THE RETURN; in the darkness you shine

[biddentodance]

Who: Minato!!! Guest starring Akira (boy version). Closed prompt for Shido (and close CR).
What: Minato returns from his canon update and now he’s sad. Also: stargazing, chocolate, and training with A Friend!
When: February! The like. Middle half. Ish.
Where: Around the station, also the beach
Warnings: Persona 3. Mind those subject lines? Canon update was not happy.

[Closed 2/7 very late evening; the night is so long]
[One week.

One week since Minato disappeared.

He’s back now, washed up onshore like driftwood and just as motionless. He’s not unconscious, but he’s also making no move to escape the tide. Just...waiting. Waiting for what? Maybe sleep, if his blue pajamas are any indication. But judging by the deep, dark shadows under his eyes, the way his face is drawn and pale...sleep is a rare thing for him now.

Once he’s been found, of course, those close to him will probably want to come be with him.]

[Open 2/8-2/10 nights; when everything’s wrong]
[Sleep doesn’t come easy, and isn’t welcome when it does. Minato isn’t up for a lot of alternatives, though - too little energy, for a guy who’s default state is ‘tired’. But there are always the stars.]

Never gets old…

[He can be found on the roof at night, wrapped in a blanket and holding a toy rocket, gazing up at the stars. Instead of sleeping. Because he and sleep aren’t great friends, these days.]

[Open 2/11-2/13; if you give me your hand]
[Oh, shit. It’s February. And he’s dating three people???

Minato will accept no less than ideal for his boyfriends, so he’s...making a lot of batches of chocolate. He’s dedicated. Not to fear, though, he’s perfectly willing to give away his good batches that aren’t perfect! And, in fact, he encourages people to enjoy them.

Though, uh, maybe someone should like. Stop him from eating the disaster batches himself? That can’t be healthy. One of those is even less chocolate than charcoalate at this point.]

[Open 2/15-dungeon days; i will help you hold on]
[There’s another mission coming up. Minato and his friends have gotten into more than enough trouble on these in the past, but he’s stronger now. He’ll do better. So he has to be ready.

He’s down on the beach, training away with a variety of weapons: axes, bows, spears, swords… Not to mention his upgraded set of Personas. He’s going all out - because while he’s better rested than he was, exhausting himself is a pretty solid way to get some rest.

Or, well, he’s going all out with training until a small black ragdoll kitten pounces and somehow knocks him face-first into the sand. Kitten has demands that must be met. Something to the effect of “stop training and play with meeeee!!!!” So, maybe you just find Minato fooling around on the beach with a kitten instead of training. Because, honestly, who here is going to deny a kitten?

((OOC: threads for this prompt may or may not get replies from beguiledcard!))]

Comments

2/9

[redmeguca]

Can't sleep, huh?

[Kyoko sits down next to him, looking up at the stars herself.]

I know that look you've got there. I've noticed it in mirrors and windows a few times. That's the look of someone who's seen way too much way too fast. I'm not gonna pry, but you just looked like you could use some company.

[biddentodance]

Nah... [He can try, but well... It doesn't end well.]

Know you've had it rough.... Probably much rougher. [He shakes his head.] Went back to my world for a little while.

[redmeguca]

Let me guess, didn't go too well?

[Kyoko reaches into her jacket pocket and pulls out a pouch of apple sauce and a Red Bean Bun.]

You want one of these?

[biddentodance]

Lot can happen in two and a half months.

[He glances at the snacks and...he can't say he isn't hungry. He's a little thinner than before.]

...Only if you don't want both.

[redmeguca]

Hell, a lot can happen in just one month.

[Especially if someone is repeating the same month a hundred times.]

Go ahead, I've got more.

[She gently lobs the pack with the bun in it to Minato.]

11th

[stavros]

[Kokoro quizzically inspects a burned lump.]

...Is that meant for human consumption?

[biddentodance]

[...]

Not anymore. [But he's eating another lump himself.]

[stavros]

I think you're going to get sick.

[biddentodance]

Don't care... [A small pang of guilt, he should care.] Not going to let anyone else eat it, and waste is bad.

11th

[hairpincurves]

Absolutely not.

[Sorry, Minato, she doesn't care if you think wasting's bad, this is not happening. A red glow's appearing around that tray and it's being yoinked away.]

I'm not letting you make yourself sick.

[biddentodance]

[Get the evil chocobomination away.]

Ah-! ....Probably wouldn't get that sick...?

[hairpincurves]

That's not the point. I don't want you getting sick so close to a day you're supposed to be enjoying with your loved ones, who, presumably, do not want you getting sick either.

[Pros to telekinesis: She can put that abomination in a place neither of them can normally reach without a great deal of effort.]

We can figure out something else to do with it.

[biddentodance]

[And anyone he knows who's tall enough to reach would probably keep them away.]

Probably eaten worse and been fine?

2/7 CW: imagery of death

[makejapangreat]

[There'd been reassurance that Minato had survived the fall, but Shido had still felt anxious ever since that day. In one part because his pessimism haunted his thoughts, wondering if maybe this was the time they were all wrong. Half-expecting that when he walked along the beach, he would find a small, lifeless body with blue hair washed up on shore.

And then there was the other part...

"I don't want to go back."

I'm sorry, Minato. You'll be back home soon.

He hoped...

And then, he actually does see that body on the shore, and his heart leaps into his throat.]

Minato!?

[He rushes over to him, dropping into an awkward sort of slide the last several feet as his expression, openly worried, looks him over.

He's pallid, looks like death— but his eyes are moving, his chest is rising and lowering.

He's alive.]

Minato.

[There's still concern in his voice, but an ample amount of relief, as well. His hand scoots up under his back to help push him up a bit...]

Can you get up?

[biddentodance]

[He's cold, shivering - out here in the surf, in only his pajamas, of course he would be. But his breathing is slow and steady. No water in his lungs. His right hand is gripped tightly around some sand.

He does look at Shido, but doesn't reply. Too little strength. He's easy to lift, lighter than he was before. There are no signs of injury or serious illness.

But there's clear stress, severe exhaustion, and a hopeless look in his eyes that is exactly the opposite of how he looked before he left.]

[makejapangreat]

[... oh. The concern in his gaze increases considerably. His hand automatically comes up to pet his head.]

You'll be alright, Minato.

[He moves to unzip and take off his jacket, which he wraps around the boy. He then goes to his device, and sends a message to Akira, Kurama, and Goro:]

Minato is back. He seems weak and exhausted, but uninjured. I'm taking him to the clinic.

[With that done, he puts the device away, then gently eases his arms underneath the bundled up Minato and gets up— ah, he's... light. His brow furrows; just what on Earth happened to him...?]

I've got you.

[With that, he holds him warmly and protectively in his arms as he takes them to the clinic.]

[beguiledcard]

will be there



[ He drops everything.

The drink in his hand is at least put into his inventory as he's running back down the hallway. It's not important.

Akira will be pacing the floor as they come in. Don't mind him, he's just a huge ball of anxiety. ]

[foolishjustice]

On my way.

[Like Akira, Goro drops what she's doing to immediately make for the clinic. A pair of blue jay wings shift on her back as she waits having been only a little further away than Akira.

She's managing to avoid pacing, but only by virtue of fidgeting with her rings and bracelets. Every minute or two, she looks up from her jewelry to stare at the door.]

[byanyother_name]

coming

[Usually Kurama's texts are a lot more grammatical than that. He texts a lot more like a modern teenager when he's in a rush.

Just like his fiances, anything else he might have been doing is a nonissue, and he arrives at nearly the same time as Goro.

He's not pacing, but mostly by dint of iron self control.]

2/10

[makejapangreat]

[Shido is still haunted by his thoughts at times, and particularly at night where there's nothing to distract him from them. Some nights, he's able to fight them off and get some proper sleep. Others, he gets frustrated, and takes a walk around in hopes spending some energy would help, or he heads up to the roof to try to sort them out...

As is the case tonight. And it would seem he's not alone. His gaze softens immediately at the sight of the boy, and he walks over and takes a seat next to him, reaching out to pet him.]

Hello, Minato. Can't sleep?

[biddentodance]

[At least Minato has recovered a little over the past few days. He still looks bad, but...marginally better.

He leans into the petting. Shakes his head.]

Can see a lot of stars here, though.

8th

[byanyother_name]

[It's a literal fox that finds Minato up on the roof. A very large one with five green, two-dimensional tails. The fur on his body is fluffy to the point of roundness.

He walks gracefully across the roof to settle next to Minato.]

[biddentodance]

[Oh, it's a forb. He wasn't expecting company. Are unfamiliar animals usually this friendly?]

Hey there. [There isn't a lot of life to his voice, but it's friendly and he's trying.] Don't think I've seen you before.

[byanyother_name]

[Kurama can communicate in this shape, but he's choosing not to for the same reason he chose to approach Minato in it.

An animal is probably going to see a more accurate picture of how he's doing than his boyfriend.

So he just gives a soft, friendly yip and noses at Minato's arm before curling up comfortably.]

[biddentodance]

[Minato has been putting up a very stubborn facade of being okay. He's gotten very, very good at being fine when he's very, very not. Which might be the most telling sign that something is wrong. He's stubbornly not revealing the extent of it.

But he lets the fox sniff his hand, before moving to pet those ears. And gives the closest he's gotten to a real smile since he returned. It's still forced.]

Not really good company, right now... Not too cold out here for you, is it? Fenneko doesn't like cold...