] I don't think. Um. Hmmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.
[ He downs the rest of the tea to stop himself from humming incessantly. ]
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They might not be dead if they exist between dream and reality. It's possible they escaped it but whatever is limiting our Personas here could be effecting their ability to reach out to you both.
[That is what he feels the need to comment on. That and—]
I wonder if they knew about me. [No, not that. Fuck.] Ah but Akira's situation seems to have been a little strange. Well, both of our situations. He told me a God orchestrated the entire thing. This 'Velvet Room' sounds very interesting, though. I wonder how they were able to make Personas...
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Bullshit brain magic, probably. They're all, uh. Archetypes? Mmmmmmmm--Gods and goddesses. Heroes and villains. Famous people. Myths. Legends. Ideas. And Igor mixed them. Like a reverse tarot reading. The Persona cards would be placed down and they'd merge together and make a new one. Elizabeth kept track of Persona. She could summon old ones back. She was learning about them. And the world in general. Her knowledge of the world was very slapdash. She was pretty weird. It was nice. I miss that. It was nice to be treated like. I don't know. Like I was the normal one, I guess.
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Do you usually feel like you're abnormal?
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One, I always think everyone is irritating, so I'm not really the right judge for this. Though yes, going by the conventions of social norms, you are 'difficult' in certain ways that people would find inconvenient to their lives because most people don't actually want to care about or lend empathy to anyone outside their circles. That includes people like us most of all as social pariahs.
And two, I was more worried than frustrated. [He sighs, expression softening.] Because you're quiet in a way that is different from Akira, I don't really... know the best way to help you. But I was worried you were keeping things in so as not to burden others, which I understand. But what I mean, I guess, is that you don't... have to be 'low maintenance' with me. I don't know if that would even be helpful to you, though? If you even want help or... I don't know. [A groan.] Maybe I should have just asked if you want to do something together but I thought it would be a bother.
[He runs his hand through his hair. God, why is he so bad at being a person? The only person he's really frustrated with is himself.]
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It's not a bother. Well, not worse than anyone else. Everyone's kind of a bother, sometimes. It's just, uhh. It's instinct, I guess. Hmmmmm. I don't know. I don't know the words for talking. It's irritating, and tiring. Yeah. Explaining things is tiring. It takes too much effort. It's easier to talk about other people's stuff. They do most of the talking. They're better at it anyway. And. Ummmmm. I guess I... I'm not used to it? And I don't know the words. Fuck. How do people talk so much. How do you find things to say? Ugh. Can you ask a question so I have something to talk about?
[ He can't talk about this please give him something. ]
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How about Tartarus or Nyx? Unless you'd like to talk about any of the other things you mentioned more. But I'm curious about the differences in our experiences, I suppose.
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[The metaverse existing both made his life better and worse so it evens out to fine enough. And in the end, he probably would have just died a meaningless existence around the same time anyway. So whatever.]
But I see... The Dark Hour. We call it the Metaverse but it's fascinating the names we come up with in lieu of anything else. I rather like The Dark Hour. It's a fun name. I have heard of the Kirijo Group but I didn't know they were involved. Well, I can't really check any record now anyway. But that does explain a lot, too. We had some researchers, too, and I suppose in retrospect there were things I was asked to do that were probably testing some things. I know Shido had more than a few things he kept secret from me in those regards but I didn't really have any other way to find out... Well, it doesn't matter now.
[He waves his hand.] So was 'Nyx' a massive Shadow of some sort? Along the lines of the Reaper or something like that?
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