[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

[purrtagonist]

[idly extends a hand to Arthur, to pat him on his lizardy head. when they reach the booth, he places his box down and peruses the pet food, which does include crickets and worms]

What does he eat? Worms? Crickets? Flies. . .?

[bowtiedbones]

[Arthur accepts the pat, but 200% of his attention is on that booth. look at that buffet]

Arthur? Crickets, roaches, sometimes a grasshopper or a really fatty worm. I've given him some veggies too, but he's way more into the proteins... Mealworms are good bait. They wiggle and move a lot, but they won't escape like a fly would.

[purrtagonist]

[Akira wages his finger over the lizard buffet, before he eventually gestures towards a small box of mealworms. the booth owner nods and proceeds to bag same up as Akira fishes a few coins from his pocket]

Since Iwai isn't here to claim the entire meal for himself, I think it's only fair that Arthur get a little snack, too.

[bowtiedbones]

Arthur very much agrees and appreciates your generosity.

[Eliza reaches up to detangle Arthur from her hair, moving him to perch on her arm instead. buddy if you're getting mealworms, you are not eating them on top of my head.]

[purrtagonist]

[yeah, heads full of hair don't make great mealworm plates. . .]

[Akira swaps his coins for the box o' worms, which he promptly opens so he can pluck a mealworm from inside and offer it to Arthur. gross. he's touching one of those things???]

[bowtiedbones]

[Arthur snatches up the mealworm and crunches it down with great satisfaction, already looking for more before he's even done swallowing.]

Geez, if he wasn't on a leash, you'd probably end up with this greedy boy running into your box!

[purrtagonist]

[and Akira offers him another one!! he is generous]

Good thing he's on a leash, then. The rest of these are earmarked for us in an important gecko-finding mission.

Where do you think we should set up our trap?

[bowtiedbones]

[you are a good and noble lizard snack-feeder]

Hmmmm, somewhere near a wall? Or by the stalls? So he doesn't have to cross through the open to get to it.

[purrtagonist]

Ah-- near the stall where I first lost him is a good idea. That's just up ahead.

[Iwai is a tiny gecko he couldn't have gone far]

[bowtiedbones]

Okay. Here's hoping!

[purrtagonist]

[FINGERS CROSSED]

[anyway, once they reach the designated lizard trap spot, Akira props the larger box up with a stick, opens the box of mealworms, and tucks it underneath the CLEVER TRAP. with the set up complete, he takes a few steps back, and. . .]

I guess this is the part where we wait.

[. . .]

And hope we don't accidentally catch someone else's lizard.

[anyway, the people in the marketplace are staring at them. weirdos]

[bowtiedbones]

If it happens, at least we'll have proof the traps works?

[sorry folks we are on a MISSION]

[purrtagonist]

[A MISSION OF LIZARDLY PROPORTIONS]

Plus, we'll get a bonus lizard. Think of what we could do with a bonus lizard.

[what. can they do with a bonus lizard?]

[bowtiedbones]

Twice the lizards, twice the fun!

[wear a lizard on EACH SHOULDER]

[purrtagonist]

[looking SO SWANKY with ALL THESE LIZARDS]

Sounds like a motto I could get behind-- hey!

[oh there's something green crawling around the box]

[bowtiedbones]

—Green! Is that the right green??

[purrtagonist]

[a fleck of red on the gecko's back tells Akira that yes, it is the right green]

Iwai, you little sneak--

[he mutters, voice low]

Good to know I can bribe him with worms.

[bowtiedbones]

This time, sure, but you still have to catch him...!

[purrtagonist]

If he moves under the box just a little more. . .

[SO CLOSE. . . and yet, so far away?]

[bowtiedbones]

There's mealworms all the way in there, right?

[purrtagonist]

Yep. I make sure to push them as far underneath the box as I could, so he'd definitely be under it when it comes down.

[but for now, Iwai is just. . . like. chilling in the sun? next to the box?]

. . . Iwaaaaaai. . .

[bowtiedbones]

Oh geez, is he basking...

He's a racing lizard, right? Is he competitive?

[purrtagonist]

[rubs the back of his neck thoughtfully, gaze flickering towards Arthur, then back to Iwai]

One way to find out, right?

You hungry, Arthur?

[bowtiedbones]

[scoops Arthur off her shoulder and sets him down on the ground, still on his leash. they don't need TWO lizards running wild.]

I think that's a yes?

[who really knows what goes on in a lizard's head, but either way Arthur is up and scuttling purposefully towards Iwai and the mealworms]

[purrtagonist]

[Akira would comment, but Arthur scuttles forward like a madlizard towards the box of mealworms. and, as anticipated, as soon as Iwai sees him. . . he bolts, darting underneath the box to practically fling himself right into the pile of worms]

[. . . Akira doesn't even need to activate the trap, because his tail lashes out and smacks the box, bringing it crashing down over him and probably Arthur too, depending on how badly he wanted those worms. SCORE. . .]

Hm.

[hm!]

Think we can call this a two-for-one special?

[Akira]