an open thing!

[beguiledcard]

Who: Akira Kurusu (open!)
What: various things! (naps, cooking, annnnd... birthday)
When: March 21st, into early April
Where: various places
Warnings: the usual post-murdergame stuff (will mark appropriately)

end of march

[ It's during the end of the month, there are various places he can be found. When he's on the beach, he will usually either be training or napping on the sand. This is a perfectly nice place to sleep, after all. There are some rare moments, he can be seen sitting there and sipping a soda or munching on a few devil's fruit (unless the person has no clue what one of those are; in which case, they're free to ask).

When he isn't on the beach, he's in the chicken room. Most of the time, he'll be lying on his back somewhere, napping with a chicken (or two... or three......) on him, and possibly with one on his chest? This is a perfectly nice place for sleeping. Or maybe he's sitting against a wall, petting one of them.

Last, but not least, he's possibly either reading or writing (in his diary) on the roof. If someone is quiet enough, they might be able to catch a glimpse of what he's writing (which is possible something regarding Goro, Kurama, Prompto, Izunia, or... any of his currently closest CR, really). ]

beginning of april

[ Then, along comes April...

It's around this time, he will be putting even more effort into improving his cooking skills. So, if anyone comes along and hovers for long enough, they are at risk of being handed a random pastry. It might be... salty where it's supposed to be sweet.

And, in possibly less dangerous territory, he may be shoving a spoonful of curry at them - after warning them that it's pretty spicy, and only in the event they're not (as far as he knows) adverse to spicy things (hi Goro). It's that or beef bowls. Maybe sushi? He's not going to be making too many other things, just yet.

Then, on April 9th, he's treating it as any other day. He sees no pointing announcing what the day is, since... with the weird time difference, he... actually turned a year older already?? Should he consider this a birthday? How old is he, really?

... Anyway, people are welcome to catch him hanging around on the rooftop, lying down and staring up at the sky. It's unlikely many people will be able to get the reason for him staring at the sky out of him, but he won't get annoyed over anyone asking. ]

Comments

[beguiledcard]

[ He tilts his head, twisting a strand of his bangs. ]

Maybe I could take some in, as well? [ . . . ] ... After I make sure Goro and Kurama would be okay with it.

[beguiledcard]

[ SWEATDROP... ]

Guess I had the temperature setting wrong. [ a nod ] Thanks for testing it out. I owe you a proper muffin now.

[beguiledcard]

[ A small smile, though it doesn't quite reach his eyes. ]

It could also help if I ever have my memories taken. [ CASUALLY SAID ] And yeah... for a full year.

[ He twists a strand of his bangs. ]

I was accused of attacking a drunk guy who'd fallen and hit his head. [ hint of bitterness ] He originally wanted to sue me.

[ There's a pause... ]

But... as for how I met Goro and Kurama... [ another sort of... empty smile? ] That depends on how much time you have to sit and listen.

[beguiledcard]

[ There's the hint of an amused smile. ]

Morning. [ he ain't judging ] How've you been?

[ It's a roundabout way of asking if he's in Nap Mode because of not sleeping much at night. ]

[beguiledcard]

[ AHAHA................. ]

Honestly? This is my first time making this, and it's not something I've ever tried before.

[ AKA: "your guess is as good as mine." ]

Apparently... sweet?

[scarsolderthanyou]

[Stone shrugs, and continues eating the one he has, not fully cooked or not.]

I won't turn it down. It's probably better than I could do. I can make very good tea, and not much else.

[riderofcharlemagne]

[The comment about memories gets a flash of sadness in his face, as opposed to concern. Losing one's memories is a specter that looms over him with a time limit.

As he goes on, that shifts into anger at the injustice of the situation.

By the time he finishes, Astolfo makes his response clear by getting himself into a more comfortable position.]

I'm all ears.

[shiritai]

I see.

[ She meets his gaze readily. ]

It's exceedingly bitter. The bread is oversalted to the point of drowning out any sweetness.

[ No mercy whatsoever... ]

[beguiledcard]

[ O-oh... he sure is just... keeping on keeping on with that. They do say "waste not, want not" but that's still impressive dedication. ]

Tea, huh? Reminds me of a few people I know... Well, if you want to continue helping me get better at this, I'll trade you snacks for tea.

[beguiledcard]

[ His eyebrows lift a little at the straight-up, brutal critique... only to lower as he quietly laughs for a few seconds. ]

I appreciate the honesty. [ genuine!!! ] Thank you.

[ A thoughtful hum is given as he folds his arms over his chest and glances back at the counter. ]

Guess I accidentally used salt, in place of the sugar. [ sheepishly... rubbing at the back of his neck, and looking back to her ] I owe you a better quality snack, after I manage to make something with the correct ingredients.

[beguiledcard]

[ He notes the sadness... and then the anger...

... The anger reminds him of Ryuji for a moment, and so it's his turn to give a faintly sad look. Astolfo sitting in the more comfortable position snaps him out of that, although it's in favor of Akira's expression holding a hint of something... uncertain.

In all honesty, he's unsure of just how much to go into. There are a lot of things that aren't his place, alone, to share. ]

Well, the first Goro I met, I encountered while my friends and I were visiting a place that was hosting his interview. He was a pretty popular guy, and a ton of people loved asking his opinions on things. [ a smile, though there's a hint of conflict ] Things were complicated, even back then. We had a few differences in opinions.

[ THAT SURE IS PUTTING IT LIGHTLY... but just vaguely enough that he's able to slide right on into the next part. ]

He'd usually catch me when I was on the way to school, or while I was working at the cafe. That's how we gradually bonded.

[ But, then he's pausing. He's skipping over a lot of details, here. ]

After my team managed to defeat the worst enemy of all time, I wound up... in something called a Reaper's Game. I wasn't even on my planet, anymore. But that's... how I met Kurama.

[ With a quiet, thoughtful sound, he leans forward a bit, gaze shifting to a spot in front of him... It's a little distant. He releases an exhale, looking to Astolfo. His smile is... sad, but his words are definitely genuine. ]

Let's just say I haven't stopped being grateful to have them in my life, ever since we got out of there. And, by managing to help win them back, I learned to count every blessing. And they're two of the biggest that I'll never stop fighting to keep.

[riderofcharlemagne]

The...first Goro?

[He tilts his head in confusion. That detail didn't escape him, despite how air-headed he might be.

He thinks on the rest of what Akira says. He hadn't considered he'd been through so much, and that sad smile...it's something undoubtedly painful.

Still, he has to ask:]

What was the Reaper's Game?

[shiritai]

[ She looks down at the pastry in-hand for a moment and then back up to Akira. ]

Are these pastries all you're currently able to make?

[ Or rather: is she going to be at risk of biting into more gross oversalted bread next time you present her with food. She's not being rude on purpose, honest. Just accidentally rude. ]

[scarsolderthanyou]

I won't be of much use except for tasting, but sure. The tea here isn't as much like the tea from my home, but it's decent.

[And after popping the last of the undercooked muffing into his mouth, he sets about doing just that: making tea. He has at least worked out how to use the stove here, so setting the water on to boil isn't a trial.]

[beguiledcard]

[ There's a reassuring shake of his head. ]

That works perfectly, for what I need.

[ Though, the second sentence... ]

Have you met someone named Kurama?

[beguiledcard]

[ It's easy to answer the first question, since he can leave out details that are too personal for his boyfriends, or even just too difficult to say, period. ]

Yeah. That's actually how were learned there are multiple timelines for each world. The Goro Akechi that's here with us is from a timeline that's earlier than the one I come from.

[ But it's the second that has something distant appearing on his face; he's separating personal experiences from the simple facts. ]

There are monsters that are invading multiple worlds. They can be fought by people who are able to use abilities called Psyches. The Reaper's Game is kind of like a training ground for people eligible to do that.

[ Astolfo seems like the reckless type, so: ]

You have to be hand-picked ahead of time by the people running it.

[beguiledcard]

[ He shakes his head. ]

Well, I worked at a cafe and learned how to make coffee and curry. Then, I worked at a beef bowl shop, and I can still make a lot of the things I learned there, as long as I have the right ingredients.

[ IT'S OKAY HER RUDE COMMENTS ARE LIKE A FRESH COTTON BALL TRYING TO STICK TO A DRY, GLASS SURFACE... ]

[scarsolderthanyou]

Not that I remember, but I might have missed the name if I did.

[It happens. While the water boils, he digs into the cupboards for his favorite tea.]

[founderinglight]

[Perhap too roundabout, for this early in the "morning." Izunia tips his cup back one last time, looking up into it with disappointment, before banishing ti back to his Armiger.]

Well enough.

[Helpfully, someone recently left a batch of muffins in the kitchen, and he can pull one out for breakfast without much trouble.]

Want one?

[riderofcharlemagne]

Woah-!

[The existence of multiple timelines is a lot to comprehend, but is just so overwhelming and incomprehensible to make perfect sense to Astolfo, and his eyes glitter a little at the prospect, and he leans forward.]

That means we could end up with multiple Goros here, right? Or more of you!

[With Akira's continuation, that excitement leaves him somewhat and he slumps backwards.]

Ah, well, I have no interest in that sort of thing...training, fighting monsters, I have my fill. Sounds like it was tough, besides.

[shiritai]

So your area of expertise is savory dishes, not sweet.

[ She gives a little nod, as if that explains everything. ]

That would account for the abundance of salt. [ still so brutal. ] Though, if you've learned from your mistake, then next time you should be able to produce acceptable pastries. Though the taste was unpleasant, the texture was very flaky and crisp and would have been an excellent compliment to a sweeter pastry.

[beguiledcard]

[ He's working on the mess he made. ]

Kurama's the guy with bright red hair and green eyes. [ as for the reason he brought him up- ] He also enjoys tea a lot.

[beguiledcard]

[ He's moving to properly sit up, and then pulling out a cup of coffee from his own inventory. After holding it out to Izunia, his expression brightens a tiny bit at the offer of food.

With a smile, he nods. ]

Thanks. [ as for the coffee: ] It's one of the cups I'd made, back home. One of the last things that d- [ ack ] Sojiro gave me a lesson over.

[ He has another, too! After pulling the second cup out of his inventory, he takes a sip with a quiet sigh. It's different from the cups that Goro offers other people, in that it's customized exactly to Akira's tastes. ]

[beguiledcard]

[ Huh...

Akira's expression softens a little, and he gives her a nod with the hint of an appreciative smile. ]

Thank you. I think I already know what my biggest mistake was, so I'll hopefully do better next time.

[ He twists a strand of his bangs for a moment. ]

And you're right. Sweet foods aren't usually my favorite thing, but I'm trying to get better at making them for my boyfriends.

[beguiledcard]

[ Aw, what the heck. Stop being cute...

Though... the mention of multiples has his expression... flickering a bit. Something distant enters his smile as he nods. ]

Yeah, we could. I've already met another Akira Kurusu, and things were different between his timeline and mine. And one of my friends here is guy, while the Makoto I knew, back home, was female.