Floor 4, Room 4

[revengier]

KURAPIKA

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[revengier]

[ Kurapika notices the way Akira avoids answering him and… hmm. He’ll let it slide this time, only because the thought of pursuing it further makes his heart race. ]

You couldn’t sound less excited.

[ He laughs softly, settling down right beside him. ]

Did you ever stargaze back home? What did you do when you weren’t protecting humanity?

[ There’s a slight smile at the end of that question, a slight tease, but he knows it’s true. ]

[jokey]

[Bless Kurapika for letting him off the hook... or maybe he didn't notice anything was amiss? Nah. Observant as Kurapika is, he took pity on him. What a sweet(?), merciful(??) man his beau is.

With a whooshing exhale, Akira sets his glasses aside and gazes up at the stars.]

Here and there. The skies back home weren't nearly as clear as they are here. When I wasn't kicking ass and taking names, I was hanging out with friends, fishing, getting my fortune told, playing shogi, reading, fixing broken computers, doing homework, making coffee, brushing Morgana, playing video games, doing laundry, playing darts, buying and selling weapons...

[Honesty-compelling wine, that question, and a Persona protag is a dangerous mix, but it's an answer!]

[revengier]

…I regret asking.

[ He expected that Akira did all sorts of things, but this feels excessive. When the hell does he sleep? When does he get anything done at all? Is he on the go from morning to night? Even Kurapika has some downtime.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t latch onto a few things here and there, however. ]

Who is Morgana?

[jokey]

Morgana is my son. My child. Baby boy. Light of my life.

[Oh, right. Can't lie. Ahem.]

My cat and a good friend of mine... oh, but don't call him a cat. He takes offense to that.

[revengier]

[ STOP ]

Why would he take offense?

[ It doesn't make sense, especially if he's a cat? Actually... ]

...How do you know he takes offense anyway?

[jokey]

Because he's not really a cat. He's a Shadow, but in the real world, he takes the form of a normal cat. It's complicated, don't worry about it.

[Sits up and takes another sippy...]

He can talk regardless. Not "meow meow" talking. Real words.

[revengier]

[ Wow if Akira is sitting up then so is he? And he's taking another sip too, because Akira isn't going to win the race towards intoxication here. ]

You said he can talk. Explain. I don't care if it's complicated, say it.

[ Sure there are weird creatures in his world, but like, cats don't talk. ]

[jokey]

Excuse me? You want me to explain how a cat who's not really a cat learned how to speak human language?

[You're not beating shit, pretty boy. Akira takes a sip to match.]

I told you. He's a Shadow. They're like [wiggles hands] creatures that exist in another realm? Sometimes they gain sentience and wills and desires of their own. Satisfied?

[revengier]

[ It's time for him to take a longer pull from his bottle, then, before setting it down heavily on the blankets. ]

Yes. I am, actually. Thank you.

[ See, Akira? Was that so hard? ]

It really wouldn't kill you to actually share things about yourself.

[jokey]

[What's Kurapika so cranky for? Weirdo. Akira gives him a look between sips.]

Don't I? You ask and I answer. Maybe you're not asking enough questions.

[revengier]

[ Does Akira want the real answer?

It's because he's always like this, he's just letting it seep through to the surface now. ]

Fine.

[ Maybe he shouldn't, but he's taking this as a challenge now. What's a complicated question to ask? ]

What's that other realm like?

[jokey]

[Maybe he shouldn't have encouraged Kurapika to ask questions, actually? Boy, where does he even start with this one...]

Hard to describe. Basically? It's a place shaped by the collective unconscious. It's like the world came together and unknowingly made a huge dungeon on another plane of existence.

[revengier]

[ He takes another swig from his wine. ]

And you can explore it without issue?

[ It's hard to conceptualize in full, but he thinks he gets it? ]

How do you get there?

[jokey]

Uuuuuuuuuuuugh.

[He didn't sign up for Q&A!! Is this the real reason why Akira is so reluctant to talk about himself? He needs more alcohol just to get through these nitty gritty explanations, but he nearly misses his mouth and pours the wine on his shoulder. He's already sloshed, sue him, but that's not slowing him down any.]

There's always risk involved, but you know me. I'm a risk-taker. I like the thrill of near-death experiences. They kinda...

[Akira brings the bottle to his mouth and mumbles the rest of that sentence into his wine. Kurapika doesn't need to hear the depths of his degeneracy.]

...Mmmmanyway, I get there using an app on my phone. It just appeared there one day.

[revengier]

[ Oh, but he can practically smell the degeneracy coming off of that statement, and he's drunk enough to shove at Akira's shoulder for it—precisely, the shoulder that almost got wine all over it. ]

Incredible story. You're so good at explaining things. I can picture it perfectly.

[jokey]

Shut up. You're so pedantic. And annoying. And hot.

[Thank god for alcohol. Akira's only vaguely aware of how embarrassment's scalding his cheeks. When Kurapika shoves him, Akira leans in and blows a fat raspberry on his cheek.]

[revengier]

[ His embarrassment is incredibly obvious and Kurapika actually thinks it's pretty cute, but he silences that thought with another sip of alcohol.

...Until Akira is blowing a raspberry on his cheek, and he pushes him away. ]

That's gross. What's wrong with you?

[ ... ]

Don't answer that. I don't want to hear it.

[jokey]

[Akira flops back against the pillows and blankets with a whoosh of laughter. They're both lucky the bottle didn't break or spill all over the floor on impact.]

You did this to me. Now pay up. I demand reparations.

[Akira wraps his long noodly string bean legs around Kurapika's hips and yanks him. C'mere!!]

[revengier]

[ He merely frowns as Akira yanks him close, doing his best not to think about the fact that Akira's legs are around his hips of all places. It's fine. It's. Fine. ]

You don't have any right to have demands.

[ And so, he'll just petulantly wrap his arms around Akira's middle and shove his face into his shoulder.

Mmm. Nice and warm. ]

[jokey]

Uh huh.

[He can demand whatever he wants! Kurapika has no choice but to answer him honestly anyway. Akira's snickers give him away long before his words do, bottle set aside so he can smoosh Kurapika's cheeks in his hands and untuck that pretty face from his shoulder. No cheating now.]

Do you think I'm cute?

[revengier]

[ Ugh. Akira won't let him escape, and so all Kurapika does is frown at him, as hard as it is with his cheeks held captive between his hands. ]

Of course I do. [ ... ] Idiot.

[jokey]

Good boy, good boy~

[A wittle kiss on the lips for his good, obedient Pika-chan~]

Do you think I'm... sexy?

[revengier]

[ That kiss does nothing to make his frown disappear. In fact, it just grows more intense. ]

"Sexy" is a ridiculous word. I think you're attractive.

[jokey]

How surprisingly childish.

[Sexy? It's a good word. Kurapika would sound cooler if he added it to his daily vernacular.]

If you could do anything to me, what would you do?

[revengier]

[ ...

That question all but makes him short circuit, and all he can do for several moments is give Akira a blank look. ]

I... don't really know.

[ A disappointing answer, probably, but it's an honest one. ]