Embrace Your Isekai Fantasies // Locked to mountainfoggedlotus

[fogboundcrow]

This is it! Raven's chance to help the younger Ren experience his powers as a Persona user. They can fight together. Explore together. It's going to be great.

But the Metaverse is too unpredictable, and the Dark Hour fairly dangerous. So, naturally, the TV world is the best bet.

Thus, Raven leads his young compatriot to the Junes Electronics Department. How convenient that there's a little rack of glasses near the flatscreen TVs with a cute Teddie cutout nearby.

Raven glances at the selection. "You'll want to take one of these before we step inside. It'll help you see through the fog."

Comments

[mountainfoggedlotus]

Wormwood turns to Raven. "Tell him that he deserves to have fancy magic powers."

[fogboundcrow]

"Of course he deserves 'fancy magic powers'!" Raven scowls, cheeks puffed up in a pout. "If your older self can become some dashing Phantom Thief, then you're more than capable and deserving."

[mountainfoggedlotus]

Ren flinches. "That's older me, though..."

[fogboundcrow]

Ah. Raven winces. Perhaps he misspoke, given his own insecurities regarding Crow.

"But he used to be you, which means you have that same potential. And you don't have to go about things the exact same way. You don't have to aspire to be him, but you also should give yourself more credit." Taking a chance, he reaches for Ren's shoulder. "But I do understand. After all, Crow seems so untouchable."

1/2

[mountainfoggedlotus]

"Keep going," Wormwood prods Ren's side. "Tell him. Tell him how you really feel." There's an edge to those words that--

--ugh! Wormwood is so annoying! "I don't know!" Ren puffs up his cheeks, defiant, wrenching away from the touch. "Maybe I'm just getting used to this whole "suddenly"--" voicecrack "--"suddenly having people interested in me" thing! I'm not used to it! I'm not used to it! I--"

2/2

[mountainfoggedlotus]

All the wind rushes out of Ren's sails, and he deflates like a popped balloon. "--I don't deserve it." He kicks the floor. "I don't know what to do."

[fogboundcrow]

"Why do you think you're undeserving?" It's stated calmly, certainly lacking in judgment. "It's not that I don't sympathize. I just want to understand."

[mountainfoggedlotus]

"Why do you think I'm deserving?" Ren snips back. "No one else's ever cared about me..."

[fogboundcrow]

"I used to think no one would ever care about me." He heaves a heavy sigh, deflating as well. "I won't bore you with my trauma, but the important thing is that it changed. Sometimes, all it takes is one person who is able to see you for things to start improving."

[mountainfoggedlotus]

"Least you have trauma." Ren's going all moody middle schooler now, hands in his pockets and shoulders slouched. "I'm just boring."

"And yet, you're standing next to an embodiment of your soul," Wormwood rasps.

"That's a dime a dozen here."

[fogboundcrow]

"Why do you think you're boring?" Raven raises an eyebrow, bringing a hand to his hip. Yet again, his voice lacks judgment.

[mountainfoggedlotus]

"Because I'm from nowhereseville and make average grades and there's nothing special about me."

[fogboundcrow]

"At least your hometown is a resort town. Without the murder case and the Midnight Channel, Inaba isn't particularly notable or eventful." He moves a little closer. "Grades don't determine your value. I happen to enjoy your company, and I don't think you're dull to be around."

[mountainfoggedlotus]

"Murders are more interesting than resorts," he puffs. "You even get to go around solving them! Fujikawaguchiko is just...normal." He slumps, sitting down on the ground.

Wormwood moves his attention to Raven. "Tell him what about him you find interesting."

[fogboundcrow]

Raven sits beside Ren, crossing his legs. "You're fun to spend time with, and I enjoy your curiosity and enthusiasm. You may say you're boring, but there's no shame in just being someone. Your life, your experiences are still worthwhile even at their most mundane."

[mountainfoggedlotus]

"I don't want to be mundane. I don't want to just be. I wanna be someone." He curls up a little bit. "But now that I'm here...I don't know how. And I'm scared."

Somewhere far away, Joker is flopping dramatically into Crow's arms. "Save me from the preteen angst."

[fogboundcrow]

"You don't have to face it alone, though. I'm here, and we're in the middle of a castle manifested from someone's subconscious." Tentatively, Raven reaches for his shoulder. "I don't think you are mundane. I just think it's all right if not every moment is grand. You don't have to always make big, sweeping actions in order to be important. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try, but you're allowed to take it at your own pace."

Crow, of course, accepts his boyfriend even at his floppiest. "They'll figure it out, I'm sure."

[mountainfoggedlotus]

Wormwood pokes him. "And the problem with all this is...?"

Ugh. Fine. "Sometimes it's easier for me to think of this, happening to someone else. And not me, exactly. The cooler version of me."

[fogboundcrow]

"Perhaps the solution is to strive to be that cool version of you. I believe you have what it takes." Of course, Ren has to take the initiative. Raven can't just make him be confident.

[mountainfoggedlotus]

"You are the coolest version of you," Wormwood insists.

[fogboundcrow]

"Exactly. Even if you can't see it, it's true." Here, he even smiles a little. C'mon, Ren. Please cheer up.

[mountainfoggedlotus]

Ren takes a deep breath. "All those isekais make character development look easy," he grumbles under his breath, but he seems to realize how silly that sounds halfway through and he ends it with a little laugh. "Fine. I am the coolest version of myself. And you are too, Wormwood."

[fogboundcrow]

"It can be difficult to admit, so there's no shame if you struggle or need a reminder now and then." Is this a good time to offer a supportive shoulder squeeze?

Is that too forward?

Hm. He'll just. Awkwardly stay close to Ren.

[mountainfoggedlotus]

Wormwood lets out a sigh of relief, relaxing and stepping forward. "Thank you." He squeezes Goro's shoulder. Ren blushes at the behavior of his persona.

"I art thou..."

"Thou art I," Ren confirms, and just like that, Wormwood turns back into his persona and disappears in a flash of blue fire. Everything feels much better inside Ren again.

[fogboundcrow]

Oh. Oh, that was Ren's Shadow being forward with him. Raven's cheeks burn a pretty shady of pink, and he clears his throat.

"So! I suppose we should carry on, hm? Now that you're on the same page with your Persona."