deathboss | IC BOX - EMPATHEIAS

[nervous, huh]

Right. I'll see you then.

[and! after the bathhouse closes, Eikichi will hear a perfectly punctual knock on the back door]

[Instead of a bird, a wyvern the size of a mini horse arrives at Jade's place, a letter in a tiny collar place around its neck.]

~~Jade-babe,~~ Mister Jade Sir,

I would be ~~stroked as shit~~ please to ~~talk~~ discuss with you at a time of your choosing. May I also suggest meeting at the Spa inside my office?

Thank you,

Eikichi Mishina

[He tried his best to sound fancy. Also the wyvern may be waiting for a headpat and perhaps food. It will keep staring at him until it gets at least one of these.]

[It takes a minute before the door opens. And when it does, Akira will quickly realize why.]

[It's...a normal teenager. Dressed up in this world's version of a sushi chef outfit. The lack of colored hair and makeup, devoid of rings and silver chokers, the only thing that makes Eikichi look like...well Eikichi is his red eyes and slightly less pale skin. Otherwise, he could pass off as a younger version of his dad.]

Don't tell anyone about this.

[I am a makeup-less Eikichi. The true self...]

[Eikichi's reply draws pause and a raised brow from Jade, though not as much as his choice of messenger. He has seen these wyverns around, of course--both as their live and not-too-alive counterparts thanks to Shaarnath's taste in local cuisine. While he still finds it strange that people keep these as pets, he supposes it's no more stranger than a certain emperor keeping rabbit-pigs as pets and using the aforementioned as messengers of a kind, so for the most part, he takes this interesting visit in stride and offers up his own reply in turn, which agrees with the proposal to have things at Eikichi's office and sets a time for mid-afternoon the next day.

The wyvern, as a happy ending of a kind, manages to get some food out of Jade. For better or for worse, Jade, unfortunately, isn't the headpat kind of person after all.

Once confirmations are exchanged and sent, the next day, Jade will be arriving at the office around ten minutes before the appointed time, knocking on Eikichi's door with a box of strawberry pie in tow.]

Mr... Mishina? It's me, Jade Curtiss.

Oh, so like restoration of some sort?

[He just nods to himself as he continues to keep drawing the maps more.]

The writing's faded out, or you could couldn't figure out what it meant?

[blinks]

[blinks again]

[blinks veeeery slowly]

Ah-- you look good.

[is that an attempt to break the ice? maaaaybe]

But as I said, your secret is safe with me.

[Akira no. Don't say that. Eikichi turns away for a few seconds, biting his tongue and trying not to turn into a tomato.]

O-okay. Anyway.

[He practically tosses him an apron and a cloth for his hair.]

Put these on and we'll start. Have you ever worked a kitchen before?

[catches the apron and immediately slips it on over his neck, tying the strings at the back. at least it isn't pink and frilly like the last one he wore]

I have. I helped Boss in the kitchen of his cafe back home all the time.

Heh, guess that makes sense. Starting with a bit of experience does make this easier.

[He looks thoughtful for a few seconds before leading him into the kitchen area.]

I make my own soya sauce from scratch. There's no proper wasabi in this world, so I've been using a facimilie from here - not quite the same taste but it'll do. Ever cut fresh fish before?

No.

[fresh fish is hardly ever used in the curry shop]

There's no wasabi here? Really?

[HIS PRECIOUS WASABI CHIPS]

Hey I said proper wasabi. Sushi chefs are kinda picky 'bout it. There's stuff you might find...acceptable.

[Urgh. He hated being this picky due to his old man. But seriously if the guy hadn't touched fish at all, this would take a while...]

OKay then, how 'bout we gotta start from the very beginning. How good are you with knives?

[as though Akira and Sojiro weren't picky about their curry ingredients]

Boss taught me how to use a knife, if that's what you're asking. I can chop vegetables.

[he fights with a knife he's a god damn master with them, geez]

[If only Eikichi knew, he wouldn't have laid it on so thick as he continued to speak.]

Chopping vegetables and slicing fish is a bit different bro! There's a finesse to it, y'know? Fortunately, we don't have an open bar, so you won't have to cut it on front of the guests, but might as well give you the basics for that too.

[He likes sharing knowledge. Plus that means he won't have to do it as much himself. He takes the sashimi knife and goes over to one of the unscaled fish, showing Akira how to fillet it properly, before putting the knife next to the fish and indicating him to try.]

Alright, show me what you can do.

[This should be good.]

[Akira watches Eikichi work with an intensity that can only mean he's serious about learning how to do this. when the display is finished, he takes the knife from Eikichi, head canting slightly as he inspects it. it's a bit different from the chef's knives he uses while making curry, and very different from the daggers he fights with in the Metaverse, but. . .]

[he flips the knife smoothly in his hand until the blade is parallel with his arm, handle tucked against his palm. with a second flick of his wrist, he's holding it correctly again, though only for a second before he tosses it to his other hand, catches it by the handle, and twirls it adeptly between his fingers]

[. . . now he's just showing off, what an ass. at least the display only lasts for a few seconds before he finally transfers the knife back to his dominant hand and starts to filet that fish with careful precision]

[Alas poor young wyvern. It seemed pleased by the food regardless, and chirped a little before he flew off once his task was completed.]

[Eikichi too, had been preparing. Partly not to get the fiasco of that time when the Pokemon trainers came in and the wyverns were eating roses all around them, partly because his room had required a good cleaning by now to be more presentable. By the time Jade arrives, the place looks presentable, despite the large sleeping (and snoring) wyvern couple and a few of their kids on the side. He just can't get rid of them and if he tried, they'd claw his door in.]

Please come in uh---sir.

[Nailed it.]

[Jade enters and one of the first things to catch his attention would be the wyverns on the side. He doesn't really think much of it however, dismissing it as something that's part of the Spa's theme.]

This is a rather... splendid office you've got.

[He means it in a nice way for the most part, though perhaps his tone suggests a few reservations of a kind. It does look neat, at the very least.]

Thank you for having me today and on such short notice. I've brought some pie for the occasion--is there somewhere I could place this?

[Yes. Please pay no mind to the snoring group. It's probably better than they are sleeping anyway.]

Thanks!

[He's caught all of those visual cues - Eikichi's good at that type of thing, but he chooses to ignore it. Or he's just that vain. He moves some of the sheets from his desk.]

Here, sit down, sit down! Shall I go get some plates for the pie?

[There is no way he is eating that alone.]

[What]

[the]

[fuck.]

[Eikichi just watches in mute silence for a few seconds before he remembers to close his mouth and stop starring, despite the disregard for any safety Akira's presentation entailed. It is somewhat insulting to know something you worked at so hard all your life is so easily understood by someone else, but on the other hand, this will be a little easier.]

[But hey, if he can tap into that Envy, he will, just to help out Aiada.]

Uh...s-so what type of skill did Boss show you?

[HOW TO KILL A MAN?! SECRET ILLEGAL KNIFE FIGHTS?! Maybe if he didn't assume all leaders used swords...]

G-geeze, at this rate I don't think I can show you much. [Awkward laughter.]

If most of your pets aren't inclined towards pies, then most certainly. I bought this primarily for you and them.

[Given what the wyvern from last time seemed rather interested in. Though he wasn't expecting this many to be around, so perhaps... he's underestimated for the occasion. Still, he leaves the said box on the desk, then postures towards one of the empty seats and gladly takes a seat.]

Do pardon me for cutting to the chase so soon, but has Aiada... seemed in any way off to you lately or the past months?

Just because I know how to fight with a knife doesn't mean I know how to butcher fish with one.

[he points out! he might be picking the knife work up quickly, but if there's a tiny bone in the fish afterwards he's really sorry]

I've been using one in the Metavers for months.

[he breaks the "protags are sword users" chain]

[That is still impressive. But bonus points for making Eikichi feel less insignificant.]

Oh! So it's your weapon. Huh...[. Well if he was a roof inspector and had a fancy thief-like outfit, knifes would be easier to carry around, he has to admit.]

Oh! When you remove the skin, make sure to put the fish downward. Some chiefs do it from above, but dad told me you loose less fish that way. And fingers.

[Then he laughs a little. Okay now he's back into this.]

But you're doin' real well so far, training or not! And here's a bonus courtesy of Michel - everything you make tonight you can bring home. [Cause he ain't eating this shit.] So the better you do, the better you can impress your friends and family!

[there's a pause, and Akira shifts the fish underneath his knife to conform with Eikichi's instructions]

Like this?

[it's a bit of an awkward position for him, but! he's trying]

With a generous offer like that, I'm almost disappointed my cat didn't come with me here.

[Trying is good as far as Eikichi is concerned. He's not trying to raise him to be the next to take over the store, after all.]

Yeah, that's good! Just push it down a little more so that you don't get too much flesh.

[He can't help but laugh at cats.]

A band of 'em used to gather backdoor of the restaurant. I gave 'em leftovers when pops wasn't lookin' Why waste it, you know?

[The reaction was instant. The word pie repeated twice, and then the word pet. First Jackson wakes up and looks at them, before the growing children copied her mannerisms.]

Haha, looks like they'v waken up. Alright I'll get some--

[He stops just as he's about to go, and sits back down. This isn't about pies anymore, and Jackson almost seems to understand, going back into laying down again so that her family does the same. For now anyway. That pie's days were counted.]

Considering what happened, I think it's a good question. Yeah, she's been somewhat...clingy? It's rather hard to make people envious as it is to be appreciative so...

[He sighs.]

And after what happened with the blind dates, I just don't want to cause TOO much trouble either, y'know? I've been tryin' to think of ways to make people jealous without causing an outroar.

[Akira obliges! and the fish is lookin' pretty neatly cut, too]

Why waste it when it can be donated to the belly of a hungry cat, yeah.

[he says, amusement lacing every word]

IC BOX - EMPATHEIAS

works for me!

[7/3, wyvern messenger]

super duper action time

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[timeskip to my failure]

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