recolle | ( OPEN ) it's the time for ugly sweaters

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( OPEN ) it's the time for ugly sweaters

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. ]

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[ GITTING GUD IS TOO HARD, where's the pay to win option??? he can totally afford it! where's the suptix or the guaranteed 5* that will eat the wings for him... ]

Yeah? [ wait, is he winning? is his burnout soul giving him some kind of advantage here? or... maybe he just has a more competitive spirit inside of him than he originally realized?

OR MOST LIKELY, his brain is actually melting. ]

... there is no limit. What's the worst thing that can happen?

[ and he reaches for his water, but the glass is empty.

oh. no.

his heart sinks into the lava that is his entire body. ]

[ Well, that 5*/guaranteed SSR is definitely not Akira. He's still helping even though he said his limit is close. At this point, his tongue feels numb and his stomach is on fire. Is this what being tortured is like? ]

The worst thing is that—[ Oh, do you need water? Akira thinks about passing him his glass, but it's also empty. It's fine. This is fine. He raises a hand to get a sever's attention...

In tears. ]

[ every second is agonizing. every second is an inferno behind his eyes, in his sinuses, flames on the tips of his ears, and his stomach? well. let's not talk about that part. all of him is wondering if he'll ever recover from this, and how stupid he is to have taken this challenge? even with someone else, no picture or free ANYTHING is worth it.

also? in good faith, he can't put any of his employees at risk from this... horrendous punishment. ]

... we're going to die here, aren't we?

[ he puts his head down on the table, being very careful to not put his face right into a messy plate. it's also tempting to lick the surface underneath him, just to get some of that spice off... but he's not THAT desperate yet. ]

Hang in there, Mister Aksera. Water is coming.

[ Voice hoarse and throat dry, he tries to stay positive. The server finally notices them and brings a full pitcher of cold water. To think it's technically winter outside... If they look out of the window, they'll find everyone in sweater weather, knitwear up to their necks while traversing the snow. Quickly, Akira pours a refreshing glass for the both of them, nudging the cup over to Leon with much haste.

The oasis is here. Don't die. ]

Should I just pour the water on you?

[ Will that help them win?! ]

[ it's like he's about to cross into the oasis, only before he reaches it, the sand falls away to reveal red hot lava and he immediately sinks into it, losing all of his hearts and having to return back to the spawn area. or a bed. ]

No... no, don't do that... [ the worst part about a burning mouth is even the open air makes everything hurt? slowly, he reaches for the glass. the cool feeling on his fingers revive him, a reminder of what's to come when he brings it to his lips and chugs it down!

EXCEPT!!!!

he just... misses his face. some goes in his nose. he's now a sputtering mess, as water goes down the wrong hole. coughing, he pounds the table with his non-glass holding hand.

everything sucks ]

[ oh

my god.

Akira was sipping his own glass before seeing all of that. While the crisp sensation of water doesn't completely alleviate the burn, it helps him cope. At least one of them survived? There's pity, sympathy, and consideration that he may need to repay this man for joining him in this god forsaken challenge. But...

Usually, he can keep his cool, but he can't help it. He tries to hush himself into a snicker rather than a full-blown laugh, but the water also ends up going down the wrong pipe for him. Hacking and coughing along with Leon, though not as showy, it seems this may be the end for them. It alarms all of the servers. Quickly, the staff comes to their aid and pats their backs like they're a couple of babies. ]

[ THESE BACK PATS AREN'T HELPING and he grumbles, slamming his fist into the table again for added measure. it's the best way to cope as he can't get another mouthful of water to aid in repairing his frayed nerves and his scorched mouth.

he has to wave the servers away before he gets actually upset, though he wouldn't want to lash out at complete strangers. not in front of Akira. the sudden attention feels claustrophobic and combined with the burning, has him gasping for breath in a different way--- from panic. ]

I have... to get out of here.

[ now he's in agony in TWO ways! but at least he's finally able to grab some water and hide his face as he tries not to show the tears growing in the corners of his eyes. ]

[ Akira seems to be doing better with the servers, finding them patting his back is helping the pain in his lungs, coughing up just to clear it up. After the fiasco ends and the staff realizes that they're okay, they disperse and Akira is left laughing normally like this entire thing is so silly. Choking on water over some spicy wings? How ridiculous can they get?

But then he notices how ill Leon looks. A wave of concern washes over his face as he speaks up, leaving the glass of water on the top and his mouth still on fire. ]

... Hey, are you okay?

[ How he managed to speak, even softly, is a miracle. But, shhhh, kitty. It's okay. ]

[ through the pounding of his heart in his ears, he can hear Akira's words clearly. the panic slowly subsiding, he rubs his eyes with the backs of his wrist before lifting his head out of the safety of the nook of his elbow. hopefully, his face isn't any more obviously red than before. ]

Y-yeah. I don't... know why I said that.

[ embarrassment! pure embarrassment. not like adults can't cry, but it's still a very compromising position to be in. but at least the heat has waned enough for him to come to his senses, taking a few cleansing breaths. ]

... still feels like I'm on fire, though.

[ !! Oh, Leon is back. Akira can take a relieved breath of air (which still burns his tongue, ouch) as he leans back against his seat. It seemed like his companion was having a panic attack... He wouldn't know what to do in that situation if that were the case and persisted. ]

It's all right; I'm just glad you're okay. We still have twenty minutes left, so let's rest.

[ Here! More water! With much gusto, he fills up the glass to replace the water that spilled everywhere. ]

Sorry for dragging you to spicy hell, though...

[ twenty minutes... well, beats twenty hours! at least the optimist in him hasn't died in a fire yet, though there's probably plenty of time for that to happen, too. just not here. maybe when he's working.

another mouthful of water, and he holds it in for a moment before swishing, then swallows it down. he's almost back to normal! whatever normal is, anyway. ]

Wasn't that spicy, right?

[ with an extremely weak laugh, he puts his forehead back down on the table. ]

I thought the older you get, the weaker your sense of taste was supposed to be... I kind of thought the spiciness would've gone with it, too.

[ It just meant that they wasted ten minutes forcing themselves to suffer... But Akira is also taking a break. He watches Leon recover slowly, like a stray cat licking its wounds and putting its guard back on. It's okay. He chuckles a bit after he takes a long sip. ]

Since we don't have taste anymore, it would make spice a sensation, right?

[ ... Squints at him. ]

You're not even that old, Mister Aksera.

[ squints right on back. ]

Being around such lively and young spirits at the catfe, I feel like my age has increased two-fold. A sacrifice I'm willing to make for the good of everyone else.

[ then, he huffs out another laugh. a little more confident than the previous one. ]

Besides. I'm older than you, aren't I?

[ and THAT, he's pretty sure of! then again he's also pretty sure that whatever he's been pretty sure about has been more or less been destroyed by recent events. like the stupid app. and the stupid no taste thing. ]

[ He snickers at the mention of young spirits. There's a chance that Leon might remember Akira once in a while from the cat cafe... Or at least leaving there, but he's going to try his luck before he begins trekking down the path of fiery flames again. ]

I'm forty-two.

[ If Leon is older than that, then hot damn. It's also a blatant lie... Before he can question him, Akira starts gobbling down the treacherous wing. ]

If you're forty-two, I'm one thousand and forty-two years old.

[ he doesn't forget a face! or rather, he certainly remembers a face. that and he can't do math. this is why he has helpful employees, to do the painful task of addition. but Akira is memorable. beyond memorable. ]

... as long as the heat lasted, it certainly goes pretty quickly, doesn't it?

[ NO NOT ANOTHER WING. commence the internal screaming? but as he reaches for a final one... his resolve has been tested and it has lost.

no more! no more.

hands resting in front of him, he tries his best to find his zen in hopes that if Akira needs to borrow some of his, he'll certainly give it to him. otherwise? suffer, my dude ]

[ Damnit. Akira thought his nondescript appearance would let him slide past even the sharpest of eyes. Of course he can't fool a fellow cat. Instead of huffing out of defeat, he huffs because he wants to breathe. The sauce, while lukewarm, still burns.

It's fine. There's water. He's trying to avoid getting full off of it, though. ]

It also comes back just as fast.

[ AAAAAAAAAAHhhhhhhhhhhhhhHHHHHHH; his stomach tingles (that is most likely not a good thing). He finishes it, so it leaves them with the very last wing. It practically taunts them. Taking controlled sips of his glass, he gives Leon a confident nod. ]

Take your time, great elder.

[ you eat that or else, cat man ]

[ honestly, neither of them are going to feel very well after this experience. he coughs in order to mask the gurgling in his own stomach, hoping that the noise isn't louder than his need to disguise the... well, no one's a winner. free food, a shirt, a photo, these are just going to memories of a competition whose finish line is a blazing inferno.

does he have to eat this one? maybe if he stares at it long enough, it'll burn a hole through it and cause it to disappear from this world forever. maybe.

how many lives has he spent eating these wings, again??? ]

Fine, fine.

[ three heavy, open-mouthed breaths--- then he consumes it, licking his lips after and shutting his eyes as tightly as possible. ]

... hey, I don't feel it.

[ he says, lying, splashing himself with what's left in his glass before filling it back up and doing the same thing.

no shame. ]

[ They're going to have stomach problems for a week after this, but they'll survive. They are tough black cats out in this cruel world, after all? Akira only smiles ear to ear when he watches Leon down the wing, down his drink, and get a refill. It isn't a cocky grin at all... Though he did enjoy watching the older man squirm and mentally hiss at the food, but a satisfied and content one. The Inferno has been defeated and Akira can already picture their photos on the wall, names on a plaque, and free t-shirts used as summer PJs.

Most of all, he's surprised, if not grateful that Leon stuck with him to the end. A sense of accomplishment and camaraderie swells in his chest. ]

We did it.

[ He stretches out a hand for a high five!! Little did they know, there are a couple of people that have been watching their show, applauding when they realize the two have finished the spicy wings within record time. ]

[ VERY TOUGH BLACK CATS except right now, he's just... a puddle of cat on the table. may it be known that if he had a tail and ears right now, they would flat. just like him! flat and moping. even though it's not the worst he's felt in his entire life, he knows it'll change with time.

he looks up from the table, narrowing his eyes at that smile.

cocky cat. ]

Yeah... we did.

[ a sharp, short sigh of relief and he reaches up to gently bat at that hand with a clenched fist. almost like knocking on it. the applause from the onlookers gets him to blush again, clenching his teeth. ]

They better pay us in antacids, too.

If they don't, I will. Don't worry.

[ It's okay. He makes whatever Leon is doing into an official high five before the slumps against his seat. His stomach... Does not feel well. He can feel the walls burn, but he only laughs. Even if they take taste away, at least spice is still around. As he says, he plans to take responsibility and buy them medication if needed. His poor wallet is dying this December, but he feels it has been worth it.

Stretching his arms up to get the server's attention, he notices something about that expression— ]

You don't do well in the spotlight, huh?

[ They have to write down their names and take a photo, but do answer him. ]

I don't mind it. I have to take care of a store and my employees, but at least it's on my terms.

[ and he should feel a little more frustrated at the fact he can't be as controlled and calm in front of others, especially Akira? a good black cat? he should be setting the proper feline example and lick his wounds later when no one's watching, but the spice has truly destroyed him. ]

... I hope you don't think poorly of me. Especially when you seem as cool as a cucumber.

[ with a weak smile, he takes one more sip of water before brushing his hair out of his face. ]

[ He listens intently since Leon is quite older than him. While he has been casual all this time, Akira respects authority a little more in Recolle... Just hasn't ran into trouble with them yet despite how he knows what his other self felt about adults in general. People with power tend to abuse it. They stomp on everyone beneath them to stay on the top.

Leon seems kind, so such emotions don't stir. Akira keeps a bright expression even though his stomach feels uneasy with some forewarning sloshes. Rubbing his neck, he chuckles nervously as the pain blooms each breath. ]

... I'm dying, actually. [ He wouldn't call himself cool right now. ] There's also no reason for me to think poorly of you. You did go along with with my dumb adventure.

[ Doesn't that make Leon a fool? Akira doesn't mind that, apparently. ]

[ thank god shitty human adults aren't the same as shitty cat adults. :^) ]

Couldn't let you do it alone. [ and he laughs, though it hurts him to do so. ] The dying part, too.

[ though his smile, as wracked with pain as it might seem, is firm as he shakes his head and reaches out with a somewhat clean hand to pat Akira on the shoulder. ]

Not dumb. Unforgettable? Yes. Impulsive? Yes. But not dumb.

[ being a fool is probably the least offensive thing to be called, especially by a true Fool. ]

[ At first, he thought Leon would say that he could die alone, so he's caught off guard for a moment. With a perplexed expression, he's... blown away by how kind his new acquaintance is. Akira knows in his heart that he has caused his man a lot of suffering and possible bowel issues for the rest of his life, so why?

They're both fools. ]

You've truly proven than I thought, Mr. Aksera.

[ Tough as nails with a heart of gold— ]

Shall I escort you back?

[ nah. no deaths yet! however, there's no telling what tomorrow might bring. or the next day. or the next day. especially when those very specific issues creep into his daily duties, and then he'll just be embarrassed.

and THEN he might die. ]

Of course. I wouldn't mind the company.

[ and when he stands up, he fights the urge to punch the table. again. everything must've settled while they were seated, because he's Really Feeling It. ]

... nope. Still good.

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maskreant - 2017-12-31 02:56 (UTC) - Expand

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