[open] be strong and all will be alright

[overstrain]

I: 9/22 - it's worse than a dog's nose

[ Terry has been going for a walk in town in an attempt to soak up the sunshine in a really comfortable black hoodie jacket that seems a bit oversized, even for Terry's 5' 11" height. He did pick it out like this after all. Only his fingers would be peeking out of his sleeve, but he has his hands in his pockets while he has a dark blue hat over his head. What he's wearing doesn't... actually help absorb the sunshine directly, but he feels cozy enough. It's not that hot for him.

Though as he continues his stroll, he passes someone who has perfume or cologne on and he immediately covers his entire face with his sleeves (his hands are not showing) and doesn't move from his spot. That smell is way too strong for him--he feels like he's going to puke, but does his best to keep it in. He even whines to himself: ]

Why now...

[ Even though Terry himself is the one that reeks of cinnamon every single day, it still seems he can't smell his own identifier, no matter how strong his sense of smell gets. ]


II: 9/26 - demigods can catch a cold too

[ It was actually on the 24th that he started showing symptoms of a cold and he did get better enough that he can start walking around outside. However, some symptoms still linger. He has a sore throat and coughs every now and then, which really didn't help after his therapy session at the hospital. The hospital gave him several medical face masks because of it.

It's now the afternoon, he's plagued with the Truth Mechanism again, has a medical face mask over his nose and mouth, has glasses, and he's sure as hell not wearing his black hoodie jacket today. He sniffles sometimes and his sense of smell is brought down a lot, which is a small blessing. He looks pretty much down in the dumps though, and maybe that's because he's sick. He's miserable either way, but he just found out that Hibiki had joined the zombie horde, so it's pretty difficult to be happy right now while dealing with the cold.

He doesn't watch where he's going, spacing out with his thoughts as he continues walking and ends up bumping into someone. If you're good at dodging people, he'll just walk into the wall of a building instead, since he's just that out of it. Probably scared the stray cats in the vicinity too. ]

wildcard

[ He'll be going to either Dungeon again, so if you need a Dungeon thread with him for either one, you can hit him up! He'll be available to run Dungeons on any day except 9/24 and 25. Terry will be wearing glasses on and off from the 25th and he can only tell the truth from 9/24-9/30. Feel free to take advantage of that. You can always throw a different prompt at me! This is basically a catch-all log until the end of September.

For the Black Cat household, they'll be getting a set of couches on the 25th. Terry is shoving that into the living room, so feel free to make yourself useless on those. They're very comfortable. ]

Comments

[compendiem]

I won't acknowledge the friendship until you accept Vassago.

[ He can and will hold this friendship hostage. Give it up, Terry. ]

[overstrain]

[ oh my god

Terry has an utter look of disbelief on his face. ]

You can't do that! They have nothing to do with each other!

[compendiem]

Yeah I can. How can I be friends with somebody who hates my friend?

[ Vassago's so cool, how could Terry not like him ]

[overstrain]

[ I'm still making them but I had to get this icon up because it really fits what Terry's feeling right now. He feels like he got beaten by his original! What the fuck!! He can't take that, so he attacks Minato with a noogie. ]

I'll make it one-sided then! I don't need your acknowledgement!

[compendiem]

[ Oh my god, I can't handle Terry with glasses

I like how Minato just watched a dozen people die in flashbacks and thinking to himself "wow I'll never smile again" and then two threads later he's making fun of Terry. He can take being sat on, but not the noogie, making a halfassed attempt to duck away. ]

That's why it's sad... A one-sided friendship isn't fair to you. It gives me too much power, and it just becomes pining on your end.

[overstrain]

[ Just let Terry be the moodmaker forever... until he gets whisked away by the Dungeon and then they all have something to be sad about.

A halfassed attempt unsurprisingly doesn't work again Terry, so Minato will end up getting a merciless noogie. ]

What power? You don't control me.

[ Can't be tamed!!! ]

[compendiem]

[ Ughhh. Minato switches his Persona over to Vassago so at least it won't hurt, but he doesn't try to resist any more. He does stick his tongue out at Terry, though. ]

Don't need to. I'm going to go hang out with Rei instead, and you can't play with us.

[ It's not even a jealousy thing, it's a threat of Minato being a terrible influence on Rei and teaching her obscene words and gestures and inedible recipes. Really, it's the worst type of threat, not targeting Terry directly, but the people he's closest to. It's very clear who he cares more about. ]

[overstrain]

[ Yeah, if Minato tried the jealousy route, it wouldn't have worked, since Terry wouldn't really mind if Minato normally hung out with Rei.

However!!

He recognizes that mischievous look on his face and very well recognizes the threat. ]

You said you weren't gonna do it again! I'm not letting you go anywhere!

[compendiem]

How are you going to do that? Gonna lock me up?

[ Sit on his back? That would keep Minato pinned, seeing as he makes no effort to escape, but Rei also lives here. ]

A place with no exit. Where nobody can hear you scream. You wouldn't make somebody else live through that, would you?

[overstrain]

[ Terry's first thought is wondering how in the world Minato knows that, and his second rational thought is to tell himself to stay calm as his hand that's out of Minato's line of sight curls into a fist with his nails digging into his palm. He doesn't need to remember that place again. Stay calm. Stay calm... He knows he's been progressing instead of regressing nowadays and he doesn't want any of that to unravel again. He is trying so hard to suppress his trauma right now-- ]

I wouldn't.

[ He swallows. His fist relaxes and instead of sitting on his back, he sits on the edge of the couch right next to Minato and presses onto the center of his midback with the palm of his hand to keep him down. ]

This should be enough.

[compendiem]

[ That was out of line. He shouldn't have said anything, even if he—

...

Either way, a friendship like this wouldn't work out. Souji would be able to help Terry through this, slowly and gently and working at whatever pace Terry is comfortable with. Minato? He would throw Terry to the sharks, watching but not helping, a last resort. He doesn't coddle.

There's a switch, the fabric on Minato's back burning hot for a moment before subsiding, and Minato pushes himself up. Regardless of Terry's demigod strength, Minato's strength is greater; he gets up onto his feet as if there were nothing holding him down at all. ]

Sorry. I'll leave.

[overstrain]

[ Whoa. He didn't expect Minato to actually get up like that despite how much he was pressing down on his back, even though he regulated it by how much force he needed to counter, but that just now made it felt like his power was nothing.

He sighs. ]

It's fine.

[ Oh. He's actually surprised that came out of his mouth. Maybe things are actually fine after all. ]

I'd like it if you stayed. You're probably going to avoid me or whatever when you get back, aren't you? I don't want that, so stay.

[compendiem]

[ It doesn't make sense. He'd given Terry a reason to hate him, something more concrete than all those other times where Terry asserted that he doesn't hate Minato, but Terry's doing the opposite of what he said, asking Minato to stay instead of wanting him to disappear. ]

N...o. I'm going to leave, and then avoid you forever. Bye.

[overstrain]

[ You know what. Terry's gonna jump and latch onto Minato's back. He probably has enough strength to hold him up if he's still using whatever strength he had to push Terry's hand off him that time. It'll be fine!! But either way, Terry's not gonna let go. ]

I said stay.

[compendiem]

[ Minato's knees immediately buckle and the both of them crash into the ground. But they can both absorb phys! So it's fine!! ]

Ugh... I don't want to.

[overstrain]

[ Oh. Oops.

Terry of all people, knows that running away doesn't solve anything!! So he doesn't move, even if they're in an awkward position. At least Terry sits up by pressing his hands on Minato's shoulderblades as support. ]

You reap what you sow, or whatever.

[ He uses one hand to adjust his glasses. There. ]

So this is your punishment.

[compendiem]

[ This is sure some punishment. Minato, predictably, does not move or make any effort to throw Terry off. He is pro at lying around and doing nothing, and he can do it like this too. ]

Oh no.

[ monotone ]

I can just sleep. You'll get bored and you'll move. It'll be my win.

[overstrain]

It's fine! Either way, you're not going back.

[ V is for Victory!!! Though he'll probably have to explain to Kido and Rei as to why he's keeping Minato hostage in a questionable position in their own house, but you know what. That can come later. ]

Just go to sleep then, your highness.

[ lol ]

[compendiem]

[ What if Souji comes over to find Minato and he's just "uhh" Actually, he might be nice about it and leave them alone, while Kido will kick both their asses.

But okay! fine! Minato's going to zzzzzzzz until Terry gets off him, and then he'll zzzz some more. ]

[overstrain]

[ Terry can't help but smile a little. Maybe Minato will catch a cold by lingering in this sick house, but that's not why he's smiling. He's smiling because Minato recognized that it was pushing it, talking about Terry's trauma like that. He's gotten better about it, though it was just limited to talking about it instead of experiencing the whole thing. Either way, he'll take that as Minato still caring somewhat, and that's good enough for him.

He picks him up and puts Minato on the couches that makes everyone useless. lol good luck getting out of this thing when you wake up,
Minato. ]

At least you knew and said sorry. That's good enough for me.

[ And so, he will leave Minato to sleep on the couch for however long as he wants. He's free to leave as long as Terry doesn't catch him waking up. ]

[compendiem]

[ He has a conscience... somewhere... It's one that tries to keep people at a distance, but is terrified of anybody actually hating him. He can't help somebody if they truly hate him, and he would rather walk away while things have soured than to stay and risk irreparably breaking a relationship. Talking is hard when there are no dialogue choices! Social links are hard!! I'm really glad there's no social link system in this game!!!

He never really sleeps when he puts his head down and closest his eyes, so he hears what Terry has to say to him. Bad taste, and low standards. But Minato is not immune to the powers of this couch and he just doesn't wake up unless somebody makes him. lmfao have fun taking care of two apathy syndrome victims, Terry. ]

[overstrain]

[ He'll always be your friend, Minato... ]