answer your god damn phone

[dialtones]

[How many calls had he missed from Leorio alone?

Honestly, he preferred not to look at the number. It was wrong, but this wasn't something he could pull any of them into. He'd been wrapped up in his own little world, paying attention to the news enough when it related to his work and his end goal, and while he could have gone to the elections or even to visit Gon (his comrades had, after all), he decided against it. Visiting would have just opened up a whole can of other problems.

Maybe it went against what he'd been thinking before, but he had matured a bit since then. With the Spider desperately working to repair itself, and plenty of its members still on the move, Kurapika had to consider how to handle them-- but he was also sitting right on top of the location of the eyes of his brethren. He had to work up to it, and well... That's what he'd done.

There were a large amount of them recovered (he had to deal with a lot of people to get this collection) and given funerals, but it wasn't enough until he had every last set. There were still leads to follow, and so he continued to climb and gain Nostrade's trust.

Trust, though, is what leads him to pulling his cell phone out now. A strange illness was breaking out in the Nostrade organization, and it was worrying Nostrade himself. A few of his workers had already died, and panic was growing. He demanded that Kurapika find him someone to find out what was going on, but to be sure it was someone they could 'trust', because this could very well be an attack on them.

A doctor that he could trust? His first thought was that there was none. But after just a moment's more hesitation, he gives in and speaks his understanding clearly to Nostrade, hitting the call button on his phone and stepping away. His opposite hand curls at his elbow as he waits. This is pulling him in, but if it's just Leorio... It'll be easier to keep him in the dark about a lot of what he's been doing.

He'll use that to justify this selfish decision.]

Leorio?

Comments

[speeddial]

[Kurapika is so smart. Leorio doesn't even relent with his other arm, just waits for Kurapika to get the alarm turned off so he can flop his raised arm back down again.]

Sure, but I don't have to like it.

[He grumbled himself awake every day, on days he actually made it to his bed from the desk the night before. Power naps are in his blood.]

There's nothing to do here, anyway. [Ah, there's his complaint. Sleeping is his entertainment, it seems.] I'm going stir crazy!

[dialtones]

You're so restless.

[It's like dealing with a puppy or something. He's not sure how to handle it. And when he tries to think of what can be done here, he can think of plenty. Work. Extra work, really, since things are finally running smoothly after sorting out loose ends just yesterday.

But things could always come up, and he was trying to find the eyes of his brethren. That's a full-time job. He'd followed all the leads he had and now there were none, so he was behind, in a way...

Eyeing the hand that's slumped over him again, he shifts to push at it with his index finger, idly fidgeting more than anything. How do you morning cuddle, he just doesn't know.]

There's plenty to do, but I'm assuming you don't mean work. [Obviously.] So what were you thinking?

[speeddial]

[Poking him isn't particularly cuddly, for the record. Not that he seems to mind, absorbed in his restless complaining as he is.

Here is what he's come up with: They should get a day off! Days off are his solution to plenty of problems, but this time he really means it. Maybe it's that or the timing that makes him completely skip trying to frame it in a way that Kurapika can't shoot down immediately, but he just goes for it-]

Let's go somewhere. [beat] Just for today.

[Eh?? Eh???]

[dialtones]

[The timing of recent events certainly helps. Kurapika doesn't immediately reject the offer, this time, instead taking the time to blink at it in curiosity. Well, he'd just been thinking all that's really left to do is try to find leads. That's a tedious, unrewarding search in itself. And maybe he could do it while going out. (Kurapika no.)]

Go where?

[That doesn't mean he's great at responding to the suggestion, though.]

[speeddial]

[No, Leorio can work with this, he's winning. His follow-up is, unfortunately somewhat lame,] Out, duh.

[A huff. Okay, wait, one more try.] I mean- I don't know, somewhere not in here. A park, whatever. We could get something to eat?

[That was... better.]

[dialtones]

[Like... a date?

It hits him belatedly and he hums as he thinks, unintentionally adding to the tension in the air. He pokes at Leorio's hand again, watching it move before dropping his own hand back to the mattress.

He's nervous, honestly, but it doesn't sound like a bad idea. He plays off his nervousness with a casual answer.]

...Alright.

[speeddial]

[More like a "getting out before someone really does go crazy," if one were to ask Leorio at this precise moment, but- also kind of like a date, yes. He realizes that a few seconds too late himself and waits more tensely than he planned to for the answer...]

What, really? [Without lecturing?? NICE.] Uh— yeah!

[Now he's the one nudging Kurapika to get up and out of bed, for once.]

Come on, before someone catches you with some stupid report.

[dialtones]

Oh, you're not tired anymore?

[He teases at the nudging, a playful smile falling into place as he slips away. Freedom!! Ah, but now he has to think, does he have any casual outfits left? Maybe one or two... He could always use Kurta clothing if not.

And this time he'll try not to care about changing. After last night... Well, it takes some time, okay.]

[speeddial]

[Wh- hey! Leorio puts on a frown he doesn't feel at all, waving a hand dismissively as he sits up and swings his legs over the side of the bed. Man, he should probably just start keeping some clothes in this room instead of ducking lamely across the hall so often...] Ahh, shut it.

[He's half following this teasing, half sitting there and wondering if he can get away with wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Truly, Leorio is a lazy college student.]

[dialtones]

[Well, while Leorio is grumbling and thinking about lazy options, Kurapika is going through his choices. He finds something he doesn't remember ever actually owning, but the style works just fine and the sizing seems right-- maybe he'd just forgotten about it.

So he'll put that on, and his earring, and his contacts, and snatch up his phone. Really, it's important to keep this on him in case Melody or anyone else needs to reach him for something. Leorio won't be happy if that happens, he knows, but emergencies are pretty frequent.

Maybe just this once they can go without one, though. What would that be like...

After all that's said and done, he moves to wherever Leorio is at the time to peer his way.]

Are you ready?

[speeddial]

[Leorio has decided he so can get away with wearing the same suit two days in a row. It's not as if he went anywhere yesterday, that's the whole point of today- So, he's dressed now, at least.

When Kurapika comes over, he's in the middle of wiping off his old man glasses and looks up from them. Ah- should he tell him his shirt looks nice? Is that weird, or rather, will Kurapika get weird about it? Maybe he'll save it for later.]

Gimme a second— [to shove his glasses on and straighten himself out, hm hm yes, this is- passable!] Okay, let's sneak out.

[He's sort of serious.]

[dialtones]

[Honestly, he doesn't notice that it's the same suit. All of his suits look the same. Suits all look the same, how could he tell? He's more amused at him cleaning his glasses like that (it's a cute image, somehow) and the suggestion that they sneak out like some sort of movie.]

We don't need to sneak out. [Well, actually, it wouldn't be a bad idea, considering everyone in this building likes to go to Kurapika for help. And there's always the mafia guy I've apparently decided likes to stare and judge Leorio.

Turning to head for the hall, he looks back to make sure Leorio is following.]

Did you think of somewhere we should go first? [Did he say a park or something? Food? He's not sure, but if he can't grasp order, then what CAN he grasp here.]

[speeddial]

[They're sneaking out because it's cooler that way. There's also Melody, who knows (he still assumes, not knowing for sure that he's very correct), and Leorio can't imagine dealing with that smoothly- yet. Ever? That one guy is a pain in the ass, too.

He follows with his hands stuck in his pockets, studiously not giving Kurapika obviously emotional looks every few seconds. He's learning.]

Oh. [haha, oh yeah] How about breakfast?

[dialtones]

Breakfast sounds nice.

[Would you look at that!! Agreement with a positive opinion, whoa. Despite him being a workaholic, it's days like these that Kurapika does enjoy the most. He had wanted originally to see and enjoy the world for himself, back when it was just him and Pairo, and so... Of course he'd always come back to this. Enjoying life. Spending time with people he cared about. (Remembering they existed in the first place.)]

It's been a long time since I've been able to sit down and have some.

[speeddial]

[Good, they'll go for breakfast- but that second comment gets Leorio to just look at him for a moment, as if it's a huge tragedy that he doesn't sit down to have breakfast regularly enough. Even Leorio manages that much, even if it's breakfast after an all-nighter and he's nearly comatose, he gets his breakfast.]

Pancakes!! [HE DECLARES, SUDDENLY. Loudly.] I'm taking you to get a stack of pancakes bigger than your head-!

[dialtones]

[Oh. He looks over at Leorio in surprise, before it slowly softens into something fond. And just after all that scolding the other day for the same thing. But really, he's so passionate over breakfast...]

Pancakes. [He likes them, so that's fine.] If you don't keep your voice down, we really won't be sneaking out.

[With that last reminder, he hits the button for the elevator.]

[speeddial]

[Bigger than your head, Kurapika. He means that, he's pretty sure you can order that exactly from the menu of whatever breakfast-all-the-time place he has in mind.]

No one's up here! [Maybe. He'll shuffle into the elevator gratefully once it arrives, anyway. Hmm- oh, yeah,]

Let me drive.

[dialtones]

You want to?

[That's a weird thing to state out of nowhere. He doesn't see anything wrong with his own driving, so he doesn't understand any implications-- which is for the best, really. They start heading down to the ground floor, and he can only hold his chin thoughtfully.]

That should be fine. [Does Kurapika even have a license, really.] Do you know this area at all, Leorio?

[speeddial]

[What's the driving age in this world, 12? Probably 12 like everything else.

Leorio's content to just seem really excited about every little thing, like driving and pancakes, rather than have to express his concerns that they'll wind up wrapped around a streetlight if Kurapika drives.]

Nope! [nice] Be my navigator.

[dialtones]

[Okay, at that, Kurapika gives him a Look. Why does he want to drive if he doesn't know where anything is? And how does he stay so excited about everything, anyway.

But oh well, it's not bad, and the look doesn't last long. He sighs lightly.]

Fine. Am I going to have to find a place with pancakes, then? [He's already pulling out his phone and opening the maps app.]

[speeddial]

[Don't question it, he'll make up something really stupid...]

You're already doing it, aren't you? [He says as he leans over to look at Kurapika's phone, aha!! Of course he's correct.]

Even better if it has "pancakes" in the name.

[dialtones]

Why does that matter?

[Why does he like this man. This is a question that goes through his head right now, but he'll settle with making a face and typing pancakes into his phone.]

The City Hut of Pancakes? [That's such a dumb name, what kind of owner thinks that's a good idea.]

[speeddial]

Because it means they know what they're doing!

[What... This is his real reasoning, if they put pancakes in the name they probably can flip a good pancake, right? Right. He keeps leaning over to watch the pancake hunt-]

Alright! [gREAT NAME] Is it close?

[dialtones]

Let's see. [Click clack look at him working this phone, it's amazing.] Oh, it's not too far from here. This is further into the city, but we shouldn't hit any traffic.

[So, he'll keep that open, he guesses. The elevator has taken them to the first floor by now, and he steps out, looking to Leorio. Reaching into his own pockets, he procures the keys to one of the various cars they have lined up, holding them out for him to take.

He then spends a few seconds quietly observing.]

You're really excited about pancakes.

[speeddial]

[Pancake hut it is! Leorio swipes those keys with gusto, taking a guess at which car they're actually for and just marching up to the nearest one, really. Don't make him wander around the garage all day.

He pauses to give Kurapika a look, like he just doesn't get why pancakes are important. First, they're delicious, and second- pancakes aren't just pancakes, Kurapika. Not today, anyway.]

Pancakes are getting me out of here for a day, so yeah, I'm excited about pancakes. [Hmph! As he fiddles with the keys he adds, distracted...] You're here, too.

[A beat. Ah.]

Just get in the car!