1433/Pep Talk With a Side of Curry

Pep Talk With a Side of Curry
Date of Scene:	21 April 2024
Location:	Korma Chameleon
Synopsis:	Chiyo meets with Ren at Korma Chameleon after a small outing failure with his own family. They talk about Ren's secret origin, and Chiyo convinces him that he's on the right path.
Cast of Characters:	Ren Morimoto, Chiyo Sakai

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Ren Morimoto has posed:
It was supposed to be a fun family outing. Dinner, with dad and Kaede and himself. But nothing can go nicely with his family, no matter how hard Ren seems to try, so after being told to only order water and then some very unkind words from his father, Ren had stormed off.

Thankfully it wasn't at the Korma, otherwise Ren would never be able to darken their doorstep ever again. He'd been steaming mad when he'd left but the walking had helped, like it always does. Umeboshi's kind words, a departure from the spirit guide's usual sass and disapproving censure, helps a lot too. By the time he makes it to a nearby park, he's settled down.

Enough to realize that, yeah, he hadn't gotten his meal, and he's starving. Ignoring the missed calls and texts from his sister, Ren reaches out to Chiyo about an impromptu dinner, and given he's walked himself halfway into Pikarigaoaka, the Korma is right there. So it makes sense.

He puts out the offer, then scrolls on his phone a while until he's as calm as a cucumber, and then goes to get a table.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
The response text from Chiyo assures him that Korma is fine. It had been awhile since she'd last spoken to him, and it was around meal time, so this was perfect timing.

She'd not been doing much herself past a bit of studying while she had the free time to do so. Nothing serious, so taking a break was more than welcome. It's not long after Ren arrives that she pushes through the familiar doors into the shop only to be greeted familiarily by the waiter rushing around.

She moves to join Ren with a smile. "Hey. How are you doing? Good choice in restaurants by the way, I can promise you everything here is amazing." Even after saying this she grins in amusement. "I haven't had it all myself but my roommate is the owners daughter so I feel like I'm obligated to say that." This explains why she was recognized.

Ren Morimoto has posed:
It's not hard to find Ren, given he's immediately waving towards Chiyo when she enters. Sure for a little bit he'd been on his phone, but the internet has run out of entertainment for him today, and he'd moved on to watching the door like a hawk for his friend-slash-mentor.

"Hey," he greets back, all smiles despite his earlier dark mood. "I'm good, thanks. How are you?" When she makes that promise, Ren looks around, then closes his eyes and takes in a deep inhale of the restaurant's wonderful scents. "Oh, I can tell."

He's grinning as he says that, his arms folding over themselves on the tabletop. Already he's splurged on a mango lassi, and a glass of it sits half-sipped next to one of the two waters on the table. "Well no time like the present to try something new, right?" For a second, his smile falters as he thinks of the new stuff he would be eating right now, with his dad and sister, if things hadn't gone south so fastly. But instead he chooses to focus on the new stuff he's going to try now with Chiyo. "What do you recommend?" he asks.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"The samosas are always good. They're like little dumplings or bao but ... spicer? Not too much so though. And they come with a dipping sauce." Chiyo explains it all as she settles in to sit across from Ren considering herself just what she would like.

"I almost always get a lassi so you've got that down. Though a cup of water, too, because I sometimes do get thirsty even so." With a grin she looks him up and down a time trying to determine if he really was doing okay.

"Otherwise any of the curries are good, and usually come with rice. A side of naan is good too. It's buttery and soft and good for soaking up the gravy."

A small pause comes as she considers... then finally asks, "Are you sure you're okay? You seem a bit distracted."

Ren Morimoto has posed:
All of those things sound wonderful, and Ren keeps a running tally in his head of things he's going to order. As in: everything Chiyo just said.

He smiles across the table at her, though the corners of his mouth twitch downwards when Chiyo asks after him, and Ren doesn't immediately have an answer.

So when his mouth opens, nothing comes out. He fiddles with his napkin in his lap, looking down at his hands, before he finally just shakes his head. "Family stuff. My dad can be a real jerk sometimes." Ren grits his teeth together against the urge to chew on the inside of his cheek in frustration, knowing that it's just a route to discomfort. "I have a twin sister, I don't know if I ever told you that?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"You mentioned her once," Chiyo admits quietly so that their conversation doesn't leak over to other tables. It seemed to be something that was really bothering him. She could at the very least ensure that no one was overhearing anything that he might share with her.

"I'm sorry. I know parents can be... Less than ideal at times." Her own had certainly never been mentioned. Not even once. Just Ojiisan whom she spoke of quite frequently. Even so she trudges on with the topic since it's one that he was clearly worrying over at the moment. "I don't really have any advice to offer on that topic, but I can listen if you need to get it off your chest?" That was at least something she could do.

Ren Morimoto has posed:
"She's perfect," Ren says, and he almost keeps all of the jealousy out of his tone. "That's what my dad says, at least. Perfect grades, perfect behavior, perfect everything. When she's not busy studying she's volunteering, and when she's not busy with that she's helping my dad out with his business."

He doesn't say it, but the 'and I don't do any of that' is heavily implied.

He looks left, then right, then he leans forward a bit, over the table. His voice drops. "The day I ate my senbei..." But then he hesitates. Visibly, Ren swallows. "It wasn't mine. I'd accidentally grabbed Kaede's lunch."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"Oh." The word is simply said but as Ren explains everything, including that last little secret, Chiyo just... stares with an obvious realization. No wonder he was so doubting about himself. If he wasn't the intended recipient then that meant he wouldn't be confident in himself.

Chiyo takes a slow, deep breath as she considers all of these facts. Before she can say anything however the waiter swings by causing her attention to divert.

"I'll have a water, a mango lassi, and the samosas today please. Thank you." She waits for Ren to order his, and then for the waiter to depart. It leaves her free to properly respond but she doesn't immediately. Instead she taps her finger to the table in a thoughtful way.

"You know, Ren? All things aside... In spite of all the differences between you and your sister? It sounds like she would be too busy to be a Culinary Guardian in the first place."

"Maybe it wasn't originally intended for you, but if your sister is that committed to all of those projects and volunteering, it sounds as if adding anything else to her plate would just burn her out completely. You on the other hand," her hand lifts to gesture toward him. "You were in sports before, so you're in good physical shape and can handle a lot of what we do. Plus it kind of sounds like just maybe you *need* a cause of your own. I think in the long run it's better that you got it."

Ren Morimoto has posed:
With the napkin twisted around his fingers, Ren is the picture perfect representation of anxiety in this moment. But thankfully the waiter comes by, and food is the perfect distraction.

Another order of samosas for himself, the waiter's recommended curry, and naan on the side. There's something in the way Ren's eyes linger over the menu that suggests he's not quite done ordering, but he hands it off for now just the same.

Though he doesn't say anything in response to Chiyo's thought about Kaede, he does let his head sink down a bit in mute acknowledgment. He puffs out a breath, embarrassed, but nods along as she continues, until that last statement.

"You really think so?" he asks, voice barely above a whisper. He sounds uncertain, unsure, almost lost... but he looks across the table at Chiyo with hope in his eyes. "I want to be better. I know I'm... not the right person for this, but I can change. I can do it. I know I can."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"I do." There's certainty in that at least as Chiyo nods firmly. "Ren, trust me, *none* of us think we're right for this. There's no instruction manual that tells us how this is supposed to go, and there's certainly no 'perfect person for the job'. It's all learned as we go."

Keeping her voice low she continues, "Even Sailor Moon, who is literally a reincarnation of some Moon Princess, has no idea what she's doing." Really, she was one of the more well-known Mahou around to those familiar with the local 'group' of mahou. It was a good example. "I'd actually been doing this longer than she had when she first started. I remember running into her the first few times. She was scared, and uncertain and..." Here she pauses as she recalls with a sigh. "And just trying to help as hard as she could."

Her expression softens with a smile. "Like you. You want to help. That's really the biggest thing. We can work on the rest as we learn."

Ren Morimoto has posed:
Ren leans back as, all of a sudden, the air leaves his lungs. His poor napkin is abandoned on the table in favor of gripping his fingers together until his knuckles blanch white.

"Thank you," he says. It's all he can say, in the moment, otherwise struck numb by her words. His lips purse together and he hazards a glance up at Chiyo, before focusing back down on his hands again. "I'm sorry for dragging you out here while I'm like this. You don't deserve that. You have enough to worry about already."

He scans the crowd in the restaurant, people chatting amiably as they eat, sounds of enjoyment and enthusiasm for the food abound. Then something solidifies in himself, and he nods. "I'm going to do the best I can. I won't let you down, no matter what."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"We're teammates, Ren, and I hadn't had any for the longest time. Of *course* I'm going to be there if you need me. Even if it's just to talk," Chiyo assures with an amused smile.

"Besides, the only things I have to 'worry about' right now are dumb boys I've been on horrible dates with, or my roommates' boyfriends forgetting to knock on the window before visiting. I'd probably punch them back out if they didn't warn me first." So far it had been good, but a bit of levity seemed necessary at the moment. Though there actually *was* a sign posted outside their window reminding the boys to knock first.

Ren Morimoto has posed:
Ren smiles across the table at Chiyo, his cheeks a little darker than the rest of his face, still a little embarrassed judging by the way he looks away quickly, eyes downward.

"Thanks, Chiyo-senpai," he says though, and then the topic change occurs which is a welcome reprieve. "I can't help much with that," he adds, laughing, about dumb boys. Except for being one himself, he supposes. But Chiyo's mango lassi arrives, with the samosas coming soon after, and there are other things to talk about: how good the food is, chief amongst them.

And plans for a future that Ren is starting to look forward to.