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[ It's less that he's a man of culture and a lot more that he'll read whatever's put in front of him. Books, magazines, the preparation instructions on food packages—Akira really isn't picky. Then again, he isn't when it comes to most things. ]

As opposed to ours, right? [ Because his really has gone off the rails this past month. It would be kind of comforting to read about some fictional drama. ] What kinds of things are happening in it?

[grakraka]

[A brief grin flashes over his face. There is a bastard child in this, so maybe it isn't that different, but he doesn't comment on that aspect.]

Right now, the youngest sister is trying to position her son to be heir of the fortune but doesn't know he is planning to marry a young servant girl and disown the family. Meanwhile, the eldest son is in some shady black market deals involving magical item peddling and has gotten into trouble by encroaching on another family's business. A servant is also planning to blackmail the head of the family with another servant, who she doesn't know is her brother. I'm not sure why that part is being hidden yet.

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[ It's every bit as convoluted as Akechi said, which brings a half-smile to his face. Luckily he's not the type to care about having a story spoiled for him beforehand, although it sounds like this one probably has many more twists and turns than the ones spoken of so far. ]

It sounds like none of them are going to end up getting it in the end.

[grakraka]

In a mystery novel, this would be the precursor to a series of murders. [A pause.] Well, it might still be, but it won't be a book about solving them and they would have started by now if it was.

[Not that he minds that, really.]

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Just from what you've said, I'll be surprised if someone doesn't die before the story is over.

[ It seems they're determined to cash in on any source of drama possible, after all. ]

[grakraka]

I'd be more surprised if they didn't, yes. [But he turns his attention to their mission, if it can be called that.] What ingredients are we looking for, by the way? Leblanc's curry was rather unique in taste.

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[ Akira pauses. He can almost hear the tone of Sojiro's voice at the thought of revealing the secrets of Leblanc's curry, but they're about as far from home as they can get.

He lists off the obvious things, like vegetables and spices, but then there are the less common ones. ]

Apples, honey, red wine... [ Those, he thinks they can find without much trouble. ] And chocolate, yogurt, and steak sauce. But I'm not sure some of those even exist here.

[grakraka]

Wine, apples and honey should be just fine. Chocolate they definitely have. [Says the boy with a sweet-tooth.] Steak sauce, though? Huh. I don't know. I haven't looked for it but you know, it's a fairly simple sauce. Yogurt is also simple if needed...

[He gives a pleased hum.] This is such an interesting recipe. No wonder it has a distinct flavour profile.

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[ He only has a nod for the observation. Akira can make the compromise of sharing the recipe with Akechi, but the story behind it is personal, something that isn't for him.

Instead, he latches onto another point. ]

You know how to make steak sauce?

[grakraka]

[Akechi smiles at him. There isn't much harm in explaining his process here at least.]

I don't cook, so it isn't like that. What do adults like to talk about? You can't subsist off weather alone. But they love food. I mean, everyone likes food but an interest in food, in the history of it, in the composition of it—knowledge of the culture of food marks you as more 'mature', right? Thus adults will hold real conversations with you.

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[ Akechi's explanation makes his mouth press a bit tighter with... something. Sadness isn't the feeling, but it's close to that, hearing the implication that he built the interest with the goal of being acknowledged as an adult.

It does make him curious, though. ]

Is that why you came to Leblanc the first time?

[grakraka]

[He didn't expect that question and hesitates before deciding to say something that is at least partially the truth.]

No no, that wasn't it. I didn't feel comfortable anywhere at the time, so I picked somewhere that wouldn't be crowded. Sae-san said it was a small, slow place.

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[ It's far too easy to conjure up the mental image of the cafe's interior at Akechi's words, the empty booths and smell of coffee set into everything. Akira shuts his eyes against it, just for a moment. ]

You got what you were looking for. [ And perhaps a bit more, supposing Akechi really didn't know that he was boarding there at that point. ]

[grakraka]

[It earns a soft laugh. He did find a lot in Leblanc. Even during the worst days, somehow being there always felt comfortable. Chatting with Akira or sitting in silence with his coffee, it didn't matter—he couldn't fully relax anywhere but at least he could be himself there. He could just breathe.]

I did. It's a very lovely place.

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Yeah, it is. [ And he misses it so much that it sometimes feels like a physical ache.

Akira's thoughts drift to home, to his friends, and whether time is still moving along there without him. It's been almost a month. If it has, what's happened since then?

But he can't dwell on it for too long; it's already starting to show on his face. Brushing his fingers through his hair, he glances over at Akechi. ]

So just those two things. If it turns out we can't make them, we might be able to find something with a similar taste.

[grakraka]

[While he misses conveniences, he doesn't feel it deeply. There is no one to miss him and no one for him to miss. But he does miss the kind of peace he had in those moments in the cafe. At least he did gain a moment of that here, with the person beside him.

Not that he'll say that. He just smiles when Akira speaks again.]

I know quite a lot of types of substitutes. Food science is actually pretty fascinating. So if you do wind up needing to experiment, leave it to me. I can give you options.

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Thanks. Maybe we'll end up putting our own twist on it.

[ Between Akechi's knowledge and his own, it's bound to taste decent even if they do have to improvise on the ingredients.

The rest of the way to the shopping district is filled with small talk and intermittent silence. The bright colors of the entertainment district give way to the markets, and Akira's steps slow as they come up to the main street, looking for a good place to start. ]

[grakraka]

[He takes a small notebook out of his pocket and flips it open, consulting it.]

Let's see. Why don't we start with the spices? They're going to be the cost the most... followed by the wine, I think. The rest shouldn't be too bad.

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Sounds like a plan.

[ He peers over, somewhat curious about the contents of the notebook, but ultimately Akira ends up scanning down the line of shops until he sees one that looks like it might fit the bill.

With a tip of his head to indicate the shop, he begins to lead the way over. ]

[grakraka]

[The notes are just about the city, the things you can buy and rough costs. He likes to keep research handy. But he gives a hum of agreement as he follows him. Once they're inside, he looks at different sized glass flasks of spices and looks at Akira.]

I don't know how much you need of all of these things, so I'm generally going to be a little useless here.

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It doesn't take much to make a batch. Not even a tablespoon of each.

[ Normally he'd err on the side of too much, just in case something goes wrong, but Akechi wasn't kidding about the spices being the most expensive part. Better to try to land close to the target with this part of the ingredients list. The upside to shopping here over the grocery stores of modern day is that he's likely to be able to buy however much he wants rather than being confined to prefilled shakers. ]

So we need cumin... turmeric... [ He's working on identifying them as he lists them off, making sure that they have everything. ]

[grakraka]

[While he does that, Akechi does what he is best at by writing them down as Akira goes with the amount next to it and figuring out the price. Once he has it, he divides it in half between them and shows Akira.]

Will this be fine for you? We can ask the clerk to measure it out if so.

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[ Despite his claim to the contrary, Akechi's assistance turns out extremely helpful. Akira checks the paper when it's presented to him. ]

... Yeah, I can do that.

[ His eyes drift towards the shopkeeper—a human. Akira's interactions with the citizens of the city have changed ever since the full moon. People who once wouldn't give him a second glance now send him dirty looks, and it's nearly impossible to tell what kind of reception he's going to get beforehand.

But Akira simply takes a breath and starts towards the counter. He's got enough experience in that regard to cope with it. It's no different from Shujin, right? He just hopes the shopkeeper won't jack up the prices to be petty. ]

[grakraka]

[Whether the clerk might actually say something or not, Akechi comes with Akira, more than happy to chat with the clerk as they ask for the spices. He has been a master of small talk—with people older than him, anyway—for awhile now, so he feels calm doing it now, a good distraction even if the clerk's gaze does dart briefly to Akira's changing features. For the most part, the clerk chats back, trapped in pleasantries.

Akechi does it without indicating the reason to Akira in any regard and after they've paid, he just smiles at him as he holds up the little bags of spices.]

Here, into your bag and onward.

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[ The clerk barely regards him more than the necessary amount as they go through the transaction, occupied by Akechi's small talk. Akira chooses to remain a mere bystander to the conversation, letting it bounce against his ears as he watches while the spices are measured out.

It costs more than he planned to pay, but the end result is going to be worth it. ]

Thanks. [ He thinks it might be for more than just handing over the spices that go right into his bag as they leave the shop. ]

Wine now... [ This is going to be a first-time purchase for him, a thought that brings some humor to his tone. ] Good thing we're not still in Japan. [ One of the rare situations where he'll actually say those words. ]