[OPEN] everybody's working for the weekend

[burnmydread]

Who: Minato Arisato & YOU!
When: Throughout June
Where: Caissa & Lasker
What: Job quest post for the month of March
Rating: None? (Will update if needed)

[ Reference for the Job Post is here. Also, if you're interested and haven't already, you can pick your character's arcana for Social Linking! ]

001-A. Water Wars of the Worlds?

[ Who doesn't love water fights? And who doesn't love it when someone provides you with an absolutely ridiculous gun? No one. Everyone loves this. The more spouts the more power, right?

For all the festivities, there is one figure in the crowd who seems to be a little more subdued than most. Dressed in shorts and a simple shirt, Minato stands armed with his gun. Why isn't he doing anything? Everyone around him is going crazy, getting soaked...

No, he's waiting for the right victim.

And it happens to be you.

Without warning, he unleashes his Blanc Special Super Soaker at your character. When the assault is done, he simply says. ]

Gotcha.

001-B. No Drowned Cats Allowed

[ The unfortunate part of participating in the water battle means that there are definitely vendors and restaurants that don't want people running around dripping all over their nice floors. He didn't think about this beforehand.

Minato is standing in front of a cafe, face nearly pressed to the window as he looks in. There's food in there, he can see it. It's so close...He sighs. ]

...This is how it ends.

[ A little ominous, maybe? Calm down, drama queen. But you know what would help? A good samaritan to step in and feed him. Those are the best people.

Or laugh at his pain. That works too. ]

002-A. "Meow" Or Something Like That

[ This was bound to happen eventually. Right? It's good he didn't have much dignity to begin with, because when the soulless eyes stare back at him, Minato see his fate. Of all that the Heroes have been asked to do for the sake of Blanc, is this really where it ends? Is this the true test of strength?

Yes. Yes it is. It's a good thing he's way before Five Nights at Freddie's.

It isn't long before the suit is now staring outward at the public with Minato behind it. It's a little big, but it's head is supposed to be big. Minato just isn't sure if he'll be able to actually keep it on his head. The fact that it's hot doesn't help him much either. In fact, he looks more like a penguin taking it's first steps on the ice of the antarctic with the way he's waddling away from the dressing rooms. Oh boy.

At least he seems to be putting forth some sort of effort. Surprising, right? Minato will be seen waving near the entrance for a while, but it's not long before he starts to wander off on his own.

It's uncertain whether he's trying to get a free snack or encourage new customers to this particular food stand, but it seems to be working either way.

He can also be seen napping beside some railing. Or, at least that's what it seems like, it's hard to tell when it's a large mascot suit just kind of lying there. Hopefully he hasn't passed out from heat stroke, right? ]

002-B. Let's Play Off-Duty

[ That sure was a thing! A thing that's over and DONE with! Maybe it was just the fact that the mascot costume is ridiculously cute despite whatever Minato has been doing in it, but he's done well enough to earn that coupon. Whoohoo!

So, when you've got money coupons burning a hole in your pocket, it's best to spend it, right? Of course, a view of the park through the semi-transparent mesh of mascot eyes don't really give the best view of what's going on. Minato stands by the entrance with the coupon in his hands, looking a little lost. ]

...

[ Is he sad? Or--no...he's...almost overwhelmed, but not upset. ]

I don't even know where to start.

Comments

[sealeted]

Really? Let me try.

[Hakuno sets the cup of watermelon down and reaches to pluck his star-spoon out of his suit-clad fingers, scooping up a bit of the ambiguously fruity treat and popping it into her mouth without a second of hesitation.

She cares more about avoiding color/flavor mixtures than avoiding indirect kisses with attractive young men, obviously.

She mulls over the flavor for a moment, before handing him back the straw.]

Huh. I see what you mean. Want to lay any bets down on what the red turns out as?

[burnmydread]

[ And she just helps herself to his food...He's pretty protective of his food, there's a clear bit of pain that crosses his face when she takes his spoon, but he holds back pretty well. She's cute enough for him to be a little generous, right? Or maybe he just needs to learn to share.

It's tough. The struggle is very real.

She seems to agree with him, though, and at the potential offering of her own shaved ice samples, he perks up immediately.

Really, he's a man of simple pleasures. ]

...Ambiguous sweet red candy flavoring?

[ Please feed him. ]

[sealeted]

[Well, from Step 1 Hakuno has just been assuming they were going to split everything fifty-fifty, even if he was literal dead weight for 75-80% of the show. She might be a little offended, if she knew about his assumptions; she's not so cruel as to deny a man an icy treat after a sweltering day in a cat suit.

She taps her lip, humming thoughtfully.]

Then, I'll guess strawberry.

[She reaches for the red cup's straw, and takes a bite. Her expression is unreadable. After a moment, she scoops up another little serving and holds it out for him, so he can taste the verdict himself.]

[burnmydread]

[ He can't help but be a little selfish when it come to food. Okay, he can totally help it, he just doesn't want to. Food is wonderful.

Minato watches her carefully and only looks happier when he's offered a taste. He could take the little serving himself, but he'd rather just...you know, lean forward and taste it. So he does.

And contemplates. ]

...Mmm, you win. Strawberry.

[sealeted]

[Hakuno can understand getting defensive about food. Food is justice.

Still, she's a little taken aback by his forward move. A very little. Her eyebrows ghost a fraction upwards, but it totally counts. She accepts her victory with admirable aplomb, taking another scoop of the strawberry for herself.]

Oh, that's right. We should have made a bet or something, right? My bad.

[She furrows her forehead, clicking her tongue faintly in disappointment at the missed opportunity.]

[burnmydread]

[ "Food is justice" is now a t-shirt that he needs. Maybe then everyone else will understand.

He decides he likes that shaved ice more, but is willing to go back to his ambiguously green treat none the less. Minato will eat most of anything as long as it's edible. He's no where near Souji's level of eating his little cousin's science projects, though. ]

What would you have wanted as a prize?

[ Gauging just in case he's feeling generous. It does happen every now and then. ]

[sealeted]

[It does sound pretty catchy, doesn't it?

Hakuno goes back to her Watermelon, settling onto a bench by the table. Each mouthful is total bliss, after so long in that suit. She pauses only to think on his question and gibe him a fair answer. She hadn't thought that far yet, after all.]

Maybe... a free snack or something? Oh, and your name, I guess.

[burnmydread]

[ A free snack...she's a girl after his own heart, clearly. Minato nods almost sagely in agreement, as if there's suddenly a deep understanding of her decision. There is.

He pauses in the consumption of his own treat to offer that last request, at least. ]

Minato Arisato.

[ He doesn't start eating again, expecting her to give her name in return. ]

[sealeted]

Nice to meet you, I guess.

[They are united in a moment of gastronomical understanding, and she nods back perfunctorily. After a moment, she realizes he's paused.

Two possibilities come to mind. She decides to answer both, just in case.]

I'm Hakuno Kishinami. Did you want some watermelon ice?

[He's already tasted the other two, so she might as well offer him some of this one before it's all gone.]

[burnmydread]

[ Once he has her name, Minato nods. ]

You too.

[ And more importantly to her next question...

He nods again. ]

Yes.

[ There's a pause and he holds out his ambiguous green ice. A fair trade, right? ]

[sealeted]

Oh, thanks.

[He had really been going at his green, so she hadn't expected a full on trade. She rolls with it, though, and swaps cups.]

Have you been in this world long?

[burnmydread]

[ Hey, he can share food if it's shared with him. When it isn't, then it's all out war. So she's safe.

He'll gladly dig into the sweet fruity flavored one, though. Mmhmmmmm... ]

About four months.

[ Which seems long, to be honest. ]

I haven't seen you before.

[sealeted]

[Artificial, ambiguous green isn't too bad either, given that it's cold and sweet and goes down smooth.]

That makes sense. I just got here at the start of the month.

[...Rose? Rosette? She knows she's seen it written down, but honestly there are a lot more pressing things for her to learn than alternate month names. She shrugs slightly.]

It's not so bad here, considering.

[It's better than the Moon Cell.]

[burnmydread]

[ Mmm. So she is new. Not that he makes it his business to keep tabs on all of his coworkers, so to speak, but you do get used to seeing the same faces as you pass by them in the hall. ]

It's pretty cushy for a war job.

[ He'll just straight up say it.

Also? This is delicious. He looks a little too pleased to be eating this. ]

It's easy to forget there is a war.

[ Of course, talk like this over shaved ice makes it a little bit of a disconnect. ]

[sealeted]

[If there's a disconnect, it's one that she's so used to it doesn't even register. She just nods along, working away at the rest of her cup.]

Mm. But, I have to say, it's leaps and bounds better than the one I just got done fighting. I mean, first and foremost, it's not a battle royale affair.

[She scrapes around the edge of that cup for one last heaping scoop.]

There's so much free time, too. I've started splurging around and picking up a bunch of hobbies.

[burnmydread]

[ That piques his interest. A battle royale affair? ]

You were fighting before?

[ He's found that's more common than not among Heroes, which makes sense considering what they're being asked to do. ]

Like what?

[sealeted]

It's... well, there are other people who faught in a 'Holy Grail War' here, but I'm not sure if you're familiar with them.

[She sets down her empty cup, tilting her head and letting her hair spill over her shoulders as she thinks of the best way to explain.]

It was... I suppose you could say, a 'proxy' war, waged between Masters who summoned Heroic Spirits out from the Grail to protect and fight for them. The lone winner won the right to one wish.

[burnmydread]

[ He tilts his head slightly. No he's not really familiar with it, although... ]

...I met someone that said they use a grail as a weapon. Is that what you mean?

[ Close enough? ]

One wish?

[sealeted]

[Hakuno shakes her head.]

No, the 'Grail' part is just a title. It was actually a magical supercomputer sort of thing. And also the moon? The Moon Cell was also called 'The Eye of God,' too.

[She shrugs.]

The winner got one wish, with no limits, courtesy of all the Grail's power.

[burnmydread]

[ That's...interesting. He's not quite sure what to make of it at first. ]

...Supercomputer?

[ What. ]

No wonder people are fighting over it.

[sealeted]

...well. Not anymore.

[Hakuno takes a scoop from the red cup on the table.]

My wish was to seal it away, after all. Out of the 999 Masters that originally took part, only two survived and were allowed to go back to their bodies, and both of them only survived via glitches. The Holy Grail War wasn't something I could stomach, in the end.

[burnmydread]

[ She's...an interesting person. Not quite what he expected when he saw a bunny suit, but he's learned a long time ago not to judge a book by it's cover, so to speak. People always surprise you. ]

It sounds like you've been busy.

[sealeted]

Ah, well, comparatively, I guess. It's been a busy few months.

[A busy year? Time got kind of wonky in the Moon Cell after BB assumed direct control.]

I like being here better, over all.

[burnmydread]

You've got experience to do the job.

[ That makes her seem like a logical pick, at least. A war over something that could grant any wish...and yet she decides to get rid of it? That's very altruistic of her. And he knows it's not always easy doing the right thing.

> You feel a faint bond forming between you...

Ah, excellent. Another Social Link. He pauses as the voices start to hum and speak to him.

There's the sound of shattering glass in his head. ]

Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fool Arcana...

...

[ Wait.

What? ]

[sealeted]

Well. I wouldn't go quite that far, but I guess I have a good mindset for it, if nothing else.

[Hakuno can't help but smile around her straw, slightly. She's still working out the best way to use her bow, and while Gilgamesh is here, he's not her Servant. Her 'experience', limited as it is, is not fully applicable here. It's nice to see she at least gives off a good first impression, though.]