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]

[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!

[dialtones]

[The more he hears things like that, the more he feels slyly proud, and like he can take it without feeling like he's going to explode from emotion. So he gives Leorio a sly look there (hah, got you) before he ducks and gets into the car. Looks like he chose the right one, after all.

Once Leorio is in, he pulls out his phone again to peek at the directions.]

Just take the main road from here towards the middle of the city. I can tell you where to turn. [He's relentless even at this, though, but Leorio has been a good driver in the past, so!]

Let me just message Melody that I'm going out...

[speeddial]

[He'll be even better this time, in the absence of a whole sandwich to shove into his face at once. Leorio begins the arduous task of driving out to get pancakes, and fortunately does not run them into a wall in a moment of surprise when Melody's name comes up.

It's like his thought process is being written out above his head as he glances at Kurapika... Message Melody, Kurapika's out and he's missing, Melody will know they're going out for something, is it better to be more vague or less vague in this instance—

He clears his throat, focusing on the road ahead as he pulls out of the garage.]

Uh, Kurapika... [how does he ask this...] About Melody. Does she... you know.

[Another glance, sparing a hand from the wheel to gesture vaguely between the two of them. What does she know??]

[dialtones]

[Ah yes, about Melody... He registers those hand gestures in his peripheral, but he decides to put them on hold as he types out this message. "Going out for breakfast with Leorio. Let me know if there's any trouble."

Shutting that and turning the screen off for now, since he's memorized the directions, he gives Leorio a sideways glance.]

Ah, yes. That is... I think she's known for longer than we have.

[speeddial]

[Ah... Leorio makes a face, between surprised and slightly mortified, before looking stonily out ahead of them. Hm... No, it's embarrassing.]

Longer than... That's— [Cheating. The word he's about to say is cheating, but he doesn't both because it's stupid and because he did already know she can read people in her scarily accurate way. How dare she be such a nice person he can't bring himself to be mad at, that just makes this lame on their end!!

He grumbles at a red light, hunching his shoulders slightly to match. Hmmmm.]

I don't know what to say to that.

[how dare she]

[dialtones]

[He shares this sentiment, honestly. How could she do that? So often he was trying to close himself off and she could see right through him. It was a little worrying. The way she reacted to his heart... She shouldn't have to deal with that kind of knowledge.

At the same time, he truly appreciates it. She's helped him snap out of things more than once, when he wasn't allowing anyone else in, and that meant the world. Again, the night a couple days ago comes to mind, and he slowly glances out the window.]

She spoke to me a little, the night after the incident with Don Paolo. [He's not entirely sure why he's telling Leorio this aside from it being something he should probably have a right to know. The way he was thinking, and the way he still sometimes thinks... Does he know this already?

Maybe. Probably.]

She talked me out of sending you away again.

[speeddial]

[Leorio straightens up at the mention of Don Paolo, shooting Kurapika another glance. That night already seems like it was weeks ago instead of days, and he doesn't remember it fondly. But Melody...

He believes she played a part in Kurapika's decision easily; even meeting her briefly the first time had convinced him she was the sort of person Kurapika needed to stay grounded, so it seems obvious that she reached out to him and- helped. (Maybe he should thank her.) She's smarter than Leorio, after all - no wonder.

He lets out a breath that turns into a disbelieving chuckle at the end, about all of this; that he's here, that Kurapika is going against his instincts to keep him there, that Melody doesn't belong mixed up with these thugs either.]

Maybe we should bring her back some pancakes.

[dialtones]

[It's easier to smile when he's facing the window like this. Honestly, he'd expected Leorio to react in rage or exaggerated surprise, even if he knew it-- but no. He's just happy, it seems. He should have known that that would take precedence over their bickering roles this time.

Right now, he's thinking he's pretty lucky. He reserves the right to take that back later when he's dealing with 'pancakes bigger than his head.']

We could... But are we cutting the day so short? [Playful. When was the last time he's been able to get away with teasing so much?] I thought you wanted to do more.

[speeddial]

[The thing is, in the end - Leorio is aware Kurapika is a mess. The fact that he has someone (someone else, if Leorio can pat himself on the back for a minute) who can get through to him where it matters is incredibly fortunate. Plus, Leorio likes Melody. She's nice!

He'll have plenty more to get exaggeratedly angry at later, surely. He could start with this teasing???]

You— No!! We can go back for more pancakes.