entranceway | 5th Social Link ▫ Video + Action

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5th Social Link ▫ Video + Action

[Winter was now over and spring had just started. Minato kind of missed the snow, but at least the weather was cool and comfortable instead of being too cold. For a change of pace as he wandered outside, now that the space event was over, he decided to head to the Checkerboard Hills. He hadn't been there often. It was time to check it out again.

That is, if checking it out meant doing a once-over on the checkered patterns from dark to light, then ending up laying in one of the darker square patches, his comm device off to the side as he looked up at the sky.

It's spring here and spring at home. School would be starting again, if he were there and time progressed.

Were these questions even fair? Did he have too much time on his hands, playing around with or thinking about 'what if' in a place that may make him forget his existence here at all?]

..... Would you rather be dead at home or alive here?

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Possibly. But... even after a few events, I know that I'm still me.

[ No matter how different his alternate selves were, or how much they seemed to change on the surface, he could still recognize himself in that metaphorical mirror. He was, and will always be, Stefan. ]

Haven't you felt the same way?

[They were them, true, but that identity was subject to change. In some way, if Minato thought about it, he didn't have to worry then about his identity and all the pieces of it.]

Mn, I do. But I didn't know how other people felt about it.

So you asked the network. [ It's a reasonable thing to know, Stefan supposes. Don't mind him taking a moment to scroll and see what everyone else's saying . . . ] When you say dead, are you talking about an afterlife?

Or do you mean, not here on this plane of existence?

[Scroll away! This is what the network is for. Minato got some of his information from there too. Going straight to the network was a fast way to get some answers.

But at that question, he did have to explain. Dying or death was inevitable for the most part, but how that happened always varied.]

My soul is sealing a door that, if opened, will cause the destruction of humanity.

[Sort of afterlife then, and sort of an explanation. The easiest way to explain it was to say he just had to keep the door closed.]

[ . . .

He must've misheard that. He must've, and yet – Stefan doubts Minato would say anything like that without meaning it. Hastily, he locks the feed to just them. ]

No. I mean – there's no way to pull you out, is there?

[Minato didn't mind the private and locked status of their thread. He appreciated it.]

Not that I know of. But I wouldn't take back what I did.

[He'd do it again without a second thought. He'd just do it. It wasn't asked of him, but he wanted to do it. As resolute as his tone was though, he was also just as apologetic. He didn't want to make Stefan worried.]

Nor should you. [ Despite his bloodshot eyes and somber, heavy posture, he doesn't hesitate for a second. He would've done the exact same thing in Minato's shoes. One sacrifice is worth a while universe's survival. ]That's a huge decision.

Your friends, your family.... they must miss you a lot.

[Minato had the chance to look back at it for a much longer period now, thinking about that day and what it meant, then that day on the rooftop of the school. He didn't tell his friends. Maybe he should have.

It took a moment or so, perhaps a long moment or so, before Minato spoke again. This was something he never really told anyone else, not anyone he didn't trust with his life.]

... I miss them too.

[It didn't seem like much, but it was something he kept to himself for the longest time. He would do it again, that he didn't doubt. But he did realize what he was giving up in turn, if he could be selfish about it.]

[ The weight of that confession isn't lost on Stefan. Sacrifices always come with a cost, and friends and family would always be the (innocent) ones caught in the cross-fire.

Still, he has one question, revolving around what he would do, or what he would say, should he have to choose himself over the universe - ]

Did you get to say goodbye?

I did.

[Minato might've just nodded to a question like that, but he had to answer it out loud. He needed to hear himself say it too. But he did smile a bit since he did remember sort of saying goodbye. He didn't actually say it, but he meant it.]

Sorry. I should have told you sooner.

What? No, there's no need to apologize. [ Stefan shakes his head, almost smiling in return at Minato's expression. ]

This isn't something anyone would bring up so easily. Though uh, thank you for trusting me with something so important.

[Minato nodded. He did trust Stefan and knew that things he had told him would be kept secret. Some of it wasn't all a secret, some of the circumstances at home. But how he felt about it, that was the part Minato didn't easily let go of. Even if he should, since that's what he had been taught, but it's hard undo over ten years of hiding.]

Thank you for hearing me out too.

[Minato thought about something for a moment before speaking again.]

I should tell you more, in case it ever comes up.

[That way there were no other bombshells or surprises.]

Only if you want to.

[ As much as he appreciates the offer, Stefan's still keeping a few secrets of his own. It would be hypocritical for him to insist that everyone else give him the truth. ]

You're a good friend, Minato. I'm sorry that you don't get a choice between life and death – but it's all the more reason we should make the most of what we have now.

Thanks. You've been a good friend to me too.

[And Minato was so grateful for that. Stefan had been more than understanding with him and they could just talk about this without Minato having to worry about being judged. And he did have to make the best of this experience.]

If you're hurt, I can heal you. It's something I can do.

[ Stefan laughs nervously, ignoring the reddish tint of his cheeks. He sure hasn't felt like a good friend. Then again, he supposes it's hard to really judge when he's constantly compared to the man he used to be (or so he feels). ]

Thanks, but – [ wait up. ] Heal me? How would you do that?

Edited 2017-04-21 05:27 (UTC)

[The one important takeaway from the friendship or how it formed, Minato thought, was that someone listened to him. He was more than okay with listening to others and helping them. He wanted to. But if he could be a little selfish, then he kind of liked having it reciprocated, like it made him feel more like a person.]

One of my Personas. ... It doesn't hurt.

[Minato showed the Evoker to Stefan first because going through his normal summoning ritual and thus bringing his Persona Messiah into view. He did lower his Evoker and tilted the camera a bit to show the hovering being behind him.]

[ There's really no way to respond to a friend shooting himself in the head. Even if he says it doesn't hurt. No, especially if he says it doesn't hurt. Stefan's gasp is almost inaudible as he stands altogether, trying to discern just where Minato's broadcasting from and –

And that sure was a creature coming into view. Stefan sits back down, a little sheepishly, as he observes the almost stark-white being hovering just behind his friend. He swallows his hesitation, peering down at the Evoker as if it'll answer his questions.

(It doesn't.)]

What... what just happened here?

[Minato smiled a little and then replaced the Evoker back into his holster. He never knew how much of a warning to give anyone. He was so used to summoning and seeing his friends summon that he should've given more of an explanation before doing that.]

A Persona is part of my soul. It has physical or magical skills, healing included.

[That might lead to more questions. Minato was ready to answer them though.]

[ At this point, magic and physical power seem to come with the territory. Stefan doesn't need to question Minato's inner strength. He's witnessed that here, and with the very conversation they're having right now.

But this 'Messiah.' Stefan doesn't know what to make of it (him?).

He nods at the explanation, trying to parse what he's hearing. That stark-white... thing... is a Persona, and a Persona is... ]

Part of... your soul?

Edited 2017-04-24 22:48 (UTC)

[Minato nodded. That part of it was true, but he knew he had to explain it more.]

A Persona is like a mask you wear during hardships. It's how you are around different people or situations.

[He hoped that made sense. He only came to understand it later, then he was different depending on who he was with or where he was. In his situation, it was just a little more literal.]

I used to have over a hundred, but I only have six here now.

Over a hundred?

[ Pardon the blank stare. He understood the explanation, but when his friend says that ridiculously large number, he has to wonder how Minato must appear to everyone else. ]

Okay, even if you have six? That's still six more than the average person. [He laughs, finally starting to understand,] So it's... a representation of who you're like around that person, right?

Do you have a Persona that represents me? Or uh, people like me?

Edited 2017-05-01 06:16 (UTC)

[Minato wondered for a long time who he was and sometimes he still did. It was only after learning about other people that he could frame who he was, fit all the pieces together. He knew more about himself after knowing people around him.

He smiled when he was asked those questions though. He never had anyone ask them before.]

It might be several of them, depending on what's happening around us.

[He thought maybe that's why he had a literal shuffling of them, having one at the forefront then switching out if he had to.]

They grow stronger the more I spend time with people.

[ Hm. Stefan taps his fingers against the table, off-screen, as he takes this new information into account. . . ]

In that case, we'd better hang out more often so you can level up. [beat] That's the right word for it, yeah? I - I don't play as many video games as I should.

[Minato thought that was a cute way of putting it. He nodded.]

That works. I'd want to hang out with you anyway even if I didn't have to level up here.

[ !!!!

If musical notes were floating above his head, there would've been a whole song's worth. Stefan laughs, unable to hide the surprise on his face - ]

Really? Come on, Arisato... surely you've got someone else that's less doom and gloom.

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