[OPEN] Out of Kindness

[herewardbound]

Who: You and people you've dearly missed.
Which: Antagonist Log (Open)
Where: All over Reverein, but mostly around a smiling man in white.
What: Dreams coming true, wrongs righted, and joyful reunions with lost loved ones.
Warnings: MASSIVE spoilers for Persona 5 Royal, mental manipulation including hallucination, memory loss and alteration, discussion of complete personality and history rewrites in extreme cases.


▶ GENTLE MADMAN

¤ A.The skies of Reverein are dark and stormy, but for some reason… not here. A newcomer to the world of dreams, dressed in white with a pair of glasses accenting a soft-featured, smiling face. He seems to have the best of luck, really- wherever he goes, there seems to be a lull in the storms, a brief spot of clear skies and sunshine- or shorter lines at the shops, or maybe an accidental extra bun in the box you grab at the bakery. For whatever reason, around the stranger things just… seem to go well.

And, should you approach him, you'll find him… easy, to talk to. His voice is soft, his expression friendly, and he always takes an interest. Easy to talk to, to open up to. Questions diverted with a joke or a laugh, an offering of food and a friendly ear making it damnably difficult to actually dislike him. Besides, he says he's a professional counselor, and that anything you say to him is, of course, in confidence and not to be shared.

What could it hurt? With all these nightmares running loose, no-one could deny that a little mental health care would be a good thing.

¤ B.When he's not around, however, things seem to be actively getting worse. Shadows are appearing in Reverein, already a problem in and of itself- but around budding Antagonists, they're worse somehow, their forms warping to match the Antagonists' desires, protecting them, following orders. They'll have to be dealt with.

Bizarrely, a small handful simply aren't being a problem. They dress like hospital orderlies, their demeanors almost helpful… unless, of course, you've interacted with the smiling man- and refused his help. Then their true nature comes through, and they become very nasty indeed.

▶ ROYAL DAYS

¤ A.As concerning as the influx of monstrosities and megalomaniacs is, in the moment you might find it hard to care, very much. Ever since meeting that smiling man, things have turned out for the best. A familiar face appears- perhaps a long-dead loved one, suddenly brought to the land of dreams. Or an estranged friend, maybe, hoping to reconcile. Stranger things have happened, right?

Or maybe you've started to remember a wholly different sequence of events. Choices you regretted, undone in an instant. Hurtful things you said, never spoken. A traumatic event never occurring, or the love of a parental figure, never withheld from you. Whatever the reason, how could you worry about the impending confrontation when your life is so… perfect?

¤ B.Or maybe… you're a little too suspicious, too willful, too well-adjusted already for that to work. Or perhaps you've spotted a contradiction too great to ignore, a remembered event that simply couldn't have happened, because you also remember something that would've made it impossible. In that moment of horrible realization, it all comes rushing back. Whatever figment of the ones you lost fades and dissipates, so much noctaere-black smoke in the wind. Forgotten details suddenly remembered, the skies just as clouded and thunderous as ever.
Maybe you're seeing the slightly glazed-over look in the eyes of the afflicted, the joyful smiles and lack of care. Maybe you've even connected it to the Smiling Man, the one who introduced himself as Doctor Maruki- or maybe you're still searching for the truth.

Whatever the case, the Orderlies- the Shadows, marching about in masked, twisted, humanoid forms- do not like you. At a moment's notice, they attack, hoping to capture, to subdue- to force you to meet with their 'glorious savior' for 'treatment'.

Or maybe you've had the chance to run into the good doctor again, in an environment where he seems so much less happy to see you.

▶ THROW AWAY YOUR MASK

¤ A.A special third prompt that will be posted in a few days' time. Those interested in joining the final confrontation should see the sign-up post below.

Comments

[herewardbound]

And how happy those locals seemed- how unconcerned with the presence of the Story Eater and its minions, how… oblivious, they were, to the very real danger.

He looked both ways, waiting for a cart to pass before he crossed the street to join her, a soft smile forming as he looked down… though one tinged with a touch of disappointment. "I should've known you'd be too resilient for me to influence. It's my own fault, really. But still… it's nice to meet you, Naminé. Could I walk with you, for a bit?"

[lethechained]

With every passing step and concentrated effort of her mind, Naminé found the attitude of those around her that much stranger. Logical reasoning followed through to the conclusion that this probably had to do with the conflict at hand, for everything to have shifted so completely - but speculating too far beyond that had to wait as the fellow she'd recognized made his way over.

And it was almost bizarre, watching him behave so naturally about it. Mouth flattened into a firm line, the young lady's eyes followed him across the street, searching as they did for her initial impression of - this version of him, rather than the one belonging solely to a dream. She was not so shortsighted as to assume everything about him was precisely as it was recalled by a nightmare, but...

Part of her, no matter her willingness to listen to others, no matter her ability to forgive, was outraged. Perhaps there was some justice in attempting to entrap her the way she'd done to others in the past (unwillingly or not), but to use her friends - or at least the images thereof - to do so was akin in her heart to blasphemy, for there was little more sacred to her than those relationships. Yet, even more than that, so see everyone traipsing around like this, totally unaware of what was really going on...

Oh, her blood did boil. But Naminé had a kind heart, and as she peered up at this strange fellow who smiled at her, who spoke plainly enough about the matter, rather than trying to hide it - she imagined she did want to know what it was that he had to say. The opportunity was rare, after all, to meet someone else with abilities similar to her own; and so, though her eyes were wary as she regarded him, presently the young lady gave a small, faintly reluctant nod of her head.

"If that's what you want," she agreed, voice quiet and tone polite, although she didn't muster a smile. "I suppose you and I must have some things to talk about."

Both in acquiesence and to put that much more space between them, she took a half step back, as if to turn and continue on their now-mutual stroll - though she kept her face tilted up toward Maruki. Her offense still roiled in her chest, yet she could admit genuinely enough, "I've been curious to meet you, too." Whether it was nice or not might have been a different question. "Although... you seem to know my name already, but I don't know yours."

It made sense, after all - she would have had such one-sided information, too, were their positions reversed - but it was certainly peculiar being on this end of it all for once.

[herewardbound]

"Yes," he said, softly. "I'm Doctor Maruki. It's nice to meet you." He fell into step beside her.

"Though... I wish it were under better circumstances. Please don't be alarmed. I really am here to help."

[lethechained]

'Alarmed' was probably a very good descriptor for what Naminé was, among other things. But she had plenty of practice holding that kind of distress inside, and at the term, her eyes flicked back up toward his so that she could regard him sidelong as they walked.

"To help...?" Though she echoed the words, there was no sarcasm in them; rather, her voice was thoughtful. Certainly, she had an idea what kind of help had in mind, considering Akechi's dream and her own experiences today - but method and intent were not the same thing, and despite her misgivings, Naminé wasn't entirely prepared to assume he meant ill. So - she really did want to know, "What do you mean by that, Doctor?"

[herewardbound]

He looked thoughtful, for a moment. Not as though he was avoiding the conversation, but rather as though he was choosing his words with care. "Suppose for a moment that someone you cared about had… broken an arm. I think it's pretty uncontroversial a stance, to say that if someone breaks an arm, and you treat them for it, you're doing the right thing. Right?"

He smiled warmly, confidence returning as he worked his way into it. "But what if we alter the situation slightly? What if your friend is convinced they're fine, and it's just a light bruise, even if it's a very serious break? If it's left untreated, it might heal improperly, or it might get infected. Your friend could lose the use of his arm, or worse, it might have to be amputated to save his life. He might even die, if things are extreme enough. What then? Do you think it's the right thing to force them to undergo treatment, if it will save their life, or prevent them from losing a large amount of their quality of life?"

[lethechained]

Given that she was herself someone prone to choosing her words with care, Naminé didn't begrudge him the pause. (That didn't mean she wasn't keeping a close eye on him, though, albeit from the corner thereof.) Head beginning to tilt at Maruki's words, she offered a slightly hesitant, "... Right," to the first example.

As for the second - it was quick to set her mouth into a thoughtful purse. Oh, she had her own proof for this one, didn't she? When it came down to it, she'd crossed the line to keep Roxas from perishing in a hopeless challenge against the Organization. Still, to hear it phrased that way...

"That-- makes it sound like I'd need to talk very seriously with my friend about it." Or that they were concussed, to be so wrongly convinced. "But..."

Well, she was an honest girl.

"Whether it's right or not, I'm not sure that I could just stand by without doing something, if it got that bad. Not..." After what happened to the replica Riku, who she'd left to his own devices despite knowing full well what he was capable of. Her brow pinched, just a little, at the recollection of how that turned out. "Not anymore."

[herewardbound]

There was a soft smile, there. Maruki was pleased. "I'm glad. We agree so far, I think. So what fundamental difference is there, really, between any other portion of the body, and the mind? If your friend were hurting, suffering... even to a degree that their pain was killing them. Wouldn't it make sense to help them in any way you can?"

He sighed, staring for a moment into the sky. "When your pain is something afflicting the mind... it's hard. I think people treat it differently, because when you're dealing with trauma, or depression, it's often invisible to the people around you, and sometimes even to yourself. You might convince yourself you're only tired. Or worse, that you deserve to feel this way, or that you're somehow showing a moral failure for feeling it. That's unfortunately common among people who have suffered traumatic experiences; it's called 'survivor's guilt'. But... just like you could help your friend by giving them treatment, even if they might think they don't need it, or it's not in their best interests... The same principle applies, don't you think?"

[lethechained]

At that first question, rhetorical though it was, the lass opened her mouth slightly - only to realize she'd be interjecting and close her lips over what she might otherwise have said. Listening patiently, she gave a hesitant half-nod at the second question, and her expression grew ever more contemplative over time. Even a hypothetical friend going through imagined trouble was enough to make her frown slightly, although - that didn't really grow pronounced until the bit about survivor's guilt. (Her familiarity with it was easy enough to set aside in light of the context, but... she did so with a mental haste that might have been telling, were she looking at herself.)

"I think... that in some ways, it does. Being there for someone who needs help sometimes means doing it even when they don't want you to, or don't realize what it is they really need. But-- it's like you said." Features serious, she regarded him with a slight pinch in her brow. "The mind and heart are much more complicated than the body is."

That she could say for certain, considering her experience.

"Even if you do your best, there are some things that can't be fixed until that person decides to do it themselves. Not unless--" -- Ah. A beat passed, and she amended, "... Without changing who they are."

[herewardbound]

"More complicated in some ways, maybe… but in others, I think, much more simple. Cognition is a very moldable thing; there was a study done, where subjects were asked to recall details of a visit to a theme park they'd never visited, once, and the really interesting thing is… that with relatively little prompting, their minds began fabricating details on their own. You'd think that they would notice the inconsistencies and pull away, but for most of the subjects of the study, they seemed perfectly happy to form pleasant memories of a place they'd never been to."

Maruki gestured, with one hand, at the world around him. "You broke free, and I'm sure you have many friends who'd assert that your trials made you stronger. But… what about the people who don't get stronger? What about those who simply… break? Or turn to hurting others instead? It's not… that I don't see your point. But you're proposing a personal solution to a systemic problem. Grief, pain, sorrow… these things hurt people. And we can't force them all into a therapist's office. There aren't enough therapists, for one- and many of them don't want to go, anyway. I… you, too. People like us, we- we could make a difference. I've seen so many people for whom the pain of going on was so unbearable they… would've rather died. Some of them did… and the methods I tried in the past to help failed, in the end. But this… I think that it's the only right choice, when I've been given this chance."

[lethechained]

How strange it was to meet someone who had a grasp on the functions of the mind similar to her own. She knew what Maruki said to be accurate - how little it really took for hearts to form layers around the suggestions of memories like seeded pearls. Naminé had made use of that fact often enough in the past, after all, especially in suggestible hearts, which made her all the more wary to hear it spoken aloud now.

Pain, too, had the potential to be the start of something more. Whether it provided the foundation for genuine growth or simply became a painful scar that never healed, though... the variations between the two were no secret to her, either. Hands folded together, the lass looked troubled, and all the more so as he mentioned those who were lost in a more permanent sense.

"You and I... I do think it's true that we have a responsibility to look after others in ways that no one else can." She could accept that much - had accepted that much, even if it was a new experience to meet someone else so similarly blessed, so similarly cursed. "But what you've done..."

Even leaving aside her recollections from Akechi's dream, going on her own experiences from this morning-- perhaps only because she was considering her personal situation rather than someone else's, her tone actually lacked accusation. In its place was something closer to a plea.

"I understand if you want to save everyone. I wish that it were possible, too." One hand curled to her chest, not entirely a conscious motion. "But isn't taking away who someone is just the same as cutting off their broken arm to begin with? The more that you replace of them, the less they are the person you wanted to help. Where does it end? And once it's done-- how long can it really last?"

Slowing to a stop, the young lady turned to face him. "No matter how powerful either of us might be, we can't stop the future. Even if you change someone's memories now, or try to make sure that they'll be happy in the present, eventually they'll get hurt again. If they've forgotten the past - then the pain will be just as bad as the first time, won't it?"