#DevilsInOurDeeds
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July 25th, 1997
Hayakawa Residence, Japan, 6:53AM
Dawn rose on the city of Tokyo, the opening to many days of it's populace. Many of those amoung the employ of Public Safety would relish the opportunity to indulge in additional rest, instead of commuting in to risk their lives. But alas, Devils never sleep. After clearing the buildings that laid before the apartment building, golden rays of sunlight gleamed through the glass sliding patio door of Aki's room, illuminating his facade enough to stir him to consciousness before his alarm could have the honor. The young man took a minute to rub the initial drowsiness from his eyes, intent on carrying out his usual morning routine once he'd built the will to get out of bed. Another day of existence, hopefully started off with a cup of coffee to remain awake for his upcoming shift, His hand assuring the location of a carton of cigarettes and a cheap zippo lighter on the bedside nightstand.
Emerging from his room to shuffle into the kitchen, Aki took advantage of the easily accessible container of premade coffee grounds to pack into a disposable filter for use in the coffee machine he'd purchased, deciding on the simpler method of making coffee this morning instead of grinding fresh grounds by hand at the cost of time and effort. As the machine rumbled and coffee dribbled out into the pot, Aki's eyes absent-mindedly glanced to the sink in the process of waiting, noticing the pair of bowls and cups now dried on the rack. 'Oh right... him.' He glumly remembered, the prospect of a unchanging routine possibility fading alike to the lingering night-time.
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In advance of the coffee machine concluding it's cycle, Aki set to putting away the cleaned dishes just in time for acquiring a mug to pour the mostly fresh dark coffee. A small sip served to go a long way in coming to a more alert state. With the realization he had a new factor to consider in the form of his new partner that currently had no alarm or method within the room to tell time, Aki stepped out of the kitchen with coffee mug in hand to walk down the hallway, giving a rap to the door that had become [James's|http://aminoapps.com/p/aubkug] room. "Hey, hope you're awake in there! Don't want to be late because of you oversleeping." He called out impatiently, not intending to have his record of attendance dragged down by the laziness of another.
"I'm up" James replied in a level tone from beyond the bedroom door, a creak of him rising from bed audible prior to the door opening to show him in about the same state Aki had last seen him aside from his hair being ever so slightly out of place. "Morning" he greeted borderline monotonous in expression. "Morning. Just wanted to make sure you were up. Seven is my usual wake up time, gives me ample time to get ready for work. I'd suggest you adopt this as well." James slipped out from his room to stand in the hallway with Aki before answering simply on the suggestion to wake up at seven so they could both be ready for work, strangely devoid of any indication of fatigue or drowsiness. "We'll see. Makima said we should be there by nine right?" He inquired in case his memory was inaccurate, especially after last night. Aki crossed his arms at the lack of honorific once again. "Miss, Makima. But yes, she said nine." He gathered his thoughts before continuing. "Now that I know you're awake, I'll be taking care of a couple chores and getting ready. Make some toast or something if you want to eat, and look decent in your uniform. At eight fifteen I'm leaving, with or without you."
James's eyes moved to the small portion of kitchen visible from down the hall at mentioning of making food for himself, a tempting option for after the two of them go about the morning preparing for work. "Understood. Don't let me keep you then" He responded, stepping past Aki to stride toward the kitchen. Satisfied as much as he could be by his new roommate accepting his blunt statement, Aki returned to his routine, starting with relocating back to his room to retrieve something just as James stepped into the kitchen. The young man momentarily watched Aki head back into his room, redirecting his attention afterward to a bagged loaf of bread settled neatly against the back of the counter, toaster easy to notice beside the coffee machine to slide in two slices of bread. 'Hope he's got butter' James hoped to himself, opening the fridge both to find a bar of butter and admittingly snoop a little on what Aki would likely buy on the regular, something to do as the bread toasted as well. Thankfully nothing outlandishly gross resided in the fridge, leaving James to open a handful of drawers to finally find the silverware and take both a butter knife and fork just as the toaster emitted a telltale ding.
Aki chose to finish off his coffee in a prompt manner prior to emerging from his room again, carrying a hamper of assumingly dirty clothing one handed past the kitchen without giving James any mind aside from praying he didn't make a mess as he set his empty coffee mug on the counter in passing. In the laundry room, he set to pouring an assortment of clothing into the washing machine. 'Should only need a half hour cycle' He told himself while setting the machine to start, since there wasn't much to wash this time around. Meanwhile, James sets the toast onto a small plate, perhaps unconventionally using the fork to cut slices of butter off the bar and set them on the bread without touching the surface, then using the butter knife to spread it as needed. As to why he'd done this, it was simply to avoid any cross contamination from the toast. Him and Aki could smell the aroma of toast and melted butter, a not unwelcome scent in the house it seemed.
James found a glass to fill with cold water, deciding to partake in his meal in the kitchen instead of taking unnecessary time to sit at the table, even taking time to wash the fork and butter knife as he chewed a bite of toast, even cleaning Aki's cup once it's presence came to light. Aki passed by with empty hamper in hand, this time coming to a stop to look at his roommate in this odd state for a few seconds before deciding it wasn't worth saying anything, simply moving on to his room to set away his hamper. 'At least he's cleaning up after himself..' He rationalized, wordlessly returning up the hall to the washroom this time. James made short work of his toast, smoothly finishing it off while cleaning the very plate it was on. After sweeping any crumbs into his hand to drop into the trash, it was as if he'd never stepped foot into the kitchen. Aki at the same moment stood at the washroom sink, wetting his face with cold water to get the sleepiness out of his expression. 'Didn't untie my hair last night, but I didn't move much in my sleep' Aki considered, using his hands to smooth out bits of hair that had come unkempt. 'That'll be fine, no need to redo the style'.
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As Aki moved on to brushing his teeth, James, finding little more to do at the moment, returned to his bedroom intending to take initiative in dressing himself in the uniform he'd been graciously provided. Although prior to dressing himself, the young man used the generous time he still had left to examine the tags of his uniform dress shirt and dress pants. 'So the shirt is made of poplin, and the pants are polyester... I can work with that.' He crypticly thought to himself before finally beginning to change. Aki had returned to his own room in the meantime, donning his uniform and sword in habitual fashion as every workday required, making sure to grab his carton of cigarettes and lighter to slip into his pockets for eventual use. Having a look at the electronic clock on the nightstand that read 7:52, Aki left his room for the last time this morning to return to the washroom. 'Washing cycle should be done' he went on a hunch to have his thought be proven correct, methodically transferring the wet clothing into the dryer before starting a cycle. 'I'll come home to dry clothes at least'
James emerged from his room just as Aki left the washroom, the two looking to eachother. "You're ready?" Aki questioned, somewhat suprised his partner was dressed presentably and awake, even if his sunglasses and boots were still out of order in his opinion. 'Then again, he had nothing else to do besides feed himself' he rationalized. "Yes, didn't want to risk being late." James answered simply, leading Aki to consider an alternative start to the day. "How about we leave now then? That'll let me get something to eat before we see Miss Makima" Aki proposed, crossing his arms to lean on the hallway wall. "Sure, wouldn't be fair to have you go hungry. Let's go" James inclined his head in reference to the door, the only sound in the house coming from the rumble of the dryer. Aki's eyebrows raised momentarily at the consideration he'd been shown, but chose not to question it as he'd gotten what he'd wanted. "Then let's go." Aki concluded in the act of opening the apartment door to head out, James exiting first so Aki could lock up.
Descending to ground level onto the city streets, the duo kept within close proximity, Aki more proactive in scanning the storefronts as best he could through the morning crowd of people off to their own jobs. "Any place in particular you're looking for?" James inquired, seeking to assist in this supposed search even when unfamiliar with the area. "It's a place called City Bakery. They make good baked goods and coffees, albeit a smidge pricy. It's on the next block, but the entrance is small enough to miss in the crowd" Aki explained, his appetite growing just from the mention. James takes Aki's word on this, his own interest rising with the possibility of good Japanese baked goods, a delicacy he'd not had the pleasure of tasting for some time. "I'll keep a lookout" His obscured orbs peer through the pedestrians passing them, seeking out at least some form of signage bearing the name. Aki, holding a actual visual comparison, managed to spot the entrance through passerby, alerting his partner to follow as he moved through civilians as politely as possible.
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"Found it. This way" James tailed his acquaintance upon his notification, trying not to bump into others along the transition into City Bakery, Aki giving the door a nudge to keep it open for him. The two shared a mutual fondness of the businesses interior, the atmosphere warm and permeated with fragrances of pastries and coffee. "Let's see what they've got today. Probably can't wait on restocks" Aki comments, leading them to the far left side of the bakery to peruse a lineup of options and a menu of beverages listed above in both Japanese and English likely for tourists or locals alike. A male employee filed over to stand opposite to the men at the display greeting them politely. "Welcome to City Bakery, what may I get for you gentleman?" Aki scanned the avaliable pastries for a further second before settling on one he'd like for a decent breakfast. "I'll have two Anpans and a dark roast coffee." The employee nodded in understanding, reaching down to slip on a pair of clear disposable gloves before moving his attention onto James. "And for you Sir?" James made a quick second look at the selection to affirm his choice before answering. "Can I get two chocolate cornets and a cappuccino, please?" The employee nodded once more in the process of retrieving the pastries Aki ordered, but added in a question.
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"Of course. Are these orders together or separate?" He sought to clarify before putting anything into the system. "Separate. And both are to go" Aki interjected before his partner could answer. "Understood" The employee replied, James glancing at his housemate but not speaking. After taking out the cornets, the employee typed the items into his POS to officiate the orders, addressing Aki first. "Your total is ¥1402 or ¥1001 with a valid government employee or first responder identification, in which you'll receive a daily free non alcoholic beverage" He comments, assuming the men were Public Safety employees judging by the telltale uniforms. Aki produced a simple black leather wallet, taking out a ¥1000 note and a ¥5 coin to hand to the employee, turning his wallet to flip open and show a gray identification card bearing his photo and assorted offical information.
Seeing the ID, the employee deducted the coffee from the transaction and completed the sale, handing back four ¥1 coins as change before allowing Aki to take the wrapped Anpans and step aside. "Your coffee will be ready shortly, Sir." He turned to James, similar words on his lips. "Your total is ¥632 with your identification." The employee assumed he'd be marking off the cappuccino. James blinked behind his aviators, feeling mildly awkward in the situation. "Ah, I don't have one currently.." The employee raised an eyebrow, Aki furrowing his brow at the same time at the realization. "Oh, well then your total is ¥1435." James did his best to resist exhaling out of his nose as a sigh, removing a brown leather wallet from his pocket to pay full price. Aki considered covering the price of the coffee as a good gesture, but ultimately decided otherwise, his rationale telling him 'Why should he get to enjoy this perk, he's not even officially a Devil Hunter yet.' James completed his order with exact change, taking his chocolate cornets wrapped in a small parchment paper bag to stand along with Aki to watch other employees set to make thier coffees.
Aside from gentle music playing in the bakery and clinking of trays, silence claimed the space around the pair until James posed a question. "Hey Aki, any idea what Makima will have us do today?" Aki simply shrugged, dedicating most of his attention to a employee pouring a cup of dark coffee. "Your guess is as good as mine. I only assume it'll involve being out on patrol again." James, though not entirely satisfied with the answer, simply accepted the fact they'd need to meet with Makima to know for sure. In the meantime of awaiting thier drinks, he posed another question. "When do I get an identification like yours?" Aki experienced the impulsive thought to simply counter with "When you earn it" but opted to speak more professionally. "When you become an offical member of Public Safety" Just as Aki finished, a barista set down two cups of coffee on the counter alongside two lids, one disposable cup of dark roast coffee and a fancier, lighter cup of coffee with frothing art.
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James and Aki take up thier coffees, both apparently sharing a thought to have a taste test of this upscale coffee. "The coffee here is good." Aki commented, followed by James. "Yeah, it's well made. As I'd hoped, considering this was almost seven dollars in USD." He feigned complaint, a twinge of humor in place of any actual frustration. Aki, not particularly receptive to the jesting mood, put a cover over his coffee and turned toward the door they'd originally entered through. "Let's get going, just eat and drink on the way to headquarters." Aki not waiting for an answer after taking a look at his watch to see it was 8:20AM, trudging off to exit the bakery with James falling in behind him.
Aki focused forward so not to spill his coffee or drop his food, but still had the mental allocation of attention to enjoy the warm Anpan he took a generous bite of. The golden brown dough was soft but gave a nice chew, the red bean paste inside still warm from residual heat of it's recent departure from an oven. His coffee was rich and bitter, a paramount taste to open his workday. James inadvertently used the advantage of having Aki taking point to admire the milk foam design on his cappuccino, taking a generous sip once he'd had enough of a viewing. Aside from the shared Italian origin of both him and the drink, he genuinely enjoyed the smoothness and lightness of the drink, made even better with the chocolate filled cornets that seemed to melt on his palate. The food items held by the two did not last long, Hayakawa's hunger for the anpan and the small size of James's cornets ensured quick work of it.
Now down to only drinks, James made another attempt at sustained conversation that he'd hoped would have better results than the previous day of borderline awkward silence. "Hey Aki, how many devils have you killed in your time in public safety? Hundreds?" He threw out a question, seeing if Aki would engage. Aki, in a mildly above neutral mood after getting some food and coffee, actually answered in a not so neutral tone, almost airy from the relaxation provided by his breakfast. "Actually, I've never kept true count. I could estimate maybe two hundred to two hundred fifty, give or take." James took another sip of his coffee, experiencing a glimmer of growing interest possibility coming from Aki on the topic of devils. Maybe he could reach that number, perhaps even surpass it. "I assume that's quite a sum. Any tips you can impart to how to handle a Devil?" James added another layer to the topic, expressing desire to get more acquainted with the job he was pursuing. Picking up on this interest, Aki felt obligated at least to oblige as the person given a responsibility to teach a possible new hunter. "Ensure that civilians are as far away from it as possible, then kill it as quickly and effectively as you can. Devil abilities vary with each encounter, so I recommend being observant of what kind of Devil it is, as it may give a clue as to how it'll try to kill you" James absorbed the advice, deeming it plenty practical to apply. 'Putting the public first over all else, just like Makima said.' He made a further inquiry, inching into a more personal but light direction regarding a devil. "What's the strangest Devil you've encountered?"
Aki's eyes lowered to his cup of coffee before offering an answer, catching sight of Public Safety Headquarters in the distance. "I'd maybe say the Coffee Devil. Tried to burn me and other hunters with a scalding stream of expresso. Didn't drink coffee for a few days after." He recalled unremarkably. James on the other hand chose to use this information to attempt humor. "Oh I see. Guess we're getting back at it by having these. How'd you kill it? By making it decaf?" Aki took a moment to process the joke, and although he'd previously told that this was a professional job to carry out, he couldn't hold back a brief hmph of entertainment and a curl of his lip. "Yeah, we just pelted it with acetate until it died" He contributed to the joke to consequently earn a chuckle from his partner, but let the mood fade as they approached the front of headquarters.
"We're here" Aki glanced at his watch to read 8:49AM. "With just over ten minutes to spare." His form turned to address James directly, his hand depositing his empty coffee cup in a doorside trashcan. "Hope you finished up that coffee, we have to meet with Miss Makima" James put up a finger in initial response, bringing his cup to his lips to drink the last inch or two of coffee in his cup hastily. "Just did." James inched by to throw out his own coffee cup. "Let's get in then" Aki plainly stated, opening the glass door to allow James in first, the young man accepting the gesture so Aki could enter himself. 'Let's see if this day is somewhat more eventful' James internalized as the scent of corporate cleaning chemicals reached his nose.
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