2025-12-20: Rivals And Allies
- Cutscene: Rivals and Allies
- Cast: Kanae Fuyuki, Henry, Igor
- Where: The Velvet Room
- OOC Date: December 20, 2025
- IC Date: Tue, Aug 28, 2012
- Summary: Kanae fulfills one of Henry's requests, but what the request means is not simple.
The Velvet Keep is a stern fortress between mind and matter, dream and reality. The luxurious appointment of its rooms means that Kanae Fuyuki sits on a beautiful, cushioned chair before a small table, across which is the couch on which Igor, master of this Velvet Room, sits. The long-nosed man with white hair watches Kanae with interest as she talks to the one beside him: Henry, her Attendant. He is dressed in fine blue and white, a blue mage's robe with fur trim at the sleeves over blue trousers, and shaggy white hair. His yellow eyes are intent upon Kanae.
"...So this is what you have fused today, Kanae Fuyuki," says Henry. His voice is deep and commanding--she thinks he's pretty cool, if kind of... weird.
"Yeah," Kanae says. "You wanted to see a Baphomet with Dekaja, right? So I put in some extra stuff. High Magic power for offense, a an ailment cleanser for support... but mostly, all-in on Fire and Darkness spells. I even managed to get it to inherit Dynamic Agilao. So it passes muster, right?"
"Yes," Henry answers solemnly. "You have fulfilled the task. You appear to have understood the assignment. You see why it is necessary in your battles to be able to deny the enemy advantages."
"Yeah," Kanae says. "I got into a bad fight where we couldn't get rid of a shielding effect on our foe... Luckily for us it wasn't life or death, but... I still didn't like it. It was... Ruzica."
"Ah, yes. Then you've seen for yourself what happens when you face a foe in such a situation. If it had been a true battle, you may have been in trouble. Your destiny is not to fall before the coming war."
"...Right," Kanae answers. "But I do. I think... I need to get more serious about fighting. My fusions, how I use them... That /Isabeau/ has been bugging me again. Can you believe it? She got mad because I went on vacation and 'didn't tell her'. Like I had any reason to tell her? And she could've asked the other girls anyway. So we fought, and... She couldn't even let me have healing. She had to one-up my Media!"
"Your rival is fearsome," Henry concludes.
"R-rival? Hey, I..."
"In any case, you have achieved what I asked. Here is your reward." Henry extends a small key to Kanae, and it fades into blue light when she takes it. "This, in time, will allow you a new Fusion..."
"...Really? A Persona like 'that'...?" Kanae blinks in some surprise.
"Yes," Henry answers. "You will need such fearsome Personas in order to triumph in the coming war."
"You keep saying that," Kanae answers. "...The war..." She muses on it.
"But," Henry says, "You must continue gathering allies. You still have far too few. Without reliable allies, you stand no hope of survival. ...Please consider what I have said."
"Allies," Kanae sighs. "But how do I know who I can trust...?"
"You don't," Henry says. "...That is the risk."
"Reassuring," Kanae says with a scowl.
"And yet it is the truth. Be well, Kanae Fuyuki. I look forward to seeing you again."
"Yeah..."
The light of the Velvet Room turns to pure white--and fades, as Kanae finds herself in the real world once again. She sighs, at that, looking away from the Door. "But if I don't know who I can trust, then..."
She walks away eventually.