TWAT club meeting mingle

[laserguy]

Who: Scott Summers and members of TWAT (Teenagers With Abilities and Talents) Club. Or any teenager that just stops by really.
Where: Roof of the club building
What: Teenagers with abilities or maybe no real abilities hanging out on the rooftop and eating food. Talking. Doing club stuff.
Warnings: Probably none.


[Maybe you're already part of TWAT club and read the message that Scott sent out to everyone, basically stating that they're having a meeting this Saturday to just hang out and meet new members. Or you saw one of the flyers around town that mentioned about having a meeting. Either way, the meeting is held at the rooftop of the club building, so just come. No food or anything required. He's a good leader like that, yeah. Definitely.]

before the meeting;
[Why did you come early, god.

Well, anyone that is one of those people that like to come early to events, Scott's putting you to work. Maybe it's just helping getting the food out on the tables, or bringing up chairs or tables up to the rooftop. Either way, work needs to be done and setup is still in progress, so pair up with other TWAT members or whatever to get things ready. Thanks, Scott appreciates it. Probably.

Also, if you have your own food or brought a game of some sort, that's cool. He definitely isn't going to say no. Go set that up.]

just hanging out;
[Once the meeting starts and Scott gives some basic speech and welcoming new people to TWAT Club (in which he wasn't nervous at all shut up), people are more than welcome to just eat the pretty decent spread laid out in the tables. Stuff like chips, pizza, rice balls, ramen, probably some mixture of American and Japanese food because he's him and his girlfriend is Kotone, so yeah. There's also a little sign or note in front of the tables that states 'provided by cooking club, so join us. ✨'

Since this is a place filled with teenagers and abilities... Scott probably has encouraged people to show off their powers a little. JUST DON'T BLOW SOMETHING UP it's okay, he's talking about himself too. Of course, he's not forcing anyone to show off their powers and everything, but he sort of hopes people are feeling more comfortable to do so. That is the purpose of his club and everything.

There's also a random cornhole game set up. Don't ask.]

after club;
[Feel like being a nice person and help clean up? Nice. Scott isn't forcing anyone to stay after to do so, but he appreciates the help. It's mostly just taking tables down and clearing out the trash. Anyone that stays can probably take home some of the leftovers. So, that's a nice bonus.

Maybe you just want to sit on the ground and enjoy the evening a little. He's not judging.]

[ooc: TWAT mingle log! Please feel free to post your own top levels and tag each other. :> If your character would bring food or set something up, go right ahead. The more the better, right? Also your character doesn't need to be part of TWAT to join, Scott will just sort of let any teenager in. 'Teenager' being anyone that doesn't look too much like an oldie--]

Comments

[izanagis]

[It's oddly comforting knowing there are other people who can do similar summonings -- things that aren't quite the same as Personas. It had been...hm, kind of weird, finding so many of them all in one place. Somehow, the fact that Ange's abilities are a bit different is a bit of a relief.

That said, her comment makes him smile a bit.]

He is, [...apparently Yu has the same weird taste. Though the cat general seems to draw up his chin at the remark, almost proudly.] Neko Shogun. I think there's some mythology behind him...something about a general whose name sounded like the word "cat."

[entreats]

Mao Shangshu.

[ ...

Yes, she's saying that mostly unprompted. It's not like Yu was asking her for the name, and yet the girl somehow.. seems to have that knowledge at the ready? She says it so plainly too, like she didn't have to think too deeply about that one. It just consisted of digging into her own memories a little bit.

At first she's still staring at Neko Shogun as she says it, but then she turns her head towards Yu, figuring she should add as an explanation: ]

One of my uncles was really into weird stories about old-timey generals when I was a kid. I remembered that story. [ Probably because Ange thought it was cute and kind of funny. Just like Neko Shogun itself. ]

[izanagis]

[...!

Somehow, it makes perfect sense that Ange can say that unprompted -- like she just already knew it. Yu gets the feeling that he shouldn't be surprised at all... So he nods, a small smile tugging at his expression.]

That's right. It's a fun story, huh?

[It does sound like the kind of story you'd tell a kid.]

... It's interesting, how things like that become so prolific. This one story becomes so well-known that it becomes part of the collective unconscious, in a way.

[At least, he...thinks that's how Personas work? Igor mostly just talked about it in. metaphors. Sure would be nice to have an actual explanation, come to think of it.]

[entreats]

[ There's a slight nod from Ange.

As if she can't admit with words that it's a fun story, despite believing that.. As if it's just a little too embarrassing to admit that explicitly. But she'll confirm it with that little nod all the same before actually speaking on. ]

It's since this sort of thing is about belief, right? If no one believed that story, or if no one told it, then your little friend here wouldn't exist the way he does now. That's how magic works.

[izanagis]

[It's easy to think the little smile that Yu offers is in response to her words; that recognizing the similarities in their magic is what brightens his expression. In truth, that's only part of it. He's not about to put Ange on the spot about the story, or about her inability to admit things like that aloud, but...he's definitely thinking about the potential connections there.]

You're probably right, [is what he says aloud.] Or maybe something different would take his place. There are a lot of different Personas. I think they represent aspects of human thought...

[He rubs the back of his neck, feeling compelled to admit,] ... or something like that. I was always a bit fuzzy on the details.

[entreats]

Then.. are they all based on the collective?

[ She's pretty sure she heard mention of that before. Either from Yu himself, or from one of the other people from his world who seem to share this particular power. Something about the human collective thought.. ]

Do these beings require a whole lot of people to tell their story and believe in their existence to be able to manifest in this world? Or would something only shared between two people be enough? [ She sounds definitely interested enough about this discussion. It may be difficult to tell the difference with Ange, but there's a bit more to it than just her usual monotone. There's a hint of interest. She finds details of this stuff fascinating ever since she tried to learn more about her own powers as well. ]

[izanagis]

I think so.

[It's hard for him to explain, in some ways. Not that he thinks any of them would be able to give an adequate answer...but it's true that he's thought about this stuff a lot. The way that myth and story exists in the cultural mind, the longstanding impact it has on the world around them... Maybe it has something to do with the prevalence of perception and media, in his team's experience.]

Myths, legends, stories... I think the ones that pass from generation to generation, culture to culture -- those stories represent aspects of people. Or...they evoke aspects of people. One god's jealousy, or another's isolation. I think it has to be stories that say something about people, society as a whole, not just something between a few.

[entreats]

[ Ange seems to be taking in this information, looking like she's thinking about it. ]

That's an interesting sort of magic.

[ Not that it doesn't make sense to her. Maybe it's just the way things work in Yu's world in particular. Maybe it's the nature of the power they have been given - linked only to bigger stories. Maybe it's that they're summoning from the well of existing stories, rather than creating new ones, the way Ange has seen happening back home. ]

Where I come from, I was always taught that it only took two people to create a world.

[izanagis]

Only two?

[His eyebrows lift, head tilting curiously in her direction. But...it's not actually that farfetched, is it? Any origin has to have a point, and things grow from there. Pieces of duality that multiply from the source.]

Maybe that's not so different. Most origin stories in my world start with just one or two deities. Then they create more, and it continues from there.

[entreats]

[ She hums affirmatively at his initial question, and then listens. Ange didn't really think of the point he brings up, but.. even that makes sense. Isn't it even that way in Japan-- ]

Like Izanagi and Izanami, right?

[ They both seem to be from Japan, so Ange figures that Yu will understand without her having to explain more about that. ]

Actually, the way I was taught it, it was more--

[ ...

Wait.

Hold on.

Ange's brain needed a moment to catch up there, and she cuts her own explanation short. ]

Isn't that the name of your power? [ Sorry, Yu, she only made the connection in a way that was just a moment belated..!! ]

[izanagis]

[The smile he gives in response is a little lopsided, but he nods nonetheless. It's a bit interesting, how her realization is somewhat backwards from his -- he had done most of his research into the lore only after he invoked Izanagi for the first time. Ancient Japanese gods just aren't something you think about on a daily basis.]

Izanagi. Yeah.

[Maybe not quite his whole power, but his very first Persona, and that means something, even if the circumstances of that particular awakening were a little strange.]

I never had Izanami's power, but she does exist, in my world.

[entreats]

Have you never thought about that?

[ With other people she might have sounded a little more snippy about that, immediately assuming they wouldn't have. But considering this is Yu she's talking to, she's at least lending him a little bit more grace than that. Surely he looked into it after learning the name of his power. Any person with even a hint of intelligence would, right? ]

It feels significant, having that sort of deity as part of your power. Especially if Izanami is also out there, presumably as the counterpart of the power you have in some way. [ Ange sure is thinking about this now! It's all pretty fascinating to her, no matter the fact that it really has nothing to do with her. ]

[izanagis]

I've thought about it a lot, [he confesses, a small smile tugging at his face in response to the question. The dual story of Izanami and Izanagi, their union, their parting, their anger at one another...

There's a certain significance in the fact that it was Izanami who bestowed that power, and that particular Persona, he thinks -- but he never quite reasoned out why. Was she seeking revenge against the god who scorned her? Did she seek to prove that she was stronger, that Izanagi was inferior? Or was she simply trying to prove that, in the end, death would always win out over life...? Maybe it doesn't really matter, anymore. They defeated her and drove away the fog. Could that really be all there was to it?

If it were anyone but Ange, he'd probably leave the thought there. But she's curious and smart, and bound to ask questions where he doesn't offer answers. Besides, he values her perspective. It's worth it, to share the information with her.]

... It was Izanami who awakened my power to begin with. Me, and two others. I think...she gave all of us access to the Persona of Izanagi. [He had never seen Namatame use an iteration of the Persona, but it stands to reason that he had it, since Adachi did, as well.] She wanted to see which of the three of us would have more influence on society. Which of us could help her determine "Humanity's true wish."

[entreats]

[ Huh. That certainly does change matters. Especially when Ange is so used to games being a one-on-one sort of deal. One supernatural being, one human they are competing with in some way.

But this is more complicated. Not only is it about some supernatural being against humanity, but it's also humanity against humanity on top of it? She doesn't think she's ever heard something like that from Yu, nor from the other people from his world. It's an odd twist to the entire thing, and Ange isn't fully sure where to place it in her mental image of it all right away. ]

.. That sounds a little weird. I mean..

[ She pauses.

Usually Ange wouldn't pause, but for Yu of all people she's willing to be a little more diplomatic here, actually thinking about her words rather than just saying the first thing that comes to mind, no matter whether that first thing is a little cruel or too direct. ]

Narukami-san, it's not like you're a politician or something where you come from, right? What kind of influence can one teenager have on society? [ After all--

--In the end, Ange couldn't change a single thing either. ]