(Closed) A Simple Errand

[seekerofjustice]

(Locked to devilKira)

It's been some time since Akira arrived at Dove's balcony, and Dove has taken it upon himself to make certain Akira recovers smoothly.

It's a small and quiet place. There's plenty of sunlight coming in through the balcony door and windows, and the view is actually quite nice from it. It's just nice and cozy.

But that's how it's been, no particular excitement or ventures for Dove. He's been too worried for Akira, keeping close in the event something happens. He hasn't minded a bit, enjoying the time with his dear friend, and getting things done around his apartment.

He even prepared his spare room for Akira, rushing to get the clutter out of the way so he can rest easily. In fact, Dove walks up to the door of that room right now, and gently knocks.

"...Akira? Are you awake?"

He doesn't want to disrupt Akira, but... he has a couple of things he needs to do, and it's important he gauges how Akira is feeling.

Comments

[seekerofjustice]

Dove's smile is getting a competitive edge to it now, his eyes zoning in on Akira as he steps up next to him.

"A bet, hmm? And what would we be betting, exactly?"

He asks that, but it's clear he's curious and invested. It's not as if he has much experience in regards to bets-- or if Akira's being literal in the case of a bet in this specific instance.

[thedevilinyourdetails]

"We don't haaaaave to bet..." Akira drags out the word, obviously teasing. "Loser posts "I'm a rotten egg" to the network?"

[seekerofjustice]

Dove chuckles at the suggestion. Rather heartily, in fact.

"That will do quite nicely, as a matter of fact. Very well! The last one there has to post 'I'm a rotten egg' on the network, then."

His eyes shift towards the Iwatodai door, setting his sights on the prize.

"That is, if you accept the terms, of course."

[thedevilinyourdetails]

Akira grins, stepping to be even with Dove. "Shake my hand and we have a deal."

[seekerofjustice]

And so Dove does. As they shake hands, the bet is officially placed.

That just leaves it to the duo to get set and go go GO!!

...Wait, hang on, Dove's actually kind of fast when he's trying, what.

[thedevilinyourdetails]

Yeah...between his smoker's lungs and sickness yesterday, Akira's starting to hack and cough halfway through the Velvet Room, stumbling out of the race and into the entrance of Paulownia Mall with a dramatic wheeze and flop to the ground.

"I--" deep breath-- cough-- "forgot--" hack-- "how--" deep breath in-- "fastyouguysare."

Hack. Wheeze. His lungs burn. He flops on his back, staring up at the Dove that beat him to the mall, no questions asked.

"I'm taking-- my shortcut next time."

[seekerofjustice]

Dove almost finds himself on in the highs of victory, but hearing the hacking and wheezing going on behind him brings him back to reality.

He quickly hurries to Akira's side, and kneels next to him.

"Are you all right? I must apologize, I should have realized..."

He wouldn't have wanted to hold back, but at the same time there must have been something he could have done to spare Akira this trouble...

[thedevilinyourdetails]

Akira shakes his head, shaking off Dove's concern. "I bet you, didn't I...? You won. Fair and square. Just...catchin' my breath." Deep breath.

[seekerofjustice]

"If you're certain. In that case..."

Dove goes from kneeling to sitting down next to Akira. He turns to him again with a smile.

"...I do hope you won't mind the company while you catch your breath."

Sitting smack dab in the antiques store probably looks ridiculous, but he doesn't find himself minding so much right now.

[thedevilinyourdetails]

"No bad company with someone like you involved," he winks. He sends off the post to the world and falls back with a grunt.

[seekerofjustice]

Dove lightly smiles as he watches Akira plop back on the ground. He quietly sighs before looking ahead into the store.

He's quiet for a moment, thinking, and thinking... before suddenly he breaks the silence.

"I can only imagine this is what it should be like; just like our race. To put all of yourself into a desired outcome, and to cherish the result-- the effort regardless of whether you get what you originally desired. It is not simply the destination, but the journey that also matters."

Perhaps that's obvious to anyone else, but to him it's a major revelation. After all, his world has long forgotten the idea of the journey. No pain, no effort, no time spent on anything that requires any difficulty of any kind.

"...I'm glad I can experience it here, with you and the others."

He looks back at Akira as he says that, and his smile widens a bit as he leans his head back slightly. He seems to relax a bit as he seems to finally sort through those thoughts, saying them aloud.

[thedevilinyourdetails]

Akira holds up his phone in a lazy toast. "I'll drink to that. Nothing better than the company I have right here with me."

[seekerofjustice]

Dove just smiles at that.

"Perhaps we should get an actual drink for that once we're done with our business, then. So we can make it official."

First they need to finish up with everything though...

"How are you feeling?"

[thedevilinyourdetails]

"I'm always happy to make some coffee." Akira sits up, reaching for Dove. "I'm feeling better -- just needed a bit to catch my breath."

[seekerofjustice]

"Ah, but you made some just this morning."

Dove reaches his hand to take Akira's, meaning to help him sit up if desired.

"With that in mind, I should be the one treating you to a cup of coffee, should I not?"

That smile of his, he's become too sunny, someone make him stop!

[thedevilinyourdetails]

Akira leans on him, grateful -- his own smile not even that far off from being bright, itself. "We don't have money, and you did win the bet...but I'll gladly take the offer."

[seekerofjustice]

After making sure that Akira has become steady, Dove rises to his feet. He is ready to help Akira stand again when he's ready.

"My offer wasn't made for the sake of a bet or money. I offered because you are my friend. Because I want to make something for you to enjoy."

He still enjoyed doing that bet with Akira though, obviously. He just wanted to make it clear that he offers this not out of some kind of expectation, but out of a genuine friendship.

[thedevilinyourdetails]

Akira stands up. ...Oh. "I knew that."

He didn't.

"Hmm...are you sure you can make coffee?"

[seekerofjustice]

Dove nods in response, starting to walk forward to properly walk into the store.

"Frog taught me how to properly brew coffee some time ago. I've been practicing on my own time, and I think I've gotten quite a bit better if I do say so myself."

He does not mention the very large amount of trial and error, and the times he forgot the specifics of Frog's instruction. He does not mention the messes in Leblanc and his own kitchen he has ended up with multiple times.

No, he just pretends that it was smooth sailing.

[thedevilinyourdetails]

"No promises about the state of the kitchen afterwards, huh?" Akira chuckles. "I'm more than happy to try a Dove special."

[seekerofjustice]

And he was sussed out! Akira is perceptive, as usual. Dove wouldn't accept anything less.

"Now, surely you don't believe it was in that poor of condition, do you? The last time I prepared a cup, the kitchen was spotless!"

Dove finally steps to the counter, pulling out a variety of gems and other items.

"Yes, I'd like these, as well as these, and..."

Soon enough the cognition is pulling out a variety of items, particularly Dekunda Gems, Dekaja Gems, Amrita Sodas, Bead Chain EXs, and Precious Eggs.

How many times has he been through Tartarus? How did he balance this with his time in Mementos?

He doesn't want anyone to ask him that question.

[thedevilinyourdetails]

Akira knows the feeling of "please don't ask me how much time I spend in Mementos"; he lets out an impressed whistle as Dove unloads his goodies. "You've been doing a good job."

But, still...something twists in his stomach, roiling in his throat. The small hoard of items that Dove trades for still seems so small in the face of...

Discreetly, Spades swallows a bit of black goo back down into his soul. "Y'know, coffee has healing properties in the Metaverse...I'm curious about what your brews will do down there."

[seekerofjustice]

Dove looks over his shoulder as he grabs the first item to stash away.

"I still have room for improvement, but thank you. If it weren't for lacking in certain areas, I could be fighting alongside you in the battle ahead."

He looks back to the counter, grabbing a few more of the items. He tries not to linger on his foolishness from before, and instead considers Akira's idea about the coffee.

"My coffee in the Metaverse... It's certainly an experiment worth trying, in any case. If you'd like, I can brew some once we're done here, and we can test it?"

[thedevilinyourdetails]

"There are worse problems to have than overzealousness." He would know. "I'll just have to fight extra hard for both of us, then." A wink, belying the sudden uncharacteristic worry that rises up his gorge.

He can hold his own in a fight, one part of him says.

HISSSSSSSSS THAT BASTARD ISN'T GETTING ANYWHERE NEAR HIM SO HELP ME, says the other part.

Akira nods at Goro...Dove's question, and helps him pack the items away. "I'm definitely down. I'd love to see how you fight."

[seekerofjustice]

Dove smiles, honestly quite flattered.

"Hahahah... I appreciate the gesture. Thank you. In return, should you find yourself struggling at any moment, just know I'll be there trying to help you back to your feet."

Not literally, of course but in spirit he'll be there.

As he picks up more of the items to stash away, he thinks about the coffee he'll make.

So... this is it. The first coffee he'll really make for someone else. And not only that, but they're testing it's usefulness, too. He's not quite to the level of Frog or Ren yet, but he's much better than before. He's still striving to outdo them.

"I have some other Personas I need to practice fighting with, so I can think it would be a great idea to fight together."

Thinking on it... Will this be their first time fighting together?