aterat | network [ voice ]

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network [ voice ]

Good afternoon everyone, my name is Mitsuru Kirijo, though I believe I've spoken to at least a handful of you already. Still, it seems polite to introduce myself to those of you I haven't yet spoken with.

[ Her voice is rather formal and proper. Almost as though she were addressing a board at a business meeting. In truth, that wasn't too far off from how she was looking at things here. ]

Since my arrival I've been given a great deal of information and I must admit it was quite a lot to sort through. [ Her voice sounds a bit lighter there, with a hint of a smile hidden in her tone. ] Now that I've had sufficient time to organize my thoughts, I do have a few requests I'd like to make. [ She pauses. ]

To start with, I'd like a map of this place. I have not been here nearly as long as others, so perhaps someone else has something already started that I'm unware of. In that case, I would be more than happy to worth together to see what we can put together. I've been working on my own to compile as much as I can. I...have certain unique abilities that allow me to navigate, though I'm afraid it's much more limited than that of some. [ She pauses for a moment. ] I'm afraid I'm also not much of an artist, so I might require some help transferring my rough notes into something more clear.

[ After a brief pause she gets straight back to business. ] Abilities are another thing I thought we might organize more efficiently. From what I've taken note of there are numerous people here with unique abilities that might prove useful in various situations. I see no purpose in keeping secrets in a place like this, so I am more than willing to discuss my own. More importantly though, I am interested in cataloguing your abilities.

I will be at the Historium for another few hours for those that would feel more comfortable speaking in person. Thank you very much for your time.

[ ooc: if you'd like to meet her in person, feel free to just go straight to action in your comment. She's set up in the back of the Historium at a table that seems to have been purposely picked to obscure her from immediate view. ]

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[ She nods and then takes another look around. ] It is, but there shouldn't be anyone coming for a bit. [ At least not that she could tell. Though, she wasn't nearly as good as others with the ability. After she was completely certain she pulled out the evoker and then pulled the trigger.

The Persona that appeared brought an air of coldness with her as she floated behind Mitsuru for a few seconds before slowly dissipating back into the realm of Mitsuru's own consciousness. She set the Evoker down on the table in case he wished to have a better look at it and then sat down herself, folding one leg over the other. ]

Her name is Artemisia and we call them Persona.

I shall warn you, should I notice someone’s approach. [ He responded, noting her extra caution before she pulled out what appeared to be a gun and… Well, Yusuke stood up rather quickly, expression rather alarmed. This was not what he had expected, not at all. He opened his mouth to say something probably to the effects of asking what she was doing, when she pulled the trigger first and…

And Yusuke’s eyes widened again as they fell on Artemisia and he closed his mouth, staring at the being rather intensely as it remained for a moment with a familiar chill lingering in the air, before fading away. It had such a familiar feeling about it, that he might not have even needed Mitsuru to put a name to what Artemisia was… But it certainly confirmed it.

And he felt so very silly at the moment. It seemed they were both harboring the same secret without even knowing. It was hard to not see the absurdity of that, and perhaps a small chuckle escaped at the irony. ]

A Persona… She is truly a magnificent being to behold, Mitsuru. I find myself with a great many questions now, though I am not sure that they’ll be the ones you expect. [ He commented as his eyes drifted to the evoker again. What on earth had that been? Why was the method in which she summoned her persona so very different from his own? Were there more ways? It seemed like there was far more to personas to learn than he and the others had thought. ] But first there is something I must do, if you will pardon my abruptness.

[ He commented, standing up rather quickly with a wide gesture. As dramatic as it looked and sounded, he couldn’t help but feel it would be almost wrong to not share now, between her display and the fact that he didn’t need to worry about shocking or altering her perception of her own world. Glancing over his shoulder, he double checked to make sure no one was around before he focused. A mask seeming to slip over his face and a decidedly odd shift in wardrobe that was quite unlike what he was wearing before. The teen doesn’t leave much room for questions as he reached a blue gloved hand up and tore the mask from his face; it disappeared in a flash of blue flame and another chill blew through the section of the historium as a tall, loudly garbed figure appeared behind Yusuke. ]

It was a pleasure to meet Artemisia, and it seems only right that you should meet Goemon. My own persona.

[ He finally commented, before the figure disappeared and the mask reappeared over his own face. ]

[ Mitsuru watched every action he made with an almost clinical stare. A lot of what he had said had hinted at the idea that he had his own secrets, however she was not one to push people. Certainly not when she was hiding many things herself. Questions began to build inside of her the more she looked at him and his summoning. ]

How interesting... [ The comment was made to herself as she she tilted her head while stroking her chin. The way he summoned his was completely different than anything she'd ever seen involving a Persona. She wasn't quite certain if she'd say it was more dramatic than the way they summoned theirs, but he was certainly a bit more dramatic. Truthfully his Persona was also a bit more dramatic than those she was familiar with. Or, at the very least, his was more vivid than any of her teams. Was there meaning in that? The circumstances behind their awakening might point to an answer in that and she found herself struggling to pick a first question to start with. Eventually, she simply made a statement, somewhat to herself, rather than asking a question. ]

Goemon. How curious. Out of my own group only three of us have Persona based on historical figures as opposed to mythological ones. [ Which had always been a curious thing in itself, especially when considering the relationship between those three. Now was the time for the questions to come out though and she spoke rather deliberately when asking them, though her interest was certainly clear. ] He is quite impressive. You've mentioned a...study group before, am I correct in assuming that was not precisely the truth? [ Now that she knew he had a Persona she could only assume that was similar to her own. ] You don't require an Evoker? [ And instead ripped off his...mask? Hm...strange. ] Wait, I suppose the most important question would be how did you awaken to yours? [ What need to they have of one? That was a bit worrisome in all honesty. ]

[ Yusuke settled back on the chair, not letting go of the facade of his mask and outfit just yet, in case Mitsuru had questions of her own. There was at least some relief in having the secrecy at an end, and being on the same page. He knew at some point he would have had to reveal this detail anyway, should trouble arise in the city and she need help… But this was better. ]

There are a few other persona users that I know who have personas that aren’t based on historical figures as well, so that much is similar? [ He responded, thinking of Persona like Arsene. That his was a historic figure had struck him as odd as well, but he also supposed so little was known about Goemon and that the man’s life was kept alive through story and expanded over time after the man’s execution. Most popular in bunraku and kabuki plays.

Yusuke winced a little at the question, looking a bit sheepish as he realized that had been another lie that should be cleared up. It wouldn’t really hold water now, even if he might not want to say too much about the group. He almost wondered if she had heard of the Phantom Thieves of hearts or not. ] Yes, that would be correct. Do forgive me for not being more honest about all of this and them… It just seemed rather cruel to potentially turn the world you knew on its head with such knowledge.

[ Her next question gets a more curious tilt of his head, leaving forward in his seat with a glance at the gun she’d put down. ] An evoker…? I presume you mean that gun you used to summon your persona? I confess, that was rather alarming to behold. I haven’t ever seen a persona summoned in such a way before. We all have our masks, once torn from our faces, our persona manifests, no ‘evoker’ needed.

[ He fell silent for a moment, contemplating how to explain his own awakening. ]

I ended up in the metaverse when a member of the group I later joined activated the app on their phone while I was with them. I was finally forced to… confront certain truths I had been turning a blind eye to and denying about the man who raised me. Goemon spoke to me when I had found myself at my most frustrated and disgusted by the display, proposed the forging of a contract and the mask appeared as a symbol of my rebellion. Ripping it from my face formalized the contract and… [ He gestured to his face. ] That was that, as they say. From what I have seen of those who joined the group after me, and heard of those before me, they all experienced similar awakenings.

Considering your evoker and your question, I presume that your own awakening differed greatly?

[ It had to, given he’d just witnessed her shooting herself in the head. Even if the evoker wasn’t a normal gun, that was… Really quite a lot to process. Her awakening must have been quite a heavy event indeed, for her persona to need to be summoned in such a way. ]

[ Mitsuru watched his movements with a clinical curiosity. It was a change she'd never seen with a Persona user before and that in itself was strange. Of course she'd been aware of the fact that there were things she didn't know about the Persona phenomenon, but she'd never imagined there'd be so much.

She shook her head at his apology. ] There's no need to apologize, we both were hiding something and it seems we had similar reasons.

[ Something of a smile touched the corners of her lips at his mention of the Evoker. ] Yes, the evoker was a creation of the Kirijo Group. [ There was more to it than that, but there was a certain amount of...shame involved in that more. It had been hard enough to discuss that with her own group. ] If it's any comfort, it's not a real gun. It's designed to help with summoning.

[ The description of his awakening was certainly something that she found interesting to hear about. Though she did pause to ask a quick question: ] The metaverse and an app? [ Based on the contextual clues from everything he'd said, she could deduce that must be something like Tartarus or the Dark Hour. Which, depressingly, would imply that her teams efforts wouldn't put an end to things like this completely. Though, it did give her hope that they at least had succeeded in stopping the Fall. ]

A symbol of your rebellion against the man who had raised you? [ There were similarities to be found in what he said, though they were quite vague. ] I suppose there were overtures of my own rebellion in both of my awakenings. Rebellion and resolution I suppose would be more accurate. [ She pauses and then looks down a bit sadly. ] My awakening was quite different than most others. It happened when I was a child.

Yes, that is true… I wish I had realized sooner. It almost seems silly in hindsight.

[ He responded with a small smile, glad there were no hard feelings concerning the secrecy. At least everything was out in the open now, though. It would make things far easier in the long run, and… Well, it seemed like they both had the chance to learn a little more about how this all worked if their awakenings and summoning methods differed. ]

So the Kirijo Group has already known of and been researching this? [ He asked, glancing at the evoker again. They must have known of it prior to creating it, right? To have put in the time to invent such a device… Or perhaps it had been an accidental discovery? ] I have since realized that, yes. It’s quite an impressive device and looked quite realistic when you fired it. Is there something inside it that causes the persona to manifest, or is it simply the act of pulling the trigger?

[Her question gets a short nod, reaching over to his satchel and flipping it open to pull out the cellphone he’d had on him when he arrived. He was trying to save the battery for as long as he could, even if it was little more than a paperweight with some very important pictures saved in its memory. But he powered it on and held it out to Mitsuru to see, pointing to the app in question. ] That one there. The red and black one with an eye symbol. It’s similar to a navigation app, requiring the correct keywords to access specific places. How do you travel to and from a location if you don’t have an app?

[ He had to wonder, if only because it seemed she was unfamiliar with the app. How else did one access that other place without it? ]

When you were a child? [ What kind of events lead to a child awakening a persona?? ] So you’ve had your persona for a very long time, then… Wait, you said ‘both awakenings,’ so you’ve experienced it more than once?

[ She put one arm around herself, looked down, and fell silent for a few seconds at his question. Why was this still so difficult for her to talk about? She'd already had to do it once with her own team, shouldn't it be slightly easier with someone who was something of a new acquaintance? Somehow it still made her feel shame to talk about the part the Kirijo Group had in all of this. ]

Yes. My grandfather had been researching Shadows and the other world for many years prior to my exposure to it. [ She casts her gaze down. ] He became rather obsessed with experimenting on Shadows. My Persona originally awakened when I was as Penthesilea after one of our guards transformed into a Shadow. I stood between it and my father and she came to me to my aid. [ After that she was a part of the experiments, though she felt no need to explain that aspect of the situation. ] To put it simply, the Evoker serves to put someone in the state of mind they require to summon a Persona. Most require it, though some are capable of summoning theirs without any outside assistance at all. [ Like herself, but, again, she doesn't feel that's particularly relevant to the conversation. For the most part she uses the Evoker.

She leaned over to look at the app he was showing with a puzzled expression and growing curiosity. ] How fascinating. My grandfather's research made it clear that the other world could appear in various forms but this is...hm. Quite different than even he might have theorized about. [ Then again, his research had quickly turned more towards obsession with the Fall. ] Ah, Tartarus is...we enter quite differently. My explanation would not be as simple as showing an app, are you certain it wouldn't bore you to hear?

[ Researching shadows… Truly, it was an intriguing thing to learn that there were those out there conscious of that other world and trying to learn more about it. But… It sounded rather dangerous as well, to have experimented with something as often unstable and dangerous as shadows. He’d seen Joker negotiating with them on occasion, and one wrong answer and they could get quite angry. ] A guard transformed into a shadow…? Were these experiments taking place in that other world, or is this something that happened due to the experimentation?

[ He only wished to clarify, because the idea of shadows being able to appear outside the metaverse was rather troubling.

Still, as she continued to describe her ‘original’ awakening, the teen frowned sympathetically. ] Such a horrifying way to have it awaken, being so young and to step in to protect your father.

[ And… If her grandfather had been that obsessed with researching and experimenting on shadows, what must he have thought of a Persona…? What had that meant for Mitsuru’s childhood? Yes, there was definitely the worrying implication of an unfortunate turn in her life from that event… It made him wonder, almost instinctively, if a palace had existed.

But he nodded to her explanation concerning the evoker. ]

I see, so it’s an aid to summon them, but not entirely necessary. What an interesting idea… So very different from what I and my group have come to know about the experience.

[ Once she had a look at the app on his phone, he settled back in his seat and powered the phone down. He wasn’t sure how much longer the battery would hold out… Really, he had a feeling it wouldn’t be long. ] It’s quite odd, if I am to be entirely honest…? It seems to appear on phones all on its own, too. I’ve heard if one attempts to delete it, it just reappears as well.

[ Tartarus, huh? ] An interesting name for the place, calls to mind the place of Greek mythology… [ The teen shook his head quickly. How could he be bored by such a thing? No, it was intriguing and there was so much about all this that he and his group had no idea of. It seemed more important to take the opportunity to learn more on the subject if Mitsuru was open to it. ] I could hardly be bored. There is so much about all this that I and my group never would have guessed or known.

[ She winced at the directness of his question but one particular thing he'd said caused her to prickle somewhat. ] It was my own choice to protect my father, I assure you. Despite what he and others may thing, I made my own choice. [ How does a six year old make a choice like that? They just do. Source: trust me bro. The last thing she wanted to do was think too much about how much of her childhood was taken and twisted by all of that. The easier choice was to simply insist it was her choice and she was perfectly fine with it all. ]

If you're certain...then, I will try to be as brief as I can. [ She looked up with a bit more confidence, despite her feelings of shame in regards to the truth of the situation. She was good at giving speeches, she could do this. ] There's a time of night that most people are unaware of, the hidden hour we call the Dark Hour. During that time normal people, those without the power of Persona, go into coffins while the world around us changes. During this time Shadows occasionally appear. My team was tasked with eliminating them. [ She pauses for a second to allow that information to sink in, having given it to so many recently she was aware of how strange it sounded. ]

To answer your first question, the Dark Hour was indeed created due my grandfather's experimentations. [ Which was why she felt it was her responsibility to clean up the mess. The Kirijo Group had started all of this, it was her duty to end it. ]

It seems there's quite a lot to the other world than both of us know. Though [ she put a hand to her chin thoughtfully ] I suppose it does make sense that a world based on the human mind can take many forms. Do you all have any clues as to who or what may have created this app of yours? Clearly, it must be something or someone that wants you to enter. [ But why? ]

[ Yusuke had a hard time not wondering about how much was truly her decision, given the circumstances were directly caused by another, outside her control. It was natural to want to protect your family, and… He knows how easy it is sometimes to convince yourself of something.

The teen leaned forward in his seat though as she began explaining her experience. It truly was entirely different from his own. Was it an overlap of the metaverse? Or perhaps a leak that spread to the real world once a day when the conditions were appropriate… The confirmation that this was all due to her grandfather’s experimentation was worrying… It sounded as though the man had been playing with fire, as some said. The dangers of that other world, of shadows manifesting among normal people, was troubling. ] It does sound very different from anything we could have considered possible? That the other world could settle over the normal world so easily. The two have never overlapped like that for our group, more… side by side, if I had to describe how it seems.

Are the coffins something that are by design from the experiment, or is that simply an odd side-effect to this ‘dark hour?’ And by team, does that include your friend Shinjiro? [ Having to clean up shadows during this odd hour, tasked with fighting their numbers to defect the normal world until that odd hour passed? Even that was so very different from the phantom thieves. ]

There truly is, even as we realized there was much we probably couldn’t know? This is all more than I could have guessed possible. Though, given it all takes place during an unknown time, I suppose it makes sense why we’ve never even heard of such a thing. [ Yusuke had to admit, he had very little idea as to why the app appeared on people’s phones, but… ] We don’t know, I’m afraid? It’s something I have wondered about often enough, and I hope one day that we’ll have some sort of answer.

Though… Our leader doesn’t seem too bothered by that fact, and it first appeared on his phone. [ And Yusuke trusted Ren more than most people, even if it hadn’t started that way. Maybe that was a bit of blind faith, but… Well, he hadn’t led Yusuke wrong yet, and had been a great help to him. ] Even if someone wants us to enter, it’s hard to deny the good that’s come of it from us using it. And we could always have ignored it and not continued using it, after all. I imagine the creator of the app couldn’t have known we would for certain?

To my knowledge that is how the worlds are supposed to exist. [ There was a heavy amount of guilt in her tone with that statement. The only reason the two worlds had ever started to bleed into one another was because of her grandfather and his experiments. Everything that had transpired had been a direct result of what her own family had done and that still weighed heavily on her. No matter how hard she tried to insist she'd move forward, that twisting feeling always came back to gnaw at her insides when the topic was actually breeched.

She pauses and shakes her head. ] It's simply a side-effect caused by the Dark Hour. Truthfully, that might be the safest place for them during the Dark Hour. The Shadows that become active then feed off of the human psyche Those that are fed upon are then inflicted with Apathy Syndrome and eventually...[ they become Shadows, though she's hesitant to say that. It already seems like quite a lot of information to drop upon someone. ] The Shadows cannot harm anyone that's been transmogrified. [ So, it really was safer for them in there. Not that the Shadows didn't try to lure people out. The entire thing was a mess really.

She nods at his question. ] Yes, Shinjiro was one of the founding members of SEES. For a long time there was just me, but as the situation worsened we knew we would need help. Akihiko and Shinjiro were the first two other Persona users we located. Until rather recently it had only been the tw--three of us. [ She corrected herself as quickly as she could. There didn't seem to be a reason to bring up the personal drama that had unfolded between the original three.

She gave a tiny smile. ] Our Leader is also rarely bothered by the odd things that seem to simply happen around him. [ Though now she wondered if his leader too had unique abilities. That would be quite the strange coincidence. ]

We thought we were doing good as well. That... [ She frowns and tries to figure out how to give a warning without seeming too pushy. ] we were mislead. It's difficult to be certain about anything regarding the other world. I hope that doesn't become the case for you and yours. [ It was clearly a very different situation, but she couldn't help but worry when he said they didn't even know where the app came from. ]

[ Yes, the implications of what she said struck him rather quickly. It was supposed to be as he knew it, at least in a way, and this Dark Hour and shadows appearing in the real world were her grandfather’s fault. That wasn’t her fault, and the fact that it probably weighed heavily on her regardless hadn’t escaped him. Careless adults, making mistakes and leaving the young with the mess to clean up, it was hard to not feel annoyed by that on her behalf, whether she liked it or not. ]

So, while odd, it’s actually a beneficial side-effect… [ That was something, at least, for the safety of people who just happened to be near. But it also sounded as though it worked for everyone. ] The shadows can lure people out? How do they do that, or… [ He taps his chin thoughtfully, wondering something. ] Or is it somehow tied to the shadow versions of people that exist in that other world? In our… experience, things that happen to one’s shadow self can affect the person in reality in a variety of ways.

[ At her confirmation, he couldn’t help but muse that it was odd, but it seemed as though somehow persona users were bound to meet one another, whether they knew it or not. He certainly couldn’t have guessed either Mitsuru or Shinjiro were when he met them, and yet? ] I shall remember that then, for next time I run into him for the sake of us all being on the same page when it comes to this.

[ It would be wrong to keep someone in the dark on that fact, considering this world might have need of their cooperation at some point. ]

I can’t help but wonder sometimes if there’s a reason for that, or if it’s simply the mark of a leader to be unbothered by such things. [ And Yusuke couldn’t help but wonder himself what this leader of Mitsuru’s group was like. Did he sometimes space out at odd moments too? As though he were a million miles away? ]

I see… [ Yusuke responded carefully. The idea of being misled was not a welcome thought. Even if he knew she might have a good point… And… ] I recognize what you say as a sensible warning to take into consideration, but we also cannot simply do nothing when people need help. Turning a blind eye to the ugly truth of situations is not something I’m willing to do again. [ He frowned slightly, brows furrowing. ] But I also recognize that not everyone who can go to that other world means well, of which we’re trying to learn more about.

Yes, one of the few beneficial things we were given. [ It really was a situation that involved taking what one could get and making the best of it. Or...well, she wasn't even certain if she could say they made the best out of it. Everything seemed to actually be going the worst it possibly could. ]

They have a number of ways, but it seems the most common is impersonating the voice of someone familiar. In one particular situation it seemed to have preyed upon guilt to lure it's victims out. [ That seemed to be the most common way they managed to lure people out to feed upon. She shook her head at h is question. ] To be honest, we're not particularly certain what these shadows are. We have theories, but theories are all we have. [ He had no idea how utterly frustrating that was for her to admit to. She did find her curiosity peaked by his mention of a shadow self though. ] We've never encountered something such as a shadow self [ What a disturbing thought to think the other world just kept changing and evolving. Did that mean that no matter what they did there truly was no way to put an end to it all?

She rubbed her arms awkwardly and fell silent for a moment. ]Ah- Shinjiro does not always like to talk about his Persona. [ He didn't need protection, she knew that, and yet she still found herself trying to. If he ever found out he'd more than likely be annoyed, but she was used to that. ] So, forgive him if he comes off as a bit gruff. I'll be certain to inform him of what you and I have discussed. [ Hopefully she'd remember. She gave him a tiny smile. ] I hope you two can get along though. It would be nice for him to have others. [ He really could use with some actual friends beyond the original SEES trio. The same could be said for her, but she'd never think of that herself. ]

Perhaps there's simply more they know. Our leader has particularly...unique abilities compared to the rest of us. He's capable of summoning more than one Persona. [ Which was utterly unheard of and made him exceptional among them all. There were probably things he kept to himself about the nature of that ability, but Mitsuru trusted him enough to respect any decision he might make.

She frowned and cast her gaze down. ]I-I...can certainly understand not wanting to avert your eyes from the truth in front of you. [ While it was nice to talk to someone outside of SEES about these things, it was also a bit....bittersweet. To think an entirely other group of young adults had found themselves in a similar situation involving this other world. Not just that, but evidently they'd also found themselves involved with people who had ill means for the use of the power in that place. ] It seems there will always be people willing to use the power that place provides for their own purposes.

[ The more Mitsuru explained, the more he realized how different their situations were. Was it only because of the experiments that the situation was so different, or were there certain conditions of places that made shadows and the metaverse different? ]

Your shadows sound so very different from the ones we’ve encountered? There are shadows that are simply born of human emotions, gathering in places either in service to a more powerful shadow-self of someone or simply wandering mementos… Even shadows that are cognitive versions of a person that the shadow-version of someone knows. [ Unless you were just seen as an object… But he moved on rather quickly. ] But there are, indeed, shadow versions of people as well.

I see… So it’s a subject I should be careful of? [ Yusuke had at least gotten an idea of Shinjiro’s personality, though now that he knew the man had a persona as well, it was hard to not wonder about why he wouldn’t want to speak of it. ] I have met him rather recently, and I discovered he is a bit gruff, as you say. A man of few words… [ Short, but to the point. Shorter still, if he didn’t want to talk about something. Which was a bit difficult to read, but… The man had also discerned that Yusuke needed to eat and gave up his sandwich rather easily at that. ] He also seems rather kind, under that demeanor.

[ Now that particular bit of information gets the teen’s attention. ] He does? Why, our leader has that ability as well. It’s truly a wonder, and we’re unsure of why his skills are so different from our own. [ But perhaps Mitsuru was right… Perhaps their leaders both knew more than they did about all of this. But, like Mitsuru, he trusted Joker more than most people. The other had not led them poorly before. ]

Then you know why we take the risk of using such an app, I’m sure. I myself have done so in the past… and I to do so again would be reprehensible. [ As suspicious as it might be, they had come too far to turn away from it. Even if there may be trouble waiting for them down the line… But he nodded with a troubled frown. ] There are… It’s starting to become more clear that someone is using it all for their own gain, but we have not yet pinpointed who may be behind it.

[ Mitsuru blinked and then suddenly started to write very quickly in a notebook beside her. ] It seems that these things manifest in quite different ways despite our similar terms. [ She supposed it made sense, however it certainly was strange to think of such drastic differences. ] Unfortunately, there's still quite a lot about the Fall and Tartarus that we don't understand. [ It was possible there were similarities to be found that she just wasn't aware of yet. ] And what is mementos?

[ She gave him a small nod. ] You'll be hard-pressed to find a more trustworthy and reliable partner in battle than Shinjiro. However he...it's a complicated situation. [ It also wasn't her story to tell, so she simply stopped there. ] Don't let him hear you say that. Or do, but only if you tell me how it went after. [ Even she could make jokes now and then. She raised an eyebrow curiously. ]

So they both possess that ability... how strange. Until we found him we had no idea it was even possible. [ There was so much about even that ability that they didn't know. Was it possible there were even more of them out there? Ah, well, there was no way to figure that out here. It seemed like similarities were being added just as quickly as differences. ]

As have I. [ Her voice was soft and she cast her gaze down. At least it seemed as though he didn't want to open up about his experience. Perhaps that would mean he wouldn't press her for her own. It seemed enough that they both recognized they shared a similar lesson. She paused for a second before her curiosity took hold. ] Could you explain more about what this person is doing?

Makes one wonder how much more we don’t know. [ He mused, watching as she began writing details down. What if there were more variations and situations than this? Between this discovery, and ending up in an entirely different world… Countless realities and kinds of alternate situations didn’t seem far-fetched.

As she paused and refrained from saying too much about Shinjiro and his situation, it rather reminded him of how Shinjiro hadn’t said much about Mitsuru’s, either. Teammates watching out for one another and protecting their histories. He couldn’t fault that, considering he knew his teammates would do the same. He offered a small smile though, as she suggested he should tell the other about how kind he had been. ] Should I have the chance, I will fill you in. It seems rude to not thank someone for showing kindness, but I do get the distinct feeling he would shrug it off.

[ It seemed that their leaders were very similar people as far as skills went. ] From what I understand, it is not a talent anyone else in our group possesses or knew was possible either. I joined the group later, so I have no firsthand knowledge of when they discovered this ability. [ Tilting his head thoughtfully, Yusuke had to wonder. ] Does your leader ever seem like he’s a million miles away? One minute ours is focused and as we’re about to embark on something, and then suddenly he just seems to stop and get lost in his thoughts?

[ Part of Yusuke wondered what her experience was… The other was grateful she hadn’t asked for more information about what he meant. Today had already been a lot of sharing on both their parts, though, and so he let the matter rest for now as he was distracted by her question. Thinking back on what little he knew, he shook his head. ] When I… Joined the team, we were informed of another persona user in a black mask who could enter the metaverse as well. Someone outside our group. Then later in another palace, we were informed that this person has been using such places for their own personal gain. They apparently have no reservations about causing psychotic breakdowns or mental shutdowns to accomplish whatever it is they’re trying to achieve.

It would seem safe to say there's quite a lot we don't know. Even my grandfather had a considerable amount he didn't fully grasp. [ And he'd been researching it for...well, for a long time before his death. It really was something to think about just how much there was they didn't know. In a way it made her feel even more foolish for thinking they'd figured the situation out back home. ]

You'd be correct in thinking that. [ She smiled gently at the thought of Shinji rebuffing him after offering his gratitude. That would certainly be how things would go given his track record. At least it was nice to hear that they'd managed to have a good initial exchange with one another. She was quite worried he'd make rather negative first impressions with people around here.

Her eyes widen at the question and she nods. ] Yes. Quite often he seems like that prior to us entering Tartarus. [ Sometimes people pointed it out, but more often than not they simply moved on when he was ready. Perhaps, looking back, it was a bit strange that she'd never really thought too much on it prior to this. ] We've left most battle decisions up to him, so we leave when he's prepared, however...he does indeed have a tendency to get lost in his own mind it would seem. [ How strange that both their leaders had that tendency. What could it mean? ]

What could one possibly gain from causing psychotic breakdowns or mental shutdowns in others? [ Her tone was firm and clearly implied she was quite offended by the idea that someone would do that. Then again, was it really that different from her own grandfather's experiments? They'd led to such things happening with increasing frequency and she still was uncertain what his ultimate goal was. ] How disgraceful to show such disregard for the lives and safety of others.

[ He smiled a little at the comment, yes it seemed as though Shinjiro was the sort to brush off and deny the assistance he offered was no big deal. Even if it really had been at the time… It made it hard to dislike him, even with his slightly gruff nature. ]

But at the mention of her team’s leader shared that odd trait as well? He found himself rather intrigued by the notion. ] It would seem our leaders both share several odd similarities. We have never worked out why that was either, but… Perhaps there’s a connection. [ But, as she said, they trusted him explicitly and often moved on when he was ready to head into a palace or mementos. So it had been nothing more than an odd curiosity. That was hard to not notice when they waited to begin. ] Likewise, it’s always before we’ve moved to enter mementos or a palace as well. He’s very focused once we’re inside.

[ Her question gets a small shake of his head. ] We haven’t discovered much more than I’ve stated, I’m afraid. One could presume for power or status of some sort, for a start… But whatever reason there is, I confess I too found it quite deplorable. We are hoping to find out more as we continue, to put an end to it as well, if we can.

Perhaps we'll get the chance to ask them both sometime. [ Either here or back in their own world. Though from what she understood they wouldn't remember this upon their return. The strangest part however seemed to be how similar the two leaders were. It lead to her wondering what precisely caused the similarity. Was it perhaps something to do with how they got their abilities?

She shook her head and frowned even more. Who knew that was possible? ] How could one not find something like that deplorable? Only someone truly depraved would do that to others for something such as power or status. [ Disgusting. ]

I hope you're able to put a stop to whomever it is that's doing this. I wish I could offer my aid. [ But obviously that was impossible. It was pretty terrible to think these things were going on without her knowledge. ]

I hope that we may, here or in our own worlds. [ Although, Yusuke was rather hoping for sooner rather than later. The fact that he was missing his friends might have been a factory, of course, but Mitsuru could probably understand that herself.

But he offered a nod in return to her frown. ] In my experience, the world is full of such abhorrent adults, doing what they please for their own gain… But thank you, the thought is appreciated regardless of your ability to assist. Likewise, if I were aware of this strange hour and situation in our world that seems tied yet so different from our own, I would have wanted to offer help as well- undoubtedly most of my group would.

[ It was a shame they wouldn’t be able to help each other out, given they wouldn’t have any knowledge of these things when they went back. There was no telling how much knowledge or experience they could benefit from having the other involved in some way. ]

But I suppose we’re also have our work cut out for us in this world, and we can hopefully work together during our time here.

[ and on that note, his eyes drifted back to the map. This was definitely a project worth working on. ]

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