week two ♡ thursday ♡ nino

[jokered]

[it's kind of cruel, really.

the second the smell hit his nose, akira knew it had to be bullshit—sojiro's curry, that familiar smell—there's no way it could be on this deathtrap island unless he made it himself.

and yet every time he opened his eyes, he could see it on one of leblanc's dishes, coating the rice, piping hot. closing his eyes almost seemed to mitigate the scent wafting into his nose.

almost.

so akira is letting out an agitated groan, flopping back onto the sound and just muttering in annoyance:]

This is hell. This place has to be hell.

Comments

[learnings]

Akira...?

[He...sure does look utterly defeated in every possible way. Nino's seen some weird things over the past hour or so, but...

She immediately kneels next to him, frowning a little.]

What's wrong?

[jokered]

[he'll pop an eye open. ah... nino...

well, at least his expression softens just a little.]

I might be going crazy, I'm not sure.

[learnings]

[... That sounds pretty not good in her book.]

... Um.

Why?

[???]

[jokered]

Curry.

[akira that's not an explanation.]

I know it's not there. But I see it. I smell it.

[it is torture in absolutes for him.]

[learnings]

[... ???]

Um...sorry.

But...what's curry?

[SOMETHING...BAD??? AKIRA SEEMS REALLY DISTRESSED.]

[jokered]

It's a meal. A really good one.

[it's his favorite, nino!!!]

[learnings]

Oh... and you smell it?

[!!]

Did someone make it?

[jokered]

Nobody made it. There's no curry—you don't smell anything different, right?

[learnings]

Well, no, but...

[... :c]

So you think... you were hallucinating it?

[jokered]

Present tense.

[it hasn't faded yet.]

I'm pretty sure, though.

[learnings]

Oh...

[...]

... Is it one of your favorite foods?

[Akira just looks...sad.]

[jokered]

[sorry, nino. he is a little sad, but when isn't he these days?]

Yeah. It's probably my favorite food.

[he misses it a lot.]

[learnings]

[Oh no, Akira...]

Can we make it?

[SUDDENLY AND IMMEDIATELY.]

[jokered]

[he shakes his head.]

We don't have anything here to make it with.

[learnings]

[Persistently:]

What would we need?

[jokered]

A lot of things.　Nothing we have here. Curry powder, butter, flour, apples, rice, carrots, pepper—

[a frown.]

It's impossible.

[learnings]

Curry powder....butter, flour, apples, rice, carrots, pepper...

[She repeats that back, brow furrowing.]

... Got it!

[Nino??]

[jokered]

Nino...?

[nino, what.]

[learnings]

[It's nothing.]

I just don't want to forget!

[jokered]

It's probably not anything you need to remember.

[nino, pls]

[learnings]

[mmhm sure]

...Will you tell me a bit more about it? Not just the curry, but... why's it your favorite food?

[jokered]

Oh. Yeah, I could.

[though he goes quiet for a minute. he's never had to explain anything like this to someone before, so it's...

a little weird to explain?]

The place I live, it's above a cafe that specializes in coffee and curry. [...] The owner, he's...

Like family to me. Every morning before school, I would come downstairs and there'd be both waiting for me for breakfast. Or anytime I wanted it.

[he ate a lot of curry, nino.] It seemed weird to eat it for breakfast at first, but now that I don't have it, I guess I really miss it. It tasted so good, the best curry I ever had was his.

[he misses coffee dad as much as he misses his team, okay. :c]

[learnings]

[... Oh.

She doesn't entirely understand all of the connotations, but... it sounds nice to her. It sounds like just the sort of thing she could imagine having with family--something precious and good, something that reminds you of them always.]

...He sounds really amazing. Like a really wonderful father.

[And that's a fact--even just from the way that Akira talks about him, it has to be true.]

When you go home, I'm sure he'll be waiting for you.

[jokered]

[his expression falters slightly for a moment. "when you go home."

...if he goes home.

and if he can't save haru, is there a point? could he even face anyone again if that were to happen?

...no, he can't think about this right now, lest he start hallucinating any of that. instead, he smiles, soft and melancholic as he shakes the thought away.]

Yeah. I'm sure he will be.

[learnings]

[When... Nino has to hold onto that hope, okay... she has to.

She can tell, though. She really, really can.]

... Don't give up, Akira!

[She says that firmly, turning to meet his eyes almost desperately.]

I'm sure of it, I'm sure... I'm sure you'll be able to go back home to your family!

[jokered]

I'm not worried about that part.

[not as worried. he knows that everyone here right now has that potential, to make it back.]

...Haru.

[he doesn't know about haru, that part is still in limbo and he—is actually scared about that.]

[learnings]

Oh...

You mean... how they kind of were acting like death might not be permanent here...?

[Which is still bizarre.

So, so bizarre.]

[jokered]

She was different though. Treated differently from the beginning.

[no items, no change of clothes—brought there specifically to die.

there's no guarantee he can save her.]

[learnings]

... She has to be able to be saved! She has to.

[Nino shakes her head firmly, expression serious.]

I believe in it. You'll be able to see her again!

[jokered]

I'm worried about it. They already made an example of her once.

[his gaze shifts a bit. he knows it's possible, but it's not guaranteed.]

If something goes wrong... how could I face them?

[learnings]

I... it won't.

[Nino shakes her head firmly.]

I know you're worried but... we have to believe that there's a way to save her.

We have to.

[It's all they have.]

[jokered]

...Right.

[even if he has concerns and doubts, he's going to brush them off. nino's been through plenty herself, after all—he wouldn't burden other people with less normally...

this is a lot more than he's ever usually willing to reveal out loud, which may be telling in itself of how taxing things have been on him since they got here.

huh.]

Sorry. You're right—I let my head get away from me there.

[learnings]

No... it's okay! Please don't apologize.

[She just shakes her head, looking at the ground idly.]

... I know it's scary. When you lose someone that you really, really care about.

[... She's been there...she understands that much.]

But...the fact that we have the chance to get her back is a lot. It's...really, really a lot.

[More than they'd ever have in any situation--more than she ever had with her family, with Lloyd and Linus.]

So we can't give up!

[jokered]

[nino doesn't know what he knows, of course. so she can't know how different the stakes are when it comes to haru.]

You're right. I'm not going to give up... for her sake, I can't.

[he's never given up before, so he certainly doesn't want to start now.

his confidence is just oddly shaken in ways it never has been before.]