personavelvetroomdr | [Closed Log] A "Heartless" Gesture

"And I thought I was crazy. It's a nice thought, but people are gonna find ways to be shifty either way. Nice to know you're not planning on stabbing me in the back, though. I'll admit I'm a little curious about all this cognitive science stuff, so if it turns out you really can lend a hand... I don't mind sharing a little borrowed knowledge."

"Oh, you'll end up picking it up - when Takuto and I start chatting about it, we can't stop talking! Haha! You'll be begging for a break," Kuon laughed.

Getting stabbed in the back, huh?

Pretty cognizant of how a lot of Akechis think. If it weren't for the online public post he might have even started to wonder if this was some inside job by the other residents to sneak someone into his palace and try to oversee its details.
That's quite a chore! If anything, he would much prefer just showing off his lab up front.

"It's less about craziness than letting your imagination run wild. It's a field that delves into your perception of reality as we know it," he admits with a little chuckle. "But it's not the first time I have heard that, and I doubt it will be the last. I can sound a little strange out of context... and I swear I really try not to and you are free to tell me if I am making you uncomfortable and-"

The elevator beeps signalling that it really doesn't like being held back.

"Oh, right-" he flicked on a button and let the elevator proceed further up.

Edited 2025-07-23 21:22 (UTC)

"Honestly, you're doing me a favor. I need a space I can test my gear in without atomizing my new roomie's architecture. She's been pretty great so far, but... yknow. Dangerous and experimental tech. I'll probably ask to set up in the basement somewhere if that's possible, though if the geometry as malleable as you say that might not be an issue."

"Wherever the spot we find for you, I'd love to take a peek at how you cobble things together. I was always the sort of kid that would take something apart to figure out how it worked, I already know I'm going to be insufferably curious~"

"Yeah, I will be so honest," he says with the slightest smile at the two tech geniuses next to him. "You two could come up with something truly remarkable, given your similar backgrounds and skills. I am no tech wizz alas so I might have to be your humble student instead. Kuon's already been teaching me coding, funny enough-!"

"I am sure I can come up with a good place for you to experiment with your interests."

"If you have any preferences... I am all ears."

"I dunno Doc, how expansive are your bullshit magic powers? If I gave you a blueprint of a room could you make that a reality or is this more of a 'pick the room you like' type of deal?"

Bullshit magic powers, he says. Oh man, he really has his work cut out for him, isn't it? He will sit down with him to explain the scope of it once they have settled he supposes.

He could always tap into his cognition and get a glance at how his home looked like but something tells him he should steer clear of all that. For now.

"Well...if you want a ship or a black hole, I am afraid I won't be able to manifest that per se but- you know, I wouldn't mind a blueprint. Something comprehensible will work just fine."

"Should've done the same for you too, Kuon. Sorry about that."

"Oh, don't worry about that. The room and board here was only ever going to be temporary for me, once I found a way to defend myself," she chuckled. "Besides, we'll find somewhere much cozier to move in."

"Admittedly I'm mostly curious as to just how far you can push things. Feel free to tell me to fuck off if I'm being too nosy here. It's not every day you run into a mage who casually claims he can shape reality at will, even if it's just restricted to this little bit of it."

"The fun part is that, theoretically, anyone can learn how to manipulate cognitive reality. It is, after all, shaped by everyone's perception of the world... if you can affect everyone's mentality, you can change the landscape of the Metaverse," Kuon hummed, tapping her chin in thought. That's what EMMA was doing, after all, using Jails and Monarchs to control segments of the population until she could earn the trust broadly of the public.

"Of course, yes, Takuto is quite special. His Persona - the manifestation of his true inner self - is much more powerful than most people's. I wager it's because the conviction towards his dream is unusually high compared to any normal person's."

Once their current project is complete, he supposed they could start off with looking for a place like that. That's going to be really strange but...awfully calming now. In a way. He did quite like the idea of it.

He held himself back from spiraling about Carl Jung and his theory of the collective unconscious. For now what he needed was to make sure Crow was comfortable. He's his guest, after all-!

"I wouldn't say that for myself," he says while shaking his head- blushing a little out of embarrassment from the way how Kuon spoke of him. It made his chest feel so much more lighter but- "Everyone has a strong conviction towards their dream and work tirelessly on wanting to make it come true. It's the circumstances that deter them and I have struggled just as much."

He tilts his head to glance at Crow then back at her with the slightest bit of warmth. "The magic lies in having the right people to support us."

And the sole reason why he does what he does is to be that right person for everyone.

The doors slowly opened with the slightest whoosh and just like the first day he had brought Kuon Ichinose over, here they were- standing before the precipice of his grand lab.

Maruki walked past the threshold, turning around excitedly with the box still held in his hand. Stretched above were walls and floor painted white, natural light piercing peering from the glass roofs and stretching below as cognitions walked around in the reception area. The area was inlaid in rich gold-coloured tapestries that curled in certain corners before ending off as large surveillance cameras with a neon-blue lens mounted at the center.

"This is the front lobby," he begins cheerfully like he's showing off his favorite toy collection. "There's other floors and it might be a lot to take in at first glance."

He settles in easily and finally, his eyes glow gold again as the ground beside him melts- revealing a large tentacle slowly rising- carefully keeping the ends of its spidery digits closed so as not to intimidate the new Crow. "It's my persona, it won't hurt you," Takuto says quickly- easing his hold on the box as the tentacle rushes to support it- its appendages splaying below the box before another tentacle pokes in- grabbing a stray gear in its index.

Zaun, who had not as-of-yet actually seen a Persona, did not know enough about them to know how seriously off this was.

He was not, however, completely braindead. "Creepy. But I can see how it'd be helpful. Sometimes I wish I had an extra pair of hands in the shop too, but I can see you've got a few dozen to spare."

He looked around at the cognitive laboratory with a slightly critical eye, taking in the sights before him. A faint rippling he didn't notice, like a record hitting interference.
Polished and pristine. They might well be useful, Crow, but remember.
Anything that shines like this has bodies in the basement."Conviction. Honestly, that's not... too far off from something my dad used to say. I don't think he'd have put it as positively as you, though."

The tentacle placed the gear back in the respective box it had fell off from. "Oh, I am sure Azathoth wouldn't mind assisting you from time to time either," he grins. "He can have a mind of his own sometimes." He completely understands why others find his inner self creepy from their first impression; he was befuddled himself when he first spoke to his own persona after all.

Still, somehow that comment itself didn't do as much damage as what he said after, causing Takuto's face to scrunch up like he just got kicked by Zaun.
Oh, he was getting compared to Masayoshi Shido of all people.

"You were close to your father, I see," he tries- suppressing his frustration with a serene smile. "What did he say?"

That made him laugh. "Don't worry, I know at this point who you're probably thinking of. I'm getting the sense that Shido guy's not popular around here, but relax, I've never met the man. Didn't even know his name before people started getting upset any time I talked about the home life. I say 'Dad', but it was more that he took me in when I had nowhere else to go."

He shrugged. "It was one of those speeches he liked to throw around when he had Revolution on the brain. 'Power comes to those willing to do anything to obtain it'. Steel your nerves, hold on to your convictions, that kind of crap. Those who'd oppress you will do anything to keep their power. Freedom won't come free, so you have to be ready to shoulder the cost. The guy loved his big dramatic speeches."

Oh, thank god.
He's...all in for people to change but he doesn't trust truly despicable people like Masayoshi Shido who are willing to trample over others and use them for his own gain.

His expression considerably softened at Crow's given context. "Right. I do quite see the merit in what your father thinks then who sounds like he was leading a revolution himself. I really really admire that- even if I am not an advocate for violence myself, I find rebellion inspiring." He didn't want to push his luck with Crow's potential father but he could see the differences already. The Goro Akechi he knew back in his world was the detective prince who apparently worked as Masayoshi Shido's assassin of sorts but he was different.
"I suppose its...the cost that makes me hesitate- as someone who has spoken and counselled people suffering from the unfortunate circumstances life, society or people throw their way."

"Sorry, Masayoshi Shido was one of those people who has wronged me and my life's work so I just...got slightly peachy at the idea of being compared to him."

Edited (one day i will write sentences that are grammatically correct. today is not that day) 2025-07-28 14:31 (UTC)

"That must be consistently coming up, huh? So many people are connected to Shido and here you are, a rare deviation - taken in by someone else entirely. I'm sure you'll feel like a broken record correcting that assumption in no time," Kuon chuckled, despite how clearly annoying that situation seemed.

"Constantly having to correct wrong assumptions, though... well, we certainly know the feeling well, here."

Those who speak of the cost of change are so rarely familiar with that of stagnation.
Both choices have their price- but only one has an end. Really, it's just a matter of which you can stomach.

His expression flickered, for a moment, a wince, a waving-off of some invisible fly. "Well hey, long as I'm in good company. All jokes aside, you're doing me a favor here, Doc, and I won't forget it in a hurry."

His dark eyes watched him carefully, doting on small details like his body language and the wince. Something's off. Something's really off with this Akechi.

Honestly, he's doing him a favor too. This way he can get to learn more about him.

"The pleasure's all mine," he offers with an earnest smile as he gestures at the box in Zaun's hands- a tentacle following up alongside him like a shadow. "Mind if I relieve you off that box? Then Kuon and I can show you around the snacks section at the reception. Get you settled. Disclose some...important things regarding someone else who lives with me then~"

Edited 2025-07-30 13:38 (UTC)

He grins, a brightness unlike the otherwise professional environment. "Then we can manifest your room-! Oh, I am excited on challenging myself with a new terrain."

"What do you say?"

"Don't forget to give him a key card as well," Kuon chuckled, giving Takuto a little nudge. "That way he can go deeper without the staff getting upset and attacking him."

"Not getting into a brawl with your private army of brain monsters would be ideal, yeah." He heated the other box, offering it- but not before retrieving from within it, nonchalantly as though it wasn't important at all, a small leather-bound journal, a hammer emblazoned on the front. "Curious how a card ends up being a key. How's that work? I can imagine a few mechanisms that might do the trick, but curiosity beckons."

Takuto immediately followed up, glancing at the leather-bound journal in Crow's hand as he gestured lightly- letting the tentacle rush in and support the boxes in its claws, fascinating by the leather-bound journal. So vintage...but questions can come and go at ease. The last thing he needs is to overwhelm him.

"Well- there are two definitions to how the usual key card is made. In this case-" he closed his eyes briefly, reaching into Azathoth before opening them and pulled out a card as it enveloped in a slight golden hue for a few seconds before it came back to normal. A classic white ID card with one of the edges of the card in the colour bronze. There was no photo on the ID card, only a name that said "Crow."

"Well, it's less a physical object and more... a cognitive anchor. I manifest it based on your internal acceptance- your readiness to perceive and enter the truth of this space. Once your mind acknowledges the structure of this lab — the keycard takes form as a symbolic bridge between your cognition and mine."

Hence in that case, anyone else who even decides to steal the card wouldn't be able to go to the upper floors without the dismissal of the shadows. It's a matter of trust at this point.

"Kuon, on the other hand would know the technical aspects."

A quickening of the pulse, a faint violet glint in the eye as he focused on the card, taking it gingerly.

"Oh, that's fun. Wild to see that actually at work. Can I take this out of the lab, then, or does it just..." He mimed the action of an object going 'poof' with one hand.

"It should fit nicely in your pocket. Funnily enough, I can't tell what kind of card reader Takuto is thinking of - there's the magnetic stripe of most cards, but sometimes the cards act more like an RFID. A funny little side effect of Takuto not actually knowing how those cards work in the material world - here, they work the way he thinks they should. Stick a card into the reader, and the reader will open the door if it's the right card."

Friend or not, she will never quite tire of lightly teasing Takuto over his blind spots with tech and how they manifest so strangely in the cognitive world.

"But in short - there's information on the card identifying the one holding it, and it communicates with the door to gain access."

"Hey," He cried out playfully, pouting at her teasing but lightly chuckling anyway. "I mean she isn't wrong. I don't even know what an RFID is but- yeah she basically got the mechanics of it, right. Always does. She's wonderful."

He grins. "The card will just look like any other regular card when you step outside really." With that, he steps back- the tentacles easily following with the held up boxes as he, at ease, places his hands in his pockets before grasping his chin, thinking to himself.

"Actually," he turns to Kuon for a brief moment. "Can you give Crow a little tour of the reception and get him settled with the snacks? I might as well just bring up Morning now then go ahead and figure out some space which is available in my lab."

[Closed Log] A "Heartless" Gesture

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