gorobo | Power levels dangerously low... please seek out the nearest recharge station...

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Power levels dangerously low... please seek out the nearest recharge station...

It would've been too much to ask for infinite battery life in this dimension, wouldn't it?

He lets out a curse as his shot misses a Preta, distracted by the warning that's been sitting in his HUD for days, which has finally started blinking on and off, a sign that he's dangerously close to running out of battery. Even his backup power supply is running out, as the ever-blaring alarm in his head ever so graciously informs him every other hour, with increasing frequency as he continues to avoid charging up.

2.47% left, a quick internal scan reveals.

God. Fuck.

He's... where would he even find a charging station, in this place? Since one of his sisters is here too, she must have a place to charge as well, but he's loathe to ask where, involved with Kirijo as she still is.

There's always the possibility that his usual station has appeared in this Tokyo, but...

With growl, he throws off the Preta when it charges at him, before vaporizing the thing with a quick Megidolaon from Loki. Mikage-cho has been a great way to both blow off steam and hide away from the others, even if the constant barrage of demons only drains him all the more. Despite that conversation with Morgana and Renée having been... enlightening, in some regards, and texting those who deigned to check up on him, he still doesn't want to see anyone right now.

The files in his head stand out as always. He's given up on trying to remove them himself, especially when power is becoming such a precious resource.

He senses another horde of demons approaching- more powerful ones, this time. He should probably get out of here.

His internal alarms still blare at him when he arrives at the nearby shrine- a place that demons seem to avoid, and he's so... tired isnt the right word, but he feels sluggish. His systems aren't working at their best performance, one by one cutting their own useage in order to keep his body running a little longer in general. A scan outside the shrine reveals that the demons are still hanging around.

... Well. No use in using up more power than he needs just twiddling his thumbs while he waits for them to leave. He can't exactly afford that right now.

2.13% left.

He settles himself against one of the internal walls- out of sight, so people looking in don't see him immediately, and allows his thoughts to drift.

Entering sleep mode...

His eyes lose their glow as he powers down, head slumping forwards, and in less than a second, he's gone.

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"Give or take, yes," he says, watching Raven flip his phone, "and you'd be correct. I'd rather keep the amount of people who know about this place to an absolute minimum."

There's a pause, and then a much quiter, "I really do hate it so."

Wether Raven was intended to hear that isn't clear. He isn't even sure which it is, himself. He's- it's frustrating. On one hand, Raven makes him apprehensive, wary, angry in ways, but on the other-

He's just a kid. He's just trying to help. He's trying to make things better in his own way, for himself and others. That much is clear, even to his own conflicted feelings and mind. The dichotomy is maddening.

"Do as you wish," louder again, "I'm not going anywhere for the forseeable future, anyway."

Edited 2024-04-23 17:33 (UTC)

With nothing to do, Raven takes a seat near the charging station and messes around with his phone for a bit. There aren't super amazing apps to work with, since it's an older model, but it's better than nothing...

As he fiddles around and as the minutes pass, curiosity gnaws at him.

"...This must be incredibly boring."

Just sitting there, stuck waiting, at the mercy of the machinery.

With nothing else to say, Falcon closes his eyes, and tries to relax. Hearing Raven fiddle with his phone is both an assurance he's still here, but also sounding uncomfortably close to the researchers fiddling with machinery. The feelings war with each other, until he opens his eyes again, frustrated. He tries to sneak a glance at what Raven's doing, but can't see anything from his angle.

"It is," he huffs in reply when Raven asks, "I used to enter sleep mode while charging to get it over with, or talk to- well. Before- well."

Before Shido got his hands on me.

"Before," he settles on. "I can't bring myself to, nowadays. Being bored is the preferable option."

Edited 2024-04-23 18:04 (UTC)

"Is it not possible to move this charging station to a more comfortable location? Given your low power before, I can't imagine you enjoy coming here..."

Which doesn't really encourage Falcon to take care of himself, does it? He doesn't even have to ask for details to get a feeling of overall discomfort. The atmosphere alone carries an unsettling air.

"... I don't," he confirms, after a moment, and he seems to ponder over his words for a moment, eyes flitting towards Raven and away, before finally, "I really hate coming here."

There. It's out there. He said it properly.

"And I don't know. Mom rigged up something for me while on the move, and this one- it used to be in a different facility, so it is moveable." He looks like he wants to shrug, but doesn't. Still charging, after all. "It'd be a multi-person job, though, and require engineers to dis- and reassemble."

"I'm sure there'd be willing participants to orchestrate the move. As for engineers..." He trails off. He can't think of many qualified individuals, truth be told.

"Honestly, I only know one person who may be able to help, and she's the one who tampered with your programming to begin with."

Even then, programming and engineering aren't synonymous necessarily.

"You're talking about Futaba, aren't you?"

He can't lie- out of everyone, she's the one he wants to see the least. He's trying to extend the same understanding to her as he is to Raven, or Phoenix, or Renée, but... she's still the one who actually messed around in his head. If he thinks about it too hard, he can still feel the tentacles of her Persona writhing around, changing code, changing him.

The file in his head pokes at his subconscious like what he images in a splinter in your thumb feels like. She was trying to help, but it feels wrong, wrongbadwrong. Violating. He doesn't cringe from the memory, but it's a near thing.

"... Hacking and engineering are two very different things."

"True." And of course he wouldn't be happy about it. He can tell that the mere mention of her is a sore subject, so Raven opts not to mention her again. "Perhaps a post to the network could help? There could be skilled individuals neither of us are aware of."

If nothing else, it's the most practical option. Certainly better than doing nothing.

"You're not wrong about that," he agrees, his fingers twitching as he aches to put his hand on his chin. He's grateful Raven dropped the subject of Futaba- smart kid. "If nothing else, it'll get word out there."

But that brings in the question... where to move it to? It's not like he has a place in mind; he just doesn't want to come here anymore. This place... is nothing but bad memories; a reminder of an even worse reality.

"I don't have anywhere it can go, though."

"Well, couldn't you choose a place? There's no shortage of residential areas across all the doors." Come to think of it, where had Falcon been staying? Somehow, the thought hadn't even crossed his mind until now.

He cups his chin in hand, his attention successfully pried from his phone.

"I hate to break it to you, but there's hardly anywhere here I'd like to call 'home'." He frowns, mouth pulled into a sneer. "Staying in one place has not had the most enjoyable consequences for me in the past."

He closes his eyes, and forces himself to calm down. Don't take it out on the kid, he's trying to help.

"That is to say... I don't know where I'd choose." He opens his eyes again. "I wouldn't say I'm particularly picky. Just not here."

"What if you chose somewhere decidedly different from Tokyo? I suppose Inaba would be the most distinct option, but surely the other doors have their share of choices, too."

The issue is they're all so industrial by comparison. Mikage-cho, Sumaru, and Iwatodai are all so urban, though Iwatodai's waterfront at least gives it a certain allure.

It's... not a bad suggestion. Not at all, really- while Falcon doesn't necessarily dislike Tokyo, it has a lot of... unfortunate memories attached to it. He's still not exactly happy about the whole thing, but-

"I suppose I could look around Inaba after this," he grumbles, "it'd be a change of scenery, if nothing else."

"Perhaps you'd even appreciate how simple it is. No bright lights, no loud noises. There's less to do, but perhaps that's what you need right now."

There's something to be said about those who lead busy, thankless lives needing a space to be at peace. It might aid Falcon's recovery.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. We'll see."

He falls silent again, mulling over Raven's suggestion. He does enjoy Inaba- it reminds him of better times. Tumultuous times, yes, but better. Mom was there, and even if they had to run and move often... it was good.

He allows himself to remember seeing a pond for the first time. Objectively knowing what it is and what life lives in it, but still sitting there for hours; simply observing the frogs, the mosquitos, using his scanners to get a read on the microscopic life. So fundementally different from himself, even from mother, but just as fascinating and rich in its own way.

His eyes gain a distant sheen; lost in his own memories as he replays them in his mind.

... Fuck. He really misses his mom. This is why avoids reminiscing- it always gets painful, eventually.

It's clear from Falcon's expression that this is a sensitive topic. At first, Raven watches quietly, pensively. What should he say? What should he do? Should he even act at all?

There's a lot to consider. A lot he still doesn't know.

Hm...

"There's a lovely view on the top of the hill. The Samegawa river is a fairly relaxing place as well."

Snapped out of his own thoughts, Falcon blinks, his expression settling once more. Ugh- fucking stupid. He can't change the past. He can only move forwards- and fucking kill Shido once he's out of here-

But that doesn't seem to be the case for now. He considers Raven's words instead.

"I've been... visiting the Samegawa river here and there, yes. It was... enjoyable enough, I suppose. I haven't seen the view at the top of the hill, though."

"Perhaps it's worth investigating once you finish charging? You could always take a good book and enjoy the view."

Does Falcon enjoy reading books? Hm... Come to think of it, he doesn't know a whole lot about Falcon's interests.

Or Falcon in general.

Hm... it is, once more, not a bad idea. He doesn't remember the last time he read a book simply for the sake of enjoying, rather than presenting a front, or his programming trying to make him appear a certain way to someone. But what book to read? It's been so long... what books even exist in the weird world?

"Not a bad plan," he settles on, "I'll have to check out a bookstore. I used to visit them a lot when I was younger."

The 'but then Shido happened' is implied, even if not said out loud.

Raven hums softly, bringing a hand to his chin. "If you're lucky, you should be able to read just fine. Magpie had... issues in the past, but I believe that had more to do with his reluctance to make connections and was Igor's bizarre way of incentivizing him to open up."

Which was certainly underhanded, but one could argue that turning him into a child was as well. Perhaps the Velvet Room's denizens operated under their own weird logic.

"If I'm lucky I what."

Well! If that doesn't convince him Igor is a fucking prison warding toying with lives...

Anger rises inside him- how dare Igor mess with someone's cognition like that, how dare he change them in such a fundemental way, how dare he-

(He doesn't feel panic. Nope. Just angry. Just angry. Furious, even! No panic at all.)

It takes him all his willpower not to get up right here and now and go for another attempt at fighting Igor. He's not charged enough for such a doubtlessly tough battle. Patience.

Raven winces, but perhaps he should have seen that coming. It's hardly a fair treatment, after all.

"...If it's any consolation, it doesn't seem to affect him anymore. Perhaps Igor has realized how cruel such a punishment was. Or perhaps it was Elizabeth-san's idea all along. She seems... strange."

Sighing, he decides not to question it too much. It is what it is.

"I suppose the best thing you can do is try and hope that the text doesn't get distorted with weird nonsense."

"You realize that is not comforting in the slightest."

It's not just about the inability to read- it's about the hows and whys and the capability of destroying one's free will this way. How long until they decide they've had enough of them? How long until they change someone from the inside out, how long until he's-

Falcon has gone unnaturally still, his jaw clenched tight. There's not even the illusion of a living being left with how still he is.

"...No, you're right. Even though Igor-san has been generally forthcoming to me when pressed enough, that doesn't change the fact that the ways in which he encourages bonding aren't always the kindest."

He heaves a loud sigh, slumping over slightly. "I can try to bring it up to him. Perhaps he'll be more inclined to listen because I'm young."

"Sure." Falcon's tone is clipped. "Go for it."

He's too busy ~~panicking~~ seething about the information that's just been revealed to him. This just keeps getting worse and worse, doesn't it?

Futaba's files dig in his head, and what if, what if, what if-

He needs to get out of this place and soon.

Edited 2024-04-25 20:40 (UTC)

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