(open catch-all)

[recklessbelief]

Who: Akko + You!
When: August
Where: Aefenglom
What: Akko turns into a rabbit. Send help?? She's also digging more holes than Stanley Yelnats and experimenting with alchemy!
Warnings: None!

i. silly rabbit

[Although still not quite up to her previous ability with transformation magic, Akko's gotten a much better handle on things. Or so she thought until this happened. Because as it turns out, Akko has a bit of a problem on her hands. (Or, well, paws.) She has no idea how exactly she ended up like this and she doesn't know how to make herself go back. She just seems... stuck for the moment. And she doesn't really have the time to think it through because nobody walking the street is necessarily thinking to look down for potentially small creatures hanging out on the sidewalk.]

[Thankfully, she hasn't panicked yet. She's very intentionally tried to keep herself very calm because she knows if she lets instinct take over and she ends up freezing? She needs to just focus on getting off the street and worry about being like this later. Get off the street, get off the street, get off the street... Don't get stepped on.]

[It's not particularly easy because this, of course, had to happen to her on one of the busier streets in the city. Those nearby when it happened seem to assume she intended to do it as they merely step around her without so much as a passing glance. After that, it's anyone's guess as to whether or not they're aware of her. Akko ends up staring down what she feels to be certain squashing beneath heavy boots several times as she cuts and weaves through small groupings of foot traffic until she can find a patch of grass or somewhere underneath a bench or the like to duck under and catch her breath. Looking around... The city suddenly seems much bigger when you're so much smaller. But she... She cannot focus on being stuck like this right now. She should get home. The safest place for her to be is home. She can worry about it then.]

[Of course, that begs the question of where is home? No, Akko has not forgotten where she lives. She knows exactly which building it is and how to get there from this street. But instincts pull at her and she feels compelled to begin digging into the ground. It's only a moment or two of that stray thought, that urge, before she starts digging into the earth and trying to create her own little space to hide in until whatever this is passes. Or maybe it won't'? No, cannot think like that. Must dig. Dig. Dig. Dig.]

[Eventually, she'll snap out of that compulsion on her own and manages to make the dangerous trek back to her apartment. It just doesn't occur to her literally until she's on her own doorstep that she has no idea how exactly she's going to get inside like this. As it turns out, she doesn't have opposable thumbs and the doorknob is a good several feet taller than her. But that isn't going to stop Akko from launching herself at her own door. Over and over, trying to get a handle on the doorknob to give it a twist and hopefully gravity will pull the door open.]

ii. mud on your face

[For the most part, Akko's gotten a pretty good handle on her Puca instincts. Most of them, anyway. The binkying thing seems to sometimes catch her off-guard if she's not too careful or in another form, but that's minor. It just seems that this full moon has brought about an entirely different sort of instinct.]

[Which is precisely how you end up with dirt flung in your face. Or close to it if you were paying close enough attention to get out of the way. Akko is, at this point, managed to dig a hole deep enough that the very tips of her ears are able to peek out over the edge if she were to stand upright. She just doesn't happen to be because she is digging furiously right now with bare hands and extended claws.]

[Of course, that's probably the nicer way to come across one of Akko's attempts at a burrow. The arguably worse way to do that is falling straight into one. Which could happen if you're not watching where you're going or you're a bit clumsy. In which case, maybe Akko will break your fall. Or she might peer sheepishly down at you from above. Either way, she wants to know:]

I'm so sorry! Are you okay?

iii. drinks on me

[Although other areas of magic that don't pertain to her Puca abilities are generally still hopeless (mind you, Akko still refuses to give up!), she has been working quite hard at alchemy. Or as hard as she can stand to work before she gets distracted or bored. She not the most attentive when it comes to classes and reading books is a fast track to a nap. But despite this, this hasn't stopped Akko from trying outside of class at all!]

[Which means it could be your lucky day to be her guinea pig! Er, assistant? Whatever! Point is, she isn't shy about stopping someone while they're walking past her where she's been totally not experimenting and absolutely following recipes perfectly (scout's honor) out in the courtyard where Witches are busy practicing other spells. She holds out her vial of mysterious liquid.]

Hey, would you mind trying this?

((ooc: it's entirely up to you if the potion works or not. but if you choose for it to work, it should have a positive, desirable effect. you know like making you real strong, giving you a cool temporary power, immunity to something, the ability to remember 60+ digits of pi, remembering where you put your keys, or otherwise just something real helpful! if not, a goofy/relatively harmless side effect is more the name of the game here. so it could be anything from excessive sneezing to the urge to try to make friends with everyone, to growing a sick mustache to making hair color into a temporary mood ring. or idk maybe you wanna be a vampire that sparkles in the moonlight. you get the gist!))

Comments

I

[long_live_the_queen]

[Fortunately, one particular area of sidewalk is fairly clear!

Less fortunately, it's due to a Chimera. A rather feathery, antlery, and all around prickly one. An ear flicked as movement caught her peripheral vision, and Kaede turned to look—

Oh. A rabbit. A very...very, soft looking rabbit. And one that didn't seem very worried about people, given how it was wandering a crowded street like one. Were there collars or harnesses for rabbits...? Kaede didn't see one. Maybe this one was a pet that got lost.

The Chimera's face softened considerably as she slowly crouched, dipping far enough forward to hide the claws on her feet under her skirt and curling the talons on her hands inwards.]

Hey there. [She says, quietly. Animals didn't really seem to understand her words, not like if a Faun was talking to them. But being quiet and moving slowly seemed to help, along with not towering over them like a preposterous giant.] You're lost, aren't you?

[recklessbelief]

[Kaede is a confusing blend of predatory warning signs and it has little to nothing to do with her general temperament. And so, when the Chimera first takes an interest in this now very bunny-shaped Akko, Akko freezes. Not a full Puca freezes, but close to it. This is probably not the most helpful response when there's a potential predator afoot, but fortunately for Akko, she doesn't seem to be in that much danger of being gobbled up. Kaede, rather than suddenly giving chase or beginning to stalk her, instead crouches down and makes herself small (or as small as one can get with all that plumage) and as non-threatening as possible.]

[...]

[Slowly, she ambles her way over, look much like a slinky as all rabbits do when taking their hops over a lot slower. Still, Akko tentatively stops a little ways away from Kaede, just out of reach. The more rabbit-y part of her brain hasn't quite fully found its chill in dealing with a Chimera.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[She expected that freeze, the way small prey animals did to try and pretend they were in fact invisible. Kaede didn't move until the rabbit did; wouldn't do to scare it and have it take off into traffic. The Chimera was effectively blocking this part of the sidewalk and didn't care in the slightest about it. Soft thing more important than disgruntled pedestrians.

When the rabbit started to approach, Kaede didn't fully conceal her delight; the harsh lines around her eyes softened further, and while she didn't quite smile, the edge of her mouth curved a bit.

Slowly, she extended her hand—claws still curled back—so the rabbit could sniff her knuckle if it came closer. Kaede didn't know if they needed to, like a dog or a cat, but it seemed like the right thing to do.]

[recklessbelief]

[Instincts are starting to wane a little in terms of the control over the situation as it presents itself as safer. Foot traffic is forced to go around Kaede, drawing more attention to the Puca in question, but none of the pedestrians present themselves as potential predators as they continue along their way. Kaede's movements are also kept slow and at Akko's pace rather than making a bold attempt to grab her. Thus, Akko is a little more cognizant despite that really weird expression on her face (which is only weird because it's on her face), that she's dealing with Kaede.]

[Still, she does hop a little closer to get a sniff of that hand, leaning and stretching herself closer to do as much. It's probably a little ticklish between the soft puffs of breath as she sniffs and the light brush of fur from her nose. Akko sits back once she's certain, her scent causing it to finally sink in that this is Kaede.]

[Not exactly her favorite person in the world admittedly, but she is still a familiar face and she doesn't seem to know that it's Akko? It's worthy a binky or two and Akko immediately trying to hop into her lap.]

i.

[glitzandglamour]

[It's on Akko's trek back to her apartment, braving the busy streets once more in her small rabbit body that Mettaton catches her. She's close enough to the apartments, but there's still a ways to go... And so much foot traffic to weave through.

There's someone whose presence practically forces natives to part for him ahead, and he walks along in heels that click in tempo against cobblestone. Taller than most yet sporting an even taller pair of ears atop his head, he's a Puca, somehow. It's his sense for impending danger that causes him to freeze, foot in the air.

Foot in the air, because under his impressive red-bottomed stiletto is a small, fluffy rabbit: Akko.

Mettaton's black-tipped ears spring upright, and he stoops protectively around her form by kneeling. People continue to avoid Mettaton — he's much easier to avoid, after all. The robotic idol's inclined to scoop her into his hands, but he resists: if she's a Puca, he'd end up burning her if he touched her with this metal body! (And she's a bit fancy of a rabbit to be a common wild rabbit or jackalope.)]

Ohhh my... This isn't a place for a little bunny like you. You were about to be skewered on an expensive pair of heels! Good thing I noticed you. Poor thing. [He tilts his head.] Are you lost, darling?

[please don't bolt...]

[recklessbelief]

[Akko backs herself back up a little when Mettaton drops down closer to her level, her own instinct for danger wanting her to keep a safe distance from his metal body even if other parts of her brain can't exactly discern why that is. There's a part of her that assumes she's also about to be snatched up, too, and without enough time and space to register who it is that's gotten this closer to her, instincts override and she seems quite ready to bolt.]

[But Akko relaxes slightly when she recognizes who it is. Oh! She hasn't seen Mettaton in person in a very long time. She wonders if he even remembers her. Well, he likely remembers her from their conversation over the network, but maybe he never made the connection. In any case, she doesn't recognize him as a threat and her head does a little roll. Just a small, half-binky because she recognizes a potential friend!]

[Oh, but??? How does she talk like this? This isn't like her other transformations. She sits up on her hind legs for just a brief moment before plopping back down again as she tries to puzzle out how to speak.]

[glitzandglamour]

[Prior to arriving in Aefenglom, Mettaton didn't necessarily "speak" rabbit. An erratic movement like that might not have registered to him as anything but perplexing. But elation displays itself the same in his own body nowadays... He gets it.

The rest of her movements seem investigative, but Akko, strangely, remains silent. She seems like a Puca in manner. (But it's true: especially like this, Mettaton doesn't recognize her at all.) Mettaton contemplates shapeshifting into a human in order to pick her up, but the last time he did that in a busy street... Well, he's not wearing clothes, save for heels. He may be drop-dead gorgeous, but everyone's just going to have to miss out on getting an eyeful.

Mettaton snaps his fingers. Instead, he points to the other side of the street.]

I've got it! Let's talk over there, instead of in the precarious middle-of-the-street we've found ourselves in. I'll cover you.

[He winks, for all that it can be seen. That is, he'll keep her path clear of feet. Mettaton's incredibly broad shoulders and unyielding metal body are good for something, sometimes. Running into him might mean running into a sharp edge, after all, and people generally avoid him. The robot rises to his feet, his shoes parallel to her body. She really is small, he observes... Much smaller than his own rabbit form. But maybe he can figure out what's got her tongue, if she's one of the Mirrorbound like he assumes she is. The Mirrorbound Puca have a disadvantage with learning their own bodies, after all.]

[recklessbelief]

[Being as short and as small as she is, Akko has to once again get back on her hindlegs to see where he's pointing as a safe space to sit and talk. Or, well, he can talk. Akko is probably going to be more stuck on attempting to talk for most of it.]

[But Akko is in agreement with the plan in any case. She would much rather not keep hanging out here in danger of being stepped on even if Mettaton has caused a lot of the foot traffic to step around and give even her some wide berth. It will be much easier to concentrate and figure out this talking while in this form. And maybe even how to get out of it?? Akko can only hope!]

[The indication that Akko is agreeable to this suggestion comes when she begins making her way over there, expecting that he will walk with her. Even if he needs to move at a somewhat awkward pace since although quick, she doesn't want to lose cover and it's a lot of ground for such a small rabbit to cover so carefully!]

iii

[apocryphas]

[ Mordred is never one to turn down free food, but she might draw the line at vials of mysterious liquid. Could this be that "bonding potion" crap she's been hearing about? It could be useful to her if so...

She takes a sniff at the vial, although she hasn't quite accepted it yet. ]

Eh? I dunno, looks kinda cheap...

[ Yes. It's also literally for free. ]

[recklessbelief]

[Akko's expression crinkles itself into a frown.]

What do you mean cheap? I worked really hard on that you know! I had to save up to buy the ingredients and everything.

[apocryphas]

Hmm, so you're offering me something that you put effort into - I like that!

[ It still looks cheap to her, but if the young girl says it was made with lots of love and care, then it's only right that someone of Mordred's kingly stature should consume it. ]

I have just one question - what's in it for you?

ii

[al_bhed]

[Rikku is a lot of things. Light on her feet. Nimble with her fingers. A decent asset to a battle.

Unfortunately, she's also somewhat accident prone. That last thing is how she manages to fall face first into a hole in the ground that by all rights really shouldn't be there. A bit of dirt crumbles down onto the back of her head, as if to add insult to injury.

In response to the voice asking if she's okay, Rikku turns onto her back and looks up at the rabbit girl staring down at her.]

Owwww.

Yeah, I think I'm okay. Did you dig this?

[recklessbelief]

Um.

[It does occur to Akko that maybe she'll want to lie and say no. It's a little impulsive because she doesn't want to get in trouble, she just happens to get into it a lot. But it'd be a little difficult for her to lie about this gigantic hole in the ground. Especially when she's already said sorry.]

[So...]

Yes?

[al_bhed]

[In hindsight, it seems obvious that this rabbit girl dug the hole--why else would she apologize for Rikku having fallen into it? Still, the confirmation is nice.]

Why are you digging holes like this where people can fall into them?

[It's obvious from Rikku's tone of voice that, while not exactly thrilled at her current situation, she's far from furious. She's more confused by the behavior than anything. Is this a monster thing?

In any case, she crawls out of the burrow and starts dusting herself off.]

Maybe you should put up a sign to warn people?

1 I'm sorry

[stopfen]

[Partway along her journey. The bunny might notice that she was slowly being followed by... A fae with large black eyes. Not getting any closer, she was hanging back watching where the little bundle of fuzz went, what it did.

Cute...

But she stayed close enough to step in if danger arose. Yes, she would protect the little one. Because it was small and needed protecting. What were they doing, digging?]

[recklessbelief]

[Akko is not particularly aware of being followed if only because there are so many people milling about that the thought that one particular pair of feet is following her path doesn't really occur to her. (She would definitely get eaten in the wild.) But when she feels eyes on her while she's digging, it causes a mixed reaction.]

[On the one hand, Akko digs faster. It's within just a few moments that she's carved out enough of a hole in the earth that she can fit half of her little body in. But on the other, there is this lingering sense of dread and danger that keeps cropping up for her from being watched and she finds herself pausing, reversing, and looking about to spot the culprit after she's managed to dig so far.]

[stopfen]

[She'd find her stalker watching. Crouched with large dark eyes focused solely on the rabbit. Yes, she much preferred watching the rabbit dig out here than in her own garden. She wasn't opposed to them eating vegetables, it was what rabbits did. Before she moved in they'd probably lived off of what had been in the overgrown garden.

It was only fair that they got some of her crop...She just wished they didn't kill her plants to take it.

But this rabbit. The little one gets a cock of the head when it looks at her. Black eyes not blinking as her antenna flickered out.]

i

[lostinshadows]

[...It's a rabbit.

Lavi's own floppy ear twitches. He doesn't need this animal instinct to tell him to want to get close to this rabbit. But honestly--

What gets to him is the fact that if this rabbit isn't careful, she's going to get trampled on.]

Need some help there?

[recklessbelief]

[Akko startles at the voice behind her, instinct in this form taking the driver's seat a little more easily than normal. A terrified little squeak escapes her as she bolts. Whatever careful path she was taking through the feet is gone now as her only motivation appears to be getting the heck away from whatever just made that noise.]

[Fortunately, tragedy does not strike and as she's ping-ponging about, narrowly avoiding getting stepped on, she manages to find a shrub in someone's lawn to hide under.]

[lostinshadows]

H-Hey!

[Don't run away!

Lavi is quick to run after her, sidestepping around people and making sure not to lose sight of that rabbit.

When he does finally find her, he's careful in walking up to her.]

Hey, sorry--didn't mean to scare ya like that.

1 (we both knew this was the only option)

[murowa]

[Objectively speaking, being bonded with Akko brought a number of benefits. Not only did it help to ensure their own survival, and but it helped to give them both a clearer sensation on how the other is feeling.

In this case, Diana could tell that something was very wrong. This isn't just a "Oh, Akko is behaving like Akko" wrong.

No, it was something else entirely.

So of course, she dropped everything she was doing and began a search for not only her bonded, but her friend.

Diana searched and searched, not only using magic to track her, but her own bond as well. Though she remained calm and collected on the outside, there was a growing sense of urgency that she find her and make sure that she was alright.

She had to be. This was Akko, and Diana knew that she could handle anything.]

Honestly, where could she have gone to.

[The young witch resumed her search, though not before noticing a stray rabbit digging holes in the ground.]

What are you doing all the out here by yourself?

[Wait a minute.]

Eh?

A-Akko...?

entirely fair

[recklessbelief]

[There's something niggling in the back of Akko's mind as she digs that something is going on. Something... What could it be? Almost like stumbling back into bed after being blinded by the fluorescent lights in a bathroom though, there are only vague blobs around and her mind is a little too bleary-eyed and groggy in a sense to focus. She forgets it and doesn't miss a beat in her continued attempts to dig herself a burrow.]

[It's only once she hears the sound of her own name that she stops kicking dirt everywhere and backs up. Little bits of earth still rest on her forehead as she looks up at Diana, but they do not stay there for long. Diana may tower over her and she may not be the most aware of her Bond in a conscious sense, but she doesn't respond like prey and the urge to dig quiets down long enough for her to begin hopping about excitedly. Each little twist to her hops, sends more dirt flying off her.]

[Diana! Diana! she wants to chant, but can't quite form the words. It's me!]

I. Joining the onslaught of people finding rabbitko

[foundfamilies]

[A beagle is neither a large nor intimidating breed of dog, when you’re human-sized. It might be a rather different experience when one’s nose peers around the corner of the bench’s legs, snuffling loudly. Currently, the beagle appears to only be curious about what this creature under the bench might be. Currently.]

Did you find something, Ferdie?

[The voice behind Ferdie the beagle sounds very casual — a question asked without any expectation beyond just talking to Ferdie. After all, if Ferdie finds anything interesting about the smells on most objects, he’s unable to convey that knowledge to the one holding his leash.]

[He ruffs quietly — or, at least, it’s quiet to the humans out on the street. It might have a bit more of an acoustic effect in an enclosed underbench.]

[recklessbelief]

[The snuffling nose is more than enough for Akko to stay very, very, very still. So still, it's bordering on freeze. But as Akko's little heart begins to beat faster, there's a vague sense that she can't let herself freeze entirely. If she freezes up entirely, that's a fast way to end up dead at this range. She keeps a close eye on beagle, looking for any sign that curiosity might turn into something else, ready to bolt. So closely that she barely even registers that there is a human attached to this dog or that she's speaking so casually.]

[There's a growing sense of panic beginning to make its way up from Akko's chest and into her throat in the form of a scream, but she's too scared to make a sound. Anything, it seems like, could set that dog off, and then it might be lights out forever. Oh, but the thought of lights out forever! It just makes her want to scream more! What does she do? What. Does. She. Do!?]

[The decision is made for Akko. The second that horrid noise escapes the dog, Akko shoots out from under the bench at an immediate and quick dash, a squeaky scream of mortal terror shooting out of her just as fast. She has to get away! Those teeth! Those sharp, awful teeth!]

[foundfamilies]

[Ferdie is a well-behaved dog. Edelgard suspects that he must have once belonged to someone who trained him, though their attempts to find the hypothetical owner turned up empty. He rarely causes any trouble.]

[But, come on. This is just not a fair test of obedience. A screaming rabbit? Running from him? Even with no plans in his doggy mind for what he might do if he caught up, he’s just gotta take up the chase. A bark and he’s off running.]

Oh! It’s a — woah!

[And, on the other end of the leash, Leslie has very few choices available to her other than to stumble into a run herself to keep up. Thank goodness this took place after she built up some proper endurance, but two legs vs four...this isn’t fair to a short child like this!!]

Ferdie, no! You’re scaring them!

[Sorry, Ferdie.exe is busy running instinct.dll and will take a few moments to load up the obedience modifiers. A few moments of delightful (voted by one of three participants) chasing!]