View source for 2023-01-12 - Cocoa and Conundrums

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! style="background:#CC6699; border: 2px #CC0033 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Title: Cocoa and Conundrums'''
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|'''Summary''':<br>
''Raiko goes to the Linden Baum to study, and runs into her favorite waitress... whom she then recognizes from her mission with Yumi. Then Mai recognizes her, and they discuss cell phone magic, witchcraft, and responsibility. Inordinately elaborate hot chocolate is involved.''
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| '''Who:'''<br>
[[Raiko Takashima]], [[Mai Tokiha]]
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| '''Where:'''<br>
Linden Baum Diner (Yamanote High City)
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| '''OOC - IC Date:'''<br>
1/12/2023 - Wednesday, February 10, 2016
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|}

 .***************************** Yamanote High City *****************************.
 *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ 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> Raiko Takashima [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

It has been... a trying time, for Raiko. Having her grandfather missing, moving into the dorms, coming to grips with just how bad her social situation at school was, discovering she had inherited a legacy as a magical girl, stressing over living up to that legacy, and trying to study for entrance exams (with finals just beyond that...)

She needed a bit of a pick me up. And so she found herself stepping into the Linden Baum, one of her favorite restaurants. She was glad to be there, through her outward countenance was still a mix of tiredness and sadness.

Raiko took a deep breath as she stepped through the door of the Linden Baum. It was late afternoon, so she was out of her school unifmr and dressed for the cold, in her large puffy coat, wool hat, and winter boots. Her backpack is on her back (with plenty of schoolwork inside), and she looks around to see who's on shift to greet her.

 <Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

It was supposed to be Sanada on shift, but she begged off citing a desperate need to finish a Valentine's gift. The backup was supposed to be Mori-chan, but she caught a cold from a snowball fight and called out sick. So the backup-backup was called in from what was supposed to be a studying day.

Mai would have felt worse about this state of affairs but she was getting very tired of literature analysis.

"Welcome to Linden Baum!" Waitress Mai has a very unpredictable schedule these days - and yet is kind of reliably present more weeks than not lately. Her uniform is just a little rumpled, but her customer-service smile is bright and friendly, and it's with a flourish that she spins a menu out of its holder.

The cheer fades a moment when she sees the weariness weighing on the becoated customer, and so she tones down the greeting a notch. "...it's pretty quiet this afternoon, apart from the study party down that way." She jerks her head a moment. "Are you with them, or would you rather have a quieter table?"


 <Pose Tracker> Raiko Takashima [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

Raiko ''does'' manage a smile when she sees Mai, standing up a bit straighter at the sight of her favorite waitress. "Hi, Waitress-chan!"

She glances at the table to see if there's anyone there she knows--a futile gesture, really, since she's not really on speaking terms with a lot of other students as of late. But yet she looks anyway, and then shakes her head. "Um, I ''did'' come to study for a bit, but I'm not really with them, so... a quieter table, please?"

Plus, she's got magic classwork to study, and it's hard to hide that at a table full of other people.

But when she looks to Mai again she blinks and frowns a bit--she's not looking at that slightly crumpled uniform, but instead at Mai's face. Her expression grows a bit more uncertain. "... Didn't... umm... I see you... a few days ago?" She sounds hesitant--there was a lot on her mind, when she met up with Yumi and her magical girl friends to find the book, but with ''that'' worry off her mind for the moment, she's free to reflect on that day a bit more.

 <Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

A quieter table. She can do that. The Mysterious Waitress nods gently, and leads the way - carefully weaving around a bookbag left in the middle of the floor by a now-dozing student, towards the slightly warmer spot near the window. A nice little table illuminated by the dying afternoon light.

"A few days ago?" Mai frowns to herself as she sets down napkins and cutlery and a menu, thinking back. "Well, it wouldn't have been here - I've been trying to study, mostly. Maybe when I was shopping, or out with Mikoto..."

...the younger girl is familiar. For more than one reason, maybe. Food for thought while she thinks back. "I'm Mai, by the way. Mai Tokiha."

She looks like she should be holding a coffee.

Mai glances at the empty seat opposite Raiko, as if remembering. "...do you plan on anyone else joining you, today?"


 <Pose Tracker> Raiko Takashima [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

Raiko follows Mai over to the table, sidestepping the same bookbag--though she does stop to very gently slide it closer to the table with her foot so it's not ''such'' a hazard for other people. She does smile a little when she sees the table by the window--lots of natural lighting (at least, as long as it lasts), will be a help. "This is perfect. Thank you."

She shakes her head as she shrugs off her backpack and then her jacket, revealing the rest of her black dress underneath. "No, not here, somewhere else. I haven't been here in a while..." But there's a small look of recognition as she mentions the name Mikoto, and even more once she makes her own introduction.

Raiko sits and looks up to Mai. "I'm Raiko Takashima." It's partly a reflex of making introductions, but also partly hoping to jog the other girl's memory. Of course, if she doesn't remember for some reason, well... Raiko can deal with that, too. She's good at keeping secrets.

She sighs a little and shakes her head at that question. There are a few people she'd like at that table with her, but all are... problematic. Missing, animal, or estranged.

Without even looking at the menu, she asks, "Caaan we start with the fanciest hot chocolate you guys can make?"

 <Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

A while...that jogs a bit of memory first, perhaps, and that hint of familiarity brings back a little bit of memory on Mai's part. But there's no one coming to join Raiko today, and...that's something Mai will absolutely not press on.

"Somewhere else..." She repeats, musing - and then there's a flash of recognition in her eyes when Raiko gives her name.

Though first there's an order to take, and Mai can't help but grin. "The fanciest? I'll definitely get the kitchen to do their worst." There's a beat. "For Yumi-chan's friend, right?"

Yes, she remembers now, as she ducks toward the kitchen to request an unsafe amount of whipped cream.


 <Pose Tracker> Raiko Takashima [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

Raiko isn't likely to elaborate on the lack of company without being pressed--she really doesn't like thinking about her missing grandfather (even if, inevitably, it is constantly on her mind regardless.)

She's patient as she waits for Mai to either recognize her name or not. Though she does manage to smile a bit when Mai grins about her order, already looking forward to it. But the mention of Yumi's name gets a simple nod in reply, followed by a quiet "Yeah." There's a small release of tension when she knows that Mai has recognized her in turn--she's used to keeping secrets but it's still hard, and she could do with a bit less mental gymnastics at the moment.

And a bit less lonely to know that she's not the only one with the weight of being aMG around, either.

When Mai is off to the kitchen Raiko takes a few moments to look over the menu, and then starts unpacking books and school supplies from her backpack. Stack of books, binders and notebooks, laptop, pencil case.

 <Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

It's a few minutes before Mai returns to Raiko's table; she is actually at work, after all, and the big 'study party' needs food brought to them. Lots of fish, for some reason, because something something brain food.

The desperation of a student always leads to interesting choices.

Eventually, though, Mai shows herself at Raiko's table, carefully balancing a platter on one hand. And on that hand is a vision of sweetness. A clear mug large enough to lodge a grapefruit in, visibly filled with rich hot chocolate. On top, a gleaming mound of whipped cream, nearly larger than the mug that supports it. The cigar-shaped cookies jutting out of that topping might be serving to help support it, perhaps, though the chocolate shavings are pressing that architecture. And atop it all, a single chocolate-dipped cherry.

"Sorry, Takashima-san - I'm afraid this is the best the kitchen can do today. All out of fireworks, it seems."

She's grinning; Mai is not all that sorry to present this...confection that surpasses a mere drink.

It's with a little effort that Mai deposits it in front of Raiko, taking a moment to look over the studying supplies.

 <Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

After giving the hot chocolate a moment to be beheld, Mai does glance over her shoulder to make sure none of the other waitstaff or customers are paying attention. She lowers her voice.

"So - good to see you again. I didn't ask for details the other day - you do, uh, phone magic? And were there any more problems with that book?"

 <Pose Tracker> Raiko Takashima [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

Raiko is patient--she has plenty to keep her attention as she waits for Mai to return, and she can see that Mai is hard at work. She hopes that study party table will tip Mai well for all the food and drink she has to carry back and forth. But she's already got a book open with a notebook as she's started reviewing when Mai returns.

She lights up as Mai approaches with that marvel of architecture and the culinary arts, beaming and rubbing her hands together in glee as she sits up and very quickly moves a few things around to leave space for it where she can get to it.

She giggles as Mai professes mock disappointment, playing along. "''Again''? Maybe next time I should call ahead to make sure they'll have some ready."

Raiko, likewise, is not at all disappointed to be receiving it. It's tempting to just make that her dinner, but... there's a couple of familiar voices in the back of her head telling her she should eat responsibly.

She does indeed take a moment to behold it--she even takes out her phone to take a snapshot of it--and then plucks the cherry off the top to savor it. "Mmmm... This looks ''amazing'' Tohika-san."

She makes her own glances around to make sure they won't be overheard. "Oh, well... ''sort'' of. Um... I'm a witch. Well, a witch in training, anyway, but I also love working with electronics so... I'm been working on a way to combine the two." She opens her mouth to say something, hesitates, and then thinks better of it. And despite having just claimed to invent a new way of doing magic, she looks... rather subdued, for some reason. "It's tricky, but there's so much hardware in a cellphone that you can take advantage of."

She nods, "Yeah, Yumi-chan's friend should be okay. Yumi came up with a way to protect him from being used by Conflagria anymore."

 <Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

Now that Mai's tray is free of any elaborate foodstuffs, she's free to tuck it away, under her arm or behind her back or something. That's the formal thing to do.

But Raiko's cheer at receiving her drink is infectious. And so Mai does what half the staff do when things get boring enough - tossing her tray with a little twist, and letting it spin on one finger as she grins.

"I'll be sure to pass your compliments onto the chef. Though admittedly I'm not that broken up at the lack of pyrotechnics." There's enough messes to clean up, after all.

Mai shouldn't spend too much time chatting, there are people to be served - but there's enough of a lull that she can get away with a chat. Under the pretense of flipping out her order pad, she leans in to murmur. "...I'll admit, it's beyond me, but it certainly sounds impressive. Witchcraft sounds pretty versatile - especially if Yumi can protect her friend."

There's a bit of sorrow, there - a bit of hesitation on her own part. "...I feel like I didn't help all that much. Probably for the best, what I have isn't exactly helpful for finding things. So I'm just glad it worked out."

A faint smile, then. "...is there anything on the menu that appeals today, or should I leave you with your true love, here?" Maybe a smirk, too, as she gestures to the colossal cocoa.


 <Pose Tracker> Raiko Takashima [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

Raiko claps a little when Mai does her trick with the tray--it's enthusiastic but quiet, so as to not draw ''too'' much attention their way. Then she giggles at Mai's comment about the pyrotechnics. "It's okay. The fire marshal probably wouldn't approve, either."

Her subdued expression turns a bit more regretful as she looks down at her lap. "... It's a bit beyond a lot of people," she confesses cryptically. "And it took me a long, long time to get it to where it is, now. Electronics are delicate." She nods in agreement. "Yeah. Hopefully he should be okay after he has a chance to recover."

She shakes her head quickly as Mai confesses not helping much. "No no no, it... it was good to have you around. Um... If Conflagria or another Sulfuric Ogre had shown up, we would have needed all the help we could get." A pause, and then she says, "I fought it when it was summoned at the flea market. Yumi-chan told me it was even tougher than the first time. So... it was good you were there."

She does sigh a bit wistfully as she looks at the hot chocolate--in a way that might indicate it really ''is'' her true love.

It's practically the only thing she ever orders to drink here.

"That's tempting, but... Shiori would want me to eat something more sensible with it. ... Grandpa too." Her face falls for a moment as she starts to get sucked into thinking about her missing grandfather, but then she shakes her head to clear it.

"Um, sorry. Can I get the breakfast platter with the pancakes? Scrambled eggs, sausage, and... I'll take a side of fruit instead of the hash browns. And..." she glances at her hot chocolate. "... I'll skip the whipped cream on the pancakes this time." A small concession to responsibility.

 <Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

"The fire marshal doesn't approve of a lot of things." There's a slightly ominous pause before Mai continues. "...though this place tries to follow guidelines."

Fortunately management isn't listening. They seldom listen.

Witchcraft is tricky, it seems - and that's a comment that just gets Mai shaking her head. "Some things just take practice. ...some things are hard to practice." But at least there's good news...which comes paired with bad news, and Mai can't help exclaiming. "ANOTHER-"

The cook in the kitchen looks up, and Mai has to shake her head at him. Just play it off. It's in a hiss that she utters a few quiet oaths. "-she was bad enough the first time. The Ogre, that is. If she was even tougher - I don't want to think about fighting her somewhere inhabited."

She frowns at the order pad - looks up briefly at the mention of 'Grandpa', but that's a button to not touch, and it's a more subdued Mai that jots down the order. "Fruit instead of hash...and avoid draining the whipped cream reserves, got it."

The waitress straightens up, giving Raiko a nod. "...some of these things are scary. Do your best, Takashima-san, and - " She pauses a breath, then carries on. " - and don't be afraid to call for help when you need it."


 <Pose Tracker> Raiko Takashima [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

"That's good," Raiko says of the guidelines.

Witchcraft ''is'' tricky. That's true in general, but especially true for what Raiko's been practicing, but... she leaves that be for now. It's too much to explain to a non-witch, and besides, ''Yumi'' understands, and somehow... that's enough for her, for now.

She cringes at Mai's outburst, and tries to help cover. "Sorry! I was joking about ordering another hot chocolate! This one is ''more'' than enough, promise!" She says it a bit louder than she would otherwise, trying to give the other people who heard Mai a reason to dismiss it. She's been taking a few bites of the whipped cream to keep it from tilting too much one way or the other, but... there's still ''quite'' a lot there, and it is still a quite spectacular sight.

And then, in a much more quiet voice. "Oh, so you were there the first time? I'm sorry, I guess I should have been more careful how I mentioned that."

She's grown somber again, but she does giggle a little at Mai's comment about the whipped cream.

She gives a subdued nod as Mai mentions that some things are scary. That's a lesson she's had far too much recently for her liking. "Thanks. And I will. Um... there's a lot that I..." Well, there's a bit too much to express right then. So she lets that trail off and just says, "I'm trying my best to be responsible and take care of everything I'm supposed to."

 <Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

Cover stories are helpful at times. Including rumours of too much hot chocolate. Alas, reputations are so frequent a casualty.

Raiko's apology is answered with a simple shake of the head. "You couldn't have known. It's...fine."

It's possibly fine. Maybe.

And so Mai has her order pad, and a last comment to the younger witch, and a lot to cover. And at the end, when Raiko says what she's trying her best at-

Mai's smile freezes on her face, her body utterly still for a second. Her expression seems to flicker, a softness in her eyes one moment, a fear the next, a brief tensing of the jaw-

And then it passes, and she just lets out a sigh. An old one, a tired one.

"That's admirable. A good trait to nurture. Just...don't take on the burdens that aren't yours, okay?"

And the waitress retreats to the kitchen to put in that order.

[[Category: Logs]]