awashlogs | [Semi-closed?] May Catch-All

[A quest asking them to go fight a big monster means Akira definitely wants to use his Persona to complete it. But he can't do that with just anybody...

It's been awhile since he and Minato sparred, and while sparring isn't on the agenda today, he hopes it'll still be fun. Well, as "fun" as fighting a giant spider monster can be.

He's waiting at the edge of the forest, not yet in his thief gear, for Minato to join him.]

[The Jorogumo are dangerous; taking care of them seems only natural when they're set the task of doing so. Besides, he'd rather he and Akira take them on than people who think they're prepared and aren't.

So Minato lifts a hand in a wave when he sees Akira waiting there for him, other hand holding his sword at his side casually.]

Ready to take care of this?

[They've got this. It'll be just like taking on Shadows, right?]

[They've totally got this. Akira has faith in their abilities, especially after sparring with Minato.

Everything should be fine!]

I am.

[So saying, there's a soft pop, and he's Joker once again. There's no one around besides Minato to see this transformation at the moment, so he isn't too worried.]

We should be careful of the other things in the forest, though.

[Having their color stolen and their memories altered while they're trying to take care of a Jorogumo would not be ideal.]

Of course.

[Minato nods firmly in response (though he still needs a moment to admire that costume change again, it's astonishing), quick to turn his attention on the woods properly.]

We'll watch each other's backs. I'm sure we'll be okay if we do that.

[For now?

Spider hunting. The forest always feels a little unnerving, but he feels a bit more confident with Akira at his back (or, rather, is it Joker now?), knowing what he's capable of.]

[The costume change is indeed pretty rad. Admire it, Minato!

But he nods in response.] Definitely.

[Together, the two of them will be fine, he's sure of it. After all, he's seen what Minato can do as well, or at least the start of it.

So off they go! Spider hunting! He's on his guard as they walk, though that's pretty normal in any dangerous situation. He doesn't feel too worried at the moment.

How do they even find this thing, anyway? A giant spider can't be too hard to miss, right?]

[He does admire it... he's jealous.

But into the woods they go...!! And while a giant spider may not be easy to miss, there's... also the fact that it can definitely show up like a beautiful woman, too.

And who'd know their luck--that's what they'll find. She's a thin slip of a woman, barely dressed in a light kimono, and--appears to be leaning against a tree, as if injured.

Uh oh.]

[Akira stops when he sees her, and he's cautious. She doesn't look like anyone he's seen yet, and he's pretty sure he's seen just about everyone in passing; the town is smaller than his grade at school, after all.

But she also seems injured, the way she leans against the tree, and even though it might be foolish, Akira can't push back the drive to help, even when he knows things in the forest are never as they seem.

So he goes ahead and calls out to her.]

Do you need help?

[Minato's on the same page, at least. He glances over at Akira, and nods--she might be a trap, but if she needs help...well, they can't leave her to fend for herself if she's injured.

So quietly, he murmurs:]

Watch my back...?

[Because he's going to go ahead and try to take a few careful steps forward as the woman slowly lifts her face.]

[He nods, though doesn't take his weapons out just yet - if this really is a woman who needs their help, then he doesn't want to frighten her.

As Minato nears, the woman lifts her face. There's something unnatural about it, as she looks at them, though it isn't immediately threatening.]

Please... I need help... Come closer...

[She speaks in a quiet voice.]

[How could they ever really resist that? They're both all-too-sincere, and they both have a necessary desire to help others. That's why they're protags.

So he just frowns a little, and obediently comes closer, peering at her with an almost bemused expression. There really is something that's almost off, and she isn't someone he's familiar with.]

Excuse me, miss, but what--

[Yeah. That's definitely when she's immediately reaching out with a hand, lightning quick, to grab Minato's arm, tugging him forward and off-balance with a sharp pull, one that's much stronger than her slight frame would suggest. He staggers, which is entirely what she wants as she morphs from beautiful woman to spider, with very, very sharp claws.]

[Akira also comes forward, though a few steps behind Minato, reaching for a Persona with healing magic with his mind in case he needs to do some quick first aid -

except suddenly the woman is not a woman, but a giant spider monster, and she's lashing out with her claws to attack Minato, and Akira reaches for a different Persona instead.]

Dakini, come!

[As the deity appears behind him, he ducks and slices up with his daggers, in a Rising Slash, hoping to cut at her claws before she can sink them into Minato.]

[The Persona slashes away those claws, which gives Minato just enough time to catch his balance, stumbling away quickly, breathing out a short breath of exasperation.]

Thanks...!

[He would've been hurting if not for Akira's save--

But he knew he could trust him to watch his back, didn't he? For now, he reaches for his Evoker immediately as the spider lashes out at Dakini directly, hissing in anger at her lost prey.]

[Minato is safe for now, but the Jorogumo seems more interested in him now.

He raises his daggers and prepares another attack with Dakini to try and keep the thing back from him. It's bearing down fast, but at least now its eyes are off Minato.

Akira will try to hold it off for now. He trusts Minato to have his back, too.]

[Of course he'll have Akira's back.

Minato's willing to go significantly further when it comes to protecting a friend than he is in sparring, so there's no hesitation in his movements as he steps a few more paces back, lifting the Evoker to his temple in the same motion, and pulling the trigger.

This time, it's Satan he summons, launching an Agidyne at the Jorogumo to try to get it to back off of Akira as quickly as possible--the more firepower the better, right?]

[That's definitely a new one.

The fire covering the Jorogumo causes it to scream and jerk back, away from Akira. He uses that as his opening, his mask being replaced (and Dakini disappearing), only to be replaced with Oberon.]

Ziodyne.

[And a massive lightning strike joins the fire.]

[The lightning striking the fire does about what you'd expect--it blows up. Thankfully it's a small, localized explosion.

Also thankfully, Satan blocks fire; Minato lifts an arm vaguely, but otherwise is unbothered as the spider shrieks. That... that did the job almost alarmingly quickly, but that's what happens with Personas, apparently.]

... Huh.

[Huh!! Some of the trees are on fire now. Oops.]

That went well.

[Oops indeed. Akira isn't used to that happening, but then in the cognitive world, things like that don't happen.

Sometimes it's too easy to forget that this is the real world, not the Metaverse.]

It did.

[He watches as a branch crackles and pops.]

We should probably put that out.

[R...right... Minato inspects it quietly for a moment, thinks, and then lifts his Evoker to his temple again. This time when he pulls the trigger, it's Sandalphon that appears--and the Mabufudyne it unleashes is more than enough to stifle the fire, ice encasing the trees instead.

Hm. It's dripping, a little, from the heat, but the fire seems mostly taken care of.]

... That worked, I think. Thank goodness... [It'd be bad if they lit the forest on fire.] Nobody has to know we lit some of the trees on fire.

[Akira nods in agreement.]

Right.

[The trees will... probably be fine.

Anyway!]

Thanks for having my back.

[They can probably head back now, too... just in case there are more monsters out here. But while they do--]

You had my back first. If not for you, I think I would've had some nasty scratches back there.

[That jorogumo meant business....]

So thanks for that too.

[Yep. Back to town!

But that jorogumo had been pretty nasty... they're lucky they're both so strong as to be able to handle it, just the two of them.]

We make a pretty good team.

[Translation: let's do this some more.]

[They can totally do this some more; Minato admits easily enough:]

We do. It's...different when I know you can change Personas too. Somehow, it makes things feel a bit...

[... Less like that's all on his shoulders, to make sure to match up with the best possible scenario, because everyone was counting on him for it.

But ah well.]

... Either way, I'd like to pair up together for another quest in the future, Akira-san.

[Minato doesn't have to finish that thought for Akira to understand. He feels much the same: that it's nice, not having to be the "leader," but just an equal in a fight.

It's just a bit of a load off his shoulders.]

I'd like that too. Next time they get posted, let's see what we can do.

[It's probably better if people like them handle these sorts of "kill a monster" quests, anyway. There are lots of people here who can handle themselves, of course, but not all can.]

Got it. I'll keep you posted then, we can contact each other when those quests show up.

[For now... they're finally at the edge of the town proper, and Minato stretches.]

Let's split up for now? Good job today, Akira-san.

Mm. Good work.

[Then they will split up for now!]

[When he finally finds Akira's house he politely knocks on the door and waits for an answer. Upon getting one he smiles and waves.]

Hey! You wished for curry ingredients, right?

[He holds up a simple bag full of stuff.]

It took a bit, but we managed to find some!

[Semi-closed?] May Catch-All

For Minato

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Adventures in Curry Making