#Aigis on front as the character who has the mission to keep going. and both protagonists vowing to protect those who stay on earth

[blue-bird-lamentation]

キミの記憶 (Memories of You)

[daxieoclock]

Can vane tell us abt her interpretations of Minato and Minako? Since they’re some of the only characters not in Deja Vu yet, and many are curious I’m sure 👀

of course!!! ty for the question!!! and sorry it took me so long to get to it djfgbjhb

Sooooo i'll put this under the cut just in case, cause Deja Vu Spoilers Impending for people who wanna be surprised.

I've hinted at this a bunch already, but (within the context of Deja Vu at least) I interpret Minato and Minako to be alters, two members of a system. Metatextually, it's my way of cheating and saying both base Persona 3 and Persona 3 Portable are canon within the AU, and letting myself include Minako and Theodore in the story without excluding Minato and Elizabeth. But I also just enjoy the dynamic it brings to their characters, and to their bonds with the rest of the cast.

One of these days, I'd really like to write a fic exploring that early dynamic, with Minato tip-toeing around the issue, and Minako barely ever fronting because they're supposed to be a boy right now (even though Minato isn't binary male) and just. Slowly, steadily, coming out bit by bit.

Like. "Oh, Arisato's wearing a skirt today. He doesn't really seem to like being asked questions about it, so let's just pull Junpei aside and tell him not to be a dick about it."

"Huh, Arisato has a red wig in his closet. And doesn't his Persona kinda look like it has red hair sometimes? Weird."

"Sometimes Arisato acts really peppy and cracks jokes when their normal sense of humor is super dry and deadpan, but whenever anyone points that out, he gets really awkward and cagey. Let's not make a big deal about it."

"Oh, Arisato is a girl sometimes and wants to use she/her pronouns? That's okay, we can adjust to that. And when that happens, she wants to only go by her last name...hm. Okay, sure, totally works, we can just...check in with them before missions and stuff."

And then comes the "everyone uses they/them pronouns as default for Arisato until they confirm which gender they are, and will be affirming and support them through that. because they are good friends and good allies."

and then EVENTUALLY Minako was like "hey so. you guys are amazing. but. just so you know. i'm. actually kind of a different person? like. i'm not 'minato but a girl.' my name's minako. i'm his other self. like...i've got different interests and a different style and stuff, and it'd be really nice if I could be treated as myself and not as him but with she/her pronouns?"

which takes another bit of adjustment for most of SEES, but they get with the program because Arisato is their friend and they care a lot about them both. But Aigis probably already knew for at least a month before everyone else, because. she's Aigis. (Also Koromaru possibly clocks them as a system early, but is good at keeping a secret and is also a dog.)

BUT OKAY. Personality wise.

While Minako may at first appear to be carefree, while Minato carries the burden of their shared trauma, this isn't actually the case. Both of them have their own way of pushing through the depression, survivor's guilt, loneliness and ideation that followed the loss of their parents.

Minako's cheery exterior is a mask, it doesn't mean that she's immune from that trauma, only that she chooses to act as though it doesn't affect her, throwing on a smile and joking her way through even the darkest situation. She pushes them both forward, but struggles to pace herself or think her actions through. She's impulsive not because she thinks she's immortal, but because she wants to pretend for a little while that the sword of Damocles isn't hanging above her head at all times. And if that requires making some people uncomfortable, whatever. Nothing affects her unless she lets it. Which is, of course, a lie. But it's a very pretty lie. Minako is good at those.

Minato, on the other hand, numbs himself to the world. Whether that be through self-isolation, wearing his headphones at all times, or fixating in on his interests and studies, he finds a distraction and focuses in on it to the detriment of everything else. Whatever keeps him sane. Whatever keeps him from drowning. His intimacy with depression and death lends himself to a particularly dark sense of dry humor, as well as a general passive pessimism towards everyone around him. No one can be trusted. But that's okay, it's just how the world works. He's smart. He wouldn't be upset about that. It's only much later on that he's willing to accept that maybe he just hadn’t found the right people until now. Maybe, just maybe, it’s okay to let his hair down, so to speak. Maybe it’s okay to be himself. Maybe it’s okay to want for more than he’s been given. And maybe it’s okay for him to want to live.

While Minako's leadership tends more towards raw tenacity, Minato often assumes the role of the cold tactician, and early on is willing to risk himself or his allies in order to eliminate a threat. But as time goes on, especially after Aigis joins, he drops that habit almost entirely, preferring surrender or retreat to a risky strategy. Neither alter likes losing, but Minako is far more stubborn and will push her way through any threat no matter the cost to herself, refusing to trust her enemies, while Minato will gladly accept humiliation or admit he's not good enough if it means he can protect his friends.

It takes a lot of inner talk and compromise before they’re willing to make a decision on Ryoji’s ultimatum. But they make that decision in consensus. No matter what it costs them, they’re saving the world. They’re going to protect the people they love.