JASPER

[dramatispersonae]

[Unlike with previous games from Lancelot, the room today is sparse … and cold, as if this is a place where some of the remaining winter hasn’t left (though surely that has nothing to do with the Snow Queen …)

Instead of wine, bread, and meat, there is dirty water, some berries (that are safe to eat), and some other plants that clearly have been picked off a plant.

There is nowhere to really sit except the cold, hard ground.]

Comments

ROUND ONE

[dramatispersonae]

In the past, I betrayed my oath to my king. I was not truly loyal to him, not as I was meant to be. Did you know … we were friends when we were young, though perhaps not as young as many of you? We came to be brothers. And still, I hurt him. I broke that vow.

So I must ask you, Aather. What are the sins … or crimes … of your team? Please list three.

DISCUSSION

[dramatispersonae]

Re: DISCUSSION

[ademoelord]

... Like the entire team or just three of us?

Re: DISCUSSION

[heirbrained]

What an utterly ridiculous exercise. I can't imagine we would do anything that we would regret later.

Re: DISCUSSION

[rebells]

I'm sure we've done all sorts of truly awful things, between us.

SUBMIT

[dramatispersonae]

Please list only three. No more, no less.

ROUND TWO

[dramatispersonae]

When Arthur learned of my betrayal, of what I had done—he did nothing. A strong king in every way, but in the face of betrayal from a loved one, he could only stand by and do nothing. His mercy led his realm to despair; many others thought him to be weak.

They weren’t right. But they were correct in another way: I was deserving of punishment. A crime is not a crime without the punishment that follows, some might say, but some crimes are worthy of punishment.

Today, list three suggested punishments for any crimes, worthy crimes, perhaps even your own crimes.

DISCUSSION

[dramatispersonae]

SUBMIT

[dramatispersonae]

Three punishments here. No more, no less. They can be anything.

ROUND THREE

[dramatispersonae]

Surely you have all witnessed the importance of being held accountable. Would Camelot have been so cold, so burdened, had Arthur punished me correctly? Would the Snow Queen have experienced such misery?

Now, hold your other Aatherites accountable in the same way. So many crimes have surely come to pass that it is time for them to face it.

Tell me one team you find guilty, and the reason for that guilt.

And … tell me one team you find to be innocent. This is according to your own understanding, of course.

DISCUSSION

[dramatispersonae]

SUBMIT

[dramatispersonae]

One innocent team, one guilty team and the reason for that guilt.

ROUND FOUR

[dramatispersonae]

Today, you have been accused twice, for being not guilty, and of being neither guilty nor innocent. However, you were protected from these crimes, and you do not have to do penance.

The choices for penances are here.

I have been found guilty for not listening to reason, and I will do the penances suggested by Jasper:

1. For the crime of running tiresome and intrusive games, to only run cheerful and pleasant games from now on.
2. For the crime of being obsessed with his own self-judgment, to tell the story of his supposed crime, and to hear and accept someone else's judgment of him.
3. For the crime of betraying his friend, to apologize sincerely and actually accept the judgment of his friend in this instance, since it seems to be harder for him than any self-flagellating punishment we could give him. And to apply the energies he's no longer using to mentally punish himself to something productive, to find his king and remedy the damage he's done.

Re: ROUND FOUR

[mirroredvalue]

[Okay, see, this is enough to make me forget about being mad. We beat the Persona at his own game! We are awesome!]

Re: ROUND FOUR

[ademoelord]

...

Good.

Re: ROUND FOUR

[aprettygirl]

...well, that's a start.

Re: ROUND FOUR

[rebells]

[laughing a little]

That's certainly more than I expected.

Re: ROUND FOUR

[decider]

What tame acceptance...

BONUS

[dramatispersonae]

What are ways you have dealt with the guilt in your past, in your memories? What if you betrayed a friend and destroyed something very important? How would you recommend making up for it, if not through the means here in this game?

Also, would you like your crimes to be public knowledge?

Re: BONUS

[heirbrained]

I haven't experienced guilt in my memories.

Re: BONUS

[rebells]

[ . . . ]

Re: BONUS

[mirroredvalue]

[Okay, that drops the mood a bit, again.]

Not your business. That's between Star and the people she cares about. Not you. As for making up for it, we're punishing you for it, so once the punishment's done you move on. One makes up for it by going through the punishment and not doing it again.

Re: BONUS

[decider]

I don't care how you'll make up for it. If you'd spent less time bemoaning your forgiveness, you could've worked to make your kingdom stronger and avoid this mess to begin with. Perhaps you could concentrate on having goals in life instead of interrupting perfectly good sleep.

That is, if your King's fate is one that concerns you. . .?

Re: BONUS

[ademoelord]

I... just try to do better, to become more of a person that they can be proud of. It's... the only way for me.

Re: BONUS

[aprettygirl]

*...she's silent, but she lingers in the room a little past the rest of the team, and leaves him a note.*

To be punished does not erase your crime and its consequences; that the monsters of the past will remain monsters even if you are cast out, broken, killed. If you feel guilt, turn it into knowledge and motivation to not repeat the mistakes; both are such valuable tools. Learn from it yourself, and let others learn from it that they not repeat your mistakes -- not because a previous offender was punished for making those mistakes, but simply because the actions that led to those mistakes were ill-advised.

Look around you and see what must be done, and do it because it must be done, not out of your desire for flagellation or absolution. Your liege is missing: do what you can to find him. The Darkness must be fought: do what you can to fight it. The city must be rebuilt: help with the rebuilding. Address your feelings to your friend directly instead of to the uninvolved; and either lend your aid to rebuilding what you destroyed, or to building something new in its stead.

Listen, live, learn and work. Push past these things that bind you, and grow up.