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[Wow. Rude much? At least Akira seems to be enjoying himself, so he tries playing along the angle given to him.]

Of course it will be challenging. It can't just be any crepe. It has to be something unique. It has to be your version of a dessert crepe, right? That alone must be different than any other crepe out there.

[ Maybe he's giving in too easily in this playful little tug-of-war, but Akechi has laid an interesting challenge in front of him. Better yet, a couple of ideas have already popped into his mind—inspiration, if you will. ]

Alright. Will I get anything if I make this unique crepe and you like it?

[Akechi tilts his head, thinking. Most of his skills don't translate well to the current moment.]

If I really like it... then you can get a favour from me.

I'm okay with that.

[ It's actually a pretty weak offering from someone who recently promised to help him however he needed. Then again, Akira isn't really in it for a reward. Having some sort of stakes just seems customary for this type of thing. Honestly, with the ideas brewing in his mind, he's just looking forward to experimenting until he comes up with something that will please Akechi. ]

I just might ruin all other crepes for you.

[At least he accepts it. Good enough for him. And frankly, now he's rather intrigued.]

Oh? That is quite a boast. I'm very eager to see if you manage to live up to the expectations that it sets.

[Though even if it doesn't, just having something to look forward to feels good. Akira even seems sincerely happy about it, too, rather than put-out or anything like that. It really does just feel... nice.

Akechi leads them into the sweets shop and pauses looking in at the glass display of different types of candies wrapped up: toffees and caramels and fudge and marshmallows and hard candies, too. He knows they're here for a reason but he can't help being a kid about it at times.]

[ Akira only has a promising smile for him. It's mostly just a bluff, thrown out there to fan the flames of this little challenge for fun, but his ideas are catered specifically to Akechi's tastes, so—who knows, maybe?

He follows into the shop, and rather than get straight to work locating the chocolate, Akira allows himself to linger at the display as well. These aren't the kinds of sweets he's particularly into, but it's a nice image to see them all neatly lined up and interesting to see what exists in this time and place. ]

... What's your favorite kind of sweet? [ It's not asked for any deeper reason than curiosity; he just realizes in moments like this that for as much as he knows about Akechi, there are so many shallow little details that he has no idea about. ]

[He cups his chin in thought.]

It depends on my mood. If I want something light but quick, a marshmallow-based sweet is perfect. If I want something richer, then caramel or nougat is good. Hard candies are good when I have to savour the taste for awhile. I think what is nice about sweets is that even though they have the 'sweet' aspect in common, there is a vast difference between all the types.

[Then, laughing a little, he glances at him with a smile.] Sorry, that was a bit more complicated than you asked for, wasn't it?

[ The mirth in the glance he sends Akechi's way says it all: Akira would never ask him a question expecting a simple answer. He knows better. ]

You answered my question. Sometimes answers aren't that straightforward. [ Shrugging a shoulder, he slides fingertips along the top of the display as he moves farther down, eyes peeled for chocolate that would be easy to use for their purposes.

It was really just because he was curious, but Akira files the information away for the future, crepe recipes or otherwise. ]

[It pleases him more than he can say. But for now he allows that to be left unsaid with just a smile before he flags down the shopkeep and asks for a bar of a specific type of chocolate, assuming there can't possibly be that much chocolate needed. The owner teases him about how he's asking for less than usual and he clears his throat with a laugh.

He doesn't say it but not in front of Akira??

He pays for the bar himself since it's not expensive at all, handing it to Akira.]

What do we have left?

[ Akira isn't about to be so rude as to butt into the conversation between Akechi and the clerk, but he does turn his head away to hide brief, quiet laughter at the teasing. It's barely been a month, and he's already a known regular? Akechi's sweet tooth is the real deal. ]

Thanks. [ He accepts the bar and slides it into his bag as well. It's a good thing that it's just going to be melted into the curry because he's not sure its shape is going to hold through the warmth and humidity of Maiuril while being jostled around inside.

On the way back to the door, he mentally reviews the ingredients list. ]

Honey, rice, apples, the vegetables... Some substitute for yogurt and steak sauce. [ That one is entirely reliant on Akechi and his food smarts, though. ]

[Akechi listens to the list, then takes out his notebook again. After a moment of thinking, he writes something down, looks over it, then nods.]

All right. Go get the honey, rice, apples and vegetables. I'm going to get what we need for the rest. We'll meet back in front of this shop when we're done just to make sure we have everything before going back. Agreed?

[ Divide and conquer—a good plan, one that'll get them through the shopping list that much quicker. Akira is curious about what Akechi's planning to buy in place of those ingredients, but he'll find out once they've reconvened. ]

Okay. I'll see you in a bit. [ And as he heads out the door and down the lane, he gives one warning over his shoulder. ] Don't get distracted by anything sweet.

[It gets Akechi to turn around and glare at him but he otherwise just waves him off as he heads in a different direction. It takes him about a half an hour to gather up everything he needs for it, so that when he comes back to the sweets shop, he has a bag under his arm of the things he needs.

He is tempted to buy something from it now. But after Akira teased him, he refuses to today, staunchly not looking at it.]

[ Somehow, Akira manages to take longer than Akechi does to return to the sweets shop. Finding apples turns out to be harder than expected—turns out there are some seasons where they're less common, which the grocery stores back home never hinted at—and then he gets sidetracked at the stall of a particularly friendly turnskin who's selling some sort of pancake-esque dessert. The crepe challenge is still in the back of his mind, so he swings by to ask a couple of questions about the ingredients and what the shopkeeper thinks would be good for doing a thinner sort of alternative. It gives him a direction to go in, at least, and stirs a couple more ideas.

He finds Akechi already waiting, back turned to the shop, when he returns, a small sack with the vegetables in hand. ]

Sorry it took me a while.

[ He glances down to Akechi's bag. Looks like he found what they need. ]

[Although surprised by the wait, he looks up at his voice with a smile.]

That's fine. Did you get everything you need? We can look together if you were having difficulty.

[ Akira shakes his head, lifting the bag just slightly. ]

Got it all. Apples just aren't that common in spring.

[He sighs. That makes sense. Greenhouses might exist and there might be imports, possibly, but overall, things will be seasonal.]

I miss modern conveniences more and more everyday. But in that case, we're all set.

So do I...

[ There are plenty of other things that he misses more, but it takes being thrown into a weird, magical Victorian-era city to realize how many of those conveniences he took for granted. ]

Let's head back, then. [ A jerk of his head indicates the way they came from, a quick warning before he starts off in that direction. ]

[Akechi walks alongside him, his mood brightening the closer they get back home. Although he does enjoy Leblanc's—and by extension, Akira's—curry, it's more than that. The taste of it, the smell of it, all the familiar things he took pleasure in will be his soon enough. And he gets to have a chance to see Akira cook again, too.

Although he doesn't realise it, the smile on his face happens to be a little childish.]

[ The trip back to the Haven is quieter than the one out. Akira doesn't mind it; the intermittent silences doesn't feel like gaps that needs to be filled but rather comfortable reminders of days at Leblanc with Akechi seated at the counter and him behind it, the rare moments when he would be quietly focused on a book or case notes rather than talking at Akira while he worked.

For Akechi not to be speaking, it means that there's probably something going on inside of his head. A glance over reveals the smile on his face, not the sort he's used to seeing, evidence that perhaps his suspicion is correct. ]

... What are you thinking about?

[Although he could lie, he doesn't put much thought into it this time.]

Your curry. I knew the smell of it really well. Coffee and curry... [He shuts his eyes for a moment and breathes in.] I can still smell it even now.

[But more than just that, he can hear the quiet sounds of the TV, either news or some variety show or, occasionally, Featherman. The uncommon sounds of another patron. Akira's quiet voice when he did speak. Sometimes, the rain outside.]

I'm looking forward to it. Ah, especially because you're making it.

[ Suddenly he understands the nature of Akechi's smile all too well. The comment expands on the previous memories, a span of months pressed into one nostalgic smell, the mingling of spice and coffee. ]

I can, too. [ It makes Akira feel terribly homesick, but he tries to keep that out of his voice, soft though it becomes.

Knowing that he's about to smell it for real, removed from Leblanc, both lifts his spirits and makes his chest clench. He doesn't really want to focus on the latter, so he regards the last bit with quiet humor. ]

I thought you found my curry too spicy.

A bit, yes. But I don't really mind it. It's how I can tell you made it.

[Though, saying it that way feels like it reveals too much but it's true—he loves knowing that it was made by Akira. Akechi brushes some of his hair back behind his ear, toying with the ends of it.]

In general, what makes that curry so good is that it doesn't taste like any other curry. It's unique and memorable. Even when you make it too spicy, that too is part of why it's good.

[ It's like that night in the basement: a rare glimpse of unguarded, unfiltered honesty. If Akira's caught off guard (which he is, a little—he's still adapting to the idea that he can openly trust Akechi, after all), he doesn't let it show on his face, only offering a smile. ]

... Thanks. I'm always happy to make it for someone who appreciates it.

[ He'll still try to adjust the spice level more to Akechi's taste, even if he claims it's fine. ]

[He doesn't expect Akira to after he said it was fine. But he smiles back.]

Do you like cooking that much?

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