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[memori3s]

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April 2025 Intense Event Clinic

[whatsamada]

[How did Ken end up here? It was because he had the audacity to go and attack the fauna. While he wasn't at fault, he knew he had to take some of the blame. He had to defend himself but he also could have waited or asked someone to help him out. Now, here he was. He was sitting in bed as he gave a long mumble to himself.

His face was covered in scratches along to dealing with the aches and pain everywhere on his body.]

I am never doing that again...

[memori3s]

[ Minato hadn't objected to the accusations hurled his way. Sure, he was a changeling, or maybe even a doppelganger. He'd seen it in his accusers' eyes that nothing he said would change their minds. And thus, he'd simply resigned himself to being led away and confined to the clinic.

There's a voice coming from one of the beds. It's not only a familiar one, but the fact that the voice is exasperated on top of it doesn't bode well. ]

Ken?

[ Minato heads straight for his old teammate, blinking at the sight of all his scratches. ]

...are you okay?

[ Let's get that out of the way before finding out what happened. ]

text; april intense event

[petsthedog]

[Sometime midway through the month, once the danger of the dopplegangers and changelings has made itself apparent, Minato will receive a text from a certain senpai.]

yo
still alive?

[Is it the most proactive check-in in the world? Not by a mile. But an attempt was made (TM).]

un: tatsuya

[memori3s]

[ In Shinjiro's defense, the fact that an attempt was Made is what counts... ]

Looks like it.

Is it bad out there?

april event idk the timeline

[belheir]

[He's been convinced for so long everything about him is normal despite everything.

Except for now. He doesn't know how it happened, but suddenly becoming a giant, mythological monster was not on today's agenda.

And yet here he is. Panicking. Loud stomps echo through the surrounding area as he fumbles with claws instead of hands to first of all stand upright (impossible, awkward) and make grumbling hissing-roars as he tries to bemoan his situation and force himself to turn back to normal.

His headphones hang off of one off his horns precipitously....]

[memori3s]

[ Thundering footfalls echo throughout the area. Minato, lending a hand out in the farmlands of Visium, looks up from the earth he'd been turning with a shovel. Help is in short supply, thanks to the place being abandoned after a changeling attack.

There sure is a lot of loud thumping. Had giants suddenly appeared nearby -- oh that's. That's a dragon. A living, breathing, dragon.

...dragons don't belong in the farmlands of Visium! This one is headed right for some freshly-planted crops! ]

Wait --

[ Minato sprints towards the dragon lumbering around, skidding to a halt when he catches sight of headphones perched on one of the dragon's horns. That distinct shape...

Kazuya's. Those are Kazuya's. Where was Kazuya? ]

...hey!

[ Minato yells, trying to get the dragon's attention. He needs to get those headphones back! ]

text - un: akechi - may wobblehands @ late night

[enteloki]

Are you awake?

I have some time on my hands and figured this was as good an opportunity as any to continue our discussion.

un: tatsuya

[memori3s]

[ The next morning....... ]

Oh.

Sorry. I was asleep.

[ 9pm sharp!! ]

text | un: garden05

[girlybruiser]

[ If there's someone capable of misfiring a text without the help of a game event, it's Haru. ]

Forgive me for how late this is.
I suppose I have been thinking about your offer and given it proper thought finally.

text | un: tatsuya

[memori3s]

[ whomst tf......? ]

My offer?

Text un; koromaru

[whatsamada]

Minato-san, are you there?

Are you doing okay?

un: tatsuya | text

[memori3s]

Ken?

Yes, I'm fine. Are you?

► pre-august event

[girlybruiser]

[ It's been quite a week since officially opening the cafe, with a lot more customers who walked through the door to sit down and have a drink or meal than expected. Haru doesn't mind, especially when Minato effortlessly handles the customers and orders without really breaking a sweat. His work ethic is really admirable...

And now it's closing time, the two of them tidying up and putting back cleans dishes and such where they belong.

Koromaru apparently wants to help, bringing Haru the clean rag she was looking for to wipe down the counter top around the sink. ]

Thank you, Koro-chan! You worked hard today, too!

[ She pets his head softly, then looks around for the little jar she had where she had put some treats in for him. ]

Is it okay to give Koro-chan another treat, Minato-kun? He's had a few today already, so I don't want to spoil his appetite for dinner.

[memori3s]

[ Handling any customers here is way easier than the usual Chagall rush hour crowd... Minato's content to let Haru continue thinking he's a natural though.

It's closing time now, so Minato's busy taking stock of the leftover beans from today. He glances over his shoulder at Haru and Koromaru, watching as she looks around for the little treat jar. ]

A couple more should be fine.

[ Koromaru comes and goes as he pleases. He could be getting dinner from several different places, and Minato wouldn't even know...

Koromaru gives a bark and an excited tail wag too, seeming to agree with Haru's request. ]

rng room - BEES

[enteloki]

[ Wow, he fucking hates this.

It's incredible, really, how he's always prepared for a battle and every single open door yields nothing more than an irritation.

This time? The irritation is sticky - clings to his clothes and skin. Makes every step more difficult than the last. He doesn't bother asking how his companion is doing. ]

This is rather...

[ Twenty words come to mind - each more vile than the last. He settles on- ]

Unpleasant.

[ Instead and scans the space for any sign of an end. ]

I suppose it's too much to ask if your persona can remove this for us. [ A quiet laugh, and- ] Just joking, of course.

[ UNLESS????????????????????? ]

icb this is a real thread. anyways cw guns. suicidal imagery. the usual...

[memori3s]

[ "Unpleasant" is definitely one way to put it. It's even beginning to test Minato's patience, though he presses onwards without a single complaint. Occasionally, however, he does need to glance down at the holster at his hip, just to make sure the device hadn't been claimed by the endless swathes of honey. ]

I don't think it can get rid of what's already on us.

[ It's too bad Thanatos doesn't have any Garu spells. On the other hand, that Persona probably can do something about the the thick curtain of honey up ahead that's blocking the hall. ]

Wait.

[ Minato holds a hand out to stop Akechi from moving forward before reaching for his Evoker with his other hand. He lifts its barrel, pressing it against his temple before pulling the trigger, Thanatos materializing in an explosion of blue light. There's no need for Minato to call out any commands, not when the Persona already knows precisely what Minato needs it to do.

Thanatos surges forward, brandishing its sword to slice through the thick layers of honey. It cuts through all of it like butter, leaving a generous entryway for both Minato and Akechi. Unfortunately, it seems the honey's rather persistent, clinging to Thanatos' sword even as the Persona tries to shake it clean, sending some of it flying onto Akechi like a dog that's shaking itself dry from a bath. ]

dreamscaaaaape

[girlybruiser]

[ Kichijoji is always a bustling, lively neighbourhood.

Somewhere around a corner, there's a crowd watching a band perform on a makeshift stage, enamoured by the whimsical, yet somehow masterful notes the musicians play.

On an opposite corner, Haru watches with delight, tapping her fingers along to the rhythm of the music. As she watches on, there's a fleeting thought that passes her, wondering if she's been here before. Kichijoji is a popular neighbourhood that she's frequented many times, but this specific corner? It feels... vaguely familiar. The ghost of a memory that slips through her fingers.

It was cold when she was here, she thinks. Not like now, with the summer sun beating down on her and the older man next to her, who is tugging at his expensive ascot.

She glances back at him with an apologetic smile. ]

My apologies, Father. I didn't mean to get distracted.

[ The older man waves it off, a smile cracking across his own features.

Haru stops again, trying to beat back the idea she hasn't seen her father smile like that in ages.

No, no. She would remember if he had stopped smiling at her, because Haru thinks she would have stopped smiling herself. ]

No need for that, Haru. We should enjoy ourselves, even while we conduct business.

[ She nods eagerly.

Somewhere above them in the distant sky, a dark cloud looms.

The music begins to slow, much like a far too old record that's struggling to play the crescendo. Nobody notices how odd it sounds, but one by one, the audience begins to thin and Kichijoji's tall and crowded surroundings start to lose its colour, almost like it's being washed out. ]

I think this location is quite ideal.

Okumura gun hours..... 2!!

[memori3s]

[ This place is unfamiliar to him, even if the liveliness is reminiscent of Iwatodai's local strip mall. He can't recall how precisely he'd arrived here, only that he'd opened his eyes to the sight unfolding before him.

He spots one familiar figure through the crowd, standing next to a complete stranger. Minato weaves through it in an attempt to draw nearer, but every step towards the pair feels as if it were followed by another that put distances in between, never quite allowing him to make it to his goal. ]

Haru!

[ He can only hope that his voice rings out above the slowing music, that perhaps he'll stand out among their surroundings slowly turning into a monochromatic cityscape. Even if Haru's gaze isn't turned towards him, perhaps she'll catch a glimpse of blue in the sea of black, white, and gray. ]

text | un: garden05

[girlybruiser]

[ It had taken a day or so for Haru to realize that violent dream she had was more than that; it was a shared reality and Minato was actually there.

She knows she owes him both her thanks and an apology, but she can slide into that conversation eventually after using this "cute" doujin she's found at the con.

A photo is sent to Minato and the doujin cover features both him and Kazuya, looking rather feminine and skinnier than normal, but it's beautiful art nonetheless. The two have their arms wrapped around one another. They're... very close. ]

Isn't this cute art of you and Kazuya-kun? You both look so happy.

[ She has not opened the book yet, no. ]

crying. text | un: tatsuya

[memori3s]

[ Oh. That's... ]

Is that from the convention?

[ He could have sworn there was only one copy of that particular doujin, and it was one he'd purchased himself to ensure no one else ran off with it... ]

text | un: ryojikun

[luneminary]

Minatoooooo ｡･ﾟ･(ﾉД`)･ﾟ｡

We're friends, right? Genuine, true friends?

text | un: tatsuya

[memori3s]

Yes.

[ ????????? ]

Why are you asking?

Secret Santa Exchange

[fragmentaryblue]

[On Christmas morning, a package will be delivered to Minato's home. It's a box wrapped in unassuming brown paper and tied with some string. Inside, there are several items securely tucked into the packaging:

• Two blue knit scarves, one sized for a human and one for a dog;


• A wooden dog brush with "Koromaru" engraved onto the back;


• A pouch of homemade dog treats;


• A book titled "If Cats Disappeared from the World" by Genki Kawamura;


• and a note written in vine-like script, which reads:]

Happy Holidays,

I hope this gift finds you well. You're a difficult individual to shop for. (I suppose any stranger would be when the shopping is done in secret.) I've seen you about with a very cute dog, who is quite loved, so hopefully these gifts aren't too lacking in personal touches. As for you yourself, I wouldn't normally recommend a novel with such heavy themes to a stranger, but you strike me as someone able to appreciate it. I do hope you enjoy it.

Take care.

[The note is signed not with a name or even "Secret Santa", but with a picture of a flower.]

> 12/25 gift delivery

[placation]

[ On Christmas morning, Minato will receive a small package containing a music box repair kit – oil to keep the mechanisms in good working order, small tools to take it apart and put it back together as needed, polish for the outside. There's a note as well:

Merry Christmas, Arisato-kun.

Hopefully this will come in handy to keep your treasure safe for a long while.

- Dr. Maruki ]

( the better 2/3 jkjk )

[girlybruiser]

[ All in all, today's shift at Sip & Blossom flies by with relative ease, even after needing to put some extra work into set-up before opening given how long it was without power. The patrons today seem satisfied enough to get their caffeine and baked goods fix, so it's a quiet enough day.

Haru does her best to not give away her surprise for Minato when the doors have been locked behind the last customer and after they've tidied up the counter and floors.

She beckons Minato into the kitchen area by calling out for him, acting as if she needs a taller assist to reach for something.

When he enters the kitchen, Haru is holding a white plate with what looks like a croissant- an almond croissant, freshly baked and its wafting smell permeating the air. Neatly written on the bottom of the plate in chocolate syrup reads, Happy birthday! ]

Surprise! Happy birthday, Minato-kun!

hksldjfk

[memori3s]

[ Sometimes, the boys forget they're a whole head taller than Haru when they put things away. It's why Minato suspects nothing when Haru calls him into the kitchen and can only stare wide-eyed at the white plate clutched in his boss' hands. ]

...happy birthday?

[ How did she -- ah. That's right. He'd filled out a form for her with some basic information after she'd hired him for work at Sip & Blossom. ]

I mean -- thanks. I wasn't really... expecting any of this.

[ Between the specific date and the exact pastry that's being offered, this is a reminder that Haru has the memory of an elephant. He takes the plate in hand, the slight dusting of rouge on his cheeks from being thrown off guard. ]

his BIRTHDAY sometime after haru treats him also text

[belheir]

Hey! Are you free right now? I need your help with something. It's a bit important, so sorry for not giving a heads up sooner!

YAAAAY

[memori3s]

I'm free now.

Sorry for not answering earlier. I was still at work.

[ NOT A LIE ]

Is everything okay?