◎ Bout 2: The age question [action/voice]

[thunderfists]

[action]

[Akihiko's been adjusting well enough to Luceti following the crash back to reality that Luceti was a different world that was not the TV world he was supposed to have appeared in. He's back to a "civilized" level of hygiene and no longer running around in survival pants and a cape -- no, now he's back to sweatpants and T-shirts for his jogs and training. He can be found jogging on the village roads and into the forest, which he's now fairly familiar with after spending so much time out there.

Later in the day, after he's finished with his training for the day, he opens up his journal. Ever since that "experiment," he's been wondering something. But before he asks, he should probably introduce himself...]

[voice]

Hey. I'm Akihiko Sanada. I arrived here in the recent ... cycle. I guess that's what you call it. I've heard that I might have met some people here before, so I thought I'd warn you that I don't remember ever being in Luceti.

Anyway, I've got a question. How do you decide when to celebrate or acknowledge your birthdays here? There can be a lot of different kinds of calendars, even in the same world, so... I'm curious how other people handle it.

Also, if anyone knows how I can get my hands on a speed bag, I'd appreciate hearing about it.

Comments

[emp3thy]

Aigis was with you?

[This he hadn't heard before. For a moment he's torn; he wants to ask more about how she's doing, but it would distract from the current story. Finally, he decides to come back to that later.] Why were you all meeting in Inaba, anyway?

[thunderfists]

A mission. Pretty important, since Mitsuru decided to call me in from overseas. There was a hijacking incident over in Kagoshima. [He wasn't carrying his cellphone, since it seemed unnecessary now that it didn't get any reception, but he had looked back on Mitsuru's message just a few days ago.] The hijacking attempt was a diversion, though; they were actually after the cargo.

Kirijo Group cargo.

[emp3thy]

So related to Persona research. [that's easy enough to figure out...] But who would want to steal cargo like that?

[It wasn't as if Personas and Shadows were widely known about... at least, that was what he'd believed.]

[thunderfists]

No clue. The hijackers were no help when they were interrogated.

[...But since Minato mentioned 'related'...] Whoever it was who masterminded that plan, they had to know what they were getting their hands on. It's not like there are that many anti-Shadow weapons running around.

[emp3thy]

[It takes him a moment to translate that from Akihiko into normal information.]

The cargo was an anti-Shadow weapon?

[And of course, 'anti-Shadow weapons' were...]

[thunderfists]

That's right -- like Aigis. One of the older generations. I don't know much it; you'd have to ask Mitsuru for the full details. There was a chance that Labrys would have been activated, so we had to be prepared for a fight.

Aigis detected Labrys when she touched a TV, so we entered expecting to search for her.

[emp3thy]

[.....]

Aigis must have been happy.

[Not about the fighting thing, of course, or that 'Labrys' was stolen at all. When he'd talked to Aigis about her past, she'd told him all her sisters had been destroyed. But if this one survived, Aigis would most certainly be overjoyed to meet her again.]

[thunderfists]

[He nods.] She was determined to bring Labrys back safely.

[His lips quirk into an ironic half-smile.] I guess it'll be awhile before we hear if the mission was successful.

[emp3thy]

I don't think you need to worry.

[After all, it's Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Aigis. Even without saying it directly, it should be obvious he thinks they're capable.]

[thunderfists]

I'm not worried. I just like the satisfaction of a job well done. [He almost shrugs, but focuses again on the topic at hand.] So what did you hear about the TV world? I went in not knowing what to expect in there.

[emp3thy]

From what I was told... Persona-users can enter the TV normally, but someone without a Persona can also be pushed inside by a Persona user. When that happens the person's 'Shadow self' is forced out. If they accept it, it becomes their Persona. If not... the Shadow goes berserk and tries to kill them.

[Sounds incredibly welcoming, doesn't it?] Apparently Personas and Shadows are closer than we thought.

[thunderfists]

I can't say it's that much of a surprise, after all we've been through. Shadows taking on different appearances, with different strengths and weaknesses... Like Personas. [He shakes his head thoughtfully.] The only thing that doesn't seem to fit is your ability to have multiple Personas. [But that was strange without bringing Shadows into the equation.]

[emp3thy]

And the way Apathy Syndrome worked. [Honestly they should have wondered more about the connection before, since defeating Shadows helped restore people who'd lost their 'soul,' so to speak... Maybe the Dark Hour was just an incomplete form of the TV world after all.

He's quiet for the last part, because he has more of a theory, after meeting Souji and the others, but he'd still never managed to explain the Velvet Room to anyone. He'd given up after it was obvious he was the only one who could see the door.] But it was helpful in the end.

[thunderfists]

It's still helpful. [Well. He hadn't seen Aigis in action for awhile, but she did Minato's ability now.] So it doesn't actually resemble a TV in the TV world?

[emp3thy]

Mm. [He doesn't know about Aigis, so he'll just assume Akihiko's talking about here in Luceti, or just being nice.]

I think the world changed based on who was inside, but you'd have to ask Souji-kun. It's been a while since I heard his story.

[thunderfists]

So it's probably not that much of a stretch to go in believing the world could resemble multiple TV series and genres. [He's just trying to rationalize that first week or so.]

[emp3thy]

[....umm...]

Is that what you expected?

[thunderfists]

Walking around that forest? Yeah. I did find it odd that it was taking such a long time to get in contact with Mitsuru and Aigis, but I had no frame of reference. [He shakes his head a little.] Then I started seeing things that just seemed to back up that I was in the TV world -- a talking dragon, a kid fighting with a large bird.

[emp3thy]

And then you saw me?

[He's starting to wonder even more about that first meeting...]

[thunderfists]

[... ... ...]

And then I saw you. [There's no smirk, no fondness, as he thinks back on that encounter. Just a hint of something approaching embarrassment.]

[emp3thy]

Did you think I was part of the TV?

[It's the most logical leap to make at this point.]

[thunderfists]

...Something like that. [He can be vague, right? Other people got to be vague all the time.]

[emp3thy]

[Minato's expression pretty much says no, he's not allowed, and he wants to know more.... but this is also Minato, so those thoughts remain unsaid. It's up to Akihiko whether he caves to the stare or not.] I see.

[thunderfists]

[It takes him a moment to figure out how to explain.]

I didn't think you were just part of the TV world; I thought you were something similar to what we had seen before -- a Shadow in your form.

[emp3thy]

[Minato had already predicted a few paths this conversation might take, and Akihiko's statement was on none of them. Now it takes him a moment to process.]

A Shadow in my form...?

[What did that even mean? And where had they encountered Shadows again, anyway?]