isleofavalon | [Open] Help, Oh Please Help

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[Open] Help, Oh Please Help

🧙 WHO: Ereshkigal and ~~YOU~~!
⚔️️ WHAT: Ereshkigal has decided to tackle on the Betting/Auction (TDM) and MediQueens quests. Of course, things go horribly wrong for her and she needs help. A lot of it. Please help her. Also she got a cool new bag and the seller told her it would be a great way to socialize with people, awkward meetings ahead.
🕒 WHEN: Throughout May.
🗺️ WHERE: Underground Casino and Camelot.
⚠️ WARNINGS: N/A.

All prompts are inside the post in the form of comments

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[ Just like Ritsuka... What was it with human girls and risking their lives for people they barely knew? Well, Minako had called herself the goddess of love, but she certainly felt far more human than a god should. Ereshkigal kind of had her doubts there. And if she really was a goddess... Then she was more like Ishtar than like her.

Or was it perhaps just guilt for having scammed her with that overpriced "problem-solving" bag?

No matter the truth, Ereshkigal knew better than to argue with her, especially when she was already getting out of breath. Instead she focused on rushing towards the quest giver, glancing back at the other girl. ]

T-Thank... Thank you...

[ Meanwhile... The man who had put on the quest was idly waiting by the quest-board, as Ereshkigal had sent him a message that she had succeeded the quest and would come to deliver the reward ASAP. He'd specifically mentioned he'd put that as a quest because he'd done it himself last year and had zero desire of being hunted by an army of ants once again. So it's not difficult to imagine the nervous smile and look of absolute confusion on the man's face when he hears the familiar noise of ant army, led by two running girl.

Ereshkigal was out of breath. She couldn't do it any more. She wasn't used to running, she was just about to collapse. So when she spotted the man in the distance, her pace had already been slowing down for a while. And she didn't feel like she would be able to make it without being overrun.

She turned to look at Minako, handing back the bottle. ]

C-Can you... Throw it to... To the man...?

[ She was barely able to speak between breathes. ]

[ There's no need for words here when this is quite possibly the most time-sensitive task Minako has had to carry out in a long time, right? Ereshkigal is asking this of her, so there's no need to wait even for a moment for confirmation.

Instead Minako nods, grabbing the bottle out of the other's hands without saying a word. And then - even as they are running - the girl raises the bottle, looking for a moment to try and get the best angle here on how to throw the bottle so it'll reach the man..

.. and then she throws it.

The biggest benefit of this situation is that Minako is a star volleyball player, of course, which means that the bottle actually moves in the perfect angle. She just shouts: ]

Grab it..! [ --in the direction of the man, just so he actually catches it, rather than having the bottle knock him unconscious by hitting him on the head.

Minako doesn't look to see how it lands though. After all, the ants are still storming after it, which means they'll also be moving past where the two girls are standing. With no time left to get out of the way, and less energy on their part to do so in the first place, Minako grabs a hold of the goddess, pulling her close, and then concentrating in order to form a shape around them with her light magic - making it look like they're not two girls standing there, but just the fountain from earlier.

Which has the fortunate effect that the ants actually move around it, rather than climbing all over them in an effort to get past them. ]

There, there..! [ Minako says the moment she notices the ants are falling for the illusion.

She sounds definitely out of breath as well from all that running, but she just grins at the other - like they didn't just go through a wild situation. ]

The goddess of love is pretty reliable, huh?

[ The quest giver looks very confused, soon followed by looking horrified and then terrified- It's pretty amazing really, the sheer range of emotions that are displayed on his face. In only a few seconds, he managed to cover every emotions known to humans, resulting in the logical conclusion of him running away while screaming.

Clearly, that's a quest well done.

Ereshkigal was still on the ground and only managed to avoid a terrible fate thanks to Minako's illusion. She'd prepared herself for a fate worse than death, but... ]

I-It's over?!

[ She blinked in quick succession. Wow. No more ants! She slowly got up and dusted herself off. ]

More so than the one from my world...

[ Maybe Minako was really the goddess of love from her world! Ereshkigal turned back to her and bowed respectfully as a sign of gratitude. ]

Thank you. I would probably be stuck on that fountain still if not for your help.

[ And so no one heard from that poor quest giver ever again..

But Minako figures that that person has probably got some way to have this covered. And otherwise he might have had to think a little harder about the quest he was setting people out to do. He should've known that you can't have a queen ant without an inevitable army of ants following her!

Which is why she tries to not worry about the quest giver for now, instead turning to look at Ereshkigal as the other bows, smiling as Minako tucks some hair away behind her ear now it got all unruly from the chase. ]

Hey, hey, no need to thank me! If we're all stuck in this weird place together, then we've all got to help each other out too, right? [ Especially since Ereshkigal is actually a nice person, unlike some of the more jerk-y people she's met here. ] Besides, I guess this is kind of to make up for the fact that I haven't had time to give you those lessons about how to be social..

[ She hasn't forgotten!! Minako is just.. an active girl! ]

The lessons? [A beat.] Oh, right...!

[ Right right, the sociability lessons... That had completely slipped off her mind. For the better really. After a few disastrous attempts to fight her social anxiety with the bag, even Ereshkigal had reached the one and only possible conclusion: she had been scammed. And the sociability lesson had likely never been a serious offer.

She wasn't sure how to bring that up though. It felt wrong to accuse Minako and demand reparation after she'd just literally saved her life. The weight of her good deed was far superior to that of her misdeed, right? That was how she'd judge things back in the Underworld anyway.

She cleared her throat and straightened herself, trying to look charismatic. .... Unfortunately, she did not. ]

I-I forgive you. Under normal circumstances, I would have to strike you down for having scammed me with the bag and the promotional offer of the lessons. [That pure flow of consciousness was probably something that needed to be addressed, but at least she was honest.] But you saved my life. It more than cancels out your misdeeds, and I am still in your debt.

W-Wait, hold on!

[ Look at her sputter.

It's not even a guilty sputter. Granted, Minako can act when she tries to, but she's not even doing that in this moment. That expression on her face here is 100% genuine. ]

I didn't scam you! I wanted to help you! [ That's what Minako is like, after all. Especially when it comes to matters of love or just anything social-related, she usually already helps out people free of charge in the first place.

Throwing it in with the bag was more just her way of having Ereshkigal accept it without losing her goddess pride. ]

If you want me to help you out, I will, you know? Just say the word, and I'll show up tomorrow at your door tomorrow, early in the morning, ready for social morning training!

[ Please, Minako, who do you think you are. Some sort of motivational movie sports coach?? ]

[ So she hadn't scammed her... She wanted to believe her. The girl did sound honest and she had just taken a great personal risk to help her. Without Minako, she'd be dead. Really, she had no reason to mistrust her, asides from her thin connection to Ishtar by being a goddess of love.

Still, she felt the need to point out: ]

I-I have tried using the bag in the manner you described to make socializing easier. [A pause.] Unfortunately, it resulted in making interactions worse.

[ Maybe Minako really hadn't meant to scam her and she'd just misused the bag. But she couldn't help and feel bags really didn't help with socializing. She smiled sheepishly and shook her head. ]

You have done a lot for me already. You need not do more. [She tried to pose dramatically. And failed.] I am the one in your debt now. If-if you ever need assistance, the Goddess of Death shall answer.

[ Oh no, Ereshkigal... Minako can only imagine how that disastrous scenario went down, especially with some of the other girl's.. well, let's say, social habits.

But that's clearly why she's here, right? To help her improve? Ereshkigal might seem a little like she's turning down the help here, but Minako wouldn't be Minako if she wasn't ever persistent. ]

Ah, then I know the way you can pay off that debt!

[ Persistent-- Like right now. ]

You can show up tomorrow, bright and early, for Minako Aino's Special Goddess Socialisation Class! [ Just look at the bravado she says that with. It's like she's introducing the country's most popular game show - despite not doing an attempt at the dramatic posing like the other had only a moment ago. ]

[ Goodness, that was so much energy...! How did she do it? Just seeing Minako be that extroverted and social was making Ereshkigal feel exhausted. That reminded her of Ishtar once again... Except unlike Minako, Ishtar was obnoxious and absolutely unbearable when she was like that. ]

W-What...?

[ Special Goddess Socialization Class? SGSC for short? Had she heard that right? It was obvious Minako had made that up on the spot and honestly, the idea of someone teaching her how to be more social was really enticing. ]

I... [Blink blink.] Why would you do that for me?

[ There had to be a catch somewhere, right? ]

I mean.. Why not?

[ Ah, there it is. The two words that Minako tends to live her life by - at least when it comes to less serious and more just fun dramatic things. Why not do anything? What's there to lose when there's no high stakes for once? ]

You need the help, and I'm willing to provide! [ She smiles.

(Don't make yourself sound like a sea witch, Minako.) ]

Shouldn't that be enough reason? Besides, my heart would break to know that an adorable girl like you doesn't have as many friends as she deserves!

A-adorable is not a word that describes me in any shape or form...!

[ She's the goddess of death who rules over the underworld! She's supposed to be scary and dangerous. Not adorable! .... Even though in all honestly, she prefers being adorable over being scary. But she's not allowed to show it. ]

Humans are usually led by selfish impulses. [That's as an answer to her "why not."] It is a rarity to find one that is not.

[ Was she like Ritsuka...? If so, she knew rejecting her offer would hurt her rather than help her. And besides, she really could use those lessons. ]

Thank you. I-I will take you up on your offer then.

[ Please, Ereshkigal. Minako is basically a certified cute girl expert! She knows one when she sees one.

But maybe she's already dealt with types who insist they're not cute enough, because she doesn't reply to the other's protest at all. Instead she just takes what she can get - which means smiling widely at the moment the other gives in. ]

Great!

[ Just look at all the excitement in that single word.. There's so much energy being thrown around here. ]

No worries, you can count on me. Before you know it, you'll be surrounded with more friends than you'd know what to do with! [ Don't make it sound so ominous, Minako.

It's just friendship. ]

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[Open] Help, Oh Please Help

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