Realistic. There's been a significant increase in the unexpected lately.

[ you mean things got interesting at the start of the series wow who knew
brb patching that tiny tear in the fourth wall

it's all for the best. if they each wear the faces they're accustomed to, the other will be put at ease. the small stuff is what matters! fighting like cats and dogs is a luxury that keeps a person from thinking about how he can't go home.

and as for protocol? yeah. every letter of it is etched into that brain. circus fights; the tower researches. offense, defense. active, passive. protect, be protected. personal feelings do not enter into the equation - under no circumstances are the wants of the individual considered more important than the needs of the organizations.

so for all answering to hirato is not on his list of priorities, what else can akari do? he's a commodity to be kept under close eye, not unlike the specimens he's observed himself. intelligence like his can't be jeopardized. the organization would suffer for his loss. (maybe not so much if karoku is still in their care: objectively speaking, that man is probably a genius that can't be categorized.)

--personal space bubble violated. ]

Acting as if I need a babysitter... [ you're the one who acts like a child!! whines the guy who throws goddamn tantrums when people get too close to him. he's a caged animal - if the anger in his voice doesn't betray him, the look in his eyes surely does. hirato gets any closer and akari will have to push back. ] Cooperation is in both of our interests, but daily progress reports are useless. I'll pass on information as it becomes relevant.

[ gonna have to hire a stalker from the thieves guild if you want the full rundown of akari's daily life, though ]