personavelvetroomdr | [MINGLE] chocolate and roses

Not what she meant, but she just laughs instead of correcting him. If she thought anything about the smoking, she sure didn't comment on it.

"Something like that! I'm still getting the lay of the land around here."

Even if she did, he wouldn't have stopped. Smoking's one of the few things that keeps going, pathetic as that may be. Besides, he didn't ask for her to approach, so.

"It can be pretty confusing," he mildly agrees, "you get used to it, though."

"Seeing so many familiar faces on strangers has been so strange," she admitted with a nod, glancing out to the town as if glancing at everyone else also stuck in here. "But it's nice to talk to people again anyway."

There's only a beat of a pause before she looked at him again and smiled, asking, "What's smoking like?"

"... No kidding," he murmurs, mostly to himself. Seeing so many people with Goro's face that aren't him...

He's quickly distracted by her question though, and he huffs out something that may be a chuckle.

"What," he asks, lips twitching into a small grin, "you wanna try?"

"Only if you don't laugh if I cough up a lung," she giggled a bit. "The drunk old monk didn't indulge my curiosity about cigar smoking, hehe."

As he should have. Good people don't encourage others to smoke.

But Kou's not good people. Why should he care if she wants to give it a try.

"Smoking's horrible," he says, but fishes out his pack of cigarettes anyway, "tastes and smells terrible. It'll make you want to deep-clean your mouth, throat, and lungs."

Which is true, honestly. It's just that Kou's used to it, and it's more of a comfort than a deterrent, at this point.

"I won't stop you," he says, offering his pack, "but I can't make any promises, either."

"It's one of those things, you know? Something I wouldn't get a chance to try," she admitted. She paused for a beat, tilting her head as she thought.

What harm could it really do? How long did she even have in a place like this? But it still felt a little strange, and while funny, she could hear Hidetoshi stressing out in the back of her mind.

But no one really gets hooked on only one cigarette, right? And it's just to try.

Just to say she did. While she had the ability to live a little and do something stupid.

Plucking one out, she glanced at how Kou was holding his, mimicking it. "So, a light? And do I inhale while it's being lit?"

Without comment, Kou fishes out his lighter- a beat up old thing that's going to need replacing soon... but he's been hanging on to it, for some reason.

"Nah. You'll burn your throat. Just give it a few firm drags before inhaling," he says. "Put it in your mouth, I'll light it up."

He flicks the lighter on, and lights the cigarette for her, waiting for her reaction.

Kira walks into the area with a basket of chocolates swinging lazily in his hand. The basket is decorated with a tasteful bow. Inside, the chocolates are wrapped meticulously, most in plain foil, but a few stand out—red for couples, yellow for singles. Each yellow wrapper is marked with a cheeky winking face and a pick-up line, because Kira never missed a chance to have a little fun, even on Singles' Awareness Day.

His usual sunglasses are perched on his nose, obscuring the mirth twinkling in his eyes as he surveys the scene. He’d caught a post on the network that had piqued his curiosity, and he figured it was worth venturing out to see what the day had to offer.

And what does he find?

Kou—Corvus, technically—holding out a lighter to a girl with auburn hair. His posture is loose, his expression carefully neutral, but Kira knows Kou well enough to sense the subtle hint of amusement lingering beneath the surface.

Hamuko, on the other hand, is poised like a curious student about to dive headfirst into a questionable life choice.

Kira can’t resist.

"Ah, Corvus," he calls out, voice bright with teasing familiarity as he approaches. "Once again encouraging people’s worst curiosities, huh?"

There was a playful grin tugging at Kira’s lips as he stopped beside them, his sunglasses glinting slightly in the light. His tone shifted into mock-exasperation. "God, I still remember when I tried one of those. They look cool in movies honestly- pretty sure I coughed my lungs out for a solid two minutes."

He shifts his gaze to Hamuko, tipping his head slightly with a warm, easy smile. "Hey there. Name’s Kira. Mind if I intrude on whatever impeccable life lesson this guy’s teaching today?" His grin widens as he gestures toward Kou’s lighter.

Edited 2025-02-18 12:51 (UTC)

A deep Ren-Akira voice chimed in, and Hamuko smiled to see another one. Was this one she met? Maaaaybe? She hadn't gotten used to them enough yet.

Still, she giggled a little while still balancing the cigarette on her lips, dipping in and letting it light anyway. She took the drags to let it catch, blowing them out before actually trying to inhale.

"Let a dead girl have her fun!" she teased, swinging the satchel she'd had on her shoulder to the front to fish out another batch of cookies she'd made, carefully holding the cigarette away from the bag. She still had no idea how flammable it was. "You get some cookies, too. I don't thiiiink I've met you yet!"

Oh, it's Kira. Kou's not sure if he should relax or tense, before he settles on something in between. Kira saw him at his worst... so he probably doesn't need to keep up pretenses.

"I'm not doing anything," he hums, pulling away his lighter, "she asked, I provided. That's all."

Just like Kira had, at the time. Unlike him, though, Hamuko doesn't immediately start coughing- which is more than Kira can say. Though- what she says does put him on edge.

"... You're dead?" She said it like a joke, so maybe she meant something- he doesn't know. Something else, but for a moment, all his attention is on Hamuko, Kira briefly forgotten.

... Kira should know that his reaction isn't just surprise, but also something... else, after what he witnessed with Maruki.

Kira reached for the cookie with a playful grin, starting with, "Oh yeah, don’t think we’ve met—" but the easy humor faded the moment Hamuko’s words fully registered. His hand froze just short of the cookie, and he glanced over at Corvus.

“Dead girl.”

Wow.

His mind suddenly hit the brakes. Whatever snarky remark he’d been cooking up evaporated. Slowly, he took the cookie anyway, but his basket stayed tucked behind his back now, his usual cheer dimming.

“Yeah... okay,” he started, tone cautious now as he studied her. “So, uh...you’re serious? You’re like… what, ‘died a few times and stuck in some weird cycle’ kind of dead? Or like ‘permanently limbo-ed in hell but you’re just chilling here instead’ kinda dead? Or…”

He trailed off- gaze flickering between something glassy to distant. His mind flicked back to the memories of Maruki’s maze—

“...Or do you just like cracking those kinds of jokes?” he said finally, forcing a grin to try and keep things light. “Because, hey, we do have people like that around here too. Honestly, it’s confusing as hell.”

"Sacrificed my life and soul to stop the apocalypse kind of way," she explained, gently placing the cookies into Kira's hands so she could readjust her bag and actually try to inhale.

It was cooler feeling than she expected, for how hot the other end was, but the smoke burned going down nonetheless. Despite her composure, she coughed into her sleeve, though it didn't take from the brightness in her demeanor.

"Wow. That does suck, it tastes terrible," she laughed, rubbing the corner of her eye. "The nicotine must do a lot of the heavy lifting in getting people addicted."

... Oh.

"... So dead people can show up here," he murmurs, mostly to himself. Then, in that case, if Goro-

God, no, please no. He doesn't think he can handle it. Having him here, only for him to still be dead back home? It would be... worse than not having him at all. He barely even hears Hamuko's comment, lost in his own thoughts, idly inhaling on his own cigarette.

Kira’s gaze lingered on Hamuko just a little too long before he plastered his usual grin back into place. He whistled lowly, the sound casual enough but sharp at the edges. “So, you’re the hardcore kind,” he said, even if his smile twitched a little. "I could get behind that honestly. We all have our fair share of dealing with gods."

Yeah. No way she was just this bright-eyed and cheery naturally—not with that story.

But he wasn’t about to push it. He’d seen enough people who masked their trauma with laughter to know when to step back.

Her comment about the cigarette earned a genuine laugh. "Shit, I told you-! Not an impeccable life lesson! Its so overrated."

Almost on cue, Corvus murmured something low and distant: "...So dead people can show up here."

Kira froze, his gaze drifting off for a moment.

Nope. He wasn’t going to touch that thought. It was a maze he didn’t want to wander into right now.

Shaking it off, Kira snapped back to his usual energy. "Sooo, happy Singles’ Awareness Day!" he announced with exaggerated cheer, holding out the basket of chocolates like it was a prize at a carnival. "Feel free to grab one. Yellow if you’re flying solo, red if there’s someone special in your life or something."

His grin widened, mischief sparking behind it. "Don’t worry—all the pick-up lines are terrible on purpose. It’s tradition."

"I bet it would sweeten the foul taste of smoke anyway," his gaze drifts back and forth.

Hamuko's gaze had floated to Kou and locked on.

She knew that look. That timbre in the voice, the sadness, the ache of a fresh wound. One that never healed quickly.

Still, she didn't comment on it. Tucked it away for later, a silent mutual understanding. She stuck her tongue out after giving another experimental pull and blowing away from them, downwind. Yeah, not for her, she decided - she dropped the cigarette to snuff it underfoot.

"Listen, if you aren't having fun trying to make a bad pickup line actually work, are you really in the spirit of things?" she giggled, humming a little before plucking a red heart out. And laughed, at the terrible pick-up line involved, giving Kou a light elbowing and reading it, "I don't have a library card, but would you mind if I check you out~?"

Hamuko elbows him, and Kou's snapped out of his thoughts, blinking. Ah, shit, he kind of lost track of things there, for a moment, lost in his grief. He swallows it down- Maruki may have raked open his wounds, but dammit, he was having a decent time earlier.

Then, Hamuko reads the pickup line, and he simple... stares, for a moment.

Then, he sighs, and takes another deep drag from his cigarette, before dropping it, and grinding it out under his heel.

"... Holy shit," he says with a (somewhat amused?) huff. There's still something slightly sad in his voice, but for the most part, he's pushed it down. "That's horrible. Please tell me you didn't come up with those yourself."

And just like that, the cigarette was extinguished.

“Heyyyy, you just wounded me!” Kira cried out, taking a dramatic step back, one hand flying to his forehead as though Kou's remark had delivered a fatal blow. His sunglasses slid slightly askew, only adding to the theatrics. “Like, I get I might not be the target audience for the season of love, but...” He brought his hand to his chest as if shielding his heart. “I poured my heart and soul into this.”

He tilted his head, his grin widening into something warm and mischievous all at once. “But hey, if my devastating verses haven’t enthralled you all yet…”

Kira dove into the basket, rifling through the red and yellow-wrapped chocolates until he found the one he wanted. He pulled it out with a little flourish, the crinkly yellow heart carefully held between his fingers. He wasn’t aiming this at Kou’s single status—it wasn’t about that. Hell, Kira didn’t have a date either. It was about finding the right words, and this one had a line he was secretly proud of.

He stepped forward, holding it out with a gentle smile. The little tag was still attached, fluttering in the breeze. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he held the chocolate out, knowing full well what the tag attached to it would say:

"You know I was going to let this chocolate do all the talking...but it could never be as tempting as you.”

Come on. Corvus. Have fun. Eat the chocolate. This one isn't even the spicy kind!

Kou give Kira a look, but accepts the chocolate anyway. He almost wants to throw out the tag just to be a dick, but decides to read it anyway.

"... I'm going to puke. You are going to make me puke, Kira." He deadpans. "I don't even like chocolate all that much."

Even so, if you look closely, there's a bit of amusement behind that frown.

It was nice!! Hamuko laughed at their banter. It was charming - Akechis and Akiras, huh. It's kind of funny imagining that maybe in some way, they were always soul mates. Or maybe their inherent chemistry was just that good.

"It's been nice being around so many people that also like boys. Heheh," she teased, unwrapping her chocolate. Ooh, it looked very glossy and nicely done!!

Kira shot Kou a playful look, his grin widening with unbothered enthusiasm. "Puke away, my dude. I’ll consider it a compliment to my poetic talents. And hey, if you don’t like chocolate… more for me!” He waggled his eyebrows as he simply held the basket to himself like a proud grandma.

When Hamuko’s laugh rang out, Kira’s attention shifted to her. She had that way of lighting up a space just by being in it, and it was infectious.

Kira felt a sudden, inexplicable warmth rise to his face. He blushed faintly, scratching the back of his neck as he shrugged. “Heh. Yeah. It’s... nice. I, uh… can appreciate liking everyone,” he said with a small, slightly self-conscious grin.

For just a split second, his usual bravado dimmed. Not because he wasn’t proud of who he was—but because… well, he hadn’t exactly done much about it. He was always on the move. Always one foot out the door. The people who mattered most to him were tangled up in heartbreak, bloodshed, and farewells that felt more like goodbyes.

He stopped himself before that train of thought could get any further.

Kira kept his grin up as he shifted gears, turning the conversation toward Hamuko instead. “Man, it’s funny, though. I’ve been here longer than you, and I would grab myself a yellow one. You? Straight for the red.” His eyes sparkled with teasing curiosity. Who caught your eye? he almost asked.

"Well!!! Yeah... I had a couple boyfriends and a girlfriend before coming here. And yesterday I went on a date with a cute girl, so," she laughed, sheepishly but unashamedly.

Kou hums, already fishing out another cigarette. "You're one busy girl, huh."

The chocolate... well, it's his chocolate. No way is he giving it back to Kira.

... Hell just eat it later. At home.

"And you're still passing out cookies?"

"Well, these are friendship offerings! Everyone is vulnerable to getting a food bribe, especially with homemade cookies."

Finally, the chocolate sitting in her hands got popped into her mouth - and after a few bites, she perked up.

"Mmm!!! Spicy?? That's so good!? What the hell!"

"Spicy?"

Oh, for the love of... he shoots Kira a look.

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A wild kira appears!!

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