[ For a few seconds, Maruki rubs cool fingers against his eyes, nodding along to what Akira's saying and letting the soothing sensation wash over him. It's fine that his persona is small and useless, about as powerful as a bug zapper. It's fine. Calm blue oceans. Everything will work out, as it always does, until the next time that it doesn't. It's fine. ]
More or less, yes. The only consolation, I suppose, is that we're all in the same boat. Although–
[ His hands drop.
His glasses are still stuck up in his hair, and they aren't that far apart, but his eyesight is so poor that he can't be one hundred percent sure what blurry motion he just saw. ]
Did you just...?
[ ... No, surely not!
Maruki forces a laugh, adjusts his glasses back down onto the bridge of his nose and raises his eyebrows at Akira holding his persona quite close to his face. ]
[ The face Maruki's met with once his vision is clear again is one of pure innocence. ♡ ]
Mm? Why is that?
[ Also pure and innocent in tone, honest curiosity instead of a defiant 'why should I?' All he's been told about what Azathoth's capable of is its healing, after all. ]
i want to slam his face into a wall (affectionate)
Well, as I said, things are a bit haywire in general right now, and it might–
[ Fire off a cheeky little Eternal Radiance. Luckily, in this state, it's hardly its usual impressive, destructive lightshow. Those great cosmic eyeballs that appear above it are only the size of golf balls, and the concentrated beams of holy light they aim at Akira's cheek probably feel like little more than an electric shock. ]
[ Sudden floating eyeballs already catch his attention right away, and then-- ]
Oh--!
[ Like most other things, the bite sized Eternal Radiance is taken with a smile and a laugh, as if he's been given a playful nibble by a little animal. But he does take the same message he would've gotten from just that, and lowers his hands back down to a reasonable distance from his face. ]
My, is that something it can normally do, or a fun surprise for the season?
[ Maruki feels like a dog owner whose puppy was just unruly and sighs, embarrassed and apologetic all at once. ]
That's one of its normal attacks, if only you could imagine it sized up enough to cause sizable damage and destruction. Normally it doesn't do anything outside of my command, though...
[ Which is worrisome! All of this is worrisome!!! ]
Anyhow, I just thought you might appreciate the... ah, unique opportunity to see Azathoth up close and personal.
[ Considering how big Azathoth normally is, something like that with its size and force appropriately scaled as well... ]
Goodness, that's quite the firepower you have under your belt, Maruki-kun. No wonder you hold yourself the way you do.
No wonder you're so worried about this malfunction too. [ He's being serious, despite one finger coming up to wiggle near one of the clawed tentacle hands. ] I hope that particular hiccup stays while it's at a more manageable size.
[ And then...a thought strikes him, eyes back up to Maruki while his finger's still wiggling. ]
Come to think of it, I do have something of my own we could test for hiccups.
Of course! If anything goes wrong, I'll be sure to keep you safe.
[ With that, he recalls Azathoth back into the recesses of his mind – at least that still works mostly normally, although the accompanying aurora lingers.
He sits up attentively, excited now; what sort of animal might Akira transform into? ]
[ Curiously, Akira's hand moves to take Maruki's fingers in two of his own, and the reasoning comes faster than one can blink.
It's quick, inelegant, and for a moment one could swear there's a cartoonish puff of smoke from whatever action actually occurred. (Pom!)
But at the other end of that millisecond there's a golden, horned chameleon grasping at Maruki's hand with its little front feet, scrambling in that signature back-and-forth way to get all its legs up there and on steady footing. ]
[ What a strange creature! He's seen them in books and documentaries, but never in real life. Maruki immediately brings his other hand up as well to provide more real estate for the little guy to rest on. ]
You're surprisingly cute like this, Takahashi-sensei! Can you change colors?
[ More real estate for his weird feet, yay! Each one finds a finger to curl around, his tail of course choosing the one with the least to wrap up: the pinky. Even as a lizard one must have a little whimsy.
And he can! Kind of. The answer comes in the form of Akira looking up at Maruki and slowly, steadily, that golden color becomes much more vibrant. Even without a traditionally expressive face, his mouth being slightly ajar during all of this somehow gives the impression of a smile. ]
[ Maruki's openly delighted by the change, no matter how slow or subtle it is. He lowers his head down to peer closer, fascinated. ]
How cool! I'm hardly an expert, but I can't see anything abnormal about you in this state, so I think your ability has been spared from whatever is going on right now...
[ He'll keep looking him over just to be sure, though... ]
Maruki likely won't recognize the warning signs; both of Akira's curious eyes locking on to one spot, mouth ever-so-slowly opening even further to where the tip of his strange tongue is clearly visible--
TWHIP!!
And then not-so-clearly visible.
It's less than a second that said tongue tip globs onto one of Maruki's lenses and brings the whole daggum pair of glasses back into his mouth. They're far too big to eat, of course, but that doesn't stop him from just sort of hanging on to them with pleased little wiggles. ]
[ Oh come on, it's a little funny. Funny enough for a cheeky hehehe, which he does!
Or, thinks he does.
The sound that comes out isn't anything like his voice, which. Gives him pause. Hey, sorry, I couldn't help myself he tries to say, but nothing comes out, only more movements of his tiny mouth with the glasses still in it. Hm.
Suddenly in a hurry, Akira and glasses all start scurrying up past Maruki's hands to his forearm, clearly on a route up to his shoulders if he won't be stopped. ]
[ For better or for worse, Maruki doesn't stop the clear trajectory Akira's on – he can't, really, too flustered by just how quickly this little thing moves. ]
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no subject
More or less, yes. The only consolation, I suppose, is that we're all in the same boat. Although–
[ His hands drop.
His glasses are still stuck up in his hair, and they aren't that far apart, but his eyesight is so poor that he can't be one hundred percent sure what blurry motion he just saw. ]
Did you just...?
[ ... No, surely not!
Maruki forces a laugh, adjusts his glasses back down onto the bridge of his nose and raises his eyebrows at Akira holding his persona quite close to his face. ]
You might want to be careful, Takahashi-sensei.
no subject
Mm? Why is that?
[ Also pure and innocent in tone, honest curiosity instead of a defiant 'why should I?' All he's been told about what Azathoth's capable of is its healing, after all. ]
i want to slam his face into a wall (affectionate)
[ Fire off a cheeky little Eternal Radiance. Luckily, in this state, it's hardly its usual impressive, destructive lightshow. Those great cosmic eyeballs that appear above it are only the size of golf balls, and the concentrated beams of holy light they aim at Akira's cheek probably feel like little more than an electric shock. ]
S-sorry!
do it he'd probably like it
Oh--!
[ Like most other things, the bite sized Eternal Radiance is taken with a smile and a laugh, as if he's been given a playful nibble by a little animal. But he does take the same message he would've gotten from just that, and lowers his hands back down to a reasonable distance from his face. ]
My, is that something it can normally do, or a fun surprise for the season?
no subject
That's one of its normal attacks, if only you could imagine it sized up enough to cause sizable damage and destruction. Normally it doesn't do anything outside of my command, though...
[ Which is worrisome! All of this is worrisome!!! ]
Anyhow, I just thought you might appreciate the... ah, unique opportunity to see Azathoth up close and personal.
no subject
Goodness, that's quite the firepower you have under your belt, Maruki-kun. No wonder you hold yourself the way you do.
No wonder you're so worried about this malfunction too. [ He's being serious, despite one finger coming up to wiggle near one of the clawed tentacle hands. ] I hope that particular hiccup stays while it's at a more manageable size.
[ And then...a thought strikes him, eyes back up to Maruki while his finger's still wiggling. ]
Come to think of it, I do have something of my own we could test for hiccups.
no subject
But more importantly– ]
Is that so?
[ Not his eyes, so... ]
A power from the potions?
no subject
One of the animal transformations. It's fascinating, but I haven't had much of a chance to play around with it, all things considered.
If I may...?
no subject
[ With that, he recalls Azathoth back into the recesses of his mind – at least that still works mostly normally, although the accompanying aurora lingers.
He sits up attentively, excited now; what sort of animal might Akira transform into? ]
no subject
[ Hands Azzy-free, he holds one out over the table to demonstrate, fingers relaxed and palm up. ]
no subject
As you wish.
[ Hand out, palm up, ready and waiting. Maybe a little mouse! ]
no subject
It's quick, inelegant, and for a moment one could swear there's a cartoonish puff of smoke from whatever action actually occurred. (Pom!)
But at the other end of that millisecond there's a golden, horned chameleon grasping at Maruki's hand with its little front feet, scrambling in that signature back-and-forth way to get all its legs up there and on steady footing. ]
POM!
[ What a strange creature! He's seen them in books and documentaries, but never in real life. Maruki immediately brings his other hand up as well to provide more real estate for the little guy to rest on. ]
You're surprisingly cute like this, Takahashi-sensei! Can you change colors?
OH, MY!
And he can! Kind of. The answer comes in the form of Akira looking up at Maruki and slowly, steadily, that golden color becomes much more vibrant. Even without a traditionally expressive face, his mouth being slightly ajar during all of this somehow gives the impression of a smile. ]
no subject
How cool! I'm hardly an expert, but I can't see anything abnormal about you in this state, so I think your ability has been spared from whatever is going on right now...
[ He'll keep looking him over just to be sure, though... ]
no subject
Maruki likely won't recognize the warning signs; both of Akira's curious eyes locking on to one spot, mouth ever-so-slowly opening even further to where the tip of his strange tongue is clearly visible--
TWHIP!!
And then not-so-clearly visible.
It's less than a second that said tongue tip globs onto one of Maruki's lenses and brings the whole daggum pair of glasses back into his mouth. They're far too big to eat, of course, but that doesn't stop him from just sort of hanging on to them with pleased little wiggles. ]
no subject
[ GLASSES? GONE.
MARUKI? SQUINTING. ]
That's not funny, Takahashi-sensei!
[ But his hands are so full of chameleon that he can't pull his glasses out of that gummy little mouth... ]
no subject
Or, thinks he does.
The sound that comes out isn't anything like his voice, which. Gives him pause. Hey, sorry, I couldn't help myself he tries to say, but nothing comes out, only more movements of his tiny mouth with the glasses still in it. Hm.
Suddenly in a hurry, Akira and glasses all start scurrying up past Maruki's hands to his forearm, clearly on a route up to his shoulders if he won't be stopped. ]
no subject
What are you doing–
no subject
Is...is he trying to give the glasses back? ]
no subject
Actually quite sweet?
Maruki brings his face in closer as well, eyes squeezing shut. ]
Gently, please!