open;

[orangehoodie]

who: ken and YOU
what: ken has run-ins with a couple of those weird aliens (the toothpicks and tokidoki), and YOU, the unfortunate passerby, gets caught up!!
when: March 30th and onwards; you can specify the date if you'd like!!
where: around town (the outskirts of the business district, near the library or school)
warnings: fighting? should be nothing out of the ordinary!

[toothpicks;]
[Weird monsters have been showing up around town. After running away from them on the 29th, Ken's resorted to carrying a broomstick around no matter how weird it may make him look. It'll be useful when he has to swat any of them away -- but even that wasn't enough preparation for angry pointy pieces of wood, so he has to run again, and so he does.

Towards YOU, though really he wasn't intending to. He's not paying the most attention to where he's going, and he scales a chain-link fence and jumps down, toward the sidewalk on the other side without looking. Straight toward your head.

Shit. He can't just turn back either, stuck in midair with toothpicks behind him--]

H-hey, look out!

[tokidoki and altoids;]
[Brushes can't protect you from powder, though, and the brush is how Ken gets a blast of mint dust in his face when he tried to swat the Altoid away with it. And it sucks, because he gasped and got it all in his nose and mouth and eyes and now his eyes are itchy and tearing up, his nose is sniffly, and his throat itches. And he can't stop the tears long enough to figure out where he is and which way is home. But he can see YOU, blurry figure standing not too far away, and he manages to make his way over to you.]

E-excuse me? [A tap on your elbow or shoulder or back. If you look down, toward him, it's a miserable looking thirteen-year-old who looks like he just got the Allergies from Hell.]

I'm trying to find my way home, but I got something like hay fever really badly and I can't see. If you have some time, could I ask for some help?

Comments

[pheromonecoffee]

[He will follow. The feeling that something strange is going on is building as he runs, though. And when they're safe, he grabs Ken by the shoulder.] What's going on?

[orangehoodie]

[He's out of breath, and his eyes are alarmed even once the threat is gone. After a few deep breaths, he seems to falter before he blurts out.]

I-it's nothing. I was just... those toothpicks were chasing me for a while, so I--

[pheromonecoffee]

You were pretty good with a broom. [He still watches Ken, though. There has to be something else.]

[orangehoodie]

It was his weapon. [He holds it out to Matt.] Not the broom. He used a spear. But I can't just carry around a spear, so I took this broom with me.

[pheromonecoffee]

... That still looks pretty weird.

[orangehoodie]

But I can't be arrested for carrying a broom around. A spear is an actual weapon and I don't have a license.

[pheromonecoffee]

I don't think you need a license for that, Ken. Just be careful...

[orangehoodie]

[He nods.]

It's just a broom.

At least I can fight with it, right?

[pheromonecoffee]

Just don't get hurt, okay?

[orangehoodie]

[... He attempts a smile.]

I'll be okay. I'm the healer, remember? Don't get hurt when I'm not around, either, Matt.

[pheromonecoffee]

That doesn't mean you'll always be able to heal yourself, so don't get hurt.

[inretribution]

I'll be okay.

[He's a little shaky. He releases the broom with one of his hands and grasps Matt's sleeve.]

Hey, let's get out of here.

[pheromonecoffee]

Are you heading home? [He'll take you so you'll be safe.

Otherwise, he'll take you back to his house so you'll be safe.]

[orangehoodie]

[He shakes his head.] Not yet. They might follow if there're more.

But-- you should go home, Matt! It's dangerous.

[pheromonecoffee]

I'll go home if you come with me.

[orangehoodie]

-- Me?

[pheromonecoffee]

Well, I'm not leaving you out here.

[orangehoodie]

I-I'll be okay! Really! But--

... Okay. [His shoulders slump. He's frowning a little, but he's not letting go of Matt's sleeve either.] L-let's go.

[pheromonecoffee]

I have to be a responsible adult, now. I can't leave you to get attacked by sentient toothpicks. [He will start leading the way.]

[orangehoodie]

[He will follow, catching up and walking alongside him.]

You take care of me a lot.

[pheromonecoffee]

I never had any brothers or sister. I have eighteen years of built up sibling nature.

[orangehoodie]

... [He glances sideways at Matt. He's not sure what to make of the implications. If Matt saw him as a brother, that would be nice. None of his older half-siblings or step siblings ever paid attention to him.]

Thank you.

[pheromonecoffee]

[Close enough, right? A younger kid who relied on him or close enough...]

So no more running into monsters without me, right?

[orangehoodie]

I-I'll try. But I really wasn't running into them on purpose...

I was just trying to get to the store when they appeared out of nowhere!

[pheromonecoffee]

Call for help, then.