[open | intro] I wonder, was that the wrong pill to take?

[butterflyeffecting]

[When she wakes up, it's like peeling herself off of a puddle of glue. Or what she imagines cracking out of an egg must be like for a baby bird. Slow, frustrating, and kind of crunchy.]

[She actually didn't expect to wake up again, at all. And especially not here, opening her eyes to the deep blue and constant aria of the Velvet Room. With a yawn, she sits upright and rubs her eyes. There's a cot underneath her, not unlike what someone might find in the nurse's office at a school, but her school bag is nowhere to be found. All she has is the uniform she is wearing. Thankfully, she does appear to still have her shoes, which she tenderly rests on the floor, as if she doesn't quite expect it to be solid.]

[A glance around tells her that someone has redecorated. The Velvet Room is much bigger than she remembers, for one thing, and it's got several doors that did not used to be there, for another. Once she lays eyes on Igor, it seems to give him permission to speak. She listens with a slight frown, as if she's thinking very hard.]

Yes, I know who you are and what this place is. But... why? And... are you sure that it's okay for me to be here?

[Whatever his answer is, she is deeply uncomfortable with the idea of stepping outside this liminal space back into Iwatodai, which she knows is behind the familiar door. Or any of the other doors. Something about it makes her feel as thought it will make it real that she is no longer acting as the seal keeping Erebus back and Nyx away. It just isn't worth the risk. So, she sets about exploring what exists within the Velvet Room.]

Comments

[fogboundcrow]

[He sees that smile, Kotone. He sees it...

But it's fine. He is a very mature young man. He can handle this.

Hands together, a soft inhale and exhale. Okay.]

I believe most people here are Persona users, barring two small children who are living with me, my future self, and his... boyfriend.

[It's not that he dislikes Ren! It's just... ever looming fact that his future self is locking lips with someone.]

Honestly, most of the people here are variations of me or a boy who either goes by the name Akira Kurusu or Ren Amamiya, and I still can't wrap my head around why it differs between realities.

[butterflyeffecting]

[She at least takes his information seriously, clearly rolling these tidbits over in her mind. She lifts both her hands, each with the pointer finger upward, and slowly slides them away from each other.]

OK, two different things I'm trying to hook my brain on, here. One: Two Akechi-kuns, both from the same world, at different times. The other... Multiple different boys, and definitely the same boy, but with different names.

[ODDLY FAMILIAR, THAT. MM.]

[fogboundcrow]

[Akechi folds his arms, sighing.]

Yes, my literal future self is here, and every waking moment, my experiences here are transferred to his brain in real time. It's rather disorienting, and I try not to think about it too much.

[Because it's eerie to think that at any moment, Crow will know what he's doing.]

But yes, there are multiple versions of the same boy. Curly black hair, may or may not wear glasses, and with one of two names. Apparently my roommate also goes by a different name in some worlds: Souji Seta instead of Yu Narukami.

[butterflyeffecting]

[Her guileless brown eyes blink widely.]

Yeah, that sounds really confusing, I don't blame you.

[She actually really hates the idea of someone else knowing what she was thinking! Even if that someone else was also her!]

But it's only the two different ones? Hmm. I see why you're so intrigued.

[fogboundcrow]

...Is there a reason it'd be more than two?

[Congratulations, Kotone. You have earned the 'honor' of this precocious boy raising his eyebrow and tapping his chin like an anime character.]

[butterflyeffecting]

[Adorable.]

Is there a reason it would be only two?

[fogboundcrow]

[...Damn. That's a fair point. Hmm.]

My only points of reference are the Akira-Ren discrepancy, as well as the Souji-Yu one. In these cases, it's a clean division between two names. I suppose an exception could always occur that breaks the 'pattern.'

At one point, I thought glasses were the deciding difference between Akiras and Rens, but then I was proven wrong. Even the 'dumbass energy' my older self proposed was challenged by an Akira who appeared briefly during Halloween and proved he had that same dumbassery.

[butterflyeffecting]

Is there a scientific measurement for "dumbassery"?

[please, tell her there is]

[fogboundcrow]

There are many factors that determine one's dumbassery levels.

[He grins. Oh, let him tell you, Kotone. Let him share his wisdom.]

The Yu Narukami brand of dumbassery involves going from an almost hammy monotone to being over the top and weird. But there are other factors. Yosuke Hanamura's form of dumbassery often comes in the form of being utterly daft, far too quick to project his insecurities onto others, and quite possibly being deep into the closet and making it everyone else's problem.

The Ren I've spent the most time with isn't stupid, but he's incredibly ridiculous, has a propensity for bad puns, and is most certainly a menace.

[butterflyeffecting]

[Now this is the hot goss she's dying for at all times.]

But how do you quantify the dumbass to compare from one RenAkira to another?

[She is challenging him on purpose, and her little smirk gives her away.]

[fogboundcrow]

The first Akira I met was incredibly cool and mysterious. He had a playful sense of humor, I suppose, but his form of teasing was less... goofy, I suppose? He just had this aura of someone who had his shit together.

[Though, hmm... His brow furrows as he tries to articulate this more.]

Of course, one of the Akiras is just a little kid, but he's not a dumbass. He is a precious gift who deserves all the love in the world. He has an advanced reading level and a strong interest in dinosaurs.

[Nothing dumbass about that!]

I would say 'dumbass energy' doesn't necessarily mean stupid so much as... the demeanor. How goofy a given Ren or Akira is.

[butterflyeffecting]

I see.

[She covers another indulgent smile with her fingers. Yeah, she doesn’t actually get it. Those are great descriptors but they don’t really clarify the ‘dumbass’ definition for her.]

[fogboundcrow]

[He squints, leaning forward a little.]

Do you, though? Or are you simply saying that to appease me?

[He's onto you, Kotone! Beware...]