[action]

[fragrantic]

Who: Akira Hayama and OPEN
When: During the Age event
Where: the Bay and around
Warnings: All replies while he's aged down will come from lightspice

[ First thing that happens when Akira shows up makes him forget all about having just read a weird instruction manual. It also makes him forget even having a name.

So the suddenly seven year old boy is unsettled about suddenly being in a strange place, wearing clothes and holding papers and a thing that he can't remember having before. It's not like he can read, either, so he can't exactly get any clues from the pamphlet. And he has to roll up his sleeves and pants legs and he can't wear the shoes he was wearing.

The only thing he can do is look around. He's very clearly lost. And confused over wearing such clean, whole clothes, even if they're also way too big for him. ]

Comments

[gastronomics]

[ Alice is on her way to go buy some fresh fish (the best fish are in Fayren since they're right on the water after all) and she happens to be passing by when she sees what looks like it might.. be a familiar face. Might be.

It's just way too tiny.

Way too tiny.

Hayama's definitely getting an Alice crouched down right next to him and staring at him intensely. ]

What's your name?

[lightspice]

[ He's not used to people suddenly doing that. Stopping in front of him like that.

So he takes a step back to put a little bit more space between them, giving her a wary look. ]

Name? I don't have one.

[gastronomics]

You don't have one? What kind of kid doesn't have at least a name?

[ Alice isn't people, she's.. Alice. She does what she wants. ]

Does your dad look like you, but really serious all the time, make annoying comments about what I can and can't do, and have an extremely sensitive nose?

[ Clearly, this is Hayama's illegitimate son. She saw it in a romcom once, it's probably more common than she realized. Actually, this kid kind of looks really serious all the time, but bitty. Oh well. ]

[lightspice]

The kind that doesn't have anyone to name him.

[ What... is this... People getting close usually means trouble.. Well, he's got a feeling she's trouble too, but in another way. A sort of non-violent way. ]

I don't know, but I have a sensitive nose.

[ Why is she asking such specific stuff? Does she know something he doesn't? (She does have light hair, does that mean something...) ]

[gastronomics]

How sensitive?

[ She's stumbled on something big! Something huge! She's going to have to tell Ryo about this. Or just take the kid home, that's probably okay right? He's kind of cute, like a grumpy cat. There's not much room in the one-bedroom apartment they have, but it's fine, he's small enough to sleep on the couch or the floor probably. At least he won't freeze on the couch.

If there's a world in which Alice doesn't just decide to take tiny, pissy children home it's not this one. ]

You should come with me!

[lightspice]

[ She's so suspicious.. ]

Really sensitive..

[ Sleeping on anything not the hard cold ground would be an incredible upgrade, even if it was just a floor. Not that he intends to come with her anywhere. She's a stranger, strangers could be dangerous! And she was definitely fishy, too! ]

No way!

[ He backs even further away from her. ]

[gastronomics]

You've definitely got to be related to Akira Hayama then! Here, look-

[ She doesn't chase after him the second that he backs up, instead getting out her phone from home. It takes her a second, but then she holds out her phone to show him a picture of her, Hayama, and Ryo at their booth from the Autumn Moon Festival After they got their shit together. No need to take pictures of the part where they failed hard. of course, Alice is probably the only one who looks remotely pleased in the picture.. The hand not holding the phone taps her chin lightly as she thinks. ]

Doesn't he look like you? I'll bet you're his illegitimate son. I can't believe he never said anything.

[lightspice]

I told you I have no idea.

[ That person really does look a lot like him though.. Does that mean she knows his dad? He's jealous, and maybe also a little upset about that. He wants to tell his parents that they suck. ]

[gastronomics]

Anyway, I know him and your going to freeze to death out here anyway, so why not?

[ It doesn't matter much to her whether he knows his "dad" or not. ]

[lightspice]

Because I don't know you and I can take care of myself.

[ That's what he's done all these years, even if he's underweight and bruised and (normally) dirty.

Also hungry. ]

[gastronomics]

So? Ryo didn't know me either and I took him home from Denmark and he's fine.

[ That's clearly the best explanation. She's just going to take a picture of this kid now and text it to Ryo to make sure he knows what's up.. ]

I have to go buy some ingredients, if it's that big a deal you can just come along and get to know me. I'm Alice Nakiri.

[ She should probably say that before telling someone to come home with her.. ]

[lightspice]

[ Ryo? Denmark? ]

Do you tend to kidnap random street kids on a regular basis or something? Are you a kidnapper?

[ Should he find a police? No, that would be useless, they didn't care about orphans living in the slum.

He tries to ignore the part about ingredients because there's no way someone would buy anything and share with him after. But his stomach doesn't ignore it as well. ]

[gastronomics]

[ RUDE!! ]

I'm not a kidnapper! [ There is some mega-pouting happening right now. Like extreme championship pouting. ] I'm only offering because you look like someone I know and it'd be bad to just let you starve and freeze to death once the sun goes down! It gets below freezing here in the winter. I can call Ryo if you want, he can promise I'm not a kidnapper. Ryo's the other guy in the picture, he's my aide and he agreed to come with me!

[lightspice]

You're trying to take a kid you just met home, isn't that what kidnappers does? [ Well, they can kidnap people that they know or stuff too, he knows that. But still. She's still looking like a kidnapper in his eyes. Childnapper? ] I'll be fine, I'm used to sleeping outside. [ It can get cold during the winter where he comes from too, and he's not dead yet. ] And how do I know you haven't brainwashed this Ryo guy to do what you want him to do?

[gastronomics]

I wouldn't do something like that. [ There's a slight seriousness to her tone. She knows how bad people can do that.. but she doesn't bring it up. Either way, she's moving on. ] It's cold and gross and an actual kidnapper could get you, sleeping outside is bad. Your nose will freeze and it'll desensitize your sense of smell and that'd be a shame; if you've half the nose your father does, you could really stand as actual competition in the kitchen one day. You might even be able to show him who's boss!

[ Yes, she has just gone from 'they look alike and might be related' to Hayama definitely being his father. ]

[lightspice]

I don't know that. [ Meaning, he can't trust that to be true. (Shut up, stomach.)

He narrows his eyes ar her. ] If I ever find out who my father is, I'm not going to show him who's boss, I'm going to punch him in the face.

[gastronomics]

If he is who I think he is, there won't be anything that hurts him more than having his cooking shot down.

[ She's pretty sure she can hear his stomach growling. She claps her hands together, standing up straight finally and starting to walk in the direction she'd been heading. ] But, if you don't believe me still, at least let me cook something for you. I'll let you pick out the ingredients and watch me cook the whole time so you know there's nothing suspicious happening. Come on.

[lightspice]

[ He can't exactly guaranteed that he could shoot down anyone's cooking, seeing as he wasn't used to eating cooked food. ]

I'm not going anywhere where there's no people with you.

[ Although he doubts anyone would help him if she turned out to actually be a kidnapper, so it would technically be useless even if they stuck to crowded areas.

At least he has not turned her down, mostly because he is hungry. ]

[gastronomics]

That's fine, let's go get ingredients, then we can find Ryo! He has a cart somewhere around here.

[ A cart is nice and public and still has space to cook things. Even if Ryo's working, she can borrow some things and cook behind him. That's fine, he won't mind probably. ]

[lightspice]

Haaah...

[ Cart? Was he selling something that he had to bring back and forth like the peddlers in his home country? ]

[gastronomics]

What's with that face? We've almost got a restaurant, but he's got the cart until that's settled~

[lightspice]

[ So they were peddlers. ]

I'm supposed to trust you because of that or something?

[gastronomics]

No, but you said you wouldn't go anywhere alone so you don't get more public than a place people eat!

[ he is such a stubborn kid! Alice is putting her cheeks up like a puffer fish. ]

[lightspice]

[ He's stubborn but he's also being cautious. She might be right, though. ]

I suppose so..

[gastronomics]

Let's go then!

[ She's definitely holding her hand out to drag him along. ]