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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!))

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[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.]

[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.]

[Kaede breathed a soft note of a laugh as the ticklish little nose brushed her fingers. Rather than being alarmed at the scent of a maybe-predator, or offended at the smell of honeysuckle and feather, the rabbit seemed content to sit back on its haunches afterwards like it was considering something. It was dreadfully cute.

Then, whatever important thinking completed, the rabbit moved--rather quick and very suddenly breaking into a fast little hop with a bit of twist to it. And another, and the Chimera's back only just stiffened up and her ears flattened in surprise before there were little paws scrabbling for purchase against her skirt.

Almost automatically, Kaede scooped up the little greyish fluffball as she would a kitten, and deposited it safely in her lap. She set a hand on the rabbit's back and folded her other gangly arm around her lap, so the feathers formed a protective screen.

That odd almost-smile returned as her surprise faded, and Kaede chuckled a little.]

Friendly, aren't you.

[Akko is surprised! Not so much because Kaede decided to allow her in her lap or that she's created this little protective barrier around Akko, but because it's... actually really nice? Akko wouldn't really know how to put it other than it's like when you finally manage to reach that itch on your back you've been trying for a few minutes to get at only she didn't know she had that itch. She lets out a little sigh of relief and lays down, back legs extending behind her.]

[Was she more freaked out by having to navigate the sidewalk than she thought? Well, no. Akko's instincts were good at keeping her from getting stepped on. She'd do it again if she absolutely had to. It's certainly not because of Kaede. Akko can rule that out fairly confidently because while things have gotten better between them, it's definitely not to that level.]

[But it's just nice having an arm around her and a cozy lap to lay in. Akko's ears even relax a little, too, as she settles herself in, not swiveling in the direction of on-coming footsteps quite as much.]

[Kaede does not coo, as she is not a pigeon. But with how charmed she was the Chimera might as well be making that noise, rubbing her fingertips against to the bunny's shoulders and back. Again and again with her claws held away, only occasionally carding the creature's long soft fur. Those ears looked...familiar, but also so soft. And Kaede was going to stroke those too, when one of the pedestrians she had been blocking took offense.

He trod on one of Kaede's tail feathers, then snatched his foot back with a curse as the Chimera snapped her head around.]

"Hey! Get the hell out of the way!"

[Kaede's face immediately turns from something soft and gentle to its usual harsh grimace. She doesn't quite bare her teeth in a snarl, but the points are easily visible when she snaps back.]

Fuck off.

[Both arms curl protectively around the rabbit, and her feathers bristle like a dog's hackles. Terrifying.]

[At first, Akko finds herself in a little bit of bliss. The pets are gentle and soothing, and she lets herself get a little more relaxed. This probably doesn't seem possible considering how sprawled she is in Kaede's lap, but she finds a way. It's a good life.]

[That is until Kaede's demeanor suddenly shifts in response to getting her tail stepped on. While somewhat a reasonable reaction, the illusion of peace is shattered nigh-immediately. Akko's limbs come back under her immediately with a panicked squeak. She doesn't think so much as move, the arms that once felt protective suddenly feeling claustrophobic and the sense of danger now permeates the makeshift nest.]

[She just has to get away. She has to get away.]

[Things started to spiral out of control very, very fast. The rabbit suddenly sprang from a living puddle of fluff to a very active and wriggling ball of opinions and paws with sharp little nails. Kaede's arms clamped down and her hand grabbed for its--did rabbits have scruffs? At something to keep the thing from wriggling out into traffic. But it was like trying to keep hold of a living spring--and then it started squeaking and something in Kaede's mind uncurled to fretting alertness at something's distress call.]

Hey--hey!

[She shot a glare at the person who'd stepped on her tail and scared the rabbit, the latter being the more egregious of the two. But--she needed to get off this street. If the rabbit did get loose, there were all number of things to trample it and Kaede's fussy broody hen brain refused to consider that an option.

So, back hunched and her arms curled tight around the squeaking wiggly bundle, the Chimera rose to her feet and darted for a side street. She nearly gored someone who was unloading an apple cart, with her antlers stooped low. They stumbled back with a shout, a few apples bouncing free of the basket to tumble over the cobbles.

Nope. Sorry. Not apologizing. Kaede barely paused in her rush for somewhere quieter and less busy.]

[Akko's panic is, unfortunately, not lessened by the firmness of Kaede's grip on her. If anything, it grows more intense. Especially now that she is being carried off somewhere, and that somewhere can only feel like certain doom right now. But the fight's not out of her yet and the urge to run and hide doesn't give way to freezing. She keeps trying to scramble her way loose, her small nails trying to find purchase on anything that they can dig into. Anything she can do to leverage herself out as her squeaks rise in volume before there are accompanying growls.]

[Even by the time Kaede reaches her destination of the quieter side street, she is still trying her best to get free and now it's not just clawing Kaede is going to need to contend with. She has some teeth, too, even if her bites aren't all that powerful. All it will take, Akko thinks, is just a pinch in the right spot and then she'll be free.]

[Ow. Ow. Since when did rabbits have such sharp little claws? And it was biting her now, too, those little chisel teeth finding their way through fabric and feather to skin with ease. And the thing somehow wiggled into a position to drive its back feet into her gut, squashing an oof out of her.

But stubbornly, Kaede persisted. (Ow.) Just--a bit further. She hoped.

The side street ended in a small courtyard; surrounded by buildings on each side except the one they came in. Rowhouses, maybe, or closed up shops. Either way, there was no one around. The Chimera knelt, and--opened her arms a bit too much. She lost her grasp on the rabbit's scruff, and had to physically stop herself from grabbing after it. Claws bad. Claws scary.

She only hoped the rabbit wouldn't dart somewhere impossible to get to.]

[There's only a brief moment of pause when Akko manages to tumble out of Kaede's arms. (Because that's what she does. There is no particular grace in her escape and she's barely able to land on all four paws rather than in a heap.) It's unexpected that she should escape given that Kaede is much bigger and stronger than her, but let that be a lesson to anyone who thinks someone small is incapable!]

[But there's no time to bask or to reel, there's only time to move. So Akko's claws scrape against the pavement as she scrambles more properly onto her feet and makes a run for it. Where is she going? Akko doesn't really know. There is really no proper place for her to hide and she runs from one obvious dead end to another. The panic starts to bubble and boil over again, but oh, she's so tired! She's so, so tired, and so she squishes herself down in the corner between the building proper and a set of stairs, panting.]

[Kaede glanced down at her arm where the teeth had broken skin and the claws worried little holes in the fabric and scratches in her arms, but mostly kept her eyes on the rabbit as it ran about in mad circles. The dead end at least kept it from vanishing into a gutter or alleyway, and the Chimera didn't get up to chase it. Even when it stopped moving.

Then she just. Sighed at the frightened ball of fluff wedged against the stairs.]

You don't live at one of these places, do you?

[That would at least make things easier and--why was she talking to a rabbit?]

[Akko's capable of intelligent response. More intelligent than a regular old rabbit could ever provide in any case since she hasn't quite worked out how to talk like this. But she's still feeling a little flooded with instincts right now. So, she keeps herself pressed close to the wall and stairs, trying to catch her breath rather than acknowledge that she's being spoken to, although she is keeping a very close eye on Kaede right now.]

[Again, Kaede sighs, and her tail swishes at the end once more. She didn't stare directly at the scared rabbit, looking at it sidelong instead of rudely making direct eye contact. Cats didn't like that. Presumably rabbits didn't either?]

I'm not going to eat you, you know.

[Kaede says, more to fill the empty air than actually expecting an answer.]

[Akko hops up more properly onto her feet at the phrase not eat you before the not part of that statement registers. But maybe that's just coincidence. It's not like a rabbit could understand human speech, right?]

[She comes out of her little "hiding" spot with a few tentative steps. Akko stops and stays in that spot for a few long seconds and then does a small hop forward and a few more steps. And then again. A few steps. Hop. Few steps. Stop. Hop. Stop.]

[She's still not moving immediately toward Kaede, however. Akko's giving her a wide berth for now. But she's not hunkering down and she's looking a lot less wild-eyed the further she goes. She rounds the stairs when she reaches their end, moving along the edge until she's square in front of the steps. Akko stands up on her hind legs to have a look at that bottom step, giving it a sniff before she does a little hop to climb up.]

[Now she is tall.]

[She stands up on her hinds again for a moment before laying back down. This time, she's not bunching herself up, although still not relaxing quite as much as she was in Kaede's lap earlier.]

[One of the Chimera's ears swivelled forwards when the rabbit perked up, coincidentally timed like it was reacting to her voice. Maybe it was interested in the noise? It must have been used to people, then.

The rest of Kaede stayed very still when the rabbit began to unfreeze from the spot near the stairs, even her tail. And it was interesting to watch something with its paws mostly hidden under fluff climb up things. At least Kaede thought so.]

...where are you going?

[Up the stairs and to a house, obviously, but the door was locked. It was in a bit of a shadowy spot, though--maybe Kaede could slip over and open it?

...but what if that wasn't where the rabbit lived? What if they had a small-animal-unfriendly dog? Ugh. Being responsible was difficult.]

[Akko doesn't climb very far on the stairs, only hopping up one more step before coming to a total stop. From her "tall" perch, she has a better vantage point of the whole side street they've managed to tuck themselves into. She walks down the length of the step and props herself up a little taller with the stone along the step that supports the railing. Then it's over to the other end. Seemingly satisfied with this, Akko moves back to the center of the step and looks over at Kaede again before settling down again.]

[That's apparently where she’s going. Right there to the second step. Which to her is quite tall.]

[Having caught her breath though, Akko notices all the little bites and cuts she gave Kaede. Her ears droop down some in guilt.]

[Honestly, Kaede had stopped paying attention to her injuries a minute or so after acknowledging them. On the scale of her depressingly high pain tolerance, they meant little. It's Fine.

It was...kind of cute, watching the rabbit be a rabbit instead of a panicky prey animal, exploring its surroundings instead of running frenetic circles that made some part of her mind anxious there must be some hidden danger somewhere. Now that it wasn't making those erratic, panicked motions or breathing fast, Kaede, cautiously, pulled herself a bit closer with her arms. Just a little, to see what was acceptable.]

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