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[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. ]

[grakraka]

[That actually makes him giggle.]

It's kind of exciting, isn't it? [Still amused, he looks at the different shops as they walk.] Wine always seemed so fancy to me. But I have had some chocolates that had wine and cherries in them before.

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That sounds fancier than plain wine to me.

[ Really, Akira's own experience with it extends about as far and using it to make curry and consuming said curry—and at that point, the taste is nearly imperceptible. ]

How were they?

[grakraka]

They were amazing. But they made me feel sleepy after I ate the entire box. [Perhaps he has low alcohol tolerance.] Oh, we should make those sometime.

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[ There's something about the mental image of Akechi tearing through an entire box of chocolates in one sitting that actually gets a small laugh out of him as well. ]

Well, we'll probably have leftover wine to do that.

[grakraka]

[A light blush comes to his cheeks as he huffs softly. Is that really the thing Akira laughs at? Well, maybe it was kind of funny, so fine.]

Well we can still buy a small bottle at least. I believe we have to buy it at this bar.

[Though he isn't entirely sure since he hasn't bought alcohol before.]

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[ And neither is Akira, but the bar seems like a reasonable place to start. He doesn't see why they wouldn't sell them a bottle if they offered money for it. ]

Let's find out.

[ So he leads the way into the bar, a bit smaller and dimmer on the inside than the tavern where he works part-time. Not to mention much more quiet at this time of day. It reminds him a little of Crossroads, and recalling the welcoming greetings Ohya and Lala-chan would give him brings a fond smile to his face. ]

[grakraka]

[The quietness of the time soothes him somehow. A little like a cafe, but not, given that he can smell the underlying alcohol. Akechi glances at Akira to speak and notices the smile on his face. He's caught on it for a moment, wondering what kind of thought brought it on, before he clears his throat.]

What type of wine was it again?

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[ The sound draws him right out of the thought. ]

Red. [ But that's kind of vague, so he thinks back on the labels of the wines he's seen in Leblanc's kitchen. ] I think Sojiro's used both merlot and pinot noir before, so it might not matter that much which kind.

[ They might be called something completely different here, after all. ]

[grakraka]

[It may seem a little sudden but here's some trivia for you.]

It is extremely unlikely. Wines are named by region or the variety of grape used to make them. The divide is typically between 'New World' and 'Old World'. Old World tends to be by region while New World tends to be by the type of grape, though there are exceptions. Old World makers believe the region the wine was made in matters just as much as the type of grape, if not more. Soil type, soil quality, weather and so forth go into the grape itself. For example, Pinot Noir is called Burgundy in France, where it was born. Merlot, meanwhile, is a type of grape that was usually blended into other wines until it came to America.

[And that's your wine trivia for today!]

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[ They're making quite a pair so far: the one who knows how to make the curry but little about anything that goes into it, and the one who doesn't cook but is full of trivia about all of the ingredients.

Akira's taken off guard by the sudden onslaught of information but listens with interest nonetheless. It's a useful piece of trivia to know right about now, but that means... ]

I stand corrected. [ An amused noise. ] Since none of those places exist here... I guess we'll have to pick something and hope it's close. [ Since it's not like he knows the taste of the wine itself to compare to. ]

[grakraka]

[At least Akechi has some very specific uses. He smiles.]

For our purposes, just a red wine will probably be fine. Red wine is best, flavour-wise.

[Akechi goes up to the counter, asking for a small bottle of red wine. He specifies that they'll be cooking with it just to get the point across that it doesn't have to be too special. When given a selection the bartender finds best for cooking, he just mentally shrugs and accepts it, though he does split the cost with Akira again.

He does hope they didn't get scammed into buying something too expensive but cost wise, it leaves them enough for the rest, so he thinks it will be fine.]

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[ And just like that, the wine is acquired. That should be the most expensive ingredients out of the way, leaving behind mostly just the simpler ingredients that should be easy to find at the stalls along the street: things like fruits and vegetables, rice, honey, and so on. They still have to figure out what to do about the nonexistent ones, but before that...

He steps back out into the daylight and throws an inquisitive look over his shoulder. ]

Where would we find chocolate around here? [ Akira has an inkling that Akechi already knows exactly where to get some. ]

[grakraka]

[Sure enough, he looks delighted.]

Oh there is a very nice candy shop not far from here.

[He begins walking again, most excited for this part.]

But I'm going to guess you're not really big into sweets, right?

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[ Akira easily falls into step with him, having expected Akechi to start leading the way. ]

They're all right. I like it when they have another taste rather than just sweet. [ Something to give more depth than just the overwhelming taste of sugar. ]

[grakraka]

[He nods.]

Complex flavours are good in sweets, too. That's why I like parfaits and crepes. You can get different flavour combinations that complement and contrast each other. Of course, just a well-made chocolate bar is good, too.

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I haven't had a crepe in a while...

[ That's the sort of sweet he can appreciate, something versatile. It doesn't even necessarily have to be sweet. ]

There was a place back home that did unusual crepe flavors. I wanted to go try them sometime. [ But it's obvious what happened before he could get around to that. ]

[grakraka]

[The first thought he has—that Akira will get to try them eventually—gets discarded. He doesn't particularly want to think about the fact that Akira will someday go home. After all, if anyone can do it, it would be Akira. But no, another day. He can be sad on his own time, as per usual of how he deals with emotions.]

Hmm, you're going to have to learn to cook a lot of different things, I see...

[Instead, he opts to ask for crepes in a roundabout way.]

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[ It's also a thought Akira would rather not linger on, though it's more that he's not sure when he's going to be able to make it back.

Much easier is throwing Akechi a look when he seems to be making an indirect request, grin barely contained. He'll have to do better than that if he wants to put Akira to work. ]

Don't worry, I won't make you my guinea pig for all of them. I'm sure someone else would be willing to test the crepes.

[grakraka]

[How rude. Akechi purses his lips in a little frown, realising what Akira must be angling for and also realising if it will get him free crepes, he will go ahead and do it. Except, of course, he'll do his own twist on it. He gives him an especially cute smile, the kind he has given Sae many times for free food.]

Since you know how much I like them, I think you actually feel excited to make them for me.