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[Some of the mirth retreats from what little of his face is on show. Yeah, he knows. He also knew it was stupid at the time.]

You know I don't want you to be closer to him?

[Of course Crow fucking knows. It's a confession, of sorts, nonetheless.]

[Crow takes a chance. He reaches for Magpie's hand.]

And I want you to know that my other connections are not meant to eclipse and threaten ours.

[Still... hm. His face falls. Thankfully, the mask conceals at least some of his unease.]

But I also understand why you despise him. Now that I've heard what he said to you, it makes sense.

[Magpie lets it happen. Claws clatter quietly on claws, as leather touches inside their grip, as their eyes meet through layers of red.]

I won't ever forgive him for that. Never. If I killed people for sport, he'd be dead. [... and he pushes it a little.]

I don't understand why you aren't angry. You know what he said. Why be so understanding? Some things are beyond your attempts at compassion, you know.

It's the fact that he used it to try and push me away, alongside his crimes. That told me that he has had sufficient enough time to reflect and realize the severity of what he said.

[His Shadow watches, but does not speak. To Crow's credit, he doesn't budge. He just stands there, hand in hand. It's... comforting.]

I've been that person, so angry that I spouted words that made matters far worse than they had to be. You were in my dungeon. You heard the way I was so combative with Yu, assuming that he thought so little of me and lashing out as a result.

But make no mistake. I'm not happy about what he said. It was a horrible thing, twisting something he doubtlessly learned in trust and confidence with his version of us. Doubly so given his clear attraction to him.

[Still holding Crow's hand like an idiot, here on the Mementos platform inside all his armour, he risks something deeper.]

When he said it—[his mouth has dried up]—for a moment I forgot it was him. That it wasn't really Ren saying those things. I told him, you know.

I wanted to smash every bone in his body, and shoot him in every joint.

[There, there. It's all right. He gives Magpie's hand a comforting squeeze.]

His face, his voice... I can see why it hurt so much. That you would trust your Ren with something so deeply personal means you must have formed quite the connection.

[...]

I don't believe your Ren would do such a thing. He more or less told me that he has feelings for you.

[No. He tries to turn away, to draw back his hand.]

Oh, come on.

[Crow is stubborn. He's not letting go, but-]

We don't have to discuss this now. As I recall, we were supposed to be eviscerating Shadows.

[And, as Crow shoves them both through the back door, Magpie's hand slowly tightens again.] You're right.

[The space around them is deep red, with smooth black walls engraved with arcane designs in red. The train has forced them off in Sheriruth.]

This is as far as I've ever gone. Rather boring. You need a Palace for a good fight, and even those are rare.

I wonder if I can lead us deeper. I am an associate of Mitsuru Kirijo's on top of my affiliation with the Phantom Thieves. And seeing how we had recently thwarted Kaneshiro some time ago...

[Well, that's a rather bold success now, isn't it? Wakaba Isshiki's situation is... more delicate. That being said-]

"Medjed," of course, has also been dealt with.

[He goes still, glancing back en route to the edge of the platform. "Medjed", of course, was largely him.]

Of course. [Turning away again, he starts to time his jump. Why would Crow be able to get any deeper than he can? Without realising it, he's forgotten the vast majority of his first trip to Mementos with Ren and the others, and nobody mentioned the doors to him either way.]

It's worth a try, of course, if you think you can do it.

[It's just a bit honeyed. It will annoy the shit out of him, if it's true.]

Think of it as a tactical benefit of our bond. You get to reap the spoils.

[Finally, a playful smirk graces his lips again. Likely a good sign. It seems much too genuine to be a facade.

Regardless, he'll once again keep pace with Magpie as they leap about like acrobats.]

[Indeed, they get across the platform and down the escalator to the next level with minimal cartwheeling; Magpie's picked up his pace. The shadows here, for him, take a little killing or a lucky shot, and he would like to find one directly.]

Is this about those doors? [The ones he doesn't use. Here, shadow, shadow...]

Yes. With my notoriety, I may be able to get us through, at least to a certain degree.

[Crow continues at a comfortably pace alongside Magpie, although... hm.]

I do wonder if my strength is still the issue. Before Yaldabaoth sapped my strength, I was quite formidable, and I've since regained that strength here.

[Notoriety. Why would notoriety, of whatever sort, affect the doors? Magpie is fairly notorious, for want of a better word, and the doors have always seemed quite impenetrable...

He stops.]

You mentioned Kaneshiro. Are you saying a door opened every time you did a Palace?

[Because the doors had opened, progressively, once the Phantom Thieves were in town. One every time a Palace fell.]

Yes. It seemed as though every step we made toward greater public awareness granted us further privilege within Mementos itself.

[Although... hmm. That raises a curious question and give Crow quiet pause.]

If the false god Yaldabaoth resided at the depths of Mementos, then it is possible that he restricted you deliberately despite your fame. He was, after all, giving the Thieves the thinly veiled comfort of success.

The difference is that we know he's a fraud. We simply didn't know what he was.

I haven't felt that restricted. The doors were more of a curiosity than anything else.[He purses his lips.]

Once I got bored at the top and dared the trains, it took me to this point. Right from the start. Of course, I didn't stay long at first. But there's always been that door at the bottom, clearly made to open. I could never—

[A Shadow appears in the tunnel to their left, and he ducks back against the wall, lips curling with glee. Time to die, little whatever you are.]

[Ah, a Shadow. Crow readies his sword, following Magpie's motions. They just have to wait and watch for the perfect time to strike...]

[Magpie's gun is in his hand, with the silencer. He steps back in near-silence, aiming it so that the Shadow will walk amorphously into his field of fire. It does, and he pulls the trigger with a careless smile.

The Shadow hits the floor, erupting into an angel, and he winces.]

Weak to curse. Too easy. [Like all the shadows this deep in Mementos, it's practically half his size.]

Hmm... I have a fun little idea.

[Crow tears off his mask, but the name he calls isn't Loki at all, it's-]

Alice.

[The little girl gives a deceptively cheery giggle before casting Die for Me!

Yes, really. Is it overkill? Certainly. He wants to show off anyway.]

Edited 2024-01-08 20:33 (UTC)

[... Bears. An army of bears. Fucking bears.

He clears his throat as the last wisps of Shadow dust blow away.]

Bears?

You would think she'd be Goldilocks, wouldn't you?

[Just look at that bright, playful smile. He's having too much fun.]

Is this something you picked up from your friend, the reindeer bear?

[It is kind of enchanting. He doesn't pull his gun this time; he doesn't need to ambush these minnows.]

None of Robin Hood's attacks work that way.

Ha. He doesn't actually resemble a reindeer typically, but he did find the attack rather delightful.

[Because of course he would. It's Teddie.

The edges of Crow's smile tug a little, flattening slightly but not quite dipping.]

I was able to fuse such a powerful Alice due to my bond with Izanami. Fitting enough, I suppose, given her ties to death and the underworld.

Aren't we down here to kill shit?

[Stop preening, Crow, it's unbecoming and will give him an envy hangover. He looks around for the next shadow, serrated sword flashing into his hand. All this shit he can't do.]

Are you saying I'm due another persona because of our bond? Perhaps I should mark my calendar.

[A Shadow blob emerges around a corner, getting tangled up in its own feet as Magpie hacks it in half.]

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