|
|
Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Sept 11, 2010 18:26:03 GMT -5
Minato honestly hadn't been surprised when Teddie came to him, asking him to call Souji and find out where he was. Teddie had already called the hospital and found out they had indeed discharged Souji. It had been a couple hours since Souji had been discharged, so of course Teddie was worried. Minato eventually called Souji after Teddie started driving him a fair bit crazy. He'd been extremely grateful that this time it had been Souji's voice that had answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"Souji? Where the hell are you? I thought you were getting out of the hospital today!"
"Is Teddie over there freaking out?"
"Yes. Where are you?"
"Sorry, I had some things to take care of. I'll be back soon, don't worry." Minato noted that Souji was dodging the question at that point. The thought occurred to him then that this was possibly Izanagi talking to him, not Souji.
"So, what was so important you had to run off somewhere without even telling Teddie? You know he freaks out whenever you go somewhere without telling him."
"Ah... It's a long story. On the bright side, we don't have to worry about Izanagi anymore! On the downside, I can't summon a Persona anymore."
And at that point, Minato's mind flopped. He took a few moments to try to find some kind of something to say. Souji couldn't summon a Persona anymore?! What the hell!?
"Minato?"
"What." That was what Minato finally managed to get out. Just a flat "what."
"....Look, I'll explain when I get there. It's a little complicated."
"No, Souji, what the hell!" Minato said into the phone. "What the hell caused you to lose your Persona summoning abilities!?" He didn't get a response. In fact, he just got a click that indicated Souji had disconnected. "Souji! Hey!" Souji had hung up on him. Just what the hell....
--------------
About thirty minutes later, Souji finally made it back to their apartment complex. He realized it had been rather rude to hang up on Minato the way he had, but this wasn't really something that could be said over the phone. He'd looked up as he approached and noted someone with blue hair standing nearby the entrance. He felt something godlike from that person. He raised an eyebrow and stopped.
"Excuse me," he said after a moment. If he felt something godlike from this person, they were likely some god's avatar... the man's appearance was a little extreme, though. While he'd learned from Kanji not to judge people by appearances, it didn't change the fact this man had spikes on his jacket's shoulders.
|
|
|
|
Post by mugenginga on Sept 11, 2010 18:50:56 GMT -5
This, of course, had ended rather badly on both ends of the discussion. Teddie was practically climbing the walls (and likely making Minato grateful his mascot form couldn't) when Minato had asked Souji what was going on. He was on his feet, which succeeded in knocking the chair he was in over due to his girth, when Minato shouted out that Souji had lost his Persona summoning abilities. He waddled over to Minato's side as he stared at the phone.
"What's going on with Sensei!?"
-----
Asim had stopped watching the road outside the building a few minutes before he'd seen what was bothering him. He was sure it was a god, but it wasn't one from his own pantheon. He was pretty much just staring at Souji with that flat no nonsense expression of his when Souji noted him. And then he said something in Japanese. Asim only knew it was Japanese because a lot of people in this world seemed to speak it. If it wasn't the first language, it was likely the second.
The Egyptian's expression remained stoic as he shook his head. He pointed at his ear and gave an exaggerated shrug. He considered for a moment and spoke a single phrase. The odds were very slim, but perhaps the man knew one of the languages he spoke. First Arabic, then Ancient Egyptian.
<* "I can't speak Japanese, can you understand me?" *>
< "I can't speak Japanese, and I demand explanation if you can speak this langauge." >
|
|
|
|
Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Sept 11, 2010 19:56:01 GMT -5
Minato continued glaring rather strongly at the phone before shoving it back in his pocket. "I have no fucking clue! He wouldn't tell me where he was, and then said something about not having to deal with Izanagi anymore and not being able to summon a Persona anymore and then he hung up on me!"
He grit his teeth before looking toward Ryoji. "Ryoji, you have any clue what's going on? 'Cause I have no idea whatsoever."
---------------
Souji managed to get what the man was saying from his gestures. He couldn't speak Japanese. Souji couldn't speak whatever language the man was speaking, either, but if he was sensing a god from this man, something seemed likely. He cleared his throat and began to speak, only this time, he was speaking in a divine language.
"Can you understand me now?"
|
|
|
|
Post by mugenginga on Sept 11, 2010 20:11:09 GMT -5
Ryoji had come out of the bathroom and had opened his mouth to say something. He didn't get a chance because Minato was turning to him and asking an explanation. He blinked at pretty much getting barrelled over upon exiting the previous room and looked in thought for a few moments. Teddie, meanwhile, just looked worried. Not having to deal with Izanagi and not summoning Persona?
"I think it probably has something to do with Izanagi, but I don't know how that relates to this," Ryoji said, "Did he say anything about how he got rid of him?"
-----
Asim's expression returned to the rather serious one he'd worn before replying to Souji. The one that he'd watched the silver haired young man's approach with. He gave a firm and quick nod in response to Souji's question.
"Then you are a god," Asim stated. It wasn't a question but a quick observation, "Was there something you wanted?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Sept 11, 2010 20:18:04 GMT -5
Minato shook his head. "All he said was he'd explain things when he got here. Gaaaah!" He stomped over to the couch and sat down. "This is pissing me off. First he disappears after checking out of the hospital, then all he'll tell me is that we don't have to deal with Izanagi anymore, never mind actually explaining why, and then he says he can't summon a Persona anymore."
He looked toward Ryoji. "How can you even lose the ability to summon a Persona anyways? I always thought once you had the Potential, you had it forever."
---------------
Souji shook his head. "No, I was just wondering who you were, that's all. I'm Souji Seta."
|
|
|
|
Post by mugenginga on Sept 11, 2010 20:26:13 GMT -5
"I'm sure Sensei has his reasons..." Teddie said.
He sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than reassure the others. He waddled over to the chair he'd knocked down and went about trying to pick it up. It took him two rather comical looking reaches before he grabbed it and could get it propped right. It all seemed for the purpose of flopping down on it. The rather glued on looking eyes of his showed his worried anxiety. Ryoji had been watching him, and he looked back towards Minato when he was done.
"I'm not even sure how I managed it," Ryoji admitted. He scratched his head. He wasn't stupid by any means, but thinking wasn't his strong suit. He walked over and sat down on the couch next to Minato, "Come to think of it, I'm not sure how you managed it. Wasn't that thing on the false Tartarus related?"
-----
"Asim Kader."
Asim gave the name of this life in response to what seemed to be the same from Souji. He looked away from Souji and went back to watching the road. It didn't seem quite like he was waiting for someone. In fact, it seemed almost like one would expect a bodyguard to act, just with no one exactly present for him to guard. In any case, it didn't seem the conversation was going to continue unless Souji made it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Sept 11, 2010 20:42:29 GMT -5
Minato watched Teddie reach for the chair until Ryoji came and sat down next to him. He figured it would be easier for Teddie to grab the chair if he was in human form, but Teddie had been in mascot form since he'd showed up there. He turned toward Ryoji and frowned as he tried to think.
"Well, I was born with the Potential, but I got the Wild Card separately. The same way I think Souji did, too. I signed this contract with the Velvet Room. But the only reason I don't need an Evoker anymore is because I faced my Shadow in the TV World," Minato said. He gave a bit of a shudder at that. That thing had been majorly unsettling when it turned back to its human form. Especially when it faded away... "That was that thing in the fake Tartarus that turned into Messiah, by the way."
-----------------
It occurred to Souji then that this man's name was Egyptian. It at least sounded Arabic. If he was Egyptian and a god... Well, shit. The man had gone back to watching the road, and Souji didn't bother him again. Something had (of course) happened while he was at the hospital.
He continued walking toward the apartments. He probably had some explaining to do to Minato... well, he could ask about what had happened the previous day while he did that, too.
|
|
|
|
Post by mugenginga on Sept 11, 2010 20:48:56 GMT -5
Ryoji shuddered a bit as Minato mentioned that thing. He'd been focusing on the main form, but the one it had taken...? It had pointed right at him. He had a few educated guesses as to why now, but people melting... people you cared about melting wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world. However, the Velvet Room thing caught his attention.
"Velvet Room...? I've never heard of that."
Teddie had looked up at the mention of Velvet Room as well. That rung some kind of bell in his head, although he couldn't put a finger on it. One time, he'd met Souji in a car lined with velvet, and Minato was talking about this place like it was something special to the two of them...
"Hey, what's the Velvet Room?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Sept 11, 2010 21:08:38 GMT -5
Minato blinked at both Ryoji and Teddie. He'd figured they'd both know about it. Pharos had been the one to give him that contract when he'd entered the dorm that first time, and Souji had once mentioned meeting Teddie in his Velvet Room before. He sighed.
"The Velvet Room's a special place for Wild Card users, I think. It's basically... well, for me it showed up as a huge velvet lined elevator. Basically, that's where I went to make new Personas and such. Right before I.... sealed Nyx, I actually appeared there, and I made the Universe Persona I used to seal her there," Minato explained. "Ryoji, the person who released me from the seal, Elizabeth, she used to work there."
|
|
|
|
Post by mugenginga on Sept 11, 2010 21:20:22 GMT -5
Ryoji still looked a bit lost. He looked a bit like someone who was trying to answer a question from the teacher so he wouldn't be embarassed. The name... rung some kind of bell. He was pretty sure he was supposed to know it. Teddie looked like he was gonna burst as he waited for Ryoji to talk. When no words came he finally spoke.
"Hey, velvet lined? As in blue? I think I was there once!"
|
|
|
|
Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Sept 11, 2010 21:31:51 GMT -5
Minato frowned at Ryoji's expression. Ryoji had seemed confused when he'd brought up Elizabeth, like he couldn't remember her name... And he'd been the one to tell him about Elizabeth, too. Could he not remember some of the events that had happened after awakening that time before?
He looked toward Teddie as the bear spoke up. "Yeah, Souji said he'd seen you there once before. Not sure how you got there, 'cause only people who have signed a contract should be able to get there..." He shrugged.
|
|
|
|
Post by mugenginga on Sept 11, 2010 21:36:15 GMT -5
"I got bear-y lost in the fog!" Teddie said, giving a smile. Ryoji looked at him with an expression of disbelief. Well, Minato had said he did that a lot. Teddie seemed to get serious again quickly, "I just kinda showed up there and Sensei was there. I don't know how I got there, though."
Ryoji shook his head, "Anyways, didn't you say you made Persona there? If its connected to the Wild Card, maybe you can find out what happened to Souji there! Can you still get there?"
"We should wait for Sensei and ask him!" Teddie said.
|
|
|
|
Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Sept 11, 2010 21:47:09 GMT -5
Minato nodded at Teddie. It would be a better idea to wait for Souji to come back first. So they'd waited for thirty minutes for Souji to finally make it back. By the time Souji had gotten there, Minato had resorted to watching TV. Half of what was on were really lame soap operas. Daytime TV sucked. He turned the TV off as he heard someone knock on the door. He walked over to the door and opened it up.
"Yo," Souji said. "Can I come in?"
Minato nodded, and moved out of the way so Souji could come in. Souji paused in front of the door to take off his shoes before walking into the living room. Souji looked toward Teddie, then toward Ryoji and Minato, and sighed.
"I guess I've got some explaining to do," Souji said. He scratched the back of his head. Yeah, he did. A lot of explaining.
|
|
|
|
Post by mugenginga on Sept 11, 2010 21:55:32 GMT -5
"Sensei!"
Teddie managed to knock over his chair yet again. He waddled over to Souji and gave a large grin. He seemed to even be rolling a bit on the balls of his feet from excitement. Souji seemed to be just fine, after the events of yesterday Teddie hadn't been convinced. The bear had even forgottent he point of Souji coming there until he spoke again.
"How did you get rid of Izanagi....?" Ryoji asked. It seemed awful... simple, looking at his situation in comparison.
|
|
|
|
Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Sept 11, 2010 22:07:33 GMT -5
Souji blinked at Teddie's fallen chair. He hadn't expected to see him here in his mascot form. He sighed again at Ryoji's question. Mentally, he made a note to sigh less.
"I... didn't, really. There was no way to get rid of Izanagi, so I absorbed him into me. I guess you could say I'm Izanagi now," Souji said. Minato's eyes widened.
"Wait. Wait. Back up. What do you mean by that?!"
"...Minato, I was always part of Izanagi. Or he was part of me. It's a little complicated. The easiest way to put it is we were both part of the real Izanagi, but we got broken into.. split personalities was how Izanami put it."
"Izanami!?" Minato suddenly had a feeling he knew where Souji had been. Back at Izanami's shrine. The one place nothing had ever gone well for them. Dammit.
|
|
