SEAL YOUR FATE.

you, who wish to safeguard the future, however limited it may be...go forth without falter, with your heart as your guide. carrd

[greatsealed]

REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE MORTAL; REMEMBER YOU WILL DIE.

welcome to greatsealed, an independent roleplay blog for minato arisato from persona 3, reloaded by rick. please read my rules before interacting!

persona blogroll:

@nyxappriser (ryoji mochizuki)

@protectivepsyche (metis)

(note: you have full permission to use memes from this blog and send them to either of these sideblogs!)

🌕 CARRD 🌕 RULES 🌕 ABOUT 🌕 VERSES 🌕

[greatsealed]

Which rare human emotion are you?

Natsukashii

Simultaneous feelings of nostalgia, joy, and sadness for an experience that’s been intensely lived in the past, and that’ll never come again. You have a safety net of memories that you fall back on, better times in the past when life was easier than it is now. You may have stayed in situations that do not serve you well, simply because there is safety in what is known, rather than the unknowable future. Take time to honour your past an your memories, but do not lose yourself in them - allow yourself the space to move forward in life, with the knowledge that this progress will leave you with more beautiful memories to walk back through in the future. Do not fear letting go - these memories will not leave you, and it is time to explore your life as it could be.

Tagged by: @epitomees (thank you!! <3) Tagging: YOU.

[limitlesspossibilities]

“What- What kind of question is that!? You’re our friend, why wouldn’t we try to help you!?”

Minato really wasn’t joking, was he? Would he… really rather be dead right now? Junpei’s heart sank at the thought, because a part of him did understand. He’d felt similarly after Chidori gave up her life to bring him back.

But that situation was way different and despite the pain he went through, Junpei eventually found himself feeling happy to be alive again. Chidori, too, had seemed happy about being revived when he saw her in the hospital. So why wasn’t Minato the same?

Junpei clenched his fists, letting anger take the place of the fear that he’d done something wrong in wanting his best friend to be alive. He knew deep down that he and his friends had cheated death too many times already and they couldn’t just expect it to keep happening with no consequences, but he shouldn’t be feeling guilty for having Minato back!

“Dude, nothing about your death was fair! It shouldn’t have been your time yet! Even that weird lady from the Velvet Room wanted you back and I’m pretty sure she’s not even human! You can’t seriously tell me you were fine with having your life cut short like that!?”

[greatsealed]

[That was the answer he'd anticipated. With a heavy sigh, he shut his eyes tightly; he scoured his mind and heart for the sort of empathy he would have had back then, but he came up empty.]

[Were he able, he might have been panicked by this futile search. Instead, he opened his eyes wearily. There was no light in them. They were as devoid of life as the rest of him. He knew every emotion he ought to be feeling, but he could no longer do so. There was an odd horror to emotional numbness...he was no longer himself. He was just a shell.]

❝ I know... ❞ [He did. He knew that, once upon a time, he would have given everything for the ability to bring someone back. Love was the driving force between that irrational desire, yet he could no longer imagine what it felt like. His parents, his sister, Shinjiro, Ryoji...what had it felt like to love and then lose them?]

[...He couldn't remember.] ❝ You are my friend...you just wanted to help... ❞ [He spoke under his breath, not in an effort to validate Junpei, but to try and put the puzzle pieces together. He sighed again. He wasn't solving this anytime soon.]

[Junpei lectured him again with the sort of fervor that Minato lacked; Minato stared, bewildered by Junpei's reasoning. Fair...? His death hadn't been fair? Junpei seemed to believe that Minato's life had been cut short, but Minato couldn't agree. He'd given his life voluntarily. It had been his decision and his decision alone. There was no hesitation, no regret. He had been ready.]

❝ It was my time. ❞ [He said curtly, his attempts to sympathize with Junpei going out the window.] ❝ We all made the decision to stand against Nyx knowing that we might die. When I went into that final battle, I knew I wasn't going to make it out alive. My life wasn't cut short...it was exactly as long as it needed to be. I was supposed to die. ❞

[rpmemes-galore]

Puella Magi Madoka Magica  {Sentence Starters}

“You’ve got it all wrong… again.”

“If you think you can do it, do it.“

“It’s like you’re trying to hurt me.“

“It won’t be easy. You will get hurt.”

“How about you? What’d you bring?“

“This has to be a misunderstanding.“

“It doesn’t make any sense, does it?“

“Why are you doing this to yourself?“

“You look ill. Is something the matter?“

“That’s kind of harsh… I was just asking.“

“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.“

“What the heck’s THAT supposed to mean?!”

“I don’t deserve it. You need a better role model.“

“Don’t give up hope! They’ll figure something out!“

“I mean, it’s better than not having anything, right?“

“All I know is that it was really strange and spooky.“

“So, at least, I saved one person. I’m glad about that.”

“I don’t know if it’ll make a difference, but I brought this!”

“I am sorry, but I had to say it now before it was too late.“

“Well, let’s say I’m glad you’re going into it with that spirit.“

“This is the first time I’ve ever felt this happy during battle.“

“Seriously? That’s a heck of a coincidence, don’t you think?“

“Why won’t you trust me? Can’t you see I just want to help you?“

“Think about what you want, so you don’t have any regrets later.“

“And I guess…you’ve seen lots of people die horribly, haven’t you?“

“You shouldn’t be here! This has nothing to do with you, so stay back!“

“Cut it out. Stop torturing me already. Why do you keep coming here?“

“I’m not afraid of anything, anymore. Because… I’m not alone, anymore!”

“You’re in no position to question my help. Or do you just hate the idea of it?“

“It’s a hard decision to make, isn’t it? It’s not something you need to rush into.“

“Remember this and take it to heart: kindness sometimes leads to even greater tragedy.”

“This isn’t supposed to be fun. What we’re doing is very dangerous. Don’t forget that, okay?”

[greatsealed]

[Minato slid some yen into the vending machine's coin slot, then punched in the letter-number combination for a bottle of Aguafeena. Thank goodness the machine kept its drinks refrigerated; the bottle was nice and frigid, exactly how he wanted it. He seated himself on an empty bench, opened the bottle, and poured it all over himself. Much better.]

❝ I hate summer. ❞

[greatsealed]

TIME LOOP SENTENCE STARTERS || ALWAYS ACCEPTING! || @kasoujin

kasoujin asked: ❝ If you only had one day to live, what would you do with it? ❞ (from maruki)

[...Was it normal for a school counselor to ask something like that?]

[Normal or not, he might as well entertain the thought. Maybe this was meant to go somewhere. Minato sighed and looked away, taking a moment to think; in the end, there was only one true answer.]

❝ ...I would spend it with my friends. ❞ [There was nothing else he'd rather do. He wanted nothing more than to spend his last moments with everyone he cared about. Not just his team -- everyone he'd forged bonds with over the past year. Simple as that.]

[greatsealed]

I FORGOT I MADE THIS AKSDFJKASD

[fatimazainab]

my vibe? haunted, but chill about it.

[milkmemes]

I'm attracted to men but at what cost

[greatsealed]

TEXTING STARTERS || ALWAYS ACCEPTING! || @lunaete

lunaete asked: [ TXT ] : you don't have to ask, i'm already on my way.

[Minato exhaled a laugh; he should have expected an answer like that. He closed his phone and tucked it into his pocket, brought back to the crisis at hand...]

[The Screenshot theater's poster for a "couple's discount" stared back at him, daunting as ever...but now he had his plus-one. The two of them already passed as a couple purely because of how attached Aigis was to him, and she wasn't likely to judge him over today's showing. Minato wasn't normally one to watch romantic tragedies in his free time, but this one seemed like it'd boost his charm, courage, and intelligence. That was too good to pass up.]

[It only hit him after he put his phone away that this movie might...make this excursion a bit awkward. He'd completely forgotten that the movie's leads were a human and an artificial intelligence.]

[He hurriedly removed his phone from his pocket to check how much time had passed since he'd texted her, but it was too late to stop her. Knowing Aigis, she'd be here any second. Resigning to his fate, he messaged her again.]

[ TXT ] : See you soon.

[...This movie might wind up raising his courage more than he thought.]

[greatsealed]

TIME LOOP SENTENCE STARTERS || ALWAYS ACCEPTING! || @lunaete

lunaete asked: ❝ Just remember, we had a wonderful day together once. ❞

[Minato laughed softly, his hand weakly clinging to Aigis'. This was just one of many, many wonderful days he'd shared with her...and he was confident that there would be countless more, despite his current state.]

❝ ...Every day with you is wonderful, Aigis. ❞ [As tedious ( and painful ) as these loops were, at least he was spending these days with those he loved. Even if he had to die in their arms every now and again...even if he had to hear their anguished cries over and over...he knew with unwavering certainty that he'd return to a time when they were none the wiser. Nobody would remember the tragedy...and if he did things correctly next time, then nobody would have to experience any tragedy. That was the point, right...? His powers were pointless if he couldn't somehow fix the past.]

[He coughed, tasting the tell-tale metallic flavor of blood. His time was probably running out. He smiled peacefully and shakily reached his hand up to Aigis' cheek, struggling to wipe away her tears.]

❝ Don't...cry. ❞ [Minato stifled another series of coughs, yet he remained content. It was an odd sentiment to have...but he always felt more comfortable when Aigis was the one holding him as he died. It hurt to hear her weep...but knowing that she'd be alright once he came back kept him going. She wouldn't have to feel this way for much longer.] ❝ It'll be okay...I promise. ❞

[limitlesspossibilities]

please tell me there's still a chance. -for ryoji :')

"No. There are no more chances, Minato. It's over." He thought he would at least be proud of himself for trying no matter what the outcome was, but to come so far just to realize all their efforts had been a waste in the end was crushing.

Ryoji fell to his knees, fighting back tears. This was his fault! He'd let his guard down for too long, let himself get carried away having fun being with Minato when he should have been more focused on what was really important. He'd known their time was running out, but he'd let himself lose track of time anyway, and now...

"We could cover the burned parts with frosting, but the cake still won't taste right. And there's not enough ingredients to make another one."

He'd just wanted to do something nice for the SEES members to thank them for letting him into the group...

[greatsealed]

[Minato wasn't necessarily useless in the kitchen, but he hadn't learned anything more complicated than toasting bread until Shinjiro joined the team. Surprisingly, he'd retained a lot of what Shinjiro taught him...but he never had the time or energy to do much with his advice.]

[He knew the "consequences" that might come with goofing around with Ryoji instead of worrying about the time, but he'd let himself get carried away anyway. The results were...much worse than he'd expected. Just how long had they forgotten about it? It was supposed to be in the oven for, what, thirty minutes? Had they really been that distracted...?]

[Minato was disappointed, sure...but he had no idea how crushed Ryoji would be. He knew how much this cake, this gesture of gratitude, meant for Ryoji. Minato actually thought it was really sweet for Ryoji to put so much effort in, even though the dorm had already ( mostly ) approved of his presence. Minato knew this meant a lot to him...but he was still caught off-guard when Ryoji fell to his knees like that.]

❝ Hey- ❞ [Minato knelt beside him; to his surprise, he saw a glimmer of tears in Ryoji's eyes. He reached a hand out to hold Ryoji's shoulder.] ❝ It's...it's okay. ❞

[Ryoji rattled off ways that they could try to cover this up, but in the end, he was right -- there was no way to fix this the way he wanted them to. They'd used up too many ingredients, and even covering up the charred parts with frosting wouldn't fix the taste. Minato frowned and looked off to the side, trying to come up with other solutions.]

❝ Maybe...we can cut off the burned parts...? ❞ [Even as he said it, he knew it was a bad idea. Every part of it was burnt to some degree. They'd could cut off the edges, but everything else was still far gone.] ❝ I can make a run to the sweets shop, or...maybe I can get more ingredients at Paulownia Mall... ❞ [He'd worked for Chagall Café long enough that they'd lend him some of their baking ingredients, right? They could even cut it out of his next paycheck. But...time was also against them, at this point.]

❝ ...I'm sorry, Ryoji. This is my fault. ❞ [That, it was. He knew that this meant the world to Ryoji...and if he hadn't been here to distract him, this might have turned out a lot better. Technically, Ryoji had learned how to cook and bake alongside him...so...he could have butted out.]

[But he was selfish. This time together with Ryoji was precious to him, but...indulging in that had ruined something Ryoji had been so hopeful about.] ❝ I just...wanted to be with you. ❞ [...He could have phrased that better. He ignored the warmth in his cheeks and kept going.] ❝ But we'll -- we'll figure something out. It's going to be okay. ❞

[ohisms]

✱˚｡⋆ ↪ 𝐀 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝑻𝑬𝑳𝑬𝑷𝑯𝑶𝑵𝑬 .    (  a  collection  of  texting prompts.  feel free to change phrasing.  potentially mature content within.  )

[ TXT ] : why are you still awake?

[ TXT ] : hey, where did you go?

[ TXT ] : it's getting bad again.

[ TXT ] : guess i'll just sit in bed. alone. by myself.

[ TXT ] : you can't ignore me forever.

[ TXT ] : i can't stop thinking about you.

[ TXT ] : just saw i called you last night. how'd that go?

[ TXT ] : i really need someone right now.

[ TXT ] : we need to make plans asap.

[ TXT ] : have you seen the news?

[ TXT ] : you were blackout drunk.

[ TXT ] : testing to see if you blocked my number...

[ TXT ] : do you know anything about doing stitches?

[ TXT ] : just please let me know you're okay.

[ TXT ] : did you forget we had plans?

[ TXT ] : i know you see my messages, your read receipts are on.

[ TXT ] : meet me at [ location ], it's important.

[ TXT ] : do you need comfort, to vent, or a solution?

[ TXT ] : is there anything i should bring?

[ TXT ] : call me. please, it's important.

[ TXT ] : i can't sleep.

[ TXT ] : have you eaten today?

[ TXT ] : you are always going to be my priority.

[ TXT ] : i haven't seen you around in awhile.

[ TXT ] : i had a dream about you last night.

[ TXT ] : the names are gonna get mean if you don't text me back.

[ TXT ] : at the risk of sounding cliche, what are you wearing?

[ TXT ] : just say the word and i'll drop everything.

[ TXT ] : do you seriously not remember?

[ TXT ] : come to the front door.

[ TXT ] : have you been drinking?

[ TXT ] : how do you feel after last night?

[ TXT ] : are you up? please be up.

[ TXT ] : you looked beautiful today.

[ TXT ] : i have so much to tell you.

[ TXT ] : no one's heard from you. are you okay?

[ TXT ] : who is this?

[ TXT ] : are you taking care of yourself?

[ TXT ] : thought i'd reach out and see how you're doing.

[ TXT ] : i miss the taste of your lips.

[ TXT ] : that kiss was really nice.

[ TXT ] : stop acting so high and mighty.

[ TXT ] : i left my [ item ] at your place.

[ TXT ] : are we still fighting?

[ TXT ] : i need help and i can't go to the hospital.

[ TXT ] : are you thinking about me too?

[ TXT ] : call me, i wanna hear your voice.

[ TXT ] : i don't want to talk to you.

[ TXT ] : what do you have to lose?

[ TXT ] : you don't have to ask, i'm already on my way.

[ TXT ] : i want to take a nap on you.

[ TXT ] : even if you called 6 months later at 3am, i'd answer.

[ TXT ] : what's my name in your phone?

[ TXT ] : how's trying to forget about me going?

[ TXT ] : i have nobody else to ask.

[ TXT ] : what do you mean you're at the hospital??

[ TXT ] : sorry, i think you have the wrong number.

[ TXT ] : good morning! you up yet?

[ TXT ] : do i sense sarcasm in your tone?

[ TXT ] : you start your day at 2pm?

[ TXT ] : you need MY help?

[ TXT ] : stop texting me.

[ TXT ] : i'll leave that up to your imagination.

[ TXT ] : are you asking me to sneak out?

[ TXT ] : when will i see you again?

[ TXT ] : if you come over, i'll order us a pizza.

[ TXT ] : are we ever going to talk about it?

[ TXT ] : can you come get me out of here?

[ TXT ] : you mean like ... a BODY - body?

[ TXT ] : it's just been one thing after another lately.

[ TXT ] : forgiving and forgetting is harder than it sounds.

[ TXT ] : i want your legs wrapped around my head.

[ TXT ] : call me when you wake up.

[ TXT ] : what are you doing that's more important than me?

[ TXT ] : i'm out of town right now.

[fazfacts]

TIME LOOP SENTENCE STARTERS!

quotes from "groundhog day" and "happy death day;" feel free to change as needed!

FROM THE PERSON STUCK IN THE LOOP:

❝ Didn't we do this yesterday? ❞

❝ Don't mess with me. What day is this? ❞

❝ Sorry. I'm having a bad day. ❞

❝ I'm feeling a little strange. ❞

❝ Have you ever had déjà vu? ❞

❝ I've got to talk to you. I think I'm losing my mind. ❞

❝ Can I be serious with you for a minute? ❞

❝ I'm being serious. ❞

❝ I'm having a problem -- no, I may be having a problem. ❞

❝ I'm trying to say that if I was having a problem, just hypothetically, I'd like to know that you're someone I could count on in a crisis. ❞

❝ Just trust me. ❞

❝ I've done it before. ❞

❝ I'm talking about today. I lived it before. ❞

❝ I know it's nuts, but I keep reliving the same day over and over. ❞

❝ This is the third time. ❞

❝ I'm not making it up. I'm asking for your help. ❞

❝ I'd like you to spend the next 24 hours with me. Don't leave my side for a second. ❞

❝ You're saying this thing is not really happening to me? ❞

❝ Are you saying I'm crazy? ❞

❝ What would you do if there was no tomorrow? ❞

❝ I don't worry about anything anymore. ❞

❝ I have a life wish. I'm just trying to enjoy it. ❞

❝ I know you won't believe me, but we could do anything we want today and it wouldn't matter one bit. ❞

❝ I've already been here for 211 days. ❞

❝ There's got to be more to it than this. ❞

❝ If you only had one day to live, what would you do with it? ❞

❝ I've been planning this day for weeks. ❞

❝ But there is no tomorrow for me! ❞

❝ I can't stand this place anymore! ❞

❝ Just remember, we had a wonderful day together once. ❞

❝ I'm a God. ❞

❝ It's the only explanation. I'm a supernatural human being. ❞

❝ I always wake up the next day without a scratch, without even a headache. I'm telling you, I'm immortal. ❞

❝ I want you to believe in me. ❞

❝ I told you the truth. ❞

❝ In five seconds, there's going to be a grease fire in the kitchen. ❞

❝ Please believe me. You've got to believe me. ❞

❝ It's not that bad. You get used to it. ❞

❝ The worst part is waking up every day. Tomorrow, you won't remember any of this. ❞

❝ It doesn't matter. Really, it doesn't. ❞

❝ It's not true. It's not. It can't be true. ❞

❝ You're here! My god! I can't believe you're here! ❞

❝ It's happened! Don't you get it? It's tomorrow! ❞

❝ Did I just dream it? ❞

❝ What day is it? ❞

❝ I'm totally having déjà vu right now. ❞

❝ I'm having a weird day. ❞

❝ This can't be happening...this can't be real! ❞

❝ This is a nightmare. ❞

❝ I feel like I'm losing my mind. I don't know what's happening to me. I'm so confused. ❞

❝ This isn't going to make any sense, but I've already lived through this day. Twice. ❞

❝ I know! It's not possible, but it's happening! I swear to God! ❞

❝ Nobody told me! Don't you see? I know what's going to happen before it happens! ❞

❝ I'm reliving the same day over and over. ❞

❝ Oh my God...make it stop. Please, make it stop. ❞

❝ Nobody believes me. ❞

❝ I'm sorry. I'm just...going through a lot right now. ❞

❝ I'll explain everything tomorrow...assuming there is one. ❞

❝ No...this can't be happening. This can't be happening! ❞

FROM THOSE NOT IN THE LOOP:

❝ I don't get what you mean. ❞

❝ I know you're losing it. ❞

❝ What is this? ❞

❝ Are you drunk? ❞

❝ What are you trying to say? ❞

❝ Yesterday? What are you talking about? ❞

❝ You're having déjà vu? ❞

❝ Uh-huh. I'm waiting for the punchline. ❞

❝ I'm racking my brain, but I can't even begin to imagine why you'd make up something like this. ❞

❝ Okay, I'll bite. What do you want me to do? ❞

❝ Have you considered psychiatric help? ❞

❝ I'd say that maybe you're, I don't know, a little delusional. ❞

❝ What makes you so special? ❞

❝ You really do have a death wish, don't you? ❞

❝ That's quite a long time, isn't it? ❞

❝ Is this real, or are you just going to make me look like a fool? ❞

❝ It's sort of like the way I feel about UFOs. I'd have to see it to believe it. ❞

❝ There's something so familiar about this. Do you ever have déjà vu? ❞

❝ Do you really expect me to trust you? ❞

❝ Are you alright? You look terrible. ❞

❝ What are you doing? What are you thinking? ❞

❝ For a minute there, I thought you might be crazy. ❞

❝ Why are you telling me this? ❞

❝ It's not possible. ❞

❝ This is nuts. ❞

❝ Okay, enough. Let's just sit down and think for a second. ❞

❝ How are you doing this? ❞

❝ How did this start? ❞

❝ It sounds so...lonely. ❞

❝ Is this what you do with eternity? ❞

❝ Have we done this before? ❞

❝ Maybe it's not a curse. It all just depends on how you look at it. ❞

❝ Hold it right there. I want to know what's going on and I want to know right now. ❞

❝ This is too much. I must be dreaming. ❞

❝ There's something going on with you. ❞

❝ You must've had some dream. ❞

❝ Wow. Have you been here before? ❞

❝ You were acting really weird this morning. ❞

❝ Just calm down and start from the beginning. ❞

❝ Okay, I get it. Who put you up to this? ❞

❝ You're starting to freak me out. ❞

❝ What's wrong? Are you sick? ❞

❝ Maybe I can help. ❞

❝ You literally think you're reliving the same day? ❞

❝ Come on. You're just messing with me, right? ❞

❝ I'm just trying to work this whole thing out. ❞

❝ I guess it's kinda like that movie, "Groundhog Day," only you're not Bill Murray. ❞

❝ If I were you, I would stop trying to figure out how it's happening and start figuring out why. ❞

❝ There has to be a reason you're stuck in this day. ❞

❝ You probably just had a bad dream. It happens to me whenever I drink too much. ❞

[greatsealed]

time travel / timeloop verses just dropped d(>vo)

[greatsealed]

rubs my hands together maniacally. i'm thinking so much about time travel shows/concepts and since p.ersona 3 is my favorite p.ersona game to think about timeloops in (p.ersona 2 as well...), i think im gonna add some verses later....

[limitlesspossibilities]

The moment Ryoji stepped into Tartarus he was overcome with the feeling that this was where he belonged. It would have been a comforting feeling, if he didn't know the reason for it; this was where he would become one with Nyx when it was time to bring about The Fall. Minato had seemed confident in his plan, but Ryoji couldn't help but wonder as they went further in and his uneasiness grew if this had been a mistake. What if him being here just triggered Nyx to come early?

...No, he'd already made the decision to put his trust in Minato. It wasn't fair to doubt him when they'd come this far already. Ryoji tightened his grip on his weapon, trying to push his worries out of his mind, but he was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice the Shadows coming until he saw Minato go down out of the corner of his eye.

"Minato!" Ryoji spun around, his heart racing in fear as he saw the Shadows surrounding his friend. He didn't hesitate as he rushed forward and slashed at one of the Shadows with his sword, knocking it down so he could get to Minato. It didn't stay down for long though, and Ryoji quickly realized he wasn't going to be much use protecting Minato without using his Evoker.

He shut his eyes and brought the Evoker up to his head. He could hear Minato shouting his name as he pulled the trigger to fire it, and then he felt the Shadow's attack hit him.

Ryoji groaned in pain as he felt Minato shaking him. His first thought was that his Persona should have taken that hit for him, but as he opened his eyes and saw Minato's tear-streaked face looking down at him he realized the Evoker hadn't worked.

Of course it hadn't...

"Minato, look out!" He didn't have time to worry about his lack of a Persona or the clear distress Minato was in; the Shadows behind Minato had taken the opportunity to launch another attack while he was distracted. Ryoji shoved Minato out of the way, crying out as he was hit instead. He fell to the ground again, panic taking over as he frantically tried to reach for his sword and saw that it and his Evoker had slid across the floor past the Shadows surrounding them.

No... No. It couldn't go on like this. He couldn't let Minato get hurt worse than he already had been. Ryoji pushed himself up, groaning as he felt a sharp pain shoot through his body. He was changing into a form he'd never wanted anyone to see, a form that terrified him, but there was nothing he could do about it now. Ryoji Mochizuki disappeared with a desperate scream, leaving Thanatos standing in his place.

[greatsealed]

[This plan was quickly falling apart ( if it hadn't crumbled already ). The odds had already been stacked against them, but he'd been so hopeful that an excursion to Tartarus would be the key to fixing this. If Ryoji had the potential, which Minato had once been certain of, then Tartarus and the Shadows would be his best chance of awakening to it. If Ryoji awakened, then he would be freed from his fate. The puzzle pieces that had once fit perfectly in Minato's mind were suddenly mismatched and uneven -- he hadn't thought this through as much as he should have, thanks to the time crunch.]

[Funnily enough, he'd had no problem with these month-long deadlines before...it was only now, with the fate of someone he loved hanging in the balance, that he'd rushed everything. Of course it was now when he faltered. He was so blinded by his panic that he hadn't taken time to consider the potential consequences.]

[...And now, those consequences were staring him in the face.]

[His mind clung to the illusion that Ryoji was on the brink of death, up until Ryoji cried out and pushed him away. His brain struggled to catch up with reality, which had blended with his traumatic delusion. He saw the smoke and wreckage of that night ten years ago, and in Ryoji's place, there was Death. Death took the hit for him...no, Ryoji took the hit for him. Slowly, he put together the reality around him -- he saw Ryoji's blade and evoker. Ryoji was defenseless. Worse yet, the mass of Shadows started to congregate around Ryoji...]

[And then he heard a piercing, frantic scream. Ryoji.]

[Just as Minato scrambled to his feet and drew his evoker, the Shadows were suddenly gone...vanquished. He'd seen the hacking and slashing, but...]

[Ryoji wasn't there, and Minato stood in awe of what stood in his place. It was...familiar. On that first full moon, this Persona had been the one to overwhelm Orpheus...could this be the same one? Was this Ryoji's Persona? Or...]

[Minato stared, stowing his evoker back in its holster. He waited for Ryoji's Persona to return, but it didn't...a sense of dread crept up his spine as he understood the grim reality before him. This hadn't been an awakening, and he wasn't staring at a manifested Persona. This was Death itself. Did that mean...Nyx was near? Had Minato crunched their time together even more? Had he doomed everyone because he'd been so selfish?]

[No -- he couldn't think about any of that right now. Right now, he'd try to focus on Death. This might not be as bad as he feared, but the only one who could reassure him of that was...]

❝ Ryoji? ❞ [Death or not, it was still him. Minato hadn't realized it back then, but he knew Death. Hell, he'd grown up with it. This "beast" before him wasn't a monster. It was his best friend.]

[Minato stepped closer, not showing a single sign of fear ( towards Ryoji, at least ). He'd resolved to fix this -- to save Ryoji -- but at this point, he really didn't know how. Did Ryoji's current form signal Nyx's arrival? If not, then would Ryoji even capable of restoring his human form? And if he couldn't....then what would happen to him?]

[Swallowing his fears, he got close enough to be within arm's reach of Death. He was painfully clueless about what to do here, but he figured that trying to calm it might be a good start.] ❝ I'm...I'm here. You saved me. ❞ [He held out a hand for Death to hold. It was naive, but maybe that was the sort of gesture that might "ground" Ryoji.]

❝ It's okay. You're okay. ❞