[ If asked, the fact that Minato stepped into a faerie ring was purely accidental. He hadn't been watching his footing, thought nothing of the suddenly aggressive overgrowth of the Garden's plants. Perhaps this was merely a seasonal outbreak of faerie rings, the circles of mushrooms popping up across town coincidentally.
One moment, he'd been wandering down the street. The next moment, he was accosted by a group of angrily-chirping fae, each of them waving their arms to toss enchanted dust at him. He'd shut his eyes to keep the debris away from them, except opening his eyes revealed --
It's an unfamiliar apartment. Its furnishings are humble. Perhaps it's the home of a newcomer to this land, someone who hadn't yet had the chance to begin decorating their living space. It could be long to just about anyone, except, whoever lived here seemed to have a round mandragora as their roommate.
Minato crouches to watch it toddle around, nonplussed by the circumstances he finds himself in. Should anyone chance upon him, "my bad, I accidentally upset a bunch of faeries," seems like a good enough excuse for how he'd landed here. ]
[Well. This certainly isn't what Sano expected to come home to. He's holding a small bag of groceries as he passes through the door, a deep frown settling on his face when he observes a blue-haired intruder in his small studio.]
[ You know what. Figures that whoever lived here would ultimately return to it. ]
Sorry, it was -- the faeries, they got me.
[ Maybe it sounds like a weak excuse from a potential burglar, but it really is the entire truth. And never mind that he's unintentionally trespassed, Minato's busy pointing at the mandragora toddling around. ]
Marshmallow's a youkai. [Sano learned quick that there's not much point in lying about things like that in this world. No one really cares who's a youkai and who's not.]
He can talk too. Guess he's just busy. [Scavenging for food.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
action, oct 2025 intense event
One moment, he'd been wandering down the street. The next moment, he was accosted by a group of angrily-chirping fae, each of them waving their arms to toss enchanted dust at him. He'd shut his eyes to keep the debris away from them, except opening his eyes revealed --
It's an unfamiliar apartment. Its furnishings are humble. Perhaps it's the home of a newcomer to this land, someone who hadn't yet had the chance to begin decorating their living space. It could be long to just about anyone, except, whoever lived here seemed to have a round mandragora as their roommate.
Minato crouches to watch it toddle around, nonplussed by the circumstances he finds himself in. Should anyone chance upon him, "my bad, I accidentally upset a bunch of faeries," seems like a good enough excuse for how he'd landed here. ]
no subject
Who the hell are you?
no subject
Sorry, it was -- the faeries, they got me.
[ Maybe it sounds like a weak excuse from a potential burglar, but it really is the entire truth. And never mind that he's unintentionally trespassed, Minato's busy pointing at the mandragora toddling around. ]
What's that?
no subject
[Sano is not yet familiar, however:]
That's Marshmallow. He's a mandragora. [There's no use lying about youkai in a place apparently filled with faeries.]
What do you mean they got you? [A glance around. Are the faeries in the room with us?]
no subject
[ Mandragora don't move around like that! Hence, Minato's perplexed expression upon hearing the other's explanation.
Never mind that. This guy deserves a better response as to how Minato landed in his apartment to begin with. ]
If you're not careful, the faeries can teleport you. ...I guess they decided to bring me here.
no subject
[What would there be to rob, even?]
Marshmallow's a youkai. [Sano learned quick that there's not much point in lying about things like that in this world. No one really cares who's a youkai and who's not.]
He can talk too. Guess he's just busy. [Scavenging for food.]
no subject
Youkai?
[ Sure, Shadows and Personas were real. But youkai? Did these supernatural creatures truly exist? ]
I thought youkai would be...
[ How should he put it. ]
Scarier?
no subject
They can be.
[Let that sit for a second or two.]
Marshmallow's just one type.
no subject
Is he yours?
[ Youkai or not, this Marshmallow thing almost feels a little like a pet? A mascot? Minato's never seen anything like it. ]
no subject
[Sano's head turns as Marshmallow pipes up from the corner.]
'Marshmallow doesn't belong to anyone. I'm just the mascot character!'
[Sano:]
Yeah. Don't be rude.
no subject
Sorry. My bad.
[ Just a youkai wandering around all on his own, and not as another person's familiar. Minato can accept this reality.
That doesn't mean all his questions have been answered though. ]
Mascot character of what, though...?
no subject
Our world, I guess.
no subject
Huh.
[ A fascinating concept. Now Minato's thinking about what might be considered the mascot of his own world... ]
I don't think mine has one...
[ As far as mascot characters go though, Marshmallow is pretty cute. Definitely shaped like a highly marketable plushie. ]
But if it did, maybe it would be... round, like the shape of the planet.
no subject
Why do you say that?
[He's curious, at least. This guy can be forgiven for suddenly appearing in his apartment, he supposes, so long as he remains pleasant.]
no subject
[ He's just spitballing at this point. ]
A round mascot would look friendly, wouldn't it?
[ Someplace friendly, welcoming, with arms wide open. ]
Something that looks like you can share how you feel with them.
no subject
Round is good.
[What a funny guy.]
no subject
Which brings them back to Marshmallow, whom Minato stares at quite intently. ]
Does that mean... he symbolizes something about your home world?
[ This guy is from... a world filled with mandragora?? ]
ty for allowing my gag manga fourth walling
[Sano scratches a bit at the back of his head. He's never had to think this much about a one-off gag line before.]
There are a lot of mandragoras at my school, and on the island. So...I guess it's just that.
im crying i gotta check out this series someday
Are they students?
[ Why. ]
PLEASE
Our Biology Club takes care of them.
They might have their own schools though.
[They have their own police force, after all.]