(open) you're a nightmare beating the dawn

[reloves]

🧙 WHO: Minako Aino and you!
⚔️️ WHAT: The gravestone-faced quest.
🕒 WHEN: Early-mid January
🗺️ WHERE: Near the Dusklight Forest
⚠️ WARNINGS: Violence

[ Minako can't ever quite ignore the missions when they go up. And while she usually opts to help out people with the relatively more safe ones, she can't really ignore this one. It just sounds.. bad. Really bad. And when Minako thinks of all of the innocent people that could get caught up in it, she feels a guilt churning away in her stomach.

She has to do something about this. She's a warrior - she always has been. This sort of thing should land on her shoulders, to make this place safer for everyone.

At least she's smart enough to not go alone when there's definitely a certain risk involved with this quest. So Minako may have reached out to you - whether you're one of her friends, or just because you happened to be looking at the quest board at the same time - to work on this one together.

And now you're heading out together in the direction of the forest, Minako does seem to have come prepared. There's something that looks like a decorated metal chain hanging around her waist, and she's also got a sheathed sword along with her. There's no way she's going on this quest without being prepared to protect the person who's coming with her until the end.

But while they're still out of - what's rumored to be - the creature's reach, Minako smiles at her quest partner, like nothing is up. ]

You're not too worried, are you?

Comments

[sos_pilot]

[ Della was... actually a little reluctant to take on his quest. I know, shocking - but she's got a pack full of Reward Items with her, and hopefully that should take care of any trouble they run into. For the most part.

But the fact that Della actually looks serious for once should tell Minako something. ]

... I wouldn't say I'm not a little worried. A guy that attacks based on emotion? You know me, I'm... pretty emotive.

[reloves]

[ Well, Minako sure isn't going to deny what Della is saying here. From all her reactions with the other, it's been pretty obvious that Della is pretty emotive. She's always quick to express things on the spot.

And while Minako herself seems that way as well, she knows that she's pretty good at suppressing it when she has to. But what about Della? Can she do the same when faced with something like this? It's not even that Minako is doubting the other's strength - it's just that she knows that it can be very, very hard for some people. ]

.. you know, if you're really worried.. You can always turn back, you know? I wouldn't blame you.

[ Even though that means Minako would have to tackle this by herself - but she's not scared. If anything, tackling things way too often by herself might as well be her speciality at this point. ]

I don't want you to put yourself into that much danger if you're really worried about it.

[sos_pilot]

[ Alas, as much as Minako knows Della, it seems she still doesn't know Della 100% - because you NEVER call Della a coward and tell her to run away!

Yes, that's not what Minako SAID, but that's sure what Della heard. She's instantly on fire. ]

What? No way! I've never turned my back on anything, and I'm sure not about to do it now! I can totally handle this!

[reloves]

[ Oh boy, Della. This is the worst possible moment to express that attitude, girl! Minako was assuming that a situation this serious might get Della to take it seriously too.. and while the other might be doing so, Minako sure didn't expect a habit like that to kick in at a moment like this. ]

Hey, I was serious!

[ Her tone isn't as dramatic as it normally is. When Minako glances back at Della now, she looks rather serious. ]

We could die here, you know. If things go really bad. That's all I'm saying. You have to be aware of that.

[sos_pilot]

... I mean, technically, our souls could leave our bodies. Long as we get them jammed back in there, we won't die.

[ Of all the things to be WELL ACTUALLY about...! But at least it does calm her down a little. ]

But I am ready! I couldn't live with myself knowing that thing is out there hurting people, and I just sat around and did nothing.

[reloves]

[ Della does have a point.

.. maybe not more than one, but there is a point in there. A point that's enough to make Minako stop questioning the other, and instead ask her something.

It even sounds like a serious question, like she might think Della has the answer, or can at least consider it seriously. ]

Do you know how to put souls back into bodies?

[ Because that's the part about this quest that Minako had absolutely no idea how to deal with. The rest is fine though. Fighting some monster? Sure. But she has no clue how to shove a soul back once it's out of a body. ]

[tsumtsuki]

[ Tsumugi isn't a fighter - he's done choreographed fights on stage before, but that's it. And there's no script for reality. This... could go really badly, actually.

But a similar sort of guilt eats away at him. If it's a creature of cognitive magic, then shouldn't he, a cognitive mage, do something? Even if he can't hope to defeat the creature, perhaps he can help its victims. No - he has to be confident about this. He and Minako can and will help these people.

There is still one thing, though. ] Honestly, I'm a little worried... are you sure you'll be okay? [ She's the warrior between the two of them - he can support her in some ways, but not if comes to blows. ]

[reloves]

.. yeah.

[ Minako nods. But something about her tone, and just about the way she carries herself.. It somehow seems a lot more serious than usually. Like all of the usual lightness about her has flown away from her.

After all, she can't afford to take any of this lightly. Not when the threat sounds pretty big, and not when there's someone with her she has to keep safe no matter what. Nothing about Tsumugi makes him seem like this is anything he's ever had to deal with back home, so it's easy for her to take the majority of the work here on her own shoulders.

As Minako always does. ]

Don't worry about me. I'm pretty good with a sword. I've been practicing, you know? [ She raises her sword, and though it's a little more near-playful, and she smiles a little, said smile doesn't fully reach her eyes. ] No matter what happens, I'll keep us safe. I promise.

[tsumtsuki]

[ It's a dramatic shift. Before now, he hadn't seen her as anything less than bright and dazzling. The light's still there in a way - he sees traces of it in her smile - but it's subdued. Dimmer. And it makes him want to ask again if she's really sure, it's okay if she isn't, but he's pretty sure he already knows what she'll say. So he smiles in turn, in a way he can only hope is a little reassuring. ]

I trust you. [ The "with my life" goes unspoken. ] And I'll do what I can to keep us safe as well. [ Not with force, of course - he's completely unarmed. But he won't just be a liability for Minako.

He looks away, down the path they've begun to set on. ] ... Shall we keep going?

[reloves]

[ It takes a faint moment, but.. then Minako nods.

And so they do start to walk, heading further to their destination. The trees around them slowly start increasing in number as they head further in, from the furthest outer reaches to the forest into the forest itself.

.. which also means that it doesn't take too long before they run into the first corpse. It's a man - an armored man. Perhaps a knight who went out here in hopes of defeating this creature, only to end up like this. Just a body lying there in the grass.

Minako stares at it. Just in case the creature is around - it doesn't seem like it, but you never know - she keeps her facial expression in check. ]

Do you think there's anything we can do for him?

[tsumtsuki]

[ Thank goodness he's an actor. He's spent most of his life honing his craft, becoming a master of subtle emotion - and it's because of this that he's able to swallow that all down when they happen upon the corpse. Minako's right that he's never dealt with anything like this before, but it's not like he hasn't acted his way through his emotions before. It's just that this time, it's the lack of them he has to portray.

How cruel, though, that he can't even shed a tear for this stranger.

Tsumugi kneels down next to the corpse and brushes the back of his hand over their cheek. ] I'm not sure... but I can try and find his soul. [ "Try", because he has no idea how long they've been here. The skin is colder than his, but he's certainly no expert in corpses. ] If I do, though, I won't be aware of our surroundings. At least, for a little bit. [ Which means Minako would essentially be on her own, until he returned from the astral projection.

It's risky, but... ] What do you think?

[reloves]

.. it's risky. [ Minako slowly says after having considered it for a moment.

She's used to doing this sort of thing, after all. Even back home she was the leader. The one who was always supposed to weigh the risks up against the benefits of any given option, trying to keep everyone safe. ]

How long is 'a little bit'?

[ That's going to be the main issue here, Minako thinks. It's probably worth it, since it's about saving a person's life, but if it's going to take him a long time to find the soul.. That's going to expose him to the risk of being unable to defend himself if that being does suddenly show up for so long, even though Minako would absolutely do her best to try to protect him and keep him safe in that time.

But there's never any guarantees. Minako knows that very well. ]

[roppou]

[Hitoya's reason for coming along isn't quite so magnanimous depending on how you look at it. It simply came down to the fact that Jyushi had wanted to help Minako when she asked, but as a kid with five jobs, where does one even find the time to have a social life? Let alone a protector of the people. Which is coincidentally one of the epithets he reserves for Hitoya and probably exactly how he had been introduced as someone more than capable of taking on such a dangerous mission.

He won't blame Minako if the impression Jyushi left her with doesn't quite match up to the man accompanying her now, without even a weapon in sight. Completely average, right down to the bland expression he wears in keeping with the job description.]

Whether I'm worried or not, doesn't do much good to dwell on it, does it? I use to say there's place for emotion in court. These day's it's more likely to be a battlefield.

[Despite all appearances, he does pick his way along their path carefully. The forest is home to any number of dangers beyond just their target.]

[reloves]

[ She is a little worried.

After all, despite all the visual kei dramatics, which Minako is super fond of, she's pretty sure Jyushi just seems.. normal. Not like someone who comes from a place where the people are used to dealing with stuff like this - like fighting monsters.

And while she can't be sure if Hitoya is from the same world as him, she's pretty sure he must be. She figures that Jyushi wouldn't just send anyone her way, not unless he really trusted them with a task like this.

But now they're here, walking towards their goal, and the guy doesn't even seem to have a weapon on him.. She is definitely a little worried! Not enough to stop and turn around, but Minako is definitely making at least three different contingency plans for what they're about to face, in case she does end up needing to protect him, despite Jyushi's reassurance that Hitoya can totally do this. ]

.. don't get me wrong. I just don't want to drag you into something you're not ready for.

[ It's more serious than Minako would be, but there is still some softness around the edges. Despite not knowing the other, she wouldn't want to get him hurt. ]

You don't have to be brave for my sake if it's too hard. I'd find a way to manage by myself. [ Though it would be more dangerous.

But when has Minako ever not chosen to do something, even if she has to do it by herself and more dangerously in that regard? ]

[roppou]

[Not monsters maybe, but the people from his world have dealt with some real horrors and hardships all the same. Hitoya doesn't like to spend too much time dwelling on his time as a medical student, volunteering on the front lines of a war. There was... just a lot left to process there. Best left buried with the past. And certainly not unloaded onto the pretty young girl he's just met.

But it's a past that does have the affect of preparing him, in some strange way, for all the hurdles and curveballs that this world likes to throw at them, seemingly one after another lately.

Hitoya tilts his head, looking at Minako in a way that is as reassuring as he can manage without smiling outright.]

You sound like you've been doing this a while?

[Minako's a small girl, not exactly decked out in armor herself, despite the weapon she carries, but Hitoya picks up on the cues he needs.]

I've been here almost a year and this place still manages to surprise me at every turn. Despite that, the fact remains that we're here to help. So far I've been able to do that in some small part.

Whatever's up ahead, I can't promise I'll be ready for that. But I am ready to do what needs to be done.

[reloves]

.. hmm.

[ It's not too bad of an answer. It's got Minako nodding, at the very least, as she considers his words. He sounds serious enough that she's willing to believe him. That, despite the fact that they're about to face down a pretty big threat, the other might be able to face it.

It's what keeps her walking, rather than stopping and trying to force the other to head back. Instead of reassuring him that she'll be fine by herself.

But that small noise isn't the only reaction from Minako's side, at least. ]

Yeah. I'm used to this. I guess you could say this is my day job, back home.

[ And though she smiles a little as she says it, it's a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. It's pretty noticable, if Hitoya looks in her direction at all while they walk. ]

You're pretty brave though, to throw yourself into all this.

[roppou]

Must be quite a day job.

[If task at hand weren't so serious, he might enquire about the job title. His resume's been in a sorry state for the past year. Maybe a genuine, hero of the people would have some tips for that.

Instead, the path ahead begins to show signs that they're on the right track. None of the macabre casualties of a battle just yet, but scars that mark the land all the same. He shifts focus to her other comment.]

There are things... [No...] people I have to be brave for.

[It's been that way for quite some time.]

[rustyhonesty]

[Jean is mostly here to provide support in battle. It's not a quest he'd normally do, but after hearing Minako going for it, he decided to tag along. He has his sword with him, of course.]

A little. Keeping my emotions in check has never been my strength... but I'll do my best.

[He can have quite the temperament, after all... but he is also a soldier, so he has some semblance of control over his feelings at least.]

Aren't you?

[reloves]

Well.. [ Minako seems to linger a little on that 'well' for a few moments. It's hard to tell why. Maybe she's doing it on purpose - Minako is basically the queen of dramatics, after all - or maybe she's just thinking about it before she gives the full answer.

Regardless of the true reason behind it, she just casually shrugs a little in the end with a smile. ]

Not being worried is kind of the whole point here, isn't it? If we show we're worried, then that's just going to work against us.

So.. yeah! I'm not worried at all! [ Granted, that might mean she actually is a little worried, given what she just said. But sssh. ]

[peninhand]

[ Worried? Monika? Perish the thought! It's not like she has anxiety issues she hides under that smile of hers. Especially when her now-girlfriend is putting her life on the line all the time to defend others. That dedication of hers to help everyone and anyone was very admirable— But like heck if she wasn't going to do everything in her power to make sure she's safe.

But of course, she would show none of those worries. Even though she had abandoned her "magical girl" thing, Monika was carrying the pen-shaped staff with her. It was an amazing weapon in spite of everything. The only downside was how big it was, outside of battle it was a bit of an annoyance to carry around. If only there was a way to minimize it when not using it as a weapon... ]

Mhm... I would be super worried if the guardian of love and everything good in the world wasn't with me right now.

[ She giggled and lifted a finger, speaking a bit more seriously. ]

We're both pretty good at keeping up a facade— And that thing attacks through our emotions, right? So I'm sure we'll be fine!

[reloves]

[ It's the sort of callout that might be awkward in a different situation - or with a different person, for that matter.

But everything considered.. It's not so bad right now. It even makes Minako smile a little at the other, despite knowing that they're about to end up in a very serious situation. It's a cute point to make, and something about the other girl's presence makes Minako's heart feel lighter and heavier at the same time. (After all, Monika's company is nice, and Minako fully believes in the other's capabilities - but she can't help but worry, too, since this is putting her girlfriend in danger.)

The balance of the feelings manages to keep the smile on her face, and she definitely grabs Monika's free hand in one of her own. ]

In that case.. Do you think I can get a good luck kiss?

[peninhand]

[ That felt so strange to hear... Strange yet nice. Sometimes, Monika wondered if she wasn't in some kind of dream born from her despair. And someday she would awake, alone and imprisoned within her digital nightmare. Yet so far, no such thing had happened. Minako was real. Their love was real.

So with all that being said, Minako didn't have to ask twice— Monika leaned to her side and placed a kiss upon her cheek. ]

The real thing will be after we've got this done~!

[ She winked at Minako. ]

We can't afford to get distracted because we're busier kissing and cuddling than fighting, right?

[reloves]

Maybe I would rather be kissing and cuddling though.

[ It's said half-teasingly. Mostly because yes, Minako sure enjoys kissing and cuddling, but she's definitely not the type to skip up on an important duty when she has the chance to pick it up - like right now. Which means that for all her bubbly attitude and asking for that nice cheek kiss and all, she's definitely not planning on backing out of this.

It's why the playfulness is dropped a little more after she says it. Instead she keeps holding onto that hand as she starts to step closer towards the forest. ]

I'll let go when we have to fight. [ She promises. It's not like that'd be easy while holding hands, after all. But.. ] It's just to reassure both of us that we've got each other's backs here.

1/2

[peninhand]

Ahaha~! I know I most definitely would, too.

[ It is completely serious on Monika's end. Well, she's always happy to help those in need when they need assistance... But her specific set of circumstances has left her a tad more selfish than she'd once been. ]

Mhm! [She squeezed her hand.] It still feels like a dream... Sometimes I wonder if I'll wake up and find myself back in that game. And--

[ She paused as she spotted something in the way-- ]

2/2

[peninhand]

[ ... A body. Still breathing, but soulless. A painful reminder that they weren't on a date or anything pleasant. Monika didn't look that phased by the sight, she'd seen worse. And that meant they were on the right track... ]

... A victim. They probably didn't know better and showed their emotions to the beast.