1914/First Day

First Day
Date of Scene:	01 September 2024
Location:	Nounamu Sweets
Synopsis:	It's Phantom's first day of work at Nounamu, and Chiyo wants it to go well. Taro wants to meet his new coworker.
Cast of Characters:	Chiyo Sakai, Phantom, Taro Yamada

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Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Work time!

That isn't to say it's during the busy part of the day. This was training time for one of the 'new hires' that Chiyo had brought in--Frankly though, Ojiisan had liked Taro enough that he kind of brought him in to begin with. It was just Chiyo that made the offer. Philip though? That was entirely her but he did need a place to fit in now that he wasn't with Obsidian and keeping him close was hardly a bad thing on her part.

Chiyo's in the kitchen area with a small red bucket in one hand and a cloth in the other as she wipes down the stainless steel tabletops with the sterilizing liquid they use after the actual cleaning portion. Food safety was a big deal, and back here her hair was held back with a hairnet and a bandana overtop to at least look less like she was wearing a hairnet to begin with.

Her apron is on and there's a box of gloves nearby ready and waiting to be used during this practice she was preparing for. She just needed Philip to arrive.

Phantom has posed:
First day of a new job! Is it wrong to bring your new boss flowers? Since you know, Chiyo is handling the training of the new hires - well, Philip had decided to bring Chiyo a small bokay of flowers, warm oranges and whites for the start of the fall. He arrives at the shop punctually, and takes in the sight of his girlfriend in full gear.

"You know, I thought you were cute with all that on. Didn't realize how cute you really were." he offers in a little bit of a tease as he offers the flowers to Chiyo as he goes to wash his hands and get prepared himself as he draws in a sniff of the confectionary and he has to remind himself that he's here to help and not you know... eat all the candy.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
The flowers are a surprise that Chiyo accepts with a bright grin. "Oh! Philip you didn't have to... But thank you!" Really, her grin is so very bright at the moment. The compliment of being cute in all of her gear has her flush a bit pink in response with a quick laugh. "Don't let Ojiisan hear you! He's already wary about you. Though the fact that you're willing to come work has definitely helped him to calm down a bit." He appreciated hard workers after all.

While he suits up in his apron she moves to place the bouquet in a vase, fluffing the flowers out so that they're evenly spread on display. It's placed within sight but not near any of the food prep areas just to be safe.

"I thought we'd get started on just making dango for now. It's simple enough, but does require learning the proper timing. Chocolate will probably be next so that we'll be prepared for that when it comes up. Plus our chocolate sales have risen lately due to a few customers."

She pauses and looks over flashing another smile while regarding the taller redhead. "Are you doing well? Nobody bothering you from Obsidian?"

Phantom has posed:
At least one thing that Philip did listen to is that he changed into actual work clothes. When he takes off the usual jacket he wears, beneath is a nice white shirt fit for a sous chef, black trousers and shoes. No jewelry is worn, his red head brushed back nicely before slipping on the net cap. He slips on the apron, looping it once around his waist and frowning as he as he realizes he will need help tieing it in the back. "Chiyo-chan, do you mind an assist?" he asks after she's done with the flowers.

"Mother isn't talking to me still. I'm more concerned about Scorn... I mean Kurosawa. She's been given more power than she may know what to do with. I feel like I should check on her before she does something foolish."

He scrubs a hand over his face, just to making himself wash his hands and glove up again. "I'm doing as well as I can. On the RHA Hardship program, so at least have room and board."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai steps over with a chuckle as she moves to assist with the apron. "You'll get used to it," she assures as she loops the extra-long strings around, twice, and ties at the side so that he can reach it to untie it later. Her own is tied in the back but she was more accustomed to it.

It's here she pauses so close to him to lean in and press a gentle kiss to the back of his shoulder. "It'll be fine. I can update the others about who has the power now, to keep an eye out for them. I'll talk to Setsuna-sensei too, to see if she has any suggestions to help you out at RHA. She's older than us but 'in the know' and may have some idea how to handle the beurocratic side of things."

A step away is taken, and she adds, "Plus if it ever comes down to it, you can always have a place here."

For a moment she pauses to remark, "I just hope things don't start happening to the shop because they know who I was. I already ran into some of them recently and it was unpleasant."

Phantom has posed:
Leaning back against Chiyo for a moment when she ties him off, Philip enjoys the warmth from her. Both physically and emotionally. But as the conversation turns to things happening to the shop, he presses his lips together in a thin line. "Any progress on figuring out what happened with your powers? I've been considering trying to get back into the graveyard to see if it's there." he admits quietly.

"Let's not cause your Ojiisan a heartattack yet by me staying with you under one roof." he comments in a light tease, before pulling away. "Okay, I think I am ready for today's lesson!"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"None. I'm not... I came back to life, Philip. I should be grateful just for that. I *am* grateful," Chiyo adds in regards to her powers. They might come back, they might not, she wasn't sure. She didn't really know where to look though Bonito might at least keep looking.

Talk of staying under the same roof with her earns a chuckle. "Koji stayed a few nights when he was injured once. On the futon," she explains quickly. "Ojiisan thought he'd been beaten up by some gang members and needed to avoid his house for awhile for safety. It's an option. Though he probably would be watching you like a hawk," she adds with amusement.

Stepping away she nods again pausing to check herself to make sure she doesn't have any dirt or fuzz on her from being so close. "Right now, Taro-kun is the only one that has the ability to quickly reach someone with magic if the shop is in danger. He has ties to someone trying to leave Obsidian, too." It WAS him but she hadn't gotten permission to give out his identity yet.

"He ah, helped me the other week when I was shot by a Heartstealer Rifle."

Now that all the updates have been given she claps her hands together with a quick nod. "Right! Mochi time. It's already prepared, but being kept warm. The trick is to mold it before it gets cool or else it'll get lumpy," she explains while turning for the warming drawer that held a bin of prepared mochi dough.

Phantom has posed:
Philip listened intently as Chiyo spoke, absorbing the gravity of her situation with a thoughtful nod. Her acknowledgment of her own miraculous return to life, tempered with uncertainty about her powers, was both poignant and humbling. "It's good to hear that you're grateful, Chiyo," he said gently. "Sometimes, just being here is enough, and who knows what might come back in time. I still feel a bit guilty for taking you away from where you fell." he admits to her.

There's a small chuckle at the mention of Koji. "You have a thing for strays, I think." he teases her as he returns her smile with one of his own amusement.

Philip listened carefully as Chiyo updated him about Taro-kun's role. The information about Taro-kun's connections and his assistance with the Heartstealer Rifle incident was noted with interest. "It sounds like Taro-kun's been invaluable. I'm glad you had someone reliable to help you out."

As Chiyo shifted focus to the mochi, Philip's eyes brightened with anticipation. "Mochi time sounds perfect," he said, smiling warmly. "I'll do my best to mold it properly. I wouldn't want to ruin your hard work."

Taro Yamada has posed:
Speak of the yokai and he shall appear.

Taro comes in in his Thursday the Twelth t-shirt and sweats,

"You're not going to believe how last night ended," he says, scuffing his shoes on the welcome mat so he doesn't track sand in, talking to Chiyo casually. "Did Oyaji have any more people come in and try to shoplift or did he get the shop closed? It's a good thing I have today off, I'm gonna see if I can help with it tonight - "

And it is then that the penny drops and he notices the boy behind the counter with Chiyo.

Taro's smile goes flat and polite as he sees Phillip. He's not run into the other boy since his first encounter. He knows he's dating Chiyo now, and he's got some magical beef going on he doesn't know the full details on - and so he's going to be polite. He's sort of like his brother in law now.

But Phillip had insulted! His! Dolls! So he was on the to be watched list. Just in case he made things weird.

"Ah, Phillip-san. You're working here now too, right?" he says with a polite wave of his hand, as if that's not Extremely Obvious.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai moves to pinch some of the mochi up between her thumb and forefinger using them to twist off a small ball amount. "About this much," she explains only to quickly rolling it between her hands to then set aside on a tray. "It should end up being that size. These are just going to be the sweet shoyu glazed ones so no need to worry about alternating colors like with Hanadango," she explains. "If a peice ends up too small or too large, just move on and try again. Trying to take away or add to it is only going to make it look lopsided."

While the explanation and demonstration has been made she reaches for bamboo skewers for the dango. Just in time for Taro to come in talking of the incident last night. The one she *hadn't* mentioned to Philip just yet which earns a little flinch of guilt.

"It's okay, I handled the rest. They were just Witch-Kissed by Gretchen, right? I've seen her do that before. The kiss peels off like a sticker so it wasn't hard. They just wanted candy not to hurt anyone."

A nod is given, and she gestures to what they were doing. "Wash up if you're going to work. We're doing dango today to start with."

Phantom has posed:
Philip had just started trying to pinch off some of the candy to form it when there's a whole thing about a whole different situation just last night and that he wasn't there to help - not that he could have been much of a help anyway. And then there's the fact that Taro is now the only defense. What was supposed to be a pinch is a handful crush of self-frustration.

"She finally witched out, huh? They all do at some point." he grumbles. "But I don't know why she came after you." Philip looks down at the ruined candy. "Sorry." he manages as he moves to fix the candy mess and draws in a breath. "Thank you for helping, Taro-san. You could say I've been fired from the Obsidian family. And they didn't give me a severance package."

Taro Yamada has posed:
Taro nods minutely as Chiyo talks about magic and Phillip responds knowingly. Ok, he can talk about it for now. "Yeah, just witch-kissed. I think we got everyone freed last night, but we're not done yet." He goes to the counter and pours himself a cup of black tea, then leans forward.

"I'll be over here for now. I dunno when round two starts and I'd rather not leave you two in the lurch if I have to run. Besides," and his forehead wiggles in a way that might be suggestive if he had any eyebrows, "it's traditional to have to get real close and knead the dough together, isn't it?" he teases.

And to Phillip - "I don't think Gretchen is a witch? I've only seen one," shrug. "But she unionized a bunch of other magic buddies to take over the world, and waas having all the kissed people bring offerings of sweets because she wants the world to love her." He nods knowingly. "It's the least I can do. They giving you the same attempted murder jackassery they sent after pony girl or did they just cut the cash off?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai watches the mochi get manhandled with a little twitch of the corner of her mouth. Part of her wants to scold over it, another part knew exactly what he might be feeling. The talk of witching out though earns a shake of her head.

"She's not one of those types of witches, thankfully. It's a Chara fairy. Apparently a few of them... went rogue? From their holder."

Lightly reaching out to place a hand on Philip's arm she offers a quiet bit of support before moving to the mochi with a sigh to quickly flip and fold the mass over again with a slap of the heavy dough on the counter. It's turned a few quick times to fold in on itself keeping it warm and smoothing out the handprint.

"I don't think she was after me specifically. They just kept saying 'get candy'. Chara's are rather childish. Like Ikuto when he was..." She pauses, trailing off and clears her throat. "When he was flip-flopping between me and Yuki." Before Philip.

Looking over to Taro, and Philip again, she raises eyebrows at the two. "I'm not going to give either of your identities away, but I will say I trust you both. If you feel like sharing with each other that is up to you."

Phantom has posed:
Philip observed Taro's subtle nod with a knowing smile. He appreciated the clarification about the witch-kissed situation and nodded in understanding. "Sounds like you've got a handle on things, Taro," Philip said, his voice steady. "I'll be here to lend a hand if you need it."

When Taro mentioned staying close to help with the mochi, Philip chuckled at the playful remark. "Oh, absolutely, I'm all for tradition," he replied with a grin. "Besides, I'm sure Chiyo's got this down to an art form. I'm just here to help however I can."

The conversation turned to the witches and their motives, which Philip listened to with interest. He raised an eyebrow at the mention of Gretchen and the sweet offerings. "I mean, it's how Chiyo got close to me." he replies cheekily. "With sweets, that is."

Philip watched as Chiyo expertly handled the mochi dough, impressed by her skill. "You've got a real talent for this," he said, admiring her technique. "I'll leave the mochi to the expert and just enjoy the process."

But then the talk turns towards the discussion of identities. After a moment's thought, he explains. "I was known as Phantom, part of the Phantom Empire, Hunter of Precures, and keeper of the Precure Graveyard. Apparently, my replacement is the Magical Girl hunter, I heard? I have some information on her, but I think most of what I know is known by everyone else."

Taro Yamada has posed:
"She has a Chara? That explains it. All the Chara magic buddies I've met have been brats," which is to say, one, but he did get yelled at for preventing one from getting in someone's face like a chihuahua, so his feelings on them are. Unimpressed, let's say.

Even more umipressed with the last men Chiyo had in her life, though. "I'm glad you traded him in for a superior model. Pretty boys usually can't be trusted, but this one seems decent enough. Even if he talks like butter won't melt in his mouth." He will allow it. Phillip DID try and save her life, so he's on solid ground for now.

"You're only gonna get better with the dough if you keep working on it," he advises. "She makes it look easy since she's been doing it forever." Cmon, man! Show off your willingness to learn! You've got thissss.

He nods gravely as Phantom reveals himself - "I don't know what any of that stuff is, but it sounds like it's no wonder Obsideon's pissy about you being less of an asshole than before," Taro says. "They hate it when their people piss off."

And it sounds like Phililpl, like Chiyo, is potentially at risk of being attacked like - like - well, like with Mamoru. And so he decides, in the interests of making any future attacks less finicky at the hands of henshining: "I'm a yokai - a vampire, I guess, to a Westerner. I go by Kuiper Belt Cape now. I got a job doing paperwork at Obsidion, and I decided to quit after a coworker made me collateral damage and then tried to slap my head off for - very reasonably! - trying to stab her in self defense. I figured it wasn't worth playing games with secret identities any longer, so I bailed."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai flashes a smile back at Philip when he says he'll leave it to the expert. A bit more of the dough is pinched off, rolled up quickly, and then popped into his mouth. Just a little tidbit of warm mochi that was slightly sweetened from using the sweet glutenous rice. Not the shock of SUGAR that came from a full, finished confection, but it was still pleasant. And chewy.

"You're not getting out of it that easy," she teases back. "Pinch and roll, pinch and roll. It should be about the size of your thumb from the last knuckle to the tip." Not quite the right measurement on HER hand but Philips were larger.

"We really need to workshop that name for you, Taro-kun," she adds in response about his 'new' mahou name. "But I guess it's better than 'The Backstreet Slasher', too." At least she's smiling at the two apparently starting to get along.

More seriously, as she sets to work with the mochi so that there can be plenty made as well as practiced on, she remarks, "It might be dangerous here on occasion, yes. You can still use a sword to fight though, right? We can see about getting something suitable for you. I'm still pretty strong, too, so ..."

"Maybe not 'magic' but if it comes down to it, I'm going to put up a fight."

Phantom has posed:
Taro's comment about Chiyo's past relationships prompted a chuckle from Philip. "I appreciate the vote of confidence," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I'll do my best to live up to the 'superior model' status. And hey, if butter won't melt in my mouth, it's just my charming demeanor."

He took Taro's advice about the mochi dough to heart. "I'm sure I'll improve with practice," Philip said, grinning. "I'll give it my best shot, even if I'm no expert."

Chiyo's smile as she offered him a bit of warm mochi was comforting. Philip enjoyed the treat and appreciated the effort she put into making it. "Thanks for the snack," he said after leaning over and snacking the treat from her fingers and gives her a coy smile, savoring the chewy sweetness. "And I'll definitely give the pinch-and-roll technique a try. Thumb-sized it is."

As Chiyo teased Taro about his new mahou name, Philip couldn't help but chuckle. "'The Backstreet Slasher' does have a certain... ring to it," he said, clearly enjoying the banter. "But I agree, we might need to workshop that name a bit more."

Philip took Chiyo's serious comment to heart. "I can still handle a sword, and I'm more than willing to fight if necessary," he assured her. "We'll make sure we're ready for whatever comes our way. I still think we need to find the Axiom box."

Taro Yamada has posed:
"You could do numbers making - damn, the French breads. Kwoisans," Taro says, snapping his fingers to try and remember the foreign word. "The dough has to be folded gently so the butter doens't melt." Damn. Croissants. "Just keep her happy or I'll ahve to fold you." You know! A normal thing to say!

"I'm working on the name! It's just hard to beat the Backstreet Slasher! It's a name with style, memorable, instantly recognizable! And leaning into the whole monster thing is NOT going to endear me to all the easily scared magic 12 year olds running around," he complains to Chiyo.

And as for the danger - "It's hard to go wrong with a baseball bat, too. It's easier to justify having it around. A sword is well and good, but grown ups get suspicious if you carry those around too much, you know? the veil is all well and good but they do remember weapons."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"There's fencing and kendo clubs at school. Wooden practice swords are pretty common and easy to explain," Chiyo points out having apparently been doing some thinking on this particular topic. "And one of my friends' fiance is the swordmaster of some family kendo style so I could probably get ahold of a good one. Or one that *looks* wooden but isn't." She wouldn't put it past Sugata to have such a thing as an option. Or his maids. They were rather frightening for maids.

"I always have kine around if I need, but a baseball bat may work for me." A gesture is made toward some of the mochi hammers hanging on the wall to dry from earlier use. They weren't like the one she used to carry, with it's extra long handle, but they would certainly do in a pinch.

"We can still try to find the box though. That's probably our best bet, and something *we* can do ourselves. The question is where to begin looking? I already checked out the shrine that we think Mirage came from."

Phantom has posed:
"The best place to start to look for the box will be the one that had it when she freed the Phantom Empire." Philip admits as he starts to fold the candy methodically, using the method that Chiyo showed him. He's better at it when he uses it for a focus, and considers. "The one known as Hime Shirayuki, the Princess of Blue Sky, was the one that set Mirage and everyone else free after being trapped... for a very long time." he explains as he rolls and pinches more candy.

"I suppose I should join the Kendo Club to at least give credence to that idea, because it is a good one."

Taro Yamada has posed:
"Adrien's on the kendo club, and he's nice. I think Chiyo's cousin's boyfriend's boyfriend is on the team too," Taro says thoughtfully, doing some quick math.

As for boxes - "The Slasher is very good at sneaking in and out of places, and can get through basically any nonmagical material easily. I dunno about cutting through magic boxes, but either way - if you're planning a heist, you need someone who can weasel in and out, don'cha?"