857/One of My Best Customers

One of My Best Customers
Date of Scene:	06 December 2023
Location:	Dorms #1
Synopsis:	Chiyo found out Darien is Hematite -- and comes by to give him candy?!
Cast of Characters:	Mamoru Chiba, Chiyo Sakai

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Mamoru Chiba has posed:
It's right after classes get out -- Darien's lunchtime was definitely occupied by one Makoto Kino and her questions, and her delicious muffin, and he's pretty sure that after last night, she's not going to be the only one with questions for him. He's hoping none of the people with questions decide it's also cool to attack someone in school.

So: he doesn't even walk back from class to his dorm room, he straight-up finds a place to henshin and teleports back. He wants some time to compose himself, after all, before Kazuo comes over for study time, before Darien has to go to work at the job he loathes with every fibre of his being.

He's definitely in his room already when there's a knock on the door, and he's definitely already changed out of his school uniform to get at least a little time in wearing a t-shirt and jeans, and his hair is loose like Hematite's when he opens the door. Like this past summer, it's a punk band shirt; his glasses are smudged; he looks tired.

And he sees Chiyo and pauses, then squints. "Am I in trouble with you, too?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai stands there looking up at the ruffled Darien who did bear a striking resemblance to Hematite *now that she knew*. Of course it was likely the whole Veil situation that did it. Now that she knew she could see the same height, same build, same potentially stupid hair. Though admittedly with the glasses on and the attire she would have been fooled easily otherwise.

She was about to say something. About to, but that greeting has her draw a deep breath that she lets out slowly. Instead of immediately responding she thrusts her arms out to press two tins of what might potentially be sweets of some sort at him.

"No. It sounds like you've been through enough. You are going to be my guinea pig for a moment though," she states matter-of-fact. "Here, take these. Try a bite of the first one and let me know what you think."

A pause comes before she adds, recalling her situation, and she asks a bit more quietly, "Inside? I imagine this isn't hallway talk."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Shaggy and needing a cut badly does not mean stupid, in the hair department! It does not!! It's just shaggy and clearly used to be short back and sides.

He will probably get his hair cut immediately after he quits his job, whenever that is.

"Inside," he agrees, taking the tin and standing aside to let Chiyo in. He closes, but does not lock, the door behind her, then goes to whumph himself onto the edge of his bed and gesture at his desk chair. "If I'm your guinea pig and you were going to tell me off, does that mean theese are poison?" he asks, opening it anyway and taking the first of the confections out, then taking a bite whether or not it's poison.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"I wasn't going to tell you off. I was just... Surprised. Annoyed. Kind of feeling stupid about not making the connection," Chiyo supplies as she steps in moving to take the offered chair. Her hands sweep over her skirt to tuck it beneath her as she sits out of habit so it doesn't get wrinkled.

"I came to try to help some though, since you are Usagi-chans' boyfriend, and a friend, and you went through a really rough time helping your little sister recently, too."

She watches him studiously all of a sudden as he takes the bite of the cooking looking almost worried. Concerned, and cautious, and when there's no reaction she lets out a breath. "I can put things into what I make. Usually it's healing and purification--" Great news to share now that he already had a mouthful! "--But in this case I tried to just go for healing. I hope it helps some."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"... of course you know about my sister," says Darien, one hand in front of his mouth after he gets that surprised look when she says 'purification' -- and he sounds like his feelings are complex. He chews and swallows and-- it may not be purification, but a little of the dark energy gets pushed around out of the way so that Chiyo's healing can take care of his headache instead of the vicious stuff.

"These are delicious, and do not taste like contact dermatitis," he decides. Then he says, "I don't know who you are when you sparkle, and you don't have to tell me, but I'll probably figure it out if you're not careful with what you show me, or tell me."

He has a one-bite-taken-out sweet in his hand, and he glances at the window, then back at Chiyo. "My sister's... not reachable right now. I have to get her out of where she's gotten herself caught, but I need to figure out how to do it without dying. You know she's a ghost, right?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai leans forward resting her chin in her hand with a faintly amused smile. It's this way she regards him a moment or two before giving a small shrug. "Koji and Usagi both know, and I don't think you would *willingly* attack me or my Ojiisans' shop," she explains simply. "I have worked with you several times, too. I guess that's why I feel I don't have to lecture you about whatever situation it is that you're in. I didn't know she's a ghost, no, but that does explain a great deal too."

Awkwardly she pauses, sitting up straight again and fidgeting with an errant bit of lint on her skirt. A clear debate over things runs around in her head, and finally she sighs. "You owe me for helping with that energy Sunbreaker fed into her, though. That *hurt* though it looked like it hurt you both just as much, too."

A quick flash of a smile, and she admits, "I'm Guardian Daifuku, and as you now see I can make healing items. If it's anything that can help you out I'm willing to do so."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Ooooooh you were there for the dippin' dots," Mamoru practically cringes, and that's his first takeaway. Maybe it's the dark energy.

But otherwise, listening, he was definitely munching away at that sweet, and relaxing by tiny stages; now he mostly looks rueful. "I do owe you. I'm very grateful... and yeah. I'm sort of... allergic to dark energy? And I carry a lot of it around. But the thing is, when a lot more gets piled on top of what's already there, I react badly. And Himeko and I have a sort of feedback psychic connection, so when she got all that dark energy in her, it bled back to me, which made me really angry, which generated even more dark energy, and pretty soon we were throwing cars at each other." A beat. "Not an excuse for bad behavior, just an explanation of why it happened. I, uh, really don't like Sunbreaker."

"At all."

Then he laughs a little bit, looking down at the candy. "I owe you, and you're still wanting to do me favors? I'm not out of the woods yet. I'm still on the wrong side, for now. You're right in that I wouldn't attack you -- unless you're in a group fighting me -- and I definitely wouldn't attack your family or the shop. But that doesn't mean I won't hurt you in a fight."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"I was there for that," Chiyo admits with a grin at the memory of the dippin dots. Not the best youma out there, though she does have to admit, "Sailor Moon has improved a lot since then."

While he eats she watches, just taking in how he does seem to be relaxing. Even if she couldn't do anything about the Dark Energy in him at the moment, not without harming him, it was good to see it was having some positive impact. That's what her ultimate goal was with her food: Make people feel better. If this was the way she could do it for Darien then it made her happy in some small way.

"Nobody likes Sunbreaker. I've been tainted with Dark Energy from her before, too. My hands were burnt for about a week after our first fight," she admits with a look of distaste. The expression softens just a bit though.

"I want to help because you want out. You want to change. I get that we're on opposite sides right now, but it won't always be that way." Maybe it was a positive outlook in this case, but since he wanted out, that was ultimately the goal. She could try to be positive that it would happen. "Besides, how could I not want to help one of my best customers?"

With that said she sits up straight and stretches out her hand. Not toward Darien but toward the desk beside her. Gripping the edge she lifts... And it does come a few inches off the ground before settling back down with a thump. There was no reason for her to lift the thing the entire way. "I think I can survive what you might throw at me."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Darien's eyes are wide. "You and Kino-san together might be able to beat me up, alone," he says slowly. "Definitely help with it if it comes down to that."

Then he smiles lopsidedly. "Am I one of your best customers? I have to get another big batch of those lollipops, I'm being such an ass with them, handing them out at work and such... they're delicious and pretty and just-- delightful."

He rubs at the heel of one hand with the opposite thumb, looking at the rest of the candy after finishing the first one, then carefully puts the lid back on. "I don't want to eat all of these at once. They're like a hug. Thank you."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai had never really shown off her strength much outside of a fight, or at work, or that one time guardening. The reaction earns a little laugh as she ducks her head faintly. Once upon a time she would have been embarassed. Not now. "I've been making mochi the traditional way since I was nine. I was already strong from using the hammer for that, but becoming Guardian Daifuku made it moreso."

Another grin comes as she rises to her feet with a nod. "Yes, you are. I'll be sure to have a box waiting for you when you stop by again. Those are just normal candies, by the way," she adds with a quick grin. "Although if you ever need to pass out some that might take down a good chunk of your workplace..." There's a thought.

She nods, and steps toward the door. "You're welcome. The bottom layer are regular ones if you just want a snack. I didn't want to bring something that might not work without an apology gift, too. Take care of yourself, Darien."