[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

[flyingsolos]

Exactly. I'm pretty sure if you'd gotten stuck in anyone else's door, half of them wouldn't really want to stick around and feed you. Maybe more than half.

[ Then again, most everyone she's met has been incredibly nice, so he would have probably been fine. ]

[purrtagonist]

Oh, I'm sure I could have charmed someone into grabbing me a free dinner.

[he says nonchalantly, like it's an offhand comment, because he isn't being serious]

[flyingsolos]

Doubt it. You don't even know how to flirt yet.

[ airily, because she also isn't being serious. ]

[purrtagonist]

Huh. Good point. Maybe I need lessons?

[just. levels his gaze on her pointedly as he takes another bite of his dinner]

[flyingsolos]

You probably do, but my services don't come cheap.

[ Not this time, Akira, you're not flustering her today. ]

[purrtagonist]

That's okay. I never expect to get anything for free.

[flyingsolos]

Hmm. For you, though, I might consider a discount.

[purrtagonist]

That only means something if I know your original price.

[hm, eating while standing is rough, don't mind him as he slides down the door and takes a seat on the ground. YEP. HE'S STAYING HERE FOR A BIT. or at least until he finishes his meal]

[flyingsolos]

Three facts about you. Nothing that's already come up in that game.

[ Sure, he's welcome to sit. ]

[purrtagonist]

[pauses, fork still tucked in his mouth, to stare at her in earnest surprise at that request. there's a moment of silence, before he swallows his bite of food and arches a brow]

Is that the discounted price, or the original?

Also: why?

[kind of weird??]

[flyingsolos]

The original.

Also...

[ Look, she knows it's weird, it's why she's scrunching up her nose slightly. ]

I just kinda realized there's a lot I don't know about you, Kurusu-kun. [ given with what she'd witnessed just during their lizard adventures. ]

And then I thought maybe it's just that I wasn't trying hard enough, as your friend. Or that I might not have been trying at all.

So that's why.

[purrtagonist]

[. . . that answer is why she doesn't get a shitpost response, but an honest one. he lays his fork down, humming thoughtfully]

I live-- lived?-- in the attic of a curry and coffee cafe back home.

I like spicy things better than sweet things.

My glasses are fake.

[flyingsolos]

I did say I'd give you a discount, you--

Wait, they're fake?? Is that a fashion statement sort of thing?

[ Honestly, she hadn't expected him to humor her here, but that's definitely a surprising tidbit of information. ]

[purrtagonist]

[HE HUMORED HER, but admittedly his answers are shallow]

I think they make me look smart.

[plucks his glasses off and holds them out]

[flyingsolos]

Huh.

[ musing, as she takes the glasses to try them on.

... They are stupidly big on her. ]

I guess that's one reason... I just wore 'em as a disguise.

[purrtagonist]

[. . . lol]

[also totally not going to bring up that he bought them to look purposefully unassuming and average as a semi-disguise of his own, hm]

How good of a disguise were they? You're pretty recognizable, even with those frames.

[flyingsolos]

Okay, but picture this! [ as she waves a finger like she's conducting an orchestra. ]

My hair's also in a braid and then you add a baseball cap, and hardly anyone catches on!

[purrtagonist]

[. . . tilts his head to one side, like he's trying to picture it]

[:/a]

[:\a]

Well, if it works, it works.

[a beat]

. . . pitfalls of celebrity life?

[THE DISGUISE THING]

[flyingsolos]

Something like that. People mostly mean well, but I still have to be careful.

[ if people found out where she lived, she'd probably have to move, and she doesn't want to do that to her family. ]

[purrtagonist]

I understand.

[another moment of silence, before he asks gently]

Still. . . you don't find it oppressive? Not being able to go out in public as yourself?

[flyingsolos]

Mm... it gets a little tiring, sometimes. Even if it's not like I have to wear the disguise all the time, like at school. But...

It's about more than me. It's for my family, too, and for the other group members. It helps me get extra practice in at karaoke, if no one realizes who I am.

[ ... ]

There's still hate, of course, but I'm used to that. Right now, it's just easier to move around when I'm not the idol.

[purrtagonist]

[. . . hm]

Well.

[lightly, totally masking any way in which her words might resonate with them. and they do, just a little bit]

I guess if there's one unintended benefit of Astoria-san recruiting you to her circle, you're being given the chance to just be yourself for a change.

[flyingsolos]

[ That actually pulls a laugh from her, even though it's a completely rueful one. She'll slip the glasses off now and offer them back to him. ]

I was a little worried that I'd disappoint any fans of mine if they ended up here too, but I guess it worked out in the end. It's still kind of hard to not keep up the act, though. At least a little.

[purrtagonist]

[he'll take them, and. . . instead of putting them back on, hook them into a blazer pocket. one from which a bright green lizard pokes its head, beady eyes observing the room. Iwai is here!!]

Maybe it's because not all of it is an act?

[STAY WITH HIM]

Or at least, not the parts of the act that are built off of who you really are. Like-- [waves a hand] The part of you that talked about bringing hope to people.

[he talks a lot for someone who hasn't known her for very long. . .]

[flyingsolos]

[ Oh! Iwai is here!! Rion will crook a finger in a little wave, right before Akira catches her off-guard again.

She may have just given the glasses back, but the look she gives him is nothing short of owlish. ]

How do you figure that was how I really am?