[Simple as that, huh? It doesn't sound simple, but alright, she won't push that part. His initial reaction told her everything she needed, anyway.]
Even if he cries, it's probably good to talk to Akira about it, [she says, resting back on her hands against the back of the bar.] 'Cause you don't know how or when we might go back. Maybe time's marching forward without you, and you'll wake up there in the same shape you are here.
Assuming we're not sentenced and imprisoned here forever, I guess.
[He now kinda wishes he hadn't drank his cocktail so eagerly, because he could really use one now. So he just pokes the rim of his mineral-water glass with his finger.
Well, at least it's unlikely that Akira will cry again. Last time the situation had been full of emotional vulnerability as they took step into unknown terrority. At least he hopes it won't happen again. He hated the hopeless feeling when watching the other come apart in front of him, eyes full of tears.]
If he does I'll just have to call you to take care of him. [He huffs out a forced chuckle and grabs the glass, bringing it to his lips.]
Who knows. Maybe we're all just waiting for Hell to make room for us.
[Her eyes sparkle a little bit, and she bites her tongue so she doesn't say oh, I'll take care of him alright, because that's hardly going to be helpful in this situation.]
Purgatory was my first thought, too. But everybody else isn't dead, so... [Shrug!]
If you had a second chance with Akira and the others, if it was your choice, would you take it?
[Thank you Kotone. This is not the best moment for him to grow suspicious of your relationship.
He wonders if she even realizes how big of a question that is. The Phantom Thieves had originally offered him a second chance, even willing to take him with them when going against Shido despite everything. Would he have wanted to take that opportunity? Yes. But then would he have?
It's almost the same question Akira had presented him before the sleepover trip to farm.]
Who can say. [AKA he doesn't want to answer.]
There's still a possibility that we all are dead, even those who don't think they are. [Shrug. It's a good as good theory as any.]
Besides I'm not entirely convinced we're not in someone else's cognitive world. The way locals act are suspicious enough.
[She just gives him a look. It's not even a good dodge, Goro! But as long as he's thinking about it, that's enough. He doesn't owe her any answers.]
I just think there'd be more signs if it were cognitive. Like... the Dark Hour was pretty obvious when it was happening. Your Metaverse was probably pretty obvious too, right?
[He knows it's not his best game, but at least it got her to drop the subject.]
Usually yes. We used a navigation app to get access to enter Metaverse. Although, there's been a case where it bled into real world without us noticing. [Looking at you Maruki. He honestly wouldn't put a fucked up idea of rehabilitation past that man ] But that is still a rather different compared to our current situation, seeing that people across different worlds have been summoned here.
However, I don't truly believe this is Metaverse as we don't have access to our Personas.
[Back to the pretzels! Please eat something, bud. She'd give him real food if she had it, but unfortunately it's a bar and she's not Akira who can magically whip up something from nothing. Snacks it is.]
Me and Akira were able to summon ours when that monster attacked town. I was able to summon mine a little while ago to heal someone who was almost dead, but other than that...
[She shakes her head and shrugs. Again, it's not the biggest loss to her. Sure, her Personas are part of her, but a lot of things that were a part of her have vanished and been reborn. They're still there in her soul, even if she can't fight with them, so that's enough.]
[Especially when it seems like everyone else has been able to retain their powers. With him, Akira and Yoshizawa Akechi can understand why their Personas stay out of reach -- if they truly are not in Metaverse. But with Kotone? He thinks it should be different but.]
Hmmm. Yes, something similar happened with me, too. [Although with him the summon had been incomplete. Only feeling the surge of power and red aura as the shadow of Loki appeared when he had faced Gogol in a rather.. overwhelming situation.]
The first time was when you got branded, right? Can you describe the second event in more detail, please?
[Said very simply. She is not getting into detail about that whole thing with Dazai having to be near death for her to heal him. Whatever Goro's and Dazai's tenuous relationship is right now, she's introducing that variable.]
Someone almost died in front of me, and there wasn't any time to get somebody else, so I just-- tried it. And it worked. I was able to summon Messiah and cast Salvation, but that was all.
Was this person close to you? I'm only trying to find a common ground between the instances Personas were summoned.[C'mon sis, spill the T. But guess he could start.]
With me it was during the last attack. A man named Nikolai Gogol had been branded and tried to steal me to his new leader. I had to decline, of course.
Oh... I've heard about Gogol-san. Dazai-san told me I should stay away from him.
[Somehow, hearing that Goro had a bad encounter with Gogol doesn't surprise her at all. Dazai and Chuuya are so easy to get along with, and Goro had managed to piss off both of them, so- it only makes sense.
She steps back away from the counter to top off her juice and add a little bit of the sparkling water to it. Fizzy!]
Were you in danger, do you think? The first time I awakened my Persona last year was when I was under attack. Maybe they respond to serious threats.
For once I have to agree with Dazai-san. Gogol-san sure is.. an individual, let's say.
[Extremely unpredictable and dangerous one. While Akechi had managed to fight the clown off he doesn't really want to repeat the encounter.]
I'd say so, yes. He was under the same spell as you. [look for once he didn't instigate the conflict!!
But she has a point] As far as I'm aware of it was similar with Akira and rest of the Phantom Thieves. In a face of great danger and feeling utterly helpless under the mask you wear for the public.
Maybe we need to reawaken them through similar situations.
[Simply sidestepping that conversational landmine; she doesn't want to talk about the time she was controlled.]
You think the only times we can awaken our Personas are when we're in danger...? [She frowns and takes a sip of her fizzy water-juice, letting out a little sound of delight and setting it on the counter in front of Goro.] Here, try this, it's good!
[She rolls her eyes but reaches under the bar to grab a straw.]
I'm not sick or anything. Anyway, I guess that could make sense. That doesn't mean you should go find dangerous situations to put yourself in, just to test it.
[She points the straw at him as if in warning before holding it out for him to take.]
Haha. [He shakes his head, places the straw in his glass and takes a drink. Yeah, it tastes good. Very refreshing after that boozy drink he just downed a while ago. He takes another sip and offers the drink back to her.]
Don't worry. I wouldn't go without taking proper precautions first. [Maybe?] But once we gain the control over our Personas again I will definitely want a rematch. A true test of strength.
[Flat-out, no consideration needed at all. Just a very simple statement as she shakes her head and gestures for him to keep the drink. She'll make herself another!]
I've been thinking a lot about it. The fight we had. [Her voice is steady and contemplative as she pours some juice and adds a squirt of mineral water.] You didn't want to fight to try to learn, or to become better, or even for me to learn something. You just wanted one of us to get beat into the dirt to prove which one of us is better.
[She gets her own straw this time and pops it into the drink, taking a casual sip.]
I don't have to prove anything. Maybe you're a stronger fighter than me, maybe you're not. [She shrugs and takes another sip, wondering if maybe she's giving him a challenge of her own. Oh well. She won't coddle him just because they're friends -- maybe especially because they're friends.] But you went way too far for a spar between friends. I don't think I'd like fighting against you with a Persona.
[Well, that's disappointing to hear! The frown deepens on Akechi's face as he places the drink down on the table. Thanks for leftovers?]
It was a duel, not a spar. My apologies if I misled you with my intentions. [But in all fairness, he had warned her -- telling her that he wouldn't hold back and that neither should she. But more than that, what really bothers him is the way she's stripping the whole deal down, as if it had been pointless bravado.]
It wasn't as meaningless as you make it to be. [It had meant a great deal to him.] I needed to see your strength, how else would I be able to trust you. Besides, I learned a quite lot in the process.
[Look, she thought it was nicer to let him have the one she'd given him than make a whole new one after he'd already tried it! #JustFriendsThings]
Call it whatever you want. It was still messed up at the end. Duels are supposed to be honorable, right? If it'd been for real, you would've died when I pulled the knife. But you kept pushing it way past that after I said to stop.
[She takes another sip of her drink and shakes her head again. If it was a fight to prove to him that he could trust her, it had done quite the opposite for her -- shaken her trust completely.]
What kind of leader would I be if I said "okay" to another fight like that? One using Personas?
Pulling a secret weapon like that on me was hardly honorable move, Kotone. [Just saying. Sure, there really hadn't been any specific rules declaring that they could only use one weapon. But she can't really bring the "honor"-card on him (besides, he was tapped in Loki, not Robin).]
And I didn't think we were done just yet. If you pull a knife on someone comes with heavy consequences. [Don't threaten him with a good time and all that.
But the last comment makes him snort a laughter.] You're not my leader.
Neither was the way you pinned me. Things got out of control, and I should've stopped it earlier, you're right.
[It's an easy admission as she shrugs her shoulders. Really, she shouldn't have taken him up on it at all, but it had clearly been so important to him. She swirls her straw in her drink and shakes her head.]
You're right about that, too. You're a really strong fighter, Goro, but I wouldn't put you on my front lines. Maybe Akira leads in a different way. I trust my team to fight their hardest, but to listen if I think something needs to stop or change. I asked you to stop twice and you ignored me when I felt our lives were in danger.
Tch. [He clicks his tongue in annoyance and shakes his head, leaning his back against the chair.]
He's not my leader either. [Akechi had followed Akira's lead while they were in metaverse, but outside of that it was a different story. He wouldn't answer to anyone.] And why do you always make it about you. What you should have done and what not. You're not responsible for me or anyone else here.
"Always?" [she echoes, raising an eyebrow. First of all, that's patently untrue, she's as responsible for Ken and Shinjiro and has been for months. Second of all, she's rarely made it about herself where Goro's involved.]
Are you talking to me, or does Akira usually say the same things?
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Even if he cries, it's probably good to talk to Akira about it, [she says, resting back on her hands against the back of the bar.] 'Cause you don't know how or when we might go back. Maybe time's marching forward without you, and you'll wake up there in the same shape you are here.
Assuming we're not sentenced and imprisoned here forever, I guess.
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Well, at least it's unlikely that Akira will cry again. Last time the situation had been full of emotional vulnerability as they took step into unknown terrority. At least he hopes it won't happen again. He hated the hopeless feeling when watching the other come apart in front of him, eyes full of tears.]
If he does I'll just have to call you to take care of him. [He huffs out a forced chuckle and grabs the glass, bringing it to his lips.]
Who knows. Maybe we're all just waiting for Hell to make room for us.
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Purgatory was my first thought, too. But everybody else isn't dead, so... [Shrug!]
If you had a second chance with Akira and the others, if it was your choice, would you take it?
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He wonders if she even realizes how big of a question that is. The Phantom Thieves had originally offered him a second chance, even willing to take him with them when going against Shido despite everything. Would he have wanted to take that opportunity? Yes. But then would he have?
It's almost the same question Akira had presented him before the sleepover trip to farm.]
Who can say. [AKA he doesn't want to answer.]
There's still a possibility that we all are dead, even those who don't think they are. [Shrug. It's a good as good theory as any.]
Besides I'm not entirely convinced we're not in someone else's cognitive world. The way locals act are suspicious enough.
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[She just gives him a look. It's not even a good dodge, Goro! But as long as he's thinking about it, that's enough. He doesn't owe her any answers.]
I just think there'd be more signs if it were cognitive. Like... the Dark Hour was pretty obvious when it was happening. Your Metaverse was probably pretty obvious too, right?
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Usually yes. We used a navigation app to get access to enter Metaverse. Although, there's been a case where it bled into real world without us noticing. [Looking at you Maruki. He honestly wouldn't put a fucked up idea of rehabilitation past that man ] But that is still a rather different compared to our current situation, seeing that people across different worlds have been summoned here.
However, I don't truly believe this is Metaverse as we don't have access to our Personas.
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[Back to the pretzels! Please eat something, bud. She'd give him real food if she had it, but unfortunately it's a bar and she's not Akira who can magically whip up something from nothing. Snacks it is.]
Me and Akira were able to summon ours when that monster attacked town. I was able to summon mine a little while ago to heal someone who was almost dead, but other than that...
[She shakes her head and shrugs. Again, it's not the biggest loss to her. Sure, her Personas are part of her, but a lot of things that were a part of her have vanished and been reborn. They're still there in her soul, even if she can't fight with them, so that's enough.]
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[Especially when it seems like everyone else has been able to retain their powers. With him, Akira and Yoshizawa Akechi can understand why their Personas stay out of reach -- if they truly are not in Metaverse. But with Kotone? He thinks it should be different but.]
Hmmm. Yes, something similar happened with me, too. [Although with him the summon had been incomplete. Only feeling the surge of power and red aura as the shadow of Loki appeared when he had faced Gogol in a rather.. overwhelming situation.]
The first time was when you got branded, right? Can you describe the second event in more detail, please?
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[Said very simply. She is not getting into detail about that whole thing with Dazai having to be near death for her to heal him. Whatever Goro's and Dazai's tenuous relationship is right now, she's introducing that variable.]
Someone almost died in front of me, and there wasn't any time to get somebody else, so I just-- tried it. And it worked. I was able to summon Messiah and cast Salvation, but that was all.
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With me it was during the last attack. A man named Nikolai Gogol had been branded and tried to steal me to his new leader. I had to decline, of course.
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[Somehow, hearing that Goro had a bad encounter with Gogol doesn't surprise her at all. Dazai and Chuuya are so easy to get along with, and Goro had managed to piss off both of them, so- it only makes sense.
She steps back away from the counter to top off her juice and add a little bit of the sparkling water to it. Fizzy!]
Were you in danger, do you think? The first time I awakened my Persona last year was when I was under attack. Maybe they respond to serious threats.
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an individual, let's say.
[Extremely unpredictable and dangerous one. While Akechi had managed to fight the clown off he doesn't really want to repeat the encounter.]
I'd say so, yes. He was under the same spell as you. [look for once he didn't instigate the conflict!!
But she has a point] As far as I'm aware of it was similar with Akira and rest of the Phantom Thieves. In a face of great danger and feeling utterly helpless under the mask you wear for the public.
Maybe we need to reawaken them through similar situations.
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You think the only times we can awaken our Personas are when we're in danger...? [She frowns and takes a sip of her fizzy water-juice, letting out a little sound of delight and setting it on the counter in front of Goro.] Here, try this, it's good!
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[He takes the offered glass to his hand, brings it almost to his lips but catches himself before making the actual contact.]
You wouldn't happen to have a straw?
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I'm not sick or anything. Anyway, I guess that could make sense. That doesn't mean you should go find dangerous situations to put yourself in, just to test it.
[She points the straw at him as if in warning before holding it out for him to take.]
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Akechi huffs out a soft laughter and takes the straw.] Is that a threat, Miss Shiomi?
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She snorts, then laughs, shaking her head.]
You'd just think a threat is a challenge, so no. Maybe think of it like really strong advice.
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Don't worry. I wouldn't go without taking proper precautions first. [Maybe?] But once we gain the control over our Personas again I will definitely want a rematch. A true test of strength.
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[Flat-out, no consideration needed at all. Just a very simple statement as she shakes her head and gestures for him to keep the drink. She'll make herself another!]
I've been thinking a lot about it. The fight we had. [Her voice is steady and contemplative as she pours some juice and adds a squirt of mineral water.] You didn't want to fight to try to learn, or to become better, or even for me to learn something. You just wanted one of us to get beat into the dirt to prove which one of us is better.
[She gets her own straw this time and pops it into the drink, taking a casual sip.]
I don't have to prove anything. Maybe you're a stronger fighter than me, maybe you're not. [She shrugs and takes another sip, wondering if maybe she's giving him a challenge of her own. Oh well. She won't coddle him just because they're friends -- maybe especially because they're friends.] But you went way too far for a spar between friends. I don't think I'd like fighting against you with a Persona.
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It was a duel, not a spar. My apologies if I misled you with my intentions. [But in all fairness, he had warned her -- telling her that he wouldn't hold back and that neither should she. But more than that, what really bothers him is the way she's stripping the whole deal down, as if it had been pointless bravado.]
It wasn't as meaningless as you make it to be. [It had meant a great deal to him.] I needed to see your strength, how else would I be able to trust you. Besides, I learned a quite lot in the process.
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Call it whatever you want. It was still messed up at the end. Duels are supposed to be honorable, right? If it'd been for real, you would've died when I pulled the knife. But you kept pushing it way past that after I said to stop.
[She takes another sip of her drink and shakes her head again. If it was a fight to prove to him that he could trust her, it had done quite the opposite for her -- shaken her trust completely.]
What kind of leader would I be if I said "okay" to another fight like that? One using Personas?
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And I didn't think we were done just yet. If you pull a knife on someone comes with heavy consequences. [Don't threaten him with a good time and all that.
But the last comment makes him snort a laughter.] You're not my leader.
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[It's an easy admission as she shrugs her shoulders. Really, she shouldn't have taken him up on it at all, but it had clearly been so important to him. She swirls her straw in her drink and shakes her head.]
You're right about that, too. You're a really strong fighter, Goro, but I wouldn't put you on my front lines. Maybe Akira leads in a different way. I trust my team to fight their hardest, but to listen if I think something needs to stop or change. I asked you to stop twice and you ignored me when I felt our lives were in danger.
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He's not my leader either. [Akechi had followed Akira's lead while they were in metaverse, but outside of that it was a different story. He wouldn't answer to anyone.] And why do you always make it about you. What you should have done and what not. You're not responsible for me or anyone else here.
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Are you talking to me, or does Akira usually say the same things?
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