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I am thou...thou art I. I am Kay, Seneschal of the Kingdom of Dreams. Now then, show me thy mettle and prove to me thou art a full worthy knight, for I shall accept no better master.
Shinsuke's Persona is Kay, seneschal and devil's advocate of the Court of King Arthur. He started out in the early Welsh tradition as a valiant, clever, and eloquent warrior with various fire- and water-related supernatural powers; the later tradition assigned him a wicked tongue and a decided contempt for anyone who didn't measure up to his exacting standards. Despite his villainous qualities, Kay was passing loyal to his comrades, particularly Bedivere, Lancelot, and Gawain, and to his king (who was also his foster-brother). His pointed insults were his way of ensuring the quality of those who would call themselves Knights of the Round Table. As seneschal Kay was the master of the king's household, and was skilled in all manner of domestic tasks as well as those expected of a knight of his stature. He is also the only major knight who is not pledged to a lady, instead being more or less pledged to Arthur himself. That's not significant at all, though.
Shinsuke's resonance feels warm and close, like one is sitting in a kitchen with a merrily-blazing fire in its hearth. It makes the people around him feel safe, as it gives the definite impression that he will go to any lengths to defend and care for those to whom he has pledged his loyalty. A faint scent of spices and burning wood follows this sense, which is itself coupled with the sound of wind that presages rain and of steel being drawn against leather. To wit: [1]
Due to Kay being something of an unstable character (there are two different iterations of him, arguably three), as well as having a rash, hot-blooded character, Shinsuke is not always in full control of his Persona. Kay is the embodiment of his inner critical voice, and will attempt to handle matters himself if he feels his master isn't capable of handling them on his own. He is kind to Shinsuke, but he is also abrasive and demanding of perfection. During combat Kay influences Shinsuke to a greater degree, leading to Shinsuke's normally elevated speech becoming archaic and his normally un-elevated temper becoming an easily-affronted flame of barely constrained rage. He is still capable of sound judgment, but his usual overweening caution is bolstered by the Seneschal into something more seemly. Kay is most content when Shinsuke is caring for the people in his charge and succeeding at the tasks he sets before himself, so he usually only pops up when he feels his master has been insulted in some way or when he fails at something. Unfortunately, when he pops up he really pops up, sorely testing Shinsuke's patience and self-control.
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