Floor 1, Room 3

[jokey]

AKIRA

code

Comments

[revengier]

He reminds me of a lot of people I know.

[ So. What does that say about Kurapika? ]

Go ahead and plainly state what you're thinking.

[jokey]

Alright.

[Trusting you not to snitch, bro.]

That man is Yakuza without a doubt. The way he dresses, the dragons on his broom, the fact that he can't stop getting into fist fights. If Yakuza doesn't ring a bell, maybe mafia will.

[revengier]

[ Yakuza doesn't ring a bell, but "mafia" certainly does, and he immediately glances back over at Akira.

Kurapika doesn't say anything for a long moment, and he realizes then that there was a reason why he immediately took a bit of a liking to Kiryu. ]

...I see. I suppose I have something in common with him, then.

[jokey]

[Akira? A criminal surrounded by criminals? Say it ain't so!]

Yeah? What's that?

[revengier]

I'm the Nostrade family boss.

[ Anyway. Time to put those potatoes in, right? ]

1/???

[jokey]

[jokey]

Hold on a sec.

[jokey]

I'm not asking you if you're serious. I know you're serious.

done

[jokey]

When were you planning on telling me that you're in a gang?

[revengier]

[ He shrugs. ]

Whenever you asked or I had a reason to tell you. It's not exactly relevant to what we're doing here, but I'm not actively keeping it a secret.

[jokey]

[Ignoring what Kurapika just said entirely,]

I can't believe we're cooking mafia curry...

[revengier]

That isn't a dish that even exists.

[ He will peer over what Akira is making, though. Does it smell good...? ]

[jokey]

That's what you think.

[It does indeed smell real good. Akira ladles up some of the curry, blows on it to cool it down, and offers it to Kurapika.]

Try it.

[revengier]

[ He leans forward and gets a little mouthful from the ladle, pulling back so he can let the flavors linger on his tongue first.

Once he's swallowed, he looks back at Akira. ]

It's good.

[ Which is high praise from him. ]

[jokey]

Glad to hear it.

[Totally not the praise Sojiro's curry deserves, but it's fine! Akira figures "good" is the best praise he can expect from Kurapika. Ladling the curry into a couple bowls, the lightbulb goes off in Akira's head.]

Ah, and how about coffee to go with it? I can grind up some beans real quick.

[revengier]

[ While Akira dishes it out, Kurapika grabs some silverware for the both of them. ]

A weird choice for a dish like this, but sure.

[jokey]

You say that now, but just wait.

[Akira will leave Kurapika to take their dishes and situate them wherever he'd like to sit. In the meantime, Akira fixes two cups of coffee and brings them over. He takes his black, but he's fetched a bit of milk and sugar in case Kurapika wants some for his.]

Coffee first, then curry. Your tastebuds won't know what hit them.

[revengier]

[ Kurapika sets their food down wherever there's a place to sit, and puts their bowls opposite to each other. He'll even grab some napkins too. ]

I hope you're right about that.

[ Though he can see it—the acidity of the coffee versus the spices in the curry. It's probably a notable combination. ]

What gave you that idea anyway?

[jokey]

[Akira settles into his seat across from Kurapika and takes a long, slow sip of his coffee. There's an almost fruity quality to the beans here, a notable lack of acidity. If he can be thankful for anything, it's that being isekai'd to a new world has brought new flavors with it.]

It wasn't my idea. It was the man who took me in.

[revengier]

[ Kurapika takes a sip as well, letting the flavors sit on his tongue for a moment or two before he speaks. ]

Took you in?

[ Is Akira an orphan? That's what his mind immediately jumps to. ]

[jokey]

[It's a story Akira tells with no particular affect— he's long since gotten over it, and more importantly, it's long behind him.]

Yeah. I was accused of a crime I didn't commit and arrested. It caused a lot of problems for me and my folks. I was expelled from school and had to start over in a new city. Thankfully, someone was willing to take me in while the dust settled.

[revengier]

[ Kurapika falls silent, taking another sip of his coffee. He hadn't expected something like that from Akira, but after all, looks can be deceiving.

Perhaps he should extend more credit to Akira than he has. ]

I'm glad you had someone who could do that for you. You don't seem to take his kindness for granted either.

[jokey]

[Akira chuffs and shakes his head, taking a bite of his curry.]

I tried not to. I tested his patience more than once, but by the end, I came to see him like a second father. I owe the old man for more than just his recipes.

[revengier]

Of course someone like you tested him.

[ He doesn't mean it negatively, though, and that's evident by the little smile on his lips as he takes a bite of curry.

Kurapika pauses, taking a moment to let the flavor differences sink in. The coffee really does bring out different notes in the curry, making them shine. ]

Your suggestion for coffee was a good one.

[jokey]

What's that supposed to mean?

[No offense taken, frankly. Akira knows himself and is far from in denial. Who would he be if he didn't put the people he cares about through their paces?]

Glad you like it, but now you know who to give your thanks to. Sojiro's coffee and curry is even better than mine.