[ SEMI-OPEN ]

[ct_7567]

WHO: Those who have been invited & anyone who would have a reason to visit Maurtia Falls #010! Wondering if you fit into that category? Just contact anyone with an involved character (Andy; Rex; Martin; Cassandra Igarashi; Dio; Archie) and ask!
WHERE: Maurtia Falls #010
WHEN: TONIGHT? TONIGHT.
WHAT: The soldierfam has decided that regular group dinners are good for Martin, and this time they've got a few party crashers!
WARNINGS: None anticipated; will change if necessary!



At a glance, one could easily mistake Maurtia Falls #010 for being entirely uninhabited. Dio rarely returns home and Rex and Marty only have a handful of belongings between the two of them and Rex is meticulously tidy, returning everything to exactly where it ought to be - if anything, it's Andy who makes the biggest mess around the place, and she doesn't even live here.

Despite every sign to the contrary, however, they do live here, and it winds up being a hub of activity whenever one of Martin's guardians - if that's truly what they can call themselves - decides that it's about time to get everyone together for dinner. In Anderson's absence, Rex has taken on the opinion that cooking can't be that hard, which is how they wind up with one window open, a casserole dish burned black soaking in the sink and an assortment of take-out on the table.

(As it turns out, it is that hard - and he found a combination pizza & Chinese food take-out place, whiich means that it can only be better.)

In all, there's not much to do or see here; there's food, Rex the goldfish in his tank, a soccer ball neatly tucked close to the house in the backyard, and a mysterious shelf called "Martin's Things" in the cupboard. Otherwise, you're stuck with nothing more than some potential awkward conversation. Have fun, kids!

Comments

ARRIVES LATE WITH STARBUCKS | ota

[wahey]

[At some point in the middle of the night, the dull thump of Akira landing on the roof would be the only indicator of his arrival. He was less invited and more doing the devilman equivalent of jumping the backyard fence to sneak into your friend's house without the parents noticing.

The last time they had talked, the kid had locked himself in his room for days on end. Not a good sign. Akira had also promised to check on him, and although the porter glitch left him one month late on that promise, he was going to fulfill it either way.

Rather than use a front door, Akira opts to look for Martin via peeking through the open window, hanging upside-down from the roof ledge. The aim is to try and get a good look inside without the trouble of having to wade through a bunch of dinner guests, but perhaps he wasn't as inconspicuous as he thought he was.]

demonbucks

[darkov]

[honestly, this wouldn't be the fist time someone's sneaking around here late at night. it probably won't be the last, either!

food has long since been cleaned up -- except that poor casserole dish, that one has to soak for a while to recover -- and the house is back down to mostly normal numbers. heck, with how much activity's gone one, Martin's actually tired properly. at night.

but not tired enough to actually settle in for sleep. instead he's up, flipping through one of the books picked up at the library. the lights may be off, but there's a dim glow from streetlights elsewhere since his shade is still pulled up and window open, so reading's alright.

er, was, until a big, spooky shadow cuts into it. Martin had missed the thud, but he does not miss the upside-down hellbeast peering at him through his window.

Martin's stomach drops and goes deathly still and pale, his brain just one, big, static OH NO NOT AGAIN.]

you mean hellbucks

[wahey]

[Maybe it's a trick of the light, or maybe that shadow actually does change shape, but a closer look would reveal that it's totally not a monster staring in, but his beach pal Akira. Hanging upside-down from the roof, and with eyes that glowed a bit eerily in the dark, but still him in a relatively human looking form.]

[When an arm reaches down, it's simply to knock on the window.]

Martin-chan. It's me.

[His voice is quiet, careful not to wake up the rest of the house.]

Fellbucks

[darkov]

[he bristles at the sound of his name, queasier by the second. once his eyes can adjust and discern the shapes of the face calling to him — that’s hair, not horns or spikes, Martin stirs out of frozen terror.

there is a familiar sound in his voice, but he’s not confident in his memory.

his voice is small, expression scrunched with worry:] Who...?

[wahey]

[Akira pauses in disbelief. Did Martin really not recognize his voice? He leans in a little more, speaking a bit louder.]

Wait - you really don't remember me? Has it been that long?

[He couldn't have been gone that long. Or maybe he had? Akira should have paid closer attention to what the staff were explaining after he stumbled out of the Porter again.]

[darkov]

[Martin recoils, scooting closer to the wall at his back. he closes the book in his lap and pushes it off, starting to uncoil from where he's been sitting.]

I-I'm sorry-- [he looks away, but forces himself to bring his gaze back and pay proper attention.] I, I know your voice. I just-- [he grimaces.] Sorry. What do you want? Why are you here? [he's pretty sure it isn't murder. but...his track record with unannounced intruders hasn't been that great.]

[wahey]

What do I want?

[He grins with some amusement, though it may not be clear in the night.]

I'm making sure you aren't spending the rest of your life imprisoned in your own room. Do you mind opening this?

[he points at the latch.]

[darkov]

[huh...?]

...Um. Al...alright...

[still, it takes a beat before Martin follows through, doubting the real value in this at all. he slinks off the bed and comes to the window, picking at the latch until it does what it needs to, leaving the window ready to get yanked open and for a great deal of punk to roll in.

Martin backs away until his legs bump the edge of the bed and bit him plop back down, but his eyes stay glued on Akira, a troubled frown still drawn on his face.]

...I thought you gave up.

[wahey]

[A great deal of punk opens that window and climbs his way inside with a steady ease of balance, despite perilously hanging off the roof.]

It was some kind of Porter glitch. It didn't feel like more than a few seconds on my end, but...

[He leans back against the window, getting a good look of the room.]

Anyway, I promised, so giving up isn't really an option.

[darkov]

[the room itself is pretty spartan: nothing added or removed from the furnishings this place already came with. Rex is pretty tidy, and Martin's been keen to pick up on that and follow suit, so all clothes are folded and tucked out of sight. the only thing really unkempt besides himself is the bed he's been fidgeting around with, his pile of books left at the foot.

there is an unusually large collection of sunglasses, though, over on a dresser, as neatly placed as Martin can manage without getting too fixated on perfection. a glass on the nightstand, accompanied by a toothbrush... beyond that, things are sparse and dark, pretty much how Martin's used to living.

the confidence with which Akira says that gives Martin pause and a small, warm feeling in his chest that he's quick to feel guilty for. after all:] I...I haven't really done anything to earn that, though...

[wahey]

[Akira isn't too surprised to find the room as bare as it is. Martin never struck him as the type to plaster his walls in posters. He pauses at the books, taking a moment to look at what Martin had been interested in reading. He was genuinely curious, though he doesn't bring it up right away.]

Enough of that talk.

[He sits down at the edge of the bed to join him]

Don't tell me you've been cooped up in here the entire time while I was gone.

[darkov]

[Martin snatches a handful of those books -- elementary stuff, little-kid grade with big letters and lots of space -- and sets them out of Akira's way, himself edging himself away until his back bumps against the wall behind him. he grabs the ball of yarn daring to roll away and drops it back in his lap.]

Cooped up-? [once he's settled, he fixes Akira with an owlish stare.] Oh...um, no. No, I...I go outside sometimes. Rex, he...he enrolled me in a, a, uh...uh, soccer-game thing. I go to that some days.

[ct_7567]

[ Rex would not call himself a paranoid man. A prepared man, perhaps, a pragmatic man, a perfectly practical man. But when he goes step outside for a moment and sees a hunched figure on his rooftop, his first assumption isn't that the figure is a flier who's stopped for a rest, or that he's a robber, or that he's a hundred different distinctly nefarious things. He doesn't even consider that perhaps someone isn't too happy with a Republic Clone hanging around and would prefer that he be considerably intimidated by their opposing forces.

No. The first thing he thinks is: Ah. Someone's here to kill Martin. ]

You there! Hands in the air, now!

[ He only unholsters a single blaster to point at the man for one reason and one reason only: because he's busied himself with running directly at the side of the building, busying himself with beginning to use the other hand to scale up a pipe running up the side of the house, because like hell is he going to let someone else terrorize Martin. No. If this goes sideways, he's hunting the damn thing himself, even if he has to climb up the walls to do it. ]

[wahey]

[Akira distinctly doesn't raise his hands, because he's not very good at following instructions. He does rise to his feet to meet Rex, tilting his head to get a good look as the man starts to climb up the side of the building. Beyond the eyeshine denoting a beast-like night vision, Akira appeared entirely human.]

[Rex's surprise intruder crosses his arms instead, looking like quite the punk for a guy with a gun pointed at his face. At the very least, he doesn't seem interested in trying to fight or run off. In fact, he seemed perfectly comfortable having some chitchat while perilously balancing on the highest point of the roof.]

I'm guessing you're either Rex or Anderson.

[ct_7567]

[ By the time Rex makes it up to the porch, he regrets climbing up the side of the building. That had been a stupid impulse, one born of choosing to simply take the straightest line towards a possible threat as possible while keeping his eyes on him instead of just figuring out what the kriff's going on.

But by the time he's on the porch, he figures he's committed and, with a practiced leap, grabs ahold of the lip of the roof and pulls himself up, blaster still pointed directly at the odd, inhuman figure in front of him.

(His eyes shine the way Martin's do. Another Darkov? No. Martin would have told him.) ]

I seem to recall telling you to put your hands up, [ he snaps, but still doesn't shoot. ] I'm Rex. Who are you and what do you want?

[wahey]

[Ugh. This is exactly what he'd been trying to avoid by sneaking around in the dead of night. The old man was bossy and seemed far too uptight, just the kind of person he didn't feel like dealing with right now. He even sighs in response to the order, giving the gun a bratty side-glance from the corner of his eye.

But if this was Rex, then Martin liked him for whatever reason, so Akira would attempt to make nice. Or at least, bother to talk to him rather than bail without explanation.]

Martin seemed pretty shaken the last time we talked. Just wanted to make sure he was okay.

You can call me Akira.

[ct_7567]

Akira.

[ Martin never mentioned an Akira, but that doesn't mean that the man's lying. Martin often doesn't think to mention things unless he's specifically asked to do so. If the boy could write a little better, Rex would feel tempted to have him write weekly reports of significant events that week, just so he could keep up. ]

And when did you two last speak? [ He eyes Akira suspiciously. ] And why are you looking to go through his window instead of the front door? You must realize how that looks.

[ DON'T KILL HIS GREMLIN SON. ]

[wahey]

Didn't feel like dealing with the party.

[He shrugs nonchalantly. Nevermind that it was mostly clean-up at this point down there.]

Anyway - about a month ago. The Porter got me for a while. Need anything else?

[Akira looks away after the sarcastic remark, uninterested in being interrogated by Martin's gun-toting dad.]

[ct_7567]

The house is empty now. Next time, use the door.

[ If there is a next time though, in fairness, Rex has resigned himself to the fact that he and Martin have a tendency to attract odd people to their doorstep. The least he can do is vet them beforehand or, at any rate, not let them break directly into Martin's room. ]

And yes, in fact, I do. How did the two of you meet?