[ | Info: | § | The Fall: Elaboration | ]
Persona 3 spoilers for full game as always! Just more details on Ryoji's backstory, deviations, and his personality. I felt like typing and maybe if someone needed to read his thoughts cough cough *looks at Bubblevoid* deep down, they'd be able to know. ~ ♥
This is basically a summation of Ryoji's world, and, his feelings on what happened in it. He doesn't like his past much, but will talk about it if asked, regardless, at bubblevoid, although somewhat reluctantly. He feels those who ask have a right to know, even if they're not from his own world. And to be honest, that makes it easier to speak on the matter as it is--they can't say he's going to end their world either way, so it's easier, with them.
Basically Ryoji is technically ten, but appears seventeen due to human form annnd bla bla bla. While his memories of prior Shadowness and stuff were sealed for a good eight or so years, he lived as a human with foster parents, growing up in America (mostly, though his parents moved around a lot the year or two before he went to his current home), and during his current year, in Japan. He believed both his parents and younger brother, whom was named Pharos, died in a car accident on the Moonlight Bridge, at Port Island, Japan.
In truth, he was born as a Shadow (creatures with different Arcana such as Lovers, Heirophant, Empress, Emperor, etc., that... exist to usher the facilitation of the maternal being--Nyx--into the world and. Like. Are other sides of people and like to eat their souls during the Dark Hour. UM YEAH. Spoilerific Wiki is GREAT FOR EXPLANATION), created by scientists from the union of 12 other arcana, and is the 13th that shouldn't exist: Death. As Death, it was Ryoji's created job to facilitate the rebirth of Nyx, who would kill--that is take the souls--of all humanity, effectively ending all life as we know it. (Article HERE, though not the most helpful.)
... However, one scientist (the father of his now teammate and friend, Takeba Yukari), named Takeba Eiichiro, decided to halt the project--which was being run by the grandfather of the creator of his team, Mitsuru Kirijo, and by her family's company, the Kirijo Corporation--causing him to wake up early, and... well, long story short he killed his friend's father, all Anti-Shadow Emergency Control weapons save Aigis (another friend), and baaaasically killed Minato's parents since they crashed at Moonlight Bridge. The resulting explosion created Tartarus, or the Tower of Demise, which would welcome Nyx's arrival, and the Dark Hour, a time where Shadows roamed freely and the laboratory they worked in turned into said tower. To cover this up, the Kirijo Corporation created the school Gekkoukan High at the site.
But back then, he didn't have the heart or care for what his actions as Death had caused. Before getting to the Bridge, the 12 pieces of his body escaped thanks to Yukari's father, so he was weakened. Not weakened enough, unfortunately, to be defeated by simply Aigis. Since Aigis knew this, and since Minato's parents had crashed on the bridge and he was standing there, wide-eyed, she saw him as a suitable vessel to seal the incomplete Death away, and did what was necessary.
And so it was done. While canonically Minato would have went on to be unaware of this and meeting Pharos--or incomplete Death--during times at night and become the team leader of SEES, awakening his Persona, killing the 12 Shadows, and those pieces eventually resulting in Pharos becoming whole and turning into Mochizuki Ryoji, who was human thanks to all his time inside of Minato and given a heart--and amnesia for a short while--in this backstory, it happens somewhat differently, which is where the AU steps in.
Ryoji, as incomplete Death, or Pharos, is awakened within a young Minato's body 8 years ahead of time--that is, 2 years after the incident--and they become friends. Eventually, Pharos earns emotions by playing and interacting with Minato and sees how upset he is (naturally) over his parents untimely death. Minato wants the pain to go away, so Pharos gets the idea of switching the two of them permanently. This meant, in essence, Ryoji would get some part of Minato's soul, by consequence, making him part 'human' and allowing him his later Wildcard Persona ability, though would remain a Shadow, as you can't change someone's original nature. Minato on the other hand would become what Ryoji WAS: Not only a second Death, but also with that piece of his soul gone, the Appriser meant to usher in Nyx. Still, he agreed, and they switched.
Fast forward to the time he goes to Iwatodai dorm. One night a Shadow--the Magician's arcana--attacks during a Full Moon (coincidentally the time Ryoji was sealed and escaped as Death), awoken by Ryoji's return to the area, and he awakens his Persona ability. Thanatos is his 'original' Personae, but it is actually a physical manifestation of his complete self; his subconsciousness. Thanatos is proof he is Death, though he is unaware. Eventually they defeat the Shadows, Ryoji unaware he is drawing his team to do so and Ikutsuki pushing them forward deceptively with a falsified goal of ending the Dark Hour. When the Shadows are defeated, Arisato Minato, the TRUE boy meant to be in Ryoji's place, transfers in during November, with no memory. Eventually Aigis confronts him on Moonlight Bridge once more and he remembers it all, proceeding to explain things to SEES. They take it badly at first, blaming Ryoji, and... Ryoji is asked to kill Minato.
And consequentially himself.
If he were to kill Minato, then he would become the Appriser again--they're linked, after all--and the world would still end. While he knew Minato was unaware of this and Ryoji FELT he deserved the worst end possible for all the horrible things he'd done, he could never bring himself to kill his friend. Thus when asked during New Years, upon Minato's 'return,' he declines all of it, regardless. It is then Minato becomes an inseparable ally to SEES (though before then he helps a little during December, also revealling to Ryoji his true past) and, of course, even with his form about to permanently change, will help them train to fight Nyx. He also tells them where to find her, and during the first chat with SEES he speaks about Ryoji. Ryoji now remembers everything and has access to his true form, as well, of course, then, but also has the full story told in private. SEES only knows that Minato and he switched; the details are not important, even if they're... interesting, to say the least. Many of the members of SEES wondered what would have become of either had they not both become Shadows.
It's a little before that time--during the start of December, really--that he is pulled into the Network (bubblevoid), on December 4th, during the Dark Hour, with reflection on himself. He comes to the Void around 'Night' then, of course, and is surprised by the lack of Dark Hour around.
Needless to say he harbors untold amounts of guilt, self-loathing, and anger toward himself. The truth is never far behind him, and he has only to look at himself in the mirror only to see a grinning face back at him to know what he truly is. As his original complete form of Death--or Thanatos--is now his Persona, the Appriser form he takes on canonically, in the game originally, is his true form now. Ryoji now awakened to his Shadow abilities can sense other powers, other Shadows, and can sense when things are stronger than he is. He isn't all powerful, however, and is still susceptible to human ailments--he can feel pain, though he can opt not to eat, among other things, since his body only reproduces the human organs in order for him to be somewhat human. As he is a Shadow, truly, though it is painful at first, his original nature can override this, and he can learn to live without things such as food, water, or much anything else a normal person would need. He can take the human part of him away, though by doing so, he's more easy to detect as inhuman, and feels more of his Shadow side than his human one.
During the Dark Hour, he is technically, in his true form, intangible, and unable to be killed. Minato is the same but all the time when it comes to invulnerability, and can only be killed by Ryoji himself. Speaking of the Dark Hour, it's the only time that makes Ryoji oddly calm, and being around other people, now that he's aware of his being a Shadow, inwardly panics him to a degree--the want to run away or hurt them frightens him, and the human and Shadow sides always battle for control. During the Dark Hour, he is, generally, a much calmer person, though his true nature shines through even easier. If wounded extensively enough then, he will bleed black goo instead of blood, among other things. His 'human' self really stops reproducing the necessary things then aside from basics, so his human form is lacking in many aspects, and it's really easier for him to maintain his real one, though he will still use his Evoker if needed versus his Appriser form, as he hates the latter, and hates showing it if necessary. He doesn't need to be active during the Dark Hour to change from 'Ryoji' to 'Death,' and can even change only parts of himself if he concentrates. For example, just gaining the wings and sword.
Ryoji will never forgive himself for what he's done, and believes he deserves to die. He feels he is a worthless, heartless monster--a Shadow, and that is all he is. Anything reminding him of this will trigger extreme guilt, sadness, pain, and most of all, regret. If he killed himself, who would atone for his sins? Ultimately it will lead him to sacrifice his Wildcard ability and human self or soul to create a Seal between Nyx and Erebus, or humanity's desire to call her, thusly stopping the Fall for good. With it will come his morphing into just a Shadow again, and his being will be absorbed into the Dark Hour, along with Minato's, for good. This will mean he will never have a chance of returning, unless the past is altered, but will exist within Nyx, on the other side of the Seal, with Minato for the rest of eternity, along with the other Shadows. All that is there is eternal blackness, no color, nothing. That is what one will know there; darkness, always, in their eyes, but as a Shadow Ryoji can navigate it. This end is pre-determined, and no amount of time will stop it.
In the process though--I haven't decided--Ryoji's bad end would be him giving his soul to Minato, becoming the Appriser, and Minato gaining what he lost, and Ryoji's human memories, able to experience it all until the eventual Fall.
Annnd that's it. Felt this needed typing. o/
This is basically a summation of Ryoji's world, and, his feelings on what happened in it. He doesn't like his past much, but will talk about it if asked, regardless, at bubblevoid, although somewhat reluctantly. He feels those who ask have a right to know, even if they're not from his own world. And to be honest, that makes it easier to speak on the matter as it is--they can't say he's going to end their world either way, so it's easier, with them.
Basically Ryoji is technically ten, but appears seventeen due to human form annnd bla bla bla. While his memories of prior Shadowness and stuff were sealed for a good eight or so years, he lived as a human with foster parents, growing up in America (mostly, though his parents moved around a lot the year or two before he went to his current home), and during his current year, in Japan. He believed both his parents and younger brother, whom was named Pharos, died in a car accident on the Moonlight Bridge, at Port Island, Japan.
In truth, he was born as a Shadow (creatures with different Arcana such as Lovers, Heirophant, Empress, Emperor, etc., that... exist to usher the facilitation of the maternal being--Nyx--into the world and. Like. Are other sides of people and like to eat their souls during the Dark Hour. UM YEAH. Spoilerific Wiki is GREAT FOR EXPLANATION), created by scientists from the union of 12 other arcana, and is the 13th that shouldn't exist: Death. As Death, it was Ryoji's created job to facilitate the rebirth of Nyx, who would kill--that is take the souls--of all humanity, effectively ending all life as we know it. (Article HERE, though not the most helpful.)
... However, one scientist (the father of his now teammate and friend, Takeba Yukari), named Takeba Eiichiro, decided to halt the project--which was being run by the grandfather of the creator of his team, Mitsuru Kirijo, and by her family's company, the Kirijo Corporation--causing him to wake up early, and... well, long story short he killed his friend's father, all Anti-Shadow Emergency Control weapons save Aigis (another friend), and baaaasically killed Minato's parents since they crashed at Moonlight Bridge. The resulting explosion created Tartarus, or the Tower of Demise, which would welcome Nyx's arrival, and the Dark Hour, a time where Shadows roamed freely and the laboratory they worked in turned into said tower. To cover this up, the Kirijo Corporation created the school Gekkoukan High at the site.
But back then, he didn't have the heart or care for what his actions as Death had caused. Before getting to the Bridge, the 12 pieces of his body escaped thanks to Yukari's father, so he was weakened. Not weakened enough, unfortunately, to be defeated by simply Aigis. Since Aigis knew this, and since Minato's parents had crashed on the bridge and he was standing there, wide-eyed, she saw him as a suitable vessel to seal the incomplete Death away, and did what was necessary.
And so it was done. While canonically Minato would have went on to be unaware of this and meeting Pharos--or incomplete Death--during times at night and become the team leader of SEES, awakening his Persona, killing the 12 Shadows, and those pieces eventually resulting in Pharos becoming whole and turning into Mochizuki Ryoji, who was human thanks to all his time inside of Minato and given a heart--and amnesia for a short while--in this backstory, it happens somewhat differently, which is where the AU steps in.
Ryoji, as incomplete Death, or Pharos, is awakened within a young Minato's body 8 years ahead of time--that is, 2 years after the incident--and they become friends. Eventually, Pharos earns emotions by playing and interacting with Minato and sees how upset he is (naturally) over his parents untimely death. Minato wants the pain to go away, so Pharos gets the idea of switching the two of them permanently. This meant, in essence, Ryoji would get some part of Minato's soul, by consequence, making him part 'human' and allowing him his later Wildcard Persona ability, though would remain a Shadow, as you can't change someone's original nature. Minato on the other hand would become what Ryoji WAS: Not only a second Death, but also with that piece of his soul gone, the Appriser meant to usher in Nyx. Still, he agreed, and they switched.
Fast forward to the time he goes to Iwatodai dorm. One night a Shadow--the Magician's arcana--attacks during a Full Moon (coincidentally the time Ryoji was sealed and escaped as Death), awoken by Ryoji's return to the area, and he awakens his Persona ability. Thanatos is his 'original' Personae, but it is actually a physical manifestation of his complete self; his subconsciousness. Thanatos is proof he is Death, though he is unaware. Eventually they defeat the Shadows, Ryoji unaware he is drawing his team to do so and Ikutsuki pushing them forward deceptively with a falsified goal of ending the Dark Hour. When the Shadows are defeated, Arisato Minato, the TRUE boy meant to be in Ryoji's place, transfers in during November, with no memory. Eventually Aigis confronts him on Moonlight Bridge once more and he remembers it all, proceeding to explain things to SEES. They take it badly at first, blaming Ryoji, and... Ryoji is asked to kill Minato.
And consequentially himself.
If he were to kill Minato, then he would become the Appriser again--they're linked, after all--and the world would still end. While he knew Minato was unaware of this and Ryoji FELT he deserved the worst end possible for all the horrible things he'd done, he could never bring himself to kill his friend. Thus when asked during New Years, upon Minato's 'return,' he declines all of it, regardless. It is then Minato becomes an inseparable ally to SEES (though before then he helps a little during December, also revealling to Ryoji his true past) and, of course, even with his form about to permanently change, will help them train to fight Nyx. He also tells them where to find her, and during the first chat with SEES he speaks about Ryoji. Ryoji now remembers everything and has access to his true form, as well, of course, then, but also has the full story told in private. SEES only knows that Minato and he switched; the details are not important, even if they're... interesting, to say the least. Many of the members of SEES wondered what would have become of either had they not both become Shadows.
It's a little before that time--during the start of December, really--that he is pulled into the Network (bubblevoid), on December 4th, during the Dark Hour, with reflection on himself. He comes to the Void around 'Night' then, of course, and is surprised by the lack of Dark Hour around.
Needless to say he harbors untold amounts of guilt, self-loathing, and anger toward himself. The truth is never far behind him, and he has only to look at himself in the mirror only to see a grinning face back at him to know what he truly is. As his original complete form of Death--or Thanatos--is now his Persona, the Appriser form he takes on canonically, in the game originally, is his true form now. Ryoji now awakened to his Shadow abilities can sense other powers, other Shadows, and can sense when things are stronger than he is. He isn't all powerful, however, and is still susceptible to human ailments--he can feel pain, though he can opt not to eat, among other things, since his body only reproduces the human organs in order for him to be somewhat human. As he is a Shadow, truly, though it is painful at first, his original nature can override this, and he can learn to live without things such as food, water, or much anything else a normal person would need. He can take the human part of him away, though by doing so, he's more easy to detect as inhuman, and feels more of his Shadow side than his human one.
During the Dark Hour, he is technically, in his true form, intangible, and unable to be killed. Minato is the same but all the time when it comes to invulnerability, and can only be killed by Ryoji himself. Speaking of the Dark Hour, it's the only time that makes Ryoji oddly calm, and being around other people, now that he's aware of his being a Shadow, inwardly panics him to a degree--the want to run away or hurt them frightens him, and the human and Shadow sides always battle for control. During the Dark Hour, he is, generally, a much calmer person, though his true nature shines through even easier. If wounded extensively enough then, he will bleed black goo instead of blood, among other things. His 'human' self really stops reproducing the necessary things then aside from basics, so his human form is lacking in many aspects, and it's really easier for him to maintain his real one, though he will still use his Evoker if needed versus his Appriser form, as he hates the latter, and hates showing it if necessary. He doesn't need to be active during the Dark Hour to change from 'Ryoji' to 'Death,' and can even change only parts of himself if he concentrates. For example, just gaining the wings and sword.
Ryoji will never forgive himself for what he's done, and believes he deserves to die. He feels he is a worthless, heartless monster--a Shadow, and that is all he is. Anything reminding him of this will trigger extreme guilt, sadness, pain, and most of all, regret. If he killed himself, who would atone for his sins? Ultimately it will lead him to sacrifice his Wildcard ability and human self or soul to create a Seal between Nyx and Erebus, or humanity's desire to call her, thusly stopping the Fall for good. With it will come his morphing into just a Shadow again, and his being will be absorbed into the Dark Hour, along with Minato's, for good. This will mean he will never have a chance of returning, unless the past is altered, but will exist within Nyx, on the other side of the Seal, with Minato for the rest of eternity, along with the other Shadows. All that is there is eternal blackness, no color, nothing. That is what one will know there; darkness, always, in their eyes, but as a Shadow Ryoji can navigate it. This end is pre-determined, and no amount of time will stop it.
In the process though--I haven't decided--Ryoji's bad end would be him giving his soul to Minato, becoming the Appriser, and Minato gaining what he lost, and Ryoji's human memories, able to experience it all until the eventual Fall.
Annnd that's it. Felt this needed typing. o/