animus_network | five ✾ video;

[Yukiko looks worried as she gets on the network. Very worried. She'd disappeared after the battles at the barricades, not been able to get back, not seen or heard from anyone...]

I owe everyone at the barricades the night of June 19th an apology. I couldn't do enough to help you, and I couldn't get back in time to prevent more damage and keep more of you from being hurt because of the way my magic was blocked.

[She gives the camera a deep bow.]

I'm sorry.

I'd also like to say something to everyone I was fighting with - from the brave, brave girl who kept pushing past her limits and kept going, to my team leader at home for showing why he's our leader, to every healer in the fight, to everyone who stepped in and replaced those who couldn't keep going any longer, to every single person there...thank you. You're very brave and very strong. Don't let anyone make you think otherwise. You're incredible.

And someone else has already said this, but to those who were turned...I don't hate you. You had no way of knowing. I didn't want to witch-hunt you, or go after you, because of something you couldn't control. Please take care of yourselves. You're not what Ruana says you are.

[She bows again, then cuts off the feed.]

[Also, the Persona-users at the barricade, SEES, the Investigation Team, Strega, Hidetoshi Odagiri, Ryoji Mochizuki, Saki Konishi, and Labrys will all get a note in their inboxes, with sharing instructions.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It shouldn't have. The magic I used is called a 'Persona' - it's a piece of my soul that powers the magic itself, to put it simply It's a complicated situation, but I don't think it's possible to permanently damage it. It can be blocked, yes, but not damaged entirely.

It took about 5 days for my magic to come back, but that's all right. It took longer when the power first woke up, so I'm good.

your soul?

[ a pause—lengthy, pregnant, when his replies otherwise had come fairly quickly—before Raven, too, switches the feed over to video after having managed to school most of the shock away from his features. he could do her the justice of being able to see who it was that had attacked her, at least.

he looks uncomfortable in the way that would be strongly telling of a constant, habitual guardedness being forcibly dropped, had he not also appeared so drained. ]

I'm... glad that was the case then. If it could have been affected like that, then... it's good to hear no lasting repercussions came of it.

My apologies regardless, though.

[The pause is telling enough, all right. Yukiko can't help an immediate feeling of apprehension at first, but it fades instantly when the video comes on.

He just looks so exhausted that she can't be angry. She never was, but right now, she's more concerned than anything else.]

I'm fine, really, I am. You don't need to worry about me, all right? I'd know by now if I wasn't. I feel like myself again, I promise.

I'm more worried about having hurt you! I know I was firing off some pretty big spells, and I wasn't actually expecting the one that followed you to work...I'm really sorry about that.

You were only defending yourself and everyone else there. There's no need to apologize for that. [ his voice strengthens while he says this, but only for that; it fades back into the muted tone from before when he speaks again. still, he sounds pretty vehement about it while it lasts. ]

I said I was fine, earlier. I meant it. None of the injuries sustained while... transformed, carried over. Not even when I met my death by—again, fire—on a later occasion. [ because burn scars of all things wouldn't so easily fade, normally. ]

I suppose we would have known, otherwise.

Still...

[She shakes her head.]

I'm sorry I made that weakness of yours so easily known.

Mm. It's not exactly the same, but I couldn't entirely control my own actions back in April, and I've had nightmares about it ever since then, especially after it happened to my boyfriend even worse in May...it's why I drew the line at witch-hunting. I didn't want anyone else feeling that kind of survivors' guilt.

... I don't know. If it could have stopped us...

[ he murmurs, seeming distracted. ]

I can't... speak for the others, but I would rather have died ten times over than have allowed myself to be used like that again. [ before shaking his head and refocusing on the conversation he's supposed to be having. ]

I suppose, though, assuming wrongly about identities would've been no better.

[ ... ]

It's not your responsibility to be apologizing for. I can assure you that you had no hand in what happened; you... rightly, should owe no apology to me.

five ✾ video;

video; let's filter this private

1/2 text; private yes good

2/2 video; private

video; private

video; private

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