1373/This Won't Be Awkward, At All.

This Won't Be Awkward, At All.
Date of Scene:	01 April 2024
Location:	Four Clover Mall
Synopsis:	Katsumi and Hitomi are at the mall with a hot dog robo-vendor runs amuck! And then... well. Prom?
Cast of Characters:	Katsumi Cora, Hitomi Kobe

---

Katsumi Cora has posed:
After class was done, Katsumi asked Hitomi if she'd go with him to the mall. Things have been hectic at school and he hasn't had a chance to catch up with the girl that was with him on the first day of class, and just... she seemed like she could use someone to talk to. A bus ride later, and they are at the mall, Kobo at Katsumi's side in his dog form as Katsumi's cane taks gently along the ground.

"So!" he announces cheerfully behind his dark glasses. "Everyone's talking about prom and who they're going with and all, and I'm totally thinking about showing up stag." There's a little grin as they walk, heading towards the formals shop. "What do you think? I could wear a tux with like... chcoolate chip cookies or something on it? I mean, not like I have any fashion sense!"

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    Hitomi had agreed. She was far, her family was considering sending some carts to Prom, and to be honest, she was... lonely. Being around six brothers and then all by yourself was definitely A Thing.

    She had her hands stuffed in the pockets of her jacket, and was just giving a dour look to anyone who looked like they might try to pick on Katsumi.

    "Yeah, everyone's talking about prom. Heard there was a prom-posal that went bad. Like, big fight in a courtyard bad." she states distantly, making sure to give Kobo room.

    "Could go with a tux covered in carrots, with a cucumber-bund." she offers as an answering joke, giving a wry smile to Katsumi.

Katsumi Cora has posed:
"Ooooh. I heard about that. Roses and some type of... fight or something. But I heard they're kinda friends now?" Katsumi responds. "But still, that was totally awkward from the sounds of it." Then she makes her joke and suddenly there's a snort and Katsumi's mouth goes to his mouth and he is trying his best to stiffle a laugh. "That was good!" he admits between giggles. "Cucumber-bund." Anothe fit of snickers.

"Kino-san asked me to help her make cookies, I think she's going alone, if she goes. Something about dating her oven." A shake of his head. "I thought about asking her, but she sounds so very... tall. And again, sounds like she doesn't really want to go."

"But I heard about the food carts, that's really cool. Does that mean you are planning to go? Has someone asked you yet?" A glance aside to her, even if he can't see her.

As the two walk and talk, there's one of those robotic stalls. In this case, it's an automated hot dog cart. Half-humanoid, half-cart, it fishes out a hot dog, sets on a bun, squeezes condiments and then hands it over after someone pays.

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    "Makoto? She's tall, yeah, but nothin' wrong with going with someone's whose got a head up on you. I mean, I'm short. I could date tall people if I wanted to go!" she states, maybe a little more gruffly than intended as she looks to the autmated cart. She wrinkles her nose at it.

    "No. I don't... really... think anyone would want to. I Mean, I'm newish. I'm from Osaka. An' I'm about as graceless as anything. No one'd mistake *me* for a princess." she mutters quietly.

    She pauses, sniffing the air at the hotdog water as they pass.

    "... that's so weird. Automatic hot dog vendors. That's the stuff that makes my dad worry at night." she complains.

Katsumi Cora has posed:
"You know, like I said, I haven't asked anyone yet..." Katsumi starts to say, as the pair of them pass by the hot dog vendor. And on the side of it, written in big print is 'Hot Dog! by IT'S FOOD!' There are people that have bought hot dogs, and it seems like they are dragging a bit. Lethargic. Shopping in the mall shouldn't be so boring, right? Kobo seems to share the same feeling as Hitomi when it comes to the cart, the guide dog is actually growling at the machine, trying to herd Katsumi away from it and closer to Hitomi.

That's when the cart suddenly shudders and shakes, as if having a mafunction. "HOT DOG! GET YOUR HOT DOG." it announces in a robotic voice, the vendor half of the cart turning suddenly upon the pair. And it sprays HOT MUSTARD at Katsumi, and it is only then that the boy discovers the dark magic flowing into it, as he takes a blast of mustard, falling towards the ground. "Hey!"

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    "Katsumi-kun -- get down!" Hitomi barks out, feeling the shift in the air as she turns, and tries to both physically lift Kobo (who is herding), and shove the blond short teen to the ground in the face of flying HOT MUSTARD!

    There is a few heartbeats that Hitomi has to think.

    "The cart's going NUTS!" she growls, and she feels the squirming of Panko in her pocket as the dwarf flying squirrel pokes its head out, cheeks puffed in concern.

    Hitomi knocks over a nearby table to give the two teens cover.

    "Katsumi, Katsumi are you okay?!" she hisses down, staying low and adjusting the table to keep their cover facing the cart!

Katsumi Cora has posed:
As the table is pushed over and Hitomi is dragging Katsumi down behind it, he ducks down with her as Kobo joins the group in concern. Katsumi is busily rubbing at his face. "I-I think so, I think my glasses blocked most of it!" he murmurs, as he moves his head about in confusion.

All around them, anyone that has eaten the hot dog has fallen over, energy drained from them, while others are just getting away from the malfunctioning machine as it sprays mustard and catsup and is now spraying steaming hot HOT DOG WATER about.

"Can you point me at the bathrooms, I can wash off and hide in there?" he asks Hitomi. Kobo, in the meantime has noticed Panko, and for a moment, there's a pang of near-realization from the dog. Almost. Not quite.

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    Panko chirps at Kobo, and then ducks back down into a pocket.

    "Good Idea --" Hitomi whispers, and the she looks to the walls.

    "Straight ahead there's a wall, maybe six meters. Hit the wall, turn to the left. It's the first door." she states to Katsumi, and with a pang in her voice she whispers:

    "I'm going to distract it." she decides, reaching to give Kobo a pat on the head. "You get him there, Kobo-san, and I will give you deep fried chicken skins, yeah?" she whispers in a deal to the canine, and then she takes a deep breath.

    "On three -- ichi -- nii..." she whispers, and then on 'SAN' she rises up, jumping on the table top next to them and using it to launch herself up.

    "HEY BOLTS-FOR-BRAINS! Why don't you stuff a weiner in your port an' sit on it!" she calls out to get its attention, and takes off at a sharp clip -- away from Katsumi! She needs to give him time to get to a hiding spot as the rest of the crowd disperses.

Katsumi Cora has posed:
"Wait, you're what?!" Katsumi asks in mild panic as Hitomi makes her plan known, turning to face her. His eyes are probably wide under the glasses. And he grabs her hands. "Please, be careful, Hitomi-chan." he offers, a worried look on his features as he pushes to run.

"WOOF!" Kobo eagerly agrees, and as soon as Hitomi counts down to one? The boy is hustling towards the bathroom, Kobo dragging him along and the pair disappear behind the wall of the bathroom area, supposedly for Katsumi to clean off his face and find a place to hide.

He's totally not doing that. After washing his face, he asks, "Kobo, anyone in here?" Two barks. No.

"Great." Grabbing his henshin device, he shifts into his CULINARY GUARDIAN mode, blinking a few times as his sight is regained and he draws in a breath. "We need to hurry, Hitomi-chan may be in trouble!" he tells Kobo.

"You have a crush!" Kobo responds, "But I should tell you..."

"I don't, I just... she's a friend, and she's nice to me and... let's go!" He ignores Kobo's warning - the one about her possibly being ANOTHER Culinary Gaurdian as he prepares to head back into the fray.

The robo-vendor spins and aims at Hitomi. "HOT DOGS! IT'S FOOD HOT DOGS ONLY USE THE FINEST FILLERS!" it announces loudly, and starts shooting weiners at the girl at high speeds that will definetly hurt if she's hit with one, because it's using the frozen, uncooked dogs as ammo!

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    "Hitomi! You should change!" comes Panko's panicked squeaking from inside Hitomi's jacket as she ducks and weaves, frozen weiners hitting against the tables and pillars and shattering into mixed fillers and meats splinters along the floor. She breathes out -- and with the crowd dispersed, and Katsumi away, Hitomi can find the space to change. She grabs her own henshin divice, and between the onslaught of tube meat, there is a bright flash of light, like oil in the pan, and Hitomi is gone -- replaced by the green-and-blue clad Culinary Guardian!

    Her spear appears in her hand, and she turns to face the IT'S FOOD automatic vendor, and gets clocked upside the head with a hot dog!

    "UGH!"

Katsumi Cora has posed:
In that moment where Hitomi was hit, it seems that the Vend-O-Bot has the range on the Culinary Guardian. "IT'S FOOD THINKS YOU WILL FRANKLY LIKE OUR DOGS." it announces, getting ready to open fire again with it's frozen meat tubes. As it fires, there's another voice, calling out...

"TIRAMISU SHIELDWALL!"

Suddenly, a large Tiramisu, almost eight feet tall, appears between the female Culinary Guardian and the hot dogs that are now splattering into it.

Standing near one of the shops, Guardian Shokupan is holding his summoning peel and looking towards the other Guardian. "You alright, Kushiage??" he asks her, not getting close - every time he's close to her, it seems that their powers get all weird, so -- over here he'll stay! But now, the vendor bot is turning towards Shokupan, and he's moving towards cover. "Be a moment before I can cast another spell!"

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    "Never so happy to see a dessert." Kushiage replies, and she hops up, giving a soft huff, and she spins her spear about. She crackes her neck, smashes a fist on the pillar and wipes her face witht he back of a glove.
    "Take your time. I've gotta bone to pick with the Hot Dog vendor!" she calls back, and then she rushes the wall, and with a mighty kiai she plants her spear, and vaults up, up, up to the top of the wall, and then over it. Her spear spins, and she gives a cry of "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" as she comes down, trying to spear the hotdog vendor like he's about to be a campfire snack!

Katsumi Cora has posed:
Just as Shokupan was getting fired upon, he was preparing his next summon. And he spins around from behind a booth, ready to fire it off. But he never gets that chance, because there's Kushiage, plunging her spear deep into the vending robot. It sparks and shambles. "IT'S FOOOOOOOOD...." it rumbles, before slumping, as Kushiage strikes a blow for human-curated food stalls everywhere. Slumping over, the robot collapses on itself.

And Shokupan? He's standing there, watching the girl. "Wow." he manages, blinking his blue eyes a few times to make sure he'd seen what he just saw. "...that was awesome!" he calls out to the other Guardian!

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    Green hair flitting about in small fly aways. Green eyes changed with magic.

    She looks up over the slumped robot, seriousness in her expression as Shokupan watches her, and when he announces that it was *awesome*... she tries not to blush. And ends up turning her cheeks red.

    "Well. Don't just stand there, baker-boy. There's still people to recover." she states, motioning about as she hops off the robot and nearly slips on an errant pool of relish.

    Do you want the honors?"

Katsumi Cora has posed:
Lighter blonde hair. He can see. Clearly not... naw.

What's that splatter of mustard on his cheek?

Probably nothing, right. "Oh. Right! I just enjoyed watching you cook..." he manages, his own cheeks red before he spins his peel around and then looks at her. "Together!" he announces, and then -- "KITCHEN GOD MODE!"

And as he summons it - if she joins him, there's a weird reaction. It seems that all of their food is meat pies and meals that are portable and bread covered - a concert of their powers combined together instead of it two seperate dishes!

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    "KITCHEN GOD MODE!"

    A perfect combination. Meat pies, pasties, bao buns, the carrying of bread-wrapped food products, made with heart, made with hands touched by the Kitchen God himself, but it flows, the two working smoothly together like a perfect cake batter, and the green-haired Guardian favors Shokupan with a rare smile -- it's the first time he's seen her without her motorcycle helmet on, after all. She's freckled, she's cute, she has masterful movement with the bamboo skewers she uses to lace croquettes filled with meat upon, and soon the easily-dispensed meals are handed out. People are recovering. The Day is Saved.

Katsumi Cora has posed:
She is freckled and cute, and Shokupan is just... well, he's cute in his own right, if compact and pale in his own way as he makes batter, wrapping her offerings up with love, even with little hearts pressed into the dough! Food handed out, the day is won, and the littlest Culinary Guardian is looking at the other one for a long moment. "I... hi. I'm Shokupan." he offers, his cheeks reddening with a blush. "It was nice working with you!"

And he's getting ready to run off again. It's gone great so far - he's scared if they touch, things will get all weird!

Again.

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    "Kushiage. Nice to see that all of the other Guardians are competant." Kushiage states, stretching her fingers, showing a few speckled burns from hot oil.

    "... I should... I should find the people I came in with... they're probably kinda crying in a corner." she motions backwards, and takes a step back from Shokupan, and then goes to disappear behind a corner to never be seen agaaaaain.

    The fact that Hitomi shows up, panting for breath, with one yakitori spear with fried chicken skins on it, as promised, for Kobo.

Katsumi Cora has posed:
And as soon as Kushiage is gone, Shokupan is off as well -- to the bathroom.

A switch back to normal, and Katsumi is slowly making his way out. "...it seems safe, Kobo." offers the teenager as he glances down to Kobo. "Do you see Hitomi-chan anywhere?" he asks.

Kobo tugs the boy along, his cane taking against the floor gently again as he arrives back to where Hitomi is.

"...are you okay??" he asks in concern, worry creasing his features - including that mustard stain. "That... that was really brave of you." he manages. She was brave. Very brave. He should be too!

"Would you go to p-prom with me?!" he manages suddenly and quickly.

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    That splotch of mustard -- Shokupan had it as well. How strange! How very strange and SUCH a coincidence!

    "No no, it wasn't brave. I told you if anyone picked on you, it was going to be my job to protect you. Because you can't see. And picking on people who can't see isn't nice. So I'd punch them for being jerks. I hate bullies and --" Hitomi was babbling a moment, and then Katsumi asks her to prom.

    There's a squeaking noise.

    Panko puts her head out of Hitomi's shirt this time, having had to ride closer to the streetfood-guardian's heart (it was actually far more comfy than riding in a pocket).

    "I... I..." she stammers a moment, and then, quietly:

    "YEs?"

Katsumi Cora has posed:
And Katsumi realizes that he may have suddenly made a mistake. "I mean, you don't have to! Like you said, I'm pretty weak and you're always having to protect me, and I don't want to be a burden..." And that's when Kobo bumps into the back of Katsumi's legs, pushing him closer to Hitomi.

Fortunately, he is able to catch his balance before actually colliding with the girl, but it makes him stop, because he could have sworn he hear the word he wanted to hear in all of that.

"...yes?" he echoes. Just in case there's mustard in his ears too.

(There isn't.)

Hitomi Kobe has posed:
    Hitomi makes a face and she reaches up to make sure Katsumi doesn't fall when Kobo pushes him into her space, and she holds his shoulders.

    "I didn't say you were weak. I said people who picked on you were jerks and deserved to get punched in their jerk mouths." she replies, her arms holding him up in case his knees give out.

    "And a burden? That's something you don't wanna carry. You? You're not a burden. So. Yes." she states.

    "You missed a spot on your cheek there."

Katsumi Cora has posed:
Supported by Hitomi for a moment, the little baker considers her words before Katsumi nods. "I... yes, I guess." he offers to her quietly and he nods to her. "...thank you." he says, thanking her for accepting his invitation to prom.

On Prom week. With no warning.

This is going to be interesting.

Then she's pointing out that he missed a spot on his cheek, and his cheeks darken. "What? I did?" And he reaches up to scrub at the absolutely wrong cheek.