Stealth Mission (Locked to minipancake)

[undyingcrow]

It was embarrassing, the way that multiple children embarrassed Karasu when he declared his challenge. In hindsight, he should have expected it. It was a public challenge, where everyone could see it. He did so specifically to make his intentions clear and to make an impact.

Which he did, obviously. Just not the impact he desired.

Goro Akechi has endured more defeats than he'd care to admit, and some damning ones, at that. Pancakes, spicy takoyaki... yet somehow, being verbally pummeled by a thirteen year old ranks above all the rest.

But it is what it is, and he can do little but move forward, anticipating his next move. His first stop? Daidara Metalworks, naturally. Untouchable's wares are useful enough in the Metaverse, but why pass up the opportunity to test a real saber? As he steps inside, he examines the various swords and katana with one hand beneath his chin.

He hears the door subtly shut behind him, but initially pays it no mind. Still, he'd be a fool to completely lower his guard, so he's listening all the same.

Comments

[minipancake]

From his shelf, Wagtail looks up, cheeks burning. The piece of shit saw him, didn't he? And he just laughed and moved on, like Wagtail is nothing. Damn him to hell.

Well, if that's how he wants to play it. He heads out, keeping a safe distance—but not too safe—ducking behind walls and fenceposts to keep Karasu in his line of sight. At the restaurant, he sighs; the place smells so good. But it will not deter him from his mission. He settles down to watch and, importantly, listen.

[undyingcrow]

The beef bowl arrives, and Karasu stares down at the frightening amount of meet in the bowl. It smells delicious, of course, but this rivals the Big Bang Burger in its absurdity...

Nonetheless, he takes his chopsticks and takes a few bites, before casting a glance around the restaurant.

No sign of his little follower, so perhaps...

A few moments later, Wagtail receives a text message:



A growing boy should eat plenty of protein.

[minipancake]

The nerve of it. Feeling the vibration—as if he wouldn't keep his phone muted, come on—he crossly texts back.

Not that much. That much food is only for old men.

[undyingcrow]

Are you saying that Raven doesn't enjoy the "Mega Beef Bowl?" I would expect him to enjoy the challenge.

Funnily, his intuition is correct here. Raven has tried many times to conquer the Mega Beef Bowl, while Crow devours it effortlessly.

Not that Karasu knows this.

[minipancake]

I'm not saying I wouldn't eat part of it.

Trying to come between him and Raven, now? Or get him to insult him? Karasu may be a skilled opponent, but Wagtail sees through him.

[undyingcrow]

Aiya's Chinese Diner

It has a quaint atmosphere, which evokes the feeling of a storied history. Oddly elegant, the scents from the kitchen waft through the air, beckoning patrons to empty their wallets and fill their stomachs.

Not that wallets have any particular meaning here, but a print ad suggests that ordinarily, the rainy day special is 3000 yen, unless you can eat it in a single sitting. A clever scheme to draw in those bold (or perhaps foolish) enough to gamble at the cost of their health.

Yet no one can deny that it's lovingly prepared. Even if you can't finish the meal, there are plenty of leftovers.

So, to those standing outside, torn on whether or not to indulge themselves, I give this venue a recommendation.

This is incredibly silly. The food blog was so fake, but if it lures him in, then it'll get the job done.

How long can he stick to the shadows?

[minipancake]

"I know Aiya's already. I live here." Idiot, adds the kid's tone from behind, having come in on silent feet.

He hops up onto a seat at the counter. "One rainy day special, please. And seven to go."

Take that, so-called "Karasu". Honestly. Ugh.

[undyingcrow]

Oho. Now they're both seated at the counter.

Chuckling, Karasu resumes eating this monster of a bowl. "Seven? My, that's quite a hefty load to carry."

It almost feels like a bit of competitive showmanship. Very Akechi of him, really.

[minipancake]

"Oh, there's always someone around to help," he says, folding his small hands neatly on the counter with an answering smirk. "You won't say no, I hope."

Competitive? Sure. But he can manage a couple of bags of takeout on his own, worst case. If not, he'll just text Raven.

[undyingcrow]

"It would be rather inconsiderate of me." Heh. Time for another bite. Perhaps if he paces himself, he won't make himself sick. "So, you were spying on me. How curious."

[minipancake]

This is the moment the cognition chooses to place Wagtail's beef bowl in front of him. It smells as incredible as ever; he picks up his chopsticks, and dives in.

When he comes up for air, he offers Karasu another smirk, more self-satisfied if anything. "I wouldn't call it spying. We have so little to do, you know. It's educational!"

[undyingcrow]

It takes Karasu a moment to respond, even if he paces himself more carefully. He even blots his face with a napkin before speaking.

"Yet you stuck to the shadows. Then again, I suppose that's a wise decision. Many of us are... dangerous."

[minipancake]

Wagtail stares sideways for a moment, chopsticks still in his mouth, before he digs back into the beef and onion. "Are you dangerous?"

[undyingcrow]

Karasu hums, taking his own piece of beef and onion and placing them in his mouth. "I wasn't as fortunate as Crow. Not that it justifies anything, really, but it did lead me down a path I wouldn't recommend."

[minipancake]

Mmm, beef bowl. He swallows tidily. "Doesn't sound like you're dangerous to me. That's important. Plus, you're smart, so you know if you did anything to me, everyone else here would kill you."

A path he wouldn't recommend, though. That's got to be the Magpie murder thing. About which he's only heard second-hand, and not much at that.

[undyingcrow]

"Only because I wouldn't stoop to the level of harming children." Not by choice, anyway, though that goes unsaid. Not to mention, it's only half true. Call Ren a child, and Karasu was more than prepared to eliminate him.

The one time he's grateful he failed...

"If I had reason to do harm, I would. And I certainly could. It's what I'm most adept at."

[minipancake]

Interesting. Wagtail is still watching him meditatively, as he eats his beef bowl. This is what he could have grown up to be. It makes even more sense of why Magpie is like he is, closed-off and scary—though, truthfully, Wagtail thinks he understood that from the start.

"That must be a good thing to know." There are, after all, enough people in the world he's wanted to hurt. And, both here and back home, there are still enough threats, as he's heard about from Ken.

[undyingcrow]

"Perhaps in the sense that I could defend myself, but self-defense is hardly what I 'excelled' at." Hmph. Time for another bite. "I orphaned two people, you know. Okumura had it coming, of course, but the same cannot be said for Wakaba Isshiki. Be grateful you've been liberated from that path."

[minipancake]

The words lodge in his stomach. He sets his chopsticks down. "You mean Haru-san's father?"

Wagtail has met the man. He doesn't like him; doesn't like his distance from Haru, or the large, fake smiles he gives him, knowing that he's one of Mitsuru-san's wards. As for Wakaba Isshiki—he knows of her. He's even seen her, and watched her, the same way he saw and watched Karasu. She's Futaba's mother.

[undyingcrow]

"Correct." The word is stiff, stilted, and he breathes a soft sigh. "Kunikazu Okumura is no better than Shido. He sought to use my 'services' to attain power and prestige and cared little for the consequences, as his employees were merely machines in his eyes, and his opponents targets to strike down."

[minipancake]

He pokes absently at his beef bowl, shocked to his small core. "I didn't know that."

Sure, President Okumura had the same feel to him as many of Wagtail's shitty relatives, for all his wealth and power. And sure, Haru locked up when he came into the room, as if she was in a cage, in a way he knows well. But he didn't think the man was a killer.

[undyingcrow]

"In all fairness, he also didn't have the means until I came into the picture, and people can be incredibly opportunistic, when they have the luxury to chase their ambitions without fear of consequences."

He scoffs, however, almost skewering another piece of beef with his chopsticks. "I'll warn you now, he will try to place his daughter in an arranged marriage. Without you as Shido's weapon, it's possible that his life will follow a different path, but even in the best case scenario, I doubt that will change."

[minipancake]

I'll marry her first, the child in him almost says, looking mutinous. But the emerging adult pulls the child back; already, he's sure he doesn't really feel that way about Haru. Still, it's not like marriage has anything to do with people's feelings.

"I have a feeling that won't happen. We already changed lots of things." Like him already knowing his Haru, for example. That's a butterfly with some big wings.

[undyingcrow]

"I suppose that's true, but I'd remain diligent all the same. It would be careless to assume everything will be so straightforward, not to mention that there's still that godforsaken cup to consider."

He's not entirely sure how much Wagtail knows, so he watches closely to gauge his reaction.

[minipancake]

"Cup?" It doesn't ring any bells. He racks his brains, trying to think of any way to make a cup dangerous.