2022-10-22 - Pleasant Surprises
| Title: Pleasant Surprises | |
|---|---|
| Summary: Kyouka goes to check out the Linden Baum's food, and she and Mai both can't quite seem to recognize each other at first... | |
| Who: | |
| Where: Linden Baum Diner | |
| OOC - IC Date: October 22, 2022 - Thursday, January 21, 2016 | |
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ Linden Baum Diner +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+
Bright and airy, this establishment serves delicious Western food at
reasonable prices, and for that entertains an enormous student contingent
alongside families with young children and the occasional informal business
lunch. This combination makes for a frenetic waitstaff under enormous
pressure, but their plum, pink and white uniforms (vests, bow ties and black
slacks for the boys, puffy white sleeves and vaguely french maid yet not
unclassy ruffled aprons for the girls) are an unspoken draw to customers as
well. They can be seen at all hours, frantically ferrying parfait, pancakes,
salads and steaks across the squeaky clean (and slipper when wet) hardwood
floors, from the invisible-but-for-occasional-plumes-of-steam kitchen to the
bouncy magenta leather booths.
A single-story building made of brick but mostly windows, Linden Baum
proudly proclaims its name in English above the door, alongside its
signature linden tree. Inside, tiny cream crowns are etched into the beige
wallpaper, with more abstract but vaguely gothic etchings done in the glass
that separates dining areas. Large portraits of various delectable items
(with Japanese translation and price) adorn the walls, while each
ivory-painted wooden table sports tableware rolled in bright white napkins
and fold-out menus done in the restaurant's signature magenta.
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.
It's still January. The skies are a little gray, the air outside more than a little chilly. There's a few places around that can serve as a haven against cruel and unfeeling weather, though, and one of them is the little restaurant of Linden Baum. It stands alone, a sign outside rattling in the wind proclaiming the day's specials (a schnitzel meal set, cafe mocha, and a Black Forest parfait).
Inside, the lighting is cheerful, the wallpaper welcoming, the waitstaff friendly. This early in the afternoon, though, it's rather quiet; there's one couple having a date in a far corner that the waitresses seem to be avoiding, and a handful of high school students with lots of coffee and textbooks - but there's plenty of time for those working to chat with each other in between the sparse duties.
The afternoon rush will come. It always does.
But for now, the next time the door jingles, a quick game of jan-ken-pon has a red-haired waitress as the one to greet whoever comes through. Dressed in a poofy white-and-red uniform with a frilly pink apron, Mai Tokiha approaches with a bright smile on her face.
"Welcome to Linden Baum! Would you like a window seat today, or one of the booths?"
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka loves trying new food--and there's been plenty to try since moving to Japan. Some of it she's even starting to get a chance to learn how to make, too! But sometimes you just want something more familiar, and she'd heard of this place, but hadn't had a chance to check it out yet. But, well, she didn't need to make dinner tonight, tomorrow's lunches were already settled, too, so after a quick trip home to walk her dog and change out of her school uniform, she wound up here.
She's dressed for the cold: black jeans and t-shirt, long-sleeved blue flannel shirt, well-worn (but warm) boots, and a purple parka--not to mention her dyed-black hair with purple streaks.
She finds the place easily enough, checking out the sign with the specials--she'll have to try that pairfait--and takes a step inside, checking out the atmosphere.
She snaps to attention when Mai approaches. "Oh! Um... Well,it's just me, so I guess I don't need a whole booth. Window seat, then?"
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.
Mai is unfortunately used to the chill when the door is opened - she does her best to shrug off the fleeting chill from that wind. The new guest seems not too far off in age - but there's no school uniform to give much of a clue. Ultimately the face doesn't seem immediately familiar, so the waitress doesn't think twice, keeping up the cheer.
"No problem! It's pretty quiet, so..." She glances off to the date corner with trepidation, then plucks a menu from a nearby stand and leads Kyouka in the opposite direction, finding a table by a broad picture window that gets a nice bit of sun this time of day.
"My name's Mai. Today's specials are...a schnitzel set, cafe mocha, or a Black Forest parfait - that's chocolate and cherries. And here's the regular menu - would you like a few minutes to go over it, or would you like a drink to start?"
She hasn't taken out a notepad as yet - experience has her confident enough to be able to remember a few things.
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka doesn't mind the school uniform so much, but... if she was going out, might as well do it in something warmer. She had to go home to walk Wolfy anyway, so...
She's about 15 or 16, though a little bit taller than typical - must be those American genetics--though she looks fairly solidly Japanese, otherwise. Might be just a bit of an odd accent to her speech, though she's fluent enough despite that.
She glances over at the corner and raises an eyebrow, and then chuckles as Mai leads her in the opposite direction, setting her backpack under the table, shrugging off her parka to hang it over the chair, and then sitting down. She accepts the menu and skims it for the drinks. "I'll need a minute to pick an entre, but for drinks... Let's do something warm... Tea? How's your black tea?"
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.
Mai, for her part, is on the shorter side - a few inches taller than Mikoto Minagi, perhaps, but that says almost nothing. So she tries not to look up too much at the younger girl as she leads her to that table.
"The tea?" Mai thinks for a moment, then grins cheerfully. "If I'm honest, I generally go for the coffee most of the time, but that's not exactly for the flavour."
A moment longer while she muses, glancing at the kitchen. "I'd say it's decent. The kitchen does sweet drinks a lot better than the rest, but the black tea should be fine. Milk and sugar on the side?"
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka is only a couple inches taller than average, about 5'4" or so--she's definitely got nothing on Yumi, for instance.
She considers the mention of coffee. "Mmmm... Not really feeling in the mood for coffee, if I'm being honest." But Mai mentions the kitchen might be better at something else entirely and she gives that some thought. "Well, if they've got something sweet and warm that's appropriate for warming up on a cold day, I'll do that. Otherwise the tea will fine, I think. Milk on the side, but no sugar."
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.
"I mean, it's fair. If you don't have a dependency on it, I'd suggest avoiding the black elixir of despair and sleeplessness. But if you're all right with a surprise - I'll just be a moment." Mai gives Kyouka a mischievous grin, and darts off to the kitchen to put in an unrequested order.
Over the next few minutes, a cloud drifts to block out direct sunlight for a bit, but the day remains bright - even if the window is almost as cold as the January outside. It's a few minutes with the menu when Mai returns with a semi-large mug, heaped high with whipped cream. The whip has a chocolate sauce drizzled around, curls of red chocolate scattered over it, and a single cherry sitting on top.
"...they might have gone a little overboard. But here you are - a cherry hot chocolate. Sweet, warm, and pretty good on a day like this - careful, the drink is a little hotter than what's on top." Mai grins, setting down the mug with a flourish - and then with a little less flourish, setting a little plate and spoon next to it.
She tucks the tray under her arm, reaching for her notepad - but giving Kyouka a curious look. "Sorry if this is personal - which school do you go to? You seem kind of familiar and kind of not."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka raises an eyebrow and looks... rather amused at Mai's description of coffee. Definitely not the typical waitress talk she's used to hearing but... she's not about to complain or object, either. "I'll take it if it's specifically offered," she comments, "but otherwise I prefer other drinks. But sure, surprise me--I love trying new things."
She takes the time to look over the menu more fully. There are, predictably, lots of good and tantalizing options. And as much as she thinks to herself that she definitely go for something a bit more clasically german, once she spots a certain option she can't help herself.
She never got a chance to finish the last burger she had, after all.
Kyouka lets out a quiet whistle when she sees that mug arriving, and she already has a guess--which Mai confirms. "Okay, I can get on board with this. Thanks!" She plucks the cherry on top off first thing, before it has a chance to fall off, then looks up again as Mai asks that question. "Oh, um. No, it's fine. I go to Juuban. I transferred in a couple months ago. Or... maybe you're thinking of my mom? I've been told I take after her." She makes a little bit of a face that could probably be taken to mean she's not sure precisely how she feels about that fact. "She teaches at Ohtori, though. Yuki Okazaki. I'm Kyouka. I'm a 10th year. What about you?"
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.
It's always nice when the answer to 'would you like this' is a resounding yes. The customer-service smile on Mai's face becomes a little more genuine when her customer actually likes the choice of drink - it's cheering enough that she can ignore the argument starting at the far end of the restaurant.
And - an answer to a mystery. Mai actually claps her hands together - an awkward noise given the notepad held between them - and nods in satisfaction. "That would check out - I must have seen your mom somewhere on campus."
Or elsewhere. But it's an explanation as good as any.
"I'm an Ohtori student myself - Mai Tokiha, 12th year, utterly dreading university entrance exams." She gets a conspiratorial look on her face, and leans in. "And as someone who's been at Ohtori for the last few years, let me assure you...about half the rumours are true. And you will never guess which half."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka appreciates good food! And she's also happy to have earned that extra little bit more of genuine smile from her server. Always a good thing when you can put your server in a good mood. (Aside from the purely utilitarian benefit of getting better service, it's just nice to be nice to other people.)
"Oh, cool," she says in response to hearing where Mai attends school. Of course, university exams are bit far off for her--both because they're 2 years in the future and, well... she's not sure she'll be here in 2 years, either.
But now's now's not the time to dwell. She chuckles, "Hey, well, I've only been at Juuban for the last couple months, and before that I wasn't even in Japan, so... haven't really had a chance to catch up on Juuban's rumor mill, let alone Ohtori's. I did tour the campus when I was looking at schools, though. The schoolgrounds are... nice." But obviously not nice enough to convince her to attend there. "I bet there's some crazy ones though."
She takes a spoonful of whipped cream off the top of her mug to keep it from tilting over. "How do you like it there? I only took a tour, I didn't actually talk to anybody about their experiences."
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.
The interplay between waitstaff and customers is...well, usually distant and cordial. But at a little restaurant like this it's easier to get to know regulars, and student-workers tend to be chatty anyway.
Besides, the more time Mai spends taking Kyouka's order, the less likely it is she'll have to deal with the impending mess at the far booth.
"Not even in Japan- oh, you transfered from out of the country? That's..." She trails off, lost in thought for a moment - but addresses the actual question, tucking away the order pad for the moment.
"Well. I can say that the grounds are gorgeous - there was a lot of damage to the gardens a while back, but the Gardening Club worked hard to get it back in order. But to be perfectly honest..." She looks up for a moment, an almost wistful expression on her face as she thinks back on the last two years...
"It's full of rich jerks who have no idea what working-class people have to go through, and the cliquish nature of things can be kind of awful. And forget any hope of a normal school event - a formal ball with official announcers for every single attendee is a 'small get-together'. The whole place is patently absurd and I honestly worry about what the place is doing to my younger brother."
Well, she said she'd be perfectly honest.
Mai smiles a little wistfully. "Juuban's nice from what I've seen. Some great people I know there. Not that I haven't made a few great friends at Ohtori - but as a school it is utterly absurd. I...kind of expected I'd have transferred out myself, by now, but..."
A troubled worry passes over her face, and she shakes her head. "Sorry. Ah, did you find anything on the menu you'd like?"
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka does spare a glance at that far booth--but, well, it's not her problem to deal with. It'll probbly be fine, right?
Kyouka nods as Mai makes the connection. "Yeeeep. My dad's American, and in the military so... we've moved. A lot. Mom's originally from Japan, actually. She emigratted to the states, met my dad, signed on for globetrotting adventure, and eventually I came along... She made sure I grew up speaking Japanese, though, so at least that part wasn't too bad." She makes a little bit of a face. "Had to update my slang, though."
That porbably explains any little bits about her accent or her mannerisms being off.
"Anyway, Juuban's like... the first real school I've ever attended. I'm enjoying it, so far," she says with a smile that's mostly happy but also just a teensy bit sad, for some reason.
She perks up as Mai starts to answer her question... and blinks a little as she goes through... well, all of that. And there's a moment of stunned silence after Mai finishes just laying everything out there... and then she bursts out laughing, quickly covering her mouth to muffle the sound until she can get herself under her control. "Oh, man," she says finally once she's recovered. She holds up a fist in a classic fist bump pose, though if Mai seems confused by it she'll remember herself and withdraw it. "Okay, mad props for keeping it real. Thaaat's... pretty much why I chose not to go there, as much as my mom was pushing me to choose it. She's always getting on me about my future and yadda yadda."
The mention of a brother does catch her attention. "What year is your brother in? I'm an only child, myself."
Then there's a slight frown at the mention of a brother. Tokiha, Tokiha... why is that ringing a bell? Maybe Mom just mentioned the name at some point.
She catches that troubled expression. "... Everything okay?" And then Mai brings up her order. "Oh! Right. Yeah, I'll go for the half-pound burger, medium-rare. I'll take the fries with that, too. I might try one of those parfaits for dessert, but I'll see how I feel after the burger and... well, I'm pretty sure my drink doubles as a sundae at this point," she says with a grin as she takes another spoonful of the whipped cream off the top.
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.
Mai isn't so far gone that she can't answer a fist bump. And answer she does, grinning all the while, even if she's a little jealous on the inside. As for the familiarity of her name - well, that one gets a shrug, a roll of one shoulder.
But ostensibly she does have an actual job to do, which is taking an order. Burger, half-pound, medium-rare, fries...that much is easy enough, and Mai nods with a smile she almost feels.
"Things are...it's complicated. Let me just run this to the kitchen and I'll try to explain." She darts over to the kitchen, putting in an order sheet, and then grabbing a glass of water to bring to Kyouka's table just to give her an excuse to avoid the crash and smell of pineapple from a thrown sundae.
"...tip number whatever, by the way - if you see that couple in here, get a table where they aren't. They have an argument like that every...week as long as I've been working here." She rolls her eyes, then lets out a sigh. "But yeah, complicated."
"It's - well, my brother's been hoping to hear back about some...medical stuff. And when we do hear back, we might have to move for...a while. But it's been a lot of frustration, which isn't-" She grits her teeth, sighs again, and shakes her head. "Takumi - that's my brother - is a good kid. He's in, er, ninth year, and seems to have kept a sense of morals. Even volunteers for things - he went on a trip to Sanbu last weekend to try to help out. I just...worry."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka has a habit of doing stuff she's picked up in other places--hanging around a bunch of her Dad's military buddies has left her with a bunch of mannerisms that don't always quite fit in everywhere she's been, but she's relieved when the fist bump is answered in kind.
The sound of a crash draws another glance from Kyouka, and she's just about to say something when Mai comes back and offers that advice. "No kidding," she says quietly, looking to her waitress so she's not caught staring at the drama. "I was just about to thank you for seating me on the opposite side of the room."
She listens as Mai explains. Medical stuff, huh? Sounds serious. But she doesn't interrupt as Mai explains--
If there's anybody that Mai's liable to run into that understands about moving... There's nothing but sympathy on Kyouka's face as Mai finishes. Hopefully it's pretty clear why. "I can see how that'd be tough," she agrees. "And... medical stuff doesn't make it sound any easier. That's good about the morals though."
She's turned to her hot chocolate to take a few more bites of the mound of whipped cream when she hears the name 'Sanbu.' Her head snaps up and she turns to look at Mai with a look of surprise. "... The Angel's Aid trip," she says finally, after a moment, as if she were finally realizing something. She clears her throat and tries to regain her composure.
She's silent for a moment, trying best to figure out how to proceed. Finally, she says, "... My mom was on that trip, too, as a chaperone. I was... worried out of my mind when the... weather kept them all trapped out there. I hope your brother's doing alright after all that." Just the barest bit of inflection on that one word to hopefully give it some meaning, if Mai is who she thinks she is.
As she's saying that, she's quietly unbuttoning the sleeves of her flannel shirt, rolling them back to her elbows as if in preparation for her meal... and in the process reveals Strike Wolf's standby mode, a black leather cuff on her right wrist with a small, five-sided purple gem on top.
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.
There's a hint of a smile in the aftermath of the crash, and Mai takes her sweet time setting down the complimentary glass of water. What a shame, everyone else will have to argue over whose turn it is to clean things up...
But it's largely melancholy when she thinks about her brother, and she doesn't pick up on Kyouka's expression right away. Just a distracted nod, an idle comment. "That was the name, yeah."
But there's a connection, and Mai turns to Kyouka in surprise at the admission. About the...'weather'. She stares at Kyouka's face a moment, taking in that slightly-familiar face again, eyes flickering at the details as she connects the dots-
Glances at the revealed mysterious purple gem artifact-
And promptly slaps her face in a facepalm. "That's why you seem familiar. I feel like a bit of an idiot, now."
She lowers her hand, revealing a melancholy-if-defeated smile. "Good to properly meet you again, then. Kyouka Okazaki, right? Sorry, that one wasn't...exactly a good night for me."
She glances at the other staff - but mercifully they're busy arguing over how to handle the mess, so Mai and Kyouka are free to talk properly for a minute.
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka is waiting oh so patiently when she sees Mai start to work through the deliberate hint she dropped, take in her features, her device...
She shakes her head as Mai comments taht she seems like an idiot. "Hey, we were both... kiiiiinda distracted the other night, so... You know... Don't be too hard on yourself. I didn't figure it out right away, either."
She nods as Mai confirms her name. "Nice to meet you again too, Tokiha-san."
'wasn't... exactly a good night for me.' Kyouka saw how the wraiths were affecting Mai--Mai and Mikoto alike, but decides not to comment on it.
"Yeah, I don't think it was exactly a great night for most of us," she says softly. "... I swore at several people pretty strongly on the phone when I was trying to figure out what was going on." She snorts. "'Decided to stay the night' my ass."
"You... feeling any better after.... dealing with all that?"
She spares a glance for the arguments but... mostly to confirm that there's nobody heading over to them to catch whiff of their conversation.
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.
Fortunately, when the couple clashes, it's...kind of hard to ignore. Even the kitchen slows to watch the show, meaning Kyouka's food might be a few more minutes. So there's peace and quiet.
For Mai's part - the chipper customer-service smile kind of fell off a little while ago and seems to have skittered under a table somewhere. She pinches the bridge of her nose, in memory and embarrassment and a little frustration. It was a bad night for all concerned - bad enough that there's no real point comparing experiences.
"...feeling better? About the same as usual, unfortunately. The worst part, the actual worst part, is that I'm almost getting used to Takumi being in this kind of trouble - not that it isn't panic-inducing every single time." She groans, and lets out a sigh. "I'm doing better than I was on the actual night, at least. Had some good chats. Realized I'd been running on way too little sleep to make good life decisions."
She looks Kyouka square in the eyes with a solemn expression. "Don't get dependent on coffee. A message from your utterly doomed senpai."
She cracks a grin after a moment.
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Well, if her food is delayed, it just gives her more time to work on her hot chocolate. She's finally cleared the whipped cream and, and that means the actual hot chocolate has cooled to being just about right temperature to sip. She makes a quiet 'mmm' sound of approval as she takes in that first sip, though she tries not to relish it too much in the middle of their serious conversation.
She winces a little in sympathy as Mai says she's used to her brother getting into that kind of trouble, then nods as she says she's doing better. "That's good. That was... the first time I've seen my mom in danger like that. But... I'm still really new at this, so... first time for everything, I guess. But I spent two days just... absolutely fussing over her and she doesn't even know why. It's just so... surreal, you know?"
New, and yet... somehow she's starting to get used to this routine already. It's a bit concerning, when she lets herself think about it too much.
She looks up as Mai solemly delivers her message... and manages a small grin to match. "Right. I'll remember that."
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.
Mai sags a bit when Kyouka talks about how worried she was, about the fussing, about everything she's been going through...and all Mai can do is shake her head. "...I know. And...every time, it's worrying. Even though I know it wasn't the weather, I was up at the crack of dawn making some chicken soup for him to try to help him feel better..."
Maybe things don't get better. Or maybe it always matters, no matter how many times it happens.
Distantly, the arguing couple are escorted out - separately. And once again, the cleaning supplies come out.
"...don't stop caring. If you want some advice from the other kind of senpai...don't let things become so routine you stop caring. I've seen where...that kind of path leads. But, well, for me..." Mai raises one hand, holding her tray, to her chest. "...I keep focusing on what's important to me. Absolutely hope that loved ones don't get caught in that kind of mess, and...do what you can for the reasons that matter to you."
...at least the kitchen is cooking again. That meal might be ready soon.
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka nods along as Mai confirms that it's always worrying which is... odd comfort, but comfort nontheless. And there's a bit of perking up when Mai mentions chicken soup. "I had that thought too, but I was out of the ingredients I needed, so I had to settle for something else. Do you cook?" As in, 'do you cook often', not just 'at all', which she has the answer too.
She glances sidelong as the 'happy' couple are escored from the restaurant. "If they do this every week," she asks quietly, "... why do you let them back in? Are they at least good tippers...?"
Kyouka looks back up to Mai as she starts dispensing advice. She nods a little as she takes it all in, and even manages to crack a small smile. "... Right. Thanks. I appreciate that. I'm still... adjusting to having my entire worldview turned upside down, but... that helps. And I guess I've got my partner to keep me on track, too." She holds out her wrist.
There's a flicker of light from deep inside the gem as the device announces, quietly, <Strike Wolf.>
"Only been at this like... three weeks and Sanbu was... well, you were there." She takes a deep breath. "But I'll try not to let it get to me, too much."
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.
Three weeks. That...feels like so little time. And so long, at the same time. Mai can only offer a small smile in sympathy, even as she holds her tray like a shield in front of her. "...that's the most I can suggest. Friends you can count on go a long way." Her eyes flicker a bit for a moment, but she quickly gives a small bow to the little gem. "...and a partner like that you can talk to helps. I can't...quite do the same with mine."
She shakes her head, and nods towards the mess being cleaned up. "As for them - hah. No. It's because management decides who's banned and management doesn't clean up that mess. Frankly-" There's a ding, and Mai turns. "Ah - one moment."
She darts off, returning swiftly with a plate of food. A steaming hot burger, thick and juicy, topped with an assortment of vegetables and a shiny brioche-style bun. And crispy golden french-fried potatoes heaped all around it, with a few little pots of dipping sauces. Mai sets this plate down with reverence, smiling at it.
"When the kitchen is good, they're good. I do some cooking - I'm getting pretty good at soups, I think - but sometimes I realize I've got a long way to go." She tucks the tray under her arm, this time - feeling a bit more confident, standing a bit more openly.
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka smiles a little as Mai mentions friends, giving a soft little laugh. "Yeah, one of the things I wanted to do when I moved here was go to a regular school so I could make some friends... I've made a bunch, just... not the kind I'd expected." she says with a wry grin.
At least two aliens that she's aware of, a witch, a magical talking supercomputer...
"But they've been helping, quite a bit... If I hadn't exchanged phone numbers with Mikoto, then that night..."
Well, she would've figured out some way to get there. But the car definitely helped.
"Oh! Speaking of..." She reaches into her pocket to grab her phone and holds it up with a small grin. "One more friend?"
She nods as Mai leaves to go grab the food, after making that remakr about the management. If Ohtori had jmore students like Mai she might've liked it better there. Then again, it would hardly be Ohtori in that case.
She lights up when the burger arrives, waiting for the plate to be set down before she leans in, inhaling a deep whiff to get all of the smells and aromas. "Oooh... This smells so good... If it tastes as good as it smells I'll definitely be coming back."
She flashes Mai a smile, glad to move onto a happier topic. "We should trade recipies or something sometime. I do a lot of the cooking at home these days, so I've gotten a lot of practice recently."
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.
There's a quiet little laugh at Kyouka's delight, renewed at that smile. Good food makes good times. Mai learned that lesson more than once before, and maybe...maybe it'll stick, one of these days.
But her mood is honestly improved - and when she darted off to the kitchen, she grabbed something. She glances at the commotion around the sundae-splattered booth, and surreptitiously pulls her cellphone from an apron pocket. It's fairly plain - a red phone from a niche brand, in a very durable case, with a little charm dangling from a strap showing of all things a chibi phoenix dressed as a samurai.
"I'm up for that. I've got a few tricks I've picked up - especially for buying groceries on a budget." She glances at Kyouka, suddenly suspicious of what her situation might be - but leaving it be. "Sorry if there's any issues - I got this particular phone because certain friends worry about spyware and all that nonsense. Helps that it was cheap, admittedly..."
She sets her phone up to share numbers, and holds it out for a quick ping with a smile. "You'll make more friends, though. I'm sure of it."
<Pose Tracker> Kyouka Okazaki [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.
Kyouka's phone is a few years out of date, and a bit dinged up from her globetrotting adventures, but... it still works, so why replace it?
"Ooh, cool. I'm still getting used to the stores and markets around here, so I wouldn't turn down any tips." She blinks a little at that glance. "Oh, well, Mom works later, and she's got a longer commute, 'cause Ohtori, so... I volunteer to cook dinner, most of the time. Though... it is nicer when we can cook together, but..." She shrugs a little. "She's doing a lot of extra work for my sake so I can go to school, so... it's only fair that I help out."
It might be odd that Kyouka feels like she needs to pay her parents back for the priviledge of attending a school, but... well, there it is.
She sees Mai getting the transfer set up and hastens to set her phone up to do it, too, and holds it up when she's ready. "Hey, not gonna turn down more friends. Kinda why I wanted to go to a real school for once, yannow?"
She grins as the number picks up on her phone, and she turns it to show Mai that she got it. "Awesome."
She'll make a few more small talk-type comments to wrap up the conversation, and then dig into her meal with gusto, cleaning off the entire plate and sampling all of the little sauces and such that came with her meal. She skips dessert--the hot chocolate was dessert enough, and after she pays she gathers up her stuff to leave.
"Good night, Tokiha-san," she says as she gets ready to leave. "It was nice meeting you!"
And she's left behind, well... a pretty generous tip. Not crazy Ohtori-rich generous, by any means, but more... 'I know what a crap job it can be being a server and I appreciate hard working types so I want to show I'm a good customer' generous.
Plus it would be just rude to stiff a new friend on a tip regardless.
