personavelvetroomdr | (no subject)

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There's a new presence in the shadows of the Velvet Room tonight.

For a while, there's no obvious sign of this... presumably a person, just the feeling that something is watching from the darkness, listening to whatever cryptic platitudes Igor's spouting about the place tonight. Eventually, though, the presence announces itself as... an Akira, looking at the conspiracy board.

Or maybe he's a Ren? (He's both. He's neither. He's pretty sure Igor is the closest to a familiar entity here. Making connections? That's not going to be a problem at all.)

"...I have no idea what most of this means," he's forced to conclude after several minutes. "Cool."

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"How many of you are there," Akira mutters, more to himself than anything.

But then he's back to Human-Peopleing. "I'd appreciate the effort, if you're willing."

"We're the majority by far. I think there's close to a dozen of me? Versions of you are fairly common, but not quite on the same level." Heh. Still, there's a lil' smirk as he surveys this new Ren-Akira-whatever he is. "I suppose the question is where you'd like clarification."

"The stuff about names makes perfect sense." If... probably not in the way the writer intended, since the casual use of full names tells Akira none of these humans are used to accounting for people like him. "But pretty much all of the rest of it is a complete mystery."

Also, if the Crow mentioned here is his brother, Akira's going to have Words with him, starting with 'why were you holding out on me.'

"You seem to be one of the few who is unfazed by it." Fascinating. Even he's found the name inconsistencies between worlds puzzling. "But if everything else is so difficult to grasp, am I correct that you're unfamiliar with matters of Personas or the cognitive world?"

"Names have power. How do you know which power you're getting, otherwise?" See? Totally logical.

"But no, those are both new terms."

"I've heard the phrase before, but strictly in a metaphorical sense outside the realm of fiction." Still, that's interesting. Crow takes his chin in hand, contemplative. "Personas are effectively manifestations of oneself. They represent aspects of one's very soul, and allow those who wield them to utilize great power, from heightened strength to elemental abilities."

"I didn't figure anyone here was prepared to deal with people of the Realm." At least the one the Velvet Room got is pretty straightforward, and uninterested in laying claim to this many people.

"Huh. Interesting. No, definitely never heard of anything like that."

"Realm, eh? How fascinating..." Perhaps it has something to do with European mythologies? Something akin to the fair folk... Well, that can wait. "There are cognitive worlds as well- spaces drawn from the individual and collective unconscious, and they take many forms. That is typically where Personas manifest the most easily."

And there, at least, is something Akira can latch onto. "And that would be how you deal with people like the vulture?"

"I've no idea who this vulture is, I'm afraid. Our enemies are the likes of Masayoshi Shido and his conspiracy." The name 'Shido' makes him sneer. There will never be any love for that monster.

"The vulture is your bastard father - at least, if that much of the story rhymes."

And from the way he said that name, the way it lines up with what Akira knows (the vulture's a public figure but no one knows who he is, which is the key they're missing)... he's pretty sure it does.

"Ah, so Shido. Then, yes, I suppose in a manner of speaking, it is how we 'deal with them.' Typically by forcing them to admit their guilt by stealing their distorted desires." Why would Shido have an alias like that? It seems rather odd for him. This must be a peculiar world...

"Now that sounds a little bit like my old work." More power to them, if they have a way to do it that doesn't deny connections.

As for the alias, it's not one that the vulture is aware of, as such.

"Oh? How interesting." But this Ren isn't a Phantom Thief at all, and certainly isn't familiar with the cognitive world. "It's honestly something I stumbled into. I was already an old hand when it comes to Personas, but the Metaverse and changing hearts were wholly new experiences. The previous cognitive worlds I'd grown accustomed to required Persona users to pass through TV screens or, in one case, get dragged in by watching a 'cursed' music video."

"I thought most people couldn't get into TVs."

You know. People who aren't Futaba.

"Most people still can't. It's only those with Personas who can, or those who push ordinary people inside... which unfortunately was the cause of death for two innocent women and nearly caused the deaths of others, had they not been rescued and awakened Personas of their own." There's a slightly bitter edge to his words, but he ultimately shrugs it off. "But that was five years ago now."

"Something can be lifetimes ago and still hurt." Akira's certainly lived enough of them to know. "Was someone you knew hurt by it?"

"The second victim, Saki Konishi. Though we weren't especially close, I had tried to assure her that her own pain from finding the first victim's corpse would subside and, well..." He trails off. The silence ought to speak for itself. "Others close to me were wrapped up in one way or another. We formed quite the motley crew, pursuing the truth behind the murders and kidnappings and trying our best to thwart the culprit every step of the way. Things got... messy, and it almost cost me my little sister, but in the end, the truth prevailed."

That's the important part.

"Good. That sounds like the sort of thing that shouldn't be left hanging loose."

"Indeed, and it culminated with a battle against the goddess Izanami. In fact, we've come into contact with multiple gods and deities since..." He grumbles a little at that fact. "My current team and I have a false god to contend with, assuming the form of Igor." He gestures to Igor. "But that's at home. Other than my boyfriend and Yoshizawa-san, as well as my younger self, no one else from our world is here."

Akira nods. "I think it's safe to say I'm the first from mine."

"Don't be surprised if you get interrogated by my younger self at some point. He's still adamant to uncover what determines whether or not someone is a Ren or Akira, and he is the one who maintains this board." And now there's a version of him from a world without Personas who isn't a little kid who may just not have awakened his. Funny how that works out.

Akira just laughs. "I'll answer to either, so I doubt I'll be of much help on that front."

But the kid's welcome to try.

"No, but you see, you'll be marked down as an anomaly. Then he'll likely try to prod you for answers about why you use both names. The significance..."

Heh. Raven is nothing if not inquisitive and ridiculously nosy. "He can be insanely persistent."

"As long as he's polite about it, I doubt it'll be a problem."