AU-wrangling and pondering game potential...

[codename_emperor]

Hey. Good you're thinkin' about me again, yeah? Rather than just this 'canon' me: dunno what you're getting at there, I'm the guy with the cannon...

You're working on my backstory? Huh? I could tell ya most of that stuff, back when I first moved in with Ma and all that - oh. Yeah, when you start talking about the lab crap, it... ain't exactly fun to start thinking about it.

And what's this about my Persona? Are you really gonna start screwin' with that, too? I know my Shadow ain't the same as for the other me, but you're gonna change something like that?

Still, you can do it, right? And then ... maybe you can work on finding me somewhere to hang out? I know it's gonna be tricky, but I ain't the sort of guy who's gonna give up on a challenge! So c'mon! Let's do it!

(...and did ya have to hit the button *before* finishing writing last time? You're making us look bad!)

Comments

[spiritedgirl]

Lab...crap?

[This sounds familiar and yet not for the reasons it should]

What're you talkin' about, Kanji-san? You tryin' to say there's somethin' different about you this time?

[foolishpriestess]

[...seriously, what the hell?]

Kanji-kun? What happened to you?

[codename_emperor]

[Looking cheerful at the sight of Labrys here, but he's taken aback by the '-san' slightly - why so formal?]

Somethin' different? Uh...

[He scratches his head for a moment- damn. His face falls, and he looks away.]

... Yeah. You could say that.

[spiritedgirl]

[And now she sees it, sees things that are more reminiscent of Aigis than the Kanji she knows.

She doesn't like it. Just remembering what happened to her is enough for her to think that this is nothing good]

No...what did they do to you...I didn't do this! I swear I didn't.

[Because she can't help but think this might be her Shadow twisting things again, even as illogical as that is, or that it's some bizarre form of punishment by whoever tried to puppetmaster her in the first place]

[codename_emperor]

Whoa - whoa, calm down a sec', okay?

[He holds his hands up-]

Yeah. I guess this means the 'me' you know's the human one, huh...

[Under his voice-]

...Damn.

[spiritedgirl]

Of course it is. You know it is...what's going on, Kanji-san? Why...you're not supposed to be like me.

[And she's not sure why she's expected to know anyone other than a human Kanji]

[codename_emperor]

Yukiko-senpai? Nothing's happened... I'm just tryin' to work a few things out, that's all...

[And he looks a bit puzzled here, himself...

[codename_emperor]

Why wouldn't I be supposed to be? I - I know I ain't gotta be, but ...

[Gah, why is she worrying? What can he do? This isn't fair...]

It's okay. Seriously. C'mon.

[spiritedgirl]

What do you mean you ain't gotta be? You either are or you ain't, that's how it works!

[Either he's human or he's like her. And if he's like her then that means something's changed somewhere and she's not sure what or where]

[codename_emperor]

Ngh... I haven't got time for this different timeline crap.

[Man. This is making his head hurt from here to the TV...]

I am, then, OK? I've been ...the same as you... long as I can remember.

[He just got lucky where she didn't.]

[foolishpriestess]

[But-! How is this possible?! He's supposed to be-!!]

But...how are you...

[And now her shock turns to anger.]

Did Adachi do this to you?!

[codename_emperor]

[He's looking completely shocked there. And he's usually the one whose logic escapes the others...]

Adachi? Hell no! I haven't seen that asshole since we took him down... what's goin' on?

[foolishpriestess]

[Even more confusion from her. They defeated him? Since when?]

...we never defeated him. Not now at least.

[bleachout]

Hell yeah! You tell 'em!

...But, uh, what's this about moving in?

[What do you mean, is that the only part he picked up on? What else was there to pick up on?]

[codename_emperor]

Wha'? Whaddya mean, 'not now'?

[Okay, apparently, the patented Kanji look of sheer confusion still works when it's in mechanical form.]

You were there...!

[codename_emperor]

[Other him, the heck? ...Without glowing eyes, that's a good start. Without his external components - a little more confusing. But he pushes on regardless...]

Uh, back when I - we - shit - first moved into Inaba? Getting snuck outta the labs to 'try and teach me about bein' human'? ... or was that - hell, I don't know.

(Still trying to put the pieces of what happened together myself, man. Apparently, someone's still workin' on it.)

[spiritedgirl]

But...how? Why? Wasn't Aigis enough?

[She gets that she was essentially a screw-up but she thought by Aigis the Kirijo group had things more or less nailed.

And yes, she's maybe a touch offended on her sister's behalf.]

[foolishpriestess]

[She shook her head, looking down at the ground.]

No, I wasn't. I was there when...

[She couldn't say it. 'I was there when someone dear to us killed you, Yosuke, Chie, and Naoto.' How could she?]

[codename_emperor]

[He's a spot more subdued, there, looking at the ground.]

Yeah, Aigis, they got it right... but they couldn't leave well enough alone. So some of the guys worked on me as a side project. A different model for different situations.
...Didn't work out.

[codename_emperor]

When what?

[He calms down, frowns, worried for his friend who showed him so much...]

C'mon. It's okay.

[spiritedgirl]

What different situations? How many different situations can there be for us?

[She's scared to ask the rest. She didn't work out either and she doesn't want to think of anyone else suffering as she did]

[codename_emperor]

[Definitely trying to talk softly, here - he gets the feeling he's skating on thin ice...]

Aigis is about shootin' the hell out of Shadows. I'm more close combat. Grab 'em, throw 'em around, y'know? In case there was explosive shit around, or in case the environment just wasn't right for her to do her thing.

[bleachout]

[Kanji looks at him blankly.] Uh... huh. Yeah, I'm gettin' a little lost here.

[Still... talking about labs and being human, and those headphone-looking things he's sure he's seen somewhere...]

So what are you, some kinda robot me? And Ma's gone and... picked you up? [He frowns, obviously annoyed, although not at the interloper.] Hell's up with that? First I'm hearing about it.

[codename_emperor]

[And a nod back-]

Yeah. I'm you, you're - heh. Things just ... happened differently to us. I don't know the full story, but something happened when you were, I was - ugh... a kid, anyway. I don't remember that stuff. I just remember bein' dropped on Ma's doorstep and us bein' told that hey, I'm her son, or the son she would've had or ... something.

...Makes my head hurt.

[spiritedgirl]

She can do close combat just fine. Anyway, I thought bein' able to install firearms was a step forward for 'em. Why'd they want to go back on that?

[Why no she's not just super-defensive of her younger sister at all]