Floor 1, Room 3

[jokey]

AKIRA

code

Comments

[revengier]

[ And just like that, there's a hand on his shoulder pushing him back down onto the bed. ]

No getting up just yet.

[jokey]

[Kurapika...? What does he mean, "no"? Akira tries to right himself again, but he doesn't have the strength. He can't move, let alone fight.]

The others... Are they okay? Did anyone...

[Did anyone die?]

[revengier]

Die? No.

[ He sets his book down on the chair he had pulled up next to Akira's bedside. ]

You certainly tried though. [ A pause. ] Well, the spirit did.

[jokey]

...Right. That's...

[Good?. No. Nothing about this situation is good. Akira takes a deep, shuddering breath.]

It doesn't matter who did it. I'm ultimately the one at fault.

[revengier]

How?

[ Literally. How? Kurapika regards him with a look, one full of judgment over the fact that Akira can even think that at all. ]

[jokey]

[Judge all you like, Kurapika. You aren't the first nor will you be the last.]

I was the one overtaken by the spirit. I was the one careless enough to leave myself vulnerable. I was the one too weak to fight back against it.

[revengier]

[ He lets out a sigh. ]

Akira. Any one of us could have been possessed. It just so happened that it was you, nothing more.

[jokey]

[Akira's strung up by his nerves and touchy, so touchy, in the wake of all of that. Hearing Kurapika sigh? That's a nudge enough to send him over the yell. He bursts.]

Don't sigh like it's nothing! Like it's an inconvenience for you! I don't care how used you are to this sort of thing. Those are our friends and I nearly killed them!

[revengier]

[ Kurapika manages to remain calm in the face of Akira's anger, the look on his face cool and still against the flames that Akira spits out. ]

So what are you going to do about it now, Akira? What matters is what happens now. Stop dwelling on what you could have or should done.

[jokey]

You think it's that simple? That I can say "lesson learned" and walk away from this like nothing happened? Think about how other people feel, Kurapika. How the injured must feel.

[At the very least, he'll be scolded for not being more attentive, for not being more prepared. It doesn't matter if Akira didn't know what happened to him until it was too late to do anything about it. The fact of the matter is that it happened.]

No, scratch that. I'm asking too much from you.

[Asking Kurapika to consider other people's feelings? Big ask.]

[revengier]

[ Akira's words sting. They twist something in his heart, pushing up and against all of the emotions he's learned to rein in for his own safety. The sting of it almost reverberates through him, and he has to clench his fists tight not to let it bubble over. ]

That is not what I'm trying to tell you, Akira. I'm telling you to think about how they feel, about what you can do now to make up for it.

Focus on now.

[jokey]

[Focus on now? As if he isn't. As if that isn't the only thing Akira can think about.

His jaw stiffens. His fists furl and unfurl against the bedspread. Emotion washes over his face in waves, conflicted to no end, until the waves ultimately level out into nothing. I'm fine. Push it all down. I'll deal with it. I won't make this anyone else's problem.

His eyes settle on Kurapika's, hard and cold.]

Is that all?

[revengier]

[ Kurapika meets his gaze with a silent challenge, daring Akira to kick him out. ]

Of course not.

[ This is worse than he anticipated... at most, he had expected Akira to cry, to be upset while all he could do was stand there and provide the most rudimentary comfort.

He didn't account for this. ]

Do you think I stayed here until you woke up just to leave?

[ With a frown, he sits on the edge of the bed and mutters his incantation before a warm wave of magic settles over Akira—it's a healing spell. ]

[jokey]

[He knows Kurapika well enough to know he'll dig his heels in before he's thrust out the door, that's damn sure. He can be stubborn and refuse him all he likes. Akira is no less determined.]

I don't know what you stayed here for, but you can see with your own eyes that I'm alive and well. If that's what your concern was, you have nothing left to worry about.

[revengier]

[ Unstoppable force meets immovable object, it seems, because Kurapika reaches over to the nightstand and pulls over a little bag. He looks up at Akira. ]

Good. Then I won't be concerned.

[ Except he very, very much is. ]

[jokey]

[Akira glances at the bag. He isn't immediately apprehensive, but boy, he's getting there.]

What's that?

[revengier]

[ Kurapika reaches into the bag...

And pulls out a raspberry scone. ]

Bread. I thought you might be at least a little bit hungry when you finally woke up. [ ... ] And if you aren't, you do need to eat.

1/2

[jokey]

Kurapika...

[Did he bake this for him...?]

You...

[jokey]

How long have you been hiding bread in my nightstand?

[revengier]

I have not been hiding it!

[ Please!! Even the thought of that is embarrassing, so much so that he can hardly stand it. ]

Cid, Robin, and I all went to a bakery and bought bread for everyone. [ ... ] I saved some for you, so I've only had this in here while I was waiting for you to wake up.

[jokey]

Tsk. I try to kick this guy out and he rewards me with bread...

[Don't mind him, he's just musing.]

If I didn't know better, I'd say you have a little crush on me, or have you been feeding all the bad boys scones?

[revengier]

[ What the fuck, what the fuck!!! ]

Shut up.

[ He launches forward and shoves that scone right into Akira's mouth. ]

[jokey]

[Kurapika, you bastard!! Akira's far too fatigued to dodge in time and ends up with a mouthful of delicious crumbly scone instead. On second thought, maybe it's better he didn't dodge. If he had, he might've ended up with a black eye.]

Mmph. You didn' haff to do thah.

[Munch. Munch munch. The scone is delicious, but that's because Kurapika didn't cook it himself. Thank fuck for that.]

[revengier]

[ Hmph.

He sits back on the edge of the bed, and although he doesn't cross his arms, he sure gives off the exact same air as if he were. ]

I did, actually. You were being annoying.

[jokey]

So you thought you could fix me with bread?

[Ridiculous!! But maybe Kurapika's onto something. Having a little bread in his stomach takes the edge off his frustrations, and unlike a certain blond he could name, Akira has never felt inclined to hold onto agitation any longer than necessary. With a resigned sigh, Akira nibbles on his scone.]

I was ready to kick you out the door, and if that didn't work, the window.