dear fellow traveler under the moon

[memori3s]

Who: Minato & You!
Where: All around Aldrip
What: Catch-all for the month with open prompts, maybe some closed starters too
Warnings: Injury, suicidal ideation, asphyxiation, updated as needed.

i. ball is life

[ City Hall's gardens have quickly become a spot that Minato frequented. He's often here in the early evenings, accompanied by Koromaru. It's an ideal place for the dog to stretch his legs. Aldrip doesn't appear to have any leash laws. Ergo, Koromaru roams free as Minato sits by himself on a bench.

The shiba inu trots about with a red ball in his mouth, tail held high with a pleased look on his face. He circles back to Minato who's seated on his usual bench today. Typically, Minato observes as Koromaru entertains himself, racing around the greenspace or flinging whatever toy he's brought with him that day.

Today though, Koromaru stands in front of Minato and presents the ball to him, tail wagging enthusiastically.

You WILL throw ball, Minato Arisato. Ball is LIFE. ]

ii. gardening

[ Visiting the farmhouse is a recent addition to Minato's daily routine. He greets the animals there even though he's technically not at the farmhouse to see them. He can't help but offer a friendly headpat or snoutpat to the ones that are bold enough to approach.

There's an empty field of soil just outside the farmhouse. Kotone's offered it to him, leaving Minato free to use it for his new project. He's there today wearing comfortable work clothes, kneeling in the dirt with a hand hoe to carefully loosen the soil.

It began with an off-the-cuff response, an answer to a question that's always been difficult for Minato to grapple with.

"Is there anything you've always wanted to try, but never have?" Kotone had asked as they walked side by side through City Center, a bag of peanuts in his hand that she'd pressed into his palm.

And even before that, there'd been Sha-Ming with earnest anger flaring in his eyes as he declared that all creatures should have dreams, desires, and things they wanted to do while clinging stubbornly to life.

He's not used to contemplating all the things he'd like to try, things he never got the opportunity to do. He's here now though, thanks to the response he'd given to Kotone's question. Minato decides this answer is satisfactory as he continues loosening the soil to prepare it for some seedlings.

There's some soil streaked on a cheek, and his elbows have some dirt on them too. He's content though, quietly working on his task. ]

iii. i am thou, thou art i

[ The mild breeze leaves delicate ripples along the oceanwater's surface. The shore's salty air fills Minato's lungs, clearing his mind and easing any troublesome thoughts that plague him as of late.

It's why he finds himself at the beach again today, shoes removed and socks tucked neatly in them. The sand is warm and silky under his feet, offering him something to focus on other than how, lately, his mind continuously strays to a ruined moonlit bridge.

Something brushes against his foot and disturbs his train of thought. It shifts his gaze from the horizon to the floor. There's a crab scuttling across his feet; it pauses in between them, freezing when it senses someone's attention focused on it. Then it's moving again, faster, making a beeline towards the water.

He takes a step forward to follow the trail left by the little crab. He doesn't get very far, interrupted by a sudden, agonizing pain in his head. He folds over with a gasp, pressing a hand against his forehead. He does not see the towering shadow taking shape from behind, unaware of its presence until a white-gloved hand grips his shoulder.

The creature shoves him down. He collapses like a marionette cut from its strings. And as he looks up to identify his assailant, he swiftly realizes there is nothing to truly fear. He immediately recognizes that metal mask. It's why he doesn't struggle against the hand holding him down, merely gazing back at the familiar Persona: Thanatos.

The Persona unsheathes its sword and releases an earsplitting wail, driving the weapon's sharpened tip through Minato's shoulder. But Minato makes no noise, even as it cuts through flesh and blood pools beneath him. There's no need to be afraid. After all, Thanatos must be here simply to remind him that, out of everything in the world, Death is the sole certainty. ]

iv. wildcard

[ Let me know if you're interested in a starter! You can send a private plurk to me at alaudarum or hmu in the Discord! ]

Comments

@ akechi

[memori3s]

[ Minato doesn't expect to be invited on an outing by Akechi. In fact, Akechi Goro's one of the last people he figured would want his company. The detective doesn't seem particularly interested in him, outside of Koromaru. On the other hand, Minato's not the sort to turn down an invitation piquing his curiosity.

And thus, he finds himself at Commercial District with Koromaru trotting at his side. Details provided about the outing were sparse. Minato simply assumed he'd find out more from Akechi in person.

He's seated on one of the benches scattered on either side of the road. It's the path that winds through the entire Commercial District. Koromaru, sporting the red hoodie Akechi gave him, lies at Minato's feet. ]

[murderingjustice]

[Minato Arisato still remains the only wildcard Goro Akechi has not quite figured out yet. He has presence that is somehow yet very similar to Yu, Akira and Kotone while still managing to stand out with his nonchalant and well.. unremarkableness? There was something about the younger persona user that gave him an air of mystery to him, effortlessly drawing others close to him.

So, yes. To Akechi Minato was a bit of an oddity. An abnormality, so to speak.

The purpose of this meeting was for Akechi to figure out just what was his deal. And to see whether he can use it to his benefit.]

--Ah. I see you are already here, Arisato-kun. I'm sorry for my tardiness. [Akechi calls when he sees the dark haired boy sitting on the bench. The smile on his lips widens, though, when he sees Koromaru by his feet. Wearing his gift-hoodie on top of all things!] Koromaru-kun. It's good to see you too.

plotting no violence without any clowns (feat: shinjiro, rolo, akechi)

[memori3s]

[ Clown murderers, assemble!

Four boys sit around a circular table. A dog sits near the feet of one of them, nibbling on a freshly-grilled hotdog.

Minato doesn't breathe a single word. In fact, he's been sitting there with his headphones on, so it's unclear whether he's been paying attention to the discussion at all. There isn't much to talk about, is there?

A disembodied voice echoes in his head: explain to the rest of the Chosen why murder is unforgivable. How exactly you accomplish this task is up to you. Very generous of the Council to leave mode of execution wholly up to the four of them. Not that such freedom would make much of a difference.

Minato's gaze shifts around the table as he glances at each person sitting around the table. He wrinkles his nose. They're probably toast, huh... ]

[drugsnotclubs]

[It's pretty clear that none of them want to be here- even if the hot dog stand someone picked out to sit and talk at is pretty good. For the moment, he's content to pay more attention to his food than to the other guys around him. But eventually he's out of hot dog and has to sigh while hunting for a napkin to rub his fingers on. Not finding one, he just dips his hand below the table to let Koromaru take care of it and starting his bitching as he does so.]

I still don't thinking winning a fight like that is murder.

[Fuck the Council.]

garden is life 🪴

[mapsio]

[Haru’s garden area is shaping up to be pretty impressive. She’s already fostering some sprouts, and it looks like she’s even got a couple of produce items nearly ready for harvest! So when she sees Minato tilling and loosening the soil of another empty plot, she can’t help but find herself a little bit curious. Not many people have an interest in gardening, or mind the soils as often as she does…so she’s definitely going to ask! ]

Minato-san? Are you going to grow something?

[ If the answer is yes, she’s about to offer him a few things to help his plants…!]

I couldn’t help but ask, I have a few things that might help you out.

garden is life!!

[memori3s]

[ Minato looks up at the sound of a familiar voice. It's Haru, a familiar sight around the farmhouse. After all, he's seen her tending to some of the gardens too.

He nods and sets the hand hoe down for a moment. ]

Yeah. I've never done it before, but... I want to try.

[ He'd done a little bit of research on what sorts of produce might be hardy enough to be considered beginner-friendly. And so, he'd settled on spinach.

Minato offers her a smile, though there's an apologetic element to it. ]

Any advice would be really helpful.

[ Maybe he should have asked given that he knows Haru has plenty of gardening experience, but he'd figured tilling the soil is something he could do on his own. ]

iii

[fieldtrip]

[ She'd been idly strolling along, contemplating wandering over to say hello to Minato when she senses him get stabbed right through the shoulder. By now, after some decent time spent practicing her resistance to mental status effects with Minato, Toph is pretty familiar with his Persona, presumably including Thanatos.

Fortunately for her, her time spent mastering sandbending comes in handy, both because the events ring clearly to her through the sand so she knows what happened, and so she can skid across the cresting sand banks over to Minato's side incredibly quickly. ]

Hey, what's your damage?! Quit it, Thanatos!

[ She hovers nearby, already in an earthbending stance if she needs to enforce her command. Seriously, are all Persona like this? What the effing heck? ]

[memori3s]

[ Thanatos doesn't move. The Persona continues to loom over Minato, blade piercing through his shoulder. It turns its head to face Toph, exerting an ominous aura in an attempt to instill Fear in her.

And though Minato hasn't responded to Toph's presence, it seems he's still exerting some control over Thanatos. Instead of reacting violently, the Persona chooses to try driving Toph off through a status condition.

Even in his daze Minato tries to ensure Thanatos doesn't physically attack those around him. Should any harm come to Toph, Minato would never live it down. ]

...Toph?

[ Minato blinks as recognition returns to his irises. ]

It's okay, it doesn't hurt.

[ It's hard to feel anything through the haze in his mind. Something whispers in the back of it: remember.

Remember: you, and everyone around you, will die. ]

...I've been looking away lately. That's all.

iii; slams here

[laserguy]

[Sometimes you just want to take a quiet walk around the beach. Yeah, he could be spending more time with his girlfriend or his friends, but sometimes walking alone without anyone else is still good shit. It's what he used to do back home, back before being a mutant. Besides, the appearance of Sentinels in the Tower has caused something to become unsettled in him, despite how successful he was against them-- despite knowing that Kotone and all of his friends would be here to take them down. It's just... a little terrifying that those robots are around, somewhere, designed to murder him and Kurt specifically.

But then he sees Minato. And Thanatos. And--

Scott's already running towards the scene and just what the fuck. What's happening?? But no time to really think about the whys right now, not when that sword is piercing through his friend's shoulder. Quickly, he considers the best course of action-- he knows Thanatos is tied to Minato, so hurting him will hurt Minato-- but if he's not stopped now, that sword might go through more than just his shoulder and fuck.

So, snapping his sunglasses off, the mutant opens his eyes to let those bright red beams shoot out, hitting squarely against the Persona's body.]

Minato!

[Why does he always meet Thanatos in this way? First Kotone, and now Minato...]

so remember when i asked what damage type optic beams do. well,

[memori3s]

[ The lasers hit Thanatos in the side, but Persona doesn't seem to give them any thought. They barely leave any marks behind as Thanatos shrugs off the damage. It seems there's no need for Scott to worry about hurting Minato through Thanatos.

The Persona lets out an ear-piercing wail and exerts an oppressive aura. The Persona's body shifts and turns to Scott, the chain links adorning its body clinking together. Thanatos doesn't move immediately as though it's caught between withdrawing its blade to turn it on Scott, or continuing whatever business it had with Minato. ]

Thanatos, wait --

[ Minato reaches up with his uninjured arm, grasping onto the Persona's glove. ]

It's okay, Scott. I don't... think he's here to hurt me.

[ Never mind the sword in his shoulder. On the other hand, Thanatos really doesn't seem to be hostile so long as Scott keeps his distance.

There's a small smile on Minato's face as he takes a trembling breath. ]

...it's okay. I'm not afraid.

[ He remembers now. There's no need to fear the end. ]

BALL IS LIFE

[invinciblemikey]

(his bike makes such a sweet, distinguishable sound as it roams through the streets of aldrip - whether they are made for it or not. there's no particular reason for him to be doing so, it's purely out of enjoyment until he sees a koromaru running in the distance. he actually has some beef in his bag, he'll try to cook them without burning, but a good dog deserves some, right? so he'll go onto grass, stopping by the bench.)

Hey, is he allowed to eat meat?

BALL!!!

[memori3s]

[ Minato's come to recognize the distinct sound of that bike. He glances up as he takes the ball from Koromaru's mouth. The dog turns to greet Manjiro too, tail wagging faster at the sight of someone familiar.

At the mention of "meat," Koromaru barks and pants enthusiastically. Minato nods too. ]

Yeah, he can.

[ Minato looks more curious than Koromaru about what's in Manjiro's bag. ]

you know why i'm here

[orphne]

Thanatos!

[If it sounds like she'd been running, well, she had been. One of her morning routines a long time ago had become running along the beach to try to keep her stamina up in case she needed to fight -- but she hadn't expected to fight right now, on the beach! Like Minato, she also recognizes Thanatos as a force that would never hurt her, at least, not intentionally. Thanatos had always been her protector; even when she'd lost control of him thanks to those freaks in the forest, he'd never hurt her, only those around her.

So seeing him stabbing Minato is a shock, freezing her blood in her veins as she changes direction and sprints toward them both. Evoker in one hand and the other on her heart, she doesn't yet summon her own version of him, though he's at the forefront of her mind.]

Stop! [An authoritative command, because even if he's not hers, maybe he'll still listen.] You're hurting him!

cw sprinkling of suicidal ideation oops

[memori3s]

[ It feels like there's a heavy, cloying haze that's descended over his mind. A distant pain blooms in his shoulder. It's difficult to think of anything other than the giant Persona taking up Minato's entire field of view. There are no distractions available here.

He remembers now: remember, that all things must die. All things must come to an end.

Minato raises his uninjured arm, laying a hand on top of the Persona's hand splayed on top of him, keeping him in place. ]

...I'm sorry. I forgot, didn't I?

[ But then there's another voice that cuts through the haze. It's one that Minato recognizes. And though it's a voice Thanatos hasn't heard just yet, the Persona glances over its shoulder to face Kotone. True to the command, Thanatos does "stop," freezing in place as the Persona stares Kotone down.

Minato blinks and looks in Kotone's direction. His mind clears gradually. The pain in his shoulder intensifies, no longer dulled by Thanatos' influence. Sweat beads on his brow. It hurts. It hurts, but he's not afraid. ]

...Kotone? It's okay, it's -- it's my fault.

[ ... ]

I forgot. I remember now.

[ Perhaps he'd been deluding himself this whole time. He'd already uncovered the answer to Life. And so, Death was simply the next step, the natural consequence to that journey. There's nothing to fear; it should be embraced. ]

iii; thanatos is not friend-shaped

[chemex]

[He's minding his own business, not even taking specific notice of Minato on the beach when he feels Arsène's wings ruffle anxiously in the back of his skull. It's a bizarre sensation, but one he's come to recognize as something being wrong, so he stops and scans his surroundings. He's surreptitious about it, cautious of suddenly looking out of place, himself, so by the time he's turned to look at the beach, Thanatos is pushing Minato down.]

[Akira doesn't fully register breaking into a run, and the moment he launches off the sand and hurtles himself toward Thanatos like a weird gangly projectile is far too late for him to realize he definitely should have called on Arsène, instead, but-- too late now.]

[Colliding with those coffins is gonna hurt like a bitch.]

to YOU

[memori3s]

[ Akira does, in fact, collide with one of the coffins. And unfortunately for Akira his gangly projectile body does physical damage. Thanatos doesn't even acknowledge the newcomer's presence, instead choosing to lean further onto its sword to press it further into both Minato's shoulder and the sand. More crimson blooms beneath the wound to dye it a deeper red.

Only then does the Persona turn to face Akira, the sound of metal scraping against metal as the coffins shift with Thanatos' body. The Persona extends an arm to shove Akira aside. It doesn't seem to be trying to hurt Akira though, and instead, attempting to force some distance between them.

It's not unlike Thanatos attempting to swat aside a fly. ]

i

[entreats]

[ Minato may be focused enough on the dog in this moment that he might not notice anyone else in the gardens - let alone someone familiar.

Still, even if he may not have necessarily noticed Ange's approach, he'll at least realise the other girl is there when she speaks up with her usual flat, relatively emotionless tone, remarking: ]

I didn't know you had a dog.

[ If he looks over at her, Ange is looking the same way as she always does too, her perfect poker face on. Rather than looking directly over at Minato, she's staring at Koromaru. ]

[memori3s]

[ Oh. It's Ange.

He hadn't registered her presence until the girl spoke up. ]

He's not really mine.

[ It must be an odd response. After all, he's here with Koromaru where he'd been tossing a ball for the dog. It was a perfectly ordinary scene between a dog and its presumed master. ]

Koromaru just decided he wanted to live with us.

[ "Us," says Minato, even if he's never actually mentioned SEES to Ange before. And while it's true that Koromaru is absolutely a dog, he's always felt more like another dormmate to Minato.

Koromaru looks over his shoulder at Ange and steps towards her. He holds his head up high, presenting the ball in his mouth to her. ]

gardening

[everblooms]

That's too deep.

[ Without care for her dress pale as flower petals, Aerith presses her knees into the damp soil next to him. How long had she been aware of him? The little outline of him, boyish and small, sloped shoulders tight but hunched. She had placed one palm on his shoulder, balanced all her weight onto it before kneeling down. It probably felt like nothing, she thought to herself. She was as light as a flower, easily carried away by the winds' whims in much the same way.

Her fingers move, spreading the top of the dirt with familiarity. She'd done this all the time beneath the steel sky of her home in Sector 5. A smile plays at her lips, the edges dark and ghostly. A false smile. ]

You really tucked them in, didn't you? [ She tilts her head to look at him, brown tresses falling over a caterpillar green gaze. ] They'll suffocate like this. Everything has to breathe, Minato. [ In the gentle tones of an amused teacher, she says, ]

Let's help them. Oh, but you did such a good job with wetting the soil. It's perfect.

[memori3s]

[ That voice --

Minato glances up from his work as Aerith kneels next to him. How long had she been observing him?

It's his turn to watch as her fingertips dust over the damp soil. It will almost certainly leave her nails with dirt trapped underneath them, but Aerith doesn't seem to pay any mind. She works with the air of grace solely acquired through firsthand experience. ]

Oh. I guess so...

[ He glances back at the row of dirt he'd been working on before tugging one of his gloves off. He then nudges his bare fingertips into the soil. Now that he's trying it out, Minato realizes it's easier to gauge the soil's density this way. He can feel just how tightly things are packed without the gloves interfering. ]

Have you done this before, Aerith?

[ ... ]

I never got to try gardening, so I thought... maybe I could try now.

[ Better late than never, right? ]

@ kotone

[memori3s]

[ They're back at the clubhouse rooftop. Instead of winter chill biting at Minato's cheeks, the sun is out shining cheerfully between thick clouds. It's a pleasant day, the vibe perhaps ill-fitting for the conversation he's about to have with Kotone.

This time, he'd been the one to text Kotone: ]

Meet me at the clubhouse rooftop soon?

[ He sits on its edge. Instead of dangling his legs off the rooftop, they're drawn up to his chest while he hugs his knees. There's an opened box of manju between him and Kotone. Although Minato's the one who brought it for both of them, he hasn't reached for any of the pastries just yet. ]

Ryoji seems to be fitting in with everyone.

[ An easy, soft ball statement to open. ]

[orphne]

Be there soon!

[No preamble, no silly emojis. If Minato's asking for them to meet on the roof, it might be important. She'll just finish her work on the farm and head up there, taking her own seat and letting her feet dangle freely off the edge in contrast to his own more withdrawn way of sitting. The manju look good, but she'll wait for Minato to eat one before she digs in. That might be in a minute, that might be in an hour, but she'll wait.]

Yeah! [She props herself back on her hands and gazes up at the clouds above, then glances sideways to Minato.] I think he's making friends here and having fun.

[She doesn't say it aloud, but there's an obvious question in the slightly guarded set to her smile and in her eyes. Why call her up here for this?]

iii

[pallasathena]

[Aigis still finds herself drawn to the beach after all this time. Minato is here with her, he's safe, she's not searching for anything, really... and yet. She can't help but feel like there's something else she's forgetting.

She lets the sound of the waves wash over her and breathes. Breathing in ocean air is supposed to be good for you, Yukari's told her something like that before. But she feels as if she must have known so before that too. Before they had met, she was always drawn to the ocean.

Her thoughts are interrupted by a ghastly wail, and she immediately puts all her sentimental wonderings away. The cry is familiar, one she had hoped she wouldn't hear here, but that she feared might be inevitable. Although she's some ways away from the source of the sound, she diverts all her energy to her legs and boosters in order to catch up.

Seeing Minato and Thanatos so close together, she feels her body tense even further.]

Persona!

[And yeah, here's Pallas Athena to fight off Death.]

[aigis voice] ah shit here we go again

[memori3s]

[ It hadn't seemed as though Thanatos was interested in anything other than commanding Minato's attention through force if necessary. But as soon as Pallas Athena appears, Thanatos turns to face its newest opponent. Death lets out an anguished roar, tugging its blade free from Minato's shoulder as it sets its sights on Pallas Athena.

Thanatos rushes forward, leaving clouds of sand in its wake. It brandishes its sword, slashing at Aigis' Persona. It seems Thanatos has forgotten about Minato for now in favor of lashing out at a familiar enemy.

The sound of Aigis' voice snaps Minato out of his daze. He pushes himself off the floor to sit up. It sends a sharp pain radiating from his shoulder as blood drips from his wound. He should heal himself, but he should also get Thanatos under control, but there's blood everywhere, and --

He clutches at his head with his uninjured arm as his head begins to throb. ]

iii

[bonobos]

[ he doesn't expect him to be here.

retreating into the outermost corners of the city is what he does-- there are no people to be found, just the soil and silence,. but minato is here, wading along the shoreline, wordless.

sha-ming breaks out into a smile, brightening instantly at the sight; he pads along the sand, eager to meet up with him. it was a boy's day out, now!

it happens within a flash, a single tick of the clock. a behemoth, unlike anything he's ever known, materializes behind him. minato is dwarfed by it instantly, and sha-ming is bolting by the time the hand has clasped him, trapping him within its clutches.

a long stream of silver appears; sha-ming's heartrate quickens. any scream he could manage is caught in his throat. he runs in head first and stands before the creature, shoulders rising and falling with his breath. ]

Back off. [ his expression is entirely unmoving, cold and waxen. ] Take me instead.

cw stabbing yippee

[memori3s]

[ The blood from Minato's shoulder stains Thanatos' white glove in crimson. The Persona remains still though, unmoving as its mask's empty eye sockets gaze at the man before it. Thanatos stares, considering, evaluating.

And then it moves, the coffins adorning its back creaking noisily. The Persona slides its blade from its initial victim, silver steeped in crimson.

Minato blinks as pressure from the hand holding him down begins to lessen. He's being set free, no longer pinned to the ground by Thanatos' blade. Though pain arcs down his arm, he ignores it in favor of looking up at Sha-Ming. The expression sends a shudder through him. He's... never seen Sha-Ming looking like that before, completely composed in the face of a monster. ]

No -- Thanatos, don't --!

[ But it's too late, a sharp throb erupting in Minato's head as the Persona fights his commands. It thrusts its bloodied blade forward, driving it into the right side of Sha-Ming's ribcage.

Here on the shore, a nightmarish blood oath is forged. ]