Diary of the Wise Sage

This is a role-playing journal for the character Klarth F. Lester from the video game Tales of Phantasia, currently played in memento_eden.  It is maintained by DL/Wighty.  If there are any general thoughts or criticisms towards the way I handle this character, please feel free to drop a tag in this post.  Anonymous commenting is turned on and comments will be screened.

Alternatively, you may reach me through AIM (DLWriter7) or email (dli17000@yahoo.com). Thanks very much.

ATTENTION!
Everyone paying it?  Good.  Now, then!

It's come to my attention that for some time now, I have been the only teacher, instructor, professor, imparter of noble wisdom, whatever you want to call it, etc. in the school building.  My suspicions were first piqued when I was voted Teacher of the Month twice in a row, which, as you may imagine, is simply laughable, but I've already got the certificates framed on my wall and I'm sure as heck not giving 'em up so don't even ask I don't care how much you kids hate Home Ec hush.  Which brings me to my point.

Starting this week, I am no longer teaching Home Economics.  That's right.  I resign my position.  As much as I shall miss the daily joys of being continually outdone by 5-year-old boys and their pet pigs in pie-baking, I am afraid that I simply can't continue onwards with the position any longer.  Most importantly, it's no longer possible for me to, er, 'borrow' any of the other faculty members' lunch any more and I'm certainly not teaching on an empty stomach.  And to be perfectly honest, I wasn't even qualified for the position in the first place.  Not that you could tell, I mean, I've only set off the smoke detector what.  35 times?  Was it 35?  I think so.  No one counts the lemon meringue incident, right?  That was clearly Danny's fault.

Anyway.  Starting  today, I am no longer teaching in the school at all.  It's a waste of valuable resources for a building to be used for only an hour a day, and I'm much more comfortable in the library, anyway.  Thus, beginning today, I'll be giving private lessons for anyone who desires them.  What subject?  Whatever you want.  There are only about 10 of you left who even come to school regularly, anyway, and I'm sure you'd much rather spend your time learning something that actually interests you.  I'm versed in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and engineering, in addition to monster studies, mythological studies, ancient Dwarf, ancient Elf, and of course, magic theory.

Heck, if you want to learn it and I don't know it, I'll learn it with you.  I'll put in just as much effort to help you gain whatever knowledge it is you desire.  I am a scholar, after all.  This offer isn't restricted to children.  I'm willing to teach anyone as long as they're willing to learn.

So, Yomiko, if you don't mind . . . I'll be coming in on an even more regular basis now.  I may return to the school to teach a proper subject if anyone else decides to take on a teaching position, but until then, it's ridiculous to mandate school attendance.


((Yes!  You read that right.  After the most successful teaching run ever, Klarth is quitting his job and becoming a private, self-employed tutor.  He will not charge a set amount for his services, but will take whatever the tutoree is willing to offer.  If no one wants to take him up on his offer, he will starve.  No, actually.  He's been saving up his money for this express purpose for months now just in case no one pays him anything.

Though this happened sometime between last November and now, Klarth has regained all of his specialized knowledge, including everything that he noted above.  All of his knowledge, however, is tainted by his knowledge of magic, meaning that for instance, biology involves monsters capable of creating psychic energy blasts, physics has replaced electricity with lightning magic, etc.  He is, however, more than competent enough to tutor these topics well.

5% regain on the above, 19% regain total out of 33%.))

 . . .

T-This is entirely unreasonable!  I've lived here for more than a year.  You can't spring a roommate on me now!  My research!  My texts!  My experiments!  . . . How can I be expected to get anything done with only half a room to my name?!

Nathan!  Where did all my documents go?!

 . . . The heck?  What in Aselia is going on here?  Kurai?  Who's Kurai?  Why am I hallucinating about her?  Granted, the succubus look is pretty damn hot, but.  I digress.  Tsubasa!  An active demonstration of those Alice potion thingamabobberss wasn't needed, thanks.  Ten points off your next exam.  Now hurry and get the antidote; it's hard to do work when you're sexually aroused not even remotely entertaining.  Tch.  Boys.

[filtered to everyone who isn't Ari]
Cat people.  Really.  The island was first populated by cats when she first arrived.

 . . .

Does anyone else think she's screwing with us?  That she found out about the diary entries we, ah-hem, appropriated and left this page lying about as some sort of odd prank?  There doesn't seem to be anything else of interest on this page aside from the anthropomorphic kitties.

For those of you who missed the first batch of diary entries:

( Collapse )

Public Service Announcement:
It has been brought to my attention that the shopkeepers of Memento Eden are, and have always been, winged humanoid cats.  I did not know this despite playing here for a year and a half.  So I suspect a lot of other people do not know this, either.  Apologies for any confusion.  Please disregard this post unless you wish to discuss the other journal entries.  Thanks!

My apologies for the delay, Ratatosk. All preparations are ready. Should any witnesses care to be present in case anything gets out of hand, you are welcome to observe.

((Was gonna do a long, well thought out post, but it's a total copout instead, sorry. =( ))

[private, hackable to friends]
Were there more . . . ? 

Cless Alvein, Mint Adnade, Arche Klaine . . . And Suzu.  Suzu Fujibayashi.  A heroic young ninja from the hidden village of Japon.  I don't recall if she'd accompanied us on our journey, but.  I seem to remember this girl with a fair bit of fondness.  As well as . . . Chester Barklight.  A blue-haired young man, a friend of Cless and Mint's whom we didn't meet until . . .

Until . . .

Until we'd returned to the future?!  WHAT?!  That can't possibly be right.  Cless and Mint -- I remember them coming to me after my classes one day.  I remember thinking it was a decidedly odd request, but they insisted that they were gathering magic users in order . . . in order to bring them back to the future to save their friend, Chester, from . . . from a sealed evil that was threatening to destroy the world, past, present, and future . . . What in the name of Yggdrasil?  And . . . And I agreed!  Why on Aselia would I agree to something like that?!  I must've been out of my mind!  What sort of proof did they show me?  What was I thinking?!

Ah!  Perhaps I'm merely remembering a game we played.  A skit we carried out.  That must be it . . .

A sealed evil . . . An evil that threatened past, present, and future.  Ridiculous.  R-Right?

[public]
I understand that the number of students in class has been slowly dwindling day by day.  This does not, however, mean that you can merely skip school at your leisure and believe I won't notice.  Emil?  I'm afraid this applies to you.

New arrivals -- Takeru, Taichi, Alphonse, Jaime . . . You are welcome to attend if you wish.  I am the instructor of Home Economics, Professor Klarth F. Lester.

((3% from Halloween spent, 14% memory regain total, 0% remaining.  1% on possible party member Suzu Fujibayashi, 1% on latecomer Chester Barklight, 1% on the initial meeting between himself, Cless, and Mint.))

Y-Yes!

This is it. This is precisely the knowledge that I needed.

A magical beast -- Is there a magical beast somewhere? Professor Mokona! Uh. Demon! Demoness?! Is that surly angel still around? Oh, Erk! Do you still turn into a cat?!

((1% regained on his ability to do oddly large amounts of damage by slamming books on people. Just kidding. 1% regained on the knowledge that Summoning is not restricted to Summon Spirits, more specifically, that he could formerly call Gremlins and a Gigantic Lizard Of Some Sort. 1% regained on the usage of the pact rings in the summoning process. 11% memory regain total, 0% remaining.))

[private, hackable to friends]
Cless Alvein.  Mint Adnade.  Arche Klaine.

And with these names, faces and a memory.  A young man, blonde, dressed in gleaming white armor and a red cloak.  He is kneeling, smiling encouragingly to the girl lying at his feet, the two of them before a massive tree, so large that its branches seem to fill up the entire sky.  She wears the cap of a healer, a jewel-tipped staff held in her hands as tears run down her face.  All branches of magic are forbidden to the full-blooded human, but nonetheless, the staff glows with power, and I am convinced that she has just performed a miracle.  A short distance away is an elf -- she claps her hands together as she stares at the tree, bouncing atop a broomstick hovering 6 feet in the air.  A stereotypical image of a witch, but she is far too cheerful.  Her hair is a ridiculous shade of pink.

I stare in awe at the tree as well, a book lying open in my hands.  Not one of my summoning tools -- The page lies open to a sketch of the tree in question.  And a name.  Yggdrasil.

These . . . I suppose they were my friends.

[public]
I appear to have received yet another ring as my 'item from home'.  Fair enough, I suppose, though this one appears to be quite a bit different.  It might just be a ring.  Nothing special about it at --

[There is a sudden whoosh sound and an outraged cry following immediately after.]

AAAAAAAAUGGGH!  FIRE!  AGAIN!  must . . . roll away . . . from precious . . . research . . .

[There is a thumping sound as Klarth stops, drops, and rolls out of his room and down several flights of stairs.]

((3% from Memory Raffle used on the names and appearances of his first three party members.  1% from Tanabata used on the resurrection of Yggdrasil.  9% memory regain total.  Klarth has received the Sorceror's Ring, which shoots energy that tends to set things on fire and which should be familiar to some of the other Tales characters.))

A ball, huh . . . ?  Seems like it's all anyone's taking about these days.  Guess people'll grab at whatever little bit of excitement they can get.

These sort of events aren't really the sort of thing I'd normally be interested in, but the rewards sound pretty nice.  I'd rather not go alone if I can help it, though -- Any takers?  So long as you're female, above the age of 18, and preferably human-esque, I'm not too picky at this point.  Most of you've probably made plans already.

[filtered to Terra]
 . . .

 . . .

 . . . Uh.  Terra.  I-If you don't mind my asking.  And if no one else has asked you already.  Also if you're not busy.  And if it happens that you might possibly feel like it.  Also . . .

Huh.  Hang on, I had a speech or something along those lines memorized, but I seem to have forgotten it somewhere in my brain.  That doesn't really make sense.  Forgotten it somewhere.

That is.

Ah-hem.  Would you care to go to the ball with me?

((Klarth is not at all in his usual spirits for some unknown reason.  Feel free to notice.  I am aware that Terra has already made plans.  I think.))