personavelvetroomdr | (no subject)

[A message appears on the network one morning, not long after a certain Ren appears.

Not long after it goes up, some parts are edited out.]

Attention, "Crow" and "Joker." With the arrival of my Ren, we formally challenge you over your precious codenames. Let us prove to you that we are the ones worthy of the titles, while you are mere variations from a simpler, happier world. despite the power you wield. You may have seniority within this space, but we were forged in the fires of our hardships and have emerged on the other side of Maruki's reality. You two have likely grown soft from your domesticity. Perhaps you'll find us worthy opponents after all this stagnation. They say the spirit of competition can bring out one's best and their worst.

[Is it bold to proclaim the challenge over the network? Yes. But he'd have it no other way, really. Everyone deserves to know how serious they are.]

As for the rest of you, I'd like to start a little bonding exercise. Tell me something about yourself, and I'll tell you something about me in turn. Won't that be fun?

[It should be a simple way to start and prove that he's just as capable of "bonding" as Ren is.]

[ooc: Original parts of the message in strikethrough, with the edits after, if you want your character to have seen the original version.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Not really. It's certainly a good one.

Right. And you can't exactly sneak around as well wearing an orange jumpsuit.

[Sure their Phantom Thief outfits aren't in all black, but it has more black than not.]

Then again, anime and manga aren't known for their realism. But I am allowed to poke fun at it.

[Granted, his favorite fictional heroes are all brightly colored, so maybe he shouldn't talk.]

Well no. It's all fantasy really.

There's nothing wrong with that. Even most fans like to poke fun at the stuff they love. Like Featherman for example.

[Yes he has to bring up Featherman.]

For me, it's the heteronormativity that always gets me. They really should embrace the homoeroticism and let Hawk and Condor be a couple.

[Good thing he's both watched enough as a kid, and whenever Futaba had him watch it with her, to know what Akechi's talking about.]

Yeah that's always annoying. Especially if said straight couple doesn't have any real chemistry with each other.

True, but they are too cowardly to do that. Alas, that's what fanart and fanfiction is for.

True. Our society still refuses to talk about people who fall outside the "expected" paths in lives in a meaningful way. A lack of resources, lack of acceptance... But I do believe actually making such a bold move would be meaningful. Unlikely, but meaningful all the same.

Not to mention gender roles are a bunch of bull crap. I heard a wise woman once said that gender is a spectrum, not a binary switch.

[That wise woman was Lala-chan of course.]

Pushing for change is hard, but it's worth it. I have faith we'll get there one day.

I have considered certain possibilities, you know. Obviously nothing immediate. I have my duties to Kirijo-san and whatever else that entails before I'm truly a free man. But perhaps spreading more awareness to the horrors of our country's foster system is a worthwhile goal to pursue.

You're working with the Kirijo Group? Hopefully it's not a Shido 2.0 situation.

[Because if so, he and the Phantom Thieves would find a way to save him regardless of how powerful the Kirijo Group is. He knows that wouldn't be different in Akechi's and his Ren's case.]

Absolutely. That does need to be fixed badly, and children treated a lot better.

They claim it's an opportunity for atonement and rehabilitation. Naturally, I'm not wholly convinced.

[But it is what it is, and he's not in a position to bite the hand that "feeds" him, for now.]

Despite everything, it's still preferable to prison, and at least now I have an opportunity to live to pursue other goals.

Boy that sounds familiar.

[Yaldabaoth comes to mind.]

Though it does sound better than going to prison, which I imagine is much worse than juvie.

Juvie wasn't fun when I was stuck there for a month, but I had the fortune of Sae-san letting me have access to a special program that provided me with blood so that I didn't feed on other inmates. Apparently it's been a thing with all prisons in Japan for centuries in order to keep the supernatural a secret.

Annoyingly familiar, and I'm not going to repeat my past mistakes and assume I have full control. The fact that the prisons account for vampires is fascinating. It implies there's a greater awareness of the supernatural than one would initially believe.

It's not well known to the general public as the supernatural can't really be seen by most normal people. Sae-san didn't notice my true appearance at first, but after we did the whole plan to trick you, she was able to see it and everyone else's true appearances due to her being briefly in the metaverse.

I also imagine some government cover-up is involved.

Edited 2025-01-09 01:11 (UTC)

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Evidently, there have been multiple Persona-related incidents over the years, and Persona users well before any of us. Kirijo-san is one of them.

That does match up to what was said on Raven's board. I honestly thought we were the only ones back home.

[If she is really a persona user, then it's possible she can be trusted. But he doesn't have enough information to go on for that.]

I suppose it's not all that surprising, in the grand scheme of things. The Velvet Room must have preceded both of us, and I suspect that so long as there's cognition, there will be Shadows and those who seek to exploit the masses.

Or as long as people exist really. Considering that everyone has a shadow.

I have no doubt there will be persona user teams after us too. Likely also face some god trying to mess with humanity.

[Which brings the question of how long this cycle has really gone on. Did it really start in the 90s, or has it been happening for centuries? Or perhaps even the beginning of time?]

It wouldn't surprise me. History often repeats itself. Our predecessors are proof enough of that fact. It's just rather irritating that they never made themselves known when it mattered.

Of course not. That would make things too easy and too convenient.

I suppose the Phantom Thieves have the opportunity to buck the trend. Though it depends on how beholden you feel to future generations. You all have your own lives to lead.

It's hard to say what the future holds. If the next generation needs a mentor, then I can do that. After all, I'll be around for centuries to come.

[Perhaps even to the end of time.]