amperor | INBOX (labyrinthum)

We can only summon a Persona if we're aware of the Dark Hour. if you used an evoker on someone who isn't, I - well, I don't know exactly what happens, but I assume it wouldn't work at all.

That's the only condition that ever had to be met: that you weren't sealed in a coffin during the Dark Hour. The first time Shinji and I woke up during it, we freaked out.

May I ask what this "Dark Hour" is like?

Sure. I mentioned it's a period of time that exists at midnight; for anyone who doesn't experience it, they don't notice what happens.

I don't know what it's like everywhere, but on Port Island... that's where Tartarus shows up. The moon takes up a large portion of the sky, depending on what cycle it's in. The sky turns green, and the whole world is green as well.

Electronics stop working unless they've been built specifically for the dark hour. That time is when Shadows climb outside of Tartarus; usually they're small and easy to take care of. Lately, there'd been big ones that could do actual damage. And the damage lasts. If you crush a coffin during the dark hour, or destroy a -

[ House, he wants to type, but his memories rebel against putting it down so callously. ]

- building, it'll remain that way after the hour is up.

Edited 2025-06-29 02:09 (UTC)

I've never experienced anything like that before. It's strange how we have similar powers, but the experiences are quite different.
I wonder if it has anything to do with the malevolent god we had to face.
Could it be this power reemerges each time differently?

You fought god?

[ Then again, hadn't Ikutsuki talked about making a new world? That was kind of a delusionally god-like thing to rant about. ]

[ And she's gonna do it again. ]

A god.
He was a formidable opponent. Nothing we had ever fought before.

[ Until Maruki's Persona, but mum's the word on that. ]

Why'd you end up having to fight him?

[ It's not accusatory, but curious. (As if Akihiko won't one day resolve to do something similar.) ]

That is a story for another time.
It's a long one.
Besides, you haven't answered my question from earlier... please understand I do not mean to push, but we were all worried for you.

[ Damn, he'd really hoped he'd been able to derail her enough not to circle back to that. He considers not replying, fibbing that he'd lost the text the next time he sees Haru... but she's expressing concern.

With a not insignificant amount of chagrin, he realizes if he did do any of what he considered, he'd just be doing what Shinji did to him. So he sighs to himself. ]

I wasn't careful with what I wished for, and I hurt someone important because of it. Not the same way I hurt Ken.

[ From 'Amada-kun' to 'Ken' without thinking of it. ]

This was all due to the wishes?

[ More than ever, she's glad she didn't attempt more than a couple of them. ]

Is that why that crystal took over your body?

Yes. After I made the wish, it started growing out of my neck. It was too fast for anyone to stop.

[ He had had a band of crystal around his neck, when Haru broke him out. ]

Well, it didn't happen right away. He had to make a wish to undo mine, and once it was over, that's when it started happening.

What was the wish exactly?

[ If he's comfortable sharing.

Interesting, but she's glad she retained her concern about the wishes. Their wishes on New Year's resulted in them choosing Maruki and his reality, without proper knowledge or awareness they had done so. ]

I'm glad it's over, at least.

[ He doesn't want to talk about this but - she does know Shinjiro and Ken's situations. She knows Ken has a Persona, after all. ]

I wished that I had Shinji's Persona and he had mine instead. It wasn't even here, but I made it show up with that wish. And it immediately started trying to go for civilians.

Shinji wished for it back to get it out of me. So now he has his Persona again, even though he didn't want it.

I wasn't aware such a wish was possible.

[ Not once had she ever entertained the thought of wishing for anything but her own power.

But Akira's power... it's different. He's special. ]

It won't attack anyone again, will it?

It was trying to. I don't know.

[ Before, he'd convince himself with a steely of course it won't. Castor was - wild, unrestrained, angry in a way that Polydeuces and Caesar have never been.

He didn't realize that's what it was like, in Shinji's head. He convinced himself it was just a matter of training, but now he - well, he feels even worse that he dragged Shinji back.

He thinks of the suppressants. It makes a cold feeling settle in the thick of his stomach, unsure. He can't bring himself to mention them to Haru. ]

[ Unfortunately, she doesn't have a full picture as to why Shinjiro's Persona seems so wild and violent. It's all so confusing, as is the idea that there have been other Persona users this entire time. ]

Can he simply not wish it away?
But if that's not the case and it needs to be taken down, please know I will help.

Maybe. I'll talk to him about it, it can't hurt to try.

[ At that, though - ]

It's a part of him, how could you take it down without killing him?

I see.
So despite it going berserk, it's still not separate from him after the wish, is it?

Welk, yeah, he wished it back into his head to stop it.

[ But being in Shinji didn't stop Castor before. ]

There must be a way to prevent it from attacking others if it happens again.
A Persona should not go berserk like that, however.

~~Shinji had stopped it before but it was~~

[ He stares at the text box before he deletes it entirely. What Shinji did before was killing him. Killed him, in a way. ]

I know. I don't know why it happened to him. He's not a bad guy at all.

It isn't your problem to handle, though. It's my fault and I'll try to fix it.

I'll keep your offer in mind if it comes to something that dire, though.

I believe you, Akihiko-kun.
Please do. I will do my best to support you, if necessary.

INBOX (labyrinthum)

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pretend courier here

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wrapped