username: senpai [this is the PSA that no one asked for]

[drugsnotclubs]

here's your damn homework, council













[The Google slides link can also be found here!

FOR THOSE UNAWARE: Minato, Akechi, Rolo, and Shinjiro all received a group sentencing. It was to educate the chosen on why murder is unforgiveable. Please enjoy the fruits of their dubious labor.]

Comments

[endcaller]

You helped kill someone but did not think he would actually die and thus consider the whole affair an accident?

Huh!

I simply must hear this tale.

[There's a small shuffling of fabric and chains and the sense of Fandaniel settling in for a good story.]

I JUST BUST OUT LAUGHING

[memori3s]

[ When he puts it like that...... well, all right. Storytime... ]

A few months ago, there... was an incident with one of the Chosen here. She's a curse god --

[ Wait... no, he probably shouldn't disclose the fact that Dara's internal organs, when scattered across all of Aldrip, caused all sorts of weird shit to happen. That seems like bad information to share, just in case anyone else out there gets some Funny Ideas. ]

Something happened to her, so... senpai and I went looking for things to help her. ...we heard gunshots and ran to the scene where someone was attacking Rolo and Akechi. We interfered, but we... interfered too hard.

[ ... ]

He threw a boat at us.

[heartstopping]

[Rolo thinks this whole thing is stupid, as is clearly evident from his nonexistent contributions to the powerpoint, but he pops in here with a sour tone.]

The boat wasn't the only thing getting thrown around.

[ yes he's still salty about that ]

[endcaller]

What else was there?

[heartstopping]

Someone threw me at the clown.

[ AKECHI ]

[endcaller]

[Clown? What clown? There is a clown in this story now?

Fandaniel hums.]

They did?

Why do such a thing when there was doubtlessly a more convenient weapon or missile at hand? That sounds like something worth being tried for but what would a suitable punishment be?

[heartstopping]

[ the crazy murderer that got murdered was a clown, keep up ]

Hell if I know. Ask him.

[endcaller]

Ah! My apologies. I see my line of questioning has offended you.

I am asking you because I do not know which of your companions it was that...erm... tossed you at the clown?

[His voice lilts into a purr, relishing the absurdity of this conversation.]

<3

[endcaller]

[Fandaniel listens carefully. A curse god... Maybe a Primal, he thinks. Something went wrong with a Summoning, as usual. Summons are designed to go wrong.

So there was a Primal, something happened to her and someone, probably tempered, attacked--

Except, he thinks to himself, I've not been able to sense any aether here other than my own.

Not a Summoning then.

There was a curse god, someone threw a boat...

Wait, hold on...]

Apologies, I should have been more clear.

Might we start at the beginning? Something happened to a goddess of curses, you were investigating and ran into an individual who threw a boat at you? And you and yours were overzealous in your efforts to defeat him...

I feel as though I am still missing some key information.

Re: <3

[memori3s]

[ No actually that like. Covers it. To be quite frank. ]

Yes. ...he was able to summon objects at will.

[ At least, that's what it looked like?

In any event, Minato goes quiet as he considers whether there's anything else he missed and... no, he thinks that really does cover it. If the incident sounds stupid, that's because it was. ]

[endcaller]

Can he?

Fascinating...

[A faint rustling as he thinks on this. What goddess? Why someone who could throw boats?

Why would the council force killers to atone by making a public service announcement?

He sighs and chuckles slightly.]

Honestly, madness seems to be homeostasis for this star.

Ahem.

Now, how did you kill this individual?

[memori3s]

[ Star...?

The man's moved on to another question, which doesn't allow Minato to ponder that term for much longer. ]

With an axe.

[ Although... it hadn't been Shinjiro's axe that landed the ultimately-killing blow. On the other hand, Gogol would have died from that even without Rolo's switchblade to the throat though. ]

...and Personas, for some of us.

[ No, he will not elaborate unless probed. ]

[endcaller]

I see.

I believe I have identified the crux of your problem.

You took an axe to a man, not expecting him to die from the blow.

People die when you strike them with axes, you see. 'Tis very rare that they do not.

[He'll circle back to this "Persona" thing but he can't resist an opportunity to mock the situation.]

[memori3s]

That's true.

[ He's not about to refute that statement. It hadn't quite crossed his mind while he was in the fray, wholly focused on subduing the man who was fighting Rolo and Akechi, and then throwing boats and iron fences at him and Shinjiro. ]

Maybe we'll try not to do that next time.

[ ...no promises tho. ]

[endcaller]

Good lad.

Now, you mentioned something called a "Persona" was also involved in this little comedy of errors?

[memori3s]

Yes.

[ He's beginning to wonder whether he should be disclosing this sort of information to the man but. Oh well. Jrpg protagonist answering every question that gets asked syndrome. ]

[endcaller]

[There is a long pause as Fandaniel waits for Minato to say more. When nobody speaks, he huffs and breaks the unbearable silence.]

...I am asking you to explain what that means.

[memori3s]

[ Sorry Fandaniel. If this feels a little like pulling teeth, imagine how Minato's friends must feel...

There's another long moment of silence after Fandaniel asks for elaboration. In part, it's because Minato's not wholly certain how to explain what a "Persona" is. ]

It's... a reflection of a person's inner self.

[ Um. ]

That's all I can say.

[endcaller]

A reflection that, if I understood your implication correctly, can be used in combat?

[A soft ringing of chains again as Fandaniel leans forward and puts his lips closer to the phone.

His voice is louder and slightly distorted:]

Say. More.

[memori3s]

Yes.

[ Minato nearly drops his tablet at the sound of Fandaniel's voice warping ever so slightly. What the. Was that coming from the other person? Or was it a glitch in his tablet? ]

...

[ ........... ]

Why do you want to know?

[endcaller]

Why?

Who wouldn't?

[He leans back away from his device and the audio clears.]

You give me a tantalizing bit of information; that you are able to use a reflection of your inner self as a weapon, and now act surprised that you have roused my curiosity?

[memori3s]

[ "Tantalizing"?? ]

...is it really that interesting?

[ Bro is NOT a scientist... ]

I don't know that much about it. It... didn't really get explained to me.

[ This is the truth. It's always been innate, and it's not like anyone ever gave him a serious debrief on Persona lore. Perhaps they would have done so if he'd thought to ask.

Were Fandaniel to assume that Minato acted on instinct and ran around wielding a power he didn't fully comprehend, he'd be completely correct. ]

[endcaller]

I see it falls on me, as ever it does, to carry this conversation.

I shall direct you with more pointed questions, then.

First: What, precisely, happens when you use this Persona.

[A pause and he hastily adds:]

In your experience.

sorry to fandaniel working so hard in this conversation

[memori3s]

[ Nice save, because there were so many different directions Minato could take in response to that "simple" question. ]

It depends on the Persona. ...everyone's is different, but most people usually only have one.

[ Natural implication: that this kid is an exception to that rule. ]

Zenos war flashbacks intensify

[endcaller]

Mmhmm...

Most people, but not you? Have you multiple, then?

Tell me about them.