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Is there anyone who can make edible stuff who'd be willing to help me with something? There's a few things I want to look into making, and I don't want to take the chance of it falling through because I don't have the right ingredients.

[The only person Naoki knows of off the top of his head who can do that is Leo, and he's not an option for... well. Reasons. Besides, he doesn't want to be stuck with one person who ends up infiltrating or on the other side of a jaunt-walkabout divide when he really needs something. As it is, he's going to have to look into somewhere to keep all this crap.]

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[Levi grunts. Yeah, he's well aware of his limitations when it comes to dealing with Trumps...

Fortunately for Naoki, though, his curiosity outweighs his aggravation at having attention drawn to that deficiency:]

Outgrown him?

[Yeah, well, Levi was infiltrating. And bumped into the least talkative of the lot, so far.]

My Persona's Hanged Man. Matches pretty well to how stuck I was right after Sis died, and I figured he'd be my best bet - at the very least I couldn't let it go without saying something. But he said I don't need him anymore. Changed more than I'd thought I had.

[The struggle is REAL, basically.]

Your best bet...? [Sorry Naoki, welcome to the wonderful world of Levi giving a shit about you aka being a little pissy when you do 'dumb things'.] What the hell were you thinking?

I was thinking I'd rather go into something this big with my eyes open. It's silly to think it won't happen sooner or later, and I want some choice in the matter. I want to know why it happened.

And I can't regret the conversation either way.

[While Levi can't argue with the logic...]

Did you at least bring someone along with you in case it went to shit?

[CONSTANT VIGILANCE............]

I didn't really have a chance to plan it. Besides, I really doubt he would've done much.

[That would require... moving? Probably?]

It worked out all right in the end, Levi-san. Relax.

[Levi makes a frustrated sort of noise, and whatever face he's making has clearly startled the Bit into a flurry of placating bleeps and bloops. It's trying, TOTO, really it is...

Levi's not having it, though, from U or Naoki.]

This isn't a game! We know next to nothing about what it means when they mark us, if it gives them any more power over us than they already have or, what they can use it for in the future... Do you really think so little of your own damn freedom?

[Naoki may have touched a nerve a little bit... Both because he does have the kid's best interests at heart and also because- selfishly- those concerns have just become a hell of a lot more personal. Even Levi has a breaking point as far as total control over his composure is concerned... And apparently he's reached it.]

The stuff at home wasn't a game either. [If he sounds a little like Naoto... well, it's with good reason.] Besides, as far as I can tell this kind of conversation never happens in a group, and there was something I needed to know. It's also next to impossible to tell until you're in the conversation whether it's a Trump or not - the imagery helped in this case, but it doesn't always. I mean, look at the Grid.

I think we're not going to get the information we need without using the connections we have. More than one's said now they want our help with something. And this was a conversation I was going to have sooner or later, whether anyone else was happy about it or not.

[Everything Naoki's saying is true, and the logical part of Levi knows it- he knows all about strategy and weighing risk against reward...

But his gut- and the part of him that's finally allowed to exist and consider factors other than the success of a mission (for better or for worse)- isn't convinced it's a worthwhile exchange. Especially when none of these shits have given straight enough answers for his liking.

It's shady.]

It worked out this time, but next time...

[As if on cue, Levi's arm gives a particularly painful throb. God dammit...]

Just don't be so damn flippant about it.

I won't, Levi-san, don't worry. [But he also has a feeling the next time is going to be the last, or at least the last one with no mystery tattoo of his own.]

In any case, it was a conversation I needed to have. More than I knew, and not for the reasons I thought I did.

[Levi's trying to see this from Naoki's point of view- because contrary to popular belief he does have that ability and utilizes it more than he can afford to let on- but it's not quite there yet. Maybe it'd be different if the idea of being aligned to one of these fucks (or something like it) had been more familiar to him and not framed in as negative a way.

Maybe he'll make his peace with it eventually. For now, though, all he can do is move on with the conversation rather than continuing to beat the dead CAREFUL horse. He's... Making an effort to be sort of positive here.]

What else did it say to you? Did it try to point you toward a better fit, too?

[Naoto had told him that the Moon gave her that option... He's trying REALLY HARD not to be bitter about that, actually.]

[It'll be all right in the end, Naoki's sure. Levi has every reason to be upset right now. Not the best time to have a level-headed conversation about the Trumps, but he gets props for trying.]

No, he didn't. I asked if we count as internal or external forces compared to them and got 'keep watching,' not that I was expecting a real answer. [But he had to try.]

But... if I've outgrown him, it means Sis isn't weighing me down anymore, and that much can only be a good thing.

[That much, Levi can relate to, if only because of his own failures as far as moving on is concerned.

Then again, from what it sounds like Naoki was never to blame for his sister's death... Levi can't say the same for himself. Still, he is at least glad to hear this, especially after what could have resulted from the Trumps' games in Questing Country.]

...It's not nothing.

[Is having someone on the outside confirm it for him worth risking his body and mind...? Levi isn't sure. But he's never been one to tell other people how to handle grieving as a concept, and so he keeps his mouth shut and lets the kid have his peace.]

But about the other thing... I guess it's stupid to expect a real answer.

[He wasn't even looking for that confirmation. It just sort of happened. Looking for the confirmation would've required Naoki seeing the change in himself before their chat.]

I don't know. Helena-san got more out of him than I did. [Levi can take that as he will, and he'll probably be right.] And Naoto got some pretty direct stuff from Sun, so they don't always beat around the bush.

Maybe one of their rules has to do with how much they can come out and say. Or maybe one of the perspective differences at work here is how much they think they need to say for us to have enough to work with.

[It is possible that they're not capable of answering directly- as in, unable and not unwilling- but given the extent of their powers Levi has a very hard time believing that and an even harder time considering it enough to give them the benefit of the doubt.

But he hasn't forgotten that clusterfuck after Texas and those voices, the arguing... So even he can't rule it out entirely.]

If that's the case it's a real pain in the ass we haven't met one that doesn't have unrealistic expectations of us as far as answering our own questions is concerned.

[He isn't quite familiar enough to hazard a guess at which of the group they haven't met might be most willing to give them a god damn break, unfortunately.]

To be fair, telling Naoto 'you're a detective, you can figure it out' isn't really an unrealistic expectation of Naoto. It just doesn't necessarily help the rest of us that much.

[Levi's slight huff is equal parts bitter and amused.

It's totally true.]

You're not wrong... About either part of that.

[More and more he's feeling like the skills he has that were so meaningful back home are next to useless here... But Naoki doesn't need to know that. No one does.]

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