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[pancakeboy]

[Text him! Or do whatever, I'm not the police, and neither is he, thank God. Just specify if you want the more-fun-but-less-stable pre-11/20 guy or the grumpy third semester/postcanon guy. Pancake only for VRDR guys please, he's not third semester yet]

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[pancakeboy]

I can apply pressure. [It is absurd. Thank you, Crow.]

All right. I give in. Let's find another of these titmice and you can show me how it's done.

[Come here, little shadows. He only wants to talk!]

[fogbornphantom]

[Pffft... Crow can't help but snicker at how crass his counterpart is. Incredible.

True, titmouse is an actual animal, but it also contains tit, which... damn it. He really is a fucking teenager, isn't he?]

You truly do have a way with words.

[pancakeboy]

Either that or I've been talking to Akira-kun too much.

[Yes, it contains tit, which is funny. But, for some reason, it's not female anatomy that the world "titmouse" inspires him to think of...

Another shadow lurches through the junction ahead. Magpie fires.]

[fogbornphantom]

Every moment with Akira-kun is a blessing.

[Crow slips into a combat stance, ready to scan the enemy. So what do they have to contend with?]

[pancakeboy]

[Fucking ow. The ambush shot reflects, catching Magpie in the arm; he screeches at the top of his voice, which cracks.] Piece of shit!

[The tangled heap of braids and talons picking itself up from the floor is a Rangda. Magpie hisses a summary.]

Well, it repels bullets, for a fucking start! Also, uh, no physical attacks. No fire or curse, they'll be no good. Electricity, though, and bless, it's weak to those.

[He picks himself up. Can he not just kill the fucking thing? Already, though, he's running those resistances in his head.]

[fogbornphantom]

Well, then. All you truly have to do is hit its weak spot. A simple task for Robin Hood, I should think.

[Why yes, he is leaving that to Magpie, but he'll still tear off his mask and call Kaguya in to sprinkle a little Diarahan on him.]

[pancakeboy]

[The green light washes over him, something he's still not used to; it takes a good deal of his snitfit with it. Ugh, though, Robin Hood. He grits his teeth.]

Persona!

[Robin erupts behind him, silent and lifeless even as he aims his bow to launch a Kouga. Magpie's face is fixed; his outfit never changes. The Kouga bursts over the Rangda, knocking it to the floor; he aims his gun.]

[fogbornphantom]

[Crow follows suit, drawing his Proof of Justice and holding it steady. He does not, however, fire.]

Now comes the hard part. You'll need to interrogate it and ensure that you appeal to the Shadow's better nature. Each Shadow has a different demeanor, so you'll have to read the room and speak carefully.

[pancakeboy]

You don't think I can read the room?

[He steps forward. The Rangda is already grovelling, in a gloomy sort of way: "Why does this always happen to me? I should have stayed in bed!"

Magpie considers this.]

Wouldn't have been any better there. Besides, do you even have a bed?

[fogbornphantom]

[Crow chuckles at the remark. Perhaps the sense of humor will land?

For now, he nods along, keeping the gun at the ready. Far be it from him to overshadow the one who's meant to obtain the new Persona.]

[pancakeboy]

[The Rangda doesn't seem to mind. "Even if I had a bed, you'd just have found me there... you have that sort of face, under all that. Are you twins?"]

What if we are? It's not all it's cracked up to be, you know.

[The Rangda nods, drawing itself tighter in its tangled heap. "What is? Huh, but you seem like you get it. Life is nothing but hunger and pain... and now I'm so alone. Let me stay!"

There's a momentary flash of white light, and then Magpie's black mask shimmers. Rangda's voice sounds in his head. I am thou, thou art I! What's will without a dream to lift it, or fear when no one speaks your name and shudders?

He drops to his knees, mouth open.]

[fogbornphantom]

[Crow applauds, because of course he does. Where Magpie is concerned, that's quite the bold step!]

Congratulations. You've just obtained a brand new Persona. Collect enough, and perhaps you can even get Igor to fuse you something especially efficient.

[pancakeboy]

I did it.

[He can barely raise his voice above a whisper, let alone properly hear Crow over the new presence in his mind. His claws scrabble absently in the pebbled dust of Sheriruth's tunnels. It had seemed like something he would simply never master, another confirmation that he was irretrievably flawed.

Don't you become one of those cheerful types, now, Rangda chides him, too motherly for his tastes, but Loki's scorn bolsters him. That witch will have her work cut out to eat me, little weaver. Let her take the other one.

His breath catches in his throat. His eyes are shining as he lifts his head.]

I did it. [Give him a moment, Crow.]

[fogbornphantom]

[Screw it. Crow's going to move closer and rest a supportive hand on Magpie's shoulder.]

It's an incredible feeling, isn't it?

[pancakeboy]

[Magpie's hand scrabbles for Crow's and locks tight around it. He feels bigger, somehow, in a way he knows won't bear close scrutiny—but, God, how he wishes it would.

He gets to his feet like he has wings.]

Mm. Suddenly I understand how all of you do the things you do.

[Ugh. Fuck it. Quickly, he turns and pulls Crow into a hug, pushing both halves of his mask out of the way so he can make a pretence of burying his face.]

[fogbornphantom]

[Oh!

Well, it's not as though they haven't hugged before, but it's still a little startling. Crow goes still for a moment, but only a moment. Once the shock wears off, he firmly returns the embrace.

And with a little sparkle, a little swish, he's no longer dressed in dark, spiky, and stripy clothes. The pretty, princely garb has returned.

Crow blinks.]

...Ah. Seems I'm no longer seeing red.

[pancakeboy]

[Yeah, he feels the shift, and then his face is buried in a red and gold epaulette.]

Ugh. I like you better when you're pissed at my enemies. Unleash your vengeance. Get some free therapy. [But his hands tighten against Crow's shoulders all the same, in the red cape, before he lets go.

He's still in black, of course.]

[fogbornphantom]

I probably could switch back, but I was only in that costume due to the severity of my stress, I imagine.

[He rests a hand on his hip once they part.]

If you want to go deeper and acquire more Personas, I'm certainly not opposed.

[pancakeboy]

[Oh, that's tempting. But there are three people in his head now, maybe even four at a time like this if he really listens hard, all telling him it would be a bad idea.]

Maybe another time. I need to adjust to what I have. Which is not bad, by the way. Strong against physical attacks and two elements, and I think—

[He squints.] There's something going on with her spellcasting.

[fogbornphantom]

Oh? Tell me more.

[He knows that urge. The Akechi urge to talk and talk and flex his intelligence and show off how great he is.

So this is an opportunity. Go on, Magpie.]

[pancakeboy]

You're so kind. [Absolutely deadpan, still smiling. He sees you, Crow.]

You're familiar with how Loki's Debilitate is sometimes less effort to cast? It feels similar to that, except for curse magic. Which is interesting, since I don't sense any curse attacks here.

[I'll show you a curse attack, grumbles Rangda in his head; his smile sharpens.]

Maybe she'll learn some. Right now, she has physical attacks, not too unlike Loki. [Except Loki is special, of course; Loki is his.]

[fogbornphantom]

Yes, it's entirely possible she may learn as you hone her strength. Then there's always the option of acquiring Skill Cards. Those allow you to apply skills to Personas they may not otherwise have.

[It's so good to see him smile, though. The sheer excitement is palpable.]

And just wait until Raven finds out. I'm certain he'll want you to show him how to acquire Personas properly.

[pancakeboy]

Now there's a thought. [He is, in fact, already planning to show Raven his cool new trick.] Teach Raven this, and he'll have more personas than you by the time he returns.

Surely he should leave you something to do. [How the two of them even work is a puzzle that can still distract him.]

[fogbornphantom]

Well, of the two of us, he vastly prefers your company. I think a part of it is that if I were to instruct him, he'd feel like he has more to live up to.

[Not that Raven dislikes him, of course. They live together. There is trust there, but still...]

[pancakeboy]

So you want me to teach him instead. [Nodnodnod.] Evil hold-ups?