Whether she can speak or not isn't clear, but she does give a nod in response to the greeting. Aigis isn't used to this power being considered impressive; not because it's not, but because anyone back home who saw it was already aware of it. Her head turns down slightly as she smiles and folds her hands over her chest, a little bashful.] Thank you. [She's not sure that she can really take credit for Athena's imposing presence, but it seems like the polite thing to say anyway.]
Pallas Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and war. Her abilities are appropriate for this origin. She is able to strengthen certain aspects of fellow combatants, heal their injuries, or engage in physical combat with an enemy.
[Athena lifts the hand that holds the spear slightly in indication. It's not just for show!]
[A nonverbal response is still a response, as such the nod from Athena assures him to not feel foolish saying hi to the persona. Athena's remarkable and hearing what she can do only supports the thought. He gives the bashful android a 'you're welcome'- with her ability to summon, he thinks Aigis is just as cool as Athena, so take credit for it.]
I see she can fill in both supportive and offensive role. How useful.
[As expected from a cool-looking imposing creature and combat made robot.]
[Self-esteem is not in high supply here. Though the alternative credit would probably be to the Kirijo scientists who built her, and they definitely don't deserve it...
"Useful," though, is a compliment that Aigis understands. A machine is built for a function, so something like that is easier to accept, and she turns her head back up with a more confident nod.] Her abilities are very versatile. Every Persona has different skills... Reflective of the strengths and weaknesses of their user, of course. She lacks elemental magic, which is a common ability of other Personas.
[Perhaps because the elements tend to represent nature, and Aigis is manmade? Though Shinjiro similarly lacked elemental abilities, so maybe not.]
Is that so, I know mechs are capable of magic. Her not having magic is reflective of your... nature.
[It's the closest he can say without mentioning manmade. Aigis may not mind it much, since she's... well, a robot built for a function, but he's trying to not come across as rude here.]
It is an interesting power you have, Aigis. Sometimes this world has its share of troubles, perhaps in the future, I'll be able to observe both you and Athena's skills when we work together to protect this world...
[ well. she hadn't meant to leave, much less to be gone that long. once she's on the iris government center and has her device back, she makes the call.
[Aigis both knows and doesn't know how long it's been. Her internal clock ticks away, of course, as reliable as ever. Her records show the exact amount of seconds since she could no longer sense Minako's wild card nearby.
But it doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel real. She's right back to where she was when she first arrived on this planet, lost and simply going through the motions of function. It could be a week or it could be a year and she would feel the same, hollowed out of purpose and too bereft to even begin to ask why. Like an anesthetized wound, she watches as it bleeds but barely feels it.
She's a machine, after all. She shouldn't feel pain.
Yukari does, though. Aigis watches over her while Minako is gone. For a lot of reasons she hasn't examined and doesn't understand, but also simply because Aigis knows that Minako would want Yukari to be safe. It's the only direction Aigis has, so she follows it dutifully, devotedly.
She dreams of Minako too. Of chasing her into a dark void and never being able to catch up. She has this dream every night, until she doesn't. Until she stops dreaming altogether.
So it doesn't make sense that it feels like a dream when her communicator lights up to spell out Minako Arisato. Despite her quick reaction time, Aigis doesn't answer immediately, because— if this is another dream, it'll be over as soon as it feels like Minako is within reach.
When she answers, it's with uncertainty and a twinge of fear.] ...Minako?
[ she lets out a sigh of relief when aigis answers, instantly flipping her communicator to video. minako wants to give her the visual confirmation, make sure that aigis knows this is real. ]
It's me, Aigis, I... [ she lets out a nervous chuckle, nearly manic, twirling a bit of hair around one finger. ] I'm sorry, baby, I didn't mean to just—I'm back. I'm okay.
[It's me. It's her, it is; it's her voice, her face, as Aigis has known and relearned them here in Lunatia. She touches the screen of her device and feels a bit foolish for it, but she expects it to just...turn off and leave her with nothing again.
When it doesn't, she— well, she doesn't breathe. But it sounds like she's letting out a breath she's been holding as she speaks.] You're...back.
[Again.
She should turn on her video, shouldn't she? Minako is distressed. She's smiling but her body language is tense. Yes, Aigis should turn her video on.
So she does; there's cautious hope in her expression, but overall it's strangely distant, like this hasn't really sunken in yet.] It's okay. You're back. You're— unharmed?
[ good. it's... good, seeing aigis there. why does she still feel so tense? she can barely breathe with the knot of tension in her chest, all of her limbs feeling tightly wound and leaden all at once. ]
I'm not hurt. I didn't... I don't think I was sent back, I just... the next thing I knew, I was back on Iris? And when I saw how much time I'd lost, I— [ help. ]
[Unharmed, yes. But the signs are all there: Minako, for some reason, feels like she's in danger. Likely psychological causes, Aigis realizes, though she can't intuit anything more than that in this moment.
There's movement as Aigis stands up and begins to make her way out. To Iris, because that's where Minako is. She's more alert now, because right now she's got a purpose: to find Minako and make sure she feels safe.] It's okay. Please take deep breaths. It will help to calm your heart rate if it's elevated.
[Which Aigis can't read from here, but she feels like it probably is?] I'm coming to meet you.
[Before, the possibility of being missed never occurred to Aigis. After all, unless her Papillon Heart was destroyed, she could always be rebuilt. She could always come back to her friends.
But she didn't account for a world like this. A world where the dead get second chances and where her friends remember things from further in the future than Aigis ever imagined. A world where she couldn't be here for them.
So it's a confusing mix of feelings. Of treasuring Minako's love for her while also wishing desperately that Minako didn't have to feel the same fear that Aigis does. Some of that shows on her face, in the slight furrow of her brow as she continues to monitor Minako's body language and the waveform of her voice.] ...I understand. But you don't have to worry. Yukari-san and I are both still here. She will be happy to hear that you've returned.
[ it had been an almost cruel reversal, really. minako had been left to miss aigis for months after she first arrived. and while they've had time here—so much time to use as they like, days in the city or in the wilds or slow lazy days they never had the chance for—she's never been able to forget the precariousness of their position. and maybe this isn't really any different from normal life, and how someone can be there the next day and gone the next. minako's a walking, shining example of that, after all.
but still... ]
Good. That's... good. I'm glad you two had each other. [ she hates the idea of hurting them by leaving again, accidental as it was. now, forgiveness and relief are being offered so easily. ] Anything interesting happen while I was gone?
[Anything interesting? What they consider "interesting" varies, Aigis knows. Particularly in such a harrowing time, when her usual curiosity was eclipsed by the reopening of the grief that she'd haphazardly stitched closed. Nothing seemed interesting when Minako was gone.
She goes for a more objective approach to the idea of "interesting."] The Lunar Scientia is attempting to study the city of Calanthe. They're requesting large amounts of Chroma generation to allow them to do so.
[Yeah, that's what she'd heard. That's interesting, right? More interesting than how distraught Aigis and Yukari were.]
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☾ soundwave
[Very fair. Athena is cool.
Whether she can speak or not isn't clear, but she does give a nod in response to the greeting. Aigis isn't used to this power being considered impressive; not because it's not, but because anyone back home who saw it was already aware of it. Her head turns down slightly as she smiles and folds her hands over her chest, a little bashful.] Thank you. [She's not sure that she can really take credit for Athena's imposing presence, but it seems like the polite thing to say anyway.]
Pallas Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and war. Her abilities are appropriate for this origin. She is able to strengthen certain aspects of fellow combatants, heal their injuries, or engage in physical combat with an enemy.
[Athena lifts the hand that holds the spear slightly in indication. It's not just for show!]
no subject
I see she can fill in both supportive and offensive role. How useful.
[As expected from a cool-looking imposing creature and combat made robot.]
no subject
"Useful," though, is a compliment that Aigis understands. A machine is built for a function, so something like that is easier to accept, and she turns her head back up with a more confident nod.] Her abilities are very versatile. Every Persona has different skills... Reflective of the strengths and weaknesses of their user, of course. She lacks elemental magic, which is a common ability of other Personas.
[Perhaps because the elements tend to represent nature, and Aigis is manmade? Though Shinjiro similarly lacked elemental abilities, so maybe not.]
no subject
Is that so, I know mechs are capable of magic. Her not having magic is reflective of your... nature.
[It's the closest he can say without mentioning manmade. Aigis may not mind it much, since she's... well, a robot built for a function, but he's trying to not come across as rude here.]
It is an interesting power you have, Aigis. Sometimes this world has its share of troubles, perhaps in the future, I'll be able to observe both you and Athena's skills when we work together to protect this world...
basically...tdm adjacent
ring ring, aigis. ]
no subject
But it doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel real. She's right back to where she was when she first arrived on this planet, lost and simply going through the motions of function. It could be a week or it could be a year and she would feel the same, hollowed out of purpose and too bereft to even begin to ask why. Like an anesthetized wound, she watches as it bleeds but barely feels it.
She's a machine, after all. She shouldn't feel pain.
Yukari does, though. Aigis watches over her while Minako is gone. For a lot of reasons she hasn't examined and doesn't understand, but also simply because Aigis knows that Minako would want Yukari to be safe. It's the only direction Aigis has, so she follows it dutifully, devotedly.
She dreams of Minako too. Of chasing her into a dark void and never being able to catch up. She has this dream every night, until she doesn't. Until she stops dreaming altogether.
So it doesn't make sense that it feels like a dream when her communicator lights up to spell out Minako Arisato. Despite her quick reaction time, Aigis doesn't answer immediately, because— if this is another dream, it'll be over as soon as it feels like Minako is within reach.
When she answers, it's with uncertainty and a twinge of fear.] ...Minako?
no subject
It's me, Aigis, I... [ she lets out a nervous chuckle, nearly manic, twirling a bit of hair around one finger. ] I'm sorry, baby, I didn't mean to just—I'm back. I'm okay.
no subject
When it doesn't, she— well, she doesn't breathe. But it sounds like she's letting out a breath she's been holding as she speaks.] You're...back.
[Again.
She should turn on her video, shouldn't she? Minako is distressed. She's smiling but her body language is tense. Yes, Aigis should turn her video on.
So she does; there's cautious hope in her expression, but overall it's strangely distant, like this hasn't really sunken in yet.] It's okay. You're back. You're— unharmed?
no subject
I'm not hurt. I didn't... I don't think I was sent back, I just... the next thing I knew, I was back on Iris? And when I saw how much time I'd lost, I— [ help. ]
no subject
There's movement as Aigis stands up and begins to make her way out. To Iris, because that's where Minako is. She's more alert now, because right now she's got a purpose: to find Minako and make sure she feels safe.] It's okay. Please take deep breaths. It will help to calm your heart rate if it's elevated.
[Which Aigis can't read from here, but she feels like it probably is?] I'm coming to meet you.
no subject
Okay. I just... I was scared, you know? That you two might be gone too, or...
[ deep breath. ]
I don't want to lose you, either.
no subject
But she didn't account for a world like this. A world where the dead get second chances and where her friends remember things from further in the future than Aigis ever imagined. A world where she couldn't be here for them.
So it's a confusing mix of feelings. Of treasuring Minako's love for her while also wishing desperately that Minako didn't have to feel the same fear that Aigis does. Some of that shows on her face, in the slight furrow of her brow as she continues to monitor Minako's body language and the waveform of her voice.] ...I understand. But you don't have to worry. Yukari-san and I are both still here. She will be happy to hear that you've returned.
no subject
but still... ]
Good. That's... good. I'm glad you two had each other. [ she hates the idea of hurting them by leaving again, accidental as it was. now, forgiveness and relief are being offered so easily. ] Anything interesting happen while I was gone?
no subject
She goes for a more objective approach to the idea of "interesting."] The Lunar Scientia is attempting to study the city of Calanthe. They're requesting large amounts of Chroma generation to allow them to do so.
[Yeah, that's what she'd heard. That's interesting, right? More interesting than how distraught Aigis and Yukari were.]
no subject
That is interesting. Do you wanna go? [ checking out a place like that could be fun, right? ]