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

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. ]

[entreats]

.. you found him in the wild?

[ She's definitely mistaking the situation. It's easy with Minato's wording, after all. It kind of sounds like he didn't meet Koromaru until he was already in this place. Which would make Koromaru.. what, a monster dog? Then again, not all creatures out here in the wild are really all that dangerous. Some are pretty normal.

And Koromaru-- He looks normal. He seems like just about any other dog to Ange, which is reason enough for her to bend down so she can take the ball from him and then throw it away for him.

D-Don't tell anyone how she's willing to play with you though, Koromaru! This could severely damage her reputation..!!

Once she's tossed the ball, she turns back to look at Minato again. ]

Or did he just.. come up to you here?

[memori3s]

[ Given Koromaru's ability to summon his very own Persona, "monster dog" might not be too far off in some people's minds... But it's true. Koromaru looks like any old dog. He politely hands the ball off to Ange before taking off, sprinting across the lawn to chase after it. You know. Regular dog things.

Minato shakes his head once Koromaru's run off. ]

No, he's from my home world. I'm not sure how he ended up here, but he found me after Aldrip's environment changed.

[ Almost as if Koromaru had been here all along, waiting for Minato to show up. ]

His old owner was the priest of a local shrine who passed away. He was living there for awhile. ...one day, he decided to come live at our dorm instead.

[ Koromaru comes bounding back to the two of them. Instead of giving the ball back to Minato, he stops in front of Ange and looks up at her with pleading eyes. ]

[entreats]

[ At least Ange knows that things showing up from their home worlds isn't such a strange thing in this place. She has seen it happen before. Though usually those things were items. Objects. Sometimes even places. The idea of a pet showing up instead is a little less common-- but then again, maybe it's a little more along the same lines of how sometimes monsters from their worlds appear in this place. Those are living beings too, after all, even if they're a little more hostile.

Ange considers it as she watches the dog return before bending down to take the ball from Koromaru, moving back upright to throw it away for the dog again. She's still a little quiet, as if she's thinking about all of it even in this moment. ]

He must like you. If he bothered to come find you not one, but twice, I mean.

[ First moving over to Minato's dorm, and then - even so far away from that world - finding him here all over again. ]

[memori3s]

[ Koromaru's off to the races once again, scampering off to gleefully chase after the ball. Minato watches with a pensive expression. Koromaru must have had a lot on his mind in the past, given that he'd been a full-fledged member of SEES. Maybe it's nice being here where he can be a full-time dog as opposed to a secret Shadow-fighting operative.

Minato hums and considers Ange's observation. ]

Maybe. I think the first time, he stayed because he felt like we needed him. This time, I'm not so sure.

[ Maybe Koromaru still felt like Minato needed him? Hm. ]

He seems to like you too.

[ And Minato trusts Koromaru's judge of character. ]

[entreats]

Well, lucky me. I'm not often among the people who are picked to be liked.

[ She says it so flatly that it's almost sarcastic. The only thing that betrays the fact that it's not actually all sarcasm is the fact that the corners of Ange's lips are definitely tugging upward just a little bit when Koromaru returns again. This time she won't take the ball right away, instead opting to pet the good boy, fingers ruffling his fur.

It's all she seems to do for a few moments until she turns her head sideways to glance at Minato again. (The pets don't stop though, don't worry about that, Koromaru!) ]

Are you sure he didn't think you might need him again here?

[ Ange can think of several reasons to have a dog around. Especially if said dog is already a friend of Minato's. ]

[memori3s]

[ Minato blinks and looks to Ange. He can't imagine why that might be the case. She's been perfectly nice to him in his opinion. It's why he raises a brow at her as she gives Koromaru some good pets. ]

Why not?

[ Sure, she's a little standoffish, but who isn't?

Koromaru's tail wags as soon as Ange's hand settles on his head. He pants contentedly; this is better than having a ball thrown for him. ]

... I don't know. Maybe he did think that.

[ Minato's gaze shifts to Koromaru. Perhaps he'll never know. It's not like he can understand the dog, but... maybe he'll ask Aigis sometime. ]

He's pretty smart. I guess if anyone can figure out how to get here on their own, it would be Koromaru.

[entreats]

[ Hey, if Koromaru likes it, then the petting definitely continues. Apparently Ange has no problem at all with indulging animals, for how standoffish she is around most people.. Koromaru is getting all of the good scritches right now.

In fact, the girl even looks away from Minato and back over at the dog, just to make sure Koromaru is getting the proper attention he deserves in this moment. ]

If only he could tell us. [ She briefly comments--

--and then goes quiet.

Minato had said something else, after all. Something that's a little harder to address, yet Ange doesn't want to ignore it entirely. Maybe exactly because Minato has been relatively decent to her. ]

As for me.. It's pretty obvious, isn't it? [ Ange shrugs, trying her best to make it look nonchalant. Like she doesn't really care. ] I think most people realise pretty quickly I'm kind of an off-putting girl.

[memori3s]

[ Koromaru truly holds many secrets.

Minato considers Ange's response. If it were pretty obvious, he wouldn't be asking her. He even has the gall to raise his brows. Maybe he's not "most people," given that he hasn't had any issues with Ange's disposition. ]

...I don't know. I've never thought that about you.

[ Then again, Minato's the sort who generally gets along with everyone.

Meanwhile, Koromaru's happy to bask in Ange's attention. While he gets plenty of pets from Minato and the others back at the inn, this is much different. These, mind you, are the fabled super scritches, ones that are only dispensed by tsunderes with a soft spot for animals. ]

[entreats]

Ahh, really?

[ It'd be nice to take that as a compliment.

But Ange can't. Somewhere between the fact that it'd fluster her too much and the fact that she's horribly worried it's some sort of lie, she just can't accept those words so easily. It'd be too much like giving herself hope, and all of Ange's hope in her life has only ever met to set her up for failure.

So.. ]

Are you a masochist then?

[ Clearly the only normal thing to say here, right.

A normal thing to ask while she's busy petting your dog and only looking at your dog while she's giving scritches, rather than actually over at you.. ]

Or are you just not picky about the kind of people you have around you? It's got to be either of those two, right? Most people tend to be pretty outspoken about me otherwise.

[memori3s]

[ Because it's Minato, he'll take Ange's question completely seriously and at face-value. ]

I don't think so.

[ At the very least, he's pretty sure he's not a masochist. And if that's the case, the latter is the only option left. It's true enough. Minato spent time making company with all sorts of people, even the kinds of people that others shunned or demeaned. ]

I think everyone has something to offer, no matter who they are.

[ Each person is different, unique, and that in turn makes them special to him.

Koromaru, blissfully ignorant to the conversation between the two humans, continues to pant contentedly as Ange offers him scritches. He sits up a bit straighter though before slowly collapsing sideways, rolling onto his back to expose his tummy. Come on, Ange. You know you want to give a good boy some belly rubs... ]

[entreats]

[ Sorry, Koromaru.

This time you do go neglected. Not that Ange isn't willing to dish out the most wanted belly rubs of all, but her attention is fully taken away from the dog by Minato now. Blame him, if you must blame anyone.. Because there's no way she can't look at him when he's saying something like this, of all things.

There's something faintly skeptical in her gaze, but the girl mostly just looks well and truly surprised. It takes a moment before she can even speak. ]

.. are you that optimistic?

[ She says it almost like the words just don't make sense to her. Like it's hard for her to believe that someone could say something like that and truly mean it.

Yet she hasn't had any reason to assume Minato was lying to her so far. So-- what does that imply for these words? ]

[memori3s]

[ "Optimistic" isn't exactly the word he'd use. It's why there's a frown on Minato's face now as he considers Ange's question. Eventually, he shakes his head. ]

No, I don't... think it's optimism. It's just -- everyone is different. I learn something new from each person I meet.

[ It's realism in a way, isn't it? Perhaps it's a touch naive of him. But it's something he truly believes. Even if the relationship with the person is painful or ends in heartbreak, it will spur evolution for him. And what is life, if not to pursue change? ]

...even if the end result is sad, it's hard to regret the time I spent with someone.

[ It took time to get there. But thanks to that year he'd spent with SEES, he'd learned how to open himself to others. ]

[entreats]

.. It's weird.

[ At least she's not saying you're weird, so that's already a step up from Ange's usual directness. It's entirely possible that she's going for a more vague warning since she likes Minato enough so far to not want to be entirely mean to him..

Especially when his point of view sounds better than her own, from a purely objective point of view. Isn't what he's saying something you'd hear in those sappy movies people like so much? It's what people want to hear. ]

Usually I'd say you're just saying that because you've never experienced true loss. [ That's what people who are this optimistic usually are like, from Ange's point of view.

They can only say that because they don't understand. Because they don't have her kind of experience. ]

.. but it sounds like you have. And yet you're saying all this anyway.

[ It makes no sense to her. It almost feels like a contradiction. ]