middaeg | [ open ] maiuril catchall

[ He glances around the room, hands sliding into his pockets so he won't feel compelled to chew on his thumb anymore. He nods and quietly makes his way over to the nearest place to sit. He really hates how easily he tires... but he manages to seem casual about sinking into the chair.

When he hears the next words, he blinks - so... quick. ]

Oh...

[ Oh.

Not just agreeing to do it, but considering it a good idea, huh... But he'll spare Akechi of a big deal being made out of it. After a moment... ]

All right.

[ There's a nod as he slides a hand out of his pocket, rubbing at the back of his neck. That just leaves one question... ]

When?

[ It's for the best that Akira keeps his snark to himself; he might have changed his mind on the spot if Akira hadn't. Akechi is acting casual, but he already feels weird enough about this without Akira making it weirder.

In the time it takes Akira to respond, Akechi loads up his tea tray (he even has a plain but matching tea set) and carries it to the living room. The water is already hot (one of the first tricks Akechi had learned), so they just need to wait for the tea to finish steeping. They can do that in here. ]

Isn't sooner better?

[ He slides Akira a sideways glance. It's in his nature to avoid tipping his hand, especially when it means exposing his own vulnerabilities, but... well, if they're going to be sharing a Bond then some honesty is necessary, at least when it comes to matters directly relating to the Bond. That and... ]

Safely cycling my magic is getting more difficult, even with Saburo - and I doubt your transformation has slowed down, either.

[ It's easy to address his own Aefenglom-specific weaknesses when he knows what Akira's are, too. ]

[ He watches Akechi, quiet and contemplative.

When the tea is set down, though, he lowers his gaze. Difficulty in regards to the magic - given the worst that could happen to Akechi, it's enough for concern. Though the mention of the latter...

... Okay, if he can't be honest about certain things, might as well not bother with this whole thing in the first place, right? Not to say his jawline doesn't tense first. ]

If anything, I'm pretty sure it sped up a little.

[ But... sooner the better, huh? He pauses for a moment and then nods. ]

So, 'tomorrow' soon? Or...

[ Does he mean even sooner than that? Which, hey, why not? Not like he had anything better to do that day, and Akechi's point is pretty valid. ]

[ See? Now they have even more reasons to not delay. Akechi leans back in his chair, not looking satisfied, exactly, but a little more calm and relaxed. Good. There's no reason for Akira to suddenly back out (or rather, there's nothing but reasons he should have backed out already) but it's nice to have it confirmed. ]

Tomorrow.

[ He doesn't want to delay, but he's also not in a rush. He's fine with waiting that long. ]

The ceremony isn't very complicated, but we'll still need to give the Coven a chance to prepare.

[ He nods, quiet as he thinks for a moment. ]

Okay.

[ There's a short pause. ]

And us, right? [ dim smirk ] Since we do have to recite vows.

[ It isn't a smirk of mockery, or anything like it, at least. More like he's thinking about something that isn't giving him the best feeling right now. ]

Edited 2020-05-06 23:48 (UTC)

[ Ah, right. Those. Akechi's expression also takes on an amused cast, though much like Akira's it's not exactly a happy expression. ]

It seems like they don't need to be complicated. You could even copy one from a book, if you wanted something traditional.

[ Akechi absolutely refuses, however. Since the vows aren't his idea, he's fully intending to say the bare minimum and not a word more, if he can help it. ]

[ He lifts his eyebrows a bit. ]

Encouraging me to cheat, detective?

[ There's the tiniest bit of something softening in his expression, though his gaze is thoughtfully distant. The vows and handholding aspect sure will make tomorrow an interesting day... ]

I'm encouraging us [ There's no emphasis on the word, but its inclusion is deliberate. ] to do what we have to.

I don't mind repeating something rote and token if it gets the job done, but I doubt you feel the same way.

[ He might have a terrible track record for predicting Akira, but he's pretty confident about that one. ]

[ He does catch the wording, his eyebrows definitely not lowering for a solid two seconds. Then he lets out a quiet hum, glancing to the side. The look in his eyes might give away he's considering saying something snarky... and then he says a little too casually: ]

You know me... always preferring to go with something from the heart.

[ Badumtsh. ]

[ ......

That was such a good joke. Why didn't he think of it first? ]

Really? I thought you'd go for a more heartfelt reassurance that that.

[ But sure, they don't have to take this seriously. ]

[ Oh... Some part of him hadn't been bracing for that kind of response, so he's genuinely taken aback. His lips twitch just slightly before he briefly caves, smiling a little as he glances to the side.

He could probably keep going with this... and a small part of him does want to, if only for the sake of finally having a moment that's not so stressful, with this guy. But he's feeling just distracted enough that he winds up pausing too long. Stupid vampire stuff. But he's pretty sure it's been long enough for the tea; he's leaning to look at it. And it reminds him... ]

By the way, I finally got some decent coffee.

Edited 2020-05-07 03:02 (UTC)

[ No more jokes, then? That's okay, actually. Akechi's content to let the conversation turn elsewhere, and he nods to give Akira the go ahead to pour himself a drink.

Though tea suddenly seems a lot less appealing now that coffee is on the table. ]

I hope that's an invitation. The cafe I found it's nice, but it's no substitute for Leblanc's offerings.

[ He will pour himself a cup, letting out a quiet 'heh' before nodding. ]

Well, I'm sure it'll be a while before I even start to get close to Leblanc quality... [ slowly taking a sip ] But I'll let you be the judge of how I do.

[ So, yes, it's definitely an invitation. ]

[ Well, Akechi won't argue with that. He suspects it'll be some time before Akira can match Sojiro, let alone surpass him, but... ]

I'll be sure to provide regular feedback.

[ But for now he'll pour himself some tea instead. It's not anything special - a fairly basic black tea with a hint of blueberry and sage - but it's smooth and mellow and, most importantly, pushes back the last edges of the chill. ]

I suppose it's only a matter of time before you start trying to replicate the curry, too.

[ He takes another sip of the tea, taking a moment to let the warmth soak into his hands before he sets the cup down and nods. ]

I look forward to it.

[ Something... close to any kind of normal sounds nice, right about now. Though, he guesses this is the new normal. But letting go of what he had in his life before this place... is something he can't do. Sojiro was a big influence in his life so the least he can do is cling to the thing they bonded over.

... And speaking of, the mention of curry brings a faint glint to his eyes. ]

As a matter of fact, I've already started. Wanna become taste tester of that, too?

[ The idea of accepting anything here as normal isn't one that really appeals to Akechi; he'll have to eventually (it's not like he's ever going home) but for the time being it just doesn't sit right with him.

Still, that doesn't mean he's going to refuse to participate in daily life here. And apparently, conversations like this are a pair of that 'daily life' now. ]

Gladly - though I'm not as familiar with the curry as I am with the coffee.

[ He snorts a bit. ]

Guess I'll have to change that.

[ Challenge accepted, etc. He's starting to genuinely relax... and that's strange, but kind of a relief. He can't say when he'll ever fully relax around Akechi, if ever, but this is a nice change from day one (specifically, in this place).

In any case, he will be letting himself fall quiet after this, at least long enough to properly focus on the tea before it gets cold. ]

Have time for another game today? I know it's not our usual day, but if you have nothing better to do, I wouldn't mind more practice.

[ No, let's be real, he needs the more practice. While he isn't the worst at chess, he's still getting his butt kicked right now. ]

I think I could find the time for a game or two.

[ Luckily he has a chessboard (it was one of the first things he bought after arriving), so he's only too happy to set it up and while the afternoon away with a few more games. He's as merciless as ever, but by the end he's willing to admit that Akira seems to be improving. It's something.

When Akira finally departs again (Akechi is surprised to realize how little having him in his space for so long bothers him) Akechi offers nothing more than a simple goodbye, as well as a confirmation of when and where they'll meet the next day.

It's likely no surprise when Akechi makes a point of showing up early at the Coven the next day, though he doesn't make any particular effort to beat Akira to the punch, nor is he annoyed if he's not the first one there. Regardless, his greeting is the same. ]

You made it. Good.

[ He has a small wooden box in hand, but he doesn't offer it out or explain its presence just yet. He'd rather wait until they're inside. ]

[ It is something that Akechi is admitting that he's improving. Akira is glad, though, that he is. Maybe even proud of how far he's coming along. It reminds him a lot of those games against Hifumi, too - though that only has him missing her and all of his other friends all the more...

He kind of wishes that wouldn't happen every time he thinks of them.

The simple goodbye and confirmation are met with an equally simple goodbye and an agreement on everything regarding tomorrow. Akira is, fortunately, able to sleep fairly well when he finally does. He isn't the first there, however, the next day...

But that is mainly because he had trouble falling asleep at a "reasonable" hour, even in terms of what his schedule had drifted into. Meaning his body is fighting to shift him later and later into the day, with waking up.

At least he makes it on time, though there's the hint of something sheepish in his gaze before he nods. ]

Were you waiting long?

[ While he doesn't have a box in his hand, he does have one hand in his jacket pocket; there is the outline of something vaguely box-shaped near it. ]

No. I only arrived a few minutes ago.

[ And Akira would have heard it by now if Akechi had been made to wait too long... normally. Right now Akechi's not sure what if would have done if Akira were late. Gone home and never spoken of it again, probably.

But they're both here, and that means... it's time to get started, isn't it? Not even Saburo is here today, which means it's just the two of them and the Coven Witch setting up the ritual. ]

Come on.

[ Akechi isn't a passive person, but he's usually content to follow Akira's lead... except for now, apparently. And to be fair, there's a pretty good reason for it: ]

Have you ever been inside the Coven before?

[ Eh. Even with the Phantom Thieves, he generally let them do the talking and he generally served as a final say. Whatever makes other people more comfortable is his preference.

So... he has no trouble just following along with this, and there's probably some obvious level of comfort towards it, even if he isn't making a big deal out of it. He shakes his head at the question. ]

Not willingly. [ a beat ] Someone dragged me here when I first arrived. They thought I was going to die, so I was rushed to an infirmary around here...

[ Fun memories! ]

[ Ah, right. The whole interrogation room thing. Akechi can imagine another person's response to that far too well. ]

Well, no one will be dragging you to the infirmary today.

[ ... Probably. Akechi's never even heard of Bonding ceremonies going so disastrously wrong that the participants need to be hospitalized, but he won't put it past Akira to be a trendsetter in that regard.

Akechi knows where they're going, so he leads Akira right to a room that seems to be set aside for just such a purpose. The circle has already been set up, and the Witch overseeing the ceremony gives them a cheery greeting and invites then to take a seat whenever they're ready. But even though they're here, Akechi doesn't step over just yet. Instead he finally offers the wooden box out to Akira. ]

Here. I thought that it might convey my intent better than any vows.

[ Which is a polite way of saying that he doesn't expect Akira to trust a single word he says, so hopefully and action will get the point across better. ]

[ He quirks a brow at the box, and then gives a small nod of gratitude as he accepts it. While it isn't the first gift he's ever gotten, he can't deny it feels... strangely nice to be on the receiving end. While those words do seem to have some hidden message within, it feels a little like a checkpoint in their relationship.

Some of that conflict has shifted, leaving a little more room for something more than mere cooperation. Sure, trust is far from being at the maximum between them - if the Metaverse suddenly became accessible again, he knows he'd feel compelled to watch Akechi much more closely...

... But, as things currently stand? He actually does trust him. So, while he won't argue, he does give a small smile as he passes his own cardboard box over. ]

Funny you'd say that. [ hint of a smirk ] I was thinking the same thing as I made mine.

[ With that, he'll go ahead and open the box. ]

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