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[A message arrives a few days after the operation.]
Hello again.
First and foremost, I wanted to apologize. What I said about getting off on the wrong foot wasn't entirely a lie, but the fact remains that I lured you into a situation without your consent.
You deserve to know how it came to that.
Aragaki-san messaged me with information regarding your 'true nature.' We had concerns that the way you reacted wasn't entirely of your own volition. It seemed troubling that you would become so hostile at my criticisms of Shido and then suddenly snap back into place when Crow arrived.
I contacted Futaba-san shortly after because she seemed the most qualified. A group chat was made not long after, wherein plans were made to try and find a way to break you free from Shido's influence, assuming it was forced upon you.
I was selected as "bait" because I was the least likely to rouse suspicion. It was Phoenix's idea to use a Palace. The others came as backup in case everything went awry.
None of us wanted to hurt you, but obviously, there's no disputing the fact that we effectively went inside your mind. Our plan involved tampering with you, and if you were truly tampered with before, I know that such actions, regardless of intention, must have brought back painful memories.
I can only hope that in time you will be able to find some form of happiness. Good intentions or not, you are not obligated to treat us with forgiveness and understanding.
[For a day or so, the message stays on 'read'. A text bubble pops up every now and again, before going away. Then, finally, a message comes through.]
I honestly don't know what you want me to say right now.
I'll put it plainly; I am furious with all of you. I feel violated. It feels like there is something stuck inside of me that I cannot get out. It is foreign, and it is awful, and if I could physically rip it out, I would. I was deceived, cornered, put down like an animal, and then hacked, like I was nothing more than an inanimate object in need of 'correction', but then, that's what I was, wasn't I? What I am, am I not?
It is hard for me to trust that this will not backfire on me at any point, or turn me into someone's newest plaything, or self-destruct if I do something one of you doesn't like. I don't even know if writing this will trigger something like that. Will I even care if it does at this point? Does it even matter?
Do you know what it's like to physically feel someone rooting around in your mind? To feel them change the way you think? The way you act? To feel yourself change from the inside out, and there is nothing you can do?
I'd wager you don't, and you better keep it that way. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. It's violating in a way words cannot describe.
That all being said, I do understand why you all did what you did. It is understandable that you'd want to neuter something that can and will kill for simply saying the wrong words. For what it's worth, I truly did not wish to harm you, or act the way I did towards anyone else. It wasn't my choice to do so, believe me, but that didn't make this intervention any less necessary, did it?
I don't like it. Not one bit. If I'd had the choice, I would've liked to do it while I was fully aware of what was going to happen, or rather: not have it be needed at all. I am not ungrateful that Futaba managed to disable Shido's bug, far from it, but I cannot divorce my previous experiences from what happened the other day.
Having had the time to think about it, I can't say it wasn't warranted. I can't say I blame any of you for doing what you did. I won't hold it against you, but that does not mean I am ready to forgive any of you, either.
If you truly mean anything of what you said, I may be amenable to speaking again in person, but not now. I'm sure you understand.
I know hearing from one of us is probably the last thing on your mind. You're under no obligation to respond, but for the record
I really am sorry it went down this way. The manipulation, the fight. All of it. I don't regret making the decision to get you out of his control, but it could have, and should have, been handled better than it was.
Again, no obligation to respond, but if you have a place you'd like me to drop them, I have some stuff I've used to get paint out of feathers without causing damage. (Sorry again)
Or hell, if you need to get some aggression out of your system, you can tell me where to meet up and that's an option too.
I'm not going to pretend I'm fine with what you did. I'm not. Your shit is stuck in my head like a thorn I can't reach or pull out. I'd ask you to come get rid of it, but I don't think I can stand the sight of you.
I don't know what attacking you will prove, but I won't hesitate either if you try to approach me. I cannot trust you right now, even if, in hindsight, I appreciate you getting rid of Shido's bug.
Koromaru doesn't always go for walks with Shinji. He's a big dog! He can take care of himself! If anything tries to hurt him, he and Cerberus can generally handle it.
Today, he's out on his own, trying to see if he can find Aigis-Akechi (as his doggy brain is currently parsing the smell difference). He wants to see how he's doing.
As it stands, Falcon has decided to sit at the entrance of Gekkoukan High.
Apparently, it turns into a tower full of Shadows at night, which sounds crazy, but then... well. He's experienced the anomaly, and the Dark Hour sure as hell feels like the anomaly, so...
Then, there's movement in the corner of his vision, and a furry head comes into view, and he relaxes a little at the familiar canine.
"Oh. hello," he calls out to the dog once he approaches. "What brings you here, Koromaru?"
[There's a moment of nothing between Falcon receiving the message, it getting noted as 'read', before the reply comes through.]
I see.
[There's a flare of apprehension at the mention of the operation. Genuine anger, even. It takes another few moments for the next message to go through.]
I'm investigating. If you have any ideas for keywords, feel free to share.
[It's not like he knows this Amamiya, but he can't help but want to know... a serious distortion is needed to form a Palace in the first place, and this doesn't feel like a small Palace, either.]
Futaba had been wandering around. She was a lot more careful than before, but her persona had given her some more freedom since she wasn't completely helpless if she ended up in the metaverse.
She did not expect a robot however. She wandered over, eyes wide as she looked him over. "You've got a lot of robotic parts showing."
For a moment, Falcon's not sure what to say, dumbly looking at her. Then, she speaks, her excitement palpable about- well, him.
... Awkward. Stay cool, Falcon!
"That would be because I am a robot, yes," he ends up saying, a little less gracefully than he intended. "My name is Goro Akechi, but you can call me Falcon."
[A couple of days after the shitshow at the party:]
I'm not fool enough to ask if you're all right after that little spectacle. How are you doing?
[Haru has no way of knowing about the assorted ripple effects from the argument, but she won't be surprised if it's a while before Falcon responds regardless.]
[Oh, great. Magpie loves Raven and Crow, doesn't he?
And he's already confronted Falcon about hurting Raven before.
... Fuck.
He doesn't reply right away, resentment prickling at his mind. He likes Magpie well enough- feels some sort of connection, but there's no doubt he'll take Crow's side.
A reply only goes through very late at night.]
Yes.
I'm sure you've already heard all about it.
[He's not trying to sound accusatory, really. Just stating a fact.
... God, he's got no right to ask. Raven won't reply to him- understandably so. He shouldn't go behind his back, but-]
Falcon-san, I don't know exactly what led to the events at the party, but I want you to know that I'm willing to listen if you need someone to lend an ear.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need help, or even someone to speak with.
Dove's not going to pretend what Falcon said was OK, but he knows that clearly it all came from somewhere. He doesn't want to leave Falcon alone with that pain he must be feeling.
I'd say it is doing fine, for the most part. I do need to feed some of my plants, and I got some that need to be transitioned from pot to soil.
[He may have been a little distracted lately. Sue him. There's definitely work to be done...]
Otherwise, I'd say I'm cultivating quite a nice little ecosystem.
[Despite this place being what it is, he is seeing more native wildlife in his garden. Is that because his cognition wills it so? He doesn't know, but at least it's better than the overly-cultivated, unnatural wasteland it was before.]
[While he hasn't dawdled in the shower for a number of reasons, Magpie is taking his sweet time about changing clothes in his room. He takes the opportunity to text Falcon.]
[He's just arrived back home, having washed off the lingering dirt from the Palace. Just as he's about to sink into his charging port, he receives Magpie's message.]
What is it?
[Whether he'll answer it is another matter entirely.]
Akira has made a decent amount of arrangements ever since he arrived from Hawaii. From moving out of Leblanc's attic (it didn't make sense why he should be staying there if Sojiro wasn't present) to growing curious about the depths that resided in mementos. Its like a game, right? He explores the dungeons, respawns at a specific spot if he dies and awakens to use magical powers outside of his already bizarre time-bending ones. Again, if the world was any more normal and he actually had any reason to spend time here aside from lazing around or getting to know the people here- he was just stuck in limbo. Its as simple as that. He is stuck.
The last time he was stuck like this he had almost lost it all.
Before he could jump into a pool of piranhas, he needed to find his means to float. Which is why the moment he takes a good glance at the camera mounted on the wall, a satisfied sigh leaves his lips. He grabs his backpack, some emergency cash just in case he ends up running into a real person while shopping, his trusty camera resting through the loop around his neck and his dark round black round sunglasses. Its been a week since he's been wearing this pair on the bridge of his nose but his eyes haven't exactly been cooperative. It gets even worse when he does timejump.
Nonetheless, that's not the main focus for today. Akira's detoriating physical health is the least of his problems right now.
Just like that, Akira finds himself at the streets of Akihabara before his attention is brought forward by one of the stores there. He removes his cap the moment he's out from the sun, now adjusting to the slight breeze of AC that flows when he steps into a store. People- nope, cognitions? Yes, they are everywhere. The sight of a parent dreading at the fact that their child keeps looking at a console is hilarious but right now that's not what he came here for.
In a few minutes, he has his hand-held basket filled to the brim with camera rolls, some microfibre cloth, a multimeter and a cable tester. He needs the materials for maintenance and power up the materials he will potentially need before he explores Mementos. Its as good of a start as any.
Now all he needs is...
As if fate itself answered to his calls- he sees a drone suddenly flying over his head as he walks down the aisle while considering who to ask in order to locate the object he needs. Akira suddenly grows quiet, his attention driven on the manual drone with its little motors and fans lazily floating above his aisle as he carefully looks at the model name- taking a few steps back as he watches its movement. Would remote control drones be worth it? This is one of the bigger Akihabara electronic stores- I don't know where else would I get what I need.
He's so distracted by his own thoughts that he doesn't even realize when he suddenly he bumps into someone, his backpack being directly shoved into someone's shoulder which makes him jump when the cognition doesn't try to move. He suddenly turns around, "Sorry- didn't see you there-"; his sunglasses reflecting away the certain robotic individual's face before he's taking a few other couple of steps- now registering who he just rammed into.
Falcon.
Of course.
"Why did I expect any different?" his expression falls all of a sudden as if he just ran into a dead bird on the sidewalk.
We have a few days to more easily raid Yakushima for useful maintenance parts. I'd do it myself, but you have a much better idea (which is to say, any) of what would be good to have on hand.
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