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Gemini's a little restaurant tucked away where only locals can find it. Akira's pretty sure the owner likes it that way, but he finds it by chance. Morgana stays hidden in his bag, quietly bemoaning the rain water that managed to find him even in the bag.
“This is a quaint establishment,” Yusuke says as he shakes his wet hair. “Unfortunate to bring in all this water.”
Akira nods, his hair near soaked. “Torrential downpours are no joke,” he agrees as he notices a man with his hair pulled back wearing an apron come out from the kitchen.
The man tosses them both towels that land on their heads. “Towel off and sit down. Order something,” he tells them before heading back into kitchen without another word.
Morgana pops out of Akira's bag in a huff. “Hey, share that towel with me,” he bemoans his wet fur.
Akira chuckles as he dries off his frizzy mop of hair. “Not a chance,” he replies as he holds Morgana's head down. “I asked if you checked the weather, and you said no chance of rain. You're a little shit who didn't check the weather.”
“I'll share my towel with you, Morgana,” Yusuke says with a chuckle, dropping his towel onto Morgana. “I managed to keep relatively dry.”
“Yusuke, you're my favorite now,” Morgana says as he stares down Akira then starts to rub his head into the towel.
Akira shrugs with a sort of innocent grin. “Guess you'll be nagging him to get to sleep on time then.”
Morgana huffs. “I'd be nagging at him to eat,” he states sternly.
“I do eat,” Yusuke protests, though his words fall on deaf ears as Akira and Morgana share a look.
“I'm buying you lunch, Yusuke,” Akira decides as he grabs the menus that were on the table they're sitting at.
“I won't turn down a free meal, but are you sure? I must ask, even though my stomach protests.”
Morgana snorts as Yusuke's stomach growls, as if to prove a point. “Akira here can manage. You have proven you cannot,” he says as tries to get his fur to cooperate after drying himself on a towel.
“Can't deny the truth,” Akira pipes up.
“Are you ready to order?” a cheerful brunette asks, startling all three of them as Morgana struggles to hide himself. “Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you saw me!”
Akira recovers first, clearing his throat. “I thought it was only that surly chef.”
The girl giggles. “Don't mind Shinji's surliness,” she says, tilting her head. “Oh, you don't have to hide your kitty. We don't mind such well-behaved pets.”
Popping his head up cautiously, Morgana looks over the table. “Well, she has good taste,” he says nudging Akira. “Tell her she has good taste and get me some fish! Do you think they have sushi?”
“You have good taste,” Akira repeats, petting Morgana as the girl blinks at them. “Yusuke, you okay with a house special?”
Yusuke nods. “I'll eat whatever you order me.”
“Two house specials then,” the girl says, staring at Morgana for a moment. “And I'll see if I can get this sweet kitty a plate of fish. How's that?”
“Yesss,” Morgana crows as Akira tries his best not roll his eyes.
“That's fine. Thank you, miss,” he tells her as she gives them another smile before heading to the kitchen.
As they wait for their meals, Yusuke takes in the ambiance of the small restaurant, making a frame with his fingers as he does so. “This place is well loved by its owner and staff,” he says with a nod. “The emotions it brings forth... I must do a preliminary sketch!”
Morgana groans as Yusuke jostles him to dig through his own bag to take out his sketch pad, only to make a sound of distress as he finds it a sodden mess. “My sketches!” he laments as Akira frowns.
“Yusuke, did you use your bag as an umbrella...?” he asks carefully, and it dawns on Yusuke how this happened.
“I sacrificed my art for a few mere moments of dry comfort!” Yusuke realizes as he stockpiles all the napkins on the table as well as the towels they were given to attempt to save his sketch pad. “I'm abhorrent! How can I call myself an artist?”
“That's not true,” Akira disagrees, but Yusuke's attention is solely on his ruined artwork. “Try not to open it. Maybe if we can get the worst of the water off it...”
“It looks like a lost cause,” Morgana says skeptically, and Akira elbows him. “Me-ooow! It's definitely salvageable! ...I think.”
“...is everything all right over here?” a man passing by their table asks.
Akira looks up to notice the man is a police officer. He's not wearing his uniform, but Akira catches his badge at his hip. He freezes in response as Morgana ducks out of sight. Yusuke hasn't noticed him at all. Thankfully, unlike other cops Akira's run into in the city, this one doesn't seem angered by his lack of a response.
The man rubs the back of his neck, looking over the table. “Ahh, did that get ruined in the rain?” he questions, gesturing to the sketchbook.
Akira clears his throat and finds his voice. “Yeah, we got caught in the rain,” he says, noticing the police officer is also a bit damp.
“Heh, it was out of nowhere,” he agrees, but a snort behind him makes him turn around. “Oh hey, Ko.”
The waitress from earlier balances their meals on a platter as she gives the police officer a skeptical look. “Don't 'hey' me. Shinji told you to bring an umbrella. The weather report said flash flooding rain,” she admonishes as she places the plates out. “Here's your orders, boys.”
Morgana can't help but jump up. “Sashimi, yessss!” he shouts, catching the cop's attention. “...oh crap.”
Akira tries not to facepalm as 'Ko' elbows the surprised police officer in the side. “Did you upset these nice boys? You can be a bit scary now, Aki,” she teases as 'Aki' flushes in responses.
“I was trying to help,” he protests then points out the sodden sketchbook. “Think you can work some magic on it?”
'Ko' looks thoughtful for a moment before approaching Yusuke. “May I take this for a moment? I think I can maybe salvage it.”
Yusuke perks up and carefully hands her the sketch pad. “I would forever be in your debt if you could save even one of my sketches,” he says wholeheartedly.
“I'll try my best!” she replies with a comforting smile. “Enjoy your food, boys. I'll take Aki with me, so he doesn't scare you with his tough police officer act.”
'Aki' protests as she takes him by the arm and more or less drags him away and into the kitchen in back. “That was...something,” Akira states, staring at the still fluttering curtain in the doorway to the kitchen.
Morgana makes a pleased sounds in response, mouth full of fish. “Delish-us!” he says in a garble.
Akira sighs as Yusuke laughs. “Perhaps eating voraciously is the correct approach in this situation,” he says before digging into his bowl of rice and meaty goodness.
“That's one of thinking about it,” Akira replies as he snaps his chopsticks apart and digs in.
Between bites, they talk about everyday things. Morgana only stops to tell Yusuke that he shouldn't use all his money on art supplies. Yusuke disagrees quickly, and Akira points out that 'starving artist' shouldn't be what he's going for.
Soon after that debate end, they finish their meal, and Morgana finishes first with a contented sigh. “This chef knows his way around a knife and fish,” he says dreamily as he curls up in Akira's bag.
“This was the most delectable donburi I've ever had the pleasure to consume,” Yusuke compliments the food as well, leaning back on his chair.
“I'll be sure to tell the compliments to the chef,” 'Ko' says cheerfully, making them all jump.
“She's a ninja,” Morgana mutters. “I didn't see or hear her coming...”
'Ko' giggles as she gently places the mostly dry sketchbook on the table. “The pages might be a bit wavy, but you can probably flatten them out individually later. I didn't want to go digging. It seems personal.”
“You are a savior of artwork,” Yusuke says seriously as he carefully flips through the pages. “Yes, I can salvage these. If I change a few things...”
“Glad I could help!” she replies with a smile. “I can take your empty dishes.”
Akira nods. “Can we have the check? I'll be paying.”
“Just a moment,” 'Ko' says as she balances the dirty dishes and heads back to the kitchen again.
“Why didn't she go to the register...?” Akira questions, and Morgana sleepily purrs in response.
Yusuke doesn't seem to hear him either, too entrenched by ideas to rework his entire sketch pad. Akira sighs as he tallies up the bill in his head. He notices that the cop hasn't left the kitchen when someone comes out of the kitchen. It isn't 'Ko', but the chef from earlier that 'Ko' called 'Shinji', and he's carrying a small bag.
'Shinji' walks over and drops the bag in front of Yusuke. “These are on the house. Eat like a normal person,” he states before walking away.
Akira blinks as Yusuke opens the bag to reveal a takeaway box full of onigiri. “See! Even they think you need to eat more!” Morgana announces with a yawn.
'Ko' comes back with the check, and Akira takes it to see it says paid. “What?” he questions.
“Aki paid it,” she says with a smile. “He had to get a change of clothes and head back to work, but I'm letting you guys know you're good to go.
“I could have paid for it...” Akira says with a frown. “Yusuke, we're going to come back here again in future, all right?”
Yusuke nods as he stands and bows. “You are a goddess amongst men,” he says seriously. “Ah, we don't have your name...? I assume 'Ko' is a nickname.”
“You'd be right. Shiomi Kotone, nice to meet you!” Kotone tells him with a smile. “You guys are welcome back any time, but next time, I'm petting that kitty, okay?”
Morgana pops his head up. “Lady Kotone, anything for you,” he says with a pleased meow.
Akira snorts as they gather up their things. “Guess Ann got pushed off her pedestal,” he says under his breath, and Morgana immediately stutters and protests.
Kotone giggles. “Have a wonderful rest your day!” she tells them as they leave with a smile on their faces.