Sixth Bell | A SEES PSA | Video

[ktfod]

[Feed clicks on, and there’s a white, fluffy animal, all up in its grill, tail wagging and tongue hanging out, clearly excited to be the center of attention. Barely visible behind him are a few sets of feet, and finally the camera is lifted up to show the group: Minato, Ken, and Akihiko.]

It’s going-- go on with it. [Guess who doesn’t sound particularly excited- yep, it’s Shinjiro.]

[Like every time Minato has posted/been part of a post, he's staring directly into the camera with a blank expression, and says,] Hi. [Differently this time, there's two of his teammates standing next to him with Shinji manning the camera, although none of them look particularly excited to be there. They're an incredibly dour group, this selection of SEES, although Koromaru can be heard jingling his tags while scratching an itch with his leg.

Minato is also holding his communicator up like it's a microphone with all the aplomb of a karaoke champion.]

Today, we'll be educating you about something we've been fielding a lot of questions about. Ken-kun, could you hold up your Evoker?

Are you sure about this…? [But leader’s words are leader’s words, so Ken obediently pulls out the gun, a small silver pistol, and holds it up. He’s so short, is the camera catching this?]

It's okay, [says Minato, perfectly deadpan.] I'm his guardian. It's safe. … Because it's not a real gun. When we shoot ourselves, it doesn't fire anything. Please don't be alarmed. [His delivery doesn't get any less wooden as he goes on. Minato has definitely gotten sick of explaining this, no matter how patient he is every time it comes up.]

Are you just going to say it like that? We shoot ourselves? We’re trying to teach people about it so let’s just do it, they’ll see for themselves. [Akihiko cutting in with a good degree of annoyance in his voice. He’s not looking too keen about standing around here, not to mention it took Shinjiro forever to focus the damn camera on them.]

Yeah, like that’s way better. Just shoot yourself on camera and let everyone puzzle it out. Dumbass…. [It’s muttered quietly from off-screen behind the camera, almost like the worst director commentary in the world.]

What, did you say something? I’ll--

[Minato interrupts with a mild,] No flirting on camera. [Because he can't resist teasing them. It's way better than having to explain Persona again, that's for sure.]

[That comment gets the most startled look that Ken fails to hide before he looks at something above the camera like it’s the grossest thing ever. Sorry Shinji]

We’re not- tch. Here, lemme just do it. [Said as Akihiko’s the one taking out his Evoker now, but not to hold up and show. He’s quick to just put it up to his head--]

Sanada-san, no, we’re inside...

Huh? So let’s go outside then, doing it like this won’t prove anything to anyone.

Why the hell do you have to ‘prove’ shit…? [God they’re all idiots.]

[Minato belatedly decides to maybe act a little bit like a leader. Just a little.] We're Persona-users. When we shoot ourselves with special fake guns called Evokers, we summon something called Persona to defend us. So, don't worry about it. You don't need to ask me about it anymore.

[Beat.] If you have questions, ask them. [Minato leans over to hold the phone up to Akihiko like he's interviewing him with the mic.] This is Akihiko-senpai. He's been part of SEES the longest, except for Shinjiro-senpai. Ask them everything.

Are you seriously pawning this off on me? Wasn’t this your damn idea?! [Pissy.]

….And Aki is your choice for that?

Hey, fuck you! [More pissy.]

[Dryly:] Watch it, he just said no flirting.

[Meanwhile, Minato looks down at Ken.] I think they got it. Let's go get lunch.

[Ken looks to Akihiko, then grimaces at Shinjiro behind the camera, then turns to Minato with a sigh.] I don’t know if this counts as ‘they got it’ but… okay. I think I learned something today that I didn’t really want to know……..

[PSA concluded, the camera dips back down again-- and what do you know, it just so happens to land on the stylishly-dressed Koromaru. The bickering continues in the background, more muffled now, but the camera stays focused on the dog. Those especially perceptive viewers may even note that the dog has the same red armband as the rest of the group. It lingers for another half minute or so, watching the dog drag his ass on the carpet for a second, stretch, and then trot off. Film cuts.]

[Akihiko is red, Shinjiro is darker red, Minato is blue, and Ken is orange.]

Comments

[amadaman]

I didn't do it thi--



[Oh she's not commenting about Akihiko swearing. Koromaru noses his way under Ken's arm to join him at the screen while he clears his throat.]

This is the team I'm part of, Miss Karen.

[boobwindow]

[ The orange cat lowers his head, eyes widening when the dog reappears. Karen doesn't seem to notice or care herself. ]

SEES? What does that stand for?

[amadaman]

Special Extracurricular Execution Squad.

... I don't think whoever named it was a native English speaker.

[boobwindow]

[ There's one word she's going to focus on there. ]

... extracurricular.

[amadaman]

[Ken reaches off to the side and pulls up one black blazer, turning it around until he can show her the circular emblem on the front of one side.

Gekkoukan Private Elementary School, it reads on the outer ring, Since 1982.]

We operate as a school club, on the outside. The others are in high school.

[boobwindow]

[ She takes a good look at the blazer, making out the emblem on the screen and nodding to convey as much. ]

I'm guessing this isn't what your parents had in mind when they let you join a club.

[amadaman]

... You can't really sign a permission slip if you're dead, right?

The organization that backs us up also runs the school, so they gave an explanation to any guardians when we moved into our dorm. Nobody knows about what we do except the people involved.

that's a low blow man

[boobwindow]

... oh, I'm sorry, Ken.

[ Awkward. ]

To fight those monsters, right? And they give you some kind of fake gun to help with that?

well... he can't reach that high, really

[amadaman]

Yeah. And other weapons, too. Our Personas have limitations and sap a lot of our energy with every use.

why are you so cruel to your smol son

[boobwindow]

What exactly is a Persona?

tough love, it makes them grow

[amadaman]

Um, well, when mine first appeared, she said that she's my true self. "I am thou, thou art I"...

They're from our minds, so I guess you could say they're a part of us.

bans you for being mean to your own character

[boobwindow]

[ Her brows furrow, processing this information. ]

So... something like a split personality?

RUDE

[amadaman]

Not... really.

They're not separate from our will for the most part. They appear when we will them to, and they do what we want them to. But they're born from our subconscious...?

Once we awaken them we can call them, but whether they awaken or not isn't something we can really control.

[boobwindow]

Some kind of physical manifestation. Can't say I fully get it, though I might be getting the gist of it.

[ It's... a little off putting, to be honest. ]

[amadaman]

It's summoning magic, essentially, except instead of summoning something from outside or a different realm, it's a manifestation from inside of us. Every Persona user has a unique Persona.

[boobwindow]

What's yours, Ken?

[amadaman]

... Her name is Nemesis.

[boobwindow]

[ Beat. ]

Sounds intense.

[amadaman]

That's what most people say.

Mythol-- [oh wait his neighbor is a son of Hades so it's not really mythological. um.] -- ancient Greek diety. Goddess of divine retribution, punisher of hubris, true justice. Personification of revenge.

[boobwindow]

[ Revenge and Ken? Sounds like there's a story there. ]

Born from your subconscious?

[amadaman]

Yes.

Nemesis is me, and I'm Nemesis.

[boobwindow]

You don't strike me as vengeful.

Although, if you did get back at that guy for the post he made of you then maybe I can see it.

[amadaman]

Well, deceiving people with first impressions is what makes surprise attacks easier.

And oh, I threw glitter in his bag. I think I victimized his roommate more than Peter Quill himself, but he wasn't going to get away scot free.

[boobwindow]

[ A low whistle. ]

I approve of the glitter. [ A safer option. ] What do these Personas look like anyway?

[amadaman]

The Personas?

Well, they all look different. You can have pretty cute ones like Minato-san's Jack Frost, but most of the rest of ours are pretty big. Nemesis looks... she has a humanoid shape, but most of her body is also a huge wheel. And--

[and he crouches, bringing the communicator with him until Koromaru's in the screen too.]

Koromaru's Cerberus is a three-headed dog, like the one in the Greek underworld.