[This is big. And Makoto knows it intrinsically. From Akechi reaching out to her, to the way he is telling her. It seeps out through the screen. This conversation has her full attention, and Akechi her support.]
You chose yourself.
[The Akechi she knew back home... She'd wanted to call him selfish. But everything she'd learned about him since had her realizing how truly selfless he had been, sacrificing himself for the world, breaking himself, if it meant taking down Shido in the end. But now, he'd... no. It wasn't selfish. Not at all. But it was a decision that put his focus on himself, what he needed.
[Though the very thought has been swirling in his head since everything went down, seeing the words typed out across his screen is exactly the kick to the gut he needs. It feels like Akechi's breath gets stuck in his throat, burdened with the selfishness of wanting to survive.]
I did.
[And in that moment, it had felt like the very worst thing he could possibly do, to put his own safety on the same level of Ren's. And yet-]
I also think that's really cool. That this place is allowing you to grow like that. See who you'd be without the influences you had. [She speaks, of course, of Shido.]
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You chose yourself.
[The Akechi she knew back home... She'd wanted to call him selfish. But everything she'd learned about him since had her realizing how truly selfless he had been, sacrificing himself for the world, breaking himself, if it meant taking down Shido in the end. But now, he'd... no. It wasn't selfish. Not at all. But it was a decision that put his focus on himself, what he needed.
And he'd awoken a new Persona.
Here was solid proof that Akechi was changing.]
no subject
I did.
[And in that moment, it had felt like the very worst thing he could possibly do, to put his own safety on the same level of Ren's. And yet-]
I did and I still managed to save him.
no subject
I think that's worth looking at, Akechi.
I also think that's really cool. That this place is allowing you to grow like that. See who you'd be without the influences you had. [She speaks, of course, of Shido.]
And for the record, I don't hate that person.