destinystrings | Worst log ever

Entry tags:

Worst log ever

Who: Meetra and OPEN
Where: Pisces Floor 9 Laundromat
Summary: Laundry
Warnings: Mundanity

As much as she was concerned with unraveling the mysteries of this city, today was Saturday, and Meetra had learned that Saturday was the day for doing mundane chores you normally don't think about when working a steady job or saving the galaxy.

Particularly, it was a day for buying yourself more than one set of clothes, like after she first got here, or washing them, like right now. In particular, Meetra was out of her usual robe and wearing a black t-shirt and gray sweatpants that would probably be disconcerting to anyone she knew at home, or anyone who had wardrobe expectations of Jedi. On the other hand, they were comfortable enough to wear under her robe that it's not like anyone would normally notice. So attired, she was meditating on the circular motion of the coin-operated washing machine. And by meditating we mean staring at it.

"Something about this seems inefficient, but I can't put my finger on it..."

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"I wanted to see what Personas looked like in action," she said. "Plus there were cheap seats. You did well."

"Ah... thank you." He shifted a little. "Elizabeth... the woman I fought... she and I had fought before in the world we're from. But it was different then."

Access to more than one persona, for one thing.

"Are you one of the people from a world that already had Personas?" she asked, "or was it a different kind of fight?"

"I am, but it was still... different. Here it was an exhibition for sport... but at home it was just us because there was a question she wanted answered..."

He's not quite sure why he is telling her this much, but somehow it seems okay to talk to her. But even if he will say that much about his past battle with Elizabeth, he isn't likely to say much more. The answers she sought are between her and him, after all.

"I see. Those are the hardest fights, aren't they?"

She'd had a similar duel over ideology, shortly before coming here...maybe that's why this kid felt so sympathetic to her.

"So what can you tell me about Personas?" she asked, referencing the wrong RPG. "I'm used to spiritual matters, I guess, but your heroes holographically popping out of your head is a new one to me."

He nods but doesn't say anymore on the dual or that sort of fight in general, glad to move on to the ever familiar topic of ~~RPGs~~ Personas.

"Holographically? I haven't heard it put that way before... But... what I can tell you depends on what you want to know. I know a lot about how to use them, but I'm not completely certain how they work or why they appear certain ways."

"Well, I guess we can start with how to use them," she said. "Master Vima pretty much just came out on her own when we were fighting those scorpions. I didn't mind the help, but I'm not used to fighting out of fear for my life like that, either."

He nods again and is quiet for a moment. "Well, now that you've summoned your persona at least once like that, it should be easier to do so willingly. To reach for her when you want, I mean. ... it takes practice. But you can also use an Evoker as a kind of short cut. That takes a different sort of practice, though."

Not everyone is so happy about holding a gun-like device to their heads, after all.

"I think I'll stick to concentrating," Meetra said. "I have a lot of training with that."

She leaned back, considering her memories while still staring at the circular motion of the machine in front of her. "It did take me close to ten years of practice at that kind of concentration before I could do anything more than lift a caf mug, though. Personas just...work with you? Just like that?"

"Sort of." He nodded, though before he explained, he had to ask, "Lift a caf mug?"

But he was quick to move on and say, "Personas are tied to your sense of self and to your mind - consciousness and especially subconsciousness. They're a part of you and work with you fairly easily when you figure out how to reach them. But you have to practice with them so they can grow stronger and capable of more."

"A cup with a handle for hot drinks...you know what, I'm pretty sure you just call it something different here," she said, shrugging.

"So like anything, it takes practice. And how does this relate to our connections with other people?" she asked. "The people in the Velvet Room always emphasize that part."

"Oh. Yeah." It was less the 'caf mug' and more the 'lift' part he was curious about, unsure why it would require training to lift a mug, but he didn't press the issue, instead pondering how to answer the next part.

"The bonds you form with other people can strengthen your personas. The closer you are to someone, the stronger any personas you have that... resonate, I guess, with that person will be. At least, that's more or less how it worked for me before..."

"Everything comes back to bonds, doesn't it...?" she wondered aloud, free of that annoying thing called context.

"I guess it makes sense, I mean. Since part of our personalities are how we relate to people."

Minato nods at that. "Mm. Exactly. You can be different things to different people, often without consciously realizing it. I think Personas reflect that..."

"And therefore, the one Persona that stays the same, and the ones we can change, right?" she asked, referring to the Velvet Room.

"Yeah." He shifted a little in his seat, thinking. "I wonder if the one that stays the same is maybe... connected what you are to yourself? That doesn't change easily..."

"Mine's a legendary Jedi who happened to teach me once," she admitted. "I took that to mean that no matter what happens to me, I am apparently still a Jedi."

"I see. Maybe that's so, then. Ah... it's interesting how many people have very personal personas. People or things you knew..."

Implying that he did not, but he didn't want to actually talk about his own persona, as explaining it delved into the personal part.

"Well, she's as much of a legend as anyone else I can think of. I just got lucky to have studied under her once."

"But is she a legend to you?"

That question gave Meetra pause as she thought about it, considering the meaning of the word.

"More of an inspiration, maybe."

"I see." He nods and is quiet for a moment, pondering it. After a time, he opens his mouth, perhaps to ask something else, but the washer buzzer goes off, and he is distracted. "Ah - your clothes are done."

His still have a few minutes left, however.

"Did you have something else you wanted to ask?"

She stood up, opening the dryer to retrieve a robe. After over 20 years as a Jedi, she couldn't help but feel slightly awkward without one.

"Oh. No. ... thank you for telling me about your persona."

"Thank you for helping me with the general idea," she said, picking up the rest of her clothes. "This is surprisingly complex."

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fools_journey - 2013-02-23 02:55 (UTC) - Expand

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