( OPEN ) it's the time for ugly sweaters

[maskreant]

WHO: Akira Kurusu, local nasty crimeboy and people
WHERE: places in Recolle
WHEN: throughout this god forsaken month of December
WHAT: December happenings (includes event log stuff, Catmosphere Cat Santa, and... stuff) Thank god i wrote up a comment. Reply to the plotting comment if you would like Akira to send your character a Christmas card, too!!
WARNINGS: Akira existing.

santa is coming to town

[ The cat cafe staff have spent relentless hours deliberating over the limited edition Christmas menu all for naught, but they changed their process for the whole month. All hail aromatherapy! You'll be hit with the refreshing smell of fresh pine, peppermint, cookies if you lurk any deeper. Everyone's favorite carols are also playing... mixed in with carols sang by cats. You may curse the owner for this. They also have a cat music video for these carols on some of the flat screen TVs that would usually show menu items.

So Akira is at work dressed up as... Santa. Without the beard at least, but his outfit is rather extravagant for the occasion. Of course there's that small touch of cat ears attached to the hat. It wouldn't be Catmosphere Cafe without it! He's seated on a grand throne, decorated with snowflakes, ribbons, and presents around it. The cats aren't tearing it apart, either. Amazing. ]

Have you been naughty or nice?

spice adventures

[ Usually, he would ask someone he knows to join him, but... He feels a bit off as of late. It means that he'll be dragging some poor soul (or even call up random people) to join him on his quest. With taste being gone, this is one way to entertain himself when he's hungry.

If you even look at a restaurant momentarily with a spicy challenge, Akira is there with a flyer for it. ]

Want to give it a try together? It'll warm us right up.

[ If you need a reference as to how well your character handles spice, please refer to this chart. Akira is three chili peppers hoping to level up... This will help with anyone's courage stat, too. ]

christmas event surprise

[ Akira definitely has been a victim of garlands, mistletoe bats, and slipping on ice like an idiot. Go ahead and and pick your choice! He's running away as fast as he can from two out of those three and, like his predecessor, will pretend to be dead if he slips on ice.

Also, for those that are around when he opens his present from the Retrospec Christmas tree, you'll notice he has been staring inside the box he opened...

For a long time. He remember reading the description as "a stone worth 100k yen" on his ticket, but... Uhm. ]

wildcard!

[ HIT ME. Akira's cat won't be joining him later in December due to the cold, but he's around the university and sometimes the most desolate of areas. Anyone may even catch him or a dragon in the forest. ]

Comments

TEAM EDGELORD

[maskreant]

[ So they got their tasks from the charity drive counsel. Akira looks at the list on his phone and thinks it should be fairly easy!

1. Build a snowman somewhere around town!
2. Dog or cat sit for a local resident/walk the animal shelter dogs.
3. Model for a charity calendar.

Looking over to Edgeworth, he flashes him a confident smile. He doesn't know the man, but he knows they're GOING TO MAKE A GREAT TEAM. ]

Want to start off with building a snowman? Then we can walk some dogs around...

[ The modeling might need to wait since he thinks they have to schedule a time for the photoshoot. ]

[mr_fancy_car]

[Building a snowman? Well, he did build his share of snowmen as a child and sometimes his students would prod him to do it with them, and it wasn't embarrassing or humiliating or whatever.

Sounds like a plan, so he nods agreeably. Also, he owns three dogs, dog walking will be a breeze.]

Where do you want to build it? We'll probably have to do it in a common, public place.

TEAM HIPPOPOTA-MESS

[maskreant]

[ Hmmm. Akira is more familiar with Keith, so he feels a little more comfortable around him even if he gets judging stares and resistance sometimes. It doesn't matter. Keith can't escape him now. Their tasks are the following:

1. Help decorate a local school or business for the holidays! Hang those snowflakes!
2. Be a bell ringer or present wrapper at a local store.
3. Spread holiday cheer through the magic of song! (Go Caroling in another character's inbox!)

It would be too easy to ask Keith to help decorate the cafe, right...? They shouldn't sneak their way to tickets. These all seem do-able. ]

Which should we start with?

[ Since they're named after Keith's favorite animal, he gets to play leader. ]

[alienated]

[Look... Listen........... Take the easy route, Akira.

But Keith doesn't mind taking the lead in this, since it means he can pointedly ignore the existence of the third chore for as long as humanly possible. It's a silver lining. Or something.]

Let's just do them in order. Decorating sounds easy enough.

[And leave the singing for, maybe, never??]

christmas event surprise

[wantnotneed]

[ Manon was mostly hanging around the area to see what other people would get and oh. She sees Akira! So she'll make her way over to where he is where it looks like he hasn't moved for a while... Just what could it be?? The curiosity is killing her. ]

Akira Kurusu, what are you staring at so much? Are you holding back tears of joy from what you received?

[maskreant]

The ticket said this stone is worth 100k yen, but...

[ No matter how he sees it, it looks kind of plain! Though sparkly. Crumbly? He doesn't know, but he'll move the box a bit to show her. ]

why not all three disasters

[sketchythief]

[ Daisuke has been wearing that cap like he's always been to hide his white hair. He also has a cough mask that he sneezes into and a checkered pattern scarf to bury half of his face in. He just finished practicing parkour for the day and easily makes it down from the building, but is that...

Yeah, that's Akira. Why is he running--

Oh.

He just kinda witnesses the whole scenario where Akira is running for his life and gets snatched up by a garland. Why is that thing sentient?! That's so scary and... kinda creepy. He feels bad for just watching though, and Wiz pokes his head out of his messenger bag once Daisuke picks it up. He carefully makes his way there though, wary enough not to get snatched up by a stray garland to the side. ]

Do you need help...

[maskreant]

[ You know... Within a couple of seconds, Akira stopped struggling because he's wiggling his wrists to check how secure these confinements are. The garland isn't that bad of a prison, so he's making progress in untangling himself? ]

Yeah, that would be great, but I'd also be careful.

[ Because... He was snatched up earlier while helping someone else out.. ]

spicy regrets

[ascatic]

[ CURSES. the sign is so colorful, what with the flames and the peppers brandishing peppers brandishing swords brandishing even more peppers... curiosity killed the Not-Cat, and it definitely puts him in an awkward position as he stares at Akira with pursed lips. ]

Are you... sure? How do we win?

[ not that he's afraid of a challenge. it might even be fun? maybe??? ]

[maskreant]

[ Well, Akira may very well be on his last life since the day he was born, but he doesn't look discouraged by the amount of loud graphics that hover around the challenge sign. It's okay. It only means it'll be fun? They'll die together— ]

We finish eating whatever they give us within a time limit. The rewards vary... The meal would be considered free and sometimes they put your picture in their hall of fame or give you a free t-shirt.

[ So!! It's mostly for free food. ]

spicy boy

[kulam]

[ first off, sucy doesn't even know who this messy-haired boy is. she just happens to be out here in this restaurant, also checking out the spicy challenge.

but she grins almost devilishly as she turns to akira with a nod. ]

I'm always up for burning my tongue right off. Depends on what kind of food they'll be serving, though.

[ even though she can eat almost anything in front of her despite her stringy figure... ]

[maskreant]

[ He doesn't recognize her, either, but with a quick flick of his Third Eye, he can see she's a Retrospec victim. There's only a neutral look to combat her own mischievous expression as he hums, looking at the flyer for the most important detail— ]

Buffalo wings.

Cat Santa SU RE

[nachetanya]

[ Natalia is an irregular regular here. It's... nice? She loves all animals and the vibe here is really nice honestly. She has other places she likes more, but s a cafe it's definitely one of the most fun in town. And right now, with this whole santa vibe...

Well.

She goes up there, with her right (the non-prosthetic) hand over her chest and looking down as she intends to see what the boy is going to do as she says, ]

Probably a little more towards naughty... I think?

[maskreant]

That's okay. It's hard to always be nice—everyone has been naughty more than once in their life.

[ It's a different take from what most people would depict Santa, but he is a Santa cat... If only his fake ears could twitch. Crossing his legs on his candy cane throne, he does add one tidbit: ]

If you admit to your wrongs, many holiday blessings will fall upon you.

Santa

[glaciers]

[Shouto's bought his usual coffee... which is still only 40% coffee, even if he can't taste it. The caffeine is nice enough.

Unlike most people, Shouto is having a great time with all the cat carols. More of these.]

Isn't Santa supposed to know that already?

[maskreant]

[ Shouto... That caffeine is going to kill you, but Akira won't police how you live your life. All the cats around them meow, playfully rubbing against the throne and maybe two against Shouto. ]

Yeah, so it's actually a trick question. If you lie about being nice, then you're instantly naughty.

[ Easy. ]

spice adventures

[unenvied]

[He only glanced at the store???]

... I don't think that's how spice works.

[maskreant]

[ Hello, rich boy. Sorry this is the end for you. ]

Okay, it'll make our stomachs tingle with joy...?

[ He's trying his best to avoid "burn your tongue off" since it doesn't sound at all... Enticing. ]

santa santa santa

[elevelvetor]

[ ...She felt bad about going to the Tea Kittle, so now she's here. Hello, little allergy furballs...!! But Akira's really why she's here, though she

uh

didn't expect to see him like this? Wow. ]

Very naughty, I'm afraid. [ liz, naughty. more likely than you think. ] What about you, Santa Paws?

[maskreant]

[ He brightens up when he sees Elizabeth, hoping that she took enough medication to be around so many of them... But he instantly deflates.

Suspiciously deflates and sinking in his chair. ]

... Santa is the one asking the questions here!

[ HUFFS. ]

Christmas Event Surprise

[fiddlestick]

[Elliot had gone to the Retrospec tree with him. He hasn't opened his gift yet, but he'll notice Akira staring into his box like he's staring into the void]

Something wrong?

[maskreant]

No, but... Come here.

[ MOTIONS HIM OVER. Stare at this rock with him. It's a nice-looking rock, but... ]

How much do you think this is worth?

DRAGONS

[complementing]

[The forest is within view of Minako's apartment, so when Koromaru barks one of his "urgent, come here!" barks one day, Minako abandons her knitting to go look.]

It's Kohryu. I wonder what one of the twins is doing in the forest?

[The forest is Generally Bad in her experience. Yu, especially, she doesn't want going out into the forest by himself. She quickly bundles up and slings her Evoker-designated saddlebag on, tromping out into the snow to follow the dragon.]

Yu? Souji?

[maskreant]

[ Kohryu watches her for only a short moment before it returns to weaving between the trees, just getting a feel for the Recolle air. It seems rather calm, maybe even enjoying the vast forest and the snowflakes that land on its scales.

Here is Akira, layered up like a good boy, following his dragon like he's walking a dog. ]

Akira.

[ Because she's calling Protagonist names. ]

SPICE

[browbeater]

[Oh-- hey. Mako is, thankfully, off duty. And he had only been idly considering the spice challenge. It would at least make eating worth it.

Sort of.]

... I don't know if you're on my spice level.

[maskreant]

[ Might as well burn yourself a place in hell when you can't taste anything, right? Akira is here just to make eating enjoyable again.

... Which means he's a masochist. He looks up to Mako—oh hey ]

It takes time, but I think I'll get there with some training.

[ Maso-senpai. ]

christmas surprises!

[usurpers]

[ eren’s got his own present from the retrospec christmas tree, somewhere . . . between all those boxes and bags under the festive tree. he’s kneeled down and practically crawling for it at this point, sorting through the name tags and numbers to no avail.

“your father had quite the spectacle”. ]

That can be anything . . . [ low key huffing, but. he looks up at akira and calls him over. ] Did you see anything tagged for me?

[maskreant]

[ Oh, it's the buff boyfriend. Akira perks up when he hears his voice, watching him scourge through the packages for a couple of seconds more. Right. He should help. Without saying a word, he closes up his box and deposits it into his bag so he can begin the search...!

And here it is. ]

I fouuunnd it.

[ Can he gently shake it a bit? He does to gauge the weight. ]