[open]

[purrtagonist]

Who: Akira and others!
Where: Around El Minha
When: A week or so after their arrival
Rating PG at worst???
What: Open post for further El Minha shenanigans

A. The Sparkling Sapphire

[it's nighttime now; the sun has already long since set over the bustling desert city known as El Minha. if you happen to be in your tavern room tonight, you may be getting a visitor]

[by which I mean, there's a thump right outside your tavern room door, before an unassuming teen suddenly falls right through said door as though he were a ghost phasing through a wall. he stumbles forward, arms windmilling at his sides, before he loses his balance completely and faceplants right onto the floor]

[ah]

[this was probably not done on purpose. anyway, help a poor guy out? or kick him out of your room, either/or!]

B. The Grand Market

[when he isn't accidentally falling through walls and doors and interrupting people before they fall asleep at night, Joker can be found in the Grand Market, perusing the booths with what seems like interest. that's normal enough, right?]

[what isn't normal is how he keeps picking up the wares for sale and looking underneath them, before placing them down again and moving onto the next one. it's almost like he's looking for something, and that something isn't a fancy fruit bowl with intricate carvings on the edges that's on sale for five coins]

[he lets out a huffed, frustrated noise, gaze sweeping the area. but when he happens to spot you, he lifts his head up with interest, and takes a step forward]

Have you seen a lizard around here? Very small, bright green scales, likes to nestle in people's hair?

[oh, so that's what he's looking for]

Comments

A

[flyingsolos]

[ She was just getting ready to rest, and thankfully for Akira's life, the thump is enough to get her to pause just as she starts to change.

Of course, her hackles are already up and alert, so when he actually appears in front of her, she's not only screaming but holding a vase aloft.

Give her a minute, she's registering PERSON IN MY ROOM before she's registering "Akira". ]

[purrtagonist]

[oh my god, please help them both]

[at least Akira's reflexes are fast enough for him to roll onto his back and leap to his feet, hands extended in a purely defensive gesture, before she can bring the vase down onto his head]

K. . . Kugayama-san!

[spare him]

[flyingsolos]

W-- wha-- Kurusu-kun?!

[ Okay. Okay, fine, she'll place the vase down, but she doesn't look any more reassured. ]

What are you doing??

[purrtagonist]

[he relaxes when she puts the vase away, shoulders slumping]

I've upgraded from falling out of trees to. . . falling through doors?

[yeah]

[flyingsolos]

... And what were you doing outside my room?

[ AND WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING ]

b.

[parttimes]

Can't say I have, no.

[Sup, Akira. It's bright and early and Kou is definitely just poking through the marketplace as well, so very curious as to what they're even supposed to be doing here.

Also confused.

Also there's a flash of green in his hair, but then it's gone.]

Hey, Kurusu. Good morning.

[purrtagonist]

[the flash of green is so fast that Akira has to pause for a moment to make sure he saw it. and when he responds to Kou, it's with gray eyes trained carefully on his hair. hm. weird!]

Good morning.

[. . .]

If you do see a green lizard, do you mind letting me know? He jumped out of my pocket when I wasn't paying attention.

[parttimes]

A... green lizard.

[Kou is incapable of not helping when he's asked, though, so:]

Yeah, got it. When did you see him last?

[purrtagonist]

[and Akira just]

[points at Kou's head]

[expression completely neutral]

[parttimes]

[And Kou does the natural, normal person thing, and turns to look behind him.

???]

...?

[Iwai skitters out of Akira's sight and into another tuft of hair, though Kou's hair is less unruly than Akira's so his little lizard legs and tail can still be seen.]

a

[oculusriffs]

[Dave's not really the type to hit the hay early, so it's not like Akira's magic mishap is going to wake him from his beauty rest or something. but he hears that thump, and turns to watch, uh. wow. everything that just happened here.]

[.........]

Okay, I've gotta dock you some points for not sticking the landing. But I've graded a lot of flying off the handle in my day, and that one was at least a six out of ten.

Congrats, dude, you'll definitely be getting a sports participation trophy.

[purrtagonist]

[WELL]

[from his place on the floor, Akira just. lifts a hand and gives Dave a thumbs up. hm]

It'll go straight to my top shelf, so everyone in the world can see and appreciate my achievements.

[oculusriffs]

[he pauses to think about that for a moment, then turns to address the small pile of completely useless junk that he's acquired on the other side of the room.]

[and when he walks back, he just crouches down to set a coffee mug on the floor. there you go, Akira, you've won your very own sports cup.]

[dumb jokes aside, however:]

You all right, then?

[purrtagonist]

[by the time Dave approaches with the very official and fancy sports mug, Akira is sitting up, legs crossed, dusting off his blazer with his hand. he blinks at the mug for like two seconds, before reaching out and scooping it up]

This'll be perfect for my mugshot when I get arrested for accidental breaking and entering.

[you stumble into DAVE'S ROOM and bring THAT KIND OF PUNNY SHIT WITH YOU--]

[okay, more seriously]

I'm fine. Sorry for the. . . unexpected visit.

[oculusriffs]

[AKIRA!!!!!]

[Dave acknowledges that terrible joke with only a slightly cross expression. after all, he just got done making a terrible topical joke of his own. it's like whatever invisible force is driving Akira to unleash them on others is contagious.]

Don't worry about it. I'm actually used to friends barging in my room and messing with my shit.

[Jade, for instance, dropped the only toilet in his apartment in the middle of his room. it's still there, three years later, a glorious porcelain monument to all the completely stupid tasks Sburb assigned them. it's one of his favorite memories.]

A

[voidform]

[ Hey. Remember him? Rean remembers Akira, that's for sure. Even if he is slammed into his floor.

He had been in thought about the political situation in El Minha, especially since a certain unassuming dragon (that he doesn't know is a dragon anyway???) had contacted him. He couldn't sleep. Before he could do anything about it though, he had more important things to worry about--someone was at the door. Given that he couldn't exactly leave someone hanging out there, he had risen from his bed to go answer, before...

well, we know the rest.

Except, not really. He certainly remembers him. But, he didn't exactly recognize him during the time he was merging through his room, and in Rean's defense, no one could be actively ready for anyone to go through a door, so naturally, Rean swiftly grabs his tachi and nearly unsheathes it...before watching Akira attempt to keep his balance and...now, we know the rest.]

...This isn't happening, is it? [ And, almost immediately. ] It's happening, isn't it.

[purrtagonist]

[and, from his position still planted on the ground, words muffled by the wooden floor, Akira responds, as deadpan as ever]

It's happening, it's definitely happening, and it's already happened.

[. . . he pushes himself up into a sitting position, legs crossed, as he adjusts his glasses which are now hanging askew on his features]

. . .

Nice. . . room?

[WHAT DOES ONE SAY IN THIS SITUATION]

[voidform]

[ Astonished, he manages to at least put his blade away before turning back to Akira. ]

Pretty sure it's the same as yours.

[ He only said the first thing that came to his mind--he's still fairly ??? right now. ]

Care to explain how you phased through a door, or... [ What was he even doing? ]

[purrtagonist]

Not exactly the same. The placement of that vase on your nightstand is slightly different.

[he says, tone as dry as a desert, as he climbs to his feet]

. . . is "Astoria-san" enough of an explanation?

[probably not, but with that answer he's indicating that this is a product of the ability Astoria bestowed upon him, SO. . .]

[voidform]

[ For a moment he's shocked to hear their captive's name, and for a split second he wondered how she fits into him breaking in, but it wasn't long before Rean could piece two and two together. ]

Don't say that's your power. Seriously? [ If nothing else, this boy was full of surprises. ] I almost want to ask if you chose that one personally.

b

[bowtiedbones]

A lizard? Oh no, did you lose one?

[she DOES have a lizard on her, clinging to her shoulder and wearing a tidy little harness, but it's a blue one]

[purrtagonist]

[. . . he idly thinks he should get a harness for his lizard, but then pushes the thought from his mind when he realizes his may not be big enough for it]

Sort of.

[how does one "sort of" lose a lizard]

He took off not too long ago, so he has to be nearby. He's pocket-sized, so I'm a little worried about what might happen if he gets caught underneath someone's foot.

[bowtiedbones]

That would be bad... Is he um, a lizard that likes to climb more, or a lizard that likes to hide more?

[though in a market like this... that's a lot of hiding places]

[purrtagonist]

[opens mouth. closes it again]

. . .

Both?

[DEFINITELY BOTH. which is definitely bad and will make trying to find him all the more difficult]

[bowtiedbones]

Oh geez. Maybe he went up a wall, if he's like that. Geckos and fence lizards do that, right?