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

[memori3s]

[ He doesn't remember much about the actual sentencing, or whether he event met the Council. He does remember one thing though. ]

I think I was asked to atone for the murder of Nikolai Gogol with senpai, Akechi, and Rolo. I... had to explain why murder is unforgivable. I don't think I was told exactly how to accomplish it though. ...maybe the Council wanted to see what we would do.

[ Oh. But there is one thing that might be of interest to Miller, specifically. ]

The Council gave me a specific deadline and said if I completed the task, I'll be one step closer to returning home.

[melnik]

[ Dara mentioned "Gogol" was the name of this man and it had struck him as odd then, too, but with the full name this time... Miller seems to get stuck halfway into what Minato has to say. ]

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, the famous writer? Sorry, is that a pseudonym or is that actually his name?

[ The name rolls incredibly easily off of Miller's tongue. It is not foreign to him. He is no history fanatic like some other older folk scavenging for scraps of books in Polis, but he'd have to have been living under a rock prior to the War not to know of him. This strange revelation coupled with finally taking in the last part of what Minato says seem to stun him. ]

Shit. So those bastards are going as far as to dangle that in front of us now... I can't believe it.

[memori3s]

[ Huh?? Writer? ]

I don't know. I don't know if he's a writer. ...you'll have to ask him.

[ Minato might consider asking Gogol directly, but Sha-Ming did tell him to steer clear of the man and to avoid engaging with him. Looks like finding out whether Gogol is not only a professional jester but also a writer will fall wholly upon Miller's shoulders.

For now, it seems Minato was correct in assuming the Council's nugget of information would be relevant to Miller's interests. ]

I'm not sure if they were telling the truth though. They could be lying.

[melnik]

[ Right... The question just sort of came out out of his own bafflement, but now that it's been said, it figures that Minato wouldn't know. Though it doesn't strike him that the man at least going by Nikolai Gogol is particularly easy to find.

So, he'll keep that question in his back pocket for now. But more importantly, ]

They are lying! Undoubtedly!

[ There's no hesitation in that response. Zero. Nevertheless, by how he goes on to explain that, it's clear he does care a great deal about it... ]

Even by their own logic, it doesn't make sense. You were not brought here because you're a fucking murderer. [ Even without knowing why Minato was supposedly brought here, he says that much with confidence. ] So, what, the goal is to dutifully complete these meaningless tasks for them and eventually they'll decide we were well-behaved enough slaves and let us go?

Did they say anything else? If this is step one, then what is supposed to come next? If it's not an empty promise, then why hold that over our heads without a single shred of evidence to support it?

[memori3s]

[ Oh wow. Minato's never seen Miller this agitated before. It's a stark contrast from the measured man he'd come to know, even if he'd always figured the man could get pretty grouchy in the right circumstances. ]

...no, they didn't say anything else.

[ He really does wish he had more information for Miller. ]

I don't know. ...I'm sorry. Everything I've already told you is all that I know.

[ Maybe he shouldn't have shared that information with Miller? Oops. ]

[melnik]

[ The subdued response from Minato gives him pause, allows him to realize he got a little too heated. All of it was true, of course... but shooting the messenger was not his intention nor is it really helpful. ]

...Right. Of course. Sorry for shouting at you.

[ After all, part of the reason it upsets him is because he hates the thought of the Council trying to manipulate Minato like that. ]

I really hope this message of yours will be sufficient for them.

[memori3s]

...it's okay.

[ It must be frustrating to someone who desperately wants to return home, to receive an iota of information that might not even be true at all. ]

I promised to share any information with you, so...

[ Even now, Minato hasn't forgotten that promise he'd made with Miller. If he happened to uncover any additional information, he'd relay it immediately to the man. There's a thought that does dawn on him though. ]

I wonder if they'll share more information if we fail.

[ It might be a risk he's willing to take. ]