ahhh i knrw under that smartiepants costume you always wheare u were megastupid !
[ Trying to peel the eggshells away with one hand, his replies send slowly, in bits, like branches of a thought pruned from a shrub too diseased to be salvaged. Evident from how riddled with mistakes they are. In his multitasking, he also fails to maintain the smooth outer surface of the egg whites, his nails forming cracks and indents in the skin, slivers of residual shell attached as he shoves a whole egg into his mouth, chewing, before splashing some soy sauce into a small dish and tipping that back as well. ]
becuz yeah too do penguins live in japan. you just gotta break em out from water jail. the aquarium? the fish market? you not hear about those before?
[ Is he proposing that they go to the beach… just to go somewhere else? Sorta, but only to prove a pointless point. If Aki actually took them somewhere else entirely just to show him that penguins aren't being held captive at fish markets, he'd be pissed. ]
but fine since you think mt ideas suck so much id like to see what YOU come up with for the schedule
[The aquarium, fine, but - Does Denji think people eat penguins? Would he eat a penguin if they found one...?!]
[...Not that they would, of course. Because penguins don't live in Japan.]
You can't break a penguin out of an aquarium. You'll get arrested. Same with sharks and whales.
[So he just has to keep him away from jellyfish. But that's all Denji gets in reply for a bit, after demanding Aki be the one to make a schedule. He's busy for about half an hour, but it's not wasted time. When the next message does come, it's long and detailed.]
Train from here to Otaru (about an hour)
Have breakfast on the train
Buy watermelon in town, sparklers if they're for sale
Go to canals
Find stuff to make a sandcastle with
Go to beach
Do whatever on the sand, break watermelon, have lunch (bento)
Denji and Power can swim (it'll be cold)
Stay until sunset
Get dinner - seafood (I already planned it)
Light sparklers if we found any
Go home (1 hour by train)
Something like that
[Then, maybe a minute later:]
They have an aquarium, but I heard a devil attacked it a few months ago. Anyway, you can't steal any penguins from there.
[ The only surprising thing about Aki's itinerary is that he didn't include timestamps and expected travel time — wait, never mind, he did list that last part at the start and the finish. ]
ah… no penguins…
[ His sheer disappointment can't even be transposed into human language. He swallows his egg, staring blankly ahead down at the rest of his meager meal, hands hugging the edge of the counter as reality sets in. A moment of silence, please, for his dreams of squeezing a penguin to his chest… ]
[...Somehow the disappointment and sadness bleeds through the phone. Aki seriously reconsiders the whole timetable he just drew up.]
[But then he's sending pictures of what look like stupidly expensive ekiben and - Seriously, why is he obsessed with ekiben?! It's like he brings it up every time they have to take a train... And of course he always wants the stupid branded ones that cost so much more. Aki's brief pity over the lack of penguins melts when he sends the one Power demands.]
You can't even get that one here that train doesn't operate in this area!
[It's only an hour's ride, anyway. Aki thought he'd just pack them some breakfast... This trip is supposed to be cheap, of course sneaky costs always come out of nowhere.]
Fine you can get something from the station. But it has to be under 500 yen.
[ Ekiben is the pinnacle of travel indulgences, and with traveling in itself being a special occurrence for them, they should be making the most of it! Even if the food is pre-packaged, expensive, and on par with what Aki could make for them at home. Whatever, 500 yen is more than enough to get them something good and filling for the ride. Just as long as it's 500 yen each, for each person in their group, and not a budget shared between them. ]
yaaaatttaaa!!!
soo the food and stuff wre gonna get up to is all planned right? basically everything importants figured out then
[ Well, aside from how they're going to disguise Pochita. But, eh, that'll sort itself out. Probably. ]
and jsut so us three are on the same page this is a hayakawa ONLY trip. i know some of your buddies might be messed up from everything buuut no letting them come along last minute!
[ He pauses. ]
not unless you know a girl thats my type thats the only exception
[He wasn't even considering inviting them. He'll have his hands full with just Denji and Power on the train, not to mention when they even get to the beach. Ahh, it's going to be so chilly...]
I don't know a single one.
[In case he thought that was a real possibility. Plans made, he feels better about ignoring his texts for a bit, working through the shift and doing what he can to make an extra day's wage. If only their stupid school allowed him to take part time jobs on school days, this wouldn't be such a big deal. But it sounds like most of this money is going to go to this sudden trip, anyway. When he's on a lunch break, munching on onigiri made from leftovers, he finally pulls his phone back out.]
I'll be home in a few hours. See if you can find that black bag with the mesh on top, and try and see if Pochita will fit inside. The one from the school trip last year.
[It has their school's name on it, but that's fine. The main thing is that it has mesh so the devil can breathe.]
[ Aki may leave him alone for the time being, but thoughts of the vague news article from this morning don't.
He continues perusing forums, searching for seemingly related (and unrelated) posts about the ongoing situation, laughing at dumb memes making light of it — it's probably the most recreational reading he's willingly subjected himself to in a long time. Dirty dishes dumped in the sink, he eventually joins Power's side in front of the TV set; she's snoozing now, her old 3DS flashing on and off, trying to tell her that the battery is low. With some nudging, he manages to steal back the remote from out under her shoulder.
The local news coverage replaces whatever cartoon had been airing on the screen. Denji blankly watches, part of him fantasizing what it'd be like if it were him instead. Aki and Power's faces pasted on to the family members news shows clips of them rushing into the station, avoiding eye contact with the press. The somber, sunken in faces of Public Safety's representatives revealing what scarce information they're able to.
The only thing the startles him back to reality is Aki's latest message. Mesh bag? Did they have one of those?
After a moment, Denji sends this back. Exactly this. Right down to making holes in the bag for Pochita's legs to poke through. ]
[...What the hell is this? How are his legs sticking out? The more he zooms in, pinching the screen with his phone, the more he realizes how the bag has been essentially shredded to make room for the damn devil's legs instead of simply making him lay in it like what Aki meant. Which means - ]
YOu ruined it??
[Typo and all. He's pissed. That was a good bag! It's perfect for overnight trips!]
I said fit him INSIDE not through it you dumbass!
The bag is supposed to hide him not make him look even more obvious you dumbass!!!
[Multiple texts rapid-fired in a row, multiple exclamation marks - Denji definitely pissed him off.]
[That devil barely even has legs. What is he going to be stretching??]
[And what does he mean, Aki should know how it feels to sit inside of a bag for an hour-long train ride? Why would he know how that feels? ...Is he comparing this to when they had to take trips in the van at the orphanage and everyone was squeezed into the seats together? That's completely different and also - they all turned out just fine. Even without the seatbelts.]
The point was to bring him on without people seeing him but he looks too ovbiously like a devil like that you dumbass
Stop ruining thigs when I just tell you to try them out
The train ride is like an hour he would have been fine in the bag. You alwyas ruin our stuff
[He's typing faster and hitting too many typos because he's really supposed to get back to work right now but he needs to also tell Denji off about this. The perils of being an older sibling.]
[ Um? The three of them could barely walk straight with how numb their legs were when they got out, and also Power's head went flying forward against the shoulder of the driver's seat during one harsh stop, but yeah, sure, they turned out just fine and it totally doesn't explain why their little sister is the insane punk she is today… ]
no??!? YOU always point the finger at me for ruining our stuff. doesnt mean i always do!!!!
[ This current instance, notwithstanding, sometimes it's Power's fault! ]
dont blame me that you cant think outta the box! dumbhairyjackass aki!!!!!!!
[ A couple minutes of huffy silence later, Denji resubmits another go at fitting Pochita into the bag. It's a little blurry because the devil is circling inside it, but it looks like he's plugged the holes with a round of duct tape. Basically good as new. Ish.
Seemingly aware that his tape-job doesn't exactly do much to reclaim the bag's former glory, he tacks on the following message. ]
its jsut a bag. cant you get another one of these things from the school
[Okay, yes, sometimes it's Power's fault. But how many times has it started from Denji ticking her off? He almost kicks a box before squatting down again and choosing to channel his frustration by ripping the closure open by hand instead of knife.]
[When he finally texts again, he's a little cooled off and ready to snap at him again... but the photo of Pochita in a half-taped-up bag massages that down. Ugh, Denji... He's such an idiot. Yes, he can get a new bag from the school if he asks some of the school staff or maybe he can find one in the student council storage, but that's not the point, here. He's never going to understand that, is he?]
It's fine
[No, it's not, and he knows Denji knows he isn't forgiven. This whole argument is stupid. They're both acting like kids. Only one of them should be doing that.]
[ He asks the question like his brother's earlier flurry of "dumbass" and mistyped messages replacing his barely withheld expletives were all just everyday occurrences. ]
look ill make it up to you and your dumb bag
dinners on me tongiht! ill cook up your favoritest meal in the whole wide world
[ Read: His half-baked assumption of what Aki's favorite food is. ]
[His favorite meal...? Does he even know how to cook anything but instant ramen or heating things up on the stove?]
You're such a dumbass
[Aki isn't even sure he has a favorite meal. Of course there are things he likes more than others, but it's not like Denji is going to go out and buy expensive beef cuts or a party platter of sushi. ...In fact, he better not, because he's not supposed to go outside!]
If you can make something edible with what we have at home, I'll forgive you.
[ Hey, some credit would be nice! Denji knows a few almost-recipes from his several years of watching Aki at laboring in the kitchen. He may not have certain techniques fully down, nor does he remember every single ingredient, but he can get something hot and fresh on a plate to welcome his brother with at the end of the day. Surely.
The real challenge will be making sure Aki can keep it down after the first mouthful. ]
fine youll forgive me AND youll eat all of it. then you have a deal
[For both him and Power, this is a caveat he has learned from long ago, way back when they first made cookies and used salt instead of white sugar and dirt instead of brown sugar. Power had been the most upset that he didn't appreciate their concoction, but how the hell was he supposed to eat something with rocks in it? So, the edible point stands.]
[The rest of the job goes by normally, except for them asking if a few people can stay an hour later to break down boxes - paid, of course - and after a quick text delaying his return by an hour, Aki is finally on his way home. A few thousand yen burns warm in his pocket, but it's dark out, cold, and he thinks tonight will definitely be the first time he plugs in the heater for real, lets them sleep with it at the foot of their beds, warming their bodies through the night. The very idea is so alluring that he almost forgets what he's headed home to when he stops habitually at the convenience store. Denji wouldn't really make something inedible, right...? He hesitates, then slips through the automatic doors and grabs a few cup noodles just in case. As he begins to leave a man in a suit asks him where he's going and sounds almost alarmed about it. Aki thinks he's trying to sell him something before he flashes his public safety badge and offers to walk Aki to the station. He wants to decline the offer, but realizes - this could be useful. Maybe he can get some info that hasn't been shared to the news yet.]
[But the devil hunter is tight lipped about it. He won't say what kind of devil it is, even when Aki mentions a "rumor" that it's some kind of zombie or humanoid thing. He doesn't have an answer for when schools are scheduled to re-open. And when Aki asks if they're planning on setting up a curfew, the hunter gives him a thin-lipped smile. "Devils aren't just active at night, you know," he says, like Aki is some dumb kid who thinks devils are like monsters under the bed. Insulted, he shuts up after that until they reach the station. He thanks the man and heads to the train, shooting off a text - Home soon.]
[There's no public safety offering to accompany him at their home station, the two people in suits chatting with one another casually all but ignoring him, one resting her hand on the sword at her hip. Which is fine. He doesn't need to be walked home like a kid. Like that guy said, devils don't only show up at night. It's not like they're bogeymen or superstitious creatures. Heading home under the glow of the streetlights, he scrolls through the messages from this morning, hovering briefly on the link to the news article about the other victim. Killed alone, on his way home just like Aki. School bag in tow. Though Aki's is plain, unlabeled. He raises his eyes to see the apartment steps coming into view down the road.]
[He'll be fine.]
[Shoving the key into the lock, he pushes the door open and kicks off his shoes, calling out,] I'm back. [A simple statement, but it's also a sort of victorious thing, a mocking thing. Nothing's going to take him down that easily.]
[ He's not sure which it is he's more disappointed by, that Aki stops entertaining his jabber, or that the news eventually succumbs to the run-of-the-mill. Stuff like weather forecasts, sports commentary, the imperial family's latest vacation spot — who gives a crap about any of those things?! But as Denji surfs through the channels, skipping past all types of shows and commercials, there's no new information circulating, which if he stopped to consider it for just one second, he would realize that nothing would get done if Public Safety spent every invaluable moment providing statements to the press. Buildings would burn, people would die, and yet that's not his concern as he returns to the online discussions on his phone, the search results only turning up the same circumstantial evidence and jokes he'd giggled over hours earlier.
Man. Aggressively sighing, he flops over next to Power, who seems to be too deeply asleep to sense him joining her. He can tell because, otherwise, she'd shoving his arm aside and sidling in closer to reap some of his body warmth for herself — it is getting to be that time of year. Idly, he reaches a hand over, twirling a few of her fly-away hairs around a finger.
Ah, I really wish someone else would hurry up and die.
— It's the kind of intrusive thought that'd get him scolded for thinking aloud. Maybe that's why guilt clocks him in the chest, and even though there's no one around to reprimand him, he hastily amends himself, internally. Almost. I almost wish someone would. Anyone other than Aki.
Speaking of.
The kitchen very quickly devolves into chaos before Denji has even flicked the induction stove on. For some reason, he drags a bunch of their produce and proteins out to take full inventory of what he has at his disposal, clearly not having much of a plan in mind. What does Aki like again? He's always sucked at paying attention to those sorts of details, but his brother is always talking about the importance of balanced meals, so…
He pauses. Stares at everything that's spread out, cross-referencing the ingredients with the limited amount of meals he knows for sure that he can make, then with the even more limited amount of meals he thinks he could maybe wing, before his thought process is suddenly disrupted by a fresh-faced and well-rested Power marching into the kitchen. Seeing what he's up to, she briefly stops in her tracks, after which she swings around to stampede toward their bedroom. Eventually, she comes back with a huge, plastic-wrapped wad of unidentifiable ground meat under her arm. Grinning proudly, she tells him that, yesterday, while he and Aki were "slacking off on their servant duties," a neighborhood butcher gifted her a marvelous treasure in thanks to her heroic deeds (coaxing his cat down from a tree). And that she's been keeping the meat inside their closet since yesterday. Unrefrigerated. How did they not smell that…?
Denji's gaze floats over to the counter. On it are a bag of onions, their half-full carton of eggs, a huge thing of radish…
After a moment, he nods at her.
Hours later, when Denji hears the sound of the door clicking open and Aki's baritone drifting out in greeting, he shouts to him from the kitchen, sounding incredibly stressed and out of breath. ]
Wait, don't come in yet! [ Sitting in a line on top of the kitchen counter are three plates heaped with a juicy patty of hamburger(?) steak(?). Strangely, there's an large mound of daikon radish grated to the side of one plate, a normal amount on another, and none on the last. regardless of whether Aki's made it far enough down the hallway to see that or not, he should be able discern the scent of cooked meat. In a much hushed voice, Denji hisses to someone else unseen: ] Powy, what the hell didja do to the sauce, stupid —
[ Some light skirmishing can be heard, and then Denji stumbles out of the kitchen, kicked in his literal ass by what can only be Power's foot. ]
Ouch, you bit —
[ Catching himself with a grab at the wall, Denji stiffens oddly the second he spots Aki. ]
…Welcome back home.
[ Thinking fast, he pitches forward, tightly embracing Aki to make sure he stays still, doesn't get too far in. ]
[Aki stands with his shoes half-off in the entryway, staring down the hall with trepidation as Denji stumbles out and seems uncertain looking at Aki. Like he really doesn't want him to be home yet. His trepidation only mounts when he suddenly grabs him around the waist and hugs him close.]
...What are you two doing in there?
[Aki doesn't try to move at first, staying still with Denji wrapped around him, mostly because he seriously, seriously doesn't want to find out what's happening down the hall. God. This was so stupid of him. What the hell was he thinking? He could have just asked him to get delivery or be patient until Aki got home, or...]
[Finally he leans down and lifts Denji slightly off the ground, his hands under his armpits as he moves forward to try and get to the kitchen. A nice benefit of him not being finished growing and being thin as a reed. Attempting to scoot his way toward the kitchen, he calls out with a note of fear in his voice.] Power...?
[Please no cat hair. Please no bleach. Please no cleaning detergents with their caps off on the counter that suspiciously look like they've been used for more than cleaning...]
[ There is an unrelated canister of firmly capped rat poison outside on the table that with one good whack could easily fall on top of their dinner, but, other than that, doesn't appear to have a single thing to do with their steaming dinner. ]
What?! Don't pick me up! Ahhh, abort, abort —
[ The trim of his socks slip down his heel as he vainly tries to stretch his toes out to the ground and hinder Aki's progress. Denji's wriggling around also doesn't seem to be contributing much to the effort. How humiliating.
"Have some respect and cease your sniveling, Denji! The whelp may advance." An evil slyness enters Power's expression. "If he dares."
The two of them now fully crossed inside the kitchen threshold, he shakes off Aki's hands to spin toward Power, glaring her down in annoyance. ]
Shut up. 'm not — sniffling. Or whatever it is you said.
[ After some trial and error, they'd managed to divide and transform Power's meat wad into a medium-well hamburger lump. The likeness of one, at least. Neither of them have taken a bite yet, of course, so whether it satisfies Aki's standards for edibility (or only approaches it) is something they've yet to test. He wasn't too adventurous this time, each patty stuffed with the typical seasonings and ingredients like onions, panko, tofu, egg, potato chips, raw instant noodles, and whole cloves of garlic. Pretty normal.
At Power's insistence, he'd left the ponzu sauce to her, which as she steps away from the stove, looks… exactly as a sauce of its kind should. It may be bubbling and fizzling more than he's ever seen before, but it could be okay? With a hand to Aki's shoulder, Denji nudges him forward, almost as if he's using him as a human shield. ]
It's a dinner made for you. The guest of honor should taste test it!
[...They actually made something that looks edible? And it's cooked?]
[Aki tells himself not to be this shocked. It's a hamburger. All you have to do is beat the meat into a patty and then fry it, then stick it between two buns. Hell, even if they didn't tenderize it or mash it, it would still probably be fine. Aki steps further into the kitchen once he sets Denji down and studies their concoction a little closer, his eyes only flashing to the rat poison for a moment before remembering - Right, it was under the sink behind a few extra things he bought in case they ran out. And it looks like they used up the panko and broke open the new box.]
[...There is a slight smell of something, but it's well-masked by the cooked oil in the pan, so he assumes they just burned something at some point.]
You guys really made a whole meal.
[Despite telling himself to calm down, he still sounds shocked. He peels off the bun on one and spies an entire clove of garlic stuffed into the patty and thinks - Is that as bad as it is? That's hardly anything. Hell, that's nearly normal. They really made a whole meal.]
[He slowly raises his head, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. And it's not immediately clear what he's doing - if he's going to cry or what - but after a long pause he finally says...]
[The relief is mixed with something like pride as he turns his head and looks at them both. Power looks pretty damn happy with herself, urging him to try their handiwork and reminding him to dip it into her special sauce, she made it herself and cursed it with a special curse that will prevent Aki from going bald for ten more years. Aki picks up one of the burgers that doesn't have an entire onion wedge or garlic clove in it and spoons a bit of the sauce on the meat, then raises it up to take a bite.]
[And then almost immediately spits it out straight into Denji's face.]
What the - What - What meat - Where did you get this?! [He coughs and sputters as he speaks.] This is - It's sour! [It tastes like a mix of sour milk and sweaty socks. He gags on the flavor and coughs harder, dropping it back down on the counter.] You - goddamn idiots, what did you do?!
[ Gratitude is nice. Feels even better, since he's pretty sure he deserves it.
Still, the feeling of receiving it tends to make his ears flame up. Makes him forget that he was doing this to get something out of it, but now it feels like he's gotten more than enough. The gentle glimmer in Aki's eyes has nothing to do with how bright the lights are in their apartment — no, it's an unguarded expression of his Denji knows well. Possibly because he can never force himself to look away when he thinks Aki might be about to bring a hand up to his face, block of his view of what could be unshed tears. He stands at one side of him, grinning from ear to ear, inching closer to see. He's impatient for him to take that first bite, tell him he did a job well done, admit that he can rely on Denji, after all.
Power, on the other side of Aki, also presses inward to watch. Probably, she just likes to see him cry. Or maybe it's because she's aware of what's about to happen… ]
[ Denji's speaking when Aki spits into his face, so, of course, the giant splotch of regurgitated food (questionable) catches on his lips. A good chunk winds up in his actual mouth, and it's — slimy and fatty and stretchy, but when he really bites down on it, he feels something crunching? And not in the good way, holy crap, what is this? Why does it taste like a cockroach crawled into pickle juice and got fermented inside —
Gagging, he clings to the countertop as he hunches over, a hand slapped over his mouth to swallow the taste down. After a moment, a short belch rumbles from him. ]
Hurk… Hurgh… How could you…?
[ The accusatory question's pointed at both Aki and Power. ]
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no subject
under that smartiepants costume you always wheare
u were megastupid
!
[ Trying to peel the eggshells away with one hand, his replies send slowly, in bits, like branches of a thought pruned from a shrub too diseased to be salvaged. Evident from how riddled with mistakes they are. In his multitasking, he also fails to maintain the smooth outer surface of the egg whites, his nails forming cracks and indents in the skin, slivers of residual shell attached as he shoves a whole egg into his mouth, chewing, before splashing some soy sauce into a small dish and tipping that back as well. ]
becuz yeah too do penguins live in japan. you just gotta break em out from water jail.
the aquarium? the fish market? you not hear about those before?
[ Is he proposing that they go to the beach… just to go somewhere else? Sorta, but only to prove a pointless point. If Aki actually took them somewhere else entirely just to show him that penguins aren't being held captive at fish markets, he'd be pissed. ]
but fine since you think mt ideas suck so much id like to see what YOU come up with for the schedule
no subject
[The aquarium, fine, but - Does Denji think people eat penguins? Would he eat a penguin if they found one...?!]
[...Not that they would, of course. Because penguins don't live in Japan.]
You can't break a penguin out of an aquarium. You'll get arrested. Same with sharks and whales.
[So he just has to keep him away from jellyfish. But that's all Denji gets in reply for a bit, after demanding Aki be the one to make a schedule. He's busy for about half an hour, but it's not wasted time. When the next message does come, it's long and detailed.]
Train from here to Otaru (about an hour)
Have breakfast on the train
Buy watermelon in town, sparklers if they're for sale
Go to canals
Find stuff to make a sandcastle with
Go to beach
Do whatever on the sand, break watermelon, have lunch (bento)
Denji and Power can swim (it'll be cold)
Stay until sunset
Get dinner - seafood (I already planned it)
Light sparklers if we found any
Go home (1 hour by train)
Something like that
[Then, maybe a minute later:]
They have an aquarium, but I heard a devil attacked it a few months ago. Anyway, you can't steal any penguins from there.
1/2
ah…
no penguins…
[ His sheer disappointment can't even be transposed into human language. He swallows his egg, staring blankly ahead down at the rest of his meager meal, hands hugging the edge of the counter as reality sets in. A moment of silence, please, for his dreams of squeezing a penguin to his chest… ]
2/2
so wait whatre we having for breakfast then
because i wanna buy station food!!! like this kamameshi
and powy says she wants this
just withtout the beans n stuff
[ Good thing that the best and only way to overcome devastation is to think about food. ]
Re: 2/2
[...Somehow the disappointment and sadness bleeds through the phone. Aki seriously reconsiders the whole timetable he just drew up.]
[But then he's sending pictures of what look like stupidly expensive ekiben and - Seriously, why is he obsessed with ekiben?! It's like he brings it up every time they have to take a train... And of course he always wants the stupid branded ones that cost so much more. Aki's brief pity over the lack of penguins melts when he sends the one Power demands.]
You can't even get that one here that train doesn't operate in this area!
[It's only an hour's ride, anyway. Aki thought he'd just pack them some breakfast... This trip is supposed to be cheap, of course sneaky costs always come out of nowhere.]
Fine you can get something from the station. But it has to be under 500 yen.
no subject
yaaaatttaaa!!!
soo the food and stuff wre gonna get up to is all planned right? basically everything importants figured out then
[ Well, aside from how they're going to disguise Pochita. But, eh, that'll sort itself out. Probably. ]
and jsut so us three are on the same page
this is a hayakawa ONLY trip. i know some of your buddies might be messed up from everything
buuut no letting them come along last minute!
[ He pauses. ]
not unless you know a girl thats my type
thats the only exception
no subject
[He wasn't even considering inviting them. He'll have his hands full with just Denji and Power on the train, not to mention when they even get to the beach. Ahh, it's going to be so chilly...]
I don't know a single one.
[In case he thought that was a real possibility. Plans made, he feels better about ignoring his texts for a bit, working through the shift and doing what he can to make an extra day's wage. If only their stupid school allowed him to take part time jobs on school days, this wouldn't be such a big deal. But it sounds like most of this money is going to go to this sudden trip, anyway. When he's on a lunch break, munching on onigiri made from leftovers, he finally pulls his phone back out.]
I'll be home in a few hours. See if you can find that black bag with the mesh on top, and try and see if Pochita will fit inside. The one from the school trip last year.
[It has their school's name on it, but that's fine. The main thing is that it has mesh so the devil can breathe.]
no subject
He continues perusing forums, searching for seemingly related (and unrelated) posts about the ongoing situation, laughing at dumb memes making light of it — it's probably the most recreational reading he's willingly subjected himself to in a long time. Dirty dishes dumped in the sink, he eventually joins Power's side in front of the TV set; she's snoozing now, her old 3DS flashing on and off, trying to tell her that the battery is low. With some nudging, he manages to steal back the remote from out under her shoulder.
The local news coverage replaces whatever cartoon had been airing on the screen. Denji blankly watches, part of him fantasizing what it'd be like if it were him instead. Aki and Power's faces pasted on to the family members news shows clips of them rushing into the station, avoiding eye contact with the press. The somber, sunken in faces of Public Safety's representatives revealing what scarce information they're able to.
The only thing the startles him back to reality is Aki's latest message. Mesh bag? Did they have one of those?
After a moment, Denji sends this back. Exactly this. Right down to making holes in the bag for Pochita's legs to poke through. ]
it fits
no subject
[...What the hell is this? How are his legs sticking out? The more he zooms in, pinching the screen with his phone, the more he realizes how the bag has been essentially shredded to make room for the damn devil's legs instead of simply making him lay in it like what Aki meant. Which means - ]
YOu ruined it??
[Typo and all. He's pissed. That was a good bag! It's perfect for overnight trips!]
I said fit him INSIDE not through it you dumbass!
The bag is supposed to hide him not make him look even more obvious you dumbass!!!
[Multiple texts rapid-fired in a row, multiple exclamation marks - Denji definitely pissed him off.]
Fix it before I get home or I'll put YOU in it
I should take this out of your bento fund
Dumbass
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how can you not want him to stretch out his legs????
[ …It just doesn't make a lick of sense to anyone other than him. ]
so i FIXED it. hes gonna get all cramped inside there the whole train ride!!! you know how sucky that feels
plus hes gotta be able to run on his own in case a worm devil comes blastin outta the ground
if we wanna hide his paws so bad ill just bring a blanket to cover em up
[ This doesn't fix the bag, but consider: Does the bag really need fixing? Isn't it their mindsets and morale that need improving? Not the bag? ]
so dont call me a dumbass
[ Three times in a row, at that?! ]
cuz YOUR the dumbass for not thinking bout pochitas comfort!
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[That devil barely even has legs. What is he going to be stretching??]
[And what does he mean, Aki should know how it feels to sit inside of a bag for an hour-long train ride? Why would he know how that feels? ...Is he comparing this to when they had to take trips in the van at the orphanage and everyone was squeezed into the seats together? That's completely different and also - they all turned out just fine. Even without the seatbelts.]
The point was to bring him on without people seeing him but he looks too ovbiously like a devil like that you dumbass
Stop ruining thigs when I just tell you to try them out
The train ride is like an hour he would have been fine in the bag. You alwyas ruin our stuff
[He's typing faster and hitting too many typos because he's really supposed to get back to work right now but he needs to also tell Denji off about this. The perils of being an older sibling.]
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no??!? YOU always point the finger at me for ruining our stuff. doesnt mean i always do!!!!
[ This current instance, notwithstanding, sometimes it's Power's fault! ]
dont blame me that you cant think outta the box!
dumbhairyjackass aki!!!!!!!
[ A couple minutes of huffy silence later, Denji resubmits another go at fitting Pochita into the bag. It's a little blurry because the devil is circling inside it, but it looks like he's plugged the holes with a round of duct tape. Basically good as new. Ish.
Seemingly aware that his tape-job doesn't exactly do much to reclaim the bag's former glory, he tacks on the following message. ]
its jsut a bag. cant you get another one of these things from the school
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[Okay, yes, sometimes it's Power's fault. But how many times has it started from Denji ticking her off? He almost kicks a box before squatting down again and choosing to channel his frustration by ripping the closure open by hand instead of knife.]
[When he finally texts again, he's a little cooled off and ready to snap at him again... but the photo of Pochita in a half-taped-up bag massages that down. Ugh, Denji... He's such an idiot. Yes, he can get a new bag from the school if he asks some of the school staff or maybe he can find one in the student council storage, but that's not the point, here. He's never going to understand that, is he?]
It's fine
[No, it's not, and he knows Denji knows he isn't forgiven. This whole argument is stupid. They're both acting like kids. Only one of them should be doing that.]
Don't ruin anything else today And stay inside
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[ He asks the question like his brother's earlier flurry of "dumbass" and mistyped messages replacing his barely withheld expletives were all just everyday occurrences. ]
look ill make it up to you and your dumb bag
dinners on me tongiht! ill cook up your favoritest meal in the whole wide world
[ Read: His half-baked assumption of what Aki's favorite food is. ]
so dont be mad
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[His favorite meal...? Does he even know how to cook anything but instant ramen or heating things up on the stove?]
You're such a dumbass
[Aki isn't even sure he has a favorite meal. Of course there are things he likes more than others, but it's not like Denji is going to go out and buy expensive beef cuts or a party platter of sushi. ...In fact, he better not, because he's not supposed to go outside!]
If you can make something edible with what we have at home, I'll forgive you.
[There. That should solve two issues.]
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The real challenge will be making sure Aki can keep it down after the first mouthful. ]
fine
youll forgive me AND youll eat all of it. then you have a deal
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Only if it's edible
[For both him and Power, this is a caveat he has learned from long ago, way back when they first made cookies and used salt instead of white sugar and dirt instead of brown sugar. Power had been the most upset that he didn't appreciate their concoction, but how the hell was he supposed to eat something with rocks in it? So, the edible point stands.]
[The rest of the job goes by normally, except for them asking if a few people can stay an hour later to break down boxes - paid, of course - and after a quick text delaying his return by an hour, Aki is finally on his way home. A few thousand yen burns warm in his pocket, but it's dark out, cold, and he thinks tonight will definitely be the first time he plugs in the heater for real, lets them sleep with it at the foot of their beds, warming their bodies through the night. The very idea is so alluring that he almost forgets what he's headed home to when he stops habitually at the convenience store. Denji wouldn't really make something inedible, right...? He hesitates, then slips through the automatic doors and grabs a few cup noodles just in case. As he begins to leave a man in a suit asks him where he's going and sounds almost alarmed about it. Aki thinks he's trying to sell him something before he flashes his public safety badge and offers to walk Aki to the station. He wants to decline the offer, but realizes - this could be useful. Maybe he can get some info that hasn't been shared to the news yet.]
[But the devil hunter is tight lipped about it. He won't say what kind of devil it is, even when Aki mentions a "rumor" that it's some kind of zombie or humanoid thing. He doesn't have an answer for when schools are scheduled to re-open. And when Aki asks if they're planning on setting up a curfew, the hunter gives him a thin-lipped smile. "Devils aren't just active at night, you know," he says, like Aki is some dumb kid who thinks devils are like monsters under the bed. Insulted, he shuts up after that until they reach the station. He thanks the man and heads to the train, shooting off a text - Home soon.]
[There's no public safety offering to accompany him at their home station, the two people in suits chatting with one another casually all but ignoring him, one resting her hand on the sword at her hip. Which is fine. He doesn't need to be walked home like a kid. Like that guy said, devils don't only show up at night. It's not like they're bogeymen or superstitious creatures. Heading home under the glow of the streetlights, he scrolls through the messages from this morning, hovering briefly on the link to the news article about the other victim. Killed alone, on his way home just like Aki. School bag in tow. Though Aki's is plain, unlabeled. He raises his eyes to see the apartment steps coming into view down the road.]
[He'll be fine.]
[Shoving the key into the lock, he pushes the door open and kicks off his shoes, calling out,] I'm back. [A simple statement, but it's also a sort of victorious thing, a mocking thing. Nothing's going to take him down that easily.]
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Man. Aggressively sighing, he flops over next to Power, who seems to be too deeply asleep to sense him joining her. He can tell because, otherwise, she'd shoving his arm aside and sidling in closer to reap some of his body warmth for herself — it is getting to be that time of year. Idly, he reaches a hand over, twirling a few of her fly-away hairs around a finger.
Ah, I really wish someone else would hurry up and die.
— It's the kind of intrusive thought that'd get him scolded for thinking aloud. Maybe that's why guilt clocks him in the chest, and even though there's no one around to reprimand him, he hastily amends himself, internally. Almost. I almost wish someone would. Anyone other than Aki.
Speaking of.
The kitchen very quickly devolves into chaos before Denji has even flicked the induction stove on. For some reason, he drags a bunch of their produce and proteins out to take full inventory of what he has at his disposal, clearly not having much of a plan in mind. What does Aki like again? He's always sucked at paying attention to those sorts of details, but his brother is always talking about the importance of balanced meals, so…
He pauses. Stares at everything that's spread out, cross-referencing the ingredients with the limited amount of meals he knows for sure that he can make, then with the even more limited amount of meals he thinks he could maybe wing, before his thought process is suddenly disrupted by a fresh-faced and well-rested Power marching into the kitchen. Seeing what he's up to, she briefly stops in her tracks, after which she swings around to stampede toward their bedroom. Eventually, she comes back with a huge, plastic-wrapped wad of unidentifiable ground meat under her arm. Grinning proudly, she tells him that, yesterday, while he and Aki were "slacking off on their servant duties," a neighborhood butcher gifted her a marvelous treasure in thanks to her heroic deeds (coaxing his cat down from a tree). And that she's been keeping the meat inside their closet since yesterday. Unrefrigerated. How did they not smell that…?
Denji's gaze floats over to the counter. On it are a bag of onions, their half-full carton of eggs, a huge thing of radish…
After a moment, he nods at her.
Hours later, when Denji hears the sound of the door clicking open and Aki's baritone drifting out in greeting, he shouts to him from the kitchen, sounding incredibly stressed and out of breath. ]
Wait, don't come in yet! [ Sitting in a line on top of the kitchen counter are three plates heaped with a juicy patty of hamburger(?) steak(?). Strangely, there's an large mound of daikon radish grated to the side of one plate, a normal amount on another, and none on the last. regardless of whether Aki's made it far enough down the hallway to see that or not, he should be able discern the scent of cooked meat. In a much hushed voice, Denji hisses to someone else unseen: ] Powy, what the hell didja do to the sauce, stupid —
[ Some light skirmishing can be heard, and then Denji stumbles out of the kitchen, kicked in his literal ass by what can only be Power's foot. ]
Ouch, you bit —
[ Catching himself with a grab at the wall, Denji stiffens oddly the second he spots Aki. ]
…Welcome back home.
[ Thinking fast, he pitches forward, tightly embracing Aki to make sure he stays still, doesn't get too far in. ]
G-Gimme a hug! I missed you! Yeah!
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[Something terrible is going on in the kitchen.]
[Aki stands with his shoes half-off in the entryway, staring down the hall with trepidation as Denji stumbles out and seems uncertain looking at Aki. Like he really doesn't want him to be home yet. His trepidation only mounts when he suddenly grabs him around the waist and hugs him close.]
...What are you two doing in there?
[Aki doesn't try to move at first, staying still with Denji wrapped around him, mostly because he seriously, seriously doesn't want to find out what's happening down the hall. God. This was so stupid of him. What the hell was he thinking? He could have just asked him to get delivery or be patient until Aki got home, or...]
[Finally he leans down and lifts Denji slightly off the ground, his hands under his armpits as he moves forward to try and get to the kitchen. A nice benefit of him not being finished growing and being thin as a reed. Attempting to scoot his way toward the kitchen, he calls out with a note of fear in his voice.] Power...?
[Please no cat hair. Please no bleach. Please no cleaning detergents with their caps off on the counter that suspiciously look like they've been used for more than cleaning...]
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What?! Don't pick me up! Ahhh, abort, abort —
[ The trim of his socks slip down his heel as he vainly tries to stretch his toes out to the ground and hinder Aki's progress. Denji's wriggling around also doesn't seem to be contributing much to the effort. How humiliating.
"Have some respect and cease your sniveling, Denji! The whelp may advance." An evil slyness enters Power's expression. "If he dares."
The two of them now fully crossed inside the kitchen threshold, he shakes off Aki's hands to spin toward Power, glaring her down in annoyance. ]
Shut up. 'm not — sniffling. Or whatever it is you said.
[ After some trial and error, they'd managed to divide and transform Power's meat wad into a medium-well hamburger lump. The likeness of one, at least. Neither of them have taken a bite yet, of course, so whether it satisfies Aki's standards for edibility (or only approaches it) is something they've yet to test. He wasn't too adventurous this time, each patty stuffed with the typical seasonings and ingredients like onions, panko, tofu, egg, potato chips, raw instant noodles, and whole cloves of garlic. Pretty normal.
At Power's insistence, he'd left the ponzu sauce to her, which as she steps away from the stove, looks… exactly as a sauce of its kind should. It may be bubbling and fizzling more than he's ever seen before, but it could be okay? With a hand to Aki's shoulder, Denji nudges him forward, almost as if he's using him as a human shield. ]
It's a dinner made for you. The guest of honor should taste test it!
1/3
[...They actually made something that looks edible? And it's cooked?]
[Aki tells himself not to be this shocked. It's a hamburger. All you have to do is beat the meat into a patty and then fry it, then stick it between two buns. Hell, even if they didn't tenderize it or mash it, it would still probably be fine. Aki steps further into the kitchen once he sets Denji down and studies their concoction a little closer, his eyes only flashing to the rat poison for a moment before remembering - Right, it was under the sink behind a few extra things he bought in case they ran out. And it looks like they used up the panko and broke open the new box.]
[...There is a slight smell of something, but it's well-masked by the cooked oil in the pan, so he assumes they just burned something at some point.]
You guys really made a whole meal.
[Despite telling himself to calm down, he still sounds shocked. He peels off the bun on one and spies an entire clove of garlic stuffed into the patty and thinks - Is that as bad as it is? That's hardly anything. Hell, that's nearly normal. They really made a whole meal.]
[He slowly raises his head, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. And it's not immediately clear what he's doing - if he's going to cry or what - but after a long pause he finally says...]
2/3
...Thanks, guys.
[The relief is mixed with something like pride as he turns his head and looks at them both. Power looks pretty damn happy with herself, urging him to try their handiwork and reminding him to dip it into her special sauce, she made it herself and cursed it with a special curse that will prevent Aki from going bald for ten more years. Aki picks up one of the burgers that doesn't have an entire onion wedge or garlic clove in it and spoons a bit of the sauce on the meat, then raises it up to take a bite.]
3/3
[And then almost immediately spits it out straight into Denji's face.]
What the - What - What meat - Where did you get this?! [He coughs and sputters as he speaks.] This is - It's sour! [It tastes like a mix of sour milk and sweaty socks. He gags on the flavor and coughs harder, dropping it back down on the counter.] You - goddamn idiots, what did you do?!
1/2
Still, the feeling of receiving it tends to make his ears flame up. Makes him forget that he was doing this to get something out of it, but now it feels like he's gotten more than enough. The gentle glimmer in Aki's eyes has nothing to do with how bright the lights are in their apartment — no, it's an unguarded expression of his Denji knows well. Possibly because he can never force himself to look away when he thinks Aki might be about to bring a hand up to his face, block of his view of what could be unshed tears. He stands at one side of him, grinning from ear to ear, inching closer to see. He's impatient for him to take that first bite, tell him he did a job well done, admit that he can rely on Denji, after all.
Power, on the other side of Aki, also presses inward to watch. Probably, she just likes to see him cry. Or maybe it's because she's aware of what's about to happen… ]
…Yeah. I tried really hard to get it right —
2/2
Gagging, he clings to the countertop as he hunches over, a hand slapped over his mouth to swallow the taste down. After a moment, a short belch rumbles from him. ]
Hurk… Hurgh… How could you…?
[ The accusatory question's pointed at both Aki and Power. ]
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