( OPEN ) EVERYTHING BLACK

[maskreant]

WHO: Akira Kurusu, local nasty crime boy, and YOU!
WHERE: Everywhere in Recolle
WHEN: All of June
WHAT: breaking blocks by moonlight, egging Minato's house by daylight. A catchall for all of Akira's doings and some open prompts for anyone else who wants to join in! Here's a link of the tasks I'm interested in (don't mind doubling up either), but Akira is game to do whatever. Contact me on discord (hei#2323) or aftertaste if you want to discuss some more.
WARNINGS: Akira's mere existence

chata: upsetti spaghetti

[ For the sake of this prompt working, we're going to pretend either Junes or Freshens has a small food court area since a handful of big grocery stores do. Akira is merely enjoying his meal at one of the tables, checking through his phone at the tasks at hand. Overall, nondescript. Unassuming. Harmless. Look at him? He looks like a nerd?

Shifting his glasses up the bridge of his nose, a bright glint shines across the lenses... As if he has an idea. If you even a blink, you'll find a plate of spaghetti flying straight at your face. This is the first move—it's a call for war. ]

tribunal terrace:

[ !! Willing to play off any mystery created by others or create random ones. Just mention it in your comment if you want an RNG mystery.

Guess what mystery it is today? Akira is investigating this abandoned place of worship. While all the establishments in this section of Tribunal Terrace is pristine and taken care of well, they've left this relic somewhere in the corner. It's hard to discern what background this building has and records say it was used for a number of religions, hence the odd array of decor inside. There are warning signs in the front (KEEP OUT), some mention that it'll be restored or torn down, but it waits there...

With some of the sky painted, it's actually dark, blanketing the are in pitch black. Even when Akira raises his flashlight, what they find are outlines of the worn down building. ]

I heard that people died here, some possibly related cult activity. [ He scrolls through his phone, picking up the rumor and mystery here. ] This forum says that sometimes you can hear cries here at night, something between man and beast.

[ Yes. They're going to unveil this mystery and figure what the hell this is or die. Whichever comes first. ]

wildcard

[ Hit me with anything!! Even gen things. It's important to note that Akira is shaken by the disappearances of NPCs, but he's doing his best to keep it together and be reliable. On some days he'll naturally withdraw and keep to himself. ]

Comments

[nachetanya]

[ She laughs at that, but then nods and she pulls into a somewhat theatrical bow as she pulls aside the tarp and it's...

A papier-mâché arm. Specifically, a papier-mâché left arm of someone smaller than her - the same arm that she has a prosthetic in. She flashes her up at Akira, and...

Ta Da. ]

[maskreant]

[ When she unveils her piece, Akira applauds in genuine awe. It looks well done! And papier-mâché, too. It must have taken some time to create, then sand down. When the clapping stops, he continues to admire it... Though he frowns at what this possibly means. ]

So your dark period was when you lost your arm?

[ It makes sense to him. ]

[nachetanya]

Mmhm. Back then when I got that diagnosis.

[ She continues to rock her one bio hand here, tilting her head a little and glancing at the arm. It did take a long while. It's not the best made ever. Honestly, parts of it are pretty clumpy. But... ]

[maskreant]

[ Quiet, he's not sure if he should broach this—ideas of what that diagnosis might be. It is the whole point of this task to help the city, but it seems like a minefield. Opening his mouth, he closes it again.

Letting the silence settle, he finally speaks up. ]

I'm sorry to hear about that... How young?

[nachetanya]

I was ten. But actually, this isn't quite the the art piece! [ Her eyes are bright, leaning forward and smiling, ] My art's actually a performance piece. Do you have your eyes open?

[maskreant]

[ He tilts his head? Is there more...? Even her question is raising more questions, just a flood of question marks. ]

I'm blind.

[ Yes, he's watching. ]

[nachetanya]

Oh, that's too bad, so you won't see this.

[ She smiles and ... puts his bio hand into her pocket. From it, she pulls put a mechanical pencil, and once it's in hand, she smiles, spinning it in the air as she turns to face the arm display. As she does, a half dozen daggers form around the arm and she goes on to say ]

I was ten, and I got the cancer diagnosis. I didn't really understand what it meant at the time but... well. The result spoke for itself!

[ And with a flick of her wrist- The blades pierce through the arm, ripping through it by all directions. And then copy themselves inside there. There more rip it apart and soon enough... it's shredded to pieces. ]

[maskreant]

[ The surge of blades piercing out of the pierce makes him sit up with a start, startled by the sudden performance aspect of the display. She really thought about it this... Which makes him think she has come to terms with it.

It's not like she can do anything else when it has taken her arm. Instinctively, he applauds. ]

When did your dark period end?

[ He hopes that it didn't last for too long, but all he can really be is hopeful. In the end, he knows nothing changes the past. ]

[nachetanya]

I was in the hospital for a long while afterwards. And then physical therapy longer. And then I started to get fitted for prosthetics. I was out of school for a while, and when I came back, I was no longer the star I was.

[ She pulls the blades up, spinning the hand idly to have the deadly things form a little halo above her of spinning daggers, ]

So it ended when I realized something: I was the star.

[maskreant]

[ It would have been quite something if she recovered within a week, so he understands for her to come back to school for things to be drastically different. People may have even forgotten about her, so he's sympathetic for the most part.

Tilting his head, his eyes lock onto the makeshift crown that hovers over her head, pensive. ]

That's right. I don't think something like that ever changes.

[nachetanya]

Not as long as you don't let it fade, of course!

[ She stood up and asserted herself. Her weakness? What weakness? she stood in defiance of every challenge before her. That's how he decided to live. To always show herself as being on top of things.

[maskreant]

A lot of people lose their way and sometimes all they can see is darkness.

[ It's something he can really admire—people that have found their way, people who are able to pick themselves up despite everything. Smiling, he thinks about being a star. ]

Have you ever considered being a guest speaker for some events?

[nachetanya]

Not really...

[ She shrugs ] I've done some speaking for classes or work or a protest or two, but I can't say I've ever been keynote or anything.

[maskreant]

[ Protests. Of course. ]

Well, I think it would be inspirational if you ever feel like you're up for it.

[ It's not everyone's calling and he isn't sure if it's Natalia's, but it's worth a shot? When... People are back. ]

... Are we supposed to finish a display?

[ He doesn't feel like doing his now. ]

[nachetanya]

[ That's... honestly, she doesn't know how to feel about that. She laughs it off, and she rocks from one foot to the other, putting down her arm and thus having the blades vanish into bright colored dust. ]

I don't remember the challenge's wording, but I took it to mean yes...

[ She shrugs ]

Just call it a performance art piece and free verse it.

[maskreant]

[ Ughhh. He looks at his own, a piece that is slightly unfinished, but he quickly just adds weaves something through. It's a board with several pins and a piece of red thread that weaves around them, making an intricate web. Somewhere in the web is a pin that isn't connected to anything.

There, done. ]

When I was a kid, I moved around a lot, so it was difficult for me to make friends. Even the ones I did make preferred not to be seen with me. My parents were kind of there, but they weren't around since they were working hard to get us where we are now financially. It's not like I made a conscious choice, but I stopped investing in others and then I disconnected completely. It was a pretty empty lifestyle.

[ Simple enough?! It's a rather mechanical and frank explanation, but it is what it is. ]

[nachetanya]

[ That is pretty mechanical, yeah. After her own, she wonders if it's good enough. She hums, tilting her head, considering if she's "allowed" to criticize that. Probably not...? But she decides, anyway, ]

What made you so unpopular?

[maskreant]

[ He shrugs...? To be quite honest, it's a mystery he never found the answer to. Closing his eyes, he tries to think of some reasons. ]

I was new? I was different. Easy prey. I guess I was also a bit of a brat. It could be kids being kids.

[ Children can be perceptive at times, but then they can be very mean. ]

[nachetanya]

[ Honestly, yeah, that seems about right. She exhales slightly, and she looks at hid display. It does look like a web, of sorts. She tilts her head, and she reaches a finger out to brush an index finger on one of the pieces. ]

I could see that.

[maskreant]

[ He looks at the display, too, then ends it by tying the thread on the lone pin. It is completely finished with a good ending here. ]

I'm not letting it define me completely... I'm still paving a path of my own, this times with others included. It might have been easier to live life by just dealing with people when necessary, but I wouldn't trade what I have now to go back.

[ It's odd. He wouldn't even consider that period dark if he was still in it. Life was what it was and he accepted it. Something so empty, without ambition, was the painless way out. Only now that he's out of it does he see how frightening it is. ]

... Do I have to destroy this, too?

[ Since Natalia destroyed hers. ]

[nachetanya]

I told you mine was a performance piece! So whatever else you want to do with this, that's your choice.

[ Still... ah. So it's bonds, is it? She smiles, tilting her piece just a little bit before she stands straighter and hums. ]

... I fortunately avoided anything like that. The Fairweathers are a warm family.

[maskreant]

Maybe I'll just hang it on my room... It doesn't look too bad as an abstract piece?

[ Maybe Yusuke will appreciate it and hopefully not question what it means. Stroking his chin, he thinks it might be a good reminder. The mention of family makes him smile... ]

I'm aware. They're a good family and I'm glad you had that kind of support, especially after what you've gone through.

[nachetanya]

[ . . . Mmmm. ]

Oh don't word it like that! I'm not someone who needs to be pitied like that!

[ Sigh. ]

[maskreant]

[ He's a little bit surprised by the volume of her voice, but he can see how it comes off as pity. ]

Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just think having a strong support system is important.

[ It's something he wished he had. ]

[nachetanya]

[ No, she imagines that. No, she can see it! But... Well, she shrugs, maybe just riding high at showing any vulnerability. That said, she laughs and... ]

No, it is.