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[After spending some time looking around town, talking with locals, and efficiently gathering information, Fumi's ready to introduce herself to the network. Except it's not so much an introduction as a combination lecture / interrogation. She doesn't have time for idle pleasantries - there is a new research topic afoot. Her face is expressionless as she launches right into her diatribe.]

Persona.

A concept first introduced by Swiss psychologist Carl Jung in the early twentieth century, described as 'a kind of mask, designed on the one hand to make a definite impression upon others, and on the other to conceal the true nature of the individual.'

[Dry and pedantic, just like she likes it. Although at this point, her features take on a hint of frustration.]

I have vague memories of having heard this word shortly before waking up in this city, and given the rather abrupt nature of my arrival, I feel safe in assuming the word holds a more significant meaning in this place than would normally be suggested by traditional psychological terminology. I've also gathered that I'm far from the only person to have arrived in this way, or to have experienced that vague dream upon arrival.

So, Hinoto-Ri, what can you tell me about the Persona phenomenon, and what is the most efficient way to awaken one? Please make your responses as brief and concise as possible. I may have found my next research topic.

[The woman smiles before ending the feed and waiting for responses.]

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Of course.

[Ahhh, Chief, how well you know your subordinates.]

[A ghost of a smirk]

Then perhaps I should send you to Shijima... I'm certain he'll be able to fill you in.

[With simplistic language, and lots of ums, and ahs, and half-shoddy explanations]

Well, I suppose he's a step up from Wakui. But I'm afraid he's already tried and failed to provide any sort of coherent explanation.

[Damn it, Shijima. Ruining his fun]

Of course he has... very well then. I am free for the moment, so ask whatever important questions you have first.

By this point, I think I have enough information to go on, at least as concerns Personas and demons. Certainly enough to facilitate the awakening of my own, at least. But it would be helpful to know how many of us there are here.

You mean from our world? Including ourselves, eight of us reside here. Ah-

[Yamato paused, grimacing a little]

Seven, technically... there are two Alcors in this city.

Two?

[Congratulations, Yamato, she seems honestly surprised about that.]

Well, that's certainly interesting. As if one of him wasn't difficult enough to deal with.

[And then she's straight back to clinical.]

I don't suppose you've managed to discover the reason for such a thing? We already know from Polaris that there are essentially infinite iterations of our own world, so perhaps they were each brought here from a different one. Which would suggest that the world we find ourselves in now is itself a sort of dimensional nexus, or perhaps being directly controlled by a being similar to Polaris in nature.

[Yamato nods. Fumi hit it right on the head, really]

It has been revealed recently that we exist in some kind of multi-verse, and that this world possesses some form of trans-dimensional portal of some kind. As for why this is, it is still unclear.

[Well, kind of. But for now there were no solid, concrete details about the entire thing. Philemon was responsible for bringing people here, yes, and the goal was to somehow stop Nyarlathotep from doing whatever it is the Crawling Chaos was trying to achieve, but no one really knew why it was important to do all of this from this world - a rumoured ruined world on its very last legs]

However, the majority of us come from different timelines of our world. The one with the rabbit-eared hood... he has different names depending on the timeline. For myself, he was Hiro, for his world, he was Kaito, for...one of the Alcors, he was Hibiki.

[And now... to see how Yamato died this time]

So, I have a question. What timeline do you hail from?

I thought as much. And it seems some of the people who have been brought here are from other universes entirely. I don't recall fully functional humanoid robots with personalities indistinguishable from normal people being a thing we were even remotely close to at home, to name one.

[As for the second thing... since I named him Kaito in my playthrough anyway and have already rolled with that name in her thread with Daichi, Kaito ahoy!]

He's known as Kaito in my timeline as well. I arrived here shortly after you and he led us to victory over Polaris to achieve a merit-based society, just as you'd always wished for. Congratulations, Chief.

[She honestly has no way of knowing what happened to him in his own universe, but figures he'd be happy to hear it all the same.]

...

[...

O-Okay, just. Give him a moment. HE ACTUALLY ACHIEVES HIS DREAM IN ONE TIMELINE AT LEAST ~~AND KAITO CHOSE HIM AHAHAHAH~~!

Ahem.]

I... see. It is nice to hear that I achieved my dream in at least one timeline. My own was sadly not as fortuitous.

[Hold on. She's going to need a moment over here too as she glances away from the feed for a moment, covering her mouth with her hand. It's not often she gets to see a flash of emotion like that from him.]

[...Okay, she's fine now.]

...Kuriki's faction?

[So happy Yamato was, that he either ignored, or was oblivious to Fumi's little moment, and merely sighed in response]

Yes. They wished for an egalitarian society. I attempted to prevent it, but I was defeated - and subsequently killed.

[Death by tower. Urgh, he still got antsy whenever he was at the base of particularly tall buildings. It had not been a pleasant death in the slightest]

Then you'll be happy to know that you were the one to kill him personally in my own timeline.

[Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Kuriki.]

Kaito did his best to convert him, but I suppose there's just no talking to some people.

Hrm. No doubt he refused to back down. A fitting end, I suppose.

[He respected Kuriki for his determination and drive, but otherwise, well, if he lost and was killed, then he wasn't going to spare it any further thought]

In any case, you are the only one to hail from such a world. The others... either sided with Alcor, or took a different path.

Notably, Kuriki was the only one who failed to join up with JPs. Between our superior tactics and a few well-placed words from Kaito, the others all fell in line in fairly short order. He really does seem to have a gift for that sort of thing, doesn't he?

He does. Whichever Ideal he stood behind, it was always the one that prevailed. A terrifying power...

And what ideal has he chosen in this city?

[Oh why did you ask that question Fumi? Yamato's expression became stony, and he looked more than a little disgruntled]

...Alcor's.

I see.

They were lured in by him, somehow. He managed to snatch Kaito's loyalty despite his...identity.

Then I suppose my next logical inquiry would be what you plan to do.

Hahah... what do I plan to do? Nothing.

[Yamato was almost amused by that - yes, it had been done. Yamato could not reinstate his world of meritocracy to Japan in his world, due to being dead there, and Kaito had already defeated Polaris in his own. He held no allegiance towards this city, so he didn't feel motivated to try and incorporate one here, either]

You intend to simply allow yourself to stagnate here?

Don't misunderstand. I don't intend on stagnating in the slightest. It's more like I am... observing for now.

[Dying and ending up in a new world was a massive game changer! Yamato could never sit still and stagnate - he needed a purpose, and he was looking for one, even if it was not the same as the one he was born into]

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