Hell's Kitchen: The Truth Behind the Papa Louie Universe

Chapter One

    I'll just have to deal with it. Akari frowned as she scrubbed at her face. A new skincare regimen. Was that really essential? Whatever pays the bills, I guess.

She wasn't thrilled with the new job, but no-strings-attached wasn't Papa Louie's thing, and she knew she should have read the fine print. Even so, living rent-free in the second biggest city in the country was an offer no one in their right mind would pass up. So she'd deal with the job, even if it meant the stupid skincare routine and cameras following her as she worked.

The apartment was cute and decently sized. Even furnished. Why does Papa Louie want a documentary? Must be some... ego thing. She unloaded her suitcase, tentatively, not wanting to put things away until a few days had passed. The offer seemed too good to be true, and for Pete's sake, in the last restaurant Papa Louie'd opened, a scammer was offering a place for rent. Her old friend Koilee and her then-boyfriend, Carlo, had ended up stuck working for Papa L or risk being homeless.

On the topic of Koilee, they hadn't talked in a while- Akari used to frequent the ice cream shop where she worked, but since it shut down, they hadn't so much as passed each other on the street. Shame. Not only was Akari a sucker for the trademark gourmet deconstructed ice cream sandwich the Scooperia was so popular for, Koilee was fun to talk to. She used to work at the Sakura Bay Aquarium, and she had plenty of stories to tell about it. Akari made a mental note to check up on her sometime.

After she'd brushed her teeth and inspected the bed carefully for bedbugs or stains, Akari made sure the windows and doors were locked. Even if it was only about a half-hour ride away, New Pepperton was a considerable change from Tacodale, and home invasion was always a phobia of hers. She climbed into bed and hoped for sleep, trying to ignore the thousands of thoughts flitting around her head. They're like moths. How can I sleep with moths in my head? She groaned, turned over to her other side, and tried counting her breaths. Tomorrow is just training, she reassured herself, Training and meeting the film crew. Getting used to the area. Nervous thoughts sprang up at what was meant to be a calming run-through of the day, and she grimaced as she suppressed them with the volume of her counting. Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen...

Akari awoke to a horrible banging sound. The sun was already shining through the uncovered window, and her eyes stung and she fumbled with the alarm clock. It was large and heavy, clanking and shaking ferociously as Akari, still half asleep, struggled to turn it off. I didn't even set an alarm? Annoyed and slightly concerned at what was undoubtedly Papa Louie's way of insuring she got up on time, she got ready and headed downstairs.

She was greeted by Papa Louie, cheery as always. What is he on to make him so peppy? It's like six in the morning? He sat at a small table in the empty lobby of the shop, beside two people dressed in all black who, Akari was glad to see, looked just as tired as she felt.

"Hello, my dear, are you ready for your training?" Papa Louie's voice felt forced and insincere, like someone trying to engage an uninterested toddler.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Akari gave a small smile that was as insincere as Papa Louie's voice and sat down in the empty chair in front of the trio. In truth, she wasn't mad about the coffee shop job. She liked to cook, and drinks were fun, right? She'd be a good barista, but she was just on edge. The whole situation freaked her out a bit.

"This is Didar," Papa Louie gestured to the man on his left, "He will be the main cameraman for the duration of the documentary production," Didar gave a small wave and a tired smile. "And this is Simone, she will record audio."

Simone gestured to a boom mic leaning against the wall. "Hey."

Akari hoped it didn't show on her face, but Simone's voice surprised her. It was deep, and smooth like satin. Hell, she should be in front of the microphone with a voice like that, not behind it. Narrating audiobooks and stuff. Akari smiled at the two of them.