girlybruiser | 𝓵𝓪𝓫𝔂𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓱𝓾𝓶 ❀ 𝓲𝓷𝓫𝓸𝔁

[ She can't be certain. She thinks when drifting off in the camper, she might have mumbled something about the pain she had been feeling again and wanting to move ahead with her life. All of it spurned on after her encounter with Mari-san, but she can't pinpoint why

So, it must have been a dream, right? ]

It almost sounds like its cognition is influenced. I wonder who or what is behind it. There must be a culprit.
I'm relieved to hear that, too. I did see a vial in the satchel when I arrived. Is that a potion to help?

[ No self-respecting young woman is going to drink a mysterious bottle just because a note says so. ]

[ All at once, it's both a shock to the system and a tremendous relief to be talking to someone whose logic operates on a similar level to his own. ]

Obviously I'm biased in the matter, but from my perspective, you're exactly right. There have been instances in the past where what happened here was directly influenced by cognitions of dreamers, too... I'll fill you in on that sometime soon.

For the time being, though - you didn't drink the potion right away? I'm impressed! Most people do...

What color is yours, Okumura-san?

[ More information to tuck away, hm? This world is proving to be unique, that's for sure. ]

I think Mako-chan would have scolded me for not being more cautious as a young woman had I done that.
It's red. Are there different colours?

There are! Yours will give you some sort of elemental power. Isn't that fascinating?

It's entirely up to you whether or not you drink it, of course. I have to admit I was skeptical of them for a long time, but these days I feel confident saying they're harmless.

[ AKECHI DNI ♥ ]

On top of that, they're lifesavers for people who don't otherwise have powers, or who haven't been able to regain any inherent abilities yet.

They awaken a brand new power? What sort of power?

[ Unfortunately for Haru, she's assumed she would be powerless from the start as she didn't enter in her Phantom Thief clothes, nor did she immediately believe it might be a cognitive world she had entered, therefore she's in the real world and cannot access her Persona.

She wonders if she should try to summon Milady and see what happens. ]

I wasn't aware we would have to regain our power. Is there a way to do that?
... do we need it here? I'm sorry for all the questions.

[ If she has to fight, she gladly will swing that axe down. ]

The element in question seems to vary from person to person... A good friend of mine gained some fire-based powers from it. Perhaps you'd get the same thing?

Ah, but before we talk about regaining abilities...

I'd like to ask you something, Okumura-san, but I'll understand if you don't want to answer me.

Really? That sounds incredible!

[ But that's kind of stealing Ann's thunder, isn't it? Or well... fire.

Though the idea of being able to control fire is a tempting one. She looks aside at her potion, wondering what would happen to her if she drank it.

However, the thought is put aside when she reads Maruki's next message. ]

What is it?

Candidly... by the time I left Shujin, I had pieced together that you all were Phantom Thieves, but that was all I knew. The true nature of the cognitive world and the abilities that the Phantom Thieves utilized within it were completely unknown to me.

Yet you didn't hesitate to mention the Metaverse to me, and you certainly aren't hiding that you have a power that you could regain. I assume that means you already know I have a similar power as well.

Did something happen after Christmas Eve?

Edited 2025-03-13 22:17 (UTC)

[ Haru takes a moment to collect herself, remind herself of these confusing timelines Maruki tried to explain to her upon arrival. ]

Do you really not remember anything after Christmas Eve? Did Akira-kun not explain?

[ She assumed he would have, on the basis of him being the leader. Has she overstepped a boundary in place? ]

I haven't lived beyond Christmas Eve. There's nothing for me to remember.

Kurusu-kun's situation is complicated. I'd prefer that he talk to you about it himself. I don't intend to speak for him.

[ CON...CERN... ]

I understand.
Well, this makes it a bit complicated. I am not sure how much I should say then. I hadn't realized we weren't all from the same

[ Place? Time? ]

Situation, I suppose? I probably said too much earlier, but yes, you are not wrong about my power and my being a Phantom Thief. I hope you will continue to keep this between us. [ Cat's out of the bag. No point in trying to redirect that conversation. ] The matter became... complicated for a period between us all.
But it's okay now! We've all moved past it.

Of course. Everything you say to me is held in total confidence, Okumura-san. I know this puts you in an odd position, so I'm grateful you're even entertaining the conversation.

[ Complicated, but they've all moved past it. Maruki has just enough shattered, cloudy fragments of a life unlived percolating deep in the back of his mind to know Haru is putting it mildly. Things get haziest when he tries to recall anything outside of what happened with Akechi and Akira, but...

Surely, Haru suffered from having a wish granted too. He can only imagine.

He'll have to make it up to her somehow, even without knowing exactly what damage was done. ]

We don't have to discuss it now... but in the future, if you're willing, I'd like to revisit the topic.

To answer your earlier question, things can quickly become dangerous here. There are people with powers I couldn't have begun to imagine back in our true reality. It's in your best interest to try to wish for your abilities to be returned to you as soon as possible.

It's a little insulting, isn't it? To have to wish for a very piece of our souls back.

Edited (words.......) 2025-03-13 22:45 (UTC)

[ It tore her heart to shreds to relive the pain of her father's loss when Akira had come to snap her out of the false reality she was sliding further and further into. But for a week, she got to imagine a world in which her father never died and never hurt her. A father who smiled and welcomed her home every night, made plans with her and didn't abandon her for board meetings or clientele that were prioritized over his own flesh and blood.

Of course it had upset her then, but she wants to take some responsibility for her wish. If Akira hadn't ever stirred their slumber, she might have stayed where she was, or at least she fears that would have been the case. ]

Of course! I do not have intentions to hide anything from you, Dr. Maruki. But I do not want to betray my friend's confidence either.

[ What if Akira doesn't remember either? Who does she ask? Would Akechi even be forthright with her? ]

I have to wish for my power back? That does seem...

[ Her will of rebellion. Her freedom finally grasped. ]

Are we sure we are not prisoners in this place?

Some see it that way.

There are those here who have nothing to return to in their true realities, either because they've appeared here after their death, or because their world was in ruins. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they're more likely to see this as a place of opportunity rather than a prison.

But for those of us who have unfinished business, or people we care about waiting for us, or simply a life that we enjoyed living freely...

To be taken from that, stripped of our abilities and forced to live in a reality that we didn't choose for the price of a wish - it certainly sounds like being taken prisoner, doesn't it?

[ He may not know the exact details of his future, but he knows enough to know what a bitter irony this is. ]

Edited 2025-03-13 23:29 (UTC)

That's a fair perspective. I should not forget how lucky I am to have the friends that I have.

[ And then there are those like Akechi Goro, who may not have anything to return to. It's an unsettling and deeply confusing thought for her to dwell on. ]

I don't wish to be a puppet again, but... I think I am still not sure what to do next here. Maybe focus on regaining my power somehow?

You're still new, and things are calm right now. Just focus on getting settled in and making connections. The people here truly are incredible. Regaining your power will come easily if you do that.

For whatever it's worth, Okumura-san... despite the circumstances, I'm grateful that you're here.

I'm grateful you're here, too.
Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with! I'd like to think I am a decent enough cook and offer meals as well.

I promise that I'll let you know if I'm ever in need.

[ And he's never in need. ♥ ]

[ But she will axe a bitch for you when the time comes. ♥ ]

𝓵𝓪𝓫𝔂𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓱𝓾𝓶 ❀ 𝓲𝓷𝓫𝓸𝔁

OH THANK GOD THANK U MOD-SENPAI i've been playing it as a hazy memory/her not wanting to face it yet

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wrapped!