ɪɴʙᴏx [ᴇxᴘɪᴀᴛɪᴏɴ]

[chemex]

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[chemex]

[His ears turn a little pink, if she can see them through the sentience his hair is gaining in not being cut in nearly a year because he is afraid of the prospect of Goro Akechi with scissors.]

[And a manual one he does have. He's got a manual grinder, too, and produces a small bag of beans from a top shelf for her.] Very. You come through okay?

[mapsio]

[Man, Akira really is cute like this. How lucky.]

I don't really know. My brain feels a little muddled right now. I have been trying really hard to sort through what is real and what isn't. Nothing really feels real right now.

[chemex]

[He laughs faintly, nodding.]

Yeah that's about how I feel. My head's like a big weird bowl of jell-o. [He reaches over her head again to pull down the grinder, stepping back and leaning on the opposite counter.]

[mapsio]

[ She starts grinding some of those beans, the motions are firm and with purpose. ]

I had to visit City Hall this morning too. That is certainly a tough crowd.

[ She just chalks that up to bad timing. ]

I can’t say I remember much of it though.

[chemex]

[He tilts his head.] City Hall? What for?

[mapsio]

That’s just the thing. Ever since whatever happened in Aldrip, I’ve started having gaps in my memory.

I just remember going there, and not much else after.

[ Haru feels like her head is soup. ]

It’s okay, though. We have been through worse, I’m sure of it.

[chemex]

[His head tilts further, until it's about entirely sideways and he's frowning at some spot on the counter in curious confusion.] Huh.

...Maybe I'm just used to being empty-headed, I haven't really noticed a difference. [A crooked little grin-- he's trying to reassure her it's probably fine.]

[mapsio]

[ She giggles a little bit. She’s going to boil the kettle now.

While she waits she just, looks to him. ]

I trust you.

Can I ask something?

[chemex]

[He straightens off the counter a little, keeping eye contact and tilting his head the other way, wordlessly prompting her to go ahead.]

[mapsio]

We didn’t kill my Father, did we?

[ Why is she even questioning this again?

It’s because her brain is literally soup right now. ]

[chemex]

[That's a startling question. Akira's eyebrows briefly come together and he shakes his head slowly, taking a small step toward her and reaching out to take her by the elbow.] No, we didn't. He suffered a mental shutdown after we left the palace. We didn't induce those, Akechi did. [Which-- he considered hesitating to say, because relations between Haru and Goro are already (understandably) tense, but... Haru needed facts, and ultimately of all the people Akechi killed, Haru's father is one of the least innocent.]

[He isn't so sure he'd go as far as to say to her face he deserved it, because even if he did, she didn't deserve to have the chance to reconcile with him taken from her. It's complicated.]

[mapsio]

Right.

[ Then why is she remembering that all wrong? Why can’t she remember the truth right now? She doesn’t seem panicked about it, just mildly put off that she seems to be remembering incorrectly.]

Akechi-san, right. He had a rough situation too. I remember that I said I understood, but things would be tense.

We’re trying.

[ Akira helped her break free before, and she is so determined she can do it again. ]

[chemex]

[He nods, squeezing her elbow. This... is not nearly as damaging for him, personally, as it was to go around waking his friends up from Maruki's false reality, but it's still hard to watch.]

It's okay that you don't forgive him for it. It's... not really a forgivable offense.

[mapsio]

It is hard to forgive, but he means a lot to you, and I wanted to make an effort.

[ It is like puzzle pieces, falling into place. She will get there, she thinks. ]

[chemex]

[He fidgets with his hair.] I appreciate it, but don't push yourself. He can mean a lot to me without being forgiven for his transgressions.

[mapsio]

I know that.

[ She just smiles at him. It's all the more reason to try, she thinks. Not to forgive Akechi, but get back on some footing of understanding with him. Akira is always so good to her, to everyone. ]

Would you like a cup too?

uses this icon because it's rude

[chemex]

[Akira's whole midsection aches a little about the whole thing, if he's honest. From his sternum to his hips feels heavy, knowing he holds so dear someone who took so much from several of his closest friends. Knowing that they don't scorn him for it-- or at least, those who have experienced the degree of closeness he's attained here in Aldrip. He feels disgusting, feels unclean for how badly he's wanted to be where he is, how glad he is to have what he does. It feels like he's trampling all over Haru and Futaba both.]

[He doesn't figure either of them would ever admit to feeling that way, if they ever did. But it doesn't change that he's constantly at a terrible, wretched crossroads with himself between the one person in the world he so desperately wanted to save he nearly traded the rest of the world for him and the people he's hurt.]

[But anyway, coffee.]

[He smiles tiredly, the expression belying nothing of the constant inner turmoil he puts himself through.] Careful, I'm a snob about coffee.

[mapsio]

[ Akira should know that Haru wouldn't think of it any differently. She wants him to be happy, and if this is what makes him happy then who is she to stop him? finding out did sting a little bit, but from then on...well, it's become pretty normal.

But awkward feelings aside, she's already halfway through pouring over the first cup. She has a dainty touch when she does this sort of thing. Like she wants the coffee to taste just a bit softer. ]

Who could blame you? You learned from the best.