expiationlogs | ᴅᴀʀᴇᴅᴇᴠɪʟ, ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ʜɪᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʟʟ.

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ᴅᴀʀᴇᴅᴇᴠɪʟ, ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ʜɪᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʟʟ.

Who: Akira Kurusu, Goro Akechi, Nikolai Gogol, and anyone interested in some shenanigans!
Where: A handful of locations around Aldrip
What: Akira and Goro have decided to do some people-watching to determine the identity of Gogol's farce to fake his death.
Warnings: There's a closed prompt that's gonna result in half a centimeter from death, but otherwise the only real warnings are that Goro and Gogol are involved in this log. ...probably a lot of innuendo and stupid teenager bullshittery, also.

[Picture this; it's a normal Wednesday in Aldrip, the weather is reasonable, you're going about your daily life. There's been some craziness lately, hasn't there? Some clown stole some organs, some people got messed up getting those organs back, and then some more people got messed up killing the clown. Yikes!]

[What you may not realize, is during the Killing of the Clown™️, some more things were stolen. Goro took it upon himself to steal Gogol's cloak and tablet, and... Well. As it turned out, Gogol's death was merely temporary, try as he might to convince others he was gone for good. He'd like his things back, but he's currently under the guise of an unassuming Salaryman...,]

[Cut back to this perfectly pleasant, normal Wednesday! Goro Akechi has opted to attempt to sniff out Gogol's trickery, once and for all. With the help of his partner (in crime and everything else), they have stationed themselves in separate areas of the city, connected by a seemlingly innocuous phone call, enjoying the weather and doing some good old-fashioned detective work by way of people watching. What could possibly go wrong?]

//ooc; please do not reply to this main post! comments will go up shortly for both goro and akira, as well as a third closed prompt. pick who you'd like to interact with, or hassle them both! reply to their comments for any and all sort of shenanigans, centering on your character's basic daily life in aldrip. :>

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i; Arcade

[Akira has set himself up on a shaded bench across from Game Parade, a travel tumbler of coffee in one hand and a thick stack of papers in a folder in his other. There's a pen behind his ear, and his device sits just to the side of his hip, laying face-down so it isn't obvious he's wearing a wire to communicate with Akechi. The papers are all recipes, of food and drink and cocktails, hand-written with crude little doodles in the margins of ingredients, the dishes/drinks themselves, or entirely unrelated things like a black and white cat and a bunch of what look like different masquerade masks. He seems pretty focused on his task! But don't be fooled, the clear-lens glasses he's donned once again help to make his covert watching of anyone and everyone who happens through the area seem entirely innocuous.]

ii; Flower Shop

[You can also find him outside of Silco's Flower Shop. Here, he stands, his papers shuffled now to a stapled stack featuring-- as one might expect, given his location --flowers. These, like the others, are accompanied by doodles of flowers alongside names, scent profiles, and the flower's meaning in hanakotoba. Once again he seems far more focused on his papers than he truly is, taking note in a different colored pen on another sheet of paper under his flower notes of anyone who passes by. He is, also, still wearing the wire.]

[Yeah, after the little breaking in and entering incident Akechi has only grown more certain that they are being played with. Whether the Clown has been revived or not is still unclear but goddamnit he is going to get to the bottom of this! He already suspects that Gogol is among them but masking away his identity. So, he's enlisted the help of the Mr. Phantom Thief himself to spy around the Aldrip for clues.

The city has gotten big and Akechi tries to visit as many locations as possible!

He can be found from The Inn where the majority of the newcomers are directed to after their arrival to Aldrip. He'll be hanging around at the tavern area, sitting on a table rather close the bar itself so that he might keep an eye on as many people as possible. After exiting the residential district he makes his way to the City Center where he makes sure to spend good time around at the library and the renewed City hall, either sitting at a random cafe or on a bench either doing crossword or pretending to be reading a book with a cup of coffee next to him. Nothing out of ordinary for sure!

And of course, how could he miss the busiest spot in whole city: Entertainment district. The later it gets the more does the place get lively, so Akechi makes sure to visit it the last. He will be hanging around the several establishments from different kinds of restaurants to shops and the casino. This time, however, he is also moving rather than sitting still, always a some kind of drink on his hand.

And just like Akira, Akechi seems to be always on his phone? Huh.]

Edited 2024-05-01 18:22 (UTC)

[Things proceed pretty normally for a while. People walking their dogs, people buying flowers, people checking in and out of the Inn, people going for some gaming. Nothing seems amiss, until Goro designates someone as suspicious on his end. He's in a bind, unable to properly make a move, so Akira takes things into his own hands.]

[He abandons his post at the Flower Shop, slipping his folder of papers into the bag slung over his shoulder, and makes his way to Goro, claiming his briefcase holding the overcoat. "Just to see if the guy you're suspecting follows me," he says. He's still on the wire, and heads back for Game Parade.]

[Midday, Rolo stops by the flower shop. He's no longer on crutches by this point with people with healing magic around to speed up the recovery process, but there's still stiffness in one leg and a bit of a limp as he favors it.

He doesn't come as a customer. His brother is working the counter and Rolo comes bearing lunch. It's more just an excuse to visit, as is evident by just how long he lingers, slowly eating his own lunch and talking and then idly poking around the shop even after they're done. Rolo's kind of a sullen-looking kid most of the time, but here he looks pretty happy – when Lelouch is indulging him with any attention, at least. It gives the impression of a puppy trailing after its owner, eager for any little scrap of affection.

He only finally leaves once enough customers come in that he feels like he's just getting in the way.]

[ strutting and strolling along the sidewalk is a familiar twin braided blueberry-haired girl. she seems to be casually approaching the game parade, but armed with her trusty pistol hooked on her hip, and possessing a bat over her shoulder. maybe it's not so alarming that she is equipped with her gun (that weapon goes wherever she goes), but is the bat necessary? why have an additional weapon when a firearm is way more efficient than a wooden stick any day? the answer that lies behind that is her own little secret to keep (for now), and her pace shrinks the closer she makes it to the arcade.

jinx's been inside the establishment before, in fact, it's one of her go-to spots when she needs to blow off some steam when shooting monsters, or terrorizing the locals aren't doing it for her. she'd go back to demolishing buildings or arson if it weren't for the fact jerry and/or the council would immediately be on her tail over her misdemeanors. it's an infuriating thing to be caged, chained to the ankle, and can fly only a few inches off the ground — but even a firecracker like her knows that rocking the boat too much will have her tossed over. and that's why "work smarter, not harder" becomes beneficial. ]

[ but when she checks the perimeter, and she notices akira perch on the bench across the way, jinx wanted to swear underneath her breath. she hadn't anticipated someone would be sitting outside the place — especially with the pollen being so potent. crap, should she text the person she was meeting up with to abort? jinx might have worked with the guy in their other realm life, but what does she know about him besides he's more of the silent type who likes cats? would he be the kind to rat her out for all the concealed crimes she's been doing for the last month? well, the one thing the loose cannon is very good at (...not really) is improvising, and besides, akira does seem to be preoccupied with his scribbles. .... maybe he won't notice a thing, and she is just overthinking. nevertheless, it'll be about ten minutes or so until said person turns up, so why not play a game or two while she waits? continuing to look uninterested, the teenager heads on inside. ]

[Akira recognizes Rolo, and the relief he feels at seeing him upright and walking on his own is strangely detached. He hadn't ever had the balls-- or the mental strength, really, to go meet Rolo in the hospital, but he'd wandered past his room a time or two to get visual updates on his status. When the first time you see a kid is when they're unconscious and battered and your boyfriend probably had a hand in the battery, it's a little uncomfortable. He focuses on his papers for a moment to stem the anxious bubble that swells in his gut at seeing him walk toward the shop, and exhales when he just goes inside.]

[A minute or so later, curiosity gets the better of him and he looks into the shop, noticing the visible brightness to his person when he's around, and specifically when he's interacting with the severe-looking counter attendant. He mentions him to Goro-- the little brunet kid that was hospitalized the same time as him went to the Flower Shop. Nothing seemed amiss.]

[He taps the wire off for a second and moves toward the entrance of the shop as Rolo exits.]

Um-- [He stops, not quite shrinking away from him but taking a half-step backward from where he'd been moving forward.] ...hi, I don't think we've met.

[Her hair catches Akira's attention far down the road and he glances up, mentioning to Goro that she was making her way down the road. Like Rolo, nothing strange, though as he took note of her gun and her bat he shifted to where he could more easily watch her from his periphery. Ma'am, what are you up to?]

[Luckily for Jinx, he is nonethewiser to her concealed crime, and-- likely, wouldn't say anything about it even if he were. When she doesn't acknowledge him he doesn't acknowledge her either, though the subtle way she hesitates when she notices him isn't lost on him, either. He mentions it, but doesn't seem to pressed, and watches her bright braids disappear inside the arcade.]

[ In terms of being afforded any opportunity this tiny window is all he needs. Perhaps the two of them should look back on the experience and think of it as a miscalculation. Then again, it would've been hard to know exactly how heightened Nikolai's spatial awareness becomes when he's within 30 meters of The Overcoat.

At some point Akira might notice it. The salary man that's walking calmly behind him. The kind that slips easily into a crowd without a second glance.
The one catching up with ease despite it. ]

Excuse me. Do you have a moment?

[Over the year spent on probation in Tokyo, Akira had learned pretty well how to become largely invisible. Tokyo was an easy place to disappear, with the number of faces in a crowd, and with unkempt, curly black hair like roughly two thirds of the population, he could hunch his narrow shoulders and duck his head, slipping into near complete elusiveness. He'd never been able to do that, back home.]

[Aldrip, as it turned out, was a lot more like his hometown than Tokyo.]

[He hadn't run from Goro with the briefcase, only walked. It would seem odd if he ran. The man Goro suspected hadn't followed him, and Akira had been so laser-focused on seeking him in the periphery of his walk that he didn't notice the grey-suited man falling into step behind him. Game Parade came into his line of sight, and he didn't relax, but he felt like he'd succeeded in whatever he'd hoped for in taking the briefcase from Goro. If nothing else, he'd take the pressure off of him for a moment.]

[Or so he thought.]

[He startled when the man spoke, hopping a step and a half forward to spin round to face him, casually switching the briefcase to both hands, held behind him. He smiled reflexively, nodding his head and dipping forward in a shallow greeting.] Sure, what can I do for you?

[The wire is still on.]

[While Rolo's mood had noticeably dimmed back to normal levels upon leaving the shop, the look that crosses his face as he looks up and recognizes the person addressing him is...definitely sour. Through no fault of Akira's own, at least (unless one counts his terrible taste in men). But he maintains some basic civility at least.]

I saw you in the hospital.

["Visiting that one asshole" goes unsaid.]

[He can't say he's surprised. He's seen this specific sort of not-quite-scowl directed at Goro as a conversational topic many times before. He ducks his head, scolded despite himself.]

...yeah. It may not mean much, but-- I'm sorry. For Goro's behavior.

[Flatly:]

You're right, it doesn't really mean much coming from you.

[Damn it, Goro.]

[He looks up, meeting Rolo's flat gaze, and purses his lips.] I wasn't there to see what happened, what... did he do?

[Wow, he doesn't even know. That's somehow worse.]

He threw me at the clown trying to kill everyone.

[Akira looks-- well, it's actually sort of hard to tell. He masks his expressions startlingly well, so for a moment his face is just blank.]

[And then he closes his eyes and pulls off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose.] Fucking hell. I-- [He looks over his hand between his eyes.] Again, not worth much, I know he needs to not be insane. But if I can do anything, anytime. I work at Lupin and a few other places in the city.

[Rolo does not look terribly impressed.]

I doubt I'm going to need anything from a bar.

[Objectively, Rolo knows he's being kind of unfair to this guy, who seems at least pretty decent and apologetic. But he's finding it hard to care, given...well. He's a teenager.]

[Akira is nothing if not a self-sacrificial fool. He sighs, dropping his hand and shaking his head.] We serve more than just alcohol, I'm probably not much older than you are.

[He doesn't want to push. Rolo's ire is warranted, as far as he's concerned, and the last thing he wants is to agitate him further. He knows what it's like to be given paltry apologies from the wrong people.]

[Guess who's going shopping today~!

That's right, Akechi's favorite god is a busy bee going in and out of many different stores. Her shopping spree has included the following items: an industrial-grade roll of paper, a large pot of ink, something that looks like a bulk order of MREs(?), zip ties, incense, a box of 100% soy wax, a cauldron (???), several dresses, tights, a cheap folding chair, a gallon of water, and a package of mens boxers.

Good luck figuring out a story for all of that, detective!]

Edited (forgot the chair) 2024-05-02 01:34 (UTC)

[kakashi is out for a walk near the city center, accompanied by about twelve dogs on leashes. they vary in shape and size, but all of them seem very eager to be walking and it almost seems like they're pulling the small boy a little too fast. as for kakashi himself, dressed in his usual outfit of pseudo-armor with his sword strapped to his back, he makes an interesting sight even if he wasn't being led around by a pack of dogs. though he wears a face mask that covers his face up to his nose, one can tell he doesn't seem bothered by the energy of the pack.

as the group passes near akechi, one dog breaks from the pack - a tall, shaggy-coated mountain dog - and veers toward akechi, sniffing and slobbering. before he can get too close, however, kakashi lets out a sharp, short whistle and the dog in question, along with all the other dogs, quickly comes to attention and goes back to kakashi, all gathering at his feet.]

No getting distracted, now.

[a stern message, which he immediately negates by giving brief pets to every dog in reaching distance.]

Let's go.

[and unless stopped, kakashi and the dogs resume their spirited walk, kakashi apparently uninterested in apologizing for his dog's behavior or caring about what akechi is doing.]

[Akira gets one guess on why Scott is out here at the flower shop.

The mutant seems to be in a... pretty decent mood, which is mostly his standard. Sometimes he's grumpy as hell, sometimes he's pretty excited, and right now he has a stupid smile on him that seems just a little bit lovestruck. No matter how long he's been with Kotone and despite the whole mess with the organs and stuff, he still loves her. And wants to get her flowers, just because.

Although, it seems a little dumb to keep getting her roses, so he's picking out a new flower this time. Which, is a little difficult, because it's kind of hard picking flowers and their vibrant colors when you have ruby shades on you. Some of that ease disappears from his face, but Scott isn't deterred.

It helps that a worker comes out to help him, especially since he's almost a regular at this point. He seems to take their suggestion of red camellias this time, and Scott waits for the worker to get them ready for him to purchase.]

[Yu has always kept himself busy; on a surface level, that much has not changed about his behavior recently. But there's something tense in his demeanor, and the pace at which he goes from one part-time job to the next is busier than usual. Bookstore, delivery errands, stopping in at a few other places -- he's busy enough that, if he notices Akira at all, he doesn't acknowledge him.

He disappears for a while in the afternoon. Maybe to another job? Hard to say. Whether he'll be back is also in question--]

What're you up to?

[--oh, wait, there he is. He's approached the bench from behind and he's curiously taking a look at the papers Akira seems to be working on.]

[It's only been a short while since his arrival, so Nanjo is still in exploration mode before attempting to properly settle down. While this world has given him a near limitless amount of actual, genuine freedom compared to back home, it also means he has to take care of himself, which is much easier said then done when you had a literal army people doing menial jobs. However, he's taking this like a challenge instead of dwelling far too long on the fact. For all he knows, he'll like doing it! Like when he decided to start riding a bike!

He does miss being able to just get his clothing perfectly cleaned and ironed out however...

Lost in his own thoughts, he doesn't even pay attention to the young man sitting on a bench, his eyes having fallen on the arcade's bright sign which makes him cough up in surprise.]

Jack Frost?!

[Why does an arcade in another world have the demon displayed up, front and center? Moreover, why is there a crane game with little dolls of the figure, taunting him with the possibility of taking home (or as far as home is right now) a plush as a prize?

Let's be honest; Kei isn't the sentimental type. But this could be a clue. A clue, he realizes, that has very low odds of giving him anything back and additionally, probably hard to win. Granted, despite a crane's game usual schematics of being rigged are also a game of logistics and making sure the UFO catcher's claw is aligned correctly to push one into the tube. And it just HAPPENS that one of them could be (possibly) easy to win. Considering his pocketbook is woefully low right now, it's a gamble to even try. "Naoya would do it" that little voice in his head taunts him.

He stands there in silence for what seems like an eternity, continuing to study the catcher.]

[Well, look at who's made it out of the hospital! At first, Akechi doesn't pay much attention to the snake-god as she passes by him the first time. But then he sees her visiting another store, and another.. and another. Each seemingly more random than the other, because wow. That sure is interesting collection of items. Luckily she has all those arms?

there is nothing to compare the wrath of woman scorned, he supposes. even if this is not quite as romantic scenario]

we better find our target before, Dara-san does. i do not think he'll make it out of that encounter.

[His voice crackles over the wire, a throaty chuckle preceding his words.] You killed him once, let someone else have a turn.

[Akira has a bit of a giggle over Scott. He's so fucking smitten, and-- well, Akira can understand why, Kotone's pretty daggone great. He's particular about lifting his papers high enough that his face and hair aren't especially visible when Scott passes nearby, and then lowers them to watch him mill about the store. He's about to get up and offer advice when he gets assistance from the clerk, and settles back on his bench.]

[Whenever Scott emerges, Akira doesn't have his papers covering his presence.]

Red camellias, mmn? Got a romantic date?

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ᴅᴀʀᴇᴅᴇᴠɪʟ, ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ʜɪᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʟʟ.

akira;

akechi;

closed; gogol

flower shop

i;

no subject

jinx pls

no subject

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flower shop;

i

I - Arcade

--> to akira

no subject

not the straights