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[Well that settles it. Someone's going to be trying THE BEST CURRY EVER here in a second, because Futaba sets her plate down and looks at the dragon chef very seriously after another food voucher appears in her hand.]

M-make that TWO of m-mom's curry!

[And when she looks back at Beat:]

Y-you're gonna need t-to prepare your tastebuds!

[Well, this comes as a bit of a surprise. Not that Beat would ever say no to food, especially if it were curry.]

Thanks, yo. Your mom's curry must be hella good if you willin' to share.

[Speaking of which, he extends his arm, offering the small boat of takoyaki towards her. It's the least he could do. A few toothpicks lie on the side of it for her to partake in if she wanted.]

Want some a' mine? Dunno how's it's gonna hold up to your curry but it's some a' the best from Shibuya.

[Shibuya.... she only knows one other person from her home turf, and that's...]

...Beat? I-is that you?

[The masks are making it hard to figure out who is who, but Shibuya buddies.... it's definitely not Akechi or Ann, so it has to be Beat. Man... she's kinda embarrassed she thought he was Ryuji even MORE now.]

I-I only know a few people from S-Shibuya, and you're not Ann o-or Jerkechi, so...

[Wait... She knows him?]

Yeah, tha's right.

[It might be hard to see but his face scrunches up behind the mask. So that feeling was right after all. Yet somehow he still couldn't place who she was.]

Look, yo. I dunno what's up with these masks or whatever, but if ya know me—

[Trailing off, he puts his food to the side before reaching up to remove the skull mask from his face, revealing that it was exactly who Futaba had surmised. He looks a bit more put together, his hair pushed to the side of his face, only a few persistent locks of hair falling to where his fringe usually sat.]

Kinda feel bad that I ain't gotta clue who you are.

[Dang... she's good. And he looks... really nice like this. Without him knowing who she is, she could tell him how nice he looks... but then it'd be all over once he figured her out.

Instead, she just grins.]

I'm the only person in Reverein that could out-eat you in a curry challenge, of course. Especially if it's mom's curry. It'll knock your socks off!

[She does, finally, take one of the takoyaki from what he had offered. At least there was no secret spicy one! ...or was there?]

[The only person who could beat him? Well, he's beaten Gina before. And Mei. But he still had a challenge with Futaba lined up... Wait, was it actually her?]

Shorty? Izzat you?

[Thankfully there weren't any spicy ones among the takoyaki he had ordered, but he was right when he said it was tasty. But it barely registers that she had taken one from him. This was the first time he'd seen her since the gumdrop incident and if it really was Futaba, she really looked—]

Yo, you lookin' real pretty.

[Unfortunately, or fortunately, he wasn't able to stop himself from saying it out loud.]

[When he asks if it's her, she'll remove her mask and her grin turns into a smile.]

I can't believe that took us both so long to figure it out. I guess the masks want things to be all secret or something. I don't do great with that sort of thing, heh.

[But! It was someone she knew now that she was with, and she's already feeling a lot better. Enough to eat the takoyaki she had nabbed, and then he goes and says that.]

Hrk—

[DON'T MIND HER, just casually choking on her food from his sudden complement! Once it's finally not going down the wrong tube there, she'll just stare wide-eyed for a moment, wiping away any sudden food bits that she may have coughed out because that's even WORSE, especially when his complement was what it was!]

S-sorry, you... y-you really caught me off-guard there... I doubt that's still the case after me coughing up some food, heh...

[And if it was, well... that's a problem for immediate future Futaba.]

[Beat is immediately at her side when she seems to be choking, his hand laying on her back if she needed it, ready to help her if things worsened. His other reached for a glass of water at the banquet table. Once she seemed to be out of the woods, he offers the glass to her before reaching to hand her a table napkin as well.]

Think I should be the one apologizin'. That kinda came outta nowhere, huh?

[Though he doesn't say it out loud, he doesn't think differently despite what had just happened. It is the first time he has seen her dressed up that the words just left him before he could put a stop to it, unable to keep them to himself.]

[But, as he thinks that, realization dawns on him. This was the first time he'd seen her out in an event like this, too. The last time they had met, he had found her crouched down in the middle of the crowd, hands firmly pressing her headphones against her ears. His gaze darts to her head to see that her headphones weren't present this time around. While the hall had not been as packed as the shopping district of Reverein at the time, there still were a large number of people around.

With a concerned look, he meets her gaze, eyebrows furrowed and lips pressed into a thin line.]

Hey, how you holdin' up? D'you wanna go somewhere quieter?

[While worry was in the forefront of his mind, he doesn't seem to realize how what he says could be misconstrued as well.]

N-no, it's fine! Y-you... look really nice too.

[She shoves her mask back on and turns back to her plates of curry, all to hide the faint blush on her cheeks. That took a lot of inner guts to say for her, okay!!

There's a moment when he mentions going somewhere else, just the two of them... but he knows so many people might be making her nervous. There's definitely a gasp from someone near them at this misconstrued question, because how SCANDALOUS, but...]

Oh... yeah. That might be good. It's getting really loud in here and there's a lot of people. Somewhere quiet means I don't have to worry about getting nervous or overwhelmed while eating. Which, you're gonna try this curry too, right?

[Her own compliment causes him to blush as well, coloring his cheeks a light pink as he looks away from her briefly. It's then he meets the eye of the scandalized passer-by, and he lets out a growl, brows pulling together as he bares his teeth at them. His intimidation tactic was enough to make them look away and mind their own business.

Almost immediately, his expression softens as he looks back at Futaba, hand still on her shoulder.]

Yeah, course, yo. I ain't gonna miss out on what's gotta be this world's greatest curry. C'mon, I think I know a place.

[She had been talking up the curry, so he's even more excited about it now. With his mask back on, he slides the takoyaki onto the side of the plate of curry allowing him to hold it up in one hand. He then leads her through the hall, avoiding the more crowded areas and weaving past people until they get to one of the unoccupied balconies, a small table for two set up in the center.]

Saw this when I was roamin' 'round earlier. This spot good with ya?

[And if it wasn't, they could always draw the curtains to allow them a bit more privacy.]

[—Oh, the person who gasped at them is scurrying off. Wonder why that is? Ah well. Not important. Between the plate of food she has and the bag of things, she'll have her own hands full, so she's grateful that Beat's grabbed the other to carry with his takoyaki. She has no problems following him, and she's most excited that he'll get to try the best curry in the universe.]

Sure! It's not gonna be noisy, I trust you with that. Let's make like a hedgehog and roll out!

[...well, not literally roll. LET'S MOSEY.

As they move through the crowd, it begins to thin and quiet. With how he moves around the crowd to avoid more congested areas, it really does make her heart flutter knowing he's doing it to make sure she's the least amount of anxious in the crowd. For her.

As they come to the tables set up on the balcony, Futaba pauses for a moment to take it in. It was... really kind of romantic here wasn't it? Ahh... well, that'll make things coming later easier, won't it?]

Y-yeah... it's really nice here. Quiet. Not a lot of people around... it definitely feels like Valentine's Day here, ehehe.

[No, don't get shy now! Just power through it!! She'll smile broadly and set her plate down, nope nothing's wrong here.]

[Now that she mentioned it, this place really did feel it was made for couples, didn't it? That wasn't exactly what he had in mind when he brought her here, but he wasn't going to back down now. In fact, he had only been mildly aware of the date until Futaba mentioned it once again. And now here he was, alone with her.

Just like that, his stomach suddenly felt like it was in knots. This was the first time they had seen each other since the incident and he found himself playing it back in his mind. What quickly followed was all the advice that was offered to him by his friends, almost making it overwhelming to sift through. But he clears his throat and stands his ground, making his way to the table with her, placing his own plate down, and taking a seat.]

Yeah, looks like they really got the place decked out. But it kinda feels like castles gotta be dressed up like this on the reg.

[Reaching for his mask, he takes it off once more and places it on the table before moving the takoyaki between them in case she wanted more. That last one didn't go down well after all.]

Figure I can't let 'em get in the way of the curry, you know?

[But he waits for her, not wanting to suddenly dig in before her.]

[Oh don't worry Beat, Futaba's been nervous since she figured out who you were behind that mask. Watching him be calm on the outside is actually helping her stay calm... for now.]

Yeah... I mean, what kinda castle wouldn't be decked out?! That'd just be silly if it wasn't.

[Ah... she should probably take off her own mask too. Heh, irony considering as A Phantom Thief wouldn't do this normally... but she's too trusting of Beat. That's good, though.]

I'll have to snag another, if you don't mind. And uh, you gotta try the curry! It's missing Sojiro's coffee, but it's still the best you'll every try. Mom's curry always tastes the best.

[As if to urge him on, she's scooping a big bite of her own, and raises her spoon as if raising a glass toward him. Clink clink, Beat!]

Yo, don't lemme stop ya from getting more. If it's as good as you sayin', I might go for thirds!

[Seeing her take a heaping spoonful, he follows suit laughing as she raises her spoon to him. Lifting his own up, he clinks spoons with hers and says thanks for the food.]

[He brings it to his mouth for a bite and—]

Yo.

Yo.

[He finishes chewing the spoonful in his mouth and immediately goes for another.]

You wasn't kidding! This curry's hella good, yo!

[Maybe even good enough to compete against Ken Doi's curry back home. But he doesn't voice that out, clearly enjoying himself and the plate in front of him. At the rate he's going, he'll probably have to go back for fifths!]

Edited 2023-02-21 11:12 (UTC)

Heh heh... this recipe was scientifically created, you know. It's supposed to pair perfectly with Sojiro's coffee, but I could eat the whole pot if I got my hands on it, even without the coffee.

[But also... it was mom's and it's such a nice reminder of her. Like a big hug, really. She'll take several bites herself, enjoying both the food and the company she has. This was truly perfect here, and the more she enjoys herself, the more she knows she has the chance to make this turn terrible... but it was Beat himself who said she should be honest and it sounded like... he'd probably not blame her for much.

Still, some nervousness is obvious on her face the more she thinks about it.]

[Though Beat wasn't a big fan of coffee, it was nice to learn that Futaba liked it that way. He thinks that when they do have their curry showdown there should be coffee for her and a glass of soda for him.]

If it's this good, I ain't gonna complain if it got science or math or English in it. [Because clearly he was enjoying this! He's already half done with his plate.] Ain't kiddin' 'bout maybe gettin' more now.

[That's when he looks back up at Futaba and sees the look on her face. The smile on his lips begins to dissipate and he can't help but worry about her, swallowing the food in his mouth before he speaks.]

Hey, you aight? You didn't get a bad batch or anythin', did ya?

Heh heh, mom knew what was up.

[Seeing him enjoy it though really does make her happy, and despite her nervousness, she's smiling.]

Huh? Oh... uh I just... miss my mom, is all.

[Which... is also true! Part of it really is that, but also... well.]

But I... can tell you about that later, it's not really dinner talk. Sorry, I just had a moment, mom and Sojiro would be happy you like it too. Almost as happy as me, I'm the most happy though.

[She beams when she says that; sharing her favourite food with someone she enjoys spending time with? Perfect way to spend her time. Almost a love language here.]

Yeah, sounds like she did.

[It's the first time he's heard her talk about her mom, now that they were sharing a meal that she would've made for Futaba. But he won't push for it, not after what she says, instead offering her a reassuring smile.]

Seriously, yo. You wasn't kidding 'bout this curry. It's like a party in my mouth! [With that he takes another spoonful, thoroughly enjoying himself and just being here with her.] Thanks for sharin' this with me, yo. Means a lot.

Of course! Probably a little more important than music, but I really could eat this for every meal and never get sick of it!

[Truly, she's not exaggerating here. She does, in fact, head over to Leblanc in the mornings for morning curry and coffee... though she makes poor Sojiro sigh every time with plenty of cream and sugar in it. ]

Though... I gotta ask, I think we're from different times even if we're both from Shibuya which would make sense as to why I've never seen you there or in Akiba or something. I'd notice you easy in a crowd.

[At this point she's all but finished her curry and it grabbing a new takoyaki to hopefully not choke on this time.]

But if you're from my own time, you ever hear of the Phantom Thieves?

[Ah, it starts. :')]

If not, you might actually be from a different time, and I wanna know. [For... various reasons, but it's kind of a neat thing to get all technical sciencey on.] It'll scratch the itch I have to know, so you gotta spill it all, Bones!

[He was just about to shove the last spoonful of curry into his mouth when she asks him that question. His confusion is almost immediate, frowning as he takes his last bite. He'd never taken that into consideration, that the two of them might be from different times, though he was fully aware that time worked here weirdly.]

Phantom Thieves? Nah, first time hearin' 'bout them right now.

[They both haven't really talked much about home, have they? Save for once or twice.]

Sounds like one hell of a team name though. Kinda like the one we had. But I woulda remembered it if I heard a' it 'fore.

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