(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

[jokey]

That's me.

[The smile's eagerly returned, warm and slight, and Akira puts a pin in the introductions for now. It'd be rude not to ask for the other boy's name, but they've juicier subjects to touch on at the moment.

Crossing his arms, Akira shakes his head.]

I haven't been offered the grand tour yet.

[Can he kidnap his fellow transfer student and tour the campus with him? Only one way to find out! Akira casually makes his way towards the library door.]

I'll take any info you've got— including why we're here.

[sisters]

If you insist. ( suppose showing is better than telling, for something like this.

pocketing one of his own hands, amami will follow along, using the other to gesture absently as they make their way out into the hall. )

Including why we're here, huh... ( big sigh. ) Yeah, let's get that out of the way then.

( he is not used to being the one who has to do this part, but he guesses he can. seems to think it over a moment, but ultimately, there's no real point to beating around the bush now is there? glancing over to akira, he offers a sympathetic look — the kind that might give him the idea others haven't reacted so well to this news before. )

The long and short of it is that we're all here because we're dead. Whether we remember it or not, that goes for everyone, transfer student or not.

[jokey]

[If Akira's shocked or the least bit surprised by the revelation that he's dead, he doesn't wear that shock on his face. It doesn't inspire so much as a glance to the boy beside him, for that matter, as he heads for the staircase leading up to the third floor.]

Nice.

[NO, NOT NICE, but what can be done about it? Nothing, evidently, and so the topic doesn't warrant much more than a flatly-delivered "nice." Akira's clearly less than excited to be here, stopping before the door to the science lab.]

That's to say there's no point in trying to leave or escape, right?

[sisters]

( nice... you know what? sure, he'll take that. a whole lot less awkward than the alternatives he'd expected out here, so a short huff of a laugh passes his lips before he offers a smile — if he looks relieved, it's probably because he is. )

Not necessarily. Well, there's definitely at least one way out, but I guess that depends how you feel about reincarnating.

( amami's not a fan, but he shrugs. )

There's some others who're pretty intent on getting back to where they came from though. I think A-Yao might be looking into that.

( good people, as amami expects akira is, so he doesn't mind dropping a couple names. anyway, he'll take a quick look around and nod back over to the stairwell. wrong side of the school — he's not looking to leave their poor "newbie" to disappear back into the void. )

Sorry, we've got to head to the other wing for a demonstration. I can show you why once we get there.

[jokey]

A-Yao?

[A friend of this guy and presumably someone who can be trusted? Akira will remember the name, but for now... ah. Maybe he should leave the guiding to his fellow transfer student here.

There'll be time to drag people around and wrestle the secrets out of them later, so for now, Akira'll follow his lead. He'd rather not deal with reincarnating or getting swallowed up by the void anyway, pocketing his hands and nodding sharply.]


A demonstration? [Sounds vaguely ominous.] You're not part of some multi-level marketing scheme, are you?

[sisters]

You said you wanted the grand tour, didn't you? ( he looks expectant, because he doesn't exactly think akira needs any help with the layout of the school itself. )

It's the kind of thing you might have to see to believe, is all. Getting it out of the way now will make sure you're prepared in the future, in case anything happens.

( or maybe he can decide to hang out in the void side for kicks like amami did, it's a free country after all. either way, once they've crossed the threshold to the left side of the school, amami will pull a small black cloth from his pocket to unwrap a shard of broken mirror. man, it's been a while since he's done this, but he doesn't seem to hesitate as he presses the glass to leave a small cut in the side of his left hand. he looks to akira to explain as he presses his hand against the wall. )

The trick is the blood. If you see it, that's when you end up going there.

( and as he's finishing the explanation, he drags his hand against the surface, leaving a thin smear of blood in its wake. all it will take is a single glance for the vertigo to set in, the school as they know it crumbling apart. )

[jokey]

[He wants to know why his friend (fr..enemy......??) came out of the science lab smelling like an overcooked hotdog upon arrival here, but later, because this guy's got a solid point! He'd asked for the grand tour and only stands to benefit from seeing what secrets this place has to offer, so he's rolling with it.]

In case anything happens, huh?

[He'd go on and ask him to expand upon what anything might include, but?!?! Then his de facto tour guide is taking a shard of broken glass to his skin and drawing blood. Ah!!

There's too much happening at once, vertigo backing Akira into the nearest wall and grasping for purchase, the school falling into ruin at the blink of an eye. How? How?? God called, he wants his miracle back.]

Cool party trick. Where's the exit?

[sisters]

( aw, that's no fun! the ride just started? amami barely manages to stifle a laugh, even though he doesn't look like he's doing much better himself. )

Bathroom. You break a mirror to get out.

( best to make sure he doesn't end up feeling like a cornered animal or something, just in case. about 80% of his useful information is based on this side of the school, but approximately none of it will end up useful to either of them if his new friend decides that amami's some kind of threat. though, while he'll say where it is, he doesn't move to make his way over. instead he leans on the wall somewhat while his sense of balance re-adjusts to the sudden shift, and then looks to akira expectantly. )

Not that I blame you or anything, but it wouldn't be much of a tour if you left right away, would it?

( he's helping. honest to god he really believes he is helping. )

[jokey]

[Let him off Mr. Yogen's wild ride?? Akira loves a good borderline heart attack more than most, but even this is a bit much. He'll acclimate in no time, he's sure, but what the fuck man.

To that end, Akira recovers pretty quickly, straightening up and wandering around the new, ruined landscape. He's not afraid to touch the walls and scuff his heel along the floor to ensure they're really here and this is really happening, assuring himself that this place isn't unlike the Metaverse back home. That makes it easier to deal with, though accepting it on the face is going to take some time.]

I wouldn't have minded a warning. I'd love to know what happens when there are no more mirrors left to break, but let's keep this tour on the road.

[sisters]

( tragically, too many people have humoured amami's exclusive void tours and ruined it for the normal folks like akira here. he watches patiently as the other gets a feel for the place though, not in any particular rush to leave or to continue. giving some time for adjustment is probably the least he can do after tossing them in here. )

They'll reset. Anything you do on this side gets returned to how it was once you go back.

( so no, he's not intending to trap him here, and they won't run out of anything — it's fine. at least akira seems to recover pretty well from the initial surprise, which is about on par with what amami had expected coming in here in the first place. once he seems about ready to continue, amami will wave for his attention, still leaning with a shoulder against the wall, and toss something else in akira's direction.

hopefully he can manage to catch the handy rock amami keeps on his person. )

[jokey]

Convenient.

[So he won't get trapped in here or brutally murdered, but Akira wasn't worried that either of those things might occur. Goldfish boy's taste in literature may be dubious, but he's given Akira no other reason to question him, so he can place some faith in him for now.

Turning his attention back onto his classmate, he frees up a hand to catch the stone. It looks very familiar, reminiscent of the stone Akira has on his person, but doesn't make mention of it now.

Thumbing at the stone on his palm, he raises a brow.]

What's this?

[He's pretty certain he knows, but Akira doesn't need to admit that, does he?]

[sisters]

( isn't it just? amami gives a warm smile, seemingly pleased by how well akira takes all this in. )

Adderstone. ( matter-of-factly, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

anyway, once he's named it he'll nod his head towards the window facing the courtyard, indicating for akira to take a glance in that direction too. )

Why don't you take a look through it?

( maybe he'll see something interesting if he does. )

[jokey]

[So they're called adderstones. Akira'll remember that, turning towards the courtyard and holding the stone up to his eye and gazing through it like he had his own, and... ah, yeah. That "something interesting" has a face only a mother could love, and perhaps it's telling that Akira doesn't bodily react to the sight of it.

He'll continue to talk to the other boy as he studies the creature in the stone more closely.]

School mascot? It's pretty ugly.

[sisters]

( ouch. ice cold — that's a friend of theirs, you know! not that amami looks all too offended. )

Gardener, actually. That's Kazuki-san.

( he glances out the window too, pulling out a pair of glasses to wear so he can get a good look, and crossing his arms. )

Thought it might be a good idea to let you see why you don't want to spill any blood in the courtyard. He can actually be pretty helpful if you talk to him on the normal side of the school though. Not the best conversationalist, but he's been here for a pretty long time.

( he knows some things! you just have to get over the fact that you can't see his human form through an adderstone, is all... )

[jokey]

[Ah, he insulted the kindly eldritch gardener... Akira dips his head into a shallow bow, though it's hard to know if he's sincerely apologetic or simply messing around. One never knows with these Mysterious Silent Types.]

Nothing personal, Kazuki-san.

[Even a face like that will appeal to the right niche!! Anyhow, turning back to ???-kun, Akira tosses his adderstone back to him. Man, he really needs to get this dude's name, but later.]

So how'd you figure out that you can see his... [uh, what should he call it??] ...fursona with the adderstone? Is there a magical rock guide in the library?

[sisters]

( if nothing else, the comment warrants a grin from amami — if only the kind that says, "seriously?" it's clear that it's no serious misstep though, and he moves on quickly enough, waving a hand dismissively at the question as nothing too interesting. actually, he'll use that same hand to catch the adderstone when it comes flying back his way, pocketing it once he's managed to make sure he doesn't fumble that pass too badly. )

A classmate of mine tested it out. We do have a couple of magical rock guides though, if you ask around.

( the aratas are a good starting place for all things rock related. )

Anyway, if you're not a fan, you can see what he looks like as a human on a full moon. Pretty sure most people chat with him then. And for this place, there's one more thing you should probably see before we head back.

( he'll nod his head back to the door that leads to the stairwell, making his way over with a glance to make sure akira's following along. )