couldntpullthetrigger | IC Inbox for crosschecks

[Well, there's an elephant in the room.] No, I definitely do, but... day-to-day life, I mean, isn't so bad. I'm not... really a soldier, though, so I don't usually do soldier-y stuff. I'm a King here, so... I just do support. I've yet to kill anyone, and I'm gonna keep it that way for as long as I can.

[ Though he doesn't audibly sigh, her words fill him with hefty relief. None of them are really soldiers, despite their nighttime jaunts through Tartarus.

But, wait— ]

—"King"?

[ His confusion's evident in his voice - the hell does that mean? ]

Yeah, it's a... rank here. It's kinda weird, it sounds like they base the ranks off chess pieces. I'm a King, Minato-kun's a Queen... [Yeah that's a thing.] And... I think Souji-kun's a Knight, and Aigis is a Rook. So we're all different 'ranks', but they kinda do different stuff. Far as I know, Kings are mostly healers.

[ . . . . . . .

He ain't even gonna front, that is some weird-ass ranking system they've got going right there. ]

And you guys get to pick what you want?

No, you just kinda wake up one day and your Carrier freaks out at you... and then you go and there's this ceremony where they change your rank pin. [Pause. Was that all of it? Oh, right] OH! And they let you have a new weapon, too, I guess. Or one chooses you or whatever. Kinda like when you first show up.

... But yeah, if you wake up feeling any different and your Carrier's freaking out at you to go somewhere, that's why.

[ Got it. Not happy about it, but got it. ]

And you're okay with being a king?

I don't really get a choice but...

It gives me the ability to heal again, so I can help people out. So yeah, it's probably the best one for me? [Pause.] ... I like healing people and helping them. I mean what else would I do?

[ "Live a normal life without being abducted into some alien world" is what he'd like to say, but since he can't: ]

Seems like everyone'll be counting on you then. [ He's still not really inclined to help out in this war effort, but if the rest of his little crew's here... ] What do the other ranks do?

[Well, going back home is the ideal endgame, but for as long as they're stuck in the area...]

I'm not entirely sure. I think Queens are magic users, but mostly offensive, like the opposite of a King. Knights... I'm gonna guess have something to do with being physically strong? I have no idea really what the Rooks do, or I guess the Bishops.

[ He notes for himself to look into these ranks later, when he's finished his round of check-ups for the day. Though: ]

Sounds like you guys got everything covered then.

[ Do they really even need him, at this point? ]

I guess. I dunno, I think even among the ranks there are people that are better at one thing than another. Like I guess there's a whole part of the King magic that would let me... curse things... but I can't really do it really well? [She isn't sure about that.] And I guess I can learn some offensive magic, it's just a lot harder to do than if I had my Persona.

I dunno... this whole place... it seems kinda weird. Like... I'm less powerful than I was with my Persona.

[ Ah, yes. Obviously the topic of Personas would come up sooner or later. Shinjiro holds silent as she talks, content for the moment to let her air out her feelings. His own he keeps strictly locked inside - it doesn't feel right to say that he's relieved over this whole affair and the sudden silence in his head is comforting rather than alienating.

But just because he doesn't want his back doesn't mean others don't. ]

You can't ask for your Persona back? They're strong enough to dump us here. A Persona shouldn't be a problem.

[ Far as he can tell anyway. ]

[She lacks terrible, life-changing accidents with her own Persona, it's true. Io had always been a comforting presence within her - a knowledge she was strong and could take fate in her own hands and fight to find the answers she wants. Might've been a little different if hers had accidentally killed someone, definitely.]

You can't... I mean, they can't even bring in the items you had back home. There's kinda a reason you wake up nak... well, without anything. I don't know why, though. I think it's cuz even the people here don't know what brought us here. They keep saying we're gifts from the gods or something.

[ He almost snorts at that. Gift from the gods, his ass. Maybe everyone else, but certainly not him. ]

Why bother with any of us then? [ Don't answer that. Ah, but wait. Naked, right. ] No one tried to do anything weird to you when you first got here, right?

[ Does he need to beat up anyone for his kouhai. ]

[She doesn't feel much like a 'gift from the gods' either, she feels him there.]

I dunno. [That's about the best she can think.] But, no. No one tried anything weird. There wasn't even anyone in the room when I woke up, so it was easy enough to get dressed and get out before any of the roommates came back. [She appreciates the sentiment, even if she'd insist she could beat the hell out of them herself.] You wake up okay? [Does she need to bring the Wrath of Yukari down on someone?]

Yeah, fine.

[ His situation had been similar, but he won't bore her with the details. She seems to be doing well and fine, as far as he can tell. It's enough to alleviate any lingering concerns he'd had.

And since she is okay... ]

Gotta go check this place out though still.

[ Since, y'know, he's gonna be here for awhile. ]

Alright, good. [Yukari will slap someone for him. That is absolutely non-negotiable.]

You been able to explore much at all? No, probably not. Anything you're looking for particularly? I've been here a few months. And this place... Blanc? It's a lot bigger than just here.

[ Well, none of that's comforting to hear but he'll make do. He always has. ]

I'll figure it out. Don't worry about me.

... I don't think I can do that. [She is one of the healers of the group. She always has and always will worry about her comrades.] I told Minato-kun once before but... I can't heal people that're dead.

And you're not... [Anymore? Yet? Does he know about that? ... Oh god what does she say about that.] ... I mean... it is kinda possible here, though. Really easy, actually, but you never stay that way.

[ Wow, way to (almost) spill the beans????

She stumbles on her recovery, but thankfully the related topic throws him off-guard enough that he doesn't question the awkward pause to her unfinished question. ]

What do you mean, never stay that way?

[ People don't come back from the dead??? ]

Well, I mean... you can die here, and you just wake up like... outside the dungeon you were in. Or at the Oubliette. [People don't die when they are killed, it's so strange.

Ask her about the time she died, in fact. She beat all the rest of her castmates to it. Minus if you count the ones that were dead before even coming here.]

So it's not permanent. I even think there might be something a King can learn to... bring someone back.

It um... only works here, though.

[ He's not gonna lie, that sounds disconcerting and creepy as hell. Either they're dead or they're not dead, and if they're not dead then that means something super messed up is happening.

(At least, that's how he sees it.) But the moral of this story seems simple enough. ]

I'll try not to die then. [ If only so Takeba won't need to expend energy on his useless body. For now: ] I gotta head out for a bit. I'll see you later.

[She sort of agrees, but at the same time, she's been dead before, and it's kind of nice that her one mistake didn't end with her not. ever. being able to come back.]

Alright, senpai. Don't be a stranger. [She means that. She has someone else to worry about here now. Don't make her have to track him down to worry at his face.]

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sorry about the delay, moving took longer than expected

I feel this on a spiritual level, I say, as I tag between packing

ah dang, good luck!! packing's the worst....

Man, UNpacking has been the worst, like. Where do I start and 'where did I put my sunglasses'

they are probably in the least expected box just like mine were

I hope so cuz I have looked through everything and not found it yet and I am a little worried

oh nooo!!! crosses my fingers for you 8((

I FOUND THEM they were in literally the last box

congrats!!! even if it took forever to find them...

it was a miserable week without them. so bright. so painful. damn sun!