[open] it's full moon again, crazy how time flies

[memori3s]

Who: Minato & You!! (and some closed prompts probably)
Where: All over Aldrip
What: April open log/March event fallout. RIP to Aldrip.
Warnings: None yet.



i. dojo

[ There's a large dojo at the edge of Aldrip. It's vacant on most days with the doors locked shut. But if you stop by on certain days of the week, you'll find the gates wide open for any curious visitors.

It's kept clean despite no one living there. Sometimes, you can find food in its kitchen. There's even a TV with a couple of game consoles hooked up to it. It doesn't look like anyone will mind if you give them a try.

There are a few rooms on the second floor. It looks like some people might have once lived here, probably some high school kids. Others are left empty, but there are beds available if people wished to stay there.

For those who can still recall those who once were, this is the Sano Family's dojo, once under the care of Manjiro "Mikey" Sano. They may recall that it was a place where a couple other Chosen once called their home. Either way, it seems there's not a single trace of them outside of their old belongings.

This dojo has a new caretaker now: Minato Arisato. He doesn't seem to mind people stopping by and poking around. Plus, given the ruined residential district, he's opened the place up for people to stay. ]

ii. restoration

[ Aldrip's a mess. It's debris, debris, and more debris as far as the eye can see. But in truth, it's... a little nostalgic. There'd been a mess to clean up in Aldrip upon Minato's arrival too. Things have simply come full circle.

You might find him in the residential district, helping to clear away ruins of destroyed buildings. He might not be particularly strong, but Minato's determined to help with his own hands. He's volunteered to help clean some soot off the few homes that did survive A2's black box explosion.

Or, he might be at city center, putting his work-in-progress gardening skills to use. He imagines that even the little things, like replanting flowers in the gardens and green spaces, might do wonders to boost morale.

Otherwise, he may be at the farmhouse checking on the animals there. The prior month's chaos caused some of the farm animals to flee to the forest. Fortunately, Minato and Koromaru managed to track down all of them, but he still seems a little worried about them breaking out again. He seems a bit concerned about ensuring they all have enough food too, given how all the businesses are closing down... ]

iii. wildcard/current cr option

[ if none of these speak to you, feel free to hmu! We can figure out a custom starter. Otherwise, if you already have CR with Minato you can hit me with a starter and I will mosey right in o7 ]

Comments

@shade2

[memori3s]

[ Pod was rarely seen without A2. And thus, seeing the little device floating about on its own was out of the ordinary. But considering how Aldrip's local android had gone missing following the Black Beast's destruction, Minato took it upon himself to keep Pod safe. If other residents of Aldrip all returned from death, then it stands to reason that A2 would as well.

One day, Pod stirs and insists that Minato follow it to the outskirts. It floats through the air and leads both boy and dog towards a yawning cavern. It's pitch-black, impossible to see what's inside. ]

Do you have a flashlight?

[ He doesn't know much about the miniature machine, only that it seemed to follow A2 everywhere and could also speak. A light source sure would be handy though to get a better look at what was so special about this cave.

For now, Minato shifts his attention back to the darkness, squinting a bit to get a better sense of what might be lurking within. ]

...is someone there?

[ Koromaru stands still while sniffing the air. His tail suddenly stands at alert, body freezing at the whiff of a vaguely familiar scent.

...she smells a little different than usual though. Why? ]

[abandonware]

Affirmative. [Pod pipes up in its usual clipped and toneless way. A second later, and its now restored flashlight blinks on, lighting up the eerily dark cave. A moment passes, then Pod announces.]

Black box signature of Unit A2 detected. Alert: caution recommended. [...] Data logs prior to disappearance indicate Unit A2's mental state has become unstable.

[It proceeds slowly into the cave, guiding Minato's way. Like A2, Pod's foremost priority is to the residents of this simulation — to Minato and his companion, Koromaru. If Unit A2 was truly beyond help, it would reluctantly perform destruction protocols and give Minato and Koromaru time to escape. It fell within YoRHa's commands. But, also...

A2 herself would ask it do so, if she were capable of such.

It doubts that she is truly lost, however. It'd been tracking Unit A2's movements as soon as it returned, and her behavior had so far fell well within the parameters of her typical routines.

As usual, she'd decided to isolate herself.

Their shadows shift along the dark walls as they proceed inside of the cavernous place. Pod ensures that their path is methodical and cautious. It will turn a corner, then guide Minato down a path for a spell. Pause. It reorients itself to A2's location, then it continues on silence. The cave is quiet and still, and the only sound besides their travel seems to be the dripping of water from a crack in the natural ceiling, or the tumbling of stones down a rocky outcropping. Bats stir above them, but as long as Pod keeps its light low, they remain undisturbed. Sleeping.

Dreaming. Unit A2 had gained a sudden fixation in this topic in the weeks prior to the Black Beast incident. Pod recalls their conversation, their surprise that even animals were able to dream. It had then said to A2 that it did not dream, and neither did Unit A2. That it wondered why.

This conversation had troubled her, and she'd fallen into moody silence for the remainder of the day. It decided not to mention the topic again. Reorienting its behavior to better serve its android.

Pause.

After a time of this quiet, Pod speaks to Minato.]

Unit A2's mental state is among one of this Pod's responsibilities.
As with her successor models, Unit A2 has exhibited above average psychological endurance and ability to compartmentalize. [...] However, the knowledge of this world being a simulation, created and maintained by an artificial intelligence... has caused gradual and significant breakdown of her psyche.

[It falls silent again for a time. Then:]

It is no longer within my capabilities to maintain.

[memori3s]

[ Both boy and dog trail after Pod, their footsteps the only sound other than the faint trickle of condensation dripping off stalactites. Minato listens silently as Pod speaks. Perhaps it's no wonder that the android's mental state had begun to deteriorate; one can only compartmentalize for so long.

He, of all people, should know that.

It's likely equal parts presumptuous as it is arrogance to believe he might succeed in reaching A2 where Pod could not. But maybe that's why Pod had led him here. There was nothing stopping the little device from floating off alone to try and retrieve A2. ]

...is that why you brought us here, Pod?

[ "Us," he says, because surely Koromaru has a role to play too? He'd been worried about A2 in his own way, pacing frantically once Pod announced that it must lead Minato and Koromaru elsewhere. ]

[abandonware]

Affirmative.

[A low, mechanical hum as Pod slowly winds around a corner, then picks up speed down a long stretch of the cave system. They're descending: the air is cooler, and the sparse daylight fades. Gradually, the little droid begins to pick up speed.] Unit A2 habitually isolates during periods of emotional distress. However, this Pod has observed that your words have reached her before. Hypothesis: Subject Minato's presence will help abate Unit A2's condition.

...
Black box signature detected.

[Their descending path opens up into a wide cavern. Shimmering motes of light lazily wind through the air — moss, perhaps? Or pollen. And in the deep shadows, two big, glowing eyes stare at them from the dark.]

—!

[The noise the creature makes sounds like words, almost, but they undulate in a strange, grating way.

Pod slowly moves forward.]

Good morning, A2.

[memori3s]

[ Minato trails after Pod without hesitation, even as the device floats deeper into the cave. The air down here is cooler, damp, and he finds himself having to jog in earnest to keep up with pod. Koromaru's at his side too, breaking into a faster trot.

Isolation during periods of emotional distress, was it? Well, that makes two of them.

Eventually, Pod slows, and Minato fixes his gaze ahead. Over there is -- ah. So this is where A2's been hiding. She speaks, but the noise that leaves the android's lips barely forms proper syllables. Minato strains, listening for any potential words regardless.

...perhaps he should greet her in the same manner as Pod?

He offers the creature a polite nod as Koromaru lets out a sharp bark with a tail wag too, one that he'd commonly used to say hello to her. ]

Good morning, A2.

@ethlyn

[memori3s]

[ The medical supplies in Aldrip continue to dwindle. Today, Minato visited six different establishments which used to regularly sell their wares. Half of them were out of stock, and the other half had turned him away at the door. In the back of his head he can't help but wonder whether the first half weren't actually emptied of their inventories, and had merely used that as justification to make him leave.

...considering the current state of Chosen-caused chaos throughout town, Minato can't really blame the locals for distrusting him. It comes at a terrible time though. Everyone seems to be licking their wounds in the aftermath of last month's destruction.

Well, at least he'd managed to track down some fresh bandages. It's better than nothing, even if it's barely five new rolls. He heads back to Willow Clinic with today's "spoils" in arm. ]

I'm back.

[ The clinic's home to a handful of injured residents right now. Poor Ethlyn's had her hands full. Not even she'd escaped the past month entirely unscathed.

Minato heads for the cabinet of supplies to stow away his finds. ]

...how are you feeling today?

[baldrshand]

[It's... embarrassing to have been so hurt that she can barely do her job. Don't become the emergency is a principle Ethlyn tries to abide by. But in the situation with Ange, it didn't seem like she'd had a choice but to get in between her and the beast's head, and for Ethlyn to defend with her utmost.

It resulted in some nasty wounds to her torso. Between the loss of blood and the sutures she's been forced--for once--to spend most of her time stationary in the aftermath. Minato finds her sitting in a chair, at least, going over a list of inventory.]

All right. [A bit useless, really. Pale inside and out.] Just... trying to keep on top of everything. It feels as though this attack left us worse off than usual.

It looks like you've found something, though.

[memori3s]

[ Of course, even in her recovery Ethlyn's found a way to stay productive and busy around the clinic. Minato has half the mind to gently chide her, to turn her own advice back on her about how much rest the body required to heal itself properly. But he understands the shame of not pulling his own weight when it seems the world needs it the most. ]

Some new bandages, yeah.

[ Could be better; could be worse. ]

...everywhere else was closed. Even our usual suppliers turned me away.

[ Minato closes the cabinet drawers and glances over at Ethlyn. ]

I'll... try asking them again tomorrow.

[ Maybe they'd be more willing to speak to him if he was persistent about it. ]

[baldrshand]

[Ethlyn frowns. If she was in a condition to get on her horse, she'd ride out to some of those businesses and talk to them herself. She's sure she could be persuasive... even if persuasive had to mean intimidating, just a little.

She's not sure how much experience Minato has with that kind of thing, though. Ethlyn has plenty of experience telling big, burly soldiers that they're not going to do what they want because of her authority. Minato is a nice boy, but quiet, and keen to accommodate.

She leans over, propping her head on her hand.]

You can remind them that we've been treating people, whoever they are, capably and happily, for two years now. And whatever some Chosen might do, we've always been there to help no matter what. It's not particularly good business to paint us all with so broad a brush, particularly since we aren't going anywhere.

...But even having some new bandages is good. I'd rather that than nothing at all.

[memori3s]

[ Truly, hell hath no wrath like Ethlyn, the one-woman army who kept the clinic running no matter what insanity unfolded within Aldrip.

Nice but quiet, keen to accommodate... Minato would grimace a bit had Ethlyn spoken those words into life, but only because he knows better than anyone that they held truth to them. He had tried pushing against some of them, but they simply refused to listen to a person they perceived was still a child. ]

I'll... try that next time.

[ Because there'd almost certainly be a next time. He'll be heading out there tomorrow again. They need all the supplies they can wrangle. ]

...I think I'd like to check the forest for anything useful too.

[ There should at least be some herbs to help tide them over too... ]

ii

[entreats]

I didn't know you were a gardener.

[ The voice may be familiar enough all by itself, but Ange did just suddenly speak up without bothering to get to Minato's kneeling gardening level, so all the guy might see of her at first is just her feet and knees..

But if he looks up, Minato will definitely be able to see that it's Ange standing there. Despite the state of the city, the girl looks pretty much the same as ever. Even her facial expression is that usual poker face as she looks down at the plants he's working on planting.. ]

ANGE IN MY INBOXXX

[memori3s]

[ That voice --

He doesn't need to look up immediately to know who it is. By now, Minato would recognize this girl's deadpan tone anywhere. ]

I've learned a little.

[ He's kneeling in the dirt with a pair of gardening gloves, a shovel clutched in his hand and a tray of pansies ready to be planted.

She probably didn't arrive here with the appropriate equipment, so asking if she wanted to help is probably a wash. The company's still nice, of course.

Minato glances up and nods a hello to Ange. ]

I've been taking care of the plants at the farmhouse.

i can't ever NOT tag minato!!! it's important!!!

[entreats]

[ Well, that at least makes sense. And it's not something the girl would really put past him either. Sometimes Minato is a little bit difficult to get a good hold on, considering that he seems to have a poker face that could rival her own at times, but everything he has said and done around her has proven to her that he's a good person.

Maybe slightly too good, considering he's helping out even now. The girl pauses as if to think, but then she squats down too.

Like even Ange thinks it's a little too awkward to just stand there and talk down at him. ]

Do you think it's fun? [ That's why Minato has to be helping, right? After all-- ] No one is going to thank you for this, you know. The locals are looking at us like we're freaks all over again.

[memori3s]

[ Fun?

Minato pauses in his digging, shovel stuck halfway in the dirt as Ange squats near him. He remembers -- in the past, the locals had distrusted the Chosen, hadn't they? Now, it seems to have come full circle. ]

...it can be when others join.

[ Doing things with others is always fun, isn't it? But he shakes his head and returns to his task, digging a deeper hole. ]

It just... feels like something that should be done. That's all.

[ That's how he's always been, tackling thankless tasks just because. ]

[entreats]

[ ...

She could comment something on how weird that last statement is, but.. honestly, it feels less weird when it's coming out of Minato's mouth. That guy is always saying weird things like that, isn't he? So weirdly selfless.

(It definitely makes her think of how he treated her in the dream, though she pushes down that thought as fast as she can. Not something she wants to linger on in public, let alone right in front of the person it's concerning.)

So after a moment of silence, she instead addresses the entirely different part of what he's saying. ]

Is that a hint? Do you want to do this together with me? It's not very subtle, you know.

ii

[battlefieldbrat]

[well, it seems that toph is just...gone. at least kakashi can't find her anywhere, or get her to answer when he calls her tablet. so she must be gone. he isn't sure how to feel about it, so he copes the only way he knows how to cope with anything - by doing physical labor. there's nobody to take missions from here so he thinks about what D-ranks would be available if this was a proper ninja village, and puts himself to work. in this case, that means shifting rubble off of the plot that used to be some poor unfortunate's house.

he doesn't have super strength or anything like that, but he is incredibly fit for a thirteen-year-old. he's lifting chunks of rubble that easily weigh 50-100 pounds and shuffling them off to the side, so the owner of the place can maybe repurpose them later. he studiously ignores any passersby...except minato, whom he recognizes from...around. they've never talked much, but they travel in the same circles, you know?]

Yo.

[he grunts as he lifts another chunk of rubble, slowly walking it over to the "sorted" pile.]

This isn't your place, is it?

[memori3s]

[ Others might marvel at the sight of this thirteen-year-old lifting rubble like it's made of Styrofoam. Minato, on the other hand, has heard through the grapevine that Kakashi's not any ordinary kid.

He nods to acknowledge the other Chosen's greeting before shaking his head in response. ]

No. I don't know whose home it was.

[ "Was," as opposed to "is"... All that remained of the building were these giant heaps of rubble. But because someone used to live here, that means there were items scattered about in the ruins that were once valuable or sentimental to the original owner. It's Minato's job today to rummage through the debris and see if there's anything to set aside for whoever called this place home. ]

...thanks for helping. It's a mess around Aldrip, isn't it?

[battlefieldbrat]

Oh. I didn't ask, I just sorta...

[he drops the piece of rubble in the pile, and gestures vaguely to...everything.]

It's a mess all right. And I don't think it was all done by the giant dragon, either.

[that makes it more frustrating, in a way.]

[memori3s]

[ It was more or less a rhetorical question, wasn't it? ]

...no, I don't think so either.

[ This destruction wasn't wrought by the Black Beast alone. It's why Minato can't blame Aldrip's residents for distrusting the Chosen once again. Alas, all that progress over the past year had gone up in smoke and flames.

Minato kneels at a nearby pile of miscellaneous belongings ranging from scraps of clothing to kitchenware and children's toys. It's not entirely clear whether the owners of all these items were still alive. ]

Some of it was done by us.

[battlefieldbrat]

I missed most of the action.

[by being an idiot and engaging one of the heads up close, which predictably landed him in the clinic. at least he didn't die.]

All kinds of crazy reports came in, though. People changing into monsters...

dojo;

[laserguy]

[This place is eerily silent. Too quiet, for Scott's tastes. He still remembers stopping by the dojo every so often, mostly to see Mikey and its other occupants, and just how alive it was then. If he closes his eyes and just remembers those memories, can he imagine Mikey and the others just around the corner? The biker gang leader always supported him, helped him through some rough times, and sometimes, Scott still finds himself surprised to know that he's actually gone. Still gone.

And now Yu is gone with him. Yosuke too.

He had hoped that Yu would eventually ask Minato about the key, when he was ready to walk around the grounds of this once lively area. He really believed it would happen, through the support of his friends here, but that opportunity was taken from Yu and he's now back home (hopefully). At least back with Yosuke, right? He can find some sort of peace in that feeling. Still makes it hard to walk around the dojo.

At some point, he'll probably find Minato. Sitting down or standing. Either way, he'll lift one hand in greeting, though it's clear his spirit isn't in it.]

...Hey. I saw your message.

[memori3s]

[ He's seated in the kitchen where Manjiro once offered him tea and snacks. Even now, there's a kettle on the stovetop with freshly-boiled water. While there's only one cup with a teabag available, that problem is easily remedied. After all, the dojo's still supplied with plenty of cups, enough for all the people who used to live here. ]

Hey.

[ Minato returns Scott's greeting with a small nod. Yu's spare dojo key weighs heavy in his own pocket.

At the mention of his message, concern etches itself across his face. ]

Is your house okay?

[ So many Chosen and Aldrip residents had lost their homes, and even if the walls of their homes remained standing, the roads made some of them impossible to get to.

...ah, he's being a poor host. Minato rises from his seat and heads for the cupboard to retrieve a second cup. ]

...tea?

[laserguy]

Yeah, my house's fine. I just wanted to visit.

[It almost feels weird to slip into a seat, sitting here in Mikey's kitchen without Mikey or any of its normal occupants here. Minato's a good friend, but he wasn't someone that he normally associated with the dojo. Is it time to change that? Maybe. He's glad that the other teen is here anyway, not only taking care of the place, but making it seem less lonely. This is what Yu and everyone else that used to live here would want, right? The dojo still being used, teacups and everything else in it.

Maybe if he closes his eyes now, he can imagine them smiling.

His mouth twitches upward, the mutant nodding at the offer. He doesn't drink a ton of tea, but that sounds nice right now.]

I could go for a cup. [...] I'm glad you took over the dojo, Minato.

[memori3s]

[ It feels a little strange being in an empty dojo, doesn't it? But this is what it was like for Minato when he'd first truly become acquainted with the place. He'd visited while it was still under the ownership of Manjiro, but all the other times... there'd not been a soul within its walls other than himself.

There's still some freshly-boiled water in the kettle. Minato retrieves a teabag and sets it within the teacup, carefully measuring out some hot water. He'll set the tea in front of Scott once he's returned to the table, all before taking his own seat again. ]

I'm just...

[ Was it truly that meaningful for him to do so? Minato takes a small sip of his own tea before staring down at his reflection within it.

He glances back up at Scott with a small shrug, though it's clear that he's been down as well about the recent disappearances. ]

This is what I did the first time, too.

[ The first time Manjiro disappeared. ]

[laserguy]

[His hands curl slightly over the cup, taking care not to burn himself against it, but just wanting to feel its warmth. Maybe it feels poignant right now, when everything else about this dojo feels kind of lonely and cold. Minato is really the only person that's bringing some life to it, a thought that matches the warmth he's feeling against his hands as he looks down at the liquid.

Yu entrusted the key to Minato and he's just really glad to see him here, offering it as shelter. Keeping it maintained on some level, because no one else is probably doing it. It's what Yu would've wanted, Scott's sure about that, a place where people can go if their homes got damaged. A place where friends can gather or maybe where strangers can meet and bond.]

The first time...?

[Scott slightly prods, not quite following Minato's line of thought yet, although he has a small inkling of what it may be. Still, he wants to hear Minato fully talk about it first because he's interested in hearing what the teen is about to say. His own experience. He has always counted Minato and Kotone to be two separate people, but there's no denying their similarities, like how it's hard for them to open up at times.]