[04] welcome to the family mikotoba!

[judicialassistant]

Who: The Great Ace Attorney cast
Which: Closed log
Where: Casita The Mikotoba house.
What: The Mikotobas accidentally a little party gathering for Sholmes & Gina's arrival. Shenanigans ensue.
Warnings: None. Maybe Great Ace Attorney spoilers (will edit if this changes).

[ It's just a bit chaotic in the Mikotoba house today.  Between Susato and Yujin, they have managed to send out invites to everyone they know from home. Without the holidays to complicate things and require extra time shopping, Susato is expecting that this will be a much simpler affair compared to Christmas, but with two extra heads and one (1) Good Boy to consider, she still finds herself doing quite a lot.

Most notably, the kitchen seems teeming with life. The tea kettle sounds, and the general smell of food fills the air. In the greenhouse outside, some of the younger dream snakes that found their home in the Wild Harvest have followed Susato and Kazuma home, feeding on small grasshoppers and other insects and pests threatening their Glowing Dawn collection. Speaking of which--blue Glowing Dawn petals still litter the floor......everywhere.

No, Toby, don't eat those--! ]


a. DRAWERS?
[ Someone has visited Reverein's newest bookstore, and that someone is Susato. On top of one of the dressers in Mikotoba living room, there is a copy of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and tucked within its pages is a particular wooden bookmark with a daruma head at the end of its ribbon.

Underneath it are a series of familiarly titled stories: The Final Problem, The Hound of the Baskervilles,, and more. Anything with his name on it? Susato grabbed it, "payment" being an afterthought.

There's only one problem: the name on the spine and the cover is Sherlock Holmes. The author is listed as someone named Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and most notably not John H. Wilson. No worries though! While Susato hasn't done anything about the author's name, she has helpfully placed a sticky note with a disapproving frown drawn over it over the S in Sherlock, and another sticky with the letter S on it just above the letter H in Holmes, with a little arrow pointing to where it should be.

She hasn't done this for all the Holmes books, but the idea is clear. ]

b. FLOORS!
[ With the extra company in the house, the smell of food, and all of the beautiful blue flower petals around the house, newest Good Boy Inspector Toby is very excitable and curious. He can be seen, tail wagging, most notably around the kitchen due to the smell of food, but when he's not hoping to get scraps, he can also be found playfully chasing what looks like a cat that's taken a dip in chocolate--a cat that looks suspiciously like Wagahai. (This is fine! Clearly.)

He may also sniff excitedly at your feet, walking behind you and sometimes cutting in front as you pass by as if purposely trying to trip you up. ]

c. DOORS!
[ Why is there a giant hole where the front door should be, you may ask, with nothing but splintered wood remaining of the poor door frame? More importantly, why is there a cherry-blossom pink colored curtain draped over the hole as if trying to hide it? Well, that second part is 100% Susato's fault. It's a long story, but today the problem is finally getting fixed, just as Kazuma-sama promised.

On the ground outside, he will find new wood, a hammer, nails, a new door--whatever he could need. Susato can be seen carefully taking down the pink Japanese-style curtain she has chosen out, only to drape it over their couch inside. She absolutely plans to put it right back up once the repairs are done. She otherwise is too busy to fuss at Kazuma too much about any of the heavy lifting or intensive labor, but she isn't far, so be careful, big bro! Sis is watching. ]

d. LET'S GO!
[ Wild card option! Any other ideas taking place in the Mikotoba house or the attached greenhouse is welcome. Somehow it's a party, so enjoy! Yes, even you, not!Reaper. You know who you are. ]

Comments

[judicialassistant]

[ Augh. It's always after someone says that that it itches the worst. A light groan escapes her lips and her hand that had just reached over to scratch (again) goes stiff as she wills herself to stop. She bites her lip a little as that hand falls back down to her side. ]

...

[ She opens her mouth, looking ready to say something, probably go off about how she knows where all of Yujin's medical supplies are, but then she closes it again. ]

What will you do if I say no? [ And why does she feel like she already knows the answer? Mikotoba Mindreading^TM. ]

[chippedsoul]

Well, I don't mind waiting, but we can't keep those wounds open. [His tail lightly taps the pavement. His other arm slips around her.]

So I'll just carry you back inside myself.

[judicialassistant]

Eep--! [ The highest-pitched, girliest squeal you can imagine escapes from Susato's mouth, and she clamps her mouth shut as quickly as possible, swinging her arms around Kazuma's neck to keep her balance as she leans back. ] I, I, I was only joking??

[ Though even as he says that, her legs swing upwards, her pink garden sandals nearly slipping off her feet. Evidently some of the snakes who did not quite make the leap onto her arms settled for nipping at her ankles and lower leg. ]

[chippedsoul]

[...She may have managed to stop herself, but that squeak still slipped out and it left Kazuma staring down at her. Her flustering is rather...well, it's not the scared kind of flustering. She's so quick to put her arms around his neck too.] . . .

[What is going on? He blinks, gaze moving away to pay attention to something else. Bite marks on her legs that have been exposed.] They really did a number on you. [He looks at the snakes still hanging around them. He's not saying anything to them, but they seem to know they need to back off a bit.]

[judicialassistant]

[ Not scared, more surprised? She's just trying not to fall now, though she does feel Kazuma's gaze on her for that moment, catching his eyes before he glanced away. What was that about...?

Still wide-eyed, she follows his gaze to her own feet. ]

They... Oh.

[ She hadn't felt those, somehow. She does remember her arms feeling rather numb, too, in that moment. Gosh. ]

[chippedsoul]

Easily patchable. Just hold tight. [And a moment later, he moves to stand. Welcome to being taller. With another look down at the remaining snakes, they retreat back into the garden. For such an imposing guy, he's very gentle with Susato as he carries her out of the garden and back into their home.]

I'll set you down on the sofa in the living room while I get the medical supplies. [He thinks he remembers where they are. Unless they've been moved since working on 76 and himself.]

[judicialassistant]

[ Her nerves are still dancing for whatever reason. She's not used to this... but she will cling to him tighter, as if trying to put more distance between her and the ground as he stands. She doesn't say anything on the way inside, but her cheeks seem a slightly deeper shade of pink.

He will indeed find the medical supplies mostly where he remembers them, save for the bulk of which was taken to the clinic when it opened. ]

O, Okay... [ Well, no, not really!!! ] I know how to patch it myself, too. I think. [ The way her voice trails off is probably not terribly convincing but it's true, okay. She is Yujin Mikotoba's daughter, after all! ]

[chippedsoul]

Oh? [Yea, he's not convinced. But he doesn't want her to feel useless either. These aren't that difficult wounds to tend to either.]

What's the first step? [He'll set her down onto the sofa while he ask.]

[judicialassistant]

[ It's been a while since they've done this, and the last time, the topic was probably law. What year was such-and-such law passed? Who was so-and-so and what was his significance?

She glances on either side of her as Kazuma sets her down, looking simultaneously relieved and maybe a little disappointed once she is on the couch. ]

The first step? [ She takes off those sandals to distract from the fact that her mind has temporarily drawn a blank, as it is wont to do, but she comes back around eventually when she thinks about what Rei would say. ] Why, like with any wounds, of course. They must be sterilized.

[ She is already pushing herself off the couch to stand. SHE GOT THIS... (ow, it stings--). ]

[chippedsoul]

Yes. Though you may want to stop the bleeding first. [She's not wrong either way. Just as he was about to walk away, he spots her trying to stand.]

Sit. I'll bring the items and we'll tend to your injuries together. [If she doesn't, he'll gently push her with his tail to force her back down.]

[judicialassistant]

. . . ! [ As she steps forward to trail behind him, she wasn't expecting the tail. In surprise, she finds herself clawing at it like a cat out of protest, though if he even felt it, she can't tell. Maybe she missed entirely, though she certainly remembers vainly batting against its scales.

She plops back down onto the couch. At first she pouts, but then... the longer he is gone, though it may be no more than a couple minutes, she finds herself wondering if they're really OK. ]

[chippedsoul]

[It did felt a little tingly when she tried to get a grip on his tail. Had she full on tugged it, that would've likely gotten a reaction out of him.

Indeed it was only a few minutes before Kazuma returns to her side. Basic medical supplies in his claws, washcloth and a small bucket of water being carried by his tail.]

Now what's the next step after sterilizing the wound? [He continues to quiz Susato while he sets everything down before her.]

[judicialassistant]

[ She idly balls her hand into a fist and then opens it again, repeating this motion a few times while he's gone. She feels something there, something tough and dry and papery. She looks over just as he's placing all of the supplies down and notices a patch of his snake skin there.

. . . Another question? She almost doesn't hear it, shaking her head and taking a guess. ]

Did you bring the gauze? [ Before going too much further though, she probably can't do too much without him noticing the snake skin she has. ] You dropped something, by the way.

[chippedsoul]

I did. [They're somewhere in the pile of supplies. He blinks, looking to her and then what was in her hand. He frowns, glancing at his own tail. It's definitely shedding.]

Ah...you can just discard it.

[judicialassistant]

[ Well... unfortunately they're not in the greenhouse anymore, so a random patch of snake skin just lying around the house just wouldn't blend in quite as well. She gives him a nod, making a mental note to dispose of it properly.

Of course, now that she can get a better look for longer, she can see more of the dead skin hanging off. ]

I can get the rest for you when you are done with me. Once the wounds are clean, you can just wrap the area to keep it that way, correct? We have creams that can be used as well, to prevent itching and the like.

[chippedsoul]

Right. I did bring an ointment. [He kneels down to get a piece of cloth and then extends a hand out expectantly to her.] I still remember a few things thanks to Dr. Jekyll.

[He knows what he's doing Susato.] And...yes, I suppose you can assist me later. [Honestly stills feels a little awkward that he has to worry about shedding.]

[judicialassistant]

[ She still not sure what she's done to deserve being spoiled. Oppositely, she still feels quite bad, though obviously Kazuma does as well, so she will hold out her own hand without thinking, pulling up her kimono sleeve before resting that hand in his.

Numerous bite marks are exposed, many of them breaking skin to draw blood, though she still seems largely unfazed, going quiet when Dr Jekyll is mentioned. At some point, she'd placed the book down, and she could think of a million questions she could probably ask him about his life in the Realm of Stories, but she's just quiet and accepting. ]

Father would be impressed. [ She tenses in anticipation of feeling the wet cloth against those bites; and behind him, she spots Chocohai wandering curiously into the room. ]

[chippedsoul]

You think so? [The medicinal knowledge is a bit hazy now that the essence is no longer attached to him. It's going to sting even when Kazuma is being gentle about it. Once he's cleaned one arm, he start putting a cream. Unbeknownst to him, Chocohai is approaching from behind, watching his tail sweep along the floor.]

Can't say I remember much outside of the basics now. I think Dr. Jekyll was also covering a different field from your father.

[judicialassistant]

That's true, but... haaah. [ It sure does sting! Susato has to fight to keep still and resist the urge to pull away, wincing, but by the time the cream is applied, the pain seems to be subsiding.

...... What was she saying? She glances behind him, seeing Chocohai looking ready to pounce. ]

Oh, be careful. There's Wagahai.

[chippedsoul]

Wagahai? [Who named themselves that? He looks behind just in time to see a brown cat(?) lunge at his tail. A hiss as those little claws manages to get a little tail, or at least some dead skin and tugging at it.] What-?!

[Susato might have to move since he's backing into her to get away.]

[judicialassistant]

...!! [ Susato doesn't think, just stands, reacting quickly as Kazuma turns and his tail swings around. Chocohai quickly jumps away as this happens, hissing in return as another piece of dead skin is ripped from Kazuma's tail. She seems to be playing with it as Susato pushes against Kazuma's back with her hand that's been tended to, squeezing herself out of the space and to the side, however awkwardly.

She sighs. ]

Are you alright...? Here, just hold still.

[ Since she's already here, she'll motion for Kazuma to turn so she has access to that tail, and if he's stubborn about it, she'll just reach for it and grab it. Even so, she is gentle, slowly peeling off the dead skin that remains, allowing it to come off in larger pieces this time. ]

[chippedsoul]

[But there's a cat on the loose! His eyes fixate on the cat now playing with his dead skin. Something seems off about it. There was a plastic/wax-like look to it. That can't be an actual cat, and what was it doing here???

He felt Susato's hands on his tail, giving him a start. He hiss, showing fangs until he realizes who was back there. Did she tell him to do something? She did.] Ah- [Well she's already holding onto his tail before he even got a say in. He stiffens, trying not to squirm as he feels the dead skin being peeled off. It's a strange feeling when it's someone is forcibly pulling the skin off. Both tingly and like tiny needles poking at him.]

[judicialassistant]

[ His hiss startles her; she visibly jumps, but she simply tightens her grip on the tail temporarily until he calms down, and just as quickly, she'll loosen it again. The sudden movement, and the way the muscles in her hand tense do send that familiar pain shooting back up her arm. She winces, audibly protesting, but lets out another sigh when she seems satisfied with his tail.

She gives it a gentle stroke, nothing how much smoother its scales feel now. ]

There. Um... [ An apology is hot on her lips, ready to come out, but she senses his other questions, and she recalls that they likely haven't met. ] I, I made her and she came to life?

[chippedsoul]

[And he was ready to apologize for startling her, but he watches how she runs her hand down his tail. It felt oddly nice...?]

You...made her? [Pay attention Kazuma. He looks to the cat once more, contently playing with the dead skin. For now.]

[judicialassistant]

[ IS THAT WEIRD...? Susato recalls that Kazuma wasn't likely to be roaming about just then to see what was going on in the plaza. Her stroking slows as she thinks, intending to allow Kazuma to pull his tail back if he wants.]

Yes. It was when I first found Mr Sholmes. A large orc creature had set up his workshop in the plaza, for chocolate crafting... I believe it was for Valentines' Day. [ Her eyes wander to Chocohai, too. ] I am shocked she hasn't yet found a way to tear that red ribbon off her neck.