a wild punk knitter appears

[very_elaborate]

Kanji's just confused by this whole blue room thing. The... Velvet Room? Didn't Souji-senpai mention something like that once? Well, whatever; he mostly just wants to go home.

And home is where it sinks in that whatever's happening is real enough to take seriously, because his mom's not there.

Okay. That's. That's gonna be weird, but he can work with this. He'd still rather stay at home than anywhere else - it's familiar. And it has all his craft shit.

Once he's had a moment to be weirded out, he might even take some of that craft shit outside for a little project work somewhere. The hill, probably, since it has a nice view.

Comments

[very_elaborate]

"Hey, kid. What's up?"

He's... pretty sure this is one of the little ones that Akechi kid asked for stuffed animals for, so now Kanji's really glad he's not working on one of those. People don't get to see their presents until they're done. What he does have is the bottom half of a penguin.

[youngestdawn]

Akira clutches his notebook closely as he tries to talk to the stranger. No sounds come out, as expected. He opens up his journal and turns it to the first page, an introduction page decorated with washi tape and shows it to him. In his five-year-old handwriting, it reads:
"Hi! My name is Kurusu Akira. I'm five years old. I have selective mutism, which means I can't talk sometimes. Thank you for your understanding."

[very_elaborate]

Kanji reads the note, then nods. "Gotcha. Good to meet you, kid. Name's Kanji."

[youngestdawn]

"Kah-ji-san," Akira tries to say, moving a little closer to him.

[very_elaborate]

Yeah, close enough, for a little kid who's struggling to talk at all.

"You stayin' around here?"

[youngestdawn]

Akira-kun nods, inching closer, intrigued by the knitting project. "With the Akechis!"

[very_elaborate]

"Plural? How many of that guy are there here?"

He's not necessarily expecting Akira to know the answer. But jeez, this place is weird. He's not gonna have to talk to himself again, is he, because once was enough.

[youngestdawn]

Aki-chan scribbles a few things down on his notebook.

"At least 6 7 8 of him? All very different."

[very_elaborate]

"Wow." That's too many Akechis. Put some Akechis back. "That must get confusing."

[youngestdawn]

"Yuh," Aki-chan agrees. So many...he doesn't mind it, but it probably would be weird to a non-Akechi. Or a non-Akira-Ren, since Akechis and Akira-Rens seem to go together. "What are you working on?"

[very_elaborate]

"Knittin'. It's gonna be a penguin when it's done."

Even half-finished, it's... very elaborate.

[youngestdawn]

Very cool! Akira-chan nods once, then remembers Goro-kun’s Crow-san and bows in greeting. Hello, Penguin-san!

[very_elaborate]

Heh. Cute kid.

"You know it doesn't even have a head yet, right?"

[youngestdawn]

Akira-chan tilts his head. Things without heads are still things!

[very_elaborate]

"Yeah, but it can't bow back. There's nothin' to bow with."

There will be tomorrow, though. Kanji works fast.

[youngestdawn]

Oh, is that impolite...? Akira's brows knit a bit, trying to remember what Mother-ue said about bowing...

[very_elaborate]

"Don't worry about it too hard, kid. You're fine."

[youngestdawn]

Aki-chan nods, then, after a beat, opens up one of his books.