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]

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.

[boobwindow]

If the Evoker is taken away you can't use your Persona?

[amadaman]

We can't.

Theoretically, I think it's possible, but I think it's too risky force them out of us like that.

[boobwindow]

How bad does it get?

[amadaman]

You lose control.

Personas are really, really strong. They're the most effective when you have a strong grip on your mind, and therefore your Persona, on the other hand, if you lose control, that means there's nothing stopping them.

[boobwindow]

Someone couldn't just... say, knock you out and it would be over?

[amadaman]

Oh, it would be. During the swear-in, I got knocked out for a few minutes and that stopped her. But I was also lucky that I got away with just getting knocked out.

Besides, if you're not careful, the Persona can really hurt you if you try to get close.

[boobwindow]

[ She heeds his warning to a point; she's convinced she can handle a Persona being who she is. ]

I'm always careful.

[ Nope. ]

[amadaman]

Yeah, that's what we all tell ourselves, too.

I was able to be stopped because that person stopped me intending to kill me. I don't plan on putting Nemesis through what I did that night, anymore, but we're not so easily stoppable, either. My teammates are that strong.

[boobwindow]

Whoa, watch it. I know how to look out for myself, Ken.

[ She can always punch a wild Persona, right?? Or throw it into space. ]

[amadaman]

[He smiles, and there's a quiet, quiet laugh.]

And I'm making sure you don't underestimate my friends.

[boobwindow]

Warning acknowledged.

[ And it is! But she is totally underestimating a Persona's power. ]

[amadaman]

Thanks.

Well, I'm sure as long as we don't have something like last month again, you won't have to worry about us too much. Having a Persona is a show of better awareness and control than the average person, in our world, and they're all strong people. They're not a danger.

[boobwindow]

I don't think so. [ She hopes not. ] I'm certain Crane's going to go down for what he did.

[amadaman]

Well, he'll have to be taken care of one way or another. If he tries again, then I'll turn my blade on him. Until then, I've promised my friends I wouldn't go near him again.