realpolitik | squee and i sharing a fandom in common? sounds fake

[They've only been going into Tartarus for a few weeks, but Minato's already found himself swapping weapons like he swaps Personas. Sometimes, their team just requires a different weapon type than what they've got handy, and then it's up to him to fill the gap, right?

Isn't that what being the field leader means?

... Still, just because he can pick up a weapon and be relatively proficient with it in a few battles with Shadows doesn't mean his technique is any good, and in particular, his boxing technique is... rough. It's really a lot closer to just street fighting than any sort of proper boxing form.

They get back from Tartarus as late as ever, and Minato yawns as he shuffles into the kitchen to get a glass of water before turning in, still a little too wired from the battles despite his sleepy disposition to fall asleep just yet.

Sure would be handy if Minato had a senpai who had never lost a boxing match who could give him some pointers, wouldn't it...?]

[There's a danger in Tartarus runs becoming mundane and routine.

The danger takes the form of approaching the battle against Shadows with too much casualness, and losing that sharp edge that has carried SEES through so many battles. They've been very successful lately, with a goal to carry them forward and so many wins beneath their belts.

Fly too close to the sun, and it was only a matter of time before they got a little singed.

There's a dangerous Shadow, but that isn't unusual, and they take them on all the time. Minato surveys his team (Akihiko, Ken, Yukari) and nods, and lunges forward to take it on.

And then the battle goes absolutely pear-shaped. The Shadow scores a lucky critical on Ken, knocking him to the ground, and immediately spins to shoot a Ziodyne at Yukari, who crumples to the ground with a startled shriek. The Shadow moves again before any of them can do anything at all, charging up for the next attack.

Minato--perhaps its weariness, perhaps it's just that he's grown so, so attached to his teammates--makes the wrong decision. He chooses to heal Ken and Yukari, rather than bracing himself for the next attack.

When the Shadow takes Minato down, he tastes blood, and blackness encroaches on the edges of his vision. He's never been this wounded, he thinks distantly, almost dreamily. His ability to swap Personas has always allowed him to try to cover his weaknesses while keeping SEES upright and fighting.

Everything works out just fine. Akihiko, spurred on by his determination to protect his team, his family, whips out a Theurgy and takes the Shadow down. Yukari runs to Minato's side, healing him up hastily, Evoker pressed to her forehead.

They're all shaken, though, and the next time they find a teleporter, they return to the entrance and then start to make the tired, somewhat defeated trudge to the dorm.

Minato trails behind in the back, head down, hands shoved deeply into his pockets.w]