witchesreign | AU Event: With a smile on his face [Action]

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AU Event: With a smile on his face [Action]

[What is wrong with this picture? A lot, really. Zak usually isn't this obvious, as he's wandering around the hallways. Nor is he usually smiling--skulking about with a frown on his mug is a lot more common.

Maybe he got hit on the head or something.

In any case, he's dressed in a green shirt and jeans (in good repair!), and he has a haversack over one shoulder. Flowers are peeking out of said sack, and considering he's in the dorms and placing a flower or two at every door, it's likely everyone will get one. Feel free to challenge him as to what the heck he's doing, though!

Though there are two actual bouquets in that sack, too. Those are going out separately: both Maria and Mikuru are getting knocks on their door. Callin' you out, ladies!]

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[It only takes a minute before Maria pokes her head out the door.]

Hey, Zak. What's up?

Hey Maria. Not much, oh, just thought I might owe you a little something for putting up with me.

[By which he means "putting up with me when I'm grumpy as crap, which usually is all the time." But he's not going to put that into words just yet. He is, however, going to put the arm with the yellow-gold rose bouquet around her shoulders, stopping just short of whapping her in the face with the flowers.]

These're for you, by the way. I hope you read up on what to do when you get flowers!

What --

[She may not have read up on it, but luckily her reflexes trigger her to accept the flowers before she's even processed the gesture. And stare at Zak in shock.]

I -- what? Thank you... what are... thanks?

Oh, c'mon. I mean, I know this might be the first time you've ever gotten flowers in your life, but really!

[Okay, he might just be teasing her a little bit. More than a little bit. But he considers it payback, just a little. Though man, if he'd seen her around certain monkish dudes lately, well, let's just say there'd be a bit more payback to be had!

But he hadn't. Alas.]

You're welcome, though. I know I can be a handful.

This is -- [It IS the first time she's gotten flowers in her life, at least, from someone not in her immediate family! She finally gets a hold of herself enough to ask the question that's really baffling her.]

What brought THIS on?

I'm not speaking a different language, am I? I thought I said! You know, me being my usual jerkface self?

[Though he's almost laughing now, so clearly the jerkface has left for the moment. That or someone put him on a serious antidepressant. OR SOMETHING.]

Maybe you ought to get a vase. And some water. Or do you--hey, you do have that gunblade trophy that's like a bucket, still, don't you? I bet you could put them in that with some water!

[Yes, this is -- well, it's nice to see Zak smiling and happy, but so completely out of the ordinary that she's sincerely worried. Unless...]

...Did you actually manage to get a date with Mikuru?

[This is the only thing she can imagine that would make him happy, and even then it's a stretch. Also it's clear she's barely hearing a word he says.]

[At that, he laughs, and shakes his head.] No, but I ought to try it, right?

At this rate, with all the dancing I've done there, I ought to ace my ballroom class, you think?

Yes. Yes you should try it, Zak.

[She does NOT know what to make of this. So she decides to stall for time.]

Help me find someplace to put these real quick?

Someplace to set them, or something to actually hold them? [He's not giving up on that gunblade trophy bucket, Maria. So some things don't change, at least not too much.]

Well, I still have something to give Mikuru, so...[Time to beee mysteeerious. This will probably get him slugged, but from the dopey grin on his face, he probably gives precisely 0 craps about it.]

A home for them. [She steps back into her room to start abstractly fiddling with some potential holders. She barely even registered that suggestion the first time, might want to try again.]

What's that?

I'm sure you'll find out when she tells you. [He's starting to realize that you didn't register that, Maria, so he'll just scan your room for it. That's the sort of thing even you would keep, after all. You do love you some gunblades, after all. If a dude here wielded them, well, your future boyfriend would be obvious.]

You just go run some water and cut the stems beneath it, I'll find something to put them in. Just about an inch off the ends, and make sure they're under running water.

[Shaking her head, she moves to her bathroom to do just that. The trophy he's looking for is on top of her dresser, just as he'd expect.]

[He's surprised that direction actually worked. Usually she'd be on him verbally like a terrier on a rat.]

So, how've your parents been? Haven't heard about them in a while.

[He plucks the trophy from that dresser, and ambles over to the bathroom, leaning against the doorframe and offering it out to her.]

[She's SO CONFUSED. She even takes the trophy without noticing what it is as she stares at the flowers in her hand.]

They're fine, last I heard. I'm at least getting to keep in touch with them more now that communication is improving.

That's a good thing, isn't it? Everyone doing well back home? I'm glad things are working better, too. Maybe things will get better once the new radio tower prototype is finished, too.

[He shrugs.] Though it's all hush-hush, they don't talk about it much.

Hush-hush enough that I haven't heard about it.

[And where did HE?! She looks over her shoulder at him as she fills the makeshift vase with water.]

[He laughs a little at that.] Yeah, but whose parents are all fingers-in-the-pot with radio tower stuff?

[Now he's pointing at himself, and grinning like an idiot.]

[You might want to check to see if you've grown a second head, Zak. Maria is staring like you might have, while water overfills the trophy and pours back out into the sink.]

[He just side-eyes her, and shuts the water off. Though there may be a surreptitious glance to her mirror for a moment, before he fixes his gaze on her and arches his brows.]

What? [All innocent.]

You have what with the what now?

Pa-rents. Who work with the Radio Tower. You know. The one in Dollet? Where we grew up?

[Now he's the one looking at you like you just grew another head, there, Maria.]

[She's aggressively invading her personal space now, staring at his eyes with overt worry as she searches for signs of brain trauma in his pupil sizes.]

What are you doing?! [Well, there's a big fat hint of the Zak you know, Maria. He never did like anyone getting that close, and proves it by jostling her a little. This is the bathroom, however; if he gave her an actual shove, he might do some serious damage.

Even if this is Maria, who's still probably stronger than he is.]

You just --

[She bites her sentence off. No, he looks fine, healthy, and... not himself. Very, very weirdly not himself. She's starting to get coldly scared.]

It's... it's been a weird day, is all.

Like how? Are you okay? Do you need to sit down?

[He's just going to take the trophy and the flowers from you now, Maria. Mostly so he can go put the trophy on the dresser, and the flowers in it. And also so you don't clock him with it all, for some reason. Like he's suddenly scared you might.]

Is there something going on I don't know about?

That's... a good question.

[Things are starting to fall together in her mind -- weird behavior by other people she hadn't known as well...]

Have you noticed anyone acting weird lately, Zak?

Besides you? Not off the top of my head, no?

[Had there been something about Mikuru? Maybe? He can't quite recall. Zak just shrugs.

Hey, I'm normal as I ever was!

[The brief flurry of indignation helps, oddly.]

[He narrows his eyes, just a little.]

But you've never been normal, Maria!

[Then again, the big doofy grin probably means he's joking again...]

[Which means the sock to the shoulder he gets is friendly, not painful.]

[Okay, so, Zak has been replaced with an alternate Zak. Which is frankly horrible. All she can really do... is hope, at this point. Time Compression does often seem to reverse itself...]

I still want to know what you got Mikuru!

Then why don't you ask her? It's not like you guys don't girl talk all the time!

[To his sometimes horror.]

You'd probably be better off asking her what I got her for the holidays. [Since people seem to be buzzing about that.]

Okay, what did you get her?

[Don't make her put you in a headlock, Zak.]

[baby don't hurt me, no more...]

A stuffed kitty, a cute mug and some hot cocoa mix to go in that mug. And some caramel marshmallows.

I'm not sure if she's got a sweet tooth, but she can always get some dark chocolate cocoa if the regular stuff is too much.

[He thinks he done good, at least.]

[Maria looks downright impressed, so Zak can definitely take that as a positive.]

No, I think you'll do just fine by her.

[Look who's back: The little Mikuru we all know and love. At that knock on the door, she opens it, and blinks up at him. You look different, boy, but Mikuru can't quite put her finger on how.]

Hi, Zak. Um, come in!

[He grins, widely, and sidles in--that last is pretty typical of the boy, but the grin, not so much. Once he gets inside, he swings the bouquet of baby-pink roses out from behind his back, and offers it up, wordlessly. Even if the wordless part lasts all of, oh, ten seconds.]

So...how busy are you lately, Miss SeeD? [Cue the cheesy grin!]

[Her jaw drops, and she takes the flowers half wanting to hide in them, because she knows she's blushing furiously.]

I-I... I've got some reading up to do for my i-i-instructor licence, but...

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AU Event: With a smile on his face [Action]

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wow that sure was in the wrong place

I saw nothing.

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