Dank Darkwick

Jo opens the door to find Laurent standing somewhere around her waist, wide icy blue eyes staring up at her. She cups a hand over her mouth. Laurent raises his arms, his clothes swimming on him. "Mother Jo, I think my clothes grew bigger."

He knocks on the door. He is carrying a plain cardboard box with a shipping label torn off.

The door is promptly opened by a tired looking Jo. She actually manages a smile. Laurent is draped over her back and grins at Akari from over her shoulder. He's like a little koala. "Come on in, stranger," she says, moving out of the way. Jo gently deposits Laurent onto her bed where he quickly scrambles to his knees, staring at Akari with immense curiosity. He is, indeed, a LOT smaller than he was before, but he doesn't look unhealthy. "What's that?" he asks as Jo takes her usual spot in her desk chair.

He drops the box from surprise. Various snow-cone syrups tumble out of the box. He doesn't seem to care, and merely steps over them to get to the bed. He leans down to examine Laurent. "He... looks like a juvenile... how curious. Was his memory affected?"

Laurent's all smiles, leaning in just as Akari does to playfully stare back. "No, I remember everything. Mother Jo says I'm just 'littler' now, but if I eat, I'll grow big and strong again," he explains. Jo hums an affirmation as she hauls herself out of the chair to pick up the syrups and place them back in the box Akari dropped. Laurent cups a hand around his mouth as he whispers to Akari. "I saw them, I saw the person with the heart eyes the other day. He came by to see Mother Jo, but then he made her sad. She was gone when I woke up in the middle of the night, so I went looking for her and I found where heart eyes stays." He pouts. "Then I grew small."

The mention of heart eyes boots Zigi to the front. "You did, did you? Well I am proud of you for guarding her, but you can't do that to your own detriment lil guy! If you'd melted the whole way, who would be left to watch over your mother?"

"I can watch over myself just fine," Jo says as she places the box on the bed. She lightly ruffles Laurent's snowy hair. "You just focus on on taking care of yourself. No more running off without telling me where you're going." She sighs, glancing at Zigi. "He's a bit big at full size to take around campus, but I figure if this happens again I can have a cooler ready to haul him back."

He nods. That's good. Always good to be prepared for the worst case scenario. "Right, good. Well, see you later I guess. Syrups are for the snow-"

"-I'm curious if Laurent can taste flavor. And if the color of the syrups will affect the coloration of his skin. There are two sets of every flavor in the box. One colored and one dye-free. If you would please administer at varying but consistent intervals and document the-"

"Nevermind that sorry. Hard to get out of Mortkranken-mode y'know. The syrups are in case Laurent wanted to try flavoring his snow. Food. Stuff. Yeah." He scratches a the back of his head awkwardly before turning around abruptly to leave.

Jo reaches for Wagi's shoulder, stopping him before he leaves. She turns him round again and presses a hand to his forehead, testing with both sides as she frowns. "Are you okay? You seem a little... frazzled today. Or... scattered. By all means, go and rest if you need it, but you're welcome to stay longer if you want to hang around Laurent some more. And look, I know I make fun of Mortkranken students, but I don't actually look down on you for any curiosity. Just so you know."

Laurent watches them with raised eyebrows as he drags the box closer, intrigued by the contents more than the conversation in the end. (edited)

He looks distant for a bit. Eyes glazed over but shifting to something... or someone shy. -# "Always a bit frazzled, yes, yes. Sorry to bother. Just don't want to impose. You are.... very strong." His demeanor, while changing subtly before, has completely shifted. He looks as though he wants nothing more than to shrink into himself and hide away, deep in his own bones.

Jo blinks, a little taken aback by the complete change in demeanour. She hastily drops her hand. "I'm... Akari, are you scared of me?" Jo asks hesitantly.

He shakes his head like he's trying to clear water from his ears. -# "I'm not Akari. I'm Zikure. And I'm scared of everyone... except that one professor. he was so nice to us." He suddenly looks very distressed. -# "Oh No!!! We were supposed to message him about the stigma study and set up a time to meet and... we forgot... we forgot.... oh no no no no no...................." He's fisted a hand through his hair and is tugging at it from the roots. With his other hand, he's navigating through his phone to open up the DM thread he has with Kamitani Shokukan.

"You're...? Okay. Zikure. I'm going to touch you while you type, okay? Just a second." Jo's slow and careful, her touch light as she guides Zikure over to the chair where she kneels by his side to make herself smaller. She looks up at him, concerned. "What is it, Mother Jo?" Laurent pipes up. She waves a hand. "I'm not... totally sure..." Jo worries at her lip before she says, "Which professor are you after, uh, Zikure?"

He makes no protest and lets Jo guide him over to the chair. -# "Kamitani.... we were going to do a study with Kamitani...." He starts to type out a message.

Jo contains her wince at the mention of Kamitani's name. There's a reason she's so tired today. Jo's barely slept since the special mission from President Kamurai and everything else that's been going on. ...would anyone be answering poor Zikure's message? Jo reaches for his hand where it's fisted in his hair, and delicately loosens his fingers as she starts to brush soothing patterns over his palm. "Sorry if I scared you, Zikure. Will you be all right, darlin'?" Gross. Laurent was making her feel softer with people.

His breathing has started to normalize and he slowly becomes aware of Jo touching his hand. His instinct is to pull it away but he tries to be brave. -# "That's ok. We are always scared. Always always. I hope Kamitani doesn't think we forgot about him. We did but... it never feels good to think you've been forgotten..."\

Jo continues her slow, rhythmic brushing. Her thumb glides across every dip and crease in Zikure's palm. "It doesn't feel good to be forgotten, but I'm sure Kamitani doesn't mind. He'd still appreciate that you remembered and followed up." She's not allowed to talk about. Kamitani had be very clear she could not talk about it or she'd be indefinitely detained. Best she can do is lie a little right now. Jo has a feeling Kamitani's busy being stored away somewhere and not worrying about studies. "You... said your name is Zikure. Is Akari... also part of you then?"

He nods absentmindedly. He is still thinking about Kamitani. -# "He seemed forgetful too, that's why we liked him...." He ponders her question for a moment. -# "Oh. I told you my name? I don't think I'm supposed to do that. I'm supposed to say I'm Akari. So..... I'm Akari." He's staring down at his phone screen where no reply appears. He starts typing again.

Jo glances over her shoulder at Laurent who offers nothing but a shrug. Then she looks back to Zikure. "All right, Akari, if you insist. You wanna try snow cones with us or would you prefer if we let you go back to your dorm?"

He seems to relax a bit at the invitation. -# "Maybe just one snow cone?"

About an hour later, they're all arranged on the soft carpet of Jo's floor with snow cones between them, each having chosen different syrups. Jo is trying (and failing) to contain her laughter as Laurent's skin takes on the same green tint as his half-eaten snow cone. "Mother Jo, this is no laughing matter. I look like that Grinch from the movie you were watching the other day," Laurent says with a pout eerily similar to Jo's.

He grins widely as Laurent's skin color shifts. "You could be a rainbow man Laurent! Green is a good color on you!" He seems to have calmed down entirely and is a bit more comfortable now. He decides to address Jo directly. "You know, I saw you fighting at the pit the other day. Pretty impressive stuff!"

Her laughter subsides as he gaze flicks to Wakure. She wonders if this is Akari, and the painfully shy personality earlier was Zikure. Only two significant changes? Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde type thing but a lot tamer? She's still smiling, though her gaze drops with a little bashfulness. "Ah, thanks. I enjoy fighting. Used to go to the boxing gym back home all the time. Haven't quite had the same outlet here, so it's been tough sometimes." Jo tilts her head. "So, you watched me fight then? Just curious or something?"

"Fun to watch people get their ass handed to them sometimes...." He looks away from her, not sure how to react to her smile turned on him.

He reaches for Jo's snow cone, and she hands it readily to him so he can try it. It doesn't take very long for spots of pink to emerge on Laurent's skin. He giggles, admiring his arms. Maybe he will be a rainbow man. "I agree. Though, personally, I like being the one to hand people their asses when I get the chance," Jo says, grinning. Wait. There's something odd on the air. Laurent raises his head and looks between his friend and Jo, back and forth and back and forth and back again. Very slowly, he licks both snow cones in his hands at the same time, gaze still flitting like he's trying to check for something. Nothing? No, not nothing. But it's not heart eyes right now either, thank goodness. ...still... "Is this what they call flirting?" Laurent innocently asks.

"No the fuck it is not." He stands abruptly and smacks his hands against his cheeks as though that would help the blush subside. "Good to see you Laurent. Bye Jo. Thanks for the snow cone I guess." He sticks his tongue out and leaves.

Jo hardly has time to decide whether she should be scolding Laurent for the question or Wagi for swearing in front of a very impressionable young snowman before the Mortkranken student's already fled the scene. "What a very strange man," she murmurs, still staring at the door. Good to see Laurent, all she gets is a "bye"? Ouch. Here she thought they were making progress. And then he stuck his tongue out like a damn child. Strange. Akari and whoever else he has knocking about up there are very strange. Finally, she looks to Laurent again. "That wasn't flirting, he was just being friendly. And a little bit shy. Some people just get a bit self-conscious even when others are being friendly toward them, okay? Now, come on. Finish up your snow cones, I've got a movie you can watch while I study." Laurent watches as Jo neatly puts away the syrups. Then he says, "I like Akari more than the other guy." Jo makes a frustrated sound. "I'm sure most sane people would. Now give it a rest, please." He just shrugs and finishes his snow cones.