Floor 1, Room 3

[jokey]

AKIRA

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week 1

[revengier]

[ Once they get back to the castle, Kurapika helps Akira transport all of the ingredients to the kitchen, helping him set all of them onto the counter however he needs them. ]

I'd help you prepare too, but...

[ He's no good at that. ]

[jokey]

Don't worry. I've got a task for you.

[Kurapika is such a busybody that he'd probably keel over without something to keep him occupied. As such, Akira slides over a cutting board and knife.]

Chop up the carrots into half-inch slices. Easy enough, right?

[revengier]

You could sound less like you're handing me an assignment.

[ Hmph! But he appreciates it, honestly, because he wouldn't know what to do otherwise. Kurapika takes off his suit jacket, setting it on one of the unused counters, and rolls up his sleeves so he won't have anything in the way.

Chopping isn't a real issue when he can easily handle a knife, but he can't help but feel just a little bit of apprehension anyway. ]

Don't expect these to look good.

[ Actually, they look pretty terrible, thanks to that 6. ]

[jokey]

[Yes, yes, no whining in the kitchen. Kurapika's carrots are.......... um. Oh dear. How does someone manage to fuck up chopping carrots...?]

Looks aren't everything, but you're gonna cut your fingers.

[That wouldn't be good for Mr. Bling, would it? Akira sidles up to him and layers his hand over Kurapika's, guiding it along to show him what proper veggie cutting technique looks like.]

It's more difficult than it looks. When you near the end of one carrot, you should curl your fingers in so your knuckles act as a barrier against the knife.

[revengier]

[ He stiffens when Akira moves close, putting his hand over his own. It's obvious in the way his fingers all but curl around the handle of the knife and his shoulders tense, but he doesn't push Akira away either, letting out a soft breath that allows him to relax. ]

Right... a barrier.

[ He'll curl his fingers just so. ]

You know, using knives for survival is different than using them for any practical purposes like this.

[jokey]

[Feeling a little tense, Pika...? What a cute, honest response. Luckily for him, Akira doesn't linger overly long in his space, guiding him through to the finish before letting go and letting him tackle a second carrot head on. If you roll for this one too, godspeed.]

Yeah, I know. I've used a knife in combat myself, so I get it. There's a world of difference between fighting baddies and fighting your daily dose of vegetables.

[revengier]

[ Leave him be!! Any reaction beyond that initial tenseness is hard to parse, however, as his posture relaxes quickly enough and remains so even after Akira steps away.

Taking that second carrot, Kurapika glances over at Akira and gives him a onceover before turning back to his carrot, driving the knife through it exactly as Akira instructed. It looks like the instruction was worthwhile, because he does a much better job this time around. ]

Really? You're not built like someone who actually fights.

[ Not like Kurapika is either, but still. He saw an opening and he's taking it. ]

[jokey]

[Much better! Akira is confident he can look away from Kurapika and his carrot cutting long enough to dice up some beef.]

Neither are you, but I'm stronger than I look. I'm sure you're no slouch yourself.

[revengier]

Of course not.

[ He's finished with the carrots, and just watching Akira deal with the meat has him deciding that he'll let him keep at it on his own, choosing to pick empty counter space to hop up onto and sit. Chopping veggies is enough of a lesson for one day. There's no need to interrupt the cooking process even more. ]

Show me one day. We can spar, if you like. I know how to use most types of weapons.

[jokey]

You really want to get handsy with me?

[SEDUCTIVELY WIGGLES BROW,

...except he's totally trying to wiggle out of a sparring match. Maybe Kurapika will fall for his ruse?]

If that's what you want, all you have to do is ask. There's oil in the pantry and everything.

[revengier]

[ Kurapika frowns his biggest frown yet, and if his eyes were capable of flashing red just yet, surely they would right now. ]

You couldn't have said that more repellently.

[ Pantry oil? Disgusting. ]

If you don't want to fight, just say so.

[jokey]

[So fussy! That's exactly the response Akira was hoping for. Still, he knows when to pull his punches and when to tease serious types like Kurapika in moderation. He's off the hook for now... but not for long.]

I don't think you'd find sparring with me that satisfying. That's all. It wouldn't be a very straightforward fight.

[Akira likes to use everything to his advantage in a fight— every tool at his disposal, the art of stealth, even his environment. Would Kurapika appreciate fighting with someone whose tactics he might consider underhanded?]

[revengier]

[ Still feeling a bit bothered by Akira's words just a few moments before, Kurapika simply shrugs. He's a fussy one indeed, and Akira is right to pull back just a bit for the time being. ]

Skill in battle comes from your ability to adapt, and that means using tactics that aren't straightforward.

[ He sits folds his hands on his lap. ]

Life isn't straightforward, and so anyone who knows what they're doing shouldn't expect battles to be either.

[jokey]

[Oh? He hadn't anticipated that answer from Kurapika. He seems like a straight shooter to Akira, but he'd been too quick to make assumptions. With one brow quirked, Akira cubes up the meat, eyes flitting to Kurapika from time to time.]

Well said. If you really want a fight, let's do it when we're both well-equipped. Right now, neither of us have half the things we usually do when we fight. Can you wait until we've gotten the hang of this magic stuff?

[revengier]

[ You see what you get when you make assumptions, Akira?

Kurapika almost balks at the question, frowning slightly. ]

Of course I can wait. Do I look like some fight-seeking meathead to you?

[ His tone is light, however, and not that serious. For once, he's actually not mad. ]

[jokey]

Meathead?

[Akira snorts.]

No. Hothead though, maybe. You've definitely got some fight in you.

[Dare to tell him he's wrong?]

[revengier]

[ Kurapika huffs—almost. He manages to hold it back at the last second, exhaling through his nose instead. ]

I can control my emotions just fine.

[ It took a hell of a lot of work for him to get there, however. ]

[jokey]

That's not what I meant. I believe you.

Some people have a fire burning inside of them that never goes out. Some people are passionate. Driven. Maybe a little hotheaded too. Tell me I'm wrong if I'm wrong, but you strike me as one of those people.

[revengier]

[ Well.

Kurapika would love to tell him he's wrong, honestly, but he can't. ]

You're right, actually. [ As much as he's loath to admit it. ] I'm driven by anger, and I'll do anything it takes to ensure that it never fades.

[ Dramatic, much? ]

[jokey]

[Seriously dramatic, but... Well. That answer gives Akira pause, because unfortunately, it sounds way too familiar. It stings.]

Even if that anger kills you in the end?

[revengier]

I don't fear death.

[ So, yes. He's lost plenty off of his lifespan to anger at this point anyway. Dying early for the sake of vengeance is something he has long since accepted. ]

[jokey]

[Akira barely manages to withhold a sigh. Of course. Of course he's just like him (fr).]

Finished with those carrots? Potatoes are next. Peeling them's simple.

[...But I'll show you if you need me to.]

[revengier]

[ He's struck some kind of nerve, hasn't he? It's obvious, and Kurapika casts a sidelong glance at Akira as he hops off of the counter.

It's better this way anyway. Akira's too kind of a person, Kurapika can tell. And as such, he should keep his distance. Kurapika doesn't need more people to try and shove their way into his affairs. ]

Show me. It's been a long time since I've watched anyone peel one.

[jokey]

[Yeah whatever, ignoring that glance. He'll get over it, don't worry about him!!

Akira takes his knife in one hand and a potato in the other.]

Watch closely. This is a bit more involved than chopping carrots.

[Akira goes nice and slow, peeling a few strips of potato so Kurapika gets the general idea of how deep to cut, what angle to hold the knife at, and so on. He sets both down on Kurapika's cutting board.]

Your turn.

[revengier]

[ He watches closely, making note of the way the knife slices at the skin of the potato and the angles that Akira holds it up against the blade to ensure that it slices off cleanly.

With a 19, it's clear just how carefully he was watching, because he has near flawless execution. ]

I think I like this better than carrots.