[Ren is equally happy to hear about SEES and how Kotone was able to make new friends in Iwatodai. They both know how important those bonds are for a Wild Card. He’s sympathetic to her history of frequent moves, noting that she’s been through a lot.
Kotone asks good questions. Ren’s never heard of the Dark Hour or Tartarus, and he explains that the Metaverse is a world of cognition, and Palaces are built from a person’s twisted desires. For scope, he mentions Okumura’s Palace and flying through airlocks in (cognitive) space, but notes a Palace can also be more self-contained, like Madarame’s museum. So other than the fact that they both are home to Shadows, he doesn’t see any similarity. Morgana might have more insight, if he were here to ask.
Her question about Igor does give him a moment’s pause - he never gave much thought to the real one. Most of Ren’s interaction with the Velvet Room had been with Lavenza, and before that, with Caroline and Justine. Igor was there, but not really involved with Ren the way the fake was. They never made a bond like he did with Lavenza and the twins, or even with the entity that pretended to be Igor.]
Not really. [He shrugs.] We didn’t talk much. I mostly worked with the twins or Lavenza. But he seemed nice enough. And he didn’t try to kill me.
[So that’s a point in his favor.]
Igor believed in humanity. The God of Control wanted to keep us all powerless, and he treated our lives like it was all just a game.
[Ren scowls deeply. He liked having the power to change hearts and reform small corners of society, but he didn’t enjoy being used like a pawn on a chess board.]
“An unjust game.” That’s what Lavenza called it. And I wasn’t the only one the God of Control used in his game. Crow was, too.
[That same palpable regret overtakes Ren again. It wasn’t fair that Akechi had to endure so much and do it alone.]
He had the same potential, like us, but he wasn’t given any help from the Velvet Room. He wasn’t encouraged to make bonds with anyone. He had to do everything alone, and the God of Control pitted us against each other, for his own sick amusement. [Ren huffs a quiet note of disgust, then shakes his head.] The only thing I regret about shooting him in the head was that it only took a single bullet.
no subject
Kotone asks good questions. Ren’s never heard of the Dark Hour or Tartarus, and he explains that the Metaverse is a world of cognition, and Palaces are built from a person’s twisted desires. For scope, he mentions Okumura’s Palace and flying through airlocks in (cognitive) space, but notes a Palace can also be more self-contained, like Madarame’s museum. So other than the fact that they both are home to Shadows, he doesn’t see any similarity. Morgana might have more insight, if he were here to ask.
Her question about Igor does give him a moment’s pause - he never gave much thought to the real one. Most of Ren’s interaction with the Velvet Room had been with Lavenza, and before that, with Caroline and Justine. Igor was there, but not really involved with Ren the way the fake was. They never made a bond like he did with Lavenza and the twins, or even with the entity that pretended to be Igor.]
Not really. [He shrugs.] We didn’t talk much. I mostly worked with the twins or Lavenza. But he seemed nice enough. And he didn’t try to kill me.
[So that’s a point in his favor.]
Igor believed in humanity. The God of Control wanted to keep us all powerless, and he treated our lives like it was all just a game.
[Ren scowls deeply. He liked having the power to change hearts and reform small corners of society, but he didn’t enjoy being used like a pawn on a chess board.]
“An unjust game.” That’s what Lavenza called it. And I wasn’t the only one the God of Control used in his game. Crow was, too.
[That same palpable regret overtakes Ren again. It wasn’t fair that Akechi had to endure so much and do it alone.]
He had the same potential, like us, but he wasn’t given any help from the Velvet Room. He wasn’t encouraged to make bonds with anyone. He had to do everything alone, and the God of Control pitted us against each other, for his own sick amusement. [Ren huffs a quiet note of disgust, then shakes his head.] The only thing I regret about shooting him in the head was that it only took a single bullet.