The Mask of Hope (Luka/Ultimate)

[Akira Nakajima]

It wasn't often that Akira and Luka traveled together for no apparent reason. Usually, there was an area guardian, massive raid boss, mission, or some similar shit that caused them to travel together while outside the city's boundaries. While it was a nice change of pace, he did have to wonder if something bothersome would occur or not. In any case, if something did so happen to occur, the two of them would easily be able to take care of it, he figured. What was the worst that could happen? Another Reaper? Tentacle McDonald the Second? Actually, speaking of which. . .

"You know, it's kind of odd to be alone with you and not have some tentacles groping you." The crossdresser noted after stopping and inspecting the new paths of a four-way intersection in the Cathedral of Shadows. "Nope, no signs of tentacles. It's odd." With a drawn out "Hm" as he raised his right hand to his chin, he seemed to dive into thought. Truthfully, he was doing it just to be an ass, to make his partner squirm. Then, he offered a smile to the girl and shrugged slightly.

The boy was dressed more casually than typically observed for outings. Simple black blouse with a gray jacket over it, knee-length pleated skirt of navy blue, and simple ankle-high socks. He was dressed to be dressed, not to impress. Not like he needed to dress prettily to accomplish that end. Alma Elma floated at his side, her tail cutting through the air silently. In his left hand, his sound-consuming scissors rested calmly. Casually dressed, armed and prepared for the worst, and smiling- all qualities of a youth with their priorities straight.

"Oh well. Guess we can just safely stroll through the place, huh? Have to say, our mall date was better, though." He calmly teased before pressing forward.

[Luka Kurokawa]

Luka gazed around at the all too familiar sight of the insides of the citadel. She was rather calm despite the dangers that lurked in the place. This was mostly attributed to the fact that she seemed to have no issues fighting off everything that she found here. Why would she feel danger? Never mind the fact that she had a partner with her today, which was a rare occasion for a simple exploration. Actually, now that she thought about it, this was the first time simply exploring with a partner. Her companion for this outing was Akira, whom she had a great deal of experience with in combat. If travelling through here wasn't easy enough, having Akira here with her essentially dissolved any chance of worry. The two of them were some of the strongest users in the city. What could go wrong?

Just as things seemed so peaceful and quiet, Akira decided to break the silence with a little bit of his teasing that seemed to be becoming a regular occurrence. She shot the boy an annoyed look, but chose not to say anything. She would simply ignore him. After all, responding would only make his teasing more persistent. That was the plan anyway. But the second comment managed to annoy Luka enough to respond anyway. Huuuu. How do you know they won't go for you instead? You're pretty enough to get mistaken for a girl. Her words were in no way meant to be a compliment, of course. Truly, he was just trying to be an ass right now.

As she walked, Luka took notice of Akira's new scissors that he seemed to be sporting. She had seen them before, but this was the first time she got a chance to get a good close up of them. Now that she thought about it, she had found that weapon down in the chasm. She chose not to bring it along despite how powerful it clearly was. Given how she wasn't exactly "proficient" with the weapon, it would only end up being a burden. Hopefully that would change further down the line though.

She rolled her eyes at the boy's next comment. Would you have preferred that I wear some magical girl outfit like before? Or perhaps we should take some pictures again? I'm sure we could convince one of those wrestler shadows to hold the camera for us. Despite her sarcastic tone, she still took the time to look down at the scarf she was wearing and adjust it slightly. It was certainly more eventful though, I suppose.

[Akira Nakajima]

”Sadly, I'm all about the build-up before the touching. I'll snip-snip anything I don't want touching me. Like that schoolgirl Shadow's tentacle.” The words carried a multitude of meanings, but he punctuated them with a giggle before just smiling at the girl. ”I wouldn't complain if you wanted to play the role of the hero, saving little old me from Shadows, and all. Of course, I doubt the giants would be willing to help. We could find that lesbian Shadow you were talking about. She might think we're a pair of gay schoolgirls.” He stuck his tongue out before skipping forward.

”That said, have you continued your training at all? Or was the only thing you used from that trip that scarf you've got there? I guess a normal mall-run will be in order eventually. I'm confident in my coordination abilities, you know.” With a forceful fistpump, the boy in drag just smiled. Alma Elma had, at some point, began using his shoulders as props for her arms. The appendages had wrapped loosely around his neck. Whether that was a sign of conceit or being at ease with himself was entirely up to debate. This was the boy that analyzed a person successfully using game plots and tropes to find the goal he desired. It really could be interpreted in any number of ways.

”But just wandering here aimlessly, looking for some nasty squigglies to squish is okay every now and then, too, I suppose.”

[Luka Kurokawa]

Akira continued to tease Luka for little bit longer. Luke simply took it all in with a less than amused expression. I'm not quite sure I would even want to try and save you. Hardly worth the effort when there isn't much of a pay-off. As she spoke those words, she immediately regretted them as they would likely only turn into fuel for the boy to throw back at her. As for the comment on the "lesbian shadow," Luka simply looked ahead with a dull stare; a silly image in her mind of them taking a picture together with Sakuya holding the camera, smiles all around. Nope. Never.

The next thing that he said threw Luka off though. The "training" portion was clearly a joke of course. Her face got a little red at the mention of the scarf though. Using the scarf to cover up her cheeks, the girl's muffled voice persisted through it. Another trip would be fine I suppose. She did indeed have fun that day, so she certainly wouldn't be against going. Though, she would need to prepare herself against his teasing most likely.

They continued to walk a little farther through the citadel, which still seemed to be quite calm. Luka's eyes wandered over to the boy's persona who seemed to be getting rather comfortable with him. She knew that Alma Elma was just his other self, but she simply couldn't shake the odd feeling she had from looking at her. Weirdo. She spoke loud and abruptly before facing forward once more with a huff.

She looked up at the ceiling for a moment, trying to sense shadows that were nearby. But she also began to wonder just how far up this citadel went. Just what was at the top of it anyway? Aside from the giant chasm, this was the only structure that was a complete mystery in the outer circle. Could they perhaps learn something from this place? I can agree with you there I suppose.

[Akira Nakajima]

For a time, the boy just smiled and proceeded in silence. Despite all his teasing and getting responses out of the girl, he didn't hate her. Heck, he wouldn't have even been interested in her responses if he didn't at least enjoy her presence. Her retorts were lacking in acidity, but they were cute enough. Of course, the silence itself could be interpreted in a number of ways. Lack of words to say was an explanation, sure, but the silence could have extended from awkwardness or simple contentment. What was the girl thinking about? It was an interesting question, but knowing the answer would have made the prospect lose its mysticism. Once the unknown becomes known, it loses that appeal, after all, or so the boy thought.

”We should go again sometime soon. With zero mentions of Shadows or workloads, too. I'll maybe even flip a coin to determine how I dress that day.” The crossdresser winked at his partner before carrying on. In truth, he wouldn't mind going while dressed as a boy, but throwing out an option like that just made things more interesting, really. ”Maybe even sometime soon.” He slowly nodded with a giggle. After that, he didn't have anything to say, but something else rippled through the airspace. The boy went still. It was neither shock nor confusion that caused the boy to go still. Just simple enlightenment and adjustment to knowledge.

”Sounds like a fun thing to try out. Better clear out your schedule for it, though.”

It was Akira's voice, his neutral, male voice. One, that stood in contrast to his attire. Two, it came from the hallway next to them, not from the boy himself. While the boy had not completely excluded the chances of it from appearing, he had, on a few levels, made the assumption that he'd never be confronted with a Shadow of his own. Why? Well, Persona, of course. After hearing, all that time ago, that the Shadow appeared when whatever that person was managed to get their Persona, he subconsciously accepted it as a truth without substance. The boy in drag turned to see someone that could've passed as his twin. Their attires were in stark contrast, though. Akira, in drag, looked like a girl. The Shadow looked like the boy in casual male attire. He wore a slight smile, which slowly faded into an apathetic expression.

”Ah, my manners. It's nice to make your acquaintance, me. And Rukako.” He- it, whichever- nodded slowly.

The Shadow just stared at the couple. Akira stared back. How to proceed? The options were myriad. It was all so bothersome, though.

[Luka Kurokawa]

Luka dazed off into thinking as they walked for a moment. She finally turned to the boy, blinking, as he spoke. Another trip to the mall together without any mention of work or shadows. It sounded fun. Though the mention of the coin flip and the small wink that followed caused her to freeze mentally for a moment. H-How you dress. . . In other words, if he would be going as a boy or girl. She couldn't tell if he was trying to tease her with implications or not. Regardless, she decided to answer. Alright. Sounds fun.

Only a moment passed between her words and the words that followed. They were Akira's words, right? They sounded like it, yet, they seemed different somehow. Plus, the voice was coming from the hallway over to the side instead of from the boy next to her. . . .Akira? She looked over to the boy with a worried look. She wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but she had a bad feeling.

When Akira turned, Luka's eyes followed towards the figure in front of them. Luka's eyes immediately widened at the sight. It was Akira. Well, it looked exactly like Akira, only dressed in regular male attire. And then, it greeted them. Luka was able to piece it together rather quickly after actually seeing it with her own eyes. It was a shadow. Akira's shadow. Her gazed turned to Akira once more to try and read what he was thinking. From the looks of it, he was thinking over how to proceed as well. Biting her bottom lip, she turned to stare back at the shadow in front of them. So much for a calm trip through the citadel.

[Akira Nakajima]

For a moment, silence settled over the space. Luka just looked about a bit. Akira just stared, as did his Shadow. And then, quietly, the entity sighed and shook his head, shrugging exaggeratedly. And then he just donned a somewhat cynical smile, staring at the couple for just a moment.

”How rude. No response. Then again, what do I care? We're all familiar here.” A hollow laugh escaped the Shadow. It was filled with neither mirth nor even cynicism. If any quality had to be assigned to it, it would be “apathy”. As his words suggested, he didn't really seem to care if he got a response. That seemed to be the case, regardless of his tag-on at the end. Slowly, the Shadow approached. He was just closing the distance, though, as if making it easier to converse. He showed no outward signs of hostility besides a complete lack of emotion. His hands had been planted in his pockets. His back was curved forward slightly. It could have been considered the posture of a delinquent, or just someone that didn't care how their body ended up. With his proximity, though, his similarities with Akira really were obvious. They could have been twins, albeit of different genders if one were to go by aesthetics.

”I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you're together. If it were anybody outside our family, Kurokawa Rukako would be the one you'd be caught with. Sca-n-dal-ouuuus. Ah, but don't worry. It'll be our little secret, okay?” He winked. All Akira did was sigh, reaching for his glasses with his right hand. He pulled them away, folding them and slipping them inside a pocket. For him to abandon a part of his female image so readily was a sign that he was aware how nasty things were about to get. And then he, too, sighed.

”Ruka, I--don't need any butting in, right? Don't worry, me. I got us covered.” The boy started to speak, but his Shadow cut in without hesitation. If not for the origin of the voice, one could have assumed that the words never swapped speakers. ”Ruka, you've got a tendency to butt in on things- it's how we know you, after all. So, I met some friends along the way that promised to keep you busy for me. Don't worry, shouldn't be too tough for a magical girl.” Another hollow laugh escaped the Shadow before he raised his arm. ”Everyone~! Charge!” A series of sounds, sounding like “Ge” echoed from the darkness of the hall. Then, quite a few Shadows appeared. Most were lesser Shadows, like Mayas, but there was some variety. There were quite a few. Less than ten, sure, but enough to be a bother. Akira started to turn and attempt attacking, but his Shadow shot forward, like a bullet, and threw a punch that required his attention. As that occurred, the lesser Shadows attempted to encircle Luka.

”Come on, she's in no danger. Just want her out of our hair so we can talk. No hair-sniffing here, no sir. Not here to fight. Not unless you want, anyway. After all, I am you. I know you so well. I understand every little thing about you- the acts and the lies you live every single day, for an example.” With a shove, the Shadow pushed the boy out of their deadlock. He laughed, leaving the crossdresser with a look of annoyance that didn't quite match anything he had displayed before. It wasn't quite apathetic, not like his Shadow's expression, but it was definitely not amused. ”Hey, hey. It's not like it's my fault we're linked together so closely. I mean, if anything, it's your own fault. Ah, well, we're the same person, so it is my fault, too, by proxy. But, details. They're all a pain in the ass, right?” Another forced laugh escaped the Shadow's lips after a reference to the crossdresser's brief private time with Holly Mason. ”Yeah, is it sinking in yet? Guess I won't have to ask Mistress what 'she' would like, then, huh?” No laugh that time, just a weak smile. It was disgusting to look at. It couldn't even be considered sad or filled with regret- it was just a disgusting curl of the lips, void of emotion.

”If that's the case, then what do you want?” The crossdresser asked a simple, direct, and altogether reasonable question.

”Simple, my boy. Or girl, as you are right now. It's time to be a little more honest with yourself, and the world as a whole. You play a good act, sure. Hell, you play a few good acts. Right now, you're a 'girl'. Playful, seductive, teasing. You inspire others through your force of will to embrace their freedom and better their lives. Alias and act? Sure, in a way. It's all an act, though. All a lie. Every single one of your allies, minus Miss Vice over there, has not a damn clue, huh? And then there's school! Perfect little president, pure and honest, runs the school, looking like some perfect idol. You're the role model to some of the bookworms! Intelligent, capable. You conquered the previous council single-handedly, bringing forth order and bringing hope to some of the lesser students, the sheep! Ah, damn. If only that perfection wasn't a fabrication. After all, how many of them would comprehend that Mister Perfect was actually Mister Pervert?” The Shadow paused his monologue only to let out yet another hollow laugh, as if bored. His expression didn't even foster the fake smile. Akira just stared on, gaze boring into the Shadow.

”But, there's the kicker. Even that perversion, that depraved lack of societal goodness? That's all. . . just a lie, too, isn't it? I know what it was like in the beginning. Before the temptation. Before the charisma. Before the perversion. I know what not even your family knows! After all, I am you. And you? You are me. We're one. Both a part of that wonderful little coin given that funny little name Mama and Papa gave us. Once upon a time, there was boy, loved by his family and not lacking one bit. Despite that, that boy was a hollow and empty existence. He wasn't a genius, so it wasn't like he understood the world. He had no despair, so there was no reason to be so listless. Despite all that, he was bored with life. Nothing interested him. He smiled only because concern would be shown had he not. Hell, he honestly considered suicide as a cure to that boredom, after seeing a story on television! Alas, he decided against it on account that death itself might have been even more boring than life. There was no guarantee that death was the end. That was just wishful thinking on suicidal people's part. It wasn't until the boy saw his little sister, all teary and worried over the curse of some gods, that something clawed into his mind! And, even then, it wasn't a happy or benevolent thought. Sounding familiar, yet?” The Shadow raised an eyebrow, shrugging slightly, as he waited for a sign from Akira. Eventually, he gave up and went on.

”He became curious after learning what her problem was. What would lying to her, and tempting her to stop worrying feel like? She was 'cursed', she said. She wasn't, he said. Indescribable amusement welled up within the boy! Gradually, he branched out. He 'tempted' others, 'led' them, and eventually turned their courses around. At first, he was controlling, but his interest dwindled. No, too much control was boring. He needed to exert his force indirectly, lead them indirectly. Set a standard, an example, with which others would follow, even without speaking to him. And it worked, for a time. But one image can't fix everything, nor could a half-way get all parties interested. No, the boy had to branch out. Then the boy became a 'girl', using his new disguise to make another identity for the sole sake of getting under the skin of other parties. And it went on. And on. And on. Eventually, the boy forgot his original motivation. Convinced himself, somewhere down the line, that that two-faced- or would it be three, given the private perversion?- that that was who he was, that it wasn't an act. He tried to let the mask become his face, even if the mask would have other masks over it. But something like that isn't completely forgotten, you know? After all, even if you forgot, I still remember. I'm the itty-bitty, nitty-gritty details that you shoved to the side, under the carpet, and chose to ignore. And here I am. And there you are.” The Shadow finally went silent, staring at Akira. ”I guess that went on for a bit, but, hey! I am you. Can't play innocent and claim you don't do this shit.” Another hollow laugh.

”Again.” The crossdresser noted, gaze cooler than before. ”What do you want?” The boy just stared ahead calmly. He had, during that monologue, remembered a few things that were fine remaining buried. A few doors, never locked but always closed, had been pried open. Nothing too extraordinary, really, but the boy had an idea of how this was going to end up.

”Well, I want a lot of things, since you're being so insistent on my wants. Let's see. You're there, all prettied up. Ah, right. Fujimoto Ranmaru was the full name. Everyone just hears 'Ran' nowadays, right? Anyway, you're there, playing the role of Ran. Here's an idea! You keep doing that! Meanwhile, I'll play the role of Naka--mmph?!” Before the Shadow could continue with his words, Alma Elma's tail- that appendage that spewed forth fire, spires, and other insane things- split open and engulfed its head, effectively shutting the Shadow up and forcing him to beat at the tail and tug for air.

”I refuse.” Akira calmly responded to the unfinished request, slowly approaching. Now, was it because someone was there, probably watching him? Or was it simply because he could not accept such ludicrous shit? Either way, he was not about to reject his own nature. At the same time, he refused to pay any serious attention to the demand the Shadow had. That just wasn't really appropriate. More than that, he had an example to set. Alma Elma retracted her tail just before Akira threw his fist into his Shadow's face, knocking it back. The crossdresser just stared ahead dully, looking, as the Shadow's monologue suggested it was in the past, apathetic.

”No use beating myself up over past issues.” He spit out a ridiculous one-liner.

”Isn't that because you know I can match everything you can do, if necessary?” The Shadow scoffed before pushing himself up. ”Fire, piercings. I can punch you, too. Probably harder than you can punch me. Little scissors might be an issue, but I've got my own aces. So, come on. We both the same. If you play the chaos, I can be the order. Two for one, all at the same time. It'd make organization a hell of a lot easier! Hell, I'll be the chaos, you be the order! Come on.” The Shadow spread his arms out, smiling slightly, as if silently asking “What's wrong with that?!” That smile faded when he saw Akira's slow smile rise up.

”You changed your argument mid-way. That's a sign that you've given up on your original intentions. You likely wanted me to reject you. Probably would empower you on some level, or something. You then tried to offer lessening the burden, but that was an act of desperation. This was obvious from you trying to threaten me in regards to your matching me in a fight. You then tried pushed again. You know me. You may be a part of me. But, there's a small problem. You're so 'honest' that you couldn't match me, even if you tried. Yeah, sure, you're me. You're the me from a while ago. I won't argue that. However. . . not a one of your smiles or laughs so far has been genuine. You might be a good replacement for 'me', but. . . you're not Akira. You're not Ran. Sorry~! You lose.” The crossdresser looked over to Luka and winked slightly.

”Hey, hey, hey.” The Shadow's eyes were aglow, golden and furious. ”I can do everything you can do. Other Shadows are here, too. You think her presence is gonna change anything? I can outlast you, you know!” More threats came. Whether it was frustration or pure anger, he was certainly losing his apathetic composure. And then a girlish giggle disrupted that silence. Akira covered his mouth, closing his eyes halfway.

”You can do everything I can do? Sorry. Finding that a little doubtful. Also. . . I'm pretty sure you can't do this.” Without elaborating, the boy raised his arm, Alma Elma floated overhead, but cracks appeared over her body. ”Yeah, this isn't the first time. You claimed to be able to take either the order or the chaos, but, if you were in tune with me, you'd know I don't consider it a job to push off on others. And, hey. You're so fake that you likely couldn't match me.” Akira just smiled, his tone entirely feminine as Alma Elma shattered and reshaped. Where there were two leathery wings before, the succubus had four purple wings seemingly of some kind of demonic silk. Her three-pronged tail was now four-pronged, and it looked much more intimidating. Especially when it produced what looked like a stamen before retracting it. Her seductive clothing and expression were replaced with much more domineering alternatives. She looked like a straight-up demonic dominatrix.

”Without order, nothing can exist. Yet, without chaos, there would be no meaning. Pure chaos leads to ruin and death. Pure order leads to stagnation and mental death. Order and law is required to impose a common rule for all to follow, while chaos is needed to create and stimulate life. If a rule is bad, you erase and rework it. Similarly, if something is too dangerous, you crack down on it. I appeal to both sides. Act or not, I've got it down-pat. You? You're too apathetic. You're too 'me'. You think you can match me? Sorry, you're severely outclassed, friend.” With another laugh, this time borderline seductive, the boy gestured at the Shadow, and Alma Elma- no, Alpha Elma- shot at him. The Shadow just grinned, expecting Maragidyne. Maybe Arrow Rain! But something unexpected occurred. That tail extended and wrapped around his lower body, almost like a snake. Her legs sandwiched his upper arms, wrapping tightly around his torso, before she grinned down at him like a sort of sexual predator.

”Ah, I almost bit my tongue. Like with the whole Rukakaja deal. My bad! Alpha Elma, Dominion.” And, with those words, the succubus grasped the struggling Shadow's head, planting her lips on his and draining his energy. Ah, but that wouldn't finish him off. The boy in drag knew that. And, frankly, he wasn't interested in discarding his Shadow. It was him, after all.

He was going to accept it. Just. . . in a roundabout way.

[Luka Kurokawa]

Silence. Silence was what overtook the room as she and Akira were faced with the shadow that was simply staring right back at them. It was an eerie feeling. Especially when the face that Luka was seeing was also right next to her looking at it just as she was. The shadow donned a strange smile before speaking. Then a laugh came. It certainly wasn't a laugh she had ever heard Akira make. And then, like some sort of shady character, the shadow slowly began to walk towards the two of them. Luka's heart began to race slightly as it approached. This whole scenario was just creepy.

Once it was finally within a close enough range, the shadow began to speak once more. It was a tease not unlike something Akira would say. This certainly did not elicit the usual response from Luka though. Instead, Luka simply glared at it, holding her ground. She glanced over at Akira for a moment, watching him put away his glasses. He attempted to speak to her, only to be cut off by the shadow with the same voice. If Luka had her eyes closed, she would have believed that it had all been one person speaking. As for the contents of the statement, it was in regards to Luka herself. It seemed that it didn't want her interfering. Then it began to mention something about some "friends" it met. Before Luka could react, she heard the shadow call out. Looking behind her, she realized that a group of shadows were now targeting her. Backing up slowly, the girl began to get ready for a fight. . . .Hel. Her speech was silent; only loud enough for her to hear.

Akira's shadow had prevented him from helping her fight, unfortunately. Akira. Leave this to me. She shot the boy a slight smile before turning back to the shadows that were beginning to encircle her with a mean glare. Her persona began to charge up its attack before actually releasing. In the mean time, she began to dodge attacks that were being made on her. Naturally, she could not dodge them all and ended up sustaining a few hits during this. There were a lot of them after all.

While she was charging up, Luka tried to listen in on the conversation the two Akiras were having. She was worried, naturally. The first bit seemed to confirm Luka's suspicion. That shadow was Akira. They were one in the same. It knew everything that he did. Akira, the real Akira, asked the question that Luka herself wanted to ask. And to that question, the shadow answered. It wanted him to be more "honest with himself." It began to mention the facts regarding his alias. According to the shadow, she was the only one who actually knew the truth. While Luka figured that it was a secret, she didn't realize she had literally been the only one to know. That wasn't all that it had to say though. It cited Akira as a role model in many respects, all of which seemed correct. But it presented the notion of having others try to comprehend him as a pervert. Luka could not see Akira's expression at that moment as she was preoccupied, but she herself had a somewhat pained expression.

The shadow's monologue continued on as it took a brief turn into the boy's youth. Before Akira had become what he was today, the person Luka knew him as, he was empty. He had no cares for anything in life. He felt so empty that he even considered suicide. And the only thing that stopped him? The possibility that death would be even worse. Luka couldn't even see Akira as someone like that. Yet, here she was hearing it from the boy's other self. The other self that could not lie. From there, it began to move into something about his little sister. Realizing that she needed to act quickly, Luka threw all of her power behind the darkness attack that she had been saving up and hurled it down at the shadows below. Those that it hit were instantly obliterated. But half of them seemed to be completely immune to her attacks. this would obviously take longer than she thought.

The shadow began to continue its monologue again, continuing its talk about his sister. Apparently, she had believed she was cursed by a god or something. But whatever it was, Akira had derived pleasure from simply guiding her away from that idea. From there, he began to enjoy simply leading people. But he grew bored of it. Instead, he found leading by example to be much more interesting. And yet, even then he seemed unsatisfied. He donned a new alias; a female, to further his "control" however indirect it may have been. But in the end? He forgot what he had truly wanted. Instead, he became that which was simply a farce. The fake became more real than the original. Luka could hardly believe everything that she was hearing. It was hard for her to process all of it at once given that she was in combat, but she did her best.

The real Akira asked the same question from before, again. The shadow never truly gave the answer that they were looking for, after all. What the shadow responded with seemed like something less than serious. Only, it was shortly cut off. Luka glanced back for a moment to see just what was going on at that moment. From the looks of it, Akira seemed to be dealing with it in his own way. After releasing it from the tail's grasp, he knocked it back giving a rather silly one-liner. Luka omitted that moment from memory; likely for the sake of her image of him. But then the shadow retaliated, saying that it could match him where it needed to, if not being able to exceed him. Meanwhile, Akira began to give his counter-argument. As that began, Luka started to charge up for her second attack. It these things were unaffected by darkness, she would just need to use some ice.

He began by picking apart the shadow's words and actions bit by bit before finally giving a few finishing touches. She was happy to hear that even Akira agreed on the inconsistency between the real and the fake. Neither the smile nor the laugh match what Luka knew about Akira. Neither was truly him. Finding an opportunity to watch the exchange between real and fake, Luka caught the wink that Akira sent back it her. And for a moment, she probably froze inside and out. It seemed to have quite a profound effect on her for some reason. Realizing that she needed to end this now, the girl finally released her attack. This time, a flurry of ice overtook all of the shadows around her, freezing them before shattering into nothingness. With a sigh of relief, she turned back to watch Akira.

Luka began to listen to the exchange carefully. At least, until she focused onto the boy's persona. It was Alma Elma, right? But something seemed different. It seemed to be evolving. No way. . . Luka knew that persona's were capable of evolution. The both of them were likely the first of many to undergo such a change. But Akira? He was undergoing it a second time. Just what did it mean? Either way, Luka simply watched as the succubus transformed into a seemingly more powerful, much more. . . dominating figure. And then, Akira said what needed to be said to essentially "win" against his shadow; to conquer it. His new persona began to wrap around the shadow, locking it into place. And then finally, the boy gave the order for his new attack. But even then, he found the time to add a bit of teasing in there. Luka couldn't help but giggle a little bit as she heard him. When she was done though, the smile never left her face no matter how hard she tried to hide it. She knew that she was watching something truly important.

[Akira Nakajima]

The Shadow struggled against his sexually harassing attacker. By the time he did push the domineering succubus off, his lips were shriveled from the suction, almost mummified. The Shadow half-stumbled, a bit shaky. He obviously hadn't expected that. It was a sign that the Shadow did, in fact, fall short of the full package. Akira had something that his Shadow didn't- that was all the evidence necessary to verify that. A low growl escaped his ashy white lips. Blackened veins appeared underneath his skin. Whether he was about to swap forms or not was up for debate, but what wasn't was that the boy had no intentions of allowing it.

"I thrive off of others' actions. In other words, I need people in order to function properly. I'll consume their reactions and use them as fuel for my own. Translated to powers, I now have Dominion." The crossdresser pulled his glasses back out, sliding them back on. "You think you can outlast me? So long as I've got an enemy to fight, I'll be the last one standing in a fight, friend. It's time, though. Come back home. We're not fighting." The boy casually stepped forward, drawing another growl from his Shadow. Alpha Elma, responding to the unspoken commands of the boy, floated overhead, her tail splitting in a manner not entirely "normal", compared to previous occasions.

Starting at the tip, the four prongs split open, revealing that stamen once again. Then, the length of it slid out a bit further. The tail split further, thin lines appearing down the extending tail's length, until the four flaps of flesh were easily ten feet long each. Thin strands of a clear, stick fluid began to quietly snap between each flap as they opened up. The insides? Either the height of horror or eroticism, depending on the interpretation, could be seen clearly. A number of small, thin feelers wiggled along the inner walls of the tail. Clear, sticky fluids dripped, puddling on the floor. Numerous short tentacles unraveled from the center stamen's length, each seeming to feel the air currents to figure out where their victim was. To say that the tail was an appendage was incorrect, if one were to get technical. It would have been more appropriate to call it a colony full of low-intelligence beings, each capable of moving and thinking on their own. The sight was one thing. The smell was a complete other- it smelled like something wrong had been going on.

"Ah, that said, you're a representation of my ego, just like Alma, or Alpha, is. So it'd be more appropriate if you fuse with her." The boy in drag smiled sweetly, but it didn't take much to consider the real underlying mentality behind it. He was going to enjoy the act of accepting his Shadow. Thoroughly. Before the Shadow had a chance to act, the tail extended and shot at the Shadow. In a heartbeat, the Shadow had disappeared from the visible spectrum. It wasn't gone, no. It was just snatched up like the victim of a carnivorous plant. Each string tentacle inside the tail acted to restrain their prey as the flaps of the tail came back together, sealing the feast inside.

"I'll take you back inside me, a little bit at a time, until we're one. Dominion. Dominion. Dominion. Dominion." The struggling inside the tail became fierce. Screaming could be heard as the tail glowed slightly, as if lights were emitting from within. Every now and then, the tail's shape expanded, as if the contents were enlarging. These bouts quickly faded. There was no escape. The squirming and the screaming continued with each utterance of "Dominion" the boy spoke. The crossdresser just stepped on over to the scene, a small, warm smile lingering on his face. He then stroked the tail. Whether it was an action directed at his Persona or his struggling Shadow was something only he would know, but there was something painfully obvious about the scene.

He was enjoying every bit of it.

"Now then." The boy finally noted as the form in the tail began to shrink, until the tail's girth was back to normal. The flaps opened again, and a pool of fluids rushed to the ground, splashing violently. No signs of the boy's Shadow remained. Truly, he had "accepted" his Shadow. The flaps realigned and closed, situating themselves as the tail regained its proper form. "I don't suppose. . ." He turned to Luka, smiling playfully despite the whole scene and what had just happened.

". . . I can just hypnotize you and make you forget this, huh?"

[Luka Kurokawa]

Luka watched as Akira's persona began to drain the shadow. It was. . . quite the sight to put it lightly. The real Akira began to speak once more before continuing what he started. Alma Elma. . . though, she wasn't Alma Elma anymore was she? Either way, the boy's persona began to consume the shadow whole. Akira was accepting his shadow. Whole. Luka watched the seen unfolding with a little bit of curiosity as well as a bit of uneasiness. That likely wasn't fun for the shadow half, evident of the muffled screams that could be heard from within. Meanwhile, Akira simply walked over and began to stroke the tail. It was completely over now. He had won.

He turned around to Luka now, asking a simple question. With a warm smile on her face, the girl simply shook her head slightly. I'm afraid not, no. Now that it was over, just the two of them remained. Now she had to say something. I think it's fine like this though. She turned away for a moment. Walking around just a little bit with no particular direction in mind. You knew all about my past already. You know how I felt from where I started to how I ended up. In a way, I'm a bit happy to learn about you. She turned back to him with a light smile. This smile of course, forced itself down into a frown a moment later. In fact, I would be quite mad if you wanted me to forget about it! Despite everything I heard from your shadow, despite your tendencies to tease me, despite how much of a child you can be, despite your perversions, I accept you for it because. . .! Luka froze for a moment in the middle of her speaking. What was she about to say just then? She didn't know. Her voice squeaked a little before the words could come out. In a sense, she was speechless. But she couldn't just leave her statement hanging like that, so she filled it in with something else. . . .because it would be hard to cooperate with you in the student council and when we're fighting the shadows after all! She forced a smile, mostly to throw off suspicions from her pause. Just what was that about anyway?

Everything was a bit hard to follow though while fighting those shadows though. I may have missed a little bit here or there. A slight giggle escaped her once more.

[Akira Nakajima]

”How unpleasantly embarrassing, having my secrets revealed like that. And you act like you've been exposed to depravity. How mean. The worst I've done was taste your spit and give you some nibbling.” With a sigh and shrug, the boy in drag shook his head, looking half-distraught as his scissors waggled in the air. His entire mood completely ignored what had just happened. Whether it was a sign of how easy-going he could be or if it was a sign of his acting capabilities really was up to the beholder. He sighed again, but his lips were curled into a slight smile. And then that smile turned playful.

”Certainly you're not going to ask me to explain my deepest, darkest secrets? A girl has to guard the secrets of her heart, you know!” With that, the not-a-girl stick his tongue out before winking. ”Be-side-s. It's way too embarrassing to talk about inner secrets like that. It's like romance. You wouldn't go asking your friends who they liked out of the blue, would you?” The boy paused, expression turning blank for a moment. ”Ah. On second thought, don't answer that question.” The boy took up a slightly smug grin before looking away. ”Even then, I'd need questions. Just going off about myself would make me sound narcissistic. We both know I'm the humblest person around.” Lobbing his scissors to Elma, he put his index fingers to his cheeks, producing a radiant smile.

”Right~?”

[Luka Kurokawa]

Luka narrowed her eyes in slight annoyance at the boy's boy first comment. The tasting and the nibbling was one thing, but the embarrassment that he put her through was certainly the worst of it all. But he was right on one front. His secrets? They weren't really all that bad. All that it really showed was that in the end, he truly became a good person at heart. And now? He was at peace with those secrets.

Then he decided to spout some more junk about keeping his secrets for himself. Namely, that a "girl" has to guard them. Well, that certainly brought up something that she wanted to ask him about though. You aren't a girl though. . . She gave the boy a questionable look before giving him her question. Would you. . . prefer to be one though? She was essentially asking him which way he swung in a roundabout manner. But before she got the answer, the boy gave her an example. Of course, he had to give an example like that. She opened her mouth to make an argument back, but once again no words came out. She just froze once more, unable to speak against him. Instead, she closed her mouth and puffed her cheeks as they got red. And then, she pulled her scarf over her face to hide the color. She was angry now.

She turned away from him for a moment. Very well. I think I figured out enough anyway. Besides. . . She turned her head back to him once more. If you know everything about someone, they won't exactly be interesting anymore, right? Giving one more line in her native language, she smiled once more even after being quite annoyed by him. It wouldn't be good to show defeat after all.

[Akira Nakajima]

”Ah, now you're getting it. Even if you're burning up with embarrassment, you can progress and show some spark. Good job!” With a thumbs up and a wink, the crossdresser casually strolled forward, towards Luka. Without warning, without hesitation, without any hint towards his plans, the boy planted his hand on top of her head. He rubbed and rubbed, making an effort to thoroughly ruin her hair, before finally pulling his hand away and slipping it in his pocket. Slipping his other hand into his jacket's other pocket, he flapped his “wings”, strolling on past the girl before looking over his shoulder. His lips never lost that tell-tale curl.

”I'd need to be a girl to give an opinion of that, you know.” A slight giggle escaped his lips. Physically, he might have lacked the qualifications, but he easily reached the mark, if he could say so, in terms of his act. ”Even if I had that experience under my belt, though, who could say? I won't lie and say that I'm not curious, though. After all, I'm a curious person.” With that, he straightened his neck and began to proceed further. ”My work ethic for killing Shadows has been ruined. You also killed some. We should leave. And also discuss our plans regarding our next date.” With a nod, the boy just continued, his empowered Persona walking alongside him and hefting those ridiculously overpowered scissors over her shoulder. She stopped only for a second, looking over her shoulders like the boy had and giving the girl a wink before proceeding onward.

[Luka Kurokawa]

Luka was hoping that simply saying that would stop the embarrassment streak that the boy was putting on her. Instead, it encouraged him to stroll up and ruffle her hair a bit, messing it up quite thoroughly. She closed her eyes in annoyance as he did so. And when he stopped? She huffed and began to straighten it once more. After that, she reluctantly began to follow after him.

Luka got the answer to her question soon after that. Well, perhaps it wasn't the answer that she was looking for, but she felt satisfied with the answer; happy about how he answered it. Now, Luka was excellent at problem solving and putting thoughts together. It didn't take her long to figure out why she asked that question, why she hesitated when saying that she accepted him, why she was content with his answer. Ah, I see. I think I got it. She spoke out loud when she came to her conclusion. Hopefully, Akira would simply brush it off as her accepting his answer. Of course, that certainly wasn't what she figured out the answer to. I guess I like him. I wonder when that happened. She studied the boy curiously following her discovery, if only for a moment.

Then Akira interrupted her thoughts as he spoke. It seemed he wanted to leave. Leaving seems like a good idea after that ordeal. Closing her eyes for a moment, the girl sighed. As for our date I can think of a number of things we could do. Most of the ideas involve shopping, but there's quite a few other things we could do. I'm sure you could think of something fun as well. Around that moment, Luka began to think something along the lines of, "Maybe being in love isn't so bad." That, and she began to dread the awful ideas that Akira might cook up for her during their trip to wherever they went.