overstrain | INBOX

[ Wait. Wait... fuck. He got way too excited there. Calm down. Calm down... Yeah. ... His hands sting, but that's not important. Sorry if he scared you, Akira. ]

The reason why Kido isn't there! It's because Nekogami wants Kido to live, right? But she wants to die!

[ ... Rewind. ]

... Wait, I don't mean that she's suicidal. I talked about this with her a long time ago too [ that's why it took him so long to remember ] so now I remember. She said her family was dead back home. And when we talked abut the option to go home after all this is over, she said that she still wanted to go, despite knowing that she's dead there and won't be able to continue living once she's there. She said that it's because her family's back home... and if she wanted to die, she wanted to be with them. And even through all those... little changes, she still thinks the same about it. I heard it through her mirror image at the mansion.

[Akira jumps, like visibly jumps, but he pulls himself back together pretty quick.]

Wait, wait— she's dead?

[Hold the up fuck.]

Wouldn't that mean that Nekogami doesn't have to worry about killing her at all? The Shadow can just... go?

No! Like...

[ Ugh. Okay. How does he describe this. ]

Kido is alive here. But if she goes back, if she leaves through the exit that we're trying so hard to open, she'll just return to her place where she's dead. She's not going to automatically revive when she leaves. The world probably recognizes her as dead already. You can't just... change something like that.

[ He doesn't know if they operate on the same mechanics, but at least Terry is somewhat familiar with the laws of the universe. ]

... I met someone. He's one of the people who came from the other Hirajiro. He's supposed to be dead too, but he's alive here.

I think the fact that Nekogami is keeping Kido hidden away is because he acknowledges the fact that Kido wants to return home, where she'll be dead. And Nekogami doesn't want that.

Oh. God.

[His hand goes straight back into his hair.]

Because he can't trust her to make her own decision, when her own decision is to die for good...

...

Terry... I don't want to have to convince Nekogami that Kido deserves to die!

I don't want to either! We'll definitely think of something else!

[ Yeah like who goes around and says their girlfriend deserves to die???

??????????? ]

I still have no idea what I'm supposed to say.

[Think, Joker, think.]

I have to appease him, I guess, to get to talk to the Shadow. Do I just... agree wit everything he says? Reinforce all of his ideas about Kido? That's what made him happy last time...

Of course that pompous blowhard would be happy if you agree with him. He doesn't like being challenged.

[ While Akira is appeasing Nekogami, Terry was just full on criticizing him. lol... ]

Right. What Emperor does?

[He makes a face.]

That's what seemed to get me closer to talking to her, but... I can't just keep feeding into his rigid thinking. It's wrong. I understand why he thinks that way, but it's just wrong.

Yeah, so I figured I wasn't going to be able to convince him anyway, and with how he attacked me first the moment I opened the door, we just fought. There's an annoying invisible wall that separates the room between him and Kido's Shadow. Nekogami sometimes goes back behind it to heal or make fun of you for not being able to reach him.

[ y e a h

just kill the cat ]

[No. That's a great way to lose Kido forever if you ask him.]

The first time I saw him... I dropped all my weapons as soon as I walked in the door. Knives, gun, bombs, omamori.

[ ... ]

I still need to get my omamori back.

You dropped your omamori?!

[ Akira?!?!?

Holy shit, Terry looks appalled. ]

[Akira notices that look, and immediately he starts going on the defensive again.]

Because if I didn't, he'd assume I was going to summon someone from behind and attack him! If he's so fixated on safety, I needed to make sure I couldn't pose a threat!

[He huffs.]

It wasn't my best idea ever, but he gave me back the other stuff, so I should be able to get it back if I play my cards right!

[ Ughhhh... From that viewpoint, Akira is right. But... ]

You know that means you won't be able to suggest new ideas, right?

[Groan...]

I know.

I just hate ass-kissing, even if it's his stupid furry one... it feels so gross...

[ Big fucking mood, Akira. ]

You know what... I'll be right back.

[ He gets up to go his room. When he comes back, he has a glass container that has this in it. Terry just has the look "don't ask. don't question it". ]

It's a defensive item, so you don't need to give it up. You have to be safe too, so... Take this with you. I don't want anybody else to die.

[Akira looks at Terry. He looks at the jar. He looks at the godless abomination inside the jar.]

[And then he silently pockets it.]

What does it do? Do I have to activate it?

[ Yeah, it's... weird... ]

It protects you from a fatal attack, like a scapegoat.

[ Basically, it dies for you. ]

So use the chance to run away if it gets really bad.

Oh, shit...

[He looks up at Terry again.]

Thank you. I'll bring it back if I don't... end up using it.

[That does make him feel a lot better, though...]

[ Honestly, if Terry didn't have pinpointing, he would have been like ?????????? and throw away the thing. Good thing he didn't. ]

... It's fine. I don't have a need for it. If you don't want it and you don't end up using it, give it to somebody you think would need it. I can't die anyway, so...

[ Yeah. ]

If you got anything more, I can try to answer them, but I think that's really everything I got. I can't think of any more.

...That's alright. [Akira shakes his head. He's sliding around the last piece of meatloaf on his plate.]

I think I've got what I need about the past. What I need to do now is just... keep working him.

[He'll get through to Kido. Eventually.]

... You're a good guy, Persona Sage.

[ Terry puts his head down on his arm, which is on the table, while facing Akira. ]

I hope... everything goes well.

I just... want to get her back.

[By all accounts Akira should be glad to hear when someone tells him he's a good person, because it means he's succeeding. Right now, with everything else hanging in the air, it just feels like hollow comfort. What's the point if he can't even bring her back home?]

[Finally though, he looks up at Terry. Or perhaps more accurately, over at Terry, because his head is now on the same level as the plate Akira was looking at before.]

Thank you for your help, regardless.

Yeah...

[ Terry also wants Kido back, but he's absolutely terrible at negotiations without his emotions flying through the roof. Not to mention Nekogami doesn't look like he wants to listen to Terry in the first place. They're always at odds, and it just makes it even worse that he can't deal with those kinds of people--looking down from whatever higher position they're in and not even bothering to listen while dictating that they're right no matter what, refusing to see their own faults.

Anyway, whenever Akira finishes the meatloaf and leaves, Terry will see him off. Good luck, Akira. ]

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