♚ More than one Heart; Overflow

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Insert 'My Heart Will Go On' joke here, for all your event thread continuation needs!

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Event 026.exe;

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[AKA Pizza.gif darkest timeline: The Event.]

Vietnam;

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[Continued from here.]

[Minato's sickened too beyond seeing the possessions of one of his friends- the blood, the trinkets...he had heard before about the sacrifices, but to see it being done even now was disgusting and he swallows, trying to contain his revulsion.]

I've heard of sacrifices before, but this is the first time I've seen an altar. [He's quiet, sticking to the facts as much as possible to avoid stirring his emotions.] ...It might have something to do with the spirits.

Re: Vietnam;

[hoasen]

[Sacrifices, she has not really heard of them. Perhaps vaguely, but somehow she's been fortunate (unfortunate?) enough to not see the truth up close. Clearly she needs to read the manual in the Sanctuary much more often to see if anything new comes up.

The spirits...that does make sense. Murder, they said.]

They did say something about that, didn't they. Murderer. [All of the spirits that died could've been because of this place. But she grits her teeth. With Minato like this, she doesn't want to say that the spirit were people they knew.]

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Murderer... [They're still in the underground caves and the the word's echoes sound rather like a fading accusation. Minato pauses, raising a hand to his chin as they continue to walk almost as if he's had some other kind of insight.]

I don't think that the ghosts we saw before this are related to what we saw around the altar. There were too many of them, and I've heard that CERES made a contract with the natives, but they didn't agree to a colony like Cerealia being made.

[The musty air's not doing a good job of making their trek any more pleasant though, and he draws in a deep breath before continuing on.] Where are we, anyway? I saw an explosion coming from the dark parts of the city...could all of us have been brought here?

Kirigiri;

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[Continued from here.]

[A solemn but firm nod follows- disturbed and upset as he felt, he couldn't just allow himself to dwell on this.]

Yeah, let's go. It's dangerous down here...we should head upwards.

[fittedgloves]

[ She nods, already heading back up. ]

Whatever you saw... don't dwell on it too much. CERES could have planted it there, for all we know. [ Which she isn't so sure she believes, but it's still something she feels she should say right now. ]

[moribound]

[Minato's silent for a moment before responding. He didn't get too close of a look at the altar having turned away almost as soon as he'd seen the remains of Akihiko's cape, but there's one other detail that's eating away at him.

The blood. Wasn't it far too little for the amount of scraps and trinkets located there?]

I don't think it's that simple, Kirigiri-san. [He's matching her pace, slouched and with his free hand jammed into his pocket.] You mentioned before that you're a detective...how old do you think the blood on the altar was?

Shiho;

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[Continued from here.]

[The sound of something burning can still be heard briefly before fading away as Minato turns to face Shiho, catching sight what looks like a collar in turn.

He stands still, eyes wide as he registers who he's seeing in the mirror before lowering his head to avoid looking at the rest of the mirrors.]

...yeah, I'm okay. [Yet he seems devoid of his usual calm and more listless than usual.] What about you?

[good_ideas]

I'm fine.

[It comes out defensive and she takes a step back, eyes darting quickly to the mirrors and sees Minamoto being washed away by a torrent of water. Kaoru and the heart-stopping moment when a chunk of rock had hit her from behind.

She grips tight to her arms and presses herself against the wall, swallowing hard.]

[moribound]

[Whatever Shiho's seeing can't be pleasant and Minato immediately moves a few steps in front of her to block the view. Doing so places him right where he can see another mirror, and it's almost a pleasant surprise in comparison to see the moment in which he had made friends with Pharos.

That's strange though. What did this and the car crash have in common aside from Death playing a part in both memories? He could have turned to see Shiho's memories, but he won't do so and ]

We should leave...There's no use in relieving these memories.

Mitsuru;

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[Continued from here]

[Mitsuru's telepathic message cuts through the effect the mirror has on him sharply, and it jars him enough that he needs a second or two to recollect himself even though she can't see him just yet.

He leans back against a wall before responding, taking utmost care to stare where he can't see his face.] I'm fine Mitsuru, but we should leave here at once. [His words are clipped yet lacking the subtle inflection he's given to, and he wonders if she's seen something she doesn't want to see too.

It could be about him...and he's not worth mourning over. ]

[cestmagnifique]

[ There is a heavy amount of relief at hearing his voice. Good. He is...whole, at least, though she can't discount any unfortunate memories he's had to relieve in this place. The likelihood itself is very high, considering she continues to catch a glimpse of many events she'd rather not recall in detail. Clearly, this is meant to be disarming. ]

I agree.

[ Mitsuru is perfectly comfortable with getting down to business for both of their sakes. Best shove any uncomfortableness away for the moment. There is a goal to be accomplished. ]

I'm heading towards you now. Please stay where you are.

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Got it. [His message might be a little distorted from the static but it should be clear that Minato doesn't intend to move from where he is.

There's mirrors everywhere around him, almost seeming to shimmer in the dim light that shines through the forced-open entrance. Minato lets out a drawn breath, glancing absently at one of the mirrors only to see Aigis looming over him when he was still a child- it's fleeting, gone seconds after before he can register the silent cry he made so many years ago.

He doesn't notice Mitsuru approaching at first, having a hand pressed to his face wearily while he shakes his head. That thought about not being worth saving before this is alien to him- what was it about?

It's only when she's but a few steps away that he'll look up, making direct eye contact with her.] Mitsuru. I'm glad to see that you're alright. [Relatively speaking naturally.]

Saiduq;

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[Continued from here]

[All it takes is a few moments of silence for Minato to recollect himself, but he's nevertheless disturbed more by what he felt seeing his parents die all over again than the memory itself.

I couldn't save them... No one would have expected a child to have leaped in to pull his parents and he knows it, yet there's a pervasive feeling of emptiness as he recalls how nothing had mattered much like that, much like how he-

Minato dispels that thought with a shake of his head, biting a little on his lip. He knows what's going on too- The mask was clearly doing something to him and it's getting worse, something that might not seem all that apparent when he finally faces Saiduq with his characteristic stoic face on.]

Because we're friends? Come to think of it, you've always seem a little interested in me since we met.

[adminproof]

[ He lets out a light chuckle at that. ]

Is that strange? I was attracted to your potential, but now I also find myself attracted to your company as well.

[ Minato's slightly shaken behavior doesn't escape his notice, but Saiduq is reluctant to pry in matters so personal. Matters that he won't willingly open up to, so he won't force his hand or anything. ]

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My potential... [The color is returning to Minato's cheeks at least now that he's far away from the creepy mirrors, and he tilts his head in response to what Saiduq's said.]

You mean my ability to use a Persona?

Hiro Hamada;

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[From here]

Yeah. [Minato can't think of much to say to that, repulsed by the blood regardless of who it belonged to- whether a friend or a native, taking away someone's life for a sacrifice just sat wrongly with him for more reasons than one.

He's aware of Hiro circling around the altar from the sound of his footsteps, eventually straightening himself even as he continues to avoid taking in the details of the bloody structure.] ...There's another thing that bothers me. Shouldn't there be more blood on this altar if everyone who left was taken here to be sacrificed? [It seems like a rather off-hand and random observation from someone who shouldn't have seen much blood in his life, yet it's anything but. There's a distinct lack of inflection in the way he's asked that question not because of this sight per se, but because he'll never forget two deaths he's witnessed before that had involved blood.

Shinji. Mitsuru's father. A sacrifice would have been bloodier than the sight in front of them, wouldn't it? Some people get emotional talking about what disturbs them- Minato's the opposite, trying to separate what he feels from what he sees once more.]

[zerotohiro]

There would be unless whoever's doing the sacrificing is doing a thorough clean of the altar each time. Maybe they were in a hurry with the last one. [He's not sure that idea sits well either. He remembers Minato's own death in the jungle. This is still not enough blood.]

You think there's something more to what we're looking at?

[moribound]

Must have taken their sweet time trying to clean it up afterwards then. [Sarcasm aside Minato's frowning thoughtfully now, trying to recall if he's heard of anything like this from the natives they met in the jungle.]

I think this isn't a permanent sacrifice...some of these people could have returned before and the natives we spoke to couldn't tell us what were these sacrifices about either. [In spite of his measured words Minato's still moving a little stiffly, still taking the sight of his old friend badly.] It's too soon to say what any of these means.

Yu;

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[From here.]

[The signals Minato sends back when he's held by Yu are mixed, neither struggling to get away nor allowing himself to be held. He simply stands still and takes care to look away from the mirror, drawing in one quick breath to compose himself.

It would have been easy for anyone to assume that he's taking relieving the memory poorly, seeing himself staring blankly at a blazing fire that's consuming all that remains of his parents. There's some truth to that yet what Minato ends up saying has very little to do with the accident itself, so quiet that it could have been but a whisper of the wind.]

...I'm sorry. [It sounds as if he's apologizing to whoever it was in that memory of his, even though Yu's much closer to him right now. A firm shake of the head follows, not wanting to dwell on the subject.] Let's go, Yu-san.

[covenantal]

[ Yu lifts his head, something about the set of his stance sharp, focused, unhappy, his gaze still on the mirrors like he can break them with a look alone. With a short sigh through his nose, he unwinds his arm from around Minato's shoulders once the other boy is composed again.

The apology draws his attention back to his friend, and though his brow creases, he doesn't comment on it. He only nods, turning to go--

--when something flashes across the mirrors. Against his better judgment, Yu pauses reflexively, hesitating. As soon as the words Big bro... where are you? echo into the room, his face wipes of expression. He'll stay very still as the memory plays out, his eyes half-lidded. As much as he tries to hide his reaction, he just can't be impervious to watching his little sister die all over again. His hands curl spasmodically into fists. ]

Kaz;

[moribound]

[Continued from here.]

[The shard shatters and its pieces skitter across the floor, showing bits and pieces of what looks like a field from what little Minato can glimpse.

He can't help but stare until the image disappears, unable to make sense of what he's seeing too. A field...what does that have to do with anything, and how does it relate to someone who may have been a demon but who was also more or less a complete city boy?

He can see that Kaz is uncomfortable though, so he looks up again and takes a step forward.] We should leave then. Let's go, Kaz- there's no telling what might show up next, and these mirrors look pretty unstable.

[belfire]

...

[Kazuya didn't immediately respond, still glaring at the spot where the shard had been. It was only when another piercing throb of pain lanced through the left side of his brain did he wince and shift away. What was with this friggin' headache? Every time he saw a glimpse of that field, he felt like something was trying to...]

Unstable... cursed, I'd say. What type of place shows fucked up images like this?

[But he did as he was told. He began to carefully move, but he was beginning to regret his earlier decision of impulsively kicking the shard, because now its pieces were everywhere, and whenever Kazuya's eyes glanced over each tiny, glinting surface, that fucking field kept flashing up.

Though... was it getting darker? The field, darker, and redder, and more distorted, and the pain in his head was getting worse with each showing and... that dreadful feeling of something looming kept creeping up on him, like he was on the cusp of some terrible discovery. He hated that feeling. He didn't like it...]

But, you're right. Let's go. [He reached out, grasping Minny's hand without thought, genuinely unsettled by this whole situation. Maybe he should just close his eyes and try to blindly walk out the door?] It's... [Scary] ...creepy here.

Nice;

[moribound]

[Continued from here.]

[The image is something that thankfully passes before Nice can see what happens after that, and Nice's remark about smashing them gets a look from Minato that lingers somewhere between "You're sure about that?" and "I don't think that's a good idea."]

You've been smashing them? There's mirrors everywhere and it looks like they were hanging on the wall before...I wonder what happened here. [Granted it's easy enough to conclude that something like an earthquake must have happened, given the ruined buildings outside.]

[topscores]

[Yeah, well. It felt good when he did it, until he felt a shard try to poke through the bottom of his shoe.]

They're frustrating. I'm not trying to take them all out or anything, because that'd be a lot of work.

[And then he's rubbing the back of his head.]

The better question is how they're showing our memories, honestly.