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]

[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...]

[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]

[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.]

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?

[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]

[Excellent job for someone who just started. Eikichi approves, from the look he gives him.]

See, that's how I think of it too!

[He inspects the other's work and gives a small whistle.]

It's lookin' great, bro! [He takes one of the fish steaks and places it before the both of them, before cutting them into small, precise slices.] Each shop has their own way of cutting to maximize the flavor. The best places make a show out of it...you keep the number of seats small and make it more of an experience. Granted I ain't gonna ask you that. Pops was more of a fresh fish of the day kinda guy, so we switched around constantly.

[he lays the knife down when he's finished and steps back to admire his own work. for his first time filleting a fish, he didn't do too badly! but his cuts are a little uneven, oops]

Is that what you do here, too? Serve whatever is freshest out of the water?

[It's uneven that a master would notice, but (to Eikichi at least) it looks like they'd pass fine in most sushi establishments.]

Well I ain't gonna fish this shit like pops did myself, that's for damn sure.

[He keeps switching to a more polite tone to his usual...Eikichiness when he speaks. Fish tend to bring that out in him.]

I have a few fishmen who supply me, and I try to mix it up with both. Having a set menu means some people return for it, but switching means you always have something new for them. That bein' said, if you want to do your own thing, I ain't gonna stop you.

[He dips his hands in a small bowl of water, forming the rice before placing the fish slice on top and then shaping it more before placing it on top of a wooden plate for him.]

Here. It's all yours!

I think I'm a ways off from being capable of doing my own thing.

[even his own experiments with curry, a recipe he had long since mastered were, uh. a little imperfect]

[he does, however, reach out to graciously accept the finished sushi roll from Eikichi. and, because he feels like it'd be rude to refuse free food, he totally stuffs the thing into his mouth]

IC BOX - EMPATHEIAS

works for me!

super duper action time

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