In which Chie declares war on the environment and fails at Persona [Action]
[She's been told enough to figure out what's being asked of her -- she's supposed to play pretend. Act like she's happy with her make-believe family in a place where there are no kung-fu movies and girls can't be lawyers or doctors or police officers. And she hates it. She's still new, she's still rebellious. Souji and Yosuke fighting her Shadow, staring her own ugliness in the eye and saying "you are me," all the training and endeavouring and thinking that came afterwards... that was all so she could stand up and say "This is who I really am." To go back on that -- to start pretending... it's not right. It just isn't.
She's tried the TV. It doesn't let her in. She's tried to run. She ends up back where she started. She's tried to figure things out, but she's not smart or calm or useful like Souji and Naoto. The only things in her head are Nanako, trapped with a murderer and waiting to be saved. Yukiko, Yosuke, Teddie... her friends on the other side, out of reach. Her dog, fat and fuzzy and waiting for her to come home.
Chie's had enough thinking. She's swapped out the skirt for a pair of shorts and found herself a nice tree to try and kick in half. She doesn't have much, but she does have her strength. This is the one thing she can do. But the funny thing is... even that doesn't help like it should. Her heart's racing, she's breaking a sweat, but the ache in her legs is heavy and acidic instead of a satisfying burn. Her movements feel clumsy and amateurish. Normally, it's so easy to make everything flow together. Her heels cut the air like a naginata's blade and she can see the flash of yellow in the back of her mind. But now... it's like there's an empty space that she keeps stumbling over. Stubbing her toes on.
So she stops. Takes a quick look around. She's never tried it in the real world -- maybe it wouldn't work anyway, but...]
Protect me, Tomoe!
[No glowing blue card appears. Maybe she isn't trying hard enough? Focus, Chie. One more shot.]
Persona!
[...Nothing.]
She's tried the TV. It doesn't let her in. She's tried to run. She ends up back where she started. She's tried to figure things out, but she's not smart or calm or useful like Souji and Naoto. The only things in her head are Nanako, trapped with a murderer and waiting to be saved. Yukiko, Yosuke, Teddie... her friends on the other side, out of reach. Her dog, fat and fuzzy and waiting for her to come home.
Chie's had enough thinking. She's swapped out the skirt for a pair of shorts and found herself a nice tree to try and kick in half. She doesn't have much, but she does have her strength. This is the one thing she can do. But the funny thing is... even that doesn't help like it should. Her heart's racing, she's breaking a sweat, but the ache in her legs is heavy and acidic instead of a satisfying burn. Her movements feel clumsy and amateurish. Normally, it's so easy to make everything flow together. Her heels cut the air like a naginata's blade and she can see the flash of yellow in the back of her mind. But now... it's like there's an empty space that she keeps stumbling over. Stubbing her toes on.
So she stops. Takes a quick look around. She's never tried it in the real world -- maybe it wouldn't work anyway, but...]
Protect me, Tomoe!
[No glowing blue card appears. Maybe she isn't trying hard enough? Focus, Chie. One more shot.]
Persona!
[...Nothing.]