[ overflow ] trash is for you

[snaccs]

🧙 WHO: Maruki & various
⚔️️ WHAT: overflow from the masquerade event!
🕒 WHEN: last month
🗺️ WHERE: at the masquerade / loch manor
⚠️ WARNINGS: N/A


continuations in the comments!

Comments

jane.

[snaccs]

Ah.

( so he won't offer her wasabi to go with those sushi rolls he's eyeing up. )

Coming right up.

( thankfully there's a jug and some glasses nearby, so Maruki only has to stretch over and pick it up in order to pour Jane a glass.

or, at least, that would be what happens if the weight of the almost full jug didn't cause his balance to wobble, splashing water all over the table, himself, and anything — and anyone — next to him. )

Wh-whoa...!

[cantgetanyworse]

[Jane has already had something spilled over her once tonight and reacts far more quickly than she might have, jumping back and almost twisting one of her ankles underneath her as she loses balance on her (admittedly low) heels. Still, it's enough that she isn't immediately drenched and most of the water splashes in front of her, wetting her feet and the hem of her dress.]

Oh-- goodness me!

[She can't be mad about it.

Well, she could be, but it wouldn't make her feet any less wet.]

What happened? Are you alright?

[snaccs]

( dang it. he'll manage to look cool one day. not today, obviously, but some day. at least he doesn't drop anything?

small victories. )

I'm fine! But I underestimated the weight of the jug... ( smooth, Maruki. hella smooth. ) Are you okay? Should I get you a towel?

[cantgetanyworse]

Ah? Oh, no, no, I'm completely fine.

[It's just a little water. She flicks a couple of drops off her foot. The shock had been rather effective in helping her to forget the way her mouth was burning, though.]

But perhaps I should pour the water.

[snaccs]

( he huffs out a slightly embarrassed laugh. )

Maybe. I always have bad luck with things like this. The last time I was giving a speech, I hit my head off the microphone.

... That also happened with the speech before it.

( who knew bowing was so difficult. )

dorothea.

[snaccs]

( he nods throughout her explanations, taking notes but never interjecting. some patients are simply more ready to talk about their problems than others, and that can be nice. there's less chance of asking the wrong question and going back to square one with people like this. )

I see. You truly are a kind young woman. ( perhaps flattering, but ultimately true. parts of it almost remind him of his own goal with this Palace. something born from pain that will help others live better lives. but she's here to live without that pain, and she deserves to.

everyone does, if they can. )

And I think I can help you.

( the best answer, he thinks, is to rid her of the pain associated with her time in the opera. to make it a happy place, one where she was glad to stay, and to keep her out of the academy. he has faith her natural kindness would allow that dream of an opera for the people to blossom regardless.

it's the kind of thing that happens in the blink of an eye. Maruki summons the power of Azathoth, and wishes for Dorothea's painful memories of the opera to be replaced by softer, happier ones. )

yusuke.

[snaccs]

( he's an adult, he can be trusted to not yell! ... probably. )

Y-you don't say...

( he has faith in Azathoth, a softly burning thing in the pit of his stomach that says he can help Maruki weather all sorts of challenges, but he also trusts that Yusuke knows far more about this collective unconscious than he does. )

I wonder what sort of purpose that serves. ( but he also has very important questions about the existence of such a creature. does it reap the other Shadows they see as they walk about, or does it exist purely to purge Persona users who overstay their welcome?

he's distracted enough by those thoughts that he doesn't notice the Shadow pop up behind him as they continue into the maze that makes up the next floor. )

akira.

[snaccs]

( that's true. there's no need to run headfirst into danger, no matter how close he was to helping that ghost.

or... well, how close he was to helping everyone in Tokyo, either. what a time to wind up in Avalon, honestly. )

Eh? That's—

( that's a hell of a question to spring on him now, of all times. and the truth is that it's not quite as noble as one might think. )

... Well, alright. ( he chooses not to sit, though, instead leaning gingerly against a chest of drawers near the wall, arms loosely folded over his front. ) The truth is that the research I've been doing used to be funded. But the decision was made to scrap that funding due to lack of evidence. ( even Maruki's usually pleasant tone can't hide the disdain he feels at that excuse, the words spat out with a grimace. ) Without that funding, I needed a job, and then Shibusawa — you remember him, right? We ran into him at the buffet — recommended that I become a counsellor. I still wanted to help people, so I took his recommendation.

( and he does help people, or so he believes, but he could do so much more with that research than simply counsel others. their pains could be fixed with the same precision a doctor heals a physical injury. )

That's... probably not the story you wanted to hear, right?

[fooligans]

[ This is much more than he expected to hear. To be honest, Akira was ready for trivia and changing the subject or even a snack. Still, a part of him is happy to hear that coming from Maruki now when he could avoid the subject completely in one way or another. On top of that, he's not hiding the parts he's displeased with and Akira would always take a genuine answer over a sugar-coated one.

He nods when Shibusawa is mentioned yet doesn't answer Maruki's next question right away. ]

What kind of story do you think I wanted to hear? [ Akira murmurs with a sheepish expression while rubbing the nape of his neck. ] You believe in what you're doing, don't you?

[snaccs]

( it's not exactly a story he should share with a patient or a student, but they're... not that any more. his time at Shujin was over, even if part of him would have liked it to be longer, and they're not even in Tokyo, or on Earth, any more.

and, truth be told, their time together never was simply about helping Akira. it was a necessity in order to gather the information he needed about the Metaverse, about how the Phantom Thieves operated. )

Of course. ( that goes without saying. he would have never poured so much time, so many tears, so much yen into it otherwise. ) But... well, lots of people would interpret that story to mean I became a counsellor purely for the paycheque.

( which... hoo boy, they would be wrong. because that paycheque is not great. )

[fooligans]

Lots of people would say that the Phantom Thieves are there for popularity or something.

[ Ironically, they cared about that for quite a while as a group. ]

I wonder what would they do if they were here.

[ The intention behind this remark might be a little too obvious—Akira is trying to make him slip and say something that would reveal what he truly knows. The thing is, it might lack subtlety. ]

[snaccs]

That's true.

( and whether Maruki twigs to Akira's ploy or not is hard to say, but he levels the young man with a look and a smile that says he knows exactly who those thieves are. )

I imagine you would know the answer to that better than me, Kurusu-kun.

claude.

[snaccs]

( sigh, that does sound like the Shujin he's come to know, unfortunately. the kids, by and large, are good people, and most of the teachers are too. it's just... well. there's an administrative blockage somewhere at the top, shall we say. )

I know. ( that's not exactly a secret to him, so if Khalid's wise to it, he won't deny that's the case. ) But even so, I can still offer a place for students to vent and to feel better about the things going on in their lives. Even if all the school cares about is its reputation, that doesn't mean I have to give up trying to help each and every one of you.

[leicesters]

Okay, then let's test how helpful you are. Let's say there's a hypothetical student... [He pauses, as a thought occurs to him, and he corrects himself.] No-- let's say Takamaki in second year was in your office right now. She tells you she's upset because no matter what she does, people will always treat her differently for how she looks, or for where one of her parents is from.

How would you help in a situation like that? You can't change her circumstances, or how people are going to see her.

[snaccs]

No, that isn't possible.

( yet. )

But one of the main goals of counselling and therapy is to reframe how the patient sees and deals with obstacles like that. So, if someone like Takamaki-san came to my office, we'd work on self-image, self-confidence, and how she can reframe her circumstances to make it work for her. For example... I believe Takamaki-san does some modelling in her spare time, correct? Her looks and background can be very beneficial there.

( his demeanour shifts, just slightly, as he finishes that spiel, and with a lighter tone, adds; )

Of course, sometimes all a patient needs is a confidential space to vent where they won't be judged.

[leicesters]

[Considering this is supposedly just a hypothetical scenario with a hypothetical other student -- sorry Ann -- the flash of anger behind his eyes is genuine.]

You're talking about this 'patient' like she's the one with the problem, when the real problem is the world around her. Maybe if people weren't dragging her down all the time, she wouldn't have to reframe things.

Haven't you thought that maybe you're part of the problem too? You're just teaching people how to live with their situations instead of changing them.

dimitri.

[snaccs]

( well, from what Maruki can see of Dimitri, he's giving it his best shot. perhaps a bit nervous, but anyone would be in this situation. even Maruki feels a trepidation, an uncertainty as to what could happen if this young lady doesn't respond favourably to what they're trying to achieve.

a bit of that nervousness loosens from his chest as she responds. that gives them an in, right? if she's willing to hear out their reasoning for being here, she has to be at least a little bit open to their help. he casts a quick glance at Dimitri before taking a step closer and kneeling on the floor.

(there will be dust on his pants for a while, but that's fine.) )

Well, I wouldn't want anyone to be alone in a place like this. ( that much is true. it isn't exactly a nice place to be alone, and the dust really is the least of their worries when it comes down to it. ) And that includes you.

( and, with one more look back to his new partner; ) Isn't that right, Dimitri-san?

claude (2).

[snaccs]

( well, that's... not exactly comforting, but Maruki wears his worry as a frown of deep contemplation. this is a problem to be solved, and would that it were as simple as diplomacy. that the leaders could simply sit at a table and talk like they were students back at the Academy.

things should have been different. )

There's a chance they are. Is there any news regarding the size of the forces?

( a large group of Kingdom forces probably wouldn't be travelling for diplomatic purposes, would they... )

[leicesters]

Estimates say no more than a few thousand. It's amazing they've been able to rally anyone to their cause, really, given the state Faerghus has been in since the coup. If they really are rebel forces they should join our cause, but I think their only interest is battle, not diplomacy.

[It should go without saying they're probably poorly-equipped and underfed, too, given Faerghus's state of affairs, but...]

Any idea what might be the cause of such a sudden mobilisation?

[snaccs]

( that's a pretty big number, certainly more than Maruki would imagine coming for a diplomatic sit down. Maruki frowns and stares at the board once more. why come this way as a relatively weak force? )

That sounds like desperation. A lack of shelter or resources might mean they're looking for a good place to set up camp and regroup. ( hm... what else could there be. ) It's also possible they've been given bad information or believe they can mount a surprise attack if our forces are dealing with the Empire.

[leicesters]

Any ideas on who might be leading them? Prince Dimitri lost his life five years ago, so I have to wonder who else would inspire that kind of willingness to mount a desperate attack.

[Would a rag-tag group of knights just pick up arms and abandon their struggle in the Kingdom of their own accord? He doubts it.]

ken.

[snaccs]

( he's fine. he's just a second or two behind you, Ken. though that in and of itself is embarrassing, when you're nearly 6ft tall and even the stride that gives you won't let you outrun a teenager.

he'll concentrate on his fitness, or lack thereof, later. for now, he's more interested in the ghost who is staring at this duo with no small amount of concern and alarm. )

Ah, Matthew? ( it's said with the familiarity of someone who has certainly seen and knows the young man they're looking for. ) It might be best to let him rest. I don't know what happened, but he's a sensitive lad!

A-ah... ( Maruki deflates a little on hearing that, sense overtaking the need for answers and practice. ) I see... W-well. When he's ready, please let him know that I'd like to apologise for my words.

( a bow, to seal the deal. it's much easier when your patients can't just run away from you, jeez. )

kotone.

[snaccs]

( with a nod, Maruki accepts the papers, tucking them securely into his arms. he might not get enough cardio, but surely the amount of time he spends lugging papers from one place to the next has to count for something, right? )

These are all clubs you're involved in? ( did Shujin double the amount of paperwork needed since he was in high school? he knew she had a full schedule, but this seems like a lot more than he realised.

or maybe, hopefully, she's just helping out other clubs by delivering their papers too? )

[foolaround]

Oh, no! [ she laughs at that and shakes her head, something almost practiced to the sound. ] I'm just passing them along from the student council—it's a new batch of funding requests, membership reports, that kind of thing? I keep busy, but not that busy.

[ kotone hums, looking just ahead. the faculty office is just around that corner. ]

Tennis, the library committee, Fashion Club, Cooking Club... and I help out the student council when I can. Just like at my last school!

[snaccs]

( Maruki exhales in a way that can be clearly read as thank goodness. that's still quite a lot but he was starting to wonder if he should be on the look out for a Kotone-clone. )

It sounds like you have a lot of interests. ( which is a good thing, even removed from the world of school and college applications. he notes the faculty office, just a few steps ahead, and continues. ) How are you finding your workload?

( aka, how stressed is she with all of that on her plate? )