01: audio / action

[stitchedfromsteel]

Hey, everyone. Uh, hey, Visitors? Am I doin' this right?

[The voice that's playing is that of a rough-sounding young man, and one who sounds a bit stressed at that.]

So. From what I've heard... you guys are all Persona users, right? Brought here to help protect this place? Still havin' a hard time believing it, but - guess there ain't any point in denyin' what I'm seein', huh.

I just wanna let ya know ... if anyone ever needs any backup or anythin' like that... [the next bit comes out in a rush, loud and forceful-] oh, just gimme a call, okay? I've done this crap before. I'm - [and he pauses for a moment, picking his words.] Uh...

I'm here to help. I want to help.

So... lemme know, okay?

[Pause. As if an afterthought-]

...An' does anyone have any tips for people who've just got here? This city's kinda crazy...

[Throughout the day, a rather confused looking young man in concealing clothing that looks like it's got to be too hot for the weather can be seen wandering through the city, trying to get his bearings. Damn. He never was good at navigation... but he'll get this place mapped soon enough? Won't he?]

Comments

[stitchedfromsteel]

Hey, don't worry about it. I get why ya thought it.

[In a slightly odd tone-]

Sorry I ain't the one you're lookin' for.

[all_wound_up]

No, it's all right. I shouldn't have assumed things.

[stitchedfromsteel]

It's ... [awkward pause go-] It's okay. Ya didn't know.

So, who'm I talkin' to? Did ya know him well?

[all_wound_up]

My name is Nano Shinonome. Kanji-san helped me at the Amagi Inn after Yukiko-san left the city.

[She bows her head again, this time by way of introduction.]

[stitchedfromsteel]

Wait - you're that Nano? And the inn really was named after...

[...Damn. Damn.
No wonder he'd have helped her out! The Amagi Inn, plus another of his kind...

Eh, hell with it. A few moments of fiddling with his COMP, and he's switched to video.]

I was gonna come look for ya anyway. One of your friends mentioned your name t' me. Mentioned the inn, too, but didn't actually say, uh, anything else 'bout it.

Video

[all_wound_up]

That Nano?

[Nano blinks in surprise as the video comes on. It's definitely Kanji, all right, but... well, let's just say it takes one to know one.]

Oh... who did you talk to? I didn't know I was so popular!

[It's a little joke, but also somewhat serious. Nano's really never thought of herself as someone who merits a lot of secondhand description.]

Re: Video

[stitchedfromsteel]

Kotoha. She gave me that - uh, info file thing... I asked her 'bout the bit that talked about robots - well, 'bout non-humans in general - and she said ya were a friend. Said about the Amagi Inn, too, but - hell, how was I meant to guess Yukiko's been here? Thought it was just a name...

[He shrugs.]

Video

[all_wound_up]

It's been a while now, but yes, she's been here before.

[Nano fidgets for a moment before deciding there's no polite way to go about her next question.]

Are you a robot too, Kanji-san?

Re: Video

[stitchedfromsteel]

[Okay, that gets an odd look - and then a panicked one. Did he seriously just blow it?]

...Crap, ya mean he never told ya?

[Damn, damn, why wouldn't he have, but ugh, he'd been in such a hurry to own up to at least someone here...]

Video

[all_wound_up]

Who never did? The other Kanji-san?

Re: Video

[stitchedfromsteel]

Well, yeah, who else'm I gonna be talkin' about - agh, damn, forget I said anythin'!

Video

[all_wound_up]

It's okay, really! I don't mind at all.

Re: Video

[stitchedfromsteel]

[He just about falls off the screen for a moment as he slumps forward.]

Well. Uh. Damn. Yeah.
...This ain't usually the way I tell people, but I... figured that if I were the other me, I'd've told ya at some point. Dunno why he wouldn't have.

Video

[all_wound_up]

Maybe he didn't think it was important?

Re: Video

[stitchedfromsteel]

Eh, maybe. I mean, with all this time stuff goin' on, I dunno what he'd have been thinkin'.

[He shrugs.]

So ... there ya have it, I guess...

Video

[all_wound_up]

It's okay. Kanji-san is Kanji-san, no matter what.

Re: Video

[stitchedfromsteel]

Heh. Ya got that one right.

[He smiles, then... looks a bit awkward. A little hesitantly he asks - ]

You're ... cool with this? I mean, me comin' in here when the other one ain't here any more? I don't wanna try 'n steal his place or anythin'...

Video

[all_wound_up]

[Nano nods.]

Mm. It's okay. It happens a lot here. Sometimes people come back and they don't remember being here before. I just try to make friends with them all over again.

Re: Video

[stitchedfromsteel]

[Slowly, slowly, he nods back. His voice is still quiet as he goes on.]

That's. That's good of ya.

Video

[all_wound_up]

It's just how things are here.

Re: Video

[stitchedfromsteel]

...Huh. Not gonna lie, that's gonna take some getting used to.

Video

[all_wound_up]

Yeah... but that's why I always try to make friends with the same people if I see them again. Because I think even if they don't remember me, the bond we made together is stronger than that.

Re: Video

[stitchedfromsteel]

But ... what if it wasn't them ya made the bond with? Is it really the same?

Video

[all_wound_up]

Why would it not be the same?

Re: Video

[stitchedfromsteel]

["You aren't my son, Thyreos. You should never have come here."]

...I dunno. Things change.