animus_network | [Video]

Sure.

[Luke we really need to teach you how to use filters...]

What is it, Luke?

[Yes, yes yu do.]

[Luke hesitated a moment... before letting out a breath, looking like he was on the verge of tears for a moment.]

We need to go to the meadow floor. Right now.

[...He knows that look. It's the look of Shit Got Real in one way or another. So of course, he nods faintly.]

I'll be right there.

Right. See you there.

[Despite the cold, Luke's already waiting for Yu on the meadow floor. He's pretty easy to spot: he's already worn a rut through any snow and frost, right to the grass underneath.]

[Yu isn't far behind. Much to his luck, he did have at least one pair of winter clothes to use, so he wasn't as cold as he could be, but still...

He looks around for a moment, before spying the red hair and walking over. Geez, how much pacing had he done?]

Luke...?

[Luke stopped a moment, his back to Yu. He folded his arms in front of him, shivering slightly from the cold. For a long moment, that was the only movement he made...]

[...before he suddenly grabbed the hilt of his broken sword, pulling it from its sheath as he turned around. The blade came up, pointing broken tip at Yu.]

I want you to beat the hell out of me. As hard as you can, and don't you dare hold back on me!

[He paused, squirming a moment.]

A-and if you won't, then let Izanagi beat me up for a few rounds. I don't care! Just get your sword out!

[For a while, Yu remains silent as well, waiting. It was one thing he had always been good on aside from acting on impulse on occasion. For a moment, he wonders if Luke was frozen stiff. Then the broken sword was A Thing.

...Well. That escalated quickly.

At first, it looks like he's about to reach up to take the bus stop sign off his back, but he soon respectfully sticks it in the snow and the cold earth beneath it. He seemed serious, and while the sign would slow him down some, it wouldn't be fair to him with the request he made.]

You realize how redundant that could sound to some, right?

[A well-mannered tease as he draws his sword.]

I am Izanagi... and Izanagi is me.

[And it shows in how he carries himself, even in the cold. He rests the blade at his side for a brief second, before tossing the sheath at the sign as well. At least they'll be easy to find, later.

Bring it, level 19 bro.]

[Luke allowed himself a small smirk; good, Yu was taking him seriously. He swept his sword out to the side, taking his usual stance, but...]

[With everything that Asch had told him, he couldn't help but pinpoint his own flaws. He was carrying his sword in his left hand. All swordsman on Auldrant carried their swords in their right, regardless of if they were right handed or not. His feet were off, he had to shift them over and back a little. How he was standing right now left him open for an attack at his backside; if Yu were heartless, he'd stab him in the back right now and be done with it... For someone of his physical age to be this careless was unheard of.]

[Van had made him to die... maybe he didn't bother to show him stuff or correct him because...]

[Luke felt his blood boiling at the thought, and he channeled that into his rage. Before he realized it, he was flinging himself forward, letting out a battle cry that might have rattled a few windows.]

[Maybe.]

[He noticed that hesitation, the second-guessing on the field that would have cost him so many mortal blows had this been a true fight. It was why his own form had been leaving something to be desired for so long. Habit and survival before form, after all.

It was something he couldn't afford to ignore, anymore.

'Let's go.'

he lowered his head as he charged as well, striking out with the flat of his blade with enough force to send a normal person staggering.]

Do not hesitate, Luke. Doing so leaves you wide open. Concentrate.

[Nerves of steel, he still has.]

[Luke grunted as Yu's sword hit his behind, barely keeping himself from stumbling forward. He did have to slam his foot down a little harder than intended to keep himself from looking like an idiot (well, more of one), using the momentum to swing his body around, sword stretched out to attack.]

[Maybe it was just for Luke's dignity that he blocked that attack, bracing the blade with his hand as well to add a little more strength in the action as opposed to simply switching to a Physical-resistant Persona. It was what he was used to doing, after all; switching tactics to benefit him. This time though, it was for Luke. And he looked like he was too knotted up inside to talk before getting his ass handed to him on a silver platter.

Thus he struck out again, still using the flat rather than the curved edge that was designed for cutting even through the toughest substances.]

[Luke saw it coming that time, swatting the sword away. He appreciated that Yu didn't want to use his full strength against him (or at least a small part of his brain that appreciated living at the moment), but it was still frustrating.]

[He suddenly tossed his sword to the other hand, his fist snapping out to thump on Yu's chest. The fist? Probably didn't hurt. The sudden burst of fire that came out of it? ...probably still didn't hurt. He tried.]

Take me seriously, dammit!

I am.

[He just doesn't want to slice and dice you. Why's that so hard to understand? :( He doesn't want to kill again, and he frowns even deeper than he normally does for a brief second before-

Well, Luke wanted either one of the two to fight him, so he's getting both. Yu swung his left arm out. Not to punch, but to push aside Luke's before aiming low to the ground with his entire being and use a Swift Strike. Enjoy the electricity and a shadow of Izanagi-no-Okami attacking alongside him, both striking at you, Luke. Though it's probably controlled to NOT kill instantly.

He'd been holding back in October.]

[...that was holding back? Oh cra--]

[Luke moved to parry the attack, but... he may as well have been wielding a paper sword. The electricity shot up his arms, making his teeth rattle as his sword let out a high pitched whine, another crack appearing in the broken blade. It was a moment before he could finally pull himself away, backing off as he fought to stop shaking.]

D-d-d-d-damn.

[He grit his teeth, trying to keep himself from shaking worse. His feet shuffled back more... and if Yu looked, he'd be able to see the frost clinging to the grass disappearing, the moisture disappearing into Luke...]

[Yep, yep it was.

He noticed both the crack and how Luke was chattering. That wasn't good at all, especially at these temperatures.]

Change, Mada!

[The god of drunkenness appeared behind him when he crushed the Magician card, Maragidyne at least causing a line of fire to keep some semblance of heat started. But then, his very presence was like a space heater since he was kind of on fire...]

[...oh damn, Yu. If he knew how the mechanics of your world worked, he would be so sorry for this. Even as the fire started around them, Luke had gathered just enough fourth fonons from the frost and snow around them to lash out with the attack he wanted.]

[It didn't help that he mistook Yu shooting off a line of fire as an attack either.]

[His fist lashed out at Yu like before... only this time, there was a line of ice curling around his arm...]

Chill! Frigid Blast!

[...and then suddenly icicles blasted out of his fist.]

[It's okay it only did one HP of damage, even if Mada was kind of weak to the attack. Which, of course, means that he is on his butt. Surprise?]

[...a bit surprised, yeah!]

[Luke stared down at Yu, eyes wide. He... he knocked him down? How... it didn't look like he had hurt him that much...]

O-oh, crap. Yu, you okay?!

[Yu smirks a bit, standing up without much effort. Oh Luke, if only you knew.]

I'm fine. [He rotates his neck, as if simply shrugging it off.] Personas are strange powers, that's all.

[And changing "cards" again with no effort. Oh, the pluses to being a Wild Card.]

I-if you're sure...

[Seriously, Yu's never the one to fall over. How the heck did that happen?]

I am. [After a moment, he decides he might as well explain between blocking blows.]

Personas each have different strengths and weaknesses. When a weakness is hit, it causes the user to fall down for one turn no matter how little the damage is. The same goes for Shadows.

[Nothing to worry about, okay ~~it was barely one HP in damage~~.]

Oh... so 'ice' was that Persona's weakness?

[...this was good to know. Creatures on Auldrant had weaknesses too, but never to that extent. Maybe it didn't just apply to Persona either...]

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