The cafe isn’t especially busy at this time, with plenty of tables open for them to pick from—tucked away in the corner, near the street, smack dab in the middle… there’s prime real estate everywhere.
As for the selection, there are a selection of pastries and cakes, as well as sandwiches, all complimenting the warm scent of coffee wafting through the air.
Kurapika’s eyes, however, are on those slices of cake. ]
[The window booth will do nicely, but right now, his attention centers on the pastry display... namely, on the cake Kurapika is eyeing. A fan of sweets, is he?]
[ The strawberry shortcake is exactly what he was eyeing, and he immediately turns his attention to Akira. ]
If you mean my eyes, I think they look a little bit nicer than strawberries. [ … ] It’s dangerous you like them so much, you know. That you saw them at all isn’t a good thing.
[Even the freshest strawberries pale in comparison to the otherworldly red of Kurapika's eyes... but of course they do. Unfortunately, Akira knows he's not alone in that appreciation.
He casually leans in closer, whispering in Kurapika's ear.]
A thief does more than steal. They also know how to protect their most valuable treasures.
[His arm loops around to briefly squeeze Kurapika's side. Now then, he's going to step up to the register and get started on their order.]
[ His breath hitches, Akira’s words searingly warm in his ear. He doesn’t know what to make of what he says, much less how serious he is—after all, for all Akira jokes around, he does seem to take sentiments like that seriously, and that only makes Kurapika’s heart pound in his chest.
But he can hide those feelings well enough, chiming in that he wants a slice of cake and a black coffee for himself while Akira orders.
He steps aside, hands in his jacket pockets as he waits for Akira to guide them to a table. ]
You say things like that too easily.
[ Kurapika is straightforward, but Akira? He’s on another level. ]
[Akira orders an orange scone and a three shot espresso con pana for himself before guiding Kurapika to the window booth. A waitress will bring their orders to the table when they're ready.]
What do you mean? Did you want me to stammer and fluster instead?
[He grins, leaning forward and resting his chin on steepled fingers.]
I meant what I said. I haven't told anyone about them and I don't plan to. Our little secret, right?
[For one thing, no one needs to know about Kurapika's special eyes unless he opts to tell them of his own volition. For another, there's a non-zero possibility the wizards and unscrupulous types might take an interest in them and whatever magical qualities they possess. Akira's already caught onto the fact that the fewer people know about the scarlet eyes, the better.]
[ He sits, a little bit stiff at first simply out of nervousness, but he allows himself to relax with a soft breath.
Hmm. On second thought, it’s a good thing Akira isn’t blushing and stammering through this date. It’s a relief to be with someone who has some semblance of what they’re doing. It puts Kurapika at ease as much as it makes him all that much more nervous. ]
A few know, but you’re the only one that has seen them.
[ He leans back for a moment before ultimately leaning forward, just a bit. ]
I’ve learned how to turn them of my own volition, as well as control my emotions so they don’t turn at all. [ … ] You’re the first person that has seen them turn organically in over a year.
[Akira holds that thought until after the waitress drops off their coffee and pastries after which he gives some consideration to how he'll phrase his question, warming his hands on his cup of coffee.]
...Well, I'm glad I didn't piss you off, at least.
[But he sure did give Kurapika the horny red eyes, didn't he. This is flattering knowledge.]
[ He lets out a long, long sigh as he lifts the mug of coffee to his lips to take a small sip, since it's still hot. ]
What's it to you? [ Wait actually, he knows the answer to that. Just let him leap ahead— ] It was more than just that anyway. You knocked me off balance in a lot of ways.
[Akira smirks. Kurapika knows better than to let Akira answer a question like that in earnest. While he waits for his coffee to cool, he takes a bite of his scone, letting the sweet and sour orange notes settle over his tongue.]
You said things I was hoping to never hear. That's how.
[ They were things he needed to hear, which is why it was easy to avoid conversations that could ever lead to hearing them from someone else. He can't—couldn't—let himself get distracted, and words like that?
[The inevitable subject of Akechi was going to rear up one way or another. The similarities between the two are so stark, so glaring, that Akira feels he owes it to Kurapika to tell him about his old rival and the reason why Kurapika's shaken him to the core.]
How much do you want to know about a dead man?
[Kurapika could easily end up the same. That's what scares Akira.]
[ ...Ah. That certainly provides a bit of clarity, but it makes one thing especially obvious— ]
He clearly impacts you, even now.
[ Kurapika sets his coffee back down on its little plate with a soft clink. ]
Tell me what you would like me to know about him.
[ Ideally, Akira would tell him everything, but Kurapika is beginning to see that that simply isn't how Akira operates. He dodges questions about himself until he's practically cornered, and Kurapika doesn't feel like cornering today.
Maybe Akira will even surprise him and divulge more than he expects. ]
If you're leaving the choice up to me, I'd rather stay mum.
[This is touching on matters that sit close to the heart. Those, as Kurapika has no doubt worked out, are hard for Akira to address, much less discuss with others.
He takes a sip of his coffee. It distracts him, buys him a moment's time, and he couldn't possibly tell you what it actually tastes like.]
...The cards were stacked against him from the start. We had a lot in common, but we came from polar opposite backgrounds. My family has always loved me. He grew up as the unwanted biproduct of an affair.
[Another sip of coffee. It's awfully bitter.]
He would've given anything to seek revenge on his father, and he did. It cost him his life. It didn't matter what I had to say about life, about turning things around and finding a real reason to live— he'd consigned himself to death.
[ Of course he would. That's how Akira operates, and the look that Kurapika gives him at that statement says that he's well aware.
He picks up his fork, gathering up a small bite of the strawberry shortcake onto it, though he doesn't eat it just yet. ]
...I see.
[ It puts a lot of things into perspective, and he doesn't quite know how to feel about it. Surprise, maybe, that they would both end up here in this world and Akira would find someone so similar. ]
Am I the version of him that you think you can save?
[ He doesn't mean it negatively or from a point of jealousy. It's simply a conclusion he's on the cusp of making, and he wonders what Akira will say. ]
You're your own person, Kurapika. Your life is yours. I just wonder if...
[Akira stares down into his coffee, at his own face, at the same sullen anger he stares at in the mirror when he's at his most disappointed with himself.]
...If you'll find more to live for than he did. Revenge isn't a reason to live. It's a death sentence.
[ He breathes out heavily through his nose, finally bringing that bite of cake up to his lips. It doesn't taste like much more than a sugary mess, much different than the last slice of cake he had.
Kurapika allows himself the time to chew and swallow, thinking over Akira's words carefully as he tries to avoid looking at his face. ]
I'm well aware, and I've prepared myself for the possibility of death once I've finished.
[ He pauses, wondering if he should divulge his one real problem here. Why not give Akira this little bit, when he's already said more than he usually would? ]
It's a shame that spending time with people I've grown to like makes accepting that death a lot more difficult.
[That's the answer he expected and the answer he was given before. It's no less painful hearing it a second time around, but at least he's given Akira that lone thread to pull. He does without hesitation.]
That's why I'm not leaving you alone. I won't let you forget how good it feels to have people in your corner. I'm gonna make your life hard as hell, you bastard.
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Of course. And you'll provide me with your unfiltered opinion as well, right?
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[ He hopes not!
The cafe isn’t especially busy at this time, with plenty of tables open for them to pick from—tucked away in the corner, near the street, smack dab in the middle… there’s prime real estate everywhere.
As for the selection, there are a selection of pastries and cakes, as well as sandwiches, all complimenting the warm scent of coffee wafting through the air.
Kurapika’s eyes, however, are on those slices of cake. ]
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The strawberries on top remind me of something.
[Shiny, glazed, ruby red...]
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If you mean my eyes, I think they look a little bit nicer than strawberries. [ … ] It’s dangerous you like them so much, you know. That you saw them at all isn’t a good thing.
[ Or maybe it is, at least to Akira. ]!
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[Even the freshest strawberries pale in comparison to the otherworldly red of Kurapika's eyes... but of course they do. Unfortunately, Akira knows he's not alone in that appreciation.
He casually leans in closer, whispering in Kurapika's ear.]
A thief does more than steal. They also know how to protect their most valuable treasures.
[His arm loops around to briefly squeeze Kurapika's side. Now then, he's going to step up to the register and get started on their order.]
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But he can hide those feelings well enough, chiming in that he wants a slice of cake and a black coffee for himself while Akira orders.
He steps aside, hands in his jacket pockets as he waits for Akira to guide them to a table. ]
You say things like that too easily.
[ Kurapika is straightforward, but Akira? He’s on another level. ]
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What do you mean? Did you want me to stammer and fluster instead?
[He grins, leaning forward and resting his chin on steepled fingers.]
I meant what I said. I haven't told anyone about them and I don't plan to. Our little secret, right?
[For one thing, no one needs to know about Kurapika's special eyes unless he opts to tell them of his own volition. For another, there's a non-zero possibility the wizards and unscrupulous types might take an interest in them and whatever magical qualities they possess. Akira's already caught onto the fact that the fewer people know about the scarlet eyes, the better.]
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Hmm. On second thought, it’s a good thing Akira isn’t blushing and stammering through this date. It’s a relief to be with someone who has some semblance of what they’re doing. It puts Kurapika at ease as much as it makes him all that much more nervous. ]
A few know, but you’re the only one that has seen them.
[ He leans back for a moment before ultimately leaning forward, just a bit. ]
I’ve learned how to turn them of my own volition, as well as control my emotions so they don’t turn at all. [ … ] You’re the first person that has seen them turn organically in over a year.
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[Good on Kurapika for honing his self-control to the degree that he has, but... hm. Akira taps his fingers on the table, head tilting to one side.]
So when they turn organically, what's the catalyst?
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[ Where is their food when he needs it so he can look at something else...? Admitting it, especially to Akira, is incredibly embarrassing. ]
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[Akira holds that thought until after the waitress drops off their coffee and pastries after which he gives some consideration to how he'll phrase his question, warming his hands on his cup of coffee.]
...Well, I'm glad I didn't piss you off, at least.
[But he sure did give Kurapika the horny red eyes, didn't he. This is flattering knowledge.]
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Kurapika immediately takes his mug of coffee between both of his hands, glaring down at it. ]
Make no mistake, Akira. You did piss me off. Just not to the extent that it would turn my eyes red.
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[They could've dropped the subject there. That was Kurapika's out!]
But what you're doing now is admitting you got so turned on that your eyes turned red. You know that, right?
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What's it to you? [ Wait actually, he knows the answer to that. Just let him leap ahead— ] It was more than just that anyway. You knocked me off balance in a lot of ways.
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How so?
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[ They were things he needed to hear, which is why it was easy to avoid conversations that could ever lead to hearing them from someone else. He can't—couldn't—let himself get distracted, and words like that?
They're incredibly distracting. ]
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[Akira's answer is noncommittal, lacking surprise, as if he anticipated Kurapika saying something to that effect.]
...You remind me of someone I used to know. That's why I got so heated.
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It's almost frustrating just how easily Akira sees right through him. ]
Do I? Tell me about them, then.
[ Maybe if he knows, then maybe simply being around Akira won't make him feel so turned upside down.
...He can hope. ]
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How much do you want to know about a dead man?
[Kurapika could easily end up the same. That's what scares Akira.]
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He clearly impacts you, even now.
[ Kurapika sets his coffee back down on its little plate with a soft clink. ]
Tell me what you would like me to know about him.
[ Ideally, Akira would tell him everything, but Kurapika is beginning to see that that simply isn't how Akira operates. He dodges questions about himself until he's practically cornered, and Kurapika doesn't feel like cornering today.
Maybe Akira will even surprise him and divulge more than he expects. ]
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[This is touching on matters that sit close to the heart. Those, as Kurapika has no doubt worked out, are hard for Akira to address, much less discuss with others.
He takes a sip of his coffee. It distracts him, buys him a moment's time, and he couldn't possibly tell you what it actually tastes like.]
...The cards were stacked against him from the start. We had a lot in common, but we came from polar opposite backgrounds. My family has always loved me. He grew up as the unwanted biproduct of an affair.
[Another sip of coffee. It's awfully bitter.]
He would've given anything to seek revenge on his father, and he did. It cost him his life. It didn't matter what I had to say about life, about turning things around and finding a real reason to live— he'd consigned himself to death.
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He picks up his fork, gathering up a small bite of the strawberry shortcake onto it, though he doesn't eat it just yet. ]
...I see.
[ It puts a lot of things into perspective, and he doesn't quite know how to feel about it. Surprise, maybe, that they would both end up here in this world and Akira would find someone so similar. ]
Am I the version of him that you think you can save?
[ He doesn't mean it negatively or from a point of jealousy. It's simply a conclusion he's on the cusp of making, and he wonders what Akira will say. ]
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You're your own person, Kurapika. Your life is yours. I just wonder if...
[Akira stares down into his coffee, at his own face, at the same sullen anger he stares at in the mirror when he's at his most disappointed with himself.]
...If you'll find more to live for than he did. Revenge isn't a reason to live. It's a death sentence.
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Kurapika allows himself the time to chew and swallow, thinking over Akira's words carefully as he tries to avoid looking at his face. ]
I'm well aware, and I've prepared myself for the possibility of death once I've finished.
[ He pauses, wondering if he should divulge his one real problem here. Why not give Akira this little bit, when he's already said more than he usually would? ]
It's a shame that spending time with people I've grown to like makes accepting that death a lot more difficult.
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That's why I'm not leaving you alone. I won't let you forget how good it feels to have people in your corner. I'm gonna make your life hard as hell, you bastard.
[I won't lose you the way I lost him.]
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