middaeg | home is where i don't belong.

Entry tags:

home is where i don't belong.

Who: min kyun + you!
When: all thorough june.
Where: within the city!
What: quest log + catch all for june.
Warnings: slight body horror in last prompt; otherwise will update.

— pile's petagorium (open.)

[ so, who let a blind guy take care of dangerous animals? someone here. but, kyun's been pretty enthusiastic about the opportunity to do it, so maybe they let him in out of pity -- either way, he's now proudly sprouting one (1) polly perched on his shoulder, that tugs at his hair and screams every time he's about to walk into something, and two (2) pantherhounds on a loose string that can barely be called a leash.

they're smart, the owner says, so they'll walk obediently. kyun has no reason to doubt that -- in fact, now that he's here, a seeing eye dog is nice... maybe a little less independent, though. they're less seeing dogs and more leading-him-wherever-they-want dogs, but as long as he doesn't walk into anything, and they're content with getting the exercise, he could care less.

so there he is, with the happy company, when one of the panterhounds seems to stiffen. it sees -- you. yeah, you. whether you're another worker, or here to watch the animals, something about you interests the creature enough to -- charge straight at you, effectively breaking the leash and separating from kyun. ]

Ah, hey! [ the bird screeches. the other pantherhound seems completely chill -- was that a hyena cackle? -- staying by kyun's side. the one charging right at you, well -- it doesn't seem particularly happy, but it doesn't seem outright hostile. if you dodge it, however, it'll start to growl and snarl, annoyed. if you don't, it'll stop right in front of you, giving your face one, curious lick before falling back down on all fours and snorfing at your legs.

...

.......

he's got no idea what's happening though. ]

Which one of you was it?! Was it you, Mr. Sprinkles?! [ mr. sprinkles growls, because NO. he's a good dog and he's still by kyun's side. ] ... it was you, wasn't it, Pepperoni? Get back here and stop scaring people! ... hey, you alright?

[ he's looking somewhere in your general direction, but obviously can't see you at all. ] She didn't bite you, did she?

— festival preparations (open.)

( ooc: a little note about the festival prompts! in both of them, kyun's affected by ehrendil, which happens to be a sickness bighe infected him with. in the first one, he doesn't know it yet, and the spread of infection is optional -- in the second, he'll be touching your character, and that's how it spreads. symptoms may include but are not limited to: itchiness where plant life begins to sprout, flora sprouting from the skin, increased desire for sunlight, extreme thirst, the gradual spread of flora to internal structures, including the lungs, and emitting a sweet scent irresistible to bees and butterflies. this is just a little subplot for the upcoming flower festival, so if you're interested in contracting the illness, feel free to reply and/or just handwave that kyun's brushed shoulders with your character at some point. as always feel free to hit me up for any plots/questions too! )

I. NAILED IT.
[ despite... well, not being able to see, he offers to assist in the festival preparations -- not because he's particularly good at hanging up decorations, obviously, but he's actually halfway decent at making food. he didn't do it often, back home, because of laziness -- but fending for yourself for most of your life leaves you with some basic culinary knowledge, whether you want said knowledge or not.

the pay is good, and the work isn't hard -- he can't exactly experiment in the kitchen, but he can follow a recipe and get yelled at if he's about to put that batch of pastries in the wrong oven, or on the floor. after the busiest hours are over, though, they allow him to do whatever -- which includes blindly decorating some pastries he baked from leftovers, and giving them out to clients as samples. ... well, you happen to be the unfortunate victim this time -- the pastry isn't bad-tasting by any means, but it certainly isn't very good looking, either.

but, you know. give him some credit, he's blind. ]

So? What'd you think? I made a snail. [ :) he's proud of himself ]

II. UH OH SISTERS, I SPREAD THE PLAGUE!
[ something hasn't been quite right. he's surrounded by flowers, because of all the festival ruckus, so at first, when he'd caught one on himself, he didn't give it much thought. after another, and another, and another, all itchy where they'd touch skin, he began to... wonder? plucking flowers from your skin isn't normal, is it? and neither is coughing them up, but as the illness progresses, he continues to feel petals stuck in his throat, skin itchy where flowers would grow. there's some in his hair, too, and one sprouting right from the corner of his eye, blooming as if it means to cover it completely.

... he needs help, and what's a guy to do like this but grab the first person he can and ask? so he does, completely unaware the illness spreads through touch, wrapping slim fingers around one of the people around the festival areas. ]

Hey, sorry to bother you, but... are you seeing something strange on me? Like... flowers? Is that a thing here? ... shit, is it happening to everyone and I'm just freaking out for no reason? Fuck, figures.

— wild card.

feel free to hit me up with anything! kyun can be found roaming the festival areas and the petagorium, and probably isn't seen much outside of the city, unless accompanied by someone. that being said, if you'd like me to write you a closed prompt, either contact me via pm or

ikzel and we can plot something! o7

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ this is going to be a shock to many, but it's kyun who dragged belial to the brothels, and not vice versa. it's for a good reason, though, okay? when you're blind and pretty much stuck in one spot until someone decides they can help you get from point a to point b, you grow restless. so, when he hears dance lessons -- and free ones, at that -- he figures it might be a good way to release some of the pent-up energy. it says to bring a partner, though, and belial's conveniently there, following him around and calling him master, so listen.

plus, he's got the perfect build for couple dances, kyun thinks. ]

Smells like lube in here. [ is all he says, when they enter, but remains politely quiet through the introductions and all the brief explanations. it's boring -- but after it's done, they're finally all standing up and getting ready for practice, so... kyun follows the rest, fingers wrapped around belial's wrist as he drags him with.

he's grown a little anxious, when there's nobody to hold onto. being completely blind sucks ass. ]

You ever done this before? [ he hasn't. not couple dances, anyway, though he'd say he can move pretty well? this makes him feel a little clumsy, though -- hand to belial's hand, and the other resting on his shoulder, cloudy eyes focused on nothing in particular. ] Hope you don't mind leading. I mean, I can, but I'll probably step on your feet even more than I already will, so your call --

[ He knows it's an offer done out of convenience, but there's no doubting Kyun doesn't enjoy being left inside without anything to do -- especially considering his condition. Their house has been rearranged enough to ensure that everything is relatively easy to find while Belial is away, but without company a large house is ominously more empty.

So he accepts the invitation, following the young man to the brothel with an amused smile. ]

He didn't mean that. [ Kyun can't see them, but there's an employee standing within earshot that Belial is quickly reassuring. ] Though it'd be a good idea to light a candle.

[ And then there's introductions, a quick tutorial of a few beginner steps, to which Belial listens to intently in contradiction to his partner. Presenting as an eager individual ready to participate as the shorter man drags him into place.

A hand anchors itself against Kyun's side, the other holding his hand delicately. Fingers curled against smaller, more slender digits to ensure that he won't be letting go. ] I wouldn't call myself an expert, but I've spent plenty of nights dancing with strangers -- I'm sure you're not surprised. [ And so the hand on his side moves to his lower back, pulling him closer instructively. ] I don't mind, but if you're going to ruin my shoes I expect a little sugar. [ And he takes the advantage to take the lead, experimentally moving in one direction and watching how Kyun follows. ]

[ he did mean that. it still smells like lube, now combined with some sweat, as the couples begin to dance -- but, this might be him and his unnaturally sharp senses, so it's probably not that bad for... other people...

anyway.

he squeezes belial's hand, as if to make sure his grip is tight enough -- straightens his back a little, head tipped up as if to look at his partner's face. maybe he is looking in that general direction, but his dull gaze goes past belial's face and past his head, infinite and empty. ]

It's better if at least one of us knows what they're doing. [ his shoulders rise in a small shrug, a small gasp exhaled as his body's pulled against belial's. ]

If I ruin them completely, maybe. [ he snickers, fingers squeezing belial's shoulder. and as soon as the other moves, kyun follows, a little clumsy -- listening to the instructor's repeated commands and following blindly, the faint hum of music in the background keeping him on rhythm. one, two, three -- he tends to only step on belial's feet on the threes, so good going?

but eventually, the instructions fade, and the steps around them become more erratic. he can hear people giggling -- the sound of bodies moving together, almost louder than the music itself. ]

What's going on?

[ Good going.

He inhales sharply the first time Kyun steps on his foot, grunts at the second, and only allows a silent breath to leave his lips by the third. Sometime between the sixth and ninth he may even begin to quietly groan in pleasure --

And of course once the instructions fade and they're left to their own devices, Belial takes the initiative to move them this way and that. Guiding the smaller across the dance floor and carefully avoiding any couples beginning to spin into their own routines. ]

Don't worry. They're just dancing. [ He says, leaning to one side as he guides Kyun into a dip. ] So relax~ We're here to have a fun time, right?

Stop that.

[ STOP MAKING WEIRD NOISES WHEN HE STEPS ON YOUR FOOT!!

anyway, if belial says it's nothing, then it probably is. he can hear the faint rustling of clothing, the heels tapping against the dancefloor, the music slowing down into something more sensual -- belial leads him well enough, and he gasps, in surprise, when the other dips him down. ... to be honest, he half-expects him to drop him to the floor completely. ]

I guess so, [ he wrinkles his nose, thoughtful. it's a little weird, when he can feel the atmosphere shift, but can't actually see what's going on. ] If you see anyone doing something funny, tell me, though. I wanna laugh too.

[ He pulls Kyun back up with him, eyes half-lidded but smile still full of glee, obviously planning something. ]

Doing something funny... [ He looks from left to right, scanning the room and watching as the couples switch from casual dancing to more syrupy movements. Gyrating against each other as the music slows itself into a sensual drawl of strings; the two of them seem more odd then those who are easily encouraged to grind against one another.

-- Ah, there's something that he thinks will earn a laugh. ]

There's a man who clearly doesn't know how to move his hips. And a woman who seems disappointed that her partner is clearly too nervous to put his hands on her thighs -- oh, they seem to be switching around.

[ stop giving him little shit smirks when he can't even see them smh...

anyway, it's easy enough to snicker when he thinks about other people moving awkwardly. not that he's not awkward -- but belial makes for a good enough partner to kind of... make up for kyun's general stiffness. couple dancing is odd. but it's also not that hard, once you get a good grip on the rhythm.

he's stepping on the other's toes a little less, at least. ]

Switching around? Is she going to grab his thighs? Hot. [ he sneers, hooking his arm tighter around belial's neck. that dip made him paranoid, ok. ]

[ Maybe he should tell him that the other couples have started just straight up grinding against each other. But then again it's nothing that Kyun can see, so would it matter to him at all if he had explained?

Or perhaps -- ]

Are you into that sort of play? A woman running you through really isn't that bad. [ His hand leaves the smaller's waist to grab him by the wrist, tugging his arm up and away from around his neck. Moving efficiently enough that guiding Kyun to turn on his heels and press the smaller's chest to his back is done in a fluid moment. ] But why don't we switch it up?

I don't wanna know.

[ running through you... is he talking about getting ran over by cars, or something? anyway, it's not like kyun can't hear the suspicious rustling of clothes; these dancing lessons sure are getting too intimate, with the atmosphere shifting so quick he'd never guess they were for dancing if it weren't for belial keeping the pace.

he hears the giggling, and the slow fade of people's steps -- but before he can comment on it, belial tugs at his wrist and spins him around, his back now pressed against the other's chest. umm... titties? ]

Huh? This isn't a dancing position. [ he complains, turning his head to... pretend he's looking at belial. obviously, he's not. ] Why did everyone slow down?

You must not dance often if you're saying that.

[ Did Kyun just expose himself as a hermit? Not that that's a secret or anything -- ]

Hm... I wonder~ [ Like a song; Belial's voice dips lower, just as he leans forward some to whisper against the shell of the smaller's ear, his words lingering for just a brief moment. A hand ghosting over a single thigh before he begins to gently grind his hips against Kyun's from behind. ] Maybe because they're getting to the next part of the dance.

[ who doesn’t like animals??? that’s what nishinoya’s here for. dragonflies are what he wants to see most, thinking they’re actually dragons as he sets his eyes on this help wanted list— but a panther hound blocks his way and comes right at him. what does he do?

he does what gramps always taught him and stands his ground. hold eye contact!! make sure you let him know you mean business!!

and then he gets. licked. lord. the libero quietly pumps both fists into the air in silent victory, which is rare!! he’s usually screaming!! but this time, he’s just using his lungs to take in a breath. yea, he was scared for like five seconds. ]

She gave me licks.

[ which is all acceptable! yesss, he huffs out. he did it. ]

[ whew. he'd definitely get fired if pepperoni mauled someone on his watch. ha, his "watch." ]

Aww, I knew she was a good girl. [ he didn't.

the voice appears... youthful and male. maybe too young to adopt, but it doesn't hurt to try? he's been told to attempt to look for potential owners... ]

She likes you. Did you try petting her? [ he gestures, encouraging, while nudging Mr. Sprinkles. ] C'mon, can you at least lead me closer to them? I'll give you treats.

[ seventeen is definitely old enough to adopt, look at his responsibility (don’t).

well, now that you mention it! nishinoya leas down to give soe of the best chin scratches he good. hah! she likes him more?? check out the neck extension and purring. ]

Yeah— [ oh! ] I’m over here! [ the libero meets him halfway instead, noticing, and with his voice by the other’s side now: ] They yours, now?

[ if kyun could see the kind of a pipsqueak nishinoya is... ... ... -- but, well, he can't. he doesn't sound responsible, though??? doubt.png

at any rate, he's grateful when the other decides to meet him halfway. pepperoni seems perfectly content now, and he doesn't hear any growling or any more detours, so maybe she really did take a liking to the guy. either way, he outstretches his hand a little, in the guy's general direction. ]

Her leash... hand it to me, if you can. [ and he wriggles his fingers a little. ] Nah! They're from the Petagorium just a little bit of a walk away. They're all up for adoption, if you're interested in getting a pet! I might get some commission for it, too --

I don’t think Mr. Wolf likes cats.

[ spoiler: he’s only assuming wolf doesn’t like cats because his name is wolf. with the sound of shuffling, noya’s quick to return the leash— with a little bit of struggle. the animal is way too big for him to lead with such ease! ]

Oh— Hey, do they still have dragonflies?

[ . . . mr. wolf would definitely let him keep a dragonfly, what nishinoya is assuming as an actual pocket sized dragon. (no he won’t.) ]

... Wolf?

[ he perks up, a little. that's a familiar name! ... unless the guy means an actual wolf, in which case it's not a familiar name. why does that guy not have a normal name? Makes U Think. ]

The... uh, the short guy with a gruff voice? [ ... that's the best he can do. he knows he's short and... older... and that he can pick him up with one arm... but that's an odd way to describe someone. so.

he takes the leash from the other's hand, feeling around for it for a moment, then nods. ]

Hell yeah, though -- you'll have to get the gloves first. The... reinforced ones, 'coz if they don't like you, they'll spit acid. [ is what he heard. he's not allowed to handle them personally, for obvious reasons, but: ] I can take you to the office!

[ he knows where the gloves are, at least. ]

[It's no surprise that Newt has been working on and off at the petagorium. Newt's affinity to creatures has honestly made the job a cakewalk. He was used to the chaos of caring for countless creatures and the creatures were fond of the quiet man.

It also meant that he easily attracted the attention of them. Perhaps they can smell Pickett on him, who's hidden in his coat pocket, or the scent of Harry or Greg was in him. Or maybe it was the man himself, but that pantherhound is on Newt fairly quickly.

He immediately just bends down to start giving the creature some side rubs and to scratch behind the ears and perhaps the soft chuckle is an easy enough indication to Kyun that the man was far from being harmed.] Oh, no. She's completely fine. Wonderful even. Pepperoni, was it? She's being quite darling.

[Who's a good pantherhound? Pepperoni is.] A bit surprising, but I wouldn't say she's scared me. I'm a tad used to all sorts of creatures approaching me.

[ it's a relief to hear -- because there'd definitely be trouble, if pepperoni ate someone while he was looking after her. they kinda knew what they were asking for, giving him the leash and all, but still? thankfully, he can hear a pleased whine coming from the panterhound himself -- and the guy seems fine, too.

whew. ]

She gave me a scare, but she's a good girl. [ he nods, convinced. no idea whether that's actually true or not, but... well.

she's being good right now. ] Oh? Work with animals often?

[ he relaxes, a little, shoulders slumping and body no longer ready to lunge after the hound. ]

Not me -- it's my first time! They're all really cute, though, if not... a little out of control. You work here, or just visiting?

[He continues to pet Pepperoni for a little longer before holding his hand out to the other one to let them sniff his hand.]

Yes. I have a few that arrived with me, actually. [Two of them were back where he was residing, but he can never convince Pickett not to keep attached to him.] I study them for a living.

[Poor guy though. Pepperoni seems to have a lot of energy and that can be rough for a first time.] I work here myself. I want to learn more about the animals that exist here and I can't deny that I'm a touch fond of animals.

[ that's pretty cool, kyun thinks. he could never really take care of an animal back home, due to his circumstances, but he's always wanted to? the most he could do was feed stray cats and hope they let him pet them, though -- ]

A few? Man, you brought a whole team. [ he snickers, head tipped to the side. ] What are they? Your pets, I mean.

[ he expects something normal, like... dogs or cats... but then again, you never know. he can't see pepperoni or mr. sprinkles, but he's touched them -- and heard the descriptions. panthers mixed with dogs... wild. ]

I'm guessing you didn't have pantherhounds back home, either. [ he turns his head down, towards where mr. sprinkles is. ] Wonder what else is there... you seen anythin' interesting yet?

Only a few. I have a few hundred, but they didn't all arrive with me. [That's right. A few hundred. Maybe thousands. Newt definitely isn't one for counting every single creature in his case. That, and they did eat each other. It's impossible to count all the insects and smaller critters anyways.] My bowtruckle, niffler, and a zouwu had arrived with me. [Kyun...probably has no idea what any of those are.]

No, not really. We had other animals that might share resemblance to them though. Not specifically pantherhounds though. [He smiles fondly at Pepperoni and Mr. Sprinkles.]

The mantibles are quite darling. The pollies are also very sweet. [He could look a dangerous beast in the eyes and call them darling or sweet though.]

[ francel's never been especially good with animals. he can ride a chocobo easily enough, sure, but he was never good at taming more wild mounts; his personal steed had been an aging mare, remarkably tame, a good old girl who wouldn't have bucked any rider even if it meant her life. as such, he's not especially good with dogs. he's even less okay with pantherhounds.

so when pepperoni charges at him and licks his face, it... well, it's sort of gross and uncomfortable, actually. but it's fine! he's fine!

the voice that answers kyun is low and clearly uncomfortable, but at least provides some sense of direction as to where the dog has gone.]

I... I am unbothered. She only licked me. She's, ah, investigating my shoes. [ a pause. ] Are all of them yours?

[ oh, no, the guy sounds pretty uncomfortable -- if kyun could, he'd wander over and grab pepperoni, but he's left to mr. sprinkles' mercy, who doesn't seem very eager to follow. at least he'd gotten a hint of their general direction, and he turns towards them, motioning at the pantherhound. ]

Damn, sorry. She's been rowdy all day. C'mere, Pepperoni! [ apparently, she really likes francel's shoes, though; she doesn't seem too interested in leaving them just yet, nibbling at one like a puppy.

a puppy with a few inch long teeth. ]

Nah, not mine. They're up for adoption, though -- ... you don't seem like a dog person to me, but what about a bird? [ ... the one sitting on his shoulder, who's been watching them all without much interest. might as well plug the merch as he slowly makes his way towards pepperoni, clumsy steps lead by a very impromptu seeing dog. ] Mind grabbing her leash for me?

But of course. Er... here, girl.

[pepperoni's being a little rowdy, but she's still relatively tame, so it's not hard for francel to bend over and grab her (partially snapped) shoe-string leash while she's sniffing at his shoes.

his eyes, however, are focused on kyun, not the hound. is this boy... blind? his uncertain steps seems to suggest as much. it wasn't uncommon, back home in ishgard, to see men missing one eye or another, wearing eyepatches or proudly sporting scarred lids — but being fully blind, either from birth or thanks to some wyvern's dangerous claws, was rarer. francel doesn't know how to act. should he try to accommodate?

it seems like it might be rude to ask. nevertheless, with pepperoni's leash in hand, francel helps kyun seal the distance between them, stepping forward to meet him halfway. this close, it's likely easy to tell that francel is very tall.]

Here she is. Careful; it seems like her leash snapped when she broke away, so it's a little shorter than before. ...And you're right — I'm better with birds.

Edited 2019-06-07 13:43 (UTC)

[ generally, kyun doesn't ask people to accommodate him much, if at all; though this is more true back home than here, where all of his surroundings are unfamiliar and he's got no way to study them. so, he's a bit more clumsy than he normally would be, but that doesn't stop him from trying to at least explore, and maybe pick up some money along the way -- even if he might be a pain in the ass to some of the locals.

he can hear francel's footsteps getting closer -- extends his hand for the leash as soon as they're within proximity, feeling around for it until he can wrap his fingers around the thin string. ... he can't tell how big francel is, exactly, but he does seem almost... towering. or maybe that's just kyun, since he's barely average. ]

That's fine, that's fine. They warned me these aren't real leashes. "They're mostly just for show, so people don't complain." [ should he be repeating the boss' questionable business tips?

... probably not, but here we are. in the other hand, francel had every right to complain anyway, all things considered, so. ]

Really? [ he perks up, a little, shifting the leashes to hold onto both in one hand while he lets the lovebird jump onto his index finger. ] It's a polly. It's immortal! ... well, it can die, but it rebirths itself, like a phoenix. Never seen it, but no reason to doubt it, either, all things considered... oh, sorry, I'm trying to work without even introducing myself. Name's Kyun! Sorry for Pepperoni. Again.

[francel looks over the polly with, admittedly, some interest. on the one hand, given his string of experiences wherein people he has loved have met very untimely ends, the idea of an immortal pet is frankly very appealing. on the other hand, he dislikes the thought of leaving someone or something behind when he dies, and also, this pet store doesn't exactly sound like the most responsible provider of animal companions in aefenglom.]

A pleasure to meet you, Kyun. My name is Francel de Haillenarte.

[the name sounds aggressively french. he hands pepperoni back to kyun, then steps back a polite distance, although kyun can probably still tell where he is.]

And the polly seems absolutely darling — though I likely shouldn't take responsibility for any sort of pet, at least without consulting my housemate, first. I think he prefers cats.

[ooc: Lemme know if it's okay! ]

[ Alex was slowly getting the hang of using the bicycle for delivering letters. By getting the hang of it, that meant wobbling and moving slowly without falling over. It was probably the equivalent of a newborn fawn learning how to walk, but still, for her that was pretty good.

It was, anyway, until something suddenly came crashing towards her side, pushing her down onto the ground. ]

ACK!

[ Whatever it was was still on her--an animal-- and a large one at that, which freaked her out just a little. ]

Oh god please don't bite me..!

[ he hears a loud crash of something -- someone, rather -- falling over, followed by a female voice, clearly freaked out. oh, god... did pepperoni get angry because someone was on a bicycle? he rushes in the general direction of the voice, dragging mr. sprinkles along, who clearly doesn't really want to be involved in the mess. ]

Hey! Pepperoni, heel! Heel! [ she's not listening at all, but it's worth a try.

at least she doesn't bite, or anything -- just lick alex's face and sniff the bike, as if it's the first one she's ever seen. well, it might be, who knows. kyun's close enough now to talk directly to the girl, though, extending his hand in her general direction. ]

Sorry, did she bite you? ... she's kinda harmless, so hopefully not. C'mon, I'll help you get up.

[ That definitely wasn't teeth she was feeling. It stuns her, but it also has her calming down faster. ]

Ah--hold on..!

[ What a sloppy attack! Which actually tickles a little bit and starts to make her laugh. When she manages to push Pepperoni-- an appropriately dangerous name-- off of her, she does look up to see a hand being held out to her. ]

Oh, it's okay. I shouldn't have over reacted..

[ She takes the young man's hand and pulls herself up. ]

Thank you. She's actually really sweet.

[ see, pepperoni's a really sweet girl. ... not that kyun knew that, considering he's been helping around here for like, maybe a day, but they assured him these two are mostly harmless. at least mr. sprinkles has been behaving very well so far... ]

Nah, I feel you. I'm not sure how they look like, but they did say they're like... panthers... and hounds... mixed? So seeing one running at you must've been scary as hell.

[ with a small huff, he pulls her up to her feet, offering her a small, apologetic smile. ]

Should've kept a better... eye on her. [ haha... get it... ] Other than this little stunt, she's been really cute, though. ... you lookin' for a dog?

[ A panth--

Alex glances over at the large beast, getting a better look at it from a higher point of view. She wondered how it was that she wasn't eaten. It was too late to deny how affectionate the creature was though. ]

Ah..I've never had a pet before so I don't think I'd be a good candidate.

[ Her gaze returns to the young man now, and only then does she notice his lack of focus in his eyes. She opens her mouth to apologize, but the next second decides to not bring attention to it. After meeting more twilights and learning of their disabilities, she learned that pity or making a fuss about it was something they didn't appreciate. ]

So she's not your pet then?

[ Alex certainly hoped it wasn't a stray. ]

Well, if it makes you feel better, me neither.

[ but he still got the job and seems to be doing fine? pets aren't as difficult as he'd thought they'd be... then again, they're not his; he's merely taking them for a walk.

and to be fair, pepperoni did just give someone an awful scare, so maybe he's just being too optimistic. ]

It's a strange place, so it's nice to have a companion, though, right? [ if he had confidence in his own ability to keep a dog happy and fed, then maybe... but he's not even living on his own, so he'd probably need permission too... oh well. ] And nah, they're all from Pile's Petagorium. All up for adoption, which is why I'm asking.

[ including the small bird perched on his shoulder. ]

Not a pet person, or just never had time?

Oh..

[ So she was in need of a home. Alex feels more sympathetic towards her affectionate attacker. ]

I..never had the means.

[ Which was an understatement. She certainly couldn't afford it when she was still with her family, as badly as she and her brother would have loved to take in strays, and when she was with Barry...that was unthinkable. ]

What about you? Or do you already have a companion?

[ Seems like Akira picked the right time to visit the bakery. The goal is just to pick up some pastries for the house, a sort of returned gesture after Lux did the same last month, but when he's offered a pastry while browsing the selection… like he's going to turn that down. He doesn't even need the shopping savvy he developed back home to know that you don't turn away a free sample. Even if it does look like it was put on the floor—from pretty high up. ]

A snail? [ He pauses after his first bite, peering down at the remainder of the pastry. Is… that piece sticking out supposed to be the head or the tail? But he can see it otherwise, now that it's been pointed out. ] … Ah. It is.

[ More important, though: ] It tastes good.

[ listen... he's not wrong, but as long as he doesn't say it, kyun's feelings aren't gonna be hurt. the pastry might look like he's chucked it across the room -- a few times, too -- but thankfully, he himself has no idea. the owner didn't seem to mind him giving it out either, so surely... it can't be that bad? nothing reputation-ruining? hopefully?

or maybe they're just tired after a whole day of baking and not even paying attention. ]

Yeah! [ he announces, proudly. who knows which part is supposed to be which... he thought he could make it sit on an eclair, but making an eclair when you're blind proved to be a little difficult. ... unsurprisingly. ] Really?

[ ... now this is a little surprising. ]

I was trying out something new! Sorry if it looks a mess -- it's the taste what matters, anyway, right? [ he's clearly happy, though. ] If it's good, maybe I should give some to the boss... do you think he'd let me make my own pastry?

[ Well, there's a point he could contest—back home, he'd been taught that presentation is just as important as taste when it comes to selling food. You can't just slop curry on a plate, Sojiro told him once, back when he'd just started helping out in the kitchen. People eat with their eyes, too. But Akira brings his attention back up from the pastry, he meets misty eyes not quite focused on him, and well. That explains a few things. ]

Right. [ It really isn't bad. Maybe it could've stood to be baked a minute less, but the sweetness is mild in the way that Akira prefers, the pastry crust flaky. ]

It's worth a shot. What kind would you make?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

home is where i don't belong.

for belial.

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pile’s petagorium!

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Pile's Petagorium

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pile's petagorium

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Wild Card/Piles

totally ok!

\o/

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s'nailed it

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