(open) if you don't want to, i can live with that

[jokey]

Whomst: akira and you~ ✨
What: akira wandering around doing akira things
Where: various places around campus
When: late january
Warnings: none, will update as necessary

i. CHATTY CATTIES

[The resident cats seem familiar, their toe beans pleasantly plump beneath his thumb and their fur silky soft... but something is off. Something doesn't feel quite right, and it's neither their beans nor their silky soft fur, so what could it be?

Stooped in the hallway, Akira turns to the black cat and shakes his head.]

I could've sworn you had a name. [Akira taps his chin, brows scrunched up in thought.] ...Miyuki? No. Morris?

[Akira's been here trying fruitlessly to converse with the cats for the better part of an hour. Crazy? Possibly.]

ii. STEAL BOOK, GET NAILED

[Incidentally, if you're studying hard (or hardly studying) in the library, you'll bump into Akira sooner rather than later. He's quiet, if not exactly shy, and strides up to eye the book in the other student's hands.]

That's a new one. Let me guess, another novel no one's heard of?

[The sharp-eyed might notice that all the fingertips on Akira's right hand have been thickly wrapped in bloodied bandaids. Curious!]

iii. STORE LOSER

[Should someone be headed towards the student store late in the evening, they might coincidentally find Akira giving the vending machine a nice, solid kick. He looks he might fire off a second when he feels the gaze of another student all but boring into him.

Turning, Akira brushes his blazer into place a little too casually. This is exactly what it looks like, and so Akira doesn't bother trying to save face.]

Sorry. The vending machine ate my homework. [Stepping aside, Akira flippantly motions to the machine.] All yours.

Comments

[commences]

...No, you're not good at naming, are you?

( they could have named her breakfast, but that's not how this works. also, stop looking at his hair, it's actually moving on its own despite there being no apparent breeze where they are.

... )

She's Lily May. ( he looks to the white cat, peering at her golden eyes before following back to meet akira's. ) I'll let you guess what that stands for.

[jokey]

Guess not. [wow komaeda very RUDE] I can't hope to top Beverage.

[As for the white cat... hi, lily mays here for oxyclean Akira has a few guesses. He slides his hands into his pockets and gives her a once over.]

She's white like a lily. What's the real answer?

[commences]

( STOP!!!! komaeda's going to teach him... how to name cats, since these are the only two of the four pets he'll ever see here.

lily may is so soft and fluffy, she's like a mop of white hair. she'll yawn, when will these slave boys feed her? )

Ahaha... close! You have to give me something for that, Bev was a rare treat, but Lily May is really surprising! What do you have aside from your time, I'd like to take that too!

( smile, smile! )

[jokey]

[Wha... Why does he have to give Komaeda anything?? Akira squints, turning to the cats as if to say you hearing this? This feels like the world's tamest holdup and Akira's not sure how he feels about it.

With a shrug, he takes his hands out of his pockets and presents Komaeda with... well, nothing. Bro, does he look loaded to you?]

Let's cut to the chase: what are you asking for?

[commences]

( bro... komaeda hates looking at poor people thrive like this, so he digs into his own pocket to pull out about 12000 yen to place into his poor people hands. )

Poor thing, here you go...

( now, with a smile, he continues on. ) I need your assistance, I want you to work for me. Little jobs here and there, do you understand?

( to learn a cat's full name? sounds pretty good to komaeda. )

[jokey]

[???????

What is this? Pity? Misplaced charity? Akira looks at the yen in his hand, then to Komaeda. Curling his fingers into a nice, tight fist, Akira slooowly rotates his wrist, uncurls his fingers one by one, and drops Komaeda's 12,000 yen donation.]

Oops.

[His fingers slipped. A fair exchange is all well and good, but he's no one's workhorse.]

Sorry, but your offer sucks. If you're looking for a lackey, keep looking.

[He won't be so easily won!! Not with 12,000 yen!!!]

[commences]

( as the money hits the floor, komaeda doesn't even bat an eye. )

Great, I'm glad we can work together. Now first thing's first, have you learned the ins and outs of the school?

( he's spoken with him before he died, but he doubts that he remembers that, so he continues talking without a care. i'm sorry akira, komaeda just doesn't care. )

If you have that, it'll be easier to find the cats.

( because this is what this is about. )

[jokey]

[...........................................sir,

It'd be easy to ask this guy what's wrong with him, but it'd be easier still to ask what isn't. Akira's never had his audacity so easily ignored by anyone, and so he's actually kind of impressed, but bruh. What the fuck, bruh.]

Great. Can't live without knowing where to find the cats in this school.

[That is to say he'll follow Komaeda and maybe even help him, but Jesus F. Christ, what is up with this guy?]

Fulfill your end of the bargain first. I want the full tour.

[commences]

( .................................................lissen........

after dying and killing people and stuff, you kinda aren't bothered by stuff anymore! first, he's going stick his hands into his pocket as he takes a step away from the cats, and then another, making sure akira's following along. )

Alright, I'll let you in on everything that I know which will help you in the long run! So, let's go.

( he extends his hand, waiting for the other to take it — come on, he doesn't have cooties, promise. )

Komaeda-kun.

( ... )

[jokey]

[Akira's following along, though it's arguable that he really wants to at this point.]

Goodbye, Morris.

[Or "Bev," as they're known in the streets. Akira waves farewell to the cats, but he isn't nearly as thoughtful with this guy. Komaeda-kun, huh? Akira regards him flatly.]

Kurusu. [Ugh, FINE, he'll shake that dubious hand.] Nice to meet you, Komaeda.

[hmm,]

[commences]

( NO ONE CALLS HIM KOMAEDA-KUN!!! mean asses... all of you. )

Morris? ( just disgusting, bev is the way to go. ) Who's that?

( he understands what akira's trying to do... but he won't budge. )

You've already used the vending machines, haven't you? We can start there.

( as he trots over to the vending machines, he glances back to make sure the cats are still in place, but they seem to have left to their own devices. sad... it's fine, they'll fine them against through this method. )

[jokey]

[he could slap komaeda, he really could..........

Anyway, how does Komaeda know he's used the vending machines before? What is he, a cop?? Akira won't admit be briefly roughhoused a vending machine to see how easily it'd cough up its wares, standing before one and nodding. Yes, for all intents and purposes, he's technically used the vending machine before.]

Yeah. Is there something special about them?

[commences]

Yep, there sure is!

( you know, they say those with blood type o are psychic and mind readers, maybe it comes with the blood? he just expects everyone to go to the vending machine since it's the best place to acquire snacks, they have no cafeteria, and he's not sure if the other has a place in the dormitory, if he does, can't wait for komaeda to pester him early in the morning.

as they come closer to them, he points to the top of the closest one. )

Climb, push up a tile, and slip on in.

[jokey]

[Gasp, who knew the vending machines held such secrets. With a final glance to Komaeda-kun, Akira scales the machine, pushes against a tile, and slides it out of the way.

He slips effortlessly into the empty space, but what'll he find up here? Is this where Komaeda-kun keeps all his cat-related secrets...?]

[commences]

( as he goes up, he'll find that there's a few markings in the beams of wood around.

once he's up there officially, komaeda will also scale the vending machines so that they're both inside, and he'll pull out a machine that looks like a megaphone. after a bit of clicking, a bright, purple light leaves from it much like a flashlight so that they can see better with the tile closed back up. )

What do you think?

( it's a crawlspace, nothing important... sort of. )

This is the quickest way to get through the school unnoticed, and sometimes... you could find the cats up here.