2025-12-27: Coffee Consternation
- Log: 2025-12-27 Coffee Consternation
- Cast: Ren Amamiya, Hyousuke Suzuki
- Where: Chagall Cafe, Paulownia Mall, Tatsumi Port Island
- OOC Date: December 27, 2025
- IC Date: Early Saturday, September 01, 2012
- Summary: Ren is in town to support their girlfriend Minako at a volleyball match. However, they've come early, so they stop by Chagall Cafe to grab a bite and a drink beforehand, and run into Hyousuke while they do. Hyousuke catches sight of the cat in their bag first, but his bigger concerns are both getting a better cup of coffee and making sure Ren isn't an enemy of his friends.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
The last Saturday of summer vacation is here--and although it's technically September now, there's still a sporting event left for the summer competitions. Well, one that Ren knows of, anyway--and that's because they're showing up to support the one competing in it.
But that's later today. Right now, they've made the trip to Iwatodai City early, to make absolute sure they don't end up late. After confirming the location of the match, they note they've got a couple hours to get something to eat beforehand.
That's what brings them to Chagall Cafe in Paulownia Mall. The coffee here is not as good as Leblanc's, but it's still pretty decent, and it really does feel like it makes them more charming... Never a bad thing, especially when the sporting event you're attending is your girlfriend's game.
Ren thus puts in an order for the Pheromone Coffee and a sandwich at the front register, then picks a small table for themself. They're wearing their usual summer casual clothes--non-prescription glasses, black undershirt, white button-up shirt with sleeves rolled up, blue jeans, black shoes, a fashion wristwatch and a shoulder bag with a cat who occasionally pokes his head out--and, for the attentive, their fingernails are painted black too.
For right now, though, they settle in at their table to read while they wait for their order. They finished up their summer homework the other day, so they can just relax and enjoy their novel for now.
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Chagall was not Hyousuke's usual haunt. That much could be attested to by the local izakaya's owner, or by the proprietor of the few places near Kasu that served more varieties of tea than just green. However, that did not change the fact that he was there, browsing the seasonal menu.
"Not the coffee..." He murmured, frowning a little as he saw the item so proudly displayed upon the list. It had lied to him, it had lied to Hitomi, and it had lied to the populace at large - such a thing was inexcusable, and he would not tolerate it.
Then, as he drew his eyes down towards the (more limited) options for tea, he began to wonder. He began to ponder. He began to consider that maybe, just maybe, it was better hot - even if its maple flavour was wrought from falsehoods, and boiled upon a fire of lies. He placed the order, thanked the cashier, and made his way away to find a table somewhere nice. Typically, all the window seats had been taken, and those in the second-best spots were largely occupied too. He glanced across the area, trying to find somewhere worth sitting at, but found something a little more interesting while walking by a particular table.
It'd only been for a moment, but he'd seen a cat. He knew he'd seen a cat. He'd not heard it, but what he'd seen was most certainly not a plush toy or a trick of the light. He made no attempt to hide the perplexed expression he wore as it dawned on him that someone had smuggled a cat onto the premises, and as he blinked, he looked up to face Ren.
"Thought they preferred boxes to bags." Hyousuke remarked. His tone was as light as it was quiet, and accompanied by a slight smile.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren is used to minding their own business, or at least maintaining the appearance of doing so. There's a few people in the cafe today, and if they overhear Hyousuke talking about 'not the coffee,' they're fine with letting him mumble aloud about what he won't be ordering.
However, when he makes a more direct comment to them, they look up, eyes briefly blank. Then they glance over their shoulder at their bag and smile back just as slightly.
"He just likes to go where I go," they murmur back. "Don't worry, he won't cause any trouble."
Ren doesn't get the sense that Hyousuke is concerned about trouble, but it's good to cover your bases. More importantly, something about him is familiar... In particular, this Resonance... didn't they sense this at Kamiya's Palace...? They don't think they recognize his face, but...
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Hyousuke kept the smile, and offered a slight nod in return. A subtle gesture that was unlikely to draw any attention, but enough to let Ren know that he didn't intend any trouble. His smile was easy, his expression calm. Save for the few bruises that peeked out past his cuffs and his collars, and the red-rawness of his knuckles, he seemed to be the very picture of 'easygoing.'
"I won't tell, as long as he doesn't try to steal my coffee." He turned away, looking to the rest of the establishment for an empty table, and found little.
"Hate to ask, but do you mind if I sit here?" His expression was a sheepish one, and his smile warped into a grin that reflected that. Either he genuinely did hate to ask, or he was an exceptional actor. "Looks like all the other tables're taken." He canted his head a little. Were one to place an image of his blonde locks drifting to the side with the motion next to an image of a retriever tilting its head as it was perplexed by something, the similarities would have been uncanny. "Is it always this busy?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
The bruises and raw knuckles are, in fairness, strong evidence against being 'easygoing.' Ren notes those, but keeps their observation to themself. He clearly doesn't mean any trouble right now, and Ren understands that this is a person who has cause to cut loose from time to time. Hell, maybe he had a bad run-in with a Demon before coming here.
"He's got more discerning taste than that. Only the finest warm milk cooled down to room temperature for him," Ren jokes.
Morgana's face inside the bag right now: >e_e<
(Even though it's completely true.)
There is a dearth of empty tables right now, so Ren anticipates the question before Hyousuke asks it. "Go for it," they reply, setting their book down. He is kind of funny, the way he tilts his head like that, but as for the question, Ren can only shrug. "I'm not from around here, so I don't know for sure... but it does feel like it, based on the times I've been."
As if summoned, a waiter comes up then with a tray. "Sorry for the wait! Here's your order," they say, placing the Pheromone Coffee and sandwich in front of Ren. "Please let us know if you need anything else!"
Ren smiles and nods acknowledgement, then lets them leave. They take a sip of their coffee first, then break off a bit of their sandwich--tuna salad--to slip inside their bag. (The milk remark is promptly forgiven. Om nom nom.)
"I take it you're not a regular here either?" Ren prompts Hyousuke as they do.
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
"Nah, I've only come here once, and that's only 'cause a friend told me they had something good." he decided to leave out the part where they had lied to his face about the maple syrup. Dense as the man was, he was at least self-aware enough to understand that doing so would launch him into a tangent from which there was to be no escape. There was also the fact that he had gotten distracted by how the tuna sandwich disappeared, offered unto the void as though appeasing some shadow-dwelling deity. Which, he supposed, was not an inaccurate, given the reputation cats held.
Then, as if in mocking response, another member of staff came out to deliver his own order, which he took with a firm nod and a quick, polite, thanks. His choice was a far sweeter affair, consisting of an eclair with a froth-topped latte. Both were from the seasonal menu, if the smell was any indication. Between the smooth, warm, notes of coffee that drifted up through the layer of frothed milk, hints of maple syrup - or something adjacent to it - could be detected, their sweetness accentuating the slight hint of bitterness that the steam drifting towards Hyousuke held. The eclair's filling and icing were clearly artificially coloured, but that did not seem to bother Hyousuke, who eyed it hungrily as he took a sip of the coffee.
"Hrm... I still think I'd prefer the tea..." He murmured, before looking back up at Ren. "Oh, right, I almost forgot. I'm Hyousuke Suzuki - pleasure to meet you."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Not the entire sandwich, at least--just a corner of it. Ren goes on to take a bite of their own afterwards. It's good, as Minako had advised them back in July. No seasonal item, but they do note the scent of maple syrup (or maple-adjacent syrup) from Hyousuke's order when it arrives.
They recognize the name; Ichika had mentioned him to them not too long ago. With that, they remember how they remember that Resonance--that was the one who was screaming particularly loudly about what Eiji Kamiya had done to his friends.
"Likewise. I'm Ren Amamiya," they introduce themself in turn. And, just to be sure, they add, "Do you know someone named Ichika Kawase?"
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Amamiya... Not a name he recognised, but one he would attempt to remember. Doubly so when he heard Ichika's name leave their lips. He swallowed quietly, hoping that the mu obscured the momentary hardening of his features, and that it didn't shake enough to show the tightening of his grip. All was slight, but it happened too suddenly for him to hide - anyone with sharp enough eyes or instincts might have picked it up.
"Ichika-san?" He said, not thinking that his usage of her given name immediately lent a hint to how close they were. "I know her. Why're you asking?"
Though he phrased it as simple curiosity, his eyes snapping sharply to Ren's and the ever-so-slight tensing of his body told a different story. But with everything Eiji had put his friends though, and with many questions and dangers still looming over them, who could blame him for being a little wary?
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
For some, the drink might obscure Hyousuke's micro-expressions, but Ren is more observant than most. They note both the hardening features and the tightening of his grip, though they maintain their own calm expression.
"She's a friend of mine. We were chatting about school stuff recently and she mentioned a classmate with your name, so I wondered," Ren replies. (This is a half-lie. She did mention Hyousuke's name, but it wasn't in the context of "school stuff.") "I go to school in Tokyo, myself. Nowhere special."
They take another sip of their own coffee then. It's a more blatant lie to call Shujin Academy 'nowhere special,' but Ren is used to downplaying their life for the sake of others, especially if it would put them more at ease. Kasugayama High is another place one couldn't call 'nowhere special'--but in the opposite direction, and Ren doesn't want Hyousuke to feel like they're judging him for anything mundane, either.
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
The tension began to leave Hyousuke's features at the reason provided. Not entirely, however. Eiji had had enough power to abduct women without the police lifting a finger. Dense though he was, the thought that an associate still had it out for Ichika and anyone close to her hadn't escaped him. There was also the matter of the Joker Killer, and just why they'd targeted Tsubasa. Until he could speak to either and know for sure that he didn't have to be on guard around Ren, that tension would linger, even if only a little.
However, he was still perfectly happy to make conversation, and offered a grin back. Not quite a beaming one, but wider than a polite one too. It was something boisterous and loud - at least, as much as an expression realistically could be.
"Any friend of hers is a friend of mine. Guess I don't need to tell you that I go to Kasu too, do I?" He chuckled a little a this own joke, and took another sip. He let it sit on his tongue a little, absorbing the flavour for a moment, before swallowing it down. While not displeased, his reaction to it when compared to his boisterous look or the raised brow at a bite of his eclair was... muted. "What about the little guy? Does he have a name?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
People have gone on guard around Ren for worse reasons. They don't take it personally.
They smile a bit at his out-loud response, at least. "You don't," they say amiably. "The place has a worse reputation than it deserves. Everyone I've met from there so far has been good people." Maybe rough around the edges, but that doesn't bother them--not with a best friend like Ryuji.
They watch him for a moment as they take another bite of their own sandwich. 'Not the coffee,' they'd overheard him say earlier, and sure enough, he doesn't seem too impressed with his order, even if he doesn't seem like he thinks it's terrible either. Maybe it's something he just decided to try out. Seasonal items are like that.
When they've finished chewing and swallowed, they reply, "Morgana." A beat. "Do you have a pet at home?" Not that Morgana is a pet, but if Hyousuke's interested in cats, maybe he has one of his own.
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Ren's thoughts on Kasugayama helped ease Hyousuke's tension. Not much - not enough to dispel it entirely, at least - but enough that he felt a little more comfortable speaking to Ren. He gave no spoken response, but the nod he gave was a firm and indisputable gesture of both acknowledgement and agreement. He did speak up when Ren enquired after pets, however.
"Nah, I don't think the dorms let people keep 'em." He pondered the thought for a moment, and his brow visibly creased with the effort. "...I don't know if they'd actually bother *enforcing* that rule, but I wouldn't want to keep a pet there."
He shrugged, his manner a little resigned, before he continued.
"I wouldn't even know where to go for all the stuff I'd need to take care of one. Hell, forget good pet food, it's hard enough to find places to get good *people* food." Ma'am's izakaya was not included in that assessment. Her food was without reproach, and her banana ramen - odd though the concept may have been - was a blessing. "Ichika-san had showed me somewhere I could get some tea, but all the coffee joints near the dorms are chains, and I can get that anywhere."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"No? That's too bad." For all that misfortune follows Tsubasa like a mountain lion, at least they're able to stay places where Lance can stay too. The same goes for Ren, really, but they're not the one who attends Kasugayama. Their circumstances are pretty weird all around, really...
They glance away as they consider just how weird they might really be. Aloud, they say, "Yeah... it would be a shame to keep a pet somewhere they couldn't thrive."
Is Hirasaka Ward also bad at food? Ren looks back at Hyousuke. They haven't really stopped in to the area for food before--mostly just books, and Myunghon's set it up for them that they can more easily get niche orders at more local bookstores in Tokyo--so that's a double shame.
"If you want someplace with premium coffee and you don't mind a hike, there's a cafe in Tokyo called Leblanc. I part-time there, so I can guarantee the flavor," Ren remarks. They'll give a more specific location and even directions if Hyousuke asks for them. "They serve curry too. Excellent stuff," they add.
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
"Curry and coffee?" One or the other, he could understand. But both together? That much was enough to wipe any consternation from his features and replace it with a brief flash of puzzlement. His head twitched as if to cant to the side once more, but he seemed to shrug off the confusion as quickly as it had settled in. "Dunno how long it'll be until I can get there when school's starting back up, but I'll come by sometime. If the drinks are as good as you say, it'll be worth the trip."
What hadn't seemed to be worth the trip was the coffee he held in his hands. The iced version had been fine, and the heated one was adequate at best. Not great, not terrible - and certainly not worth going out of his way for. He seemed completely and utterly whelmed as he began to drain it past the halfway point, though at least the eclair seemed to have gone down a treat.
"I've been meaning to ask. If this isn't your usual spot, what *are* you doing here?" His curiosity returned again, and he fixed Ren with a quizzical gaze.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"No rush. I know it's a long way to go for just coffee," Ren replies, shrugging slightly. This is especially so for someone who goes to school in Sumaru City. "But at least you can get a meal there too."
They take some time to polish off their sandwich and sip the last of their Pheromone Coffee as Hyousuke likewise focuses on his own order. They check their wristwatch--they could check their phone, but why not check a watch they're wearing anyway--jus before Hyousuke asks why they're around.
"I'm here to attend a volleyball match in town," they reply. "Speaking of which, I should get going for that." They offer Hyousuke a smile as they get up. "It was nice meeting you, Suzuki-kun. Take care."
It's crowded in here, after all, and with their order eaten, best to leave to open the table up for someone else. They give him a nod good-bye, then secure the strap of their shoulder bag and move to head out.