Paradise Lost

Chapter 3, Cold Brewing

I do not own anything relating to either series. Seriously. What a shocker.

We might start getting somewhere with the plot soonish, maybe?

[PL]

"Thank you for your patronage, and please come again." Akira bowed at the waist as yet another satisfied customer made their way to the door. It had been slow at first, but after a month, Leblanc Deux was becoming more and more popular among the residence of Vale.

The sound of constant chatter filled the cafe as Akira made his way back to the kitchen to stir the curry that was currently cooking on the stove. Humming under his breath as he balanced making sure the rice wasn't sticking and that the curry wasn't bubbling over, the frizzy haired shop owner kept himself busy throughout the day as he dealt with his steadily growing customer base.

"Can I get a refill, boss?" Came a request from the counter, causing Akira to turn and glance at the person who made the request before he was in motion to do as requested. Having already memorized what that particular customer was drinking, it was as easy as grinding another round of beans and setting them to brew slowly before he was back in the kitchen stirring his curry.

"It'll be ready in just a few moments, Jeff." Akira called out as he poked his head into the fridge to pull out a tray of coffee cakes that had been set to cool before he could decorate them, "Would you like another cake as well?"

"Yes, please!" Jeff called out boisterously, his mustache curling upwards to show his delight, "I don't know how you make them so good, but I swear I'll get that recipe from you eventually."

Akira laughed lightly at the words of the man before shaking his head in the negative. "I already gave you hints, you're going to have to guess the rest."

The sound of one of his coffee machine dinging twice let him know that the roasting and brewing process had been completed, allowing him to remove the mug filled with steaming, black liquid from the machine before tapping three buttons to reset his preferences.

Passing the fresh mug of Vacuoan Black to the construction worker who chose to frequent Leblanc Deux almost every day of the week before and after his shift, Akira removed his glasses and used the small rag tied to his belt to clean the lenses before returning them to his face.

The sound of the door to his shop opening and closing drew his attention towards the front of his shop, where he locked gazes with the most recent person to visit. Dark brown eyes hid behind crooked framed glasses that rested upon the tip of his nose, circular in shape and very much unlike the ones worn by Akira.

His hair was easily as wild as the fifth Fool's, going every which way as if he just stepped out of a windstorm. His hair had been either dyed or faded into gray, considering his brows were as black as night. It was a bit odd and reminded Akira of how Ryuji used to dye his hair, in a way.

Dressed in a green and black suit with a green scarf around his throat, the cane wielding man seemed to enjoy comfort over fashion or protection, considering the lack of armor upon his body.

The lazy looking man made his way to the counter before setting himself down in one of the six chairs, glancing at the large blackboard hanging above the counter after getting comfortable.

"Welcome to Leblanc Deux, our special today is a sweet green curry served over rice," Akira greeted the man with a nod of his head, maintaining eye contact for a few more seconds before turning his attention back to the kitchen, "Just give me a shout when you're ready to order."

"Thank you," Came the mans reply as he continued to peruse the large menu, his brows raising slightly at the rather large selection of different coffee beans the cafe had available, "You have quite the selection here, much larger than the cafe I usually frequent."

"I try and keep a diverse stock," Akira admitted while ringing up a pair of customers that just finished off their own plate of curry and rice, "I might have to cut a few items off the menu to make things a bit less cluttered."

"Hmm, variety is the spice of life," The gray haired man laughed gently at his own joke before shaking his head slightly, "What would you recommend?"

"Thank you for your patronage, please come again," Akira raised a hand to wave the two customers off before turning his attention back to the gray haired man sitting at his counter next to Jeff, "I'm partial to Mistralian red and Valean red mixed, it's a nice balance between acidic and smooth with chocolate undertones."

"May I have a large mug of that, then, roasted for five minutes and ground extra fine?" The man requested after a few seconds of thinking about his order, "With a plate of your special today, if you don't mind."

"Coming right up, Sir," Akira gave him a nod to show that his order was heard loud and clear before making his way to the small hand grinder he used for his more expensive strain of beans, "We have a few different types of bases, do you prefer rice, or bread crumbs?"

"Rice sounds lovely," The man called out as Akira continued to work, "I don't recall having seen this cafe before, how long have you been open?"

"A month," Akira admitted while twisting the lever attached to the small hand grinder placed behind the counter, "I wanted to move a bit further into town, but a friend recommended I open up closer to Beacon."

"I admit that we needed a good cafe closer to home," The man chuckled lightly as he laced his fingers before his face, "It's been difficult, having to go back to the instant brew coffee that the faculty seems so fond of."

"You're a member of Beacons staff, then?" Akira was curious, having only heard stories of the large school on the outskirts of the eastern side of Vale, "How do you like it there?"

"I love it. I'm the Headmaster, actually," The man seemed almost shocked that Akira didn't recognize him, "My name is Ozpin, may I ask yours?"

"Akira," The frizzy haired teenager introduced himself while tapping the contents of the grinder into a specialty filter designed to hold the extra-fine coffee grounds, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Headmaster."

"Please, call me Ozpin, I get enough of 'Headmaster' from my students," Ozpin waved off the title without a thought, watching as Akira went through the process of brewing his coffee as if scrutinizing his every move, "I have to say, I'm surprised that someone so young has been so successful in this particular business."

"I learned from the best," Akira was not modest in saying this, firmly believing that Sojiro had been the master of coffee, "It wouldn't have been right if I wasted what I was taught."

"I see..." Ozpin trailed off, turning his attention around the room before finally settling on the photograph that took the place of the Sayuri painting, "I have to say, this is a rather well decorated establishment, very homely feeling. I can see that you drew inspiration from another cafe?"

Akira nodded his head and turned before making his way back to the kitchen to check on the steaming vegetables he added to the curry, "I did. I learned everything I know there."

While that was stretching it a bit, he had indeed learned more during his stay at Leblanc than he did previously in his life. Akira had more fond memories spending time with Sojiro and Futaba than he did his own mother and father.

Thinking about the two instantly put a hamper in his step, but he continued on seconds later as if his thoughts hadn't threatened to crush him under foot once more.

"I see... Thank you, it smells wonderful." Ozpin raised his large mug of coffee to inspect it after Akira finally brought it to the counter, taking a deep whiff of the aroma before sighing in content.

Taking a tentative sip of the strong brew, the Headmaster seemed to melt in his seat as he reclined further into his chair.

"I do hope you won't mind my asking, but shouldn't you be in school?" Ozpin eventually questioned after Akira had started to clean a few of the glasses in the sink, "You don't seem quite old enough to be running your own shop."

"You are forgiven," Akira shrugged his shoulders in response, not seeing the need to provide any concise details on his past, "I don't feel like wasting any more time learning things I'll never need."

"That is a shame, young man," Ozpin said almost sadly as he shook his head in disappointment, "You should never consider education a waste of time."

"Oh, that is not what I meant to imply," Akira amended after thinking over his words, "I can learn faster on my own, and this allows me to make enough Lien to get by comfortably. It helps that I genuinely enjoy cooking and brewing, while I detest being limited to a classroom."

Ozpin nodded, though he seemed to do it more as acknowledgment rather than agreement. "You're weapon is rather large to be hiding beneath a jacket, did you create it yourself?"

Akira tensed his shoulders as he glanced backwards at the Headmaster, sizing him up as if he could potentially be a threat. While it was true that any person, be they Human or Faunus, was technically a threat, but Akira had gone to great lengths in making sure that his hidden weapon wasn't obvious.

People got uncomfortable when their server had a pistol tucked under his arm in a leather holster, especially one designed like Akira's.

"I like to have a deterrent when I make my rounds around the shadier parts of Vale." Akira noted as he went back to cleaning the glasses in the sink while his patrons continued to enjoy their meal and coffee. Yet again, Akira found himself speaking in half-truths, but he hardly cared. He didn't owe anyone anything, let alone the Headmaster of a school he would never attend.

"I suppose that is a good reason as any to carry a weapon," Ozpin agreed while raising his mug to his lips once more, falling silent with his strange line of questioning.

A few more minutes passed before the Headmaster finished his coffee and cakes, finally rising to leave after leaving a rather generous tip and his payment next to his glass.

"I hope you don't mind, but I have a feeling I'm going to be stopping by quite a bit in the next few months." Ozpin spoke as he grabbed his cane and made his way to the door, a happy jaunt in his step thanks to the exquisite cup of coffee.

Pausing by the door for a second, Ozpin looked over his shoulder and made eye contact with Akira once more. It seemed as if the Headmaster had something to say, but he refrained from doing so, instead turning and making his way into the crowd of passersby moving down the sidewalk outside of Leblanc.

Akira tilted his head to the side in thought as he watched the man leave, unsure as to why he felt like the man had been dissecting him beneath a microscope in those scant few moments.

[PL]

Night had fallen once more as Akira found himself walking along his usual route to cross the Valean River to reach the industrial district. With his hood pulled over his head and his face towards the ground, it was difficult to make out any of his features for those passing by, which was exactly what he wanted.

Tukson had been correct when he said that it was easier to blend in than stick out in Vale. Thanks to the actions of a few more vocal White Fang members, the Human supremacist gangs had increased the frequency of the attacks they made on unsuspecting Faunus trying to make it in the world.

Every time Akira turned on the large scroll set up in Leblanc Deux for his customers, all he heard about were robberies, drive-by shootings, murder, theft and more murder. It was a bit shocking to find out just how high the crime rate had climbed in the worse off parts of town, causing Akira to go way out of his way to take the long way around the gangs territories.

The sound of squealing tires drew his attention, but it was the gunshots that rang out immediately after that caused him to spring from his spot and under cover. While they did not come from the same street he was on, it didn't mean that the shooters couldn't round the corner and spot him as well before marking him as a target as well.

Dropping his bags and slipping into the alley way next to him, Akira withdrew the large, black pistol he kept within a shoulder holster beneath his left arm and held it at the ready as he peeked his head around the corner. Seeing that there were no vehicles on the street he was currently on, he made his way around the corner and kept his body crouched low, either hand wrapped around the handle of his weapon as he slinked into the shadows.

Poking his head around the corner at the end of the block, he heard the screaming woman before he saw her. A few feet away, a petite blond woman was frantically trying to press something into the chest of what appeared to be a child, no older than twelve or thirteen.

Glancing around the street one last time to make sure there wouldn't be another shooting, Akira holstered his weapon and made his way to the woman and her child. "Where are they hit?"

"You, please help! Oh gods, why?!" The woman turned to him upon hearing him run up, her eyes filled with tears and her hands covered in blood, "Please, they shot my baby! I can't lose her!"

The girl's body writhed in pain as she attempted to raise a hand to place against her wound, only for her to be stopped by her mother. The woman was quickly falling into shock, as was the child.

"Calm down, Ma'am," Akira spoke gently, his mind working a mile a minute to remember what he was told by Tae as he stripped his jacket from his chest, "When I tell you when, lift your hands, okay?"

She didn't respond quick enough, causing Akira to raise his voice to get her attention once more.

"Ma'am, it's going to be okay, don't panic! When I tell you to, I need you to move." Akira was more firm this time, knowing that at the rate the girl was losing blood, she wouldn't make it until the paramedics arrived.

His heart was beating in his throat as he watched the woman withdraw her hand from the wounded torso of the short teenager. Just as her hands came away, Akira quickly compressed his black jacket into the wound while cursing under his breath.

The light was fading from the childs eyes quickly, and Akira was forced to make a choice.

When he had awoken in Remnant, he was lost emotionally and physically. Due to the mental state he had fallen into, he didn't put much thought into the feeling of strength flowing through his body at almost all points.

He knew what the feeling represented, having felt it each and every time he entered Mementos, but he ignored it as best as he could while he attempted to settle himself into Vale and regather his thoughts.

Now, however, he couldn't ignore such things.

A flare of blue flames rose from the ground beneath his kneeling form and sprung from the corners of his eyes in the shape of his mask, growing more and more intense as he forced the energy within him to the surface once more.

As he felt the connection between himself and Kaguya solidify, the white mask of the Joker settled over the bridge of his nose once more as the flames of energy continued to spill from his eyes.

The former Joker called out the name of one of the few healing spells he could cast just as the spectral image of a white haired woman clad in red appeared behind him. "Diarahan."

A green glow erupted around his palms as he continued to press his jacket into the wounded girls chest, slowly knitting the wound shut while preventing her from bleeding out. The feeling of something pressing back into his palms forced Akira to eventually remove his jacket, allowing him to catch the bullet that had pushed its way from the wound upon the young girls chest.

Seeing that the wound had mostly closed and that the bleeding had slowed tremendously, Akira replaced his jacket against her chest while withdrawing his scroll and calling the police to the scene.

"Is she going to be alright?" The previously hysterical woman questioned after a moment, listening as Akira vocalized the location he was at before snapping his scroll down into its compact form once more, "Please tell me she's going to live!"

"Everything is going to be fine now, Ma'am," Akira admitted after a second while showing her the bullet in his hand, "I've removed the bullet and sealed the wound, mostly."

"Thank you," The woman sobbed into her hands as she nearly fell onto the fallen form of her now unconscious daughter, "Thank you so much!"

"I did what anyone would have done," Akira tried to play it off while gesturing for her to take his jacket, "I need you to keep pressing this against the wound until the paramedics arrive. We both know the police will take their sweet time, so let's try and keep our calm."

"Right, thank you," The mother was quick to follow his orders as he gestured for her to take his place, "I-, my name is Gray Strom, this is my daughter Mael."

"Akira," The frizzy haired teenager introduced himself in turn, "You're doing great, just keep the pressure on there."

Removing one of his thin red gloves, he pressed a finger on her jugular to get a feel for her pulse. After a few seconds, he was satisfied with the strength of her heart beat and the steady rhythm of her breathing.

Replacing the glove, Akira pulled it tight and latched the belted strap at his wrist. As he looked up, he saw Gray staring at him with wide eyes, despite continuing to press her hands against her wounded and unconscious daughters chest.

"What... who are you?" Gray whispered under her breath, only seeing the blue flames pouring from behind his white mask, "Is this your semblance?"

Akira wanted to shake his head in the negative, but he eventually nodded instead. While his abilities relating to his Persona were not the same as a Semblance, he doubted anyone on Remnant would be able to tell the difference if he kept his abilities further under wraps.

Kaguya faded away with a ringing giggle filling the air, as did the azure flames surrounding him and flowing from his eyes. Akira removed his mask and stared at it for a moment as if seeing it for the first time before crushing it within his grasp and letting it dissipate in the wind.

"Yes," Akira eventually agreed to her assumption and answered as simply as he could before turning his attention down the street, "It seems they've arrived already, must have been close by."

Rising and gesturing towards the downed form of Mael, Akira stood back and allowed the paramedics to tend to the wounded girl. It took only a few seconds for them to take control of the situation before wheeling her into the back of the emergency vehicle to further dress her wounds to prepare her for transport.

Soon after, the police arrived for questioning before eventually allowing Akira to leave. Despite helping stabilize Mael, he wasn't close enough by to see anything worthy of having him brought to the station for questioning.

Two of the officers tried to give him a hard time about his weapon and the fact that he was a Faunus, but the deputy that arrived with them quickly put an end to the harassment before sending him on his way with a pat on the back.

He heard Gray shouting to get his attention, but Akira only stopped to wave over his shoulder before continuing towards his bags and then to the nearest dust-station where he could wash his hands.

Akira was glad that his gloves were red to begin with.

[PL]

It was midnight when Akira arrived back at Leblanc Deux, his eyes heavy as he shuffled his feet a bit less silently than usual. Opening the front door to his cafe and home, he quickly slipped inside and relocked his door before yawning and stretching.

Blinking twice, Akira would have reached for his weapon for the second time that night if not for the raised hands of the figure sitting at his bar.

"Alright," Akira nodded as if confirming that he was, indeed, seeing a person sitting at his counter after hours, "You mind telling me what you are doing in my home? The sign clearly says closed, and the doors were locked."

"Tukson let me in, said you were a friend and that you'd help." Turning so that Akira could get a look at the figures face, he was surprised by the glare of her eyes shining back in the dark, a trait most Faunus shared with their animal counterparts.

"Tukson really needs to give a guy a call before dropping a woman off in someone elses home." Akira nearly growled, if not for the fact that he knew his friend wouldn't have done so without good reason, "Your name?"

"Blake Belladonna. I just need somewhere to sleep, I promise I'm not a thief." She tried to reason after watching Akira's hand twitch towards his weapon once more, perhaps a nervous trait when faced with the unknown, "Please, I don't have anywhere else to go and I'm short on Lien for a room."

Akira made his way around the lithe form of the black haired female sitting at his counter before making his way towards the kitchen to set down his bags of dirty plates, mugs and bowls to be washed, keeping an eye on her the entire time.

Blake was as tense as Akira, though for completely different reasons. Her eyes were wide as she stared, and it took a few seconds for him to realize why. "Are you hurt?"

Glancing down at his partially blood-soaked button down, he cursed under his breath before waving her concern away. "It's not mine, and I didn't hurt anyone."

Seeing that he wasn't going to elaborate further, Blake nodded her head and remained silent as he turned to study her a bit closer.

Her hair was easily as wavy as his, and his enhanced eyesight allowed him to discern the small set of ears poking up from beneath the waves of her locks. She was as slim as he was, if not a bit more on the lithe side while Akira leaned more towards muscular.

Her color scheme was black and white with a bit of a strange shade of purple that he couldn't name. From the waist coat down to the white shorts, Blake certainly made for an attractive figure.

His attention mostly fell on the blade he saw peaking from over her shoulder, likely attached to one of the magnetic holsters that seemed popular with Huntsmen and Huntresses.

"I promise I don't mean any trouble," She tried once more upon seeing his gaze fall on her weapon, "I really, really don't want to sleep in the alley again..."

Akira sighed heavily and glanced at the kitchen, taking note of the fact that she seemed to have already washed most of the dishes, leaving a few of the more complicated components that needed cleaning alone to not mess them up.

He appreciated the fact that she at least tried to help clean up, despite not knowing if she would be staying or not.

"Have you been upstairs?" Akira questioned lightly as he removed his gloves and placed them next to the sink before reaching towards the bags of dirty dishes and placing them on the counter next to his sink.

"No, I've waited down here for... four hours now." Blake glanced at the analog clock on his wall, "I didn't want to snoop and I've only touched the dishes in the sink."

"I appreciate it," Akira nodded his head before turning and making his way to the stairs, "Wait here a moment, please."

He didn't wait for her response, instead climbing his stairs while fishing his scroll from his pocket before dialing Tukson's number.

His Scroll rang three times before he finally answered.

"I was waiting to hear from you, kid, what took you so long?" Tukson was half asleep, sitting in the rolling chair behind his desk, "Damn, what time is it?"

"You fell asleep in your chair again?" Akira questioned with a raised brow, knowing that the man kept himself up late doing extra work in the back that he wasn't really privy to, "That isn't why I'm calling, why did you let a woman into my home without so much as letting me know ahead of time?"

"Look, I have a few projects I'm working on, and she was in the same alley I found you in. The shaggy black hair and cat ears made me think of you, and well... I don't know, I thought you might help her get back on her feet." Tukson scratched the back of his head while his voice seemed a bit more distant as he spoke, glancing around his room while putting something under his desk before he stood, "She's a good kid, I met her a few years back at a rally and we've kept in touch whenever she's in Vale."

"That's fine and dandy, but why couldn't she just stay in the room I crashed in at your place?" Akira raised a brow as he waited for Tukson to answer, knowing that the man likely had a good reason, "Don't tell me you took my advise?"

"... I did," Tukson admitted with a nod, a small smile playing on his face, "She actually only left an hour ago, I must have dozed off thinking again."

"I'm glad to hear it, Tukson," Akira smiled lightly in return, happy that the man he was quickly coming to see as an uncle was moving on from his past by another step, "You seem less grumpy, she must be amazing to cheer you up."

"Oh shut up you little brat, this is why I'm glad your big eared ass moved out!" Tukson shouted while gesturing towards his scroll with a flat, open palm as if to say 'what is this shit', "Seriously though, kid, Blake is a good girl, and she needs somewhere she can lay low. You know a bit about what I've done and who I used to be, so I'm sure you can put the pieces together and do the right thing."

Akira didn't say anything for a few moments, pursing his lips in thought as he mulled it over in his head. He knew that Tukson was involved with the White Fang to some extent, though the man never admitted as much before now. Akira had his theories about what he did, considering the content of some of the paperwork he had come across while organizing the shop, but he kept his mouth shut and didn't ask questions.

Tukson seemed to appreciate his silence and kept his own about the strange inconsistencies Akira was slowly doing his best to correct, such as his lack of knowledge about general geography around Remnant and his odd stash of ridiculously high quality gems and gold coins, not to mention the lock picking tools that Akira had made when Tukson admitted to losing the key to his safe and needing some of the paperwork from within it.

If Tukson was willing to vouch for her, it was good enough for him. He knew that the soon to be former Fang member wouldn't let a psycho into his home and leave him to the wolves, so to speak. She was obviously feline in nature like him, but the saying fit the situation.

"How long do you think this will be?"

"I don't freakin' know, kid, why don't you ask her that?" Tukson was giving him the patented 'why the hell are you asking me' look that he sometimes gave Akira when his questions became a little too much, "Jeez, what is with you and questions, kid? Don't you know curiosity killed the cat?"

"It's not curiosity, it's a need to know how long I'm going to have a stranger sleeping in my home." Akira deadpanned before shaking his head, "Alright, I guess I'll pay forward the same kindness you showed me, she can pass it on next."

"And that is what keeps us Faunus alive." Tukson gave him a beaming smile before waving almost mockingly at his Scroll before hanging up abruptly.

Akira stared through the screen of his Scroll, counting down from ten to prevent himself from cursing Tukson loudly. With a twitch in his left eye, he made his way around the loft that led to his bedroom and began to pick up any tools that may point to a shadier lifestyle than a cafe owner.

After a few minutes, the room was clear of any incriminating items, having been stored away in the safe in his bedroom off to the right of the foyer he had made to be identical to where he previously slept back in Tokyo.

His schematics about his weapons and other projects remained at his work bench, being a more tame hobby than crafting explosives from dust and creating lock picks for the more advanced safes and doors of Remnant.

After making sure that the large bed in the corner had clean sheets and wasn't covered in dust like he first dealt with when having to sleep in the attic of Leblanc, Akira made his way back down the steps and into the foyer of his cafe.

"We need to have a little chat before I make any decisions," Akira leaned against the wall next to the stairs, eying her almost warily as he watched her ears perk up and her expression become slightly less morose, "I won't ask anything personal, just a few things so I can get a better read on you."

"That... is reasonable," Blake nodded her head to accede to answering his questions, "What would you like to know?"

"How long do you think you'll be staying?" Akira started off with one of the more obvious questions he had.

"Er... I planned on applying for Beacon for the next semester, so... two months?" Blake questioned instead of saying, knowing that the length of time she had to wait would be quite some time, "They start the new school year then and if I get accepted, will be provided a dorm."

"I see," Akira nodded, his voice not carrying any inflection as he pondered her words, "So you plan on being a Huntress?"

"I do... I, well, I have my reasons," Blake attempted to speak, but cut herself off before glancing to the left, a sign of her discomfort with the subject, "I want to help make a world where Humans and Faunus can come together without the need for violence. Nothing builds camaraderie like killing Grimm together, side by side. Maybe if I become well known, I can spread my message further than I could have in the past..."

Akira tilted his head to the side, once more contemplating her words slowly. He agreed with the sentiment, for the most part, but the fighting Grimm part didn't appeal to him nearly as much.

He had his fill of fighting monsters.

"A noble goal," Akira noted as he glanced around his cafe in thought, "Almost the exact reason I opened this cafe, as well."

"What do you mean?" Blake questioned as she span in the stool she was sitting at, "You opened a cafe to build camaraderie between Humans and Faunus?"

"Not quite, but close enough. I built Leblanc Deux so that those rejected by society could have somewhere they could turn. Here, I don't judge, so long as you don't judge me." Akira admitted as he moved towards the kitchen, beconning Blake to follow, "Help me with these as we talk, if you don't mind?"

"Not at all," Blake quickly hopped down from her stool and made her way back into the kitchen behind the counter, "This is a beautiful establishment, I'm actually really surprised someone my age owns it, let alone a fellow Faunus."

"Thank you," Akira laughed lightly at the compliment, having a feeling that it was high praise from her, "I modeled it after my... well, my second home in Yongen."

"Yongen... I can't say I've ever heard that name, where was it?" Blake questioned after a few seconds, rolling the name around in her head before drawing a blank, "Mistral?"

"Yeah, just a small settlement that... well, it's not there anymore, safe to say." Akira spun a half-truth once more, knowing that while Yongen was still present back in the Real World, as he still called it, even if it was under the influence of the Holy Grail and Mementos.

"I see... I'm sorry," Blake spoke softly, knowing that it must have stung quite a bit even saying that much. The Grimm attacks had been happening for ages, but that didn't make the news of yet another settlement getting wiped out any less tragic.

Akira just shrugged his shoulders and fell silent as the two worked, mulling over any other questions he might have had before deciding he had asked enough. Tukson hadn't pried into his past before letting him crash in the small back room of his shop, so he figured he would extend the same courtesy to Blake.

From the diligence she displayed when helping wash the dishes and how she seemed to study where he put everything, he was pretty certain he could at least count on her help around the kitchen as payment for rent.

"Alright, I think I have an idea on what type of person you are," Akira eventually admitted after drying his hands on a spare washrag before tossing it next to the sink, "I'll let you stay until Beacon starts, so long as you help out a bit around the shop when I need it. I won't ask anything crazy, just to help watch the stove or maybe wash some dishes."

"That is... very reasonable," Blake seemed a bit taken aback at how little Akira was expecting in return, "Almost too reasonable."

"Define 'too reasonable'," Akira snarked in good nature before shrugging his shoulders again, something he seemed to do a lot when he didn't feel like elaborating much on his words, "Just don't look a gift horse in the mouth, will you?"

Blake wasn't sure what he was trying to say to her about horses and mouths, but she nodded her head anyway.

"Good. I don't know if you have a set of spare clothes, but I laid out a set of night clothes on the cot in the loft just in case. Bathroom is the first door, second door leads to my room. Please, stay out of my room, and don't touch anything if it looks sketchy."

Blake didn't need to be told twice on not touching things that looked off, having seen plenty of White Fang initiates lose fingers to objects like grenades designed by some of the most incompetent engineers to join the organization.

Staying out of his room was also a given, and Blake wouldn't betray the trust he was giving her by allowing her to remain in his shop, even despite the fact he didn't know her from the next stranger on the street.

If not for Tukson vouching for her, Blake highly doubted this stranger would have let her stay.

"I never caught your name," Blake called out as she saw him turn and make his way to the stairs once more, not bothered by the fact that he had an armed woman sitting at his counter.

"Akira Kurusu. I'm going to get a shower and get this blood off of me. You can have it next." Akira called out over his shoulder as he made his way upstairs once more, unbuttoning his shirt the entire way almost thoughtlessly.

He missed the look of appreciation Blake was giving him and the silent whisper of her thanks.