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]

Yeah. It's been a couple of years for me, but I hear it's been around for about a decade, now.

[boobwindow]

That's a long time for a problem like that to hang around.

[amadaman]

Yeah. Nobody knew how to fix it, until a few months ago.

... It'll end soon. That's what I've been told.

[boobwindow]

Does it? Is one of your friends from ahead in your timeline?

[amadaman]

[Ken nods and turns the camera a bit so that Minato comes into view, standing a little ways away with his own communicator in hand but mostly talking to the other two SEES boys.]

I haven't asked him about it much, though.

[boobwindow]

[ You kids and your wacky J-Rock hair. ]

Why not?

[amadaman]

You can say I really don't want to know.

[boobwindow]

[ If she sounds surprised it's because she is. ]

Why not?

[amadaman]

Well, there's no point in knowing, is there? My knowledge here won't change anything. Whatever's meant to happen is going to happen once I go back.

And I don't... really care, to be honest.

[boobwindow]

About the future? But it's your future.

[amadaman]

Mm.

[He shrugs, shaking his head.]

It's a future I didn't plan on living long enough to see until a few months back. Even if I care a little bit more, it doesn't matter to me. By the time I go back, the one who's going to see it will be a different me anyway.

[boobwindow]

[ Karen falters as she wraps her head around what Ken is trying to say. ]

Ken, that's...

[ Well, it sounds as if he's changed his mind, but that's still worrisome. ]

I don't know. You make it all sound pointless, but I don't want to believe it is.

[amadaman]

Well, I know the way I see things doesn't make a lot of people happy...

You should believe in what you want to, Miss Karen. It's just one point of view, isn't it?

[boobwindow]

Yes, but you should try to be a little more positive.

[ Ken, you're too young for this kind of cynicism. ]

[amadaman]

Haha.

[That's a prime example of a humorless laugh. Put that in the dictionary next to the word.]

If it was that easy, I'd probably be jumping for joy. Do you think I never tried?

[boobwindow]

[ A measured pause. ]

You tell me.

[amadaman]

[He shakes his head and looks over his shoulder. He hasn't moved the camera, so the rest of SEES are all there, and he sighs, quietly.]

Trying to be positive, thinking that normal people would believe me, only got me laughed at and called a liar until nobody wanted me around. Nobody will ever know what really killed my mother, and nobody will ever know what we're doing for the world when it's done so little for us. No matter how many monsters will kill, how many of us get hurt or lose our lives, nobody will ever know or thank us for it. Even if we know that, and accept it, it's no good feeling.

... I try to count my blessings. I've had a lot of chances there that I threw away back home, ones I didn't deserve in the least but my friends let me take them. But I've committed wrongs I can never make up for and taken away things that can never be given back. The least I can do is go back to my world and end the Dark Hour that began all of this.

[boobwindow]

[ She watches him closely, biting down on her inner lip as he provides his explanation. She listens without interruption, only returning a sympathetic look until she can speak again. ]

A lot of the time doing the right thing means not getting recognized or thanked for it. It's not the best feeling, but the truth is nobody does these things for the thanks.

[ She's nearly died saving people before. Nobody would ever know the personal torment she endured years afterwards. But that's nobody's fault; it's the life she's chosen for herself. ]

I'm just saying maybe the future is a lot brighter than you believe. I'm sorry your life has been hard so far, though.

[amadaman]

I'm sure it is. And I know that none of my teammates or I signed up because we wanted recognition. We all know how superficial that sort of thing is because one way or another, we've all come this far without it. It doesn't matter.

[He shakes his head again, and with another huffing sigh, he runs his hand through his hair.]

The future will be what it will be. Whatever becomes of it, whatever I make of it. It doesn't matter how positive I am, or even the opposite. It's going to come, and I'll just have to accept it.

[boobwindow]

I guess it's not the worst way to look at things.

[ But... ]

Just as long as you aren't always expecting the worst.

[amadaman]

Mmm. Well, the worst would be if we fail and all of our efforts were for nothing, so I think we're okay on that.

Thanks to Crane last month, I've got an idea now of what I'd hate to see the most, so there's not a whole lot to dread at this point.

[boobwindow]

[ Her nose wrinkles at the mention of Crane. ]

I don't think you'll have to worry about that unless Gotham does exist where you're from.

[amadaman]

Gotham doesn't exist, but every world has someone like Crane.

I'm sick of falling into the hands of people like him, though. I'd like to think there won't be a third time.

[boobwindow]

Were you at the Swear-In when he gassed it?

[amadaman]

Yeah. I ended up causing a whole lot of trouble because of it.

I think part of why we made this post in the first place was because of me. It was for everyone's safety that someone who found me took my Evoker, but Minato-san wanted people to know because he doesn't like us being unarmed, Persona-wise.