Scene #2651: ChocoMinto Club

Owner	Pose
Chiyo Sakai	Chiyo Sakai slips inside the icecream shop with a jingle of the door bell as she passes through. It was a hot day, hot enough that she wanted something cool and refreshing to help ease the heat away. Much as she loved the treats from her own shop they just weren't icecream. The cool air that hits as soon as she's inside causes her pink eyes to flutter shut momentarily enjoying the difference from the sticky heat of Summer to the chill breeze of air conditioning smacking against her. Even dressed in the breezey sundress she had on, it was just too warm in the city. Before she might accidentally run into someone her eyes snap open again to sweep around the room taking in the customers, and the selection of icecreams alike. She pauses at the end of the counter to wait her turn while rising on tiptoe to try and peer over the shoulder of the person in front of her so she can see more of the frozen offerings.
Lincoln Blackwell	Complete with cut-off denim jacket and white-striped, black tracksuit pants, Lincoln was staring up at the menu with a quiet frown. He, too, was trying his best to escape the heat beyond within the cooler air of an icecream parlour, with the promise of frosty snacks no small measure of incentive. But, he found himself at a little bit of a crossroads. Vanilla was certainly the safe option. But, well, he felt a very particular draw to anything matcha related, and there was something promising a very exciting blend along with mint. It was a conundrum. With hands tucked into his pockets, the blonde chewed at lip and swayed on his heels just enough to accidentally bump somebody behind him. In response, he jumped forward a little. "Oh, crap! Sorry!" Lincoln half-spun. "I didn't see you there!"
Chiyo Sakai	A tiny squeak of surprise comes from Chiyo when she's bumped into from in front. That was unexpected! The plum-haired girl with double dangos, and curls spun down around her shoulders, teeters back off balance from having been on her toes. Instinctively she reaches out to grab the sleeve of Lincoln's denim jacket when he partially turns so that she can keep from keeling backwards as her weight resettles. "Ah! It's okay," she blurts out with a quick blink, eyes refocusing where she had grasped his jacket. "Sorry," comes next as her cheeks redden a little at having grabbed a stranger like that. She lets to and dusts her hand over her side uncertain what to do with it now. Moreso her gaze had raised up toward Lincoln now to stare at him as she becomes aware of the boy's accent. "It's partially my fault, I was trying to read the icecream names. I'll probably just get the same thing I usually do though." A little smile comes as she adds, "Sorry for grabbing at you."
Lincoln Blackwell	His eyes had fixed on the grabbed sleeve for a moment, but followed the hands as they withdrew from him. There, eyes of a pristine river-blue lifted slowly to pink. It was right about there that he grinned awkwardly and tried his damndest to affect something cool. "Nah, it's good. It's not every day a pretty girl has to hold me to keep from fallin' over, yeah?" Part of the attempt to affect cool was to lean casually against the counter. Only, it was one of those glass display cases for icecream. All sleek and curved, which Lincoln followed until he stumbled backward again with his own short squeak and flailed hand.
Chiyo Sakai	This was the second time in over a week someone had called her a pretty girl by a British boy. One had said she ought to talk to him more so he could say a pretty girl talked to him. And now this. Chiyo finds herself flushing just a bit in automatic response-- But then the attempted slick move by Lincoln has him falling forward so she reaches out to grab him again to help steady him this time. "Careful!" The almost blush has gone away but a more genuine smile has emerged. This wasn't someone inhumanly perfect like the last 'British' boy she new, but someone clumsy and ordinary and human. It's a bit of a relief there. "These cases are steeper than you think."
Lincoln Blackwell	Lincoln had felt the panic of the slide, coupled with the lack of reasonable grip ahead of him with which to steady, and silently resigned himself to the inevitable. But. Oh, thank goodness. She caught him. "Thanks for that." He tried to clear slightly constricted throat, tugging at his jacket a little to straighten in. "I don't know if my dignity would've remained in tact, after that." A short, mortified laugh escaped him. "And I had noticed the steepness myself, it just vanished from my mind the moment my back was to 'em. I'm Linc, by the way." He turned to glance back up at the menu. "What's with the squid ink ice cream, anyway? Do they ''really'' put ''squid ink'' in it?"
Chiyo Sakai	"I'm Chiyo Sakai. Nice to meet you... Linc?" There's an accent there. It's impossible to not have one given such an odd name for her to wrap her tongue around. It's almost right though, enough that he could hopefully tell she tried with it. "You're welcome." Her attention is drawn back to the icecream when he asks about the squid ink which earns a wry grin from her. "Yes, it's actual squid ink. It's mostly flavorless though and just acts as a natural dye to the foods it's in. It's safer than using charcoal for 'black' items because that can cause issues with medicines some people take. I think," she begins as she skims over the ingredient list, "That icecream is just vanilla colored black. More for looks than flavor." "I'm probably just going to go for chocomint myself. It's always refreshing and sweet."
Lincoln Blackwell	"Chiyo." Lincoln was in about the same place as she was, just stating the name in straight English at first. Not even the hint to try a Japanese inflection just yet, like an appetiser that he's trying out before a nod into commitment. It was still a bit of a marvel to him that he ''could'' slip between Japanese and English at will now. Absolutely wild. "It's short for Lincoln." He clarified for her, slipping back into the local tongue and rubbing at his chin. "Just black-dyed vanilla, yeah? I'm tempted to try it, but I'm also eyein' off that matcha an' mint chip one." Lincoln was, after all, terrifically English and tea was tea--the lifeblood of empires. There was another nod from him. "Yeah. I think I'll go with that one, yeah? Though, choc an' mint is also a pretty good choice." The blonde grinned.
Chiyo Sakai	It's a true moment of cultural exchange! The memories of Philip breifly rise to mind, and fade away quickly. So far Lincoln's mannerisms were nothing like him. Even Roman hadn't been like him--It was just his mention of a particular name that had her hackles rise in defensive caution. A caution that was nagging at her now but finding no purchase in her interaction with Lincoln. It was a small relief. "That doesn't sound bad depending how strong they make the mint. Matcha is a very strong flavor on it's own..." She was so used to suggesting flavors for candies that she starts to go on about it and then pauses. "Sorry, it sounds unique. I work at a wagashi shop. Er, candy shop," she corrects with a hint of embarassment. "You'll have to let me know how it works together. The flavors, I mean."
Lincoln Blackwell	"It should work pretty well." Lincoln noted. "We do mint-tea blends back home as well, an' I've always been kinda partial to it." A step closer to the counter so that he could place his order and then, a few moments later, he had a little sundae of matcha and mint chip icecream, topped with the staples. Whipped cream, chocolate dusting. It was very likely going to be amazing. Lincoln stepped aside, but lingered to wait for Chiyo. They were having a conversation after all, and she hadn't chased him off yet. That was probably a good sign. "My mum likes chamomile and lemon, herself." He wrinkled his nose. "But, she made it for me every time I was sick, so now it just tastes like medicine to me."
Chiyo Sakai	When it's Chiyo's turn she just orders a simple two scoop sundae with mint chocolate chip scoops, plenty of whipped cream, and a decorative shaving of chocolate bar sprinkled atop. It's lovely and nice and perfect just how she likes it. A spoon is taken and she turns to follow because... It was a nice, simple conversation so far. Nothing worth running away from. "Oh, I get it. My Obasaan... My grandmother," she explains, "She used to give me barley tea when I had a cold. It's supposed to be cooling for Summer, but it just doesn't ... it's not the same for me anymore." She pauses a moment before asking, "Would you mind if I joined you? I mean if that's okay." Already her mind was nagging at her to be cautious. He was a boy. Her luck with those was bad.
Lincoln Blackwell	"Ah, nah--" Lincoln chuckled to himself a little breathlessly, but jerked his head in the direction of a table. "Over here, then? I mean, I don't mind if you don't mind. 'Cause, I can be a bit--" He grimaced, cleared his throat, and started making his way in the indicated direction. The blonde watched her from the corner of his eye with a slightly amused grin. "It's alright, Chiyo." Lincoln said and then shook his head. "I mean; Chiyo-''san''. I might not look it, what with me bein' a bit of an idiot an' all, but I speak Japanese fluently, yeah?" Indeed, his general accent in Japanese might best be described as country bumpkin.
Chiyo Sakai	Fluent? It takes Chiyo a moment to register that he was speaking rather fluently in spite of his inflection depicting him a foreigner. Breifly she recalls her interactions lately with many foreigners and realizes it was the same: They were all fluent. They also all went to Radiant Heart. Another bit of magic, she's sure, but one she hadn't realized until now. A smile eases over her expression as she gives a quick bob of her head in agreement with the location that Lincoln chose to sit. "That's fine! It's cooler inside here as it is. I could use a bit to enjoy the icecream without it immediately melting." Speaking of the icecream the little sundae she ordered is up. It's scooped up in both hands to take to the suggested area. "I know a little English from a ... Friend. But we mostly spoke Japanese."
Lincoln Blackwell	"Yeah, I'm from Manchester." Lincoln agreed from the side a little with a faint chuckle. "And, if you don't know much about England, I'm sure you've heard that it's actually pretty bloody cold." The blonde shook his head as he slid into a chair. Sundae set on the table, spoon quickly taking scoop to disappear the green concoction into his mouth. A low, pleasured hum and a slow nod later, and Lincoln grinned. "That's actually pretty delicious." Lincoln licked the backside of the spoon. "But, yeah. As I was sayin', Englishmen aren't know for their heat tolerenace. I'd rather not sweat out my uniform in my first week, yeah?"
Chiyo Sakai	Chiyo Sakai settles into a seat across from Lincoln with a careful sweep of one hand to keep her skirt from bunching up as she does. It was perfect weather for sundresses and sandals even if Japan was a bit stricter on what areas of skin can show without being 'crude.' "Manchester," she repeats with a little nod. "I've heard of it. I don't know that I heard it was cold so much as it's usually overcast? So you don't get direct sun?" It's then he takes the bite of his icecream. The reaction of enjoyment draws a deeper smile as she watches him indulge in something new, and delicious. It was so nice to watch someone actually enjoy themselves that way. A small pang of memories comes as she recalls her old powers. They had helped people reclaim some joy in their lives through the sweets she made. It was the part she missed the most. "Radiant Heart is pretty loose on their dress code. You could probably just get away with the short sleeved shirt. Plus," she adds with a little gesture of her spoon, "If you need they sell these little mini-electric fans at the dollar store that can help."
Lincoln Blackwell	Lincoln glanced down at himself, blazer and tie and shirt and all. "If you had your tie outta place at my last school, you'd wind up standin' in the corner of the class for the rest of the lesson." He grimaced briefly. "So, that's good to know." Blues lifted as he scooped another helping to his tongue. The spoon turned over, ice cream deposited right there, and another pleased sound. "So, how's about you then?" An eyebrow lifted higher again. "You from 'round here the whole time, too?"
Chiyo Sakai	"Mmhmm. I grew up here with my grandparents. We've got a Wagashi shop near here. Nounamu Sweets. It's just my Ojiisan and I now, and some part-timer help, and my --" She pauses considering a moment with her spoon held aloft preparing to strike into her own sundae. A quick dip of it comes as she continues, "Well I'm not sure what to call him really. He's Ojiisan's apprentice, and kind of like a brother to me. We manage though."
Lincoln Blackwell	"Wait--" Lincoln leaned forward a little and turned his head slighty to the side. There was a growing, eminently cheeky little grin drawing its way across his face. "You have a ''sweets'' shop?" Another scoop of ice cream was already balanced precariously upon spoon--clearlyenjoying the cold, tasty dessert. "You'll have to show me that some time. I like sweets." Lincoln leaned back again.
Chiyo Sakai	Chiyo Sakai laughs warmly at the reaction to that particular news. A hand lifts to lightly cover her mouth so she doesn't seem rude for laughing like that. "I do! Or rather Ojiisan does, but I work there as well," she confirms with another broad grin. "We usually have discounts for RHA students, too. It's traditional Japanese sweets mainly but we branch out with some more modern seasonal offerings too. Some I even created!" Maybe it's the salesman in her but she leans her elbows against the table comfortably while discussing this topic. "You should definitely stop by sometime." Another dip of her spoon sweeps up some of the chocolate mint which she takes a bite of with a sigh of relief at the cool sweetness on her tongue. "Mm. This is my favorite for icecream."
Lincoln Blackwell	"I'm actually quite enjoyin' this mix of matcha and mint." Lincoln said as though his very open, very visible reactions hadn't been happening right in front of her. "It's not too overpowering and--yeah. I think I just like sweet mint, honestly. The choc-mint is probably bangin', too." A nod was offered toward Chiyo's ice cream, before he grinned at her. "There's a few places back home what do them old-fashioned hard-boiled sweets. You know the kind?" He had no idea whether British-style traditional sweets were any sensible kind of known in Japan. "You had me at sweets, anyway. You don't gotta sell me further with discounts, though that's always appreciated. Nothing better than a good bargain, my dad always said."
Chiyo Sakai	Chiyo Sakai considers that a moment. "Boiled sweets? I'll have to look it up. We do hard candies, if that's similar? But Ojiisan mostly does wagashi which is sweet rice, beans and fruit typically. Usually arranged like flowers. He's really good at making them," she adds with a fond pride coloring her tone. "Sounds like your dad is a smart guy." The bite is taken of her icecream with her gaze flitting down to judge how much was left. "So what brings you to Japan, then?"
Lincoln Blackwell	"My dad's a good guy, but I dunno if I'd flatter him by calling him smart to his face." Lincoln laughed with a kind of playful familiarity with whatever memory he'd conjured. "I don't think i've ever had wagashi before, so--" A shrug again. "If you're saying your Ojiisan's is the best, I'll trust your judgement and try them ones first. It'll be an proper education in local sweets, yeah?" Then, of course, was the other question. ''What brings you to Japan, then.'' Lincoln bit at the inside of his cheek with narrowed eyes. "Football scholarship?" It was a question and a statement all at once. Largely because, ''I'm a magical girl with tea magic'' wasn't quite the conversational topic he thought appropriate for a first meeting. "Football's something I've always enjoyed and always been pretty bloody good at." It was more sure now as he nodded.
Chiyo Sakai	Chiyo Sakai blinks rapidly hearing that. Football scholarship? It was a very popular sport of course, but no where near as famously popular as baseball. At least she didn't have to worry about him trying to recruit her to a team for her throwing arm! "Oh, that's great! I've never really been athletic myself. Most of my workout comes from the shop." "I'm in manga club though, and there's a self-defense class that's popular after school. Oh." She pauses as her nose crinkles just a bit. "I am in Kendo club, too, I guess. I was kind of brought into it by some friends who really weren't taking no for an answer."
Lincoln Blackwell	"I honestly don't know much all about the clubs here and what not." Lincoln wrinkled his nose with a shrug. "They're not a thing back home and I went to a pretty fancy school." A pause and he let his head lull slightly to one side. "Well, there were like chess teams and debate teams... The football team, obviously. So, I guess that's not ''entirely'' true, but it's not quite as formalised as it is here." Lincoln shook his head and popped ice cream into his mouth again as brows knit together again. "Your friends pressured you into getting hit with sticks? That's a bit rough." At the very least, that was Lincoln's currently impression of kendo.
Chiyo Sakai	Chiyo Sakai shakes her head quickly at that. "Not quite 'get hit with sticks', it's a sword style. They were worried about my health and wanted to make sure I was doing something that could help." It wasn't entirely a fib. They had wanted to make sure she could fight well using her new powers, since it came with the Star Sword. Even if she typically fought with a war hammer it was still good to know how to face those who did fight with swords. "Although yes, I do sometimes get hit. It's part of it." A wry smile is given as she admits this. "Oh, in Japan clubs are a way to socialize with your peers, mostly. Some of course do help with future jobs if you're so inclined or otherwise, like kendo, can help keep you in shape."
Lincoln Blackwell	"I'm pretty sure if I picked up kendo, I'd just get smacked in the face with sticks." Lincoln grimaced. "So, you're braver than me in that one, Chiyo." A pause before he shook his head. "I mean, Chiyo-''san''. Sorry, still gettin' used to the end bits." Lincoln tapped his spoon against the side of the sundae with a quiet clink. "I could be so lucky to get a job playin' football when I'm grown up, yeah?" The blonde chuckled to himself. "Go back home an' play for Man-U. That'd be the dream but I reckon I'd already miss this ice cream, but."
Chiyo Sakai	The correction to the honorific is met with another smile. "It's okay. That is the proper way to say it, but we don't really expect foreigners to get it right all the time. Trying is appreciated though of course," she adds with a laugh. "And in formal situations it's still a good idea to use them as well." Eating icecream wasn't too formal. Maybe she had too many friends that were a bit loose with titles lately. Hm. The bottom of her icecream is reached which almost causes her to sigh in regret. Almost. The urge to do so is held back with a little near-hiccup of breath so as to not appear rude herself. "I should probably get back to the shop as it is. I was just out for a break for awhile. It was nice to meet you, Lincoln-san!" She even almost gets the name right! A bit. L's were hard.
Lincoln Blackwell	"Hopefully it's not just this once!" Lincoln grinned at her. "Where I'm from, its considered the height of rudeness to just have an ice cream with a girl an' then not talk to her." He, too, had come to the end of his sundae. This was also a regrettable thing, even if he was already considering ways to run the extra calories off. "I'll see you at school, yeah?" He lifted a brow. "An' I'll pop in for a sweets visit sometime, too."
Chiyo Sakai	The corners of Chiyo's mouth quirk into another smile which she tries to refrain from at the mention of seeing him again. Pink eyes fill with a hint of indecision before she sucks in a quick breath to respond. "Yeah, that would be nice." So far it had been pleasant to spend time with him. If only... Her luck wasn't so awful. Rising from her seat she takes up her used icecream dish and spoon dutifully. "You should definitely check out the shop, I'm sure you'll like it. I'll see you around school, too!" Comes her quick assurance. With that she hesitates, mumbles a quick, "See you around!" before turning to drop her dishes off in the designated spot. She wasn't bolting. Really, she wasn't. She was just trying to leave before she risked blushing stupidly.