Reflection (Plot)

[harmonizemods]

WHO: Persona-users, ensemble NPC cast.
WHAT: The promised meeting.
WHERE: The lab.
WHEN: Monday 5/8, after classes and clubs.


Today, it was Ishichi who wordlessly ushered them all into the lab, where the usual group was gathered -- with two odd exceptions.

The first was an addition: an older man talking with Horaoku and Sawatari in the back.

The second was a subtraction: there was no Yachiyo today.

Instead, Suwa stood in her usual place, looking worn and somewhat distraught -- far from Yachiyo's usual cool poise, but a better reflection of the mood that still hung over the lab two days later.

She greeted them with a tired smile and a small bow. "Thank you all for coming. I'm sorry to have to bring you all here, but I'm afraid our troubles may only just be beginning."

Comments

[heirofkobe]

Taue's hands balled into impotent fists at his sides, head shaking back and forth.

"I hate this shit," he managed, loud enough to be heard, even by the adults. "But the old guy's right. If they can't actually go into that place, and we're the only ones who can...we've got a responsibility, whether we like it or not."

The room still seemed to be buzzing in general, emotions flying left and right. He'd watched Haruka get up, and Himeko threaten to quit. By no means was he the conventional Supporter of Adults, but after his utter failure on the last go round, he felt the need to do SOMETHING.

"I held her in my arms before she got up and unknowingly signed her own death warrant," Taue continued. "I've got that on my head for the rest of my life. We couldn't do anything then; we can do something now. Doesn't mean I trust any of you all--" and here he pointed at the adults, all of them, even Ono "--as far as I can throw you, but we have to work together. Only sane choice. God, I need some booze."

[conformity]

Sayuri was just listening to everything. The explanations, the protests. It didn't surprise her that Himeko stood up and told the adults that, since the girl did tell her she was going to tell them exactly that already, but she still winced as she heard that. Along with the times she winced at all the cussing people were doing, but she didn't speak up about it, instead just still staring at her hands in her lap even in the middle of all the chaos and the loud people.

It had never been a decision for her, after all. "Before you all get up and walk out on this", he had said, but the thought hadn't even crossed the girl's mind. She already knew she had to do this, that there was no other choice. It was what was being asked from her, so it was what she had to do, even if everything with Miyume had left her feeling so incredibly scared and guilty that she couldn't even sleep.

At least one of the guys spoke up about it, and as she clenched her hands a little tighter together, she really hoped the others would listen to it as well. She didn't know any of them very well, but the idea of having to do all of this with an even smaller group was even scarier.

[brage]

"Like it or not, we have a duty to each other now," Baku's voice was the next to carry throughout the room.

It might be surprising to some of the adults that Baku would speak up now, given the relationship he had with them was tarnished to a greater degree than the others, but here he was.

"I really doubt they would rely on us if they didn't have to. I mean, I know I'm not the most cooperative guy, but if we don't get serious about this, then our lives not the only ones we have to worry about. Yachiyo-sensei and the others had to find us, a small group in this entire country, to fight these things, that can't have been easy, they're part of the team too. I don't know what kinda threat the other world poses to this one, but if those things that killed Miyume ever make it to this side where our personas don't work, we're done for. We gotta take the fight to them, together, as a team," it was here that he began to hesitate, opening his mouth wordlessly before letting loose a gentle sigh.

"I... I'm sorry I wasn't there. I could have done something... but, we can do something now. I don't know about you, but if I ever just stood by when I had the power to stop something like this from happening..." His dash of bravery was spent for the now, and the teen became painfully aware of the deep-seeded emotions he was getting into. His head shakes gently and he simply stares across the room, specifically in the direction of Taue, Himeko, and Haruka.

"We have no choice. The cards are on the table, and we have to make the right decision."

[allisnothing]

Despite being told that they could walk out now, it was so hard to not laugh. Or scream. Or even puke up their precious lab all over again.

They'd never been given a choice to begin with. Ono had said so himself, right? There is no other choice. There are no other people. If there was, none of them would have been forced to pretty much stab themselves.

Responsibility?

Preventing more deaths?

Saving the world?

Adults should just learn to honest. It wasn't really a 'choice' then, not since coming to Chitoku. Even now, people were saying they were only doing it because they had to.

Haruka was completely still, except for the hand on her cane. That hand shook from how tightly she held it. It was so suffocating, except she preferred the nightmares, even if it was drowning. At least she got a chance to wake up before then.

Finally, she said, voice heavy.

"I need air."

And then she continued walking.

If all choices led to the same thing, then she should at least be allowed the illusion of choice a bit longer, right?

[burningbow]

Mirai counted three people for the responsible side and two against it. Then he threw his opinions over the side of the fence to have no opinion on the matter, and watched to get his entertainment from the rabble. He absorbed Ono's speeches and drunk emotions from the crowd. He kept his own hidden and expunged Ono's words out his memory. At least Haruka had given him a chance to escape.

He had been wanting to be alone a lot lately, and here was the excuse he needed. He began walking past everyone.

"... Yeah. I'll go after her."

[fassade]

Responsibility? Teamwork? Friendship? TRUST? Chloe's dead gaze lifted for the first time to sweep slowly across the room. The iciness was gone from her eyes, only to be replaced by... what was it? If 'void' was an emotion that could be expressed with eyes, THIS was it. Even as she looked around the room at those gathered, it was more like looking THROUGH them as opposed to looking AT them.

There was no trust in this school for her. Hell, there was no trust in this COUNTRY for her. She was not welcome, and both she and everyone else knew it. The fact she ended up with this strange Persona power was some kind of cruel joke. If this was only possible through trust and teamwork... why was she even here?

The German watched as Haruka got up and left, watched as Mirai went after her... but she didn't move. Her shoulders had slumped slightly, as if she had resigned herself to her fate here. There was no getting out of this. She was trapped in a country that hated her, in a school that didn't trust her, on some Global Security mission that may or may not get them all killed.... and she could care fucking less.

The German's gaze fell once again to the floor, almost as if defeated, and she chose not to say anything. Inwardly, she wondered if someone would go after her if she left.... but she reckoned they wouldn't. Maybe one of the military blokes would, but that wouldn't end nicely. So instead, she merely stood there, leaned against the wall, eyes towards the floor, and bandaged hand clenched into a painful and uncomfortable fist.

[acidhexagon]

There was someone whose gloom was different from others. It hid him. It didn't bring him out, but it made his capacity to blend in and be ignored even easier: Minoru had basically avoided the rest, focused on his duties and on training as hard as he could... and then withdrawn into himself.

He sat in the back, rather than in front. He listened to the explanation, but it didn't bring out anything from him. At the time he lowered his glance to a notebook he'd brought with him. He always liked to take notes of important things, but this time he found himself scratching out small non-words before he even finished the kanji for them.

Ultimately the only thing he managed to write was one word, which he mumbled, lowly. "Selfish," he said.

'Doubts' and 'questions'? had been written all over the previous page of the notebook, until he'd perfected the kanji for both.