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.

11th

[stavros]

[Kokoro quizzically inspects a burned lump.]

...Is that meant for human consumption?

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.

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?

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?

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.]