[open] you're my butterstick

[trabryu]

[ Note: Some of these are backdated as these items are supposed to be regained within a month! These are pretty generic prompts, but if you have one you want and you'd like me to write a detailed starter for it, give me a poke at tsubo, through PM, or through the comments! ]

i. 8/16-8/30: you're half the man i am
[ It can't get any more ironic. The morning after Obon, a box of butter is delivered to Mondo's doorstep. You might...

1) Find it before he does, if you walk by the warehouse nearby the school early in the morning. Did Mondo start a new business? Who knows.

2) Spot Mondo staring at the box of butter. He'll think it's some prank that someone pulled on him. He might visit the Velvet Room to see if the attendants know anything. Or are they behind all of these random items that come out of nowhere?

3) Be invited by him to have some, or for a cooking session. He doesn't even cook that much so he'll probably give it to Terry otherwise, maybe? The hell does he do with 80(???)kg of butter... It says 80kg on the label, but it's light and weighs at most 1kg. However, when they scoop there seems to be endless amount of butter...? ]

ii. 8/16-8/30: we're gonna accelerate till dawn
[ Later that evening, people might notice a large shadow floating on the air, until it finally is dropped just a few centimeters away from where Mondo is... The crows are working hard to deliver it to him, but the fall certainly did some damage to it ー especially since the motorcycle is self-built. He has so many questions, but before that he'll do some reparation work so if you stop by, he can show you how to fix a bike, or if you ever want a ride from him anytime in the month after the 16th, he's game... if he likes you. Then again, he likes a lot of people in Hirajiro, so that's a thing.

He'll also start some delivery services now that he has motorbike!! Hirajiro's first Uber? Maybe... ]

iii. 8/20-8/30: neko neko neko nyaamii nyaamii
[ Mondo is almost scared of waking up every morning because something just suddenly come up without warning, and today is no different. He wakes up to 5 more kitties on top of the one he already has. So now he has to father 6 cats... He doesn't know if he can take care of them all, and Lia the tabby (his first cat) isn't very excited with his attention that are now have to be split among the other five.

He'll walk around the town with them trotting behind him, trying to see if anyone wants to adopt one or two. He'll keep them if no one does... Maybe if anyone wants to help him name them, lol, he's always relying on other people for names... useless. He'll also allow people to play with them as long as they're gentle! You can decide where you see him in town because he'll literally walk around the whole town trying his luck. ]

iv. 8/25-8/30: 8bit tour
[ Subscribe for daily nyan pics...

So Mondo manages to get a secondhand galapagos cellphone that can send photos and text, also do calls but not video calls! Feel free to bother him through phone calls or texts, he's not very tech savvy but he can text. You can also order some delivery through him... lmfao maybe if the attendants want his services... ]

v. anytime in august
[ Apart from working at Hoshino Carpenters, where a middle-aged couple work on carpentering services as well as some wood crafts, Mondo has his own side job of making trinkets and smaller wood crafts which doesn't have to go through the Hoshino's. If you want to commission him for a gift for that special someone, he's here. He'll also hold some impromptu workshops too and is more than happy to teach people how to make things! Despite the large bara fingers, they're quite nimble.

Other than that, he'll be at the dungeons to collect items and $$$. He wants to save up for phone (which he'll have towards the end of the month), so he'll find every ways possible to get all the dollah. He will still be around even after he gets his kaching because nothing wrong with getting more money! If you want to team up with him, he's down. He'll be in every floor except the fourth, he's here for your Fire and Physical attack needs. He's also gotten Tetrakarn so he can reflect physical damages, if that's a thing that you need! ]

vi. wildcard
[ If you want to plot and all that jazz, feel free to hit me up at tsubo!! Also, don't hesitate to hit up a few prompts and have multiple threads and come back as you wish, I'm always open to more threads o7 ]

Comments

[compendiem]

[ Man, those crows were really working overtime, weren't they? Minato thinks to himself as he lifts his gaze up towards the ceiling where the bike had crashed, before turning his attention to the motorcycle.

He crouches down and shuffles close, to whisper and stroke her lovingly on the side. This is how he ends up with six girlfriends. ]

Hey there, Jessica-san.

[trabryu]

[ whoa whoa WHOA hey there buddy

Mondo has his jaw drops at the sight of Arisato stroking Jessica. Wot the... he didn't know that Arisato has it in him to be sultry like that!! He immediately rushes to Arisato's side to yank his arm ー not too roughly though he doesn't want to break it and it looks like it'll come off if he's not careful. ]

I didn't tell ya it's aight to get handsy on her?!

[ He can't believe... He's beginning to think that this isn't the same Arisato he met in Wonderland. Their vibes are pretty different and he felt it when they first met, but he thought it was just him overthinking because Arisato didn't deny it when he asked. He squints. ]

's that how ya talk to girls? Holy crap.

[compendiem]

[ I hope Wonderland Arisato was soft and kind and nothing like the one standing in front of Mondo right now with a full on smirk on his face, even as he straightens up and slides his hands into his pockets. No more being handsy, promise. ]

Yeah. Is there a problem? How do you talk to girls?

[trabryu]

[ Yeah, Wonderland Arisato was soft and mysterious and cute (??) and pure, nothing like this Arisato...... Mondo squints judgmentally.

And then Arisato asks The Question. ]

...How--?!

[ How does he talk to girls... War flashbacks to the times he yells at girls that he liked and getting rejected because he's too scary for them although it's really just him getting nervous and don't know what to do around them...... ah. Good times. ]

I-- uh. I treat 'em with respect!!!

[ Uh well. It's not actually wrong..... maybe. ]

[compendiem]

[ This Arisato is unfortunately a NG+ Arisato who got tired of everybody's bullshit. Someday I want to play against a soft Arisato...

Sad when Mondo is a better person than the Jesus Protag who stands in front of him, nodding slowly with that smile on his face that only ever spells trouble. ]

Cool, same. How do you talk with guys?

[ With respect, hopefully!! That's just how you talk with people, if you're not Minato. ]

[trabryu]

[ It's a good spicy Arisato... Mondo feels unsettled but it's good, they're doing good. Chaotic Neutral (???) Arisato is the best kind of Arisato. ]

Haaah?! You don't get to 'same' me if ya talk to girls like that!!

[ He clicks his tongue. ]

Normally! Like how I'm talkin' to ya!! What's this question?!

[compendiem]

[ lmfao better than Chaotic Chaotic Arisato ]

I was just saying hi... Like normal. How you talk to people is normal to you, and same with me. Isn't that fine?

[ Maybe this is just how Minato is and Mondo can't stop him, essentially. Cut him some slack... ]

[trabryu]

[ Mondo heaves a sigh. ]

So you're sayin' you're a natural flirt.

[compendiem]

Yeah. How am I doing?

[ Are you falling for him yet, Mondo? Or do you want to punch him in the face? He does have that sort of face, even if his words are always calm and earnest. ]

[trabryu]

Your charms don't work on me.

[ Don't worry, he doesn't want to punch Arisato... yet. There's still enough balance in Wonderland!Arisato's good boy points. ]

But you better don't try to lay a finger on Rei. Or Kido. Or Enkidu.

[ Haha. ]

[compendiem]

Okay. I won't lay a finger on them.

[ ... ]

From now on.

[trabryu]

Aaah?!

[ Did Mondo's face just change 180 degree? Yes it did. ]

Whaddya mean 'from now on'?! What did ya do to them?!

[compendiem]

[ ... ]

...Nothing.

[ Minato turns around to head back to the Velvet Room. ]

[trabryu]

[ No no no he's not gonna let you off so easily! For the second time of the day, Mondo pulls Arisato's arm, this time a lot rougher. ]

Hold up!! Ya don't get to say that and just walk off!! Explain.

[compendiem]

[ No... He lets Mondo grab his arm, and doesn't make an attempt to escape or anything. He accepts his fate pretty easily, for having instigated it in the first place. ]

Not really anything to explain... I can only promise not doing stuff in the future, right? The past is the past.

[trabryu]

...You implyin' you did shit before?

[ Tighter grasp on that arm now. That'll hurt... ]

[compendiem]

[ If it hurts, Minato doesn't give any indication that he's in pain, or is even a little bit uncomfortable with the way he's being handled. The lack of reaction is unsatisfying, and he knows; it's one of his greatest assets, looking like nothing bothers him. ]

Implications are different from fact. What do I have to gain from harming anybody?

[trabryu]

[ Mondo doesn't want to hurt Arisato per se ー he just wanted to make sure Arisato doesn't get away before explaining to him, and that his point gets across. So he's not planning to loosen his grip until that happens. ]

I ain't ya. I wouldn't know. If ya didn't do anything ya can just say that, no need ta make it vague and shit.

[compendiem]

[ Mondo's scolding him but Minato's not even looking him in the eyes; his gaze is unfocused and he's doing that thing again where he's zoning out— but then he blinks, looks at Mondo. Smiles a little, apologetic. ]

...Sorry. I haven't done anything here. But I was friends with Rei before; I just don't remember. If I held her hand, or patted her head before... I don't remember.

[trabryu]

[ He doesn't really care people not meeting him in the eyes because he does the same sometimes. Maybe on a different situation and with a different person he'll be more annoyed, but a big part of him still wants to trust Arisato.

With Arisato properly responding to him, his grip loosens. ]

...One of those different universe cases?

[ Or maybe it's different, since Arisato mentioned being in the train for hundreds of years. ]

Ya have any vague memory of knowing her before?

[compendiem]

[ Minato shrugs, because he really doesn't know what it is, if it's a different universe case or just being in the Velvet Room making time and space all screwy. It must be something like that, though. ]

I don't remember at all... not yet. [ Maybe he never will, but he does want to ] Rei recognized me, though, and thought I was a good person. So I kinda want to live up to that. Everything else I remember doesn't make me seem like it, though it's not much.

[ Not a bad person, but... lonely. Somebody who turns away from people and keep to himself. Not the sort of person Rei would be so excited to see and call a friend. ]

[trabryu]

[ Well, there's no point thinking too hard about it now. It's not like having the confirmation whether it's the one or the other will change anything. ...right? ]

...I can relate to that. Rei's always so straightforward with her feelings, and she trusts people so much. You just wanna make sure to take a good care of her... never disappoint her, or somethin'. I dunno. You just wanna be a good person for her.

[ He looks at Arisato then. ]

I wasn't a good person either-- not that I am now, but I guess... we can always try to be better.

[compendiem]

[ He could try to be better, but... no... The change is slow, when he could be and do whatever he wanted all these years. He didn't have to prove himself, or push himself to be noticed, or have a reason to be more than who he is. Even now, with people looking to him, he shies away instead of stepping up.

He's capable of being a good person. He's capable of being a good Attendant; he could lead a team into the dungeons and wipe it out in a matter of seconds if something forced his hand, but he doesn't. There's just... something holding him back. It's that same thing that sets him apart from the rest of the Guests, he thinks. There's little difference between him and everybody else, he thinks, but he's the one who is shackled here. Every time he goes outside, he falls in love with the world... but the Velvet Room is where he belongs, and he isn't allowed to abandon it. Even going outside and hanging out with people, he can never stay out there too long, because he's supposed to be in the Velvet Room, he has a duty and he's bound to it, even if he's no good at it. It's not fair. He wants to live too. He wants to play games and eat out and chat about nothing, but in the end, he's duty bound to a nameless, faceless, unknown master that he cannot escape from.

They don't need him. They'll be fine without him. But if he shirks his duties and runs away, all he'd be doing is abandoning people he'd come to like. You don't need somebody, to still want them there. He knows that. It's hard. It's easy to let all that go, say that nothing matters, and pretend not to be bound by anything. ]

...yeah. I guess.

[ He really hates this sometimes, the idea that he has to be better, the idea that he's not good enough. ]

[trabryu]

[ If only Mondo knows what's going through Arisato's mind... He just stares at him ー it's clear to him that something is in the other's mind, but he didn't think of it much. Arisato has always been quiet and slow-paced, after all. ]

Heh, what's that? Ya don't sound so sure 'bout it.

[compendiem]

...That's 'cause I'm not sure about it.

[ He has to agree with Mondo's assessment, but he doesn't offer anything more than that. All the thoughts and feels he has just gets shoved down into the void that his being feels like sometimes, and he shrugs to cap off his answer. ]