Mission: make friends

[lilcomputer]

She was fairly certain this was the address that she was given for the house that had most of the kids her age. Now that she was standing in front of it, it seemed daunting and she debated turning around. Phoenix seemed to be on board with her getting friends, and Igor-san had said that was the point of this place, friends and all.

She played with her sleeve, staring at the door, she just had to knock. That's all she had to do, she could do this. It wasn't as scary as the mementos. There wasn't anything chasing her. It was just her, and other people her age. She met Ken fine. Cause he was upset looking.

She raised her hand to knock on the door, honestly she didn't think anyone could hear the knock. If no one answered the door then she'd just go home and tell Phoenix that no one was home. It might be true she didn't know.

Comments

[fogboundcrow]

Funnily enough, Raven just so happened to be in the living room. The sound of knocking draws him away from his practice round of Super Bash Bros, and he makes his way over to the door to investigate and... oh.

That sure is a little girl. Perhaps around Ken's age? Interesting...

"Ah, hello there."

[lilcomputer]

Abort abort. Someone opened the door. No escape now. She was in this for the long hall. Wish her luck.

At least it seemed like the right place since he didn't look that much older than her.

"Uh, hello? I'm Futaba Isshiki."

[fogboundcrow]

"I'm Goro Akechi... of which there are many, so I suppose you can just call me Raven." He shrugs, then steps aside. "Did you want to come in?"

It's only polite. She did come all this way.

[lilcomputer]

She smiled and nodded. He was quite welcoming. That would be nice and helpful for later. She was here to make friends, so that's what she would do.

Feeling more energized she walked in. It reminded her a lot of home, maybe that's because Phoenix was a lot like them. There had to be similarities.

[fogboundcrow]

Raven waits for her to step inside before shutting the door. There are already some snacks out at the living room table. Mostly simple, dry things to munch on like Kinoko no Yama, some a plate of satsumas, and some chips. It seems the game has been left on the character select menu.

"Make yourself comfortable. We certainly have no shortage of snacks available."

[lilcomputer]

She looked around, more. Her eyes focused on the screen. "You play super bash bros too?" She was suddenly a lot closer to him, all the fear she had seemingly gone. "Who do you use the most?"

[fogboundcrow]

"Currently I'm trying to test every character to find the relative strengths and weaknesses. Ren is much too adept at using just about every character on the roster, so it's up to me to find the optimal choice to finally dethrone him..."

He takes a seat at the table, reaching into the box of mushroom-shaped treats. "I'm still trying to construct a... hm. I suppose tierlist would be the most appropriate term? But it's taking some testing."

[lilcomputer]

She sat next to him. "The trick is to let him pick first, then pick yours accordingly. There's characters that balance each other out, then it becomes a thing of skill." She grinned. Video games were a thing she could do. She pulled out her phone to text Phoenix that she was safe, before returning to the game.

"Lonk is good at close range, so you wanna pick something long range so he doesn't get the chance to hit you."

[fogboundcrow]

"Then there's the fact that aesthetics don't always correlate to utility in battle. Sonic looks cool, but his frailty makes him risky, depending on the opponent, while it seems as though Astral Wolf and Hawko were top tier picks in older iterations, whereas I'm still assessing their current capabilities. Hoover's copy abilities seem handy but also incredibly situational..."

And so it's a question of who is the ultimate option. The best for any given situation...

[lilcomputer]

"Yeah, they have strengths and weaknesses, I don't know if there's one that does better than the others over all though." She hums. "I switch depending on who I'm playing against." She grinned.

"Their character and their style of fighting combined."

[fogboundcrow]

"You may honestly be the more experienced player here. It really wasn't until I arrived within that place that I was even able to obtain video games." So perhaps that's another issue, if anything. Ren is well ahead because he likely was able to live a 'normal' childhood.

Go figure, really.

[lilcomputer]

"Oh that won't be a big deal, you just have to practice more than he is currently." She grinned.

"Do you study how he plays each character?"

[fogboundcrow]

"I try to observe as best I can, but obviously it can be difficult when he's so adept at the game and gives very few windows to study as opposed to fight back. I suppose there's always the option of studying as he plays against other combatants."

That would require less multitasking, too. Hmm... His fingers tap on the table. Perhaps that is the way to go.

[lilcomputer]

"There you go!" She grinned.

"You have to study not just against yourself. He is probably good because he knows how you play. You have adapt a whole different style. Become unpredictable."

[fogboundcrow]

"Your logic is sound. Perhaps I ought to get his boyfriend to play against them, so I can gauge his strategies as well. Crow is surely adept by now, since he's had the luxury to live a relatively stable life since the murders and before his tenure as a Phantom Thief."

...Should he be mentioning that to another kid? Oh well. It's already out now.

[lilcomputer]

"Phantom thief? Murders?" She asked, reacting a little different than a kid should to just being told that. Normally they'd be scared, but she was calm. It was like asking if the sky was blue. She wasn't sure what they had in common, but she would find out eventually.

"Rough growing up without games."

[fogboundcrow]

...Should he not have mentioned it? Well, she likely would have found out one way or another.

"In 2011, Inaba became the centerpiece of a supernatural serial murder and kidnapping case. Years later, a group of Phantom Thieves would make their debut in Tokyo, using the cognitive world to change the hearts of wicked adults. I'm less experienced with that string of events, but evidently I'll get entangled in it in the future."

[lilcomputer]

"Do I have anything to do with them?" If she was here, and she kept hearing about them. She had to be. There was even an older version of her so she knew she could hold a persona. She didn't work with either of them.

"Can I help anyone?"

[fogboundcrow]

"I haven't met a version of you back home, but it's possible you heard about the case on the internet at some point or another. I do have reason to believe you're involved in whatever events transpire in 2016, however."

Magpie would likely know for sure, if not Crow. However, there was a lot to unpack with regards to Magpie's experiences. "Regardless, I wouldn't fret too much about it. You're safe here, and there are plenty of us with Personas who can continue to keep it that way."

[lilcomputer]

"But I want to help! I don't want to just be at the mercy of others!" She leaned forward trying to get her point across and emphasizing it. She had to be saved my Phoenix. She had to learn how to protect herself and others too. It was only right that she helped them too.

2016 was too long away. She needed to learn how to help others now. Phoenix could get hurt, Renee could get hurt. Even Mom or Sojiro. She needed to learn.

[fogboundcrow]

"...Did something happen?" The reaction and severity of it seem to indicate as much. Not that he can't relate. Lord knows how desperate he was to get a Persona back when everything started.

[lilcomputer]

"I ended up in mementos, Phoenix had to save me." She rubbed her hand nervously. "I need to be able to protect myself, and mom, and him." So in other words, she needed to figure out how to get a persona and level herself up quickly to catch up to Phoenix's level.

[fogboundcrow]

"You were in Mementos." Yes, Raven. That's what she said. But... hm. Her drive is certainly commendable. It's understandable that she'd want that kind of power.

"Well, there are ways to awaken a Persona, but several of them are far from pleasant."

[lilcomputer]

"I don't care, I need to awaken one. I need to protect them." She was just a few years younger and it seemed he already awakened one. She had to, that wasn't up for debate.

[fogboundcrow]

Damn it. There's no way out of this, is there?

Raven takes a deep breath, then sighs. "If you're serious about this, then your best bet would be to find the Moel Gas Station attendant on a rainy day. If you can convince him to shake your hand, you may be able to awaken without the dangers of other methods."

[lilcomputer]

"And if I can't get him to agree? What's the alternative? You say may that means there's a chance that fails too." She looked determined, but also a little scared. She knew what she wanted even if there were big risks.

[fogboundcrow]

"Sagiri-san is a bit unpredictable. You may have to be persistent..." But the other methods... Damn it. Might as well warn her. "The other methods involve facing your repressed emotions in the form of a Shadow and accepting them unflinchingly or finding a spark of rebellion within the Metaverse. As I understand it, the latter can be rather... intense."