1817/Not Going to Throw You

Not Going to Throw You
Date of Scene:	31 July 2024
Location:	Paris
Synopsis:	Yesterday, Chiyo died. Today, she and Phillip-Who-Is-Phantom wander Paris, and get closer through conversation.
Cast of Characters:	Chiyo Sakai, Phantom

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Chiyo Sakai has posed:
It was a lovely Summer day in Paris. It was around Lunch time which meant that shops were closed other than restaurants. Those were busy. Extremely busy. It was almost surreal as Chiyo sits on a park bench watching people simply enjoying their lunches and a break to their day. Banks were closed, clothing shops are locked up, and everyone was just... Taking their time.

She'd managed to get a lunch of her own on recommendation from that French boy that was with them in the hotel room well before it got so busy. Two cups of coffee are in a little carry out container next to her along with a bag filled with some sandwiches called jambon-beurre which looked like a very tasty ham sandwich to her. On a baguette. She'd gotten two, but honestly she wasn't sure she'd be able to finish a whole one herself.

For now she just sips at the coffee she'd gotten, a cafe mocha, staring off at the Siene drifting slowly by.

A day ago she'd been dead. Today she was under the shade of a park tree watching the river in a foreign country waiting for her boyfriend to confront him on whether or not he was a Dark General as well.

Phantom has posed:
A day ago Chiyo was dead. Now she's back. And she would up in the Graveyard of the Precure. That, he did not expect. But now Red knew. And he was still waiting on judgement from him on what that means. So in the meantime... when Chiyo's text came through, he blew out a breath and agreed to meet with her.

Dressed in jeans and a Gojira concert T-shirt (because he wasn't gonna miss that concernt tonight), he saw the familiar twin drills of her and made her way over. As he arrived at the table, he grabbed the back of his chair. "Hey." he greets. "This seat taken?" At least he's trying to give the appearance of raised spirits, despite the doom that may be hanging over his head. "I ah... have tickets for a concert tonight, if you're still in town?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"Hey," Chiyo greets simply. It was him. It was actually him, here, now. If she didn't already *know* this would surely put a nail in the coffin of her suspicions.

Maybe let's not think of a coffin right now though.

While he mentions the concert she slides the other drink toward him, and places the bagged lunch on the table as well. Just in case he might like to eat as well.

"I think I may be. Everyone seems to want to rest a bit more, so we'll probably head back tomorrow morning, or afternoon." She'd have to double-check.

A deep breath is drawn as she feels her chest tighten with apprehension. Her gaze drifts lower to the matching necklace he wears. Her own was still on as well. It would be best to get it over with.

The tip of her tongue darts out over her lips wetting them before speaking again. "Philip. Are you Phantom?"

Phantom has posed:
Her tone says it all. She knows. Dropping into the seat like a bag of potatoes, Philip takes one of the cups of coffee and draws off it. If it was her? Well, they've done more than indirect kiss.

There's a nod at her comment. "Sounds like we have a date then..." And whatever else he planned to say after that is lost in her question.

"Why do you think that?" he starts to ask, but he knows better. After several moments, he breathes in.

"You ask the wrong question." he admits. "Phantom existed before Philip. Philip was only created recently, to learn more about magical girls, because it was no longer just Precures. I just..."

A breath and another draw of coffee.

"I did not expect to meet you."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
The coffee was safely his. Hers was set to the side, half drunk and momentarily forgotten given the situation. "A date," she agrees with a little nod as the talk of the concert continues. At least for a few moments more.

The more important question comes up. Though her hands are in her lap fidgeting, squeezing her own fingers tight, she watches him. And listens.

Phantom existed first. Philip was new. That does earn a little breath from her as she lets out a quiet, "Oh."

"So you... Aren't human then? I mean. I guess that doesn't matter much," to her at least. She still had feelings for him either way, and his admission that he didn't expect to meet her earns a pleased smile in spite of herself.

"Okay."

Reaching a hand across toward him she offers it out for his own with a simple question of, "So what do you want me to call you then?"

Phantom has posed:
"I guess I'm human. I know I'm not dark energy. I just don't remember anything from before being Phantom. I could have been a human. But that was over 300 years ago." Philip admits. "I don't remember anything about my life before that. Just that I have always served Mirage." He shrugs his shoulders.

"I like when you call me Philip." His hand claims hers, fingers curling into her plam. "You're either about to throw me or tell me you like me anyway." he says with a small laugh. "And both kind of scare me, becasue I have things to answer, either way."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"I'm not going to throw you," Chiyo assures with a little shake of her head at the suggestion. At least he did seem to be uncertain either way what her reaction was. Her hand squeezes against his simply holding for now. In a slight attempt to lighten the mood--How could she, really? She quips, "I just didn't realize I was dating an older man," teasingly.

Three hundred years? That was a long time and it lined up with what she'd learned about the miko from the shrine. They were from the same era.

"I think I may have learned a bit about Mirage. I found this shrine awhile back with a legend about a miko who fell in love with the god she served, and she fought against evil for him. Only when she found out he didn't return her love she turned that way herself."

Why was all of this rushing out of her now? She'd been searching for Phan Phan at the time, not Philip or Phantom, but it all seems to tie together with Mirage somehow.

Quietly she adds, "I do like you, Philip. A lot."

Phantom has posed:
"To be fair, most of that 300 years was spent in a box." Philip responds, opening his fingers to thread Chiyo's through. Once that's done, he continues. "It was a pretty cure that freed Mirage." he explains to Chiyo, "And that's why she's going after PreCures. She believes that only one of them can seal her back in the box we escaped from." A sigh comes from him.

"I like you too, Chiyo. Quite a bit." he says with a smile at her. "Yes, though. She particualary hates Blue for that. She loved Blue. And he denied her. So Red offered her a place to get her revenge."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai runs her thumb over his hand as he shifts to twine his fingers with hers. It was how he usually held her hand and was pleasantly familiar by now. "That doesn't sound pleasant, being sealed away," she has to admit quietly.

It's the rest of the story that leaves her feeling perplexed. "I can understand how she feels. Just that... That's sad. And stupid," she adds with a bit of exasperation. "Sad that he didn't return her love, but stupid that she'd still obsess over it instead of moving on. If someone doesn't return your feelings then they aren't worth your feelings, either. Find someone who is."

Phantom has posed:
"It wasn't." Philip presses his thumb against ther finger and holds it as he considers her words. Closing his eyes for a moment as he gathers his thoughts, and begins, "How much do you know of Blue?" he asks. "You said you were told a story of a shrine maiden?" he asks.

And then there's a small smirk. "You clearly aren't a teenager." he teases her. "You're far too mature. But there is more to the story than that."

"Mirage and Blue protected the world together. She was one of the first Precures. So she's working side by side with this diety every day. And they have feelings for each other." he points out. "But as Blue grew more and more involved with protecting the world, Mirage fell by the wayside. And she took that badly. Which is what lead to things going wrong."

There's some details he doesn't remember, but that's the gist of it.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"I was raised by my grandfather so I've been told I'm more mature at times," Chiyo has to admit a bit sheepishly when she's told she's not a teenager. Of course she was! "I just... The first guy I liked wasn't into me, either. It's not his fault he wasn't. He just wasn't. I was more embarassed than anything, but he was so kind about it."

She does listen though with a slow nod. One of the first Precures, that made sense based on what she'd seen and heard. But working alongside him? "Ah. I... can see how that would be hurtful," she has to add slowly, nodding. "Maybe my experiences have made me have different views. I've seen people in true love, and I've seen people who aren't."

It's here she pauses. Her eyes drop down to the table breifly.

"My grandparents loved one another deeply. My mother..." Ah, that word has such spite. "I wasn't a child born out of love. Ambition, maybe. My grandparents took me in when she didn't want me. So I know that, much as it may hurt to not get the love from the person you want it from, that doesn't mean you aren't worth being loved by the right people."