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[video] - I - The Magician

At the stroke of midnight, D-Terminals and screens all around Terminal Tokyo flicker on.

There's four people on screen standing inside a building. One of them some people will recognize as one Minato Arisato. The others include a teenage girl with short brown hair wearing a pink cardigan, a young woman with long dark red hair, and a young man with silver hair and wearing a bright red vest.

There's a loud crashing sound, as if some kind of creature is attacking the building.

The red haired woman tells the other girl to get Minato somewhere safe. The girl nods and leads him up several flights of stairs onto the building's roof. Outside, it's night time, but something is wrong. There's a strange, otherworldly green tint to the sky, there's what appears to be blood everywhere, and the full moon is an unusual shade of bright yellow. It seems...ominous, somehow. Looming above the two teenagers as if it were a malevolent force. The girl slams the door shut behind them.

Breathing heavily, through both fatigue and fear, she senses something behind them and whips around.

It comes.

Over the side of the roof reaches first, a single black arm. Then many others join it, followed by one more hand holding a single blue mask. The mask looks around, as if it can see, and indeed it does. When it spots the two of them, all of the other hands procure blades instantly and it pulls itself onto the roof. The creature reveals itself to be a mass of black arms - some of them hold the blades while it uses others to move slowly towards Minato and the girl.

"Those monsters," the girl says, "we call them Shadows."

She reaches to the holster on her leg and pulls out a gun, but instead of aiming it at the monster, she places the barrel to her head. She tries to pull the trigger, but she can't seem to do it. The monster - the Shadow - swipes at her and she just barely dodges, dropping the gun. It lands in a puddle of blood at Minato's feet.

Time seems to slow down. The Shadow advances. Minato hears a voice, the voice of a young boy.

"Go on."

He picks up the gun and holds it, as if he were in a trance. Remembering what the girl did, he holds the barrel to to his temple. He's breathing heavily. He's sweating. His hand is shaking. He says a single word.

"Per...sona..."

And he pulls the trigger.

There's the sound of shattering glass, and instead of a dead Minato, something else materializes into the world behind him. It's a humanlike figure with a gigantic lyre on its back.

"Thou art I and I am art thou. From the sea of thy soul I come. I am Orpheus, Master of Strings."

Minato smiles, but the smile is short lived as he suddenly cries out in pain and grips his head. Orpheus mimics his anguish and something else rips its way out of Orpheus' body. It's another humanoid, dark and wild in its appearance. It roars and brandishes a long, straight sword. It sets its sights on the Shadow and immediately tears it apart without mercy. A stray arm falls to the ground and flops around like a dying fish until it along with the rest of the Shadow melts away into nothingness.

The girl stares in a combination of fascination and horror as the black figure roars in satisfaction before reverting back to Orpheus in a blink, then vanishing completely.

[OOC: tl;dr video here]

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[There's... SO much he can say here. So, so much. Thankfully he already knows other Persona user exist, but it's still terrifying and strange.]

Sanada-san...? Kirijo-san...?

[Yu's response actually catches Minato off guard. All he can do is kind of ask dumbly,]

...oh, you know them?

Yeah... Though they were older... are they in high school in this?

[He hesitates, then:]

Are you part of the Shadow Operatives, Arisato-san?

Yes, they're both my senpais. They were eighteen at the time.

[Shadow Operatives. Is that what you're calling it now Mitsuru. Is it.]

...and I wouldn't think there would be any need for a "Shadow Operatives," but I suppose I'm just out of the loop.

[Yu's brain whirls. 18... he had assumed they were in their early 20's in the TV. So... 3, 4 years? It could just be a time skip like with Rise, but that Persona tearing out of the other one... it's like the changing Persona he knows, only more violent.

Elizabeth had said the boy that had saved everyone was a Wild Card, like him. Could Minato be that boy?]

Your Persona, it changed. Most people can't do that.

[A loaded statement, to see how he responds to him casually throwing the P word around]

I...

[It's so strange talking openly like this about his abilities. He didn't even do so with his closest friends.]

...I'm different from others. As for Thanatos...it's also a different Persona. One that's linked to Orpheus due to complicated reasons.

But Thanatos is Elizabeth's persona...

[He mumbles it under his breath, not even realizing he said anything outloud]

...I think we need to compare notes, Arisato-san.

You know Elizabeth?

...she has Thanatos?

[Ok. It's clear he's been missing out on a lot. Well, to be fair, he knew he has been, it was kind of a Thing he accepted would Happen. But this is far more than he ever thought.]

Yes, I agree. Would you like to meet somewhere?

That sounds good. better to talk face-to-face.

...somewhere with food sound good?

There's a nice ramen restaurant down the street. How about there?

[He nods, trying to smile comfortingly]

I'll meet you there.

[And when Yu arrives, Minato already has a table and is browsing the menu. When he spots Yu, he gives a casual wave, as if they were just having a meal together.]

Over here, Narukami-san.

[He sits, grinning]

I haven't eaten here yet. Is it good?

Yes, it reminds me of a place I used to eat at in Iwatodai.

[Yu thinks he knows which one, but he can't be sure- Iwatodai is a lot bigger then Inaba, so it's sure to have more then one shop. Better to keep anymore 'oh hey I know that' revelations confined to Persona business for now]

Alright then... I'm thinking something with extra egg.

[Minato already knows what he wants and he orders the largest bowl the place has. DORUmon has sometimes scolded him for spending so much for food, but he gets hungry sometimes.]

Where should we start?

[Yu orders porkbone with an egg on top before turning back to Minato]

Wow... How about I just tell you my story, since I approached you first?

Please do. I'd love to hear it.

[Plus he's been talking about himself all this time. It's about time Yu shared.]

We might be here awhile.

[And he starts talking, starting from the day he arrived in Inaba, going through discovering his Persona, meeting Igor and Margret. Making friends, saving people in the TV. Marie, Adachi, Izanami...

The returning, meeting Minato's senpais and Labrys, the unknown power plotting against them... Elzibeth's quest to save a boy with the same power as himself- and with a small smirk his team's choice to keep looking into it against Mitsuru's order.

The food has long since arrived while he talks, and his bowl is almost gone by the time he finishes]

And that's everything... so far.

Edited 2013-08-27 21:20 (UTC)

[Yu's story is fascinating. Extraordinarily so, to the point where Minato almost forgot to eat his food. Sometimes he wants to stop him and ask a question, but then Yu says something else that catches his attention and he forgets all about it.

By the end, though, he's only finished most of his ramen (as opposed to all of it) he takes a sip of the tea he had ordered along with his noodles.]

I see.

[He doesn't really feel like eating anymore, so like a child, he idly plays with his food, swirling his chopsticks around in the broth. He cannot bring himself to look directly at Yu at the moment, instead gazing down into the bowl. His voice quivers slightly.]

I am glad to hear they're all right.

[He fakes a cough and reaches to drink his tea again.]

[This is the first time Yu's seen Minato anything close to *upset* in the short time they've known each other, and he has a feeling it's isn't an often shown thing. If he is That Boy, then it's been a long time since he's seen his friends, and basically hearing that the world has Moved On without you.... Yu feels a sympathetic sting in his guts. Like his own fears times a million]

You don't have to tell your story, Arisato-san... but I wanted you to know. And... if you ARE that person that Elizabeth-san is trying to save then...

Thank you.

[He mumbles quietly to himself.]

Elizabeth...she shouldn't...

[It isn't that he doesn't want to share his story. Quite the opposite, really. He just never found anyone who would be able to understand what he's been through. To hear that Elizabeth is trying to save him leaves him with conflicted, complicated feelings. It leaves him with feelings of immense joy and sorrow and hope and guilt.

He's so happy to hear that his dearest friends still remember him and keep him close to their hearts. But at the same time, it saddens him so much to hear of their struggles. And that if he were to be saved, what would it mean for the world and the people that he loves so much to protect?]

...sorry.

[He brightens up.]

I don't mind telling you.

[He tells his story with a smile, the night he signed a contract and of the horror that descended upon the world every night at midnight and the looming tower that stretched into nearly an eternity. Of the invite only class club that was a front for Shadow extermination and the members of it. Of October 4th and the death of Shinjiro. Of the despair of Strega and the crimes of the Kirijo group. Of his meetings with Igor and Harbinger of Death he befriended. Of April through January and how for a moment, how he could hear the voices of the humanity and the World.

Of the last two months, where he struggled to keep his eyes open and fought for every last breath, and of the promise he kept.

And of his last thoughts, that even though he could feel his own life leaving him, as he reached up to comfort Aigis and give her his last goodbye. He could remember thinking,

"The world is beautiful."]

So you see, Narukami-kun. You don't have to thank me for anything.

[Minato's hands clench and a few tears start rolling down his cheeks. The smile does not leave his face.]

I'm just a Fool who made a choice.

[He understands- scarily so. he didn't die for everyone like Minato did. Instead everyone came to bring him back. But he understands what it is to be separate from everyone else but still love them so damn *much*. The understanding is heavy in his eyes. Seeing the previous Fool cry makes his heart ache

He places a hand over Minato's, squeezing a little]

[Minato tenses up for a second before relaxing. The gesture is surprising, but appreciated. It's a little hard to believe that this is the same guy who was finding amusement in his suffering over alfredo and calamari pizza.

Yes. It's certainly like nothing else he's encoutered before.

He's fine now. They may have been only a few tears, but they held much weight in them, and it's something like a relief to let them go. He beckons the nearest staff member.]

Check, please.

[PINGED BY MAGIC!!!]

You're a summoner? I'm familiar with summoning creatures from guns... but never by shooting yourself. Do you know who invented the technique?

[UHHHH]

Sort of. And the technique was developed by researchers under the employ of Kirijo-san. She's the red haired woman.

I see...

And persona. That's like, an alter-ego or something, right? Was that the name of the creature you summoned specifically, or of just the type of summon in general?

..and what was up with that thing where it ripped in half... the magic went out of control?

[Wow you were like, completely right on all that. It's kind of scary.]

That being is called a Persona, it's sort of a...representative of one's soul. Mine is named Orpheus.

As for the other thing...that was Thanatos, also one of mine. Normally, people are supposed to only have one Persona. I'm a special case.

[This is the one thing I'm good at.]

I see... So if you can only have one, that means that it's generally based on something localized to you... [Like how Cass's ancestors each became a specific summon. Okay!]

Which I guess means you have some kind of pluralistic resonant magical field that allows you to change your potential energy and manifest it in a different way. That sounds like a really rare talent!

I've never given any actual thought to how it actually works. They're still quite a bit of a mystery where I come from.

[In fact, he's pretty sure the Kirijo Group would love to get their hands on a guy like this to figure things out for them. The guy looks happy hearing about all this, so Minato sees no harm in indulging him. It's not like it's a secret anymore.]

I don't know anyone else who has the same skills I do.

[Actually he does, but he doesn't realize it yet.]

I also can summon two at once given the circumstances.

'The circumstances...'

[The summoner he knows could summon multiples, but they were based on ancestors and not herself... so something like this would have to be based on a dualistic soul. And Orpheus and Thanatos being two of them... That would mean...]

Oh! Is it ones that are mythically related? Their similarities could resonate together in such a way that it'd allow someone with particular focus and ability to summon more than one at a time... which means the myth itself behind the name is somehow related to the way your soul's power crystallizes...

[FINALLY BEING A HUGE NERD PAYS OFF.]

Yes. If the two are compatible in that way, they have the ability to work together to create new effects.

It's very tiring though.

[A small nod.]

I've never really... had that problem but I'd imagine most people would if you're throwing around enough high level magic.

It takes a lot out of you to summon a being that's a representative of yourself.

It takes even more when you summon two of them.

Yeah, I guess that's true. It definitely explains why the summoner I know back home tends to draw the power to do it from her environment. It's really tiring otherwise for most people...

Oh right. I'm Ed! I don't think we were ever introduced.

Power from the environment wouldn't help in this case. The source of a Persona's power is people themselves.

[Normally, it's just a single source, but when it comes to him, power can come from multiple people, provided they share it with him.]

I'm Minato Arisato.

It's nice to meet you.

So its based on inner strength and friendship? I'm something of a magic specialist... I do all sorts of stuff, but mostly I specialize in elemental magic. Stuff like fireballs and things... It's based on force of will to an extent but its also based on technique and skill.

I'd say that's about right.

[There is, after all, a reason why Igor encouraged him to connect with others.]

Each Persona has its own unique attributes. They have their own strengths and weaknesses and in turn, pass those strengths and weaknesses to you. Some can make you swing a weapon harder or be more adept with magic. If your Persona has an immunity to ice, even the coldest temperatures won't affect you, but if they're weak to it, not even the heaviest of sweaters will save you.

Oh... so your ability is even better, because you can change your physical attributes and immunities according to the enemy you're fighting!

Wow, if you have any time to preplan things out you've got to be really powerful, huh! Your defenses, if you had time to think them through... you could completely negate what an enemy does!

You could, but it's not always that simple. Enemies often have multiple kinds of skills or they attack in groups that have a wide variety of them. So while you can protect yourself from one attack, you leave yourself wide open to another.

[Hmm...]

That is a problem for most people. In your case, I'd try to cultivate personality fragments that don't have vulnerabilities, or have abilities that cover them somehow... like a thing weak to fire with the ability to cause a colossal downpour to put out flames or something.

[Yes, sometimes it was just hair tearingly frustrating trying to figure out what Persona he should be using, especially with pesky enemies that have multiple attributes.]

It's a lot of work to find a balance and having to constantly reconsider which ones I should be using.

I don't suppose you want to hear about fusion, do you?

Edited 2013-08-28 04:03 (UTC)

[THIS IS MY 'YES PLEASE TELL ME ALL ABOUT FUSION' FACE]

I'd love to!

[wow does he ever feel like a teacher.]

Fusion is just that, fusing Personas together to create a new one. The resulting Persona is stronger than it normally would be and it inherits abilities from the materials. A normally fire weak Persona could inherit something that helps it negate its weakness, for example.

It also receives an initial boost in power depending on my relationships with people.

...So you can combine facets of yourself to discover new possibilities, and then relationships with other people power up those possibilities at the point of creation...

Basically the bonds you nurture help you get a headstart as people can help develop sides of yourself you never even knew you had, but at the end of it it's your job to carry on the day by day parts of life yourself? That system's very philosophical!

It is, isn't it? The fortunate thing is that it's mostly just a side effect of living an everyday life.

[He misses those days. Sorely.]

I wonder if all those people I knew ever realized what they've done for me.

[Both in terms of his powers and just for him as a person.]

I'm sure on some level they do. [Ed gives a bright smile and nods.]

Everyone leaves an impact on everyone else, an it's those impacts that make us us. They may not have known about the mystical arcane power, but they probably noticed a change in you, at least.

[He smiles at that. It was something he needed to hear.]

Thank you.

No problem.

That's just kinda'... what I think.

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[video] - I - The Magician

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