INBOX (labyrinthum)

[amperor]

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"Sanada Akihiko"
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[amperor]

[ Considering Akihiko lives in the same building, it's probably no surprise he's already loitering outside Shinjiro's apartment. He's dressed in a familiar outfit (red shirt and jeans, still with his dress shoes) paired with a red sweater, and he raises a hand in greeting when he sees Ken. ]

Hey. Those the beans we're trying?

[ He nods to the bag even as he twists open the knob. Either he had a key and let himself in, or he already convinced Shinjiro to let them use the kitchen (and he made himself scarce). ]

[whatsamada]

[At the same time, Ken was still wearing his infamous orange hoodie with shorts. Looking at the beans once more, he gave a nod.]

Yes, that is correct. I hope they are as good as the store said they are.

[He said before making his way inside.]

But I don´t know. I never really tried to make coffee before.

[amperor]

"If they're not, we can always try a different kind another time."

Akihiko admittedly didn't know there were types beyond light, medium and dark roast; he assumes flavored coffees have flavor added in.

He heads over to the coffee maker, which thankfully he's also found the instructions for.

"Do you usually make instant? I know I've seen you drinking coffee around the dorm before."

[whatsamada]

"How do you know about that?"

Ken didn't mean to say it so quickly but he couldn't help it. He wanted to drink coffee to appear older but he didn't expect someone to see him! Immediately, he gave a slight cough before mumbling to himself.

"....Yes, I do. I just read about how to grind certain coffee beans and the water temperature matters too."

[amperor]

Akihiko gives Ken a mild look, raising an eyebrow. "It's a small dorm."

In all fairness, Ken didn't do it often; he didn't drink it on school nights, which left him only Saturday and Sunday morning to partake.

"I don't think we can set the temperature on this thing," he admits with am amused huff. "I think there's a grinder around here... Aha!"

[whatsamada]

Even if it was a small dorm, it still made him embarrassed knowing someone saw him drink black coffee! Sure, he gave a wince or two upon drinking it black but still!!

"Did you find anything, Sanada-san?" He said before getting a closer look. "...Do you really think that will work?"

[amperor]

"I think it should," Akihiko says, pulling a black electric grinder out. Then he looks at it, frowns, and ducks his head down to check the cupboard again. The one in his hand says SPICES ONLY, written on tape and stuck to the side of the grinder.

"Oh, this one then," Akihiko follows up with, swapping the one in his hand out for a similar looking electric grinder with no label this time - and indeed, when he pops the top off, it smells like coffee.

[whatsamada]

Meanwhile, Ken can´t help but wonder what kind of foods Shinjiro has been making. He doesn´t know a thing about cooking. Does spices really need that much grinding? But that was a question for another time. Right now, looking at the grinder, he gave a nod.

¨That´s great! We just need to grind them and we should be ready!¨

Except...Ken was not sure just how much grinding he needs.

[amperor]

Akihiko sets the grinder on the counter and for a moment, doesn't move. When it's clear Ken's just as unsure as he is he clears his throat a little.

He's fought Shadows before. He lived through losing Shinji. He can handle making coffee with Ken.

He holds out a hand for the coffee. "Let's see if there's any instructions on the bag about grinding the beans." They'll figure out the coffee pot next.

[whatsamada]

As he looked around to see said instructions on the bag, Ken felt a bit of relief. At least, this part seemed a little easy.

"It says it depends on what kind of grinder we have. But I think if we grind it just enough to a powder, it should be okay right? Maybe around 30 seconds or so?"

If he wanted some finer tasting coffee, they should grind it more of a powder right?

[amperor]

"We'll just grind it until it seems fine enough, then."

He pops the top off the grinder - it's the kind you press down on a button on the side of the lid to activate - and goes to find a measuring cup to measure the beans into.

Once the grinder is mostly filled he puts the lid back on, plugs it in, and carefully presses the button - it's so loud that it makes him startle and stop. He fumbles to turn it back on, watching the beans go from course to chunks, then a coarse grind and a finer, powdery one.

[whatsamada]

At the same time, Ken had to give a small wince from how loud the grinding was. He didn´t know just how much he should have grind it but at least it was a powder now. Looking at it, he looked back at Akihiko before scratching the side of his face.

¨Uh...I think that should be good enough? All we need to do is get hot water ready.¨

He said before looking around to see where the pot to boil water with.

[amperor]

"I think that's what Shinji's coffee maker does?"

He looks around and from around the side of the fridge, he pulls a red coffeemaker over. It's seen some use, clearly, but it's clean. Another trip to the other side and he comes back with paper filters.

"I guess these go in the basket to keep the grounds in, since it's not instant."

[whatsamada]

As Ken looked at the powder, he went over to get it before putting it on the paper filters. He wasn't sure how much to put but he placed the powder halfway up.

"Is this enough?"

He didn't know but he heard the more he put, the darker it tasted? Regardless, it placed it back in the coffeemaker before looking at the back to see how much water to add.

[amperor]

"Uh - looks good to me!"

Thankfully the lid Akihiko flips up says COLD WATER ONLY in all bold caps. He's not sure why, but he's not going to deviate from the instructions on the machine. He waits for Ken to tell him how much, and then grabs a measuring cup that's on the counter to add it in to the line.

Then he looks over the machine until he finds the one power button and hits it. The machine gurgles to life, a noise that worries Akihiko and makes him squint at it.

[whatsamada]

Which was why Ken was looking back at Akihiko and then back at the machine. He didn't know much about coffee but he definitely knew when something was wrong. As it continues to gurgle and make those sounds, he had to take a few steps back as he wondered what to do.

"Uh...is it supposed to do that?"

He knew what a coffee machine was supposed to sound like. And that didn't seem like the correct sound.

[amperor]

"I don't know..."

Not ever even listening to the coffee machine back in the dorm - actually, was it ever this loud? - is coming back to bite him now. The machine keeps making the noises but nothing more happens, although steam starts to rise from the back in a way that vaguely worries Akihiko.

Before he can get too concerned, though, the coffee starts to pour through the small hole at the bottom of the ground container they put the filter in - but it's not lined up with the hole on the pot, so it starts dribbling down the side onto the heating element.

"Ah -" Akihiko quickly nudges the pot until it's falling into the right spot, looking around for a towel of some kind to clean up the slight mess. "I guess it is supposed to do that."

[whatsamada]

Somehow, Ken wasn't sure how that statement. As he continued to back away from the machine, he was fully expecting something to happen. Watching the coffee drop down to the container, it was starting to feel like it was supposed to. The air was smelling like coffee and yet, he was still suspicious of it.

"Are you sure? It still sounds like something went wrong."

But then again, who was he to say that? He was only 10 and drank instant coffee.

[amperor]

"Well, nothing is blowing up or burning, so..."

Those are his two criteria for something going wrong. After a moment he perks up a bit.

"Oh, we should get out cups. You take your coffee black, right?"

Akihiko doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, but he tends to like milk or cream in his coffee.

[whatsamada]

Well, he was right, everything seemed to be okay. Even now with how much the coffee maker was making the same gurgling sound, it seemed like everything was normal.

"Yes, that's right."

He gave a him a look. Yes, he does like to drink his coffee black. He wasn't a kid who can't handle the bitterness!

i love getting to describe how wild a coffee maker sounds to people

[amperor]

AKihiko meets the look with a shrug as he finds a container of cream in Shinji's fridge and pulls it out, setting it on the counter. He doesn't like sugar in his, but he doesn't take it black, either.

He finds two cups - one red, one orange - and sets them on the counter. As he does so, the coffeemaker starts getting louder, and Akihiko shoots it another alarmed look. After a moment, though, it seems to turn off; maybe it was the last of the water boiling off?

Insert loud gurgling noises here

[whatsamada]

With the last loud noise heard, Ken gave a small wince. Was it supposed to do that? Who knew that making coffee would be this intense? Especially when the sounds make it seem as though the machine was dying. He knew it wasn't but it was enough to make him wonder. Is this what adults listen to all day long in coffee shops?

"Thanks, Sanada-san." He said before getting his orange cup. "...You sure that machine is going to be okay?"

[amperor]

"I think it'll be fine," Akihiko says, projecting confidence even as he gives the machine a slightly dubious once over. When it doesn't produce anymore noises other than a click as it turns the warmer on, Akihiko finally reaches out. He picks up the pot and pours his cup three quarters full, then gestures for Ken to hold his out or set it on the counter.

"Say when," he instructs before he starts pouring.

[whatsamada]

"When...?"

Ken wasn't too sure about how this coffee would turn out. At first he seemed confident that he knew what he was doing. But now, it was starting to question everything. Especially now when it was almost up to the top.

"....And I'll have to black." Will he regret this??

[amperor]

They'll probably both regret this.

Akihiko stops when Ken says so and sets the coffee pot back on the warmer. Then he adds the milk to his and stirs it, finally picking up his cup and clinking it against Ken's gently.

"Itadakimasu."

With that, he takes a sip... and grimaces almost immediately. It's very bitter. What'd he do wrong???