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Thebel

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oracleabuser‌:

Okay, well, maybe she got a little too close, but what he said was just unacceptable!! Minato knew he wasn’t alone, not with her in this city! And well, all the other Persona users she could detect. Knowing him, he’d come across them by chance or something.

“Well, Orpheus is still here! And it’s not like people are gonna start fighting you, right?” That. Would suck. Like. Really suck. And, from what she could tell, there was only one other of the original SEES crew here besides the two of them. It felt a lot like Mitsuru-senpai, the more she focused on it.

“Only most of them? Are there that many restaurants?!” Maybe he’d already picked a favorite, too!

“Ooh, do you know what kind of food is there?” It sounded like a bunch of salads, now that she thought about it. With ‘garden’ in the name, her thoughts were all green.

Of course Minato knew he wasn’t truly alone in the city, but it was far too easy for the boy to forget this information. He had adjusted to being on his own once more, and this could only cause the boy to self isolate worse than he has for years. There were no shadows to fight here, and no big cause to chase after. That being said, Minato was still content. He didn’t need a large cause to live by. Plus, he was ready to change his mindset with Fuuka here once more. He could only hope there were others here as well, and that they would eventually cross his path.

“Probably. But knowing me I’ll get attacked the second I turn around.” He’s kidding, but his tone of voice makes it hard to tell. “If I do get attacked, I know you can back me up anyway.” He trusted Fuuka enough to know she could fight off anyone with her Bare Hands, or give them strong enough cooking that would knock them out in one bite. 

Minato paused. He had forgotten how many restaurants there were in the mall, but on the shoestring budget he had now, it was difficult to try everything. “I’m not sure, but I know we have a lot to choose from.” And he still had to pick a favorite!

“I think it’s European. So maybe pizza and spaghetti?” He didn’t know a lot about Italian food, so he was about as helpful as one would expect. “I think I remember reading about a deal with unlimited breadsticks.” Actually that sounds perfect for him. Something unlimited for the boy with the bottomless stomach. “We should go check it out.”

♦ this maze of life. [ minato ]

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Well, it’s time to hunt yourself down.

It still hurt, knowing there was another version of Minato out there, trying to live the best life he could. From his fragmented memories, Minato could gather that their stories were still similar. The boy had still lost his family in an accident at a very young age. But this world’s Minato... No, the false Minato. The false Minato was not passed from home to home. He never made any friends in this world, and suffered from a loneliness that the true Minato could sympathize with. They had both known their own lonely paths, but the true Minato was able to overcome his struggles and become someone greater.

Minato didn’t know if his false self was able to become stronger. He had never accepted a fate worse than death, or had his friends die while knowing he could have saved them. And that was what made them so different. Minato intended to chase down this orphaned version of himself, and he already had an idea of where to find the boy. It was a hunch, but Minato could typically trust his gut. He could trust that he would make the right decision.

***

The high school.

Of course. In every world, Minato was attached to school life. However in his own world, Gekkoukan High was significantly more than a school. It was Tartarus, the mighty tower that manifested with the Dark Hour. Even with the defeat of Nyx, Minato could never forget the tower. Truthfully, it still haunted his dreams some nights. As did the visions of Ryoji and Thanatos. But that was no a problem he was willing to deal with. Instead, Minato began to look around the schoolyard. He had neglected to attend school today, but it was late enough for Minato to know that he was supposed to be off school grounds.

Minato’s headphones hung at his side, making small clacking noises as he moved. He considered wearing them, but the situation was much too hectic for the boy to consider adding music. Plus, what if added music only scared his false self away? There was no Lotus Juice in this world, so perhaps the new sound would only annoy this other Minato. 

Minato was beginning to consider his options. Was it a fair guess to go to the school? He had already searched inside most of the building, but there was no sigh of another person. He was expecting a teacher at least, but no one appeared. The blue haired boy sighed. He would try one last spot, and hope for the best.

The utility closet.

All of the equipment that every sports club required must have been stored in this room. Minato opened the door, glancing inside. It was as if every ball in the world was stored in this room, each one for a game Minato had never cared for. He was about to give up, until a flash of blue passed by his eyes.

That had to be the false self. 

Minato placed his hand on his Evoker. All he had available was Orpheus at this time, but that would be more than enough for him to deal with his other self. Besides, the other boy was no Shadow. He was nothing to fear. Minato turned a corner, his eyes locking onto a sight he wasn’t prepared for.

Tears. He was crying. Minato couldn’t remember the last time he had cried. He couldn’t cry for Shinji, or for Ryoji, or even for himself. Did he cry for his parents? It had been so long, and truthfully Minato didn’t know. But this version of himself, this fake, was crying. It felt almost out of character to see his own face, one that was always so calm and serene, now coated with tears. A part of himself envied the fake self. He wished he could still tap into his emotions the same way, but that was not easy. 

The true Minato coughed, letting the other know he was there. The other continued to cry for a moment, before picking his head up. The bags under his eyes were heavy. He was clearly traumatized, but there was little Minato could do to ease his mind. He may have been a voice of reason, but not for himself.

“Why are you here? How are you still alive!?” The other lashed out. “Your memories... Those monsters... Everything hurts. How have you not run away?” He sniffled for a moment, brushing away his tears. “How can you just die for all these people when you don’t even know them?”

The boy should have expected this. He had long since come to terms with the person he had to be, but this version of himself was different. Minato sighed, setting himself down on the ground in front of the other self. He placed his phone in front of the other, opening the app. The other watched him, a mix of caution and anger on his face.

“I don’t know. I died, and that’s that.” He shrugged. “Even if I went back in time, I don’t think I would change what I did. I would still give up being me for the world.” Minato’s arms crossed in front of him. “People suck, but it’s not like all of them are trying to kill me, right? I know your story is different, but if you’re me, you should understand that.” He paused, the app still buffering.

“This is Spirale GO. If you want to escape my memories, this is how you do it.” He held the phone out in front of the other self. The other said nothing, just watching the screen. “Did... Did you really fight the Grim Reaper?” Was that really the best question he had?

Minato nodded. “We just call them the Reaper, but I think it’s kinda similar. We fought a lot of cool things like that. I would show you some of my abilities, but they’re locked away.” He glanced at his Evoker. Maybe someday. “I’ll answer two of your questions, and then I’m going to need you to go in the phone. It’s for both our safety.” This was a lot of talking for our hero. He usually got about half this many words in a day before his mouth just gave up. But this was important.

The other crossed his arms as he unknowingly mirrored Minato, his face a bit calmer. He clearly had questions. “Why do I have to be the one to go? I’m the real one here, not you. I may not have weird powers like you, but I lived my own life. I’m even more real than you could ever be.” He looked exhausted, about to collapse. Minato was worried this wouldn’t last.

“Dunno. Maybe all my memories are fake. Maybe you are the real one made for this city. But if I don’t do this, we both die. And I don’t really want to go through that again.” He imagined it would hurt a lot more this time. Not nearly as peaceful. Plus there was no robot’s lap to rest on, so there was no point. “So I’m choosing to believe I’m real, and the pain I’ve felt is real too. All the people I’ve lost are real, and they will always be with me. You can deny that if you want, but I’m not wrong.”

The other seemed satisfied with that answer, at least slightly. He picked up Minato’s phone, studying the app. It was genuine, or whatever you could call an app designed by the weirdos in this city. His finger hovered over SEAL icon, before handing the phone back instead. “Fine.” He stood up, Minato moving soon after. “Then...” His voice was quieter. “Do you still miss them?”

“Every day of my life.” Of course he was talking about his family. “I wish they were still alive, but I can’t change that. So I just hope that they’re proud of what I did.” Minato smiled. “And they’re proud of you too for making it this far. Your life was interesting enough, even if you didn’t have to fight Shadows.” He shifted in place, his phone in hand again. “But now you have to let me live, so we can lead our own happy lives.” 

Minato watched the app open once more. “And who knows, maybe you can find your own group of people to love. I’m sure they’re out there, waiting for you to connect with them.” The other nodded, latching onto everything Minato said. Minato knew he was always ease to sway, so of course his other would be the same way. “But for now, this is goodbye.” He tapped the SEAL icon, before a blinding light surrounded the room.

And, he was gone. The other Minato was sealed away without even getting to say goodbye. Minato did feel bad for this action, but he knew that the longer they talked, the less likely he was to actually go into the app.

“At least that’s over.” 

More importantly, Minato knew he needed a nap after all that talking.

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There was never a doubt Minato would visit Intraspace.

Although this new location could not provide him with a proper reunion or a boost in his mood, it was still something to be excited about. The high school student had already paid his total as soon as the location opened on the map, and within just a few hours he had logged in. There weren’t many in this digital world yet, so Minato felt safe. Large crowds were never his forte anyway.

Minato sighed. He had intended to accomplish a goal today, a reappearance of souls he had thought to be gone forever. His Persona, every last one of them, should be available in this world. But what if summoning them could hurt someone? He dared not risk it, not until he was truly alone anyway. Thanatos was far too much of a loose cannon, as was Mara. “Guess that was a waste of money.” He shook his head, stuffing his Evoker back in its holster. Might as well try to make friends instead.

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phonesplayer‌:

“I’ll never replace the ones I have, but those seem pretty cool.”

“They look just like my old ones, so most people can’t tel the difference. But my old ones still have a lot of sentimental value.”

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“Oh hey new headphones, just what I needed.”

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“Ah, so he’s in smash now. Cool.”

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oracleabuser‌:

It’d been a long time since she’d hung out with Minato and everyone at SEES! Unfortunately, she could only reach Minato at the moment, seeing as how every time she decided she wanted to search, they’d always either disappear or end up in a different area than where she was, so she’d let them come to her. Or at least, approach them if they were in the area. It was too much effort to run.

Because there was a festival happening, she thought that maybe this was a good time to have a little bit of fun while she was trapped in this place, and sent a quick message to Minato. He replied rather quickly, and they decided on a place to meet up at.

Excited, Fuuka threw on some warm clothes, and briskly walked to the meetup. She’d be early, but that was just how she was when she was meeting with someone who enjoyed her company as much as he did. She didn’t wait too long, luckily, and Minato approached her not too soon after her arrival.

“Oh, Minato!! You’re not that late, so it’s okay!” She smiled, hands behind her back in that cute way girls do in shoujo manga when they’re waiting for someone. “Um… I was thinking we could light some lanterns tonight…. B-but we need something to do before that, so I was thinking we could go eat….” She knew how much he loved to eat. The boy was bottomless.

Minato was starting to accept that maybe he and Fuuka were the only ones on the island. Although others had been here briefly, coming and going like the world so often turned, it was still just them. Although it was a relief to know the other members of the team were safe in their own world, it still hurt to know the two of them would so often be alone.

Light some lanterns? That’s right, today was the day of celebration. Minato had initially planned to release boats for everyone he lost today, but that would be too much when spending the day with Fuuka. The male pondered for a moment on how to answer her request, going over the options in his head. 

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Almost on cue, his stomach growled. Bottomless stomach wasn’t a nearly strong enough phrase to describe him. He turns his head, seeing one of the stands. Funnel cakes? That could work. “Let’s go there first.” He points at the funnel cake stand. “I’ll pay. You invited me so that’s fair.” He paused, realizing he should do more. Minato offered his left hand, his right gently returning to his pocket. ”We can try whatever you want next.”

The blue haired male was happy, despite his rather deadpan exterior. He thought this festival would be just an opportunity to return to his sad memories, but Fuuka was here, and she was more than enough to remind him why he kept going, Truthfully, if she wasn’t here, he would probably just wallow away in his room, doomed to collapse and return to life as the Seal. He smiled, perhaps staring at Fuuka for a few seconds too long. He couldn’t help it! She was just too important to him.

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“Have you tried pretending you don’t have a birthday? That usually works for me.”

“Help.”

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queenmitsurukirijo‌:

Tip: Being trapped in a city  in another dimension is no excuse to neglect studying.

Right, studying. I certainly haven’t stopped doing that while on the island. So don’t go looking for my grades or anything, they’re all perfect.

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riicinus‌:

ღ 　 When all else failed, mass-produced would have to do. “If Kikyo-kun saw me resorting to these he’d cry,” he sighed quietly at the plastic-wrapped, cream-filled spongecake in his hands, and added it to the small pile of assorted sugar in his basket. Honestly, if Kikyo saw Byakuran resorting to these, he might call a state of emergency and start prepping for one of his moods. And he wouldn’t be wrong to, the roiling in Byakuran’s psyche was foreboding even to him. Ideally, he would have dozens of people attending to his whims and eager to please him until his attitude passed or was sated…

When all else failed, strangers would have to do. The aura coming off the boy in the next aisle was unmistakable to a man who made a cultish following off being a savior. Maybe a bit dramatic for this exact moment, but it wasn’t a people skill he could just turn off.

“You know, if you can’t decide, you should just get them all. Anything that might be good now will probably be good eventually. I’ll foot the bill if it’s too much for your budget~”

Hearing a voice that wasn’t his own provide tips was very much unexpected, but Minato should have known being in public would bring about an audience. Minato turned his head, acknowledging the other male. Yep, that was a real person. Minato sighed, setting down one of the bottles he had previously picked up on the ground.

“I thought about it,” He lied, figuring there was no point to bringing up his stress. “But I don’t think I can carry all the snacks home without dropping them. And that would be a waste. Thanks for offering though.” Minato uses his free hand to pick up one of the treats. Gummy worms, huh. Minato hadn’t thought of this food in years. Minato turns to his new companion, realizing he was holding a basket full of junk. “You know most of that stuff is going to get you sick, right?”

Minato places the bag of worms back on the peg, figuring he might as well find something that won’t make him feel worse. “Do you want to pick something out for me? I’ll honestly eat whatever right now.” He points to the basket in the other male’s hands. “And I can pay for some of that in exchange.”

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Is that a wild Mitsuru-senpai????

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by 火谷野 ※Permission to upload was granted by the artist. Please do not edit or reproduce without their consent, and do not remove the caption.

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Winters are difficult for Minato. This time of year always brings out the memories of the friends and family he has lost, and there’s nothing that can really bring him out of the house when he remembers these things. The boy knew he was going against the very thing he swore to end, but sometimes depression can be too taxing. So the male decided he would have to do something to ease him mind, and forced himself to leave the house today.

Of course, he didn’t know what to do, so Minato brought himself to the nearest convenience store. He picked up a few bottles of soda, thinking he would need something to keep himself stable. That is, until he stood in the snack area, zoning out without a second thought. His mind was miles away anyway.

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“I guess some people just don’t like the holiday season.” Minato was one of these people.

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“Gobble gobble.”

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did they really make a dance video on the roof where he died

ATLUS really said fuck you to all the Persona 3 fans huh...