recolle | closed | a day of relaxation for everyone's souls

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closed | a day of relaxation for everyone's souls

WHO: Persona peeps + Elliot
WHERE: An exceptionally nice bathhouse-spa-restaurant, reserved for a day
WHEN: March 17th, 12PM to 8PM
WHAT: Persona meeting #4 as hosted by Elizabeth, due to a conversation with Akira
WARNINGS: Make your own top levels, though everything in the third prompt will have its own section to keep things nice and neat. (did i smash rayne and hei's text together? a little)

I. TAKE A LOAD OFF
[ The spa is all paid for, as are the treatments, so why not take advantage of it? There's plenty to do, from all kinds of massages, to mud and ash baths, to a sauna, nail and hair salon, etc... Essentially if there's something for comfort, it's here, so don't think too hard about it. ]

II. GET SOME PRACTICE IN
[ Want to train? Well, today's host has a relaxed "no overworking" policy for today, but the spa does have a gym in reserve if you really, really want to do something. Whatever's in a gym is in this one, including a room that seems to usually be used for things like yoga classes or kickboxing or something? It's big, so there's plenty of room, but, like

please don't break anything. ]

III. I GUESS WE SHOULD HAVE SOME ACTUAL DISCUSSION THOUGH
[ For those that get hungry, you're in luck: the meeting proper is being held in the restaurant attached to this particularly fancy spa, at around 6pm. Eat some healthy, refreshing food (though you can technically do this whenever during your stay, this is the Official Dinner Meeting Time) and talk about the following things:

• Newbie introductions
• Team building (share/discuss/get to know each other + trust exercises)
• Memories/Retrospec shenanigans
• Items and abilities from Retrospec
• Privacy issues (Personas are free to be talked about, but other issues may have come up)
• Free discussion/advice corner

Elizabeth's also procured some whiteboards and markers, if illustrating things is easier for you, or if you want add to Yukiko's relationship board (which has made its reappearance once again). Don't worry about being overheard—connections being what they are, this room is fairly private and the waiters only come when called. Elizabeth's made arrangements with her fancy connections. ]

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[ Minato looks down at his open palm, pale and slightly damp, fingertips trembling like it always does. He can very easily imagine the Evoker in the palm of his hand, he can imagine bringing it to his forehead, pulling the trigger, an almost cathartic release when his Persona materializes, but there must be something between the last two steps that he's missing. ]

I've never... really felt anything. I should be more scared, or hesitant about it. [ Given what the act emulates. ] But I've never been.

[ Hm... Maybe his theory that it’s what the evoker brings out of someone is wrong, but he doesn’t know the tech that might be in the fake gun. If only Mitsuru was here to explain. He rubs his neck as he racks his brain some more. Let’s start with how they first summoned their Personas.

It seems so long ago. ]

I don’t remember how I first summoned a Persona in my other life... But when I first summoned my Persona in Recolle, it was like a fire burning inside me. If I had to pick emotions, it would be ambition and anger.

[ ... ]

It probably doesn’t work for you. The evoker, or the act of shooting, doesn’t represent anything to you, either? What about your memories?

[ It's supposed to represent something. In his memories, he's seen other people use it, sees the determination on their faces, the fear, the desperation, the resolve to pull the trigger no matter how much sweat pours from their brow or how shallow their breaths become.

For him, there's nothing, not in that life and not in this one. A personal problem. One he's struggled with almost his entire life. ]

The first time, he shot because somebody told him to. For me, it was the same. [ Following directions, like a soldier; no questions, no hesitation. ] The Evoker forces the Persona out. It's not natural.

[ They're all just empty shells, but Akira is going to try his best with this. ]

Not everyone has a Persona... If you were given that gift, then you should be able to summon them without the help of any third party or item.

[ It wouldn't make sense, otherwise? Why would they have a power that they can't tap into and use? Of course the world can be a screwed up place, but they have to stick to being rational. If Minato feels absolutely nothing when he summons his Perosna, then they have to try something else. ]

Maybe it would be better if we sparred a bit. I've noticed that Personas come out when you're in dire situations.

[ He is willing to kill you to get this to work. ]

[ This is what he was hoping for- another sort of "trigger" that he can use to wrench the power from his soul and force it to manifest through his own means. There's another glance down at his hands, empty, no reason to bring weapons to a spa and no ability to make them appear out of thin air, but he clenches them into fists. ]

Okay.

[ There's... maybe that problem with the lack of fear for his own life, but maybe they can solve this too. ]

All right, Minato. Think of the things you really enjoy in life, even if it may be a few? Even just one thing. It can be big or small.

[ Good thing Elizabeth reserved this whole spa for them. They won't get in trouble for having weapons that appear out of nowhere (okay, Akira won't). At least not too much. The dagger appears out of thin air into his hands, blade shining under the light. All of this is a bluff, an act, but he has to make this as real as possible. Of course he has no intention of really hurting him, but they have to push those limits if they want any results.

His eyes shine bright despite their lack of color, evoking the thrill he feels when he fights. The curl of his lips are not sinister, but mimic a feline-like mischief. ]

All of it—I'm going to take all of it away from you.

[ Bringing a knife into a fist fight is sort of cheating, but Minato is more preoccupied with the fact that nothing comes to mind when he tries to think of what he enjoys in life. Little things like melon bread and not having to wake up for work on the weekends, but these are such weak likes, that Akira swiping food from him or shaking him awake would only be a mild annoyance, noting that encourages him to pick up his fists and fight back.

... ]

Time out. I need to think of something first.

No.

[ Life comes at you fast, Minato. Likewise, Akira's movements are quick as lightning and precise, barely missing him. It's a fortunately a well calculated feint and would have not even graze skin, but the sound of the blade cutting through the air is audible, piercing, and oddly clean. Any misstep would have earned him a nice paper cut.

He won't be giving him any time, not even a second. ]

[ Terrible. There's always been that mental block that comes down over him when he's made to fight another person— habit was always to stand still, shut his eyes and tuck his chin to bear the blow- but instinct pulls him back, turning away from the blade before it can cut him.

There's no thought involved, but neither is there much feeling. Awareness takes priority- the way Akira stands, the weapon in his hand, the space around them, escape routes- everything in his periphery that Minato takes in in the one moment he has before giving back into instinct.

Keep out of the way. Don't die. At least that's still there. ]

The world doesn't wait for anyone.

[ Yes, that's a good sign. Moving at all is a good sign. If Minato only stood there, this wouldn't work and he would throw away this idea entirely. Akira's gaze is that of the devil's as the barrage continues. While the blade is out, Minato is always a hair too far from any bloodshed, but he does kick it up a notch. It only takes a short swing for some dark brown strands of hair to fly in the air, cascading softly within their line of sight.

Stop looking for an escape. Akira won't be allowing that, especially since there's no break in this encounter. He has... A lot of negative emotions that he can put into this and the the spa treatment was reinvigorating—he can keep this up for a while.

But it can't last forever. Eventually, he sweeps a hefty kick to Minato's knees, hoping that it'll land and force him to fall over. ]

[ There's an eye somewhere behind that hair which Minato doesn't want to lose, but lose is what's going to happen if Akira closes in for every half step backwards that Minato takes. He doesn't have the experience fighting, nor the stamina, nor the blood lust.

But he has muscle memory, and that memory is of boxing, of being light on his feet, pulling back from Akira's kick and waiting for his weight to shift before Minato charges forward into his punch-kick-punch combo, but he goes in for the kill without bothering to pull his punches because of course we were always doing this for real. ]

[ Having dagger proficiency means being nimble, so Akira evades the combo for the most part aside from the initial hit that he takes full force. It knocks the wind out of him, forcing him to stagger, but not for long. He takes a step to avoid the last lunge just in time. Grabbing onto Minato's wrist, he keeps him in place for the second he needs.

The dagger drives straight to his head, but it isn't a sharp blade that grazes his brow. Instead, it's the cold barrel of a pistol. Of course a shot from this won't kill him, but it's not like Minato knows that. His expression is no longer thrilled, instead solemn as he speaks in a leveled tone: ]

Summon your Persona now.

[ Is that enough pressure? Did that corner him? A blue-black flame wisps at the corner of his eyes before flaring entirely over, like a mask. Behind him waits Satanael, pointing his long-muzzled rifle at them. ]

If you can't, how can you expect to protect anyone? Let alone yourself?

[ This is so dramatic and it's hard to take himself seriously, but he's trying... His best. ]

[ The cold metal burns against his forehead. It's different from the way the Evoker always felt- a kick-start, no matter how jarring— facing down the barrel of a gun now feels like everything comes to a stop.

This is how he would have died, staring up into Akira's grey eyes and the last thing he would see is his own face, eyes wide, unfocused, darkness crowding in from his periphery. He can feel his knees give, pain in his shoulder as he falls, the entirety of his weight where he's being held up by his wrist—-

--both wrists, arms out to either side of him, legs straight and bound together, him bound in the thick night air with voices shouting behind him. Something about being a sacrifice, a prophecy, a man that he trusted and a girl that he loved— they called her "Aigis." Barrels on the tip of her fingers, trembling as he stares down into them. Gunshots. Two. Blood, screaming, gunpowder, lights so bright and shots so loud that Minato squeezes his eyes shut and lets himself fall to the ground, not wanting to see or hear or know, but- Laughter. A gun in his face. Laughter, as the man steps backwards and tips off the edge into nothingness. It smells like death, acrid, and all the tears in the world can't wash that smell away.

There was nothing he could do.

That's wrong.

He didn't do anything.

He was bound and unarmed and held at gunpoint but he could have— he should have- ]

--I couldn't. [ Minato croaks out, throat dry and voice thick, answering Akira after however many minutes must have passed before he's back here in this room, opening his eyes and feeling sick. ]

I kept letting people die.

[ Akira keeps this act going even when a minute passes, but when it hits a minute and a half, he becomes awfully concerned and antsy. The gun stays finely pressed against skin, but it disappears when he sees Minato crumble even the lightest. With a sigh, Satanael disappears into the black flames, whisked away leaving nothing behind. He's quick to support Minato, holding his rag doll self up with utmost care.

What's with that expression? Those words? They're ominous, foreboding. It doesn't scare Akira off, but he rubs Minato's back a bit before patting to help with whatever is going on with him. It... Doesn't look good. ]

... Hey. [ Carefully, he settles them down onto the floor so they can rest. When that's done, he gently pats both of Minato's cheeks multiple times, thinking this will help him get a grip. ] Stay with me here.

[ He's here and present and painfully so, flinching visibly when Akira's hands touch his face and pulling away from him after the third series of pats. He looks down at his hands, and they're shaking, clenching them into fists so they'll stop, shoving them into his pockets when they won't. ]

It's- [ nothing. it's fine. it's whatever.

He takes a breath. ]

I'm going home.

All right.

[ Minato looks sick, so Akira is not going to pry or force him to stay. It's better to send someone who looks like they're about to vomit home. Fishing through his pocket, he pulls out his phone, ready to dial. ]

Want me to call you a cab?

[ Minato shakes his head— just the once back and forth, because any more of that makes his head spin. ]

Thanks, but I'll walk. I need air.

[ He needs to be alone, he needs the darkness, he needs the cold outside air. He needs to not be around people who will look at him with concern, even if a cab driver's concern is whether Minato will hurl in the back seat. ]

[ After what happened to Yukine, why wouldn't Akira be concerned? Minato would literally be stabbed as he walks home, but... He can probably take care of himself. With a sigh, he relents since Minato really does look horrible. ]

Okay. Have a safe trip.

[ Please don't be dead the next day. ]

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closed | a day of relaxation for everyone's souls

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was waiting for a regain, sorry for the delay!

HUSH CARD

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