[Prologue, Tuesday: Nico]

[doublecrows]

[Akechi doesn't spend too much time mulling over the tapestries, but he is there long enough to read through each one more than once. which is a pretty good time to catch him for conversation, actually!]

['sup Nico, this detective kid is free to be approached at any time, even though he looks kind of distracted staring at his own profile]

Did they have to put it so. . . bluntly?

Comments

[doublecrows]

A facade and an alter ego. A mixture of both.

Now, imagine if someone had the ability to manifest that facade into a physical being. One with magical powers to help that person fight against other monsters.

That's the ability I have.

[resumed]

[Frankly that sounds terrifying but you do you, Akechi. Being able to manifest a facade into a physical being...he wonders what his would look like even if he has a feeling he knows what powers would come with it. That, too, is a scary thought.]

That's...really cool. [It's a little like awe and a little like uncertainty but it's also...magic? At the end of the day he's still 14 and likes to hear about other things that seem impossible.] What kind of magical powers? What's it look like?

[doublecrows]

[HADES, OBVIOUSLY]

[and Akechi perks up, because he loves!! talking about himself!!]

My Persona takes the form of Robin Hood, the legendary thief of Sherwood Forest. He's clothed in white and carries a bow with him to shoot down the unjust and corrupt. It's inspiring, really!

As for his abilities, I specialize in light and dark-based magical spells. Curse and bless, respectively.

[resumed]

[And then Nico never summoned his Persona again, the end. But of course he does. Somehow this makes sense.

And the thing is...he believes in him. He's at least familiar with the tale of Robin Hood and while he's always a little iffy about some laws that get broken, a Persona that takes on the embodiment of such a man is a little impressive. He's also pretty aware of the contradictory nature of Akechi's abilities and wonders about those, too, but he nods along.]

So your facade is...someone who would take from the people who don't need it and help others who are unfortunate. Cursing the rich and blessing the poor, or something like that. [That's...really cool.] I bet you'd have a ton of hit points. [A pause.] But you can't summon him here, can you?

[doublecrows]

You're right; I do. I suppose that makes me a "tank," in standard RPG terms.

[ohoho. how witty]

And you're right; I can't. He could only be summoned in specific circumstances back home, anyway. And those circumstances absolutely don't exist here.

[resumed]

[He wants to ask what those circumstances are. He has so many other questions, but he can recognize he's been asking quite a bit and decides to give Akechi a bit of a breather for the moment.]

That seems to be the case with several people here. Abilities that don't work anymore, I mean. Nobody seems to know how this castle's blocking everyone. But maybe that isn't the most important thing we should be looking into.

[He glances up at him again.] Thank you for answering.

[doublecrows]

I do think it's at least one thing we should be looking into. Their ability to suppress our powers means they're incredibly strong.

[and that is a little?? terrifying??? but his expression softens]

You're welcome. As I said, I have nothing to hide.

[resumed]

And incredibly unwilling to let anyone have a chance to overthrow them. [A quiet, cynical part of him says that everyone has something to hide but he doesn't bring it up. Akechi answered enough and Nico looks back at his own tapestry again.]

Does that mean I can come back to you again if I have further questions?

[doublecrows]

It does. So long as I can ask you questions in return, Di Angelo.

[quid pro quo! answers for answers]

[resumed]

[A h.]

...I guess so. But I'm not sure I'll have answers you're looking for, depending on the question. [Fire away, Akechi. He's not sure where this is going but he'll allow it should he choose.]

[doublecrows]

You have a Stygian iron sword.

[oh. straight for the good stuff]

How did you acquire such a unique weapon?

[resumed]

[Oh. The sword, huh? He's not entirely surprised and Riordan never friggin tells us but he shrugs a little.]

I picked it up in my travels a few years ago. [Mostly true.]

[doublecrows]

From the river Styx?

[he knows what Stygian means!!]

[resumed]

...yes. [Goddamnit. But sure, fine, so he knows that part.] It was easy enough.

[doublecrows]

That sounds like quite the journey. I'd be interested in hearing about it sometime, if you wouldn't mind retelling it.

You must be very impressive to have retrieved a weapon from a notoriously dangerous place.

[resumed]

[Haha he definitely minds, sorry Akechi. But he shrugs a little.]

It's not that dangerous for me. And it's not that dangerous if you know what to look for. It's not that impressive of a story to tell.

[doublecrows]

[sorry he's a nosy asshole!!]

It may not seem impressive to you, because you lived it. But to someone like me, who has never made a journey so dangerous, that's a completely different story.

[resumed]

[Give him a moment to think of how to angle this.]

Does that mean you believe it's true? That places like the Styx exist.

[doublecrows]

[another quirk of a brow]

It's less a matter of whether I believe in it or not and more a matter of knowing better than to deny what is right in front of me. Regardless of how it may interact with my personal beliefs.

[resumed]

[He'll mimic the look at least. Like. Yes, true, but he's met enough people who still can't quite wrap their heads around the things they see or hear. Mist or not, he's interested how this applies to the castle.]

You're the only person so far who's even asked about the sword and recognized where it would have come from. Interesting thing to pick up on, too. But you could see why I would be interested in your Persona then.

[doublecrows]

I can.

[smile smile smile]

Which may be part of the reason I answered honestly. One has to give something to get something, yes?

[resumed]

Like an equal trade? I think so. I'd like to believe people would be interested in balance but that's not always the case. [Thanks Dad.] Were there other reasons to answer honestly then?

[doublecrows]

I already gave you the other reason. I have nothing to hide, and I'm not ashamed of sharing my abilities.

[resumed]

[A contemplative look.]

Just curious. And just making sure. People are bound to keep some things to themselves, so the extra confirmation's nice. That's all.

[doublecrows]

[a head tilt]

That's true. Not every secret is worth sharing. Not every secret is something that can be shared. But mine are all out in the open, so feel free to ask anything.

[almost anything]

[Akechi talks more than he walks, after all]

[resumed]

I'll keep that in mind going forward. I think we're going to have a lot of time to get to know each other. All of us.

[doublecrows]

Indeed. Whether we like it or not.

[that sounds so ominous]

[resumed]

[...that. That does sound ominous, what the fuck Akechi. It's then that Nico takes the cue and nods, taking a step back.]

Right. I should go find Reyna...but we can talk later if you'd like.

[doublecrows]

I think I would like that, Di Angelo.

Until next time, then?

[resumed]

[A thin, uneasy smile.] Until next time.

[Al obviously I want new PCs in the future plz and thank you, but for now Nico's going to head off.]