[ open ] what was that?

[mazios]

WHO: Akihiko (mazios) & you!
WHAT: a boy wanders around the city a bit
WHERE: art gallery, park, grocery store, anywhere else
WHEN: throughout the month of december
WARNINGS: canon related death in the art gallery prompt but otherwise nothing else

art gallery.

[ Akihiko should have expected this. At least that's what he thinks as he stands in front of a landscape painting of a familiar alleyway, with a splattering of blood across the ground and a few empty bullet casings. The art gallery has helpfully titled this painting Best Friends and Akihiko isn't too jazzed about it.

You can find him, standing in front of the painting, eyebrows furrowed and arms crossed, looking for all intents and purposes like he wants to fight the damn thing. But, of course, fighting a painting is stupid and he is not stupid (debatable). ]

park.

[ Every morning, Akihiko can be found going for a run around the park. Even as it gets colder, you'll still be able to find him going for his run. He might add a scarf and a beanie to his gym clothes but otherwise he stays cozy in a track suit.

If you're someone who is typically also in the park most mornings, he might give a wave or stop and say hi. He's trying his best to get acclimated to the city so, a friendly face goes a long way. Stop and say hi, why don'tcha! ]

shopping.

[ One thing he's getting used to doing as well is doing his shopping here. It's a little strange, not having to pay for stuff, and he's used to penny pinching his way through groceries and making the most efficient purchases possible.

Which is why today, he'll be stuck in front of the frozen meats, looking a little bit sick to his stomach. Why? Because there's no prices on the damn meats! ]

How are... you supposed to know what to choose?

[ He just wanted to purchase some protein. :( ]

wildcard.

[ none of these prompts work but still wanna tag akihiko? feel free to make something up or shoot me a pm at mazios! ]

( also apologies to those i've dropped some threads with. life hit the fan and i had to do an inbox refresh to get back on track. 🥲 )

Comments

art gallery —

[perfectdevil]

There's nothing stopping you from tearing it down, you know.

[ Lestat has a nasty habit of just walking up behind people and starting to speak. Being a vampire means he's quite good at sneaking, even when he doesn't really intend to do it, and today his preternaturally quiet feet have brought him here, to standing just behind this new stranger and peering at the painting with him. What a lot of blood. How interesting. :)

He also, luckily, has quick reflexes, so if any fists come flying in surprise he can take a step back out of harms way. He's prepared for that. He's done this a lot. ]

Why not beat the hell out of it. It'll come back, of course, but I'm sure it'll feel good.

[ How he knows what this young man was thinking about doing is anyone's guess but there are certain context clues; mainly his pale face, eyes that seem to glow violet, and the pointed little eye-teeth that flash when he grins down at him. ]

[mazios]

[ Oh. Yeah. This boy is spooked. He startles violently when suddenly he hears a voice behind him but he's already punched someone for startling him since he got here and he doesn't need to again!! So he just, balls his fists at his sides and tries not to swing.

Damn you, Lestat.

After the initial spook though, he takes a moment to process what Lestat actually says and, huh. ]

That would be ridiculous.

[ This too serious teenager is not going to fight a painting!! Maybe!! ]

... You really think it'll come back if I do though?

[perfectdevil]

[ Lestat hears the boy's heart pick up as he visibly goes tense, and Lestat finds himself absolutely thrilled by his ability to resist impulse. What a fascinating young man this must be.

Interest very much piqued, he takes a step forward so he's more standing next to him than looming behind him, and tilts his head. ]

Oh, I know for a fact it will. My own gallery showed me a few choice memories I didn't care to revisit, so I tore each one of them down in a mad fit of rage, only to find them back upon the wall moments later, as if by magic.

[ He was very annoyed about it at the time, but now he looks almost amused by the rubber banding. ]

So you can smash the canvas to ribbons, if that's what you want. I won't judge you.

park

[excaliburden]

[She watches him do two laps before she shrugs a little to herself, stands up, and jogs to catch up with him.]

Akihikooooo, let me train with you!

[mazios]

[ He slows down in order to let Caster catch up with him before giving a small grin and a short wave. ]

Sure! I'm doing ten laps, I'm on lap three. Think you can keep up?

[excaliburden]

[Well, now it's a challenge--]

Yeah, of course I can! Just you watch, I won't slow down at all!

shopping

[strongroots]

[ Sir?? We're in the frozen meat aisle, and Robby looks from the other guy who happened to be talking to himself and the meats again. ]

What're you looking for?

[ Did he get sent out shopping and doesn't know what pork or chicken looks like..... ]

[mazios]

[ LISTEN....... life is hard when you're an orphan and given the rare chance to splurge. Should he get a ribeye??? ]

Oh, hello. [ A short bow of his head in greeting, he feels a little foolish now. ] I'm looking for some meats but I'm not sure what the penalty is for taking them.

[ It still! Feels wrong! ]

[strongroots]

[ Oh, is that it? That makes sense to Robby, in a new guy kind of way. It's ok, he's used to this. ]

Nothing. [ Simple, easy, and he's picking out some chicken breast since it's there. Near the beautiful steaks...! ] I've been here six months. Nothing's happened from taking the food.

[ As far as he knows, anyway. ]

park

[miyagimagic]

[ Daniel can also be spotted in the park during the mornings. Usually a little early in the morning, considering he often goes there before opening up the diner and all, but he's there often enough that Akihiko could have spotted him there before - and that's even aside from them having met in the dinner before, back when Akihiko was newer.

So the man certainly doesn't seem to mind when the other stops to say hi. Daniel will even give him a friendly smile in return, looking the other's training gear up and down for a moment before looking at Akihiko's face once more. ]

So you enjoy other kinds of training aside from just pure boxing, huh?

[mazios]

[ Daniel is a friendly face to Akihiko and seeing him exist beyond the diner was nice, so he doesn't hesitate to say hello after seeing him at the park for a few days in a row. Looks like their routines overlap and that's... a strange comfort for Akihiko. Normalcy during the bizarre.

He's stopped to say hello and looks a little sheepish when Daniel points out his training. He rubs the back of his neck before nodding. ]

Yeah. I mean, to be really good at what you do, shouldn't you be well-rounded? Sure, I box, but skipping leg day won't help me either.

[miyagimagic]

True, true.

[ The man easily agrees, the smile lingering on his face when he nods at Akihiko. It's not like Daniel hasn't done jogging before as part of his training for tournaments back home, after all. ]

I guess that instead means I'm learning you're pretty serious about this stuff. [ Sports. Boxing. Athletics. Take your pick, Akihiko - Daniel is kind of generally speaking about all of those here. ] We didn't exactly talk about it for a long time before, so I wasn't sure if boxing was a minor or a major hobby for you.

shopping

[blackabyss]

[It's rather difficult, getting used to just taking things rather than paying for them, but it's something Fumikage has made himself get used to. Heroes don't steal stuff, but in this city, certain rules have to be adjusted unfortunately. He tries to make do by not taking more than he needs.]

[He's currently shopping, perusing the groceries with Dark Shadow hovering over his shoulder. The boy and his Quirk glance over when he sees the silver-haired teen speaking up, and he tilts his head. He's looking to buy... meats? Huh...]

It depends on what you're wanting to purchase the meat for.

[Don't mind the bird-headed teen and his sentient shadow-friend just. Chatting casually.]

[mazios]

[ Akihiko definitely gives Fumikage a double take when he looks up, sees a bird-headed teenager and a shadow staring at him. He blinks, looks back at the meats and then looks back up at them sharply, trying and failing not to stare.

Right... the... the bird-head said something. He rewinds a bit in his brain before looking a touch sheepish. ]

Just to cook. To eat. What else would I be doing with it?

[ Do bird-headed people eat meat, he wonders? ]

[blackabyss]

[He's definitely an odd sight, even at home. But Fumikage is used to the stares, and he waits patiently for the older teen to reply before he does.]

Of course. But it also depends on what kind of meals you wish to prepare, and how you wish to prepare them. The meat required for stews is not necessarily the same for stir fry.

[Behind him, Dark Shadow nods along enthusiastically.]

shopping!

[aceslow]

[ Beside Akihiko is a middle-aged man - asian, bespectacled, a thin moustache upon his upper lip - who's clearly something of a bird of a feather with Akihiko. Wearing a tracksuit of his own with the faint sheen of sweat still dappling the shorn hair at his temple and scuffed running shoes on his feet, it's clear that he'd plunged himself into the icy depths of the supermarket after having gone for a run himself. Tucked into the crook of his arm is the handle for his own shopping basket, filled with a modest selection of some of the basics about to be filled with more basics as he reaches promptly for the chicken breast.

You can take the man away from the need to pay, but by god, he's still going to get the cheapest cut available. ] Hm? [ He turns to look at Akihiko. When he speaks, his voice is deep and very, very French. ] You just... choose. You don't have to pay for it or anything. But I'd only take what I need, if I were you. Stocking days are getting fewer and further between.

[mazios]

[ Akihiko takes in the subtle signs of someone who has been for a run from the other man and definitely feels he's a kindred spirit. A chicken breast for a post run meal is definitely one of Akihiko's standards. Boiled chicken breast that is. No seasoning. Definitely normal.

But he's also struggling with the same desire Kim seems to have. Get the cheap cut, his brain is telling him. Except there's also that teenage desire to indulge and get a ribeye instead. Steak!!

There's a bit of a whiplash moment as he hears Kim's accent but also hears Japanese from him — though he's almost certain the man isn't speaking Japanese. It's just this place, helping him understand what Kim is saying. That's never gonna feel normal. ]

Oh, they are? [ His eyebrows furrow at that, concern etching his features. ] Isn't that... a sign of something bad?

[ Are they going to eventually run out of food if that's the case? Akihiko isn't sure he's prepared for what that'll mean. ]

[aceslow]

Well... yes. It is.

[ He didn't mean to bring up something so grim in the middle of this poor kid's daily chores, but it is what it is. It would be more irresponsible to let others flounder around in the dark, where they cannot make adequate preparations to store up on the essentials. ]

The shipments aren't far between enough for us to feel its lack yet. But it's enough of a sign for the future that now is the time to bolster our stores. Flour, rice, oats, that sort of thing.

[ He puts another chicken breast in his basket. ]

But only on the last day, I think. Shipments have been happening every... twenty days, I think? We should be about halfway through that now.

shopping.

[hatinacat]

[long gone are the days where Lyney had to worry about the source of his next meal. . . but old traumas don't die that easily. he also is used to carefully watching his mora to ensure that he has enough for at least one good meal a day, so the lack of prices are a bit. . .]

[well]

[he shouldn't be complaining, right?? even if it's difficult to trust things completely]

[anyway. his response has nothing to do with any of that. instead, he teases--]

That depends. Red or white meat?

[mazios]

[ Immediately, Akihiko responds with a: ]

Red meat.

[ But then he realizes what he said and balks, looking a little sheepish. ]

I mean, whatever's the cheapest, right? Which is usually the white meat.

[ He really should go for the more responsible choice here, he thinks. ]

[hatinacat]

As strange as it might be, I don't think what is "cheap" matters.

[and as such, Lyney's hand hovers over a shrink-wrapped package of red meat. what kind? I don't know. BEEF?? I GUESS??]

Perhaps it is okay to allow yourself a bit of indulgence?

Park

[localweirdo]

[At the same time, Akihiko could just so happen to find one young mysterious girl who was mumbling a couple of things to herself. However, as he gets a closer look, he would happen to find her writing a couple of things here and there.]

No, this simply will not do! I need something amazing to wow the people...!

[mazios]

[ Akihiko can't help it, he's a little curious when he hears the girl mumbling to herself and seems to be in... trouble(?) or something. ]

Hey, [ He slows to a stop nearby her, calling out gently to make sure he doesn't startle her. ] Do you need help with something?

shopping

[vecna]

[Ah, frozen by the ever-srpawling choices presented by consumerism. There's a cynical comment to be made here, but Henry decides not to make it. Thankfully.

He halts his stroll towards the next aisle over, quirking a brow and offering a small little grin.]

What do you mean? I guess you pick the one that looks freshest.

[Henry Creel, who definitely knows next to nothing about food prep, either. He's learned vaguely a little more during his stay in the city, but not a lot else!]

[mazios]

[ Two guys who know nothing about cooking, looking at the meats together. This is fine. ]

Well, yeah but there's gotta be a limit, right? I can't just get all the rib-eyes I want just because. It feels... discourteous or something.