awashlogs | [Open/Mingle] Grand Opening!

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[Open/Mingle] Grand Opening!

Who: Akira & you!
Where: A building in Ruga, converted into a cafe
When: early September
What: Akira is opening a cafe!
Warnings: None right now

[Akira has put quite a bit of work into this over the last month (alongside Akechi, his unlikely but earnest helper), and now he's pretty confident about opening. It's what used to be a store in Ruga, but Akira has moved out the worst of the shelving and replaced it with tables and chairs. The counter has been cleaned up and converted into a bar, with Akira's siphons already bubbling with water he fetched from the well at the end. Jars and bags of coffee are set on shelves behind the counter, procured from Leblanc during the time the portals were open. Though the stock is a bit sparse for a truly functioning cafe, it's better than nothing. Akira also took his old apron, which he keeps on a hook when he isn't wearing it.

There's also a couch in the back for people to sit on, and at the front, sitting on its own stand, is a guest book, made for him by Akechi, with an old ink quill waiting next to it for people to sign.

He arrives early the first day, after sending out an announcement over the network. Time for business.]

[OOC: Feel free to make your own top levels in the cafe!]

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[Ah. Guess he hasn't explained this.

He shakes his head.]

This was... before that. I came across a man harassing a woman on my walk home. I tried to stop him, but he fell and hurt his head. I was charged with assault.

[And thus began his quick descent into actual thievery.]

[ oh.

This is indeed the first time he's heard about it - and, judging by the way he narrows his eyes, he's not too keen on it. Not because of anything Akira did, but -- ]

How typical. [ being punished for good deeds is something he's also familiar with. ] Let me guess: that man had a lot of money.

[Akira smiles, though it's thin and tired.]

Money and power. [A shrug.] He had the power to make the police charge me, while keeping his own name out of the incident.

[It took awhile for Akira to even learn who he was.]

[ a nod and a sigh. ]

The story's always the same. Not too much has changed in two centuries, I suppose.

[ or... all of human history. But that's why the world needs people like the two of them. ]

You did the right thing - I hope you and your parents know that.

I know that now. It took some time, but... I don't regret it. I wouldn't change anything.

[He means that, and not only because it put him on the path he's on now. It was the right thing to do, no matter how you look at it, and he would always make the same choice.]

My parents... think I shouldn't have gotten involved. But I'm sure they're just concerned about my future...

[ the hesitation is obvious - and that coupled with the fact that he's not even currently living with them brings a whole host of implications with it. It's not his place to judge, however; he has neither parents nor children of his own, and so, he keeps his thoughts to himself. ]

Good. [ that he doesn't regret it, that is. ] So? What's this Sojiro fellow like, then?

[At that, Akira can't help but laugh, just a little.]

He's a hardass. [He gives his head a shake.] Or he wants to be. He has a big soft spot for kids, though. And cats.

[It took Akira a little longer to get to that soft spot than others.]

I... might have gotten his daughter involved in Phantom Thievery.

[He definitely did that.]

[ now that makes him laugh. Approvingly. ]

Look at you. You're the very picture of the bad boy every dad warns their daughter about. [ but it's okay. being a dashing rogue is hard work... ] I'm guessing he doesn't know about that side of you.

[ or his daughter, now, apparently. ]

He found out. But I think he tries to pretend he doesn't know.

[It certainly got easier after he didn't have to hide it anymore.]

She was one of our victims. Not because she was a criminal [Although, some of Futaba's... adventures in hacking are probably illegal...], but because she needed our help.

He found our calling card in her room. It didn't take long for him to piece it together.

[ stealing not for profit, but for justice and fairness - he really is a good gentleman thief. ]

Then he's a very good guardian for not ratting you out.

[ tacit approval is still approval. ]

Yeah. He's a good guy.

[Akira nods in agreement. Sojiro might have been rough with him at first, but in the end, Akira couldn't have asked for a better guardian.]

I appreciate all he's done for me. [And he means it.]

So do I.

[ taking good care of his heir! It looks like getting dumped off by parents runs in the family, unfortunately, but he's glad that Akira found someone he could rely on, just like Lupin had. ]

... Although I might change my mind depending on what this coffee tastes like.

[Don't blame the coffee on Sojiro, he did his best! But Akira didn't deviate from the recipe this time, so it should be just fine.

Speaking of, here it is!]

Hopefully it's up to your standards.

[He does want Lupin to enjoy it, after all.]

[ no love in this coffee, huh.........

he clearly has total faith in Akira, because he doesn't hesitate one bit when the mug is set in front of him; he takes a good (careful) sip. As he said before, he doesn't drink coffee very often. Still... ]

... Mm. This isn't half bad. Especially considering you made it in Chroma, of all places.

[His coffee love goes to Akechi. Be thankful.

Akira waits quietly, though there certainly seems to be some anticipation about him. This is an opinion he cares about.

And he's glad when the verdict comes back pretty good! He nods in thanks, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously.]

It's not all that bad. I got lucky Boss is so old-fashioned.

[ so humble. Yes, Lupin likes this kid. He grins over the mug, setting it back on the bar. ]

Hey, hey, watch what you call old-fashioned. It's probably modern to me.

[ jokingly, of course. ]

So you live with a guy who makes coffee and his daughter, huh... Anyone else?

[A laugh at the joke, short an light. But at the question, he shakes his head.]

Only my cat, Morgana. But we've all become pretty close... Futaba is almost like a little sister to me now.

[It's easy to admit that when she isn't here to make fun of him for it.]

Sounds nice. What's she like? I don't have any siblings, myself.

[ or if he does, he doesn't know they exist, and they don't know he does, either. Who knows, at this point... ]

She's shy, if you don't know her. Not at all, if you do. She's a hacker, someone who's good at manipulating other people's computers and getting information from them. She has a tendency to relate everything back to video games, and has a bad habit of implying some people are unimportant, but she's sincere, and she really does just want to be close to people.

[Is he gushing? He tends to do that, sometimes, about his team.]

[ hacker... video games... it's somewhat obvious on Lupin's face that he doesn't exactly know what Akira is talking about, but he can at least feel the enthusiasm, and he thinks he at least can tell what kind of person Futaba must be. He takes another sip of the coffee, nodding. ]

She sounds like the type that could use some good older-brotherly guidance. [ a beat. Lupin smirks. ] I have to say, you seem like more of a little-brother type from where I'm sitting, though.

...A little brother?

[Akira actually seems surprised by that. He didn't know he came across as a little brother type...]

How so?

Hmmm... Maybe it's because I'm older than you, but not old enough to be your dad or grandpa? [ he wonders out loud. ] You remind me of myself, except young and cute. You're always doing your best to keep up with me during our lessons... And you're polite, but you've got a mischievous side, too.

[ there's one more thing, but he can't exactly say "you're trying to be like me" out loud without it sounding patronizing. Not that Lupin sees it as a bad thing at all - it warms his heart terribly. ]

Edited 2018-10-01 06:50 (UTC)

[Ah, geez... when he lays it all out like that, it sounds kind of embarrassing.

Akira reaches up to play with his bangs, effectively hiding his face with his sleeve. A solid tactic. Now maybe Lupin won't know he's embarrassed.]

I guess that makes sense. You're the big brother type, after all.

[So there!]

[ is Akira being shy...? Lupin cocks his head, as if he might be able to get a peek around that hand. ]

Eheh. I've heard that before. But it feels like every kid around here wants to treat me like I'm an old man, so I'm still happy to hear it.

[That tactic failed! Then again, Lupin jokingly calls himself his great-great-grandfather, so what was Akira expecting...]

Maybe it would help if you didn't call us kids. [He's almost 17, Lupin, he's not a child!

He lowers his hand again.] There aren't a lot of adults here, though. A lot of adults aren't dependable, but you are. So that's probably why.

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