Outside the Tin-Yen, Yi glances in through the door. The smell of oriental fast food floats through the air, battling it out with pizza and other restaurant scents.

Bernie breathes it in, and grins briefly. "...Shoulda eaten first," she remarks, "...I'm famished, now." She runs her hands through her curls, straightening them a bit.

Yi grins to the newmoon cub, digging around in a pocket of her jeans. "Well, if you're hungry, we'll go in and have something. This should give the manager some cause not to kick us out." Her hand pulls out a couple of Lincolns.

"Mmm," Bernie remarks. "Plan. Do we eat before, or after, though?"

"A good question," Yi replies thoughtfully. "If we simply go in and disturb his business, he might not like it. But then again, are you up for some chinese food before you attempt to tempt with your silver speech?"

Bernie grins, and nods, "Yeah, long as I gotta drink t' wash it down b'fore I gotta loose my golden tones..." She straightens up, pushing her shoulders back a tad. "...we should prolly go in b'fore someone yells at us for loitering, yeah?"

Yi smirks a bit. "We're not loitering. We're deciding on our menu before going inside," she chuckles. "Right then, Tones-of-Gold, let's go inside."

Bernie gives her elder a quick mock-bow, and opens the door, sweeping an arm toward the space to invite Yi to go through first.

Yi dips her head in a gracious bow to the cub, entering with a less dramatic 'tak' of her shoes on the restaurant floor.

Yi glances around for the manager, looking to his usual place behind the register with a steady gaze. Eyes scan the room briefly for the amount of customers as Bernie heads inside with a quiet clinking of the bell hanging from the door.

Bernie walks in, posture slightly better than usual, and smiling slightly. She gives the place a quick once over as well, surveying the crew and clientele.

The store seems quiet for once. Only two couples seem to be enjoying a late night meal. There's still an hour before the store closes, but this is the day of love after all. Who'd want to eat chinese food, when you can be doing 'other things'. The store manager is in said place alright, flipping through receipts and checking the cash drawer, frowning. He doesn't look too happy with the results. The steady clinking and clattering of pots and pans can be heard in the kitchen, along with the soft melodies of a radio near by.

Yi gives Bernie a quick glance and a small smile. Not too many people tonight. Still her eyes catch that frown in the manager's face. Her greeting to him is rapid, medium loud, and for all the world seems like she's just started an argument, but it's really a greeting. Really.

Bernie has absolutely no idea what Yi might've just said, but figures Yi probably does, so she just gives the man a friendly smile from behind the other Ragabash.

The store manager glances up from the papers, shoving them into the drawers. "So, you want last paycheck, yes?" He says, heading over to her on small footsteps. Unlike most managers, he's not the big scary type. He's just a jerk mostly. Sliding his hand into his jacket, he takes out a white envelope.

Yi eyes the white envelope as it's taken out, tensing a bit as if her imagination thought it to be a gun. Her reply is quick, again in the eastern language, but the accompanied head shake is enough to tell that she's not exactly here for just money. "My friend and I, going to have dinner here," she smiles a bit, warmly.

Bernie remains quietly behind Yi, letting her handle the talking for the time being.

The manager looks dubious for a moment, then hands her the envelope. "Pick a table" He says in the eastern language, giving a quick glance over towards Bernie. "Sara be back with menu's."

Yi dips her head in a quick bow of respect, taking the envelope and pocketing it. Her smile is a bit wry as she turns away from Bernie. "Phase one, complete," she grins at the newmoon, heading over to a table somewhere in the middle of the restaurant, and pulling back a chair for the cub.

Bernie grins back, accepting the chair and taking a seat. "Handy, that," she replies, getting comfortable. "So whatcha been up to today?"

One of the younger asian girls lays out two menu's in front of them, then heads to the back to finish up some more cooking.

"Nothing too unusual. Went shopping for some supplies," Yi replies, sitting across from the newmoon with a quick nod and a greeting to Sara as well. Her brow arches a bit. Maybe she's new to the force. Her eyes don't scan the menu, as she already knows what's on it, but waits for the cub to look over the dishes. "I'll have to pay Matt back when I can, but the church doors will be fixed up." A small glance to one of the couples in the back, infatuated with each other. "That, and some worrying about the apartment bills. And some thoughts about Nevada." Her brow furrows slightly, with concern for the galliard though she's pretty sure Nevada can handle himself against cowboys.

Bernie considers that as she looks over the menu. ".. 's wrong with N'vada?" she queries. "...an' good 'bout th' doors, th' tarps are a pain, gotta say. Th' kid behavin' himself now that th' rules got laid down more clearly?"

"Nevada took off," comes the cliath's quiet reply. "He went to.. follow his dream. He'll be back though, as he left on the answering machine." Her tightened lips draw briefly into a smile. "Doors will get fixed, along with some locks. And the kid..." she drifts off there, not wanting to think about it. Her eyes scan the front of the menu. "Know what you want?" she asks, changing the subject to something more in the present.

Bernie shakes her head, "...feelin' indecisive. Order for us, you know what's good, right?" She leans back, snapping the menu shut and pushing it aside. "...His dream, huh? Int'restin'."

After a bit, the young waitress comes back, looking slightly nervous, if not frazzled and tired. She's holding a pen and pad, glancing over to the two. In a soft voice of fairly good english, she says. "Are you ready to order?"

Yi grins and nods, turning briefly to look towards the kitchen before glancing up at the waitress. Her order's fast, though she is polite to the frazzled girl. The usual, and perhaps more popular of dishes among the non-asian crowds. "Want anything to drink?" comes Yi's question directed towards Bernie. Another smile towards the waitress, followed by a quiet comment about how 'the manager seems a bit pushy today, eh?'

Bernie nods, "Yeah, coke'll do, thanks...." She leans back a bit in her chair, watching the waitress chat with Yi, or vice versa.

The young girl nods and makes a new notes in the pad, then whisks herself to the back to grab the drinks first.

Yi turns her attention back to Bernie. "So what's your game plan, Bernie," Yi grins a bit, keeping her conversational voice low, almost down to a conspiratorial level.

"Not sure yet," the cub replies just as softly. "...it may depend on how the food is, these days..." She considers. "I also think I may cast it as being civic responsibility, that you were just helping improve the neighbourhood by helping out homeless kids."

Yi chuckles, giving Bernie a quick smile. "Well if the food was bad when I was here, I apologize." The food comes in a little less than overly long period of waiting, and Yi dips her head again to the server/waitress with a note of thanks. Fried rice, a few side orders of eggrolls, mushroom chicken, and a bowl of soup for Bernie. A minute later comes the drinks, two Cokes. Yi motions for the cub to help herself, as she purses her lips together thoughtfully. "I'm not sure how helping homeless kids will win my job back," she says quietly.

Bernie laughs a little. "It was good when you were here. That's for sure." She sips her drink before adding, "..an', well, most business people don't wanna be seen as takin' form th' community an' not givin' back..."

Yi gives the newmoon a wry grin, helping herself to some of the fried rice as she nods in reply. "Like the boss there," she says, before munching down on some dinner. "Rotem came in, didn't earn very good looks from the start I believe." Her eyes slide over towards the register for a little, before turning back to concentrate on how the food quality is.

Bernie nods, munching as well. "...not firing you for removing a troublesome homeless kid from the restaurant and taking him where he can get some help is a pretty simple way to do something good for the community, right?"

Yi ponders this, chewing on her rice with a pensive look. After a minute, she nods affirmatively. "Sounds right," she replies. "You're going to lay a guilt trip on him?" Her eyebrow arches with a bit of humour.

Bernie smirks. "I gotta Jewish mother, I know they work," she replies jokingly. "...yeah, that's parta it. But more, I'm gonna try an' make him see how it's in his best int'rest t' keep ya."

Yi finishes her bowl of rice and snags an eggroll with her wooden chopsticks. "Don't know," she replies quietly. "Seems he had hired new help since I was taken off the list." The manner she says it in evidently means the new girl who was bussing their table.

Bernie shrugs, murmuring, "...well, I can only do my best... so how'm I gonna -start- th' conversation, though? Mrm..."

The two of them finish up their meal in quiet tones of conversation, and Yi carefully stacks up the dishes almost by habit beside her arm. "Well, we'll find out won't we... I'll start if you want." Her Coke is about near done too.

Bernie nods, finishing off her coke almost nervously, and nods. "All right. No time like the present, as they say..."

Yi slowly stands up from her chair, pushing it in with a gentle nudge as she nods to Bernie. Her hand slips out a few bills which she sticks under her finished Coke glass, and the two of them proceed to the register. Yi starts, in a conversational tone, "Dinner was good. Thank you." This is directed to the manager in a sort of lilting Canto-british accent.

Bernie nods, rising and following Yi. She breathes depely but quietly a few time, chasing off her stage fright.

The manager, Mr. Chen as we'll call him, looks at the receipt and nods wordlessly, looking up only after calculating on the abacus with a flurry of bead movements. "9.68," comes the total. Yi hands over the cash, glancing at Bernie for a moment. Then, she continues to venture into the dark territories. "I see you hired a new person, Sara." The manager grunts a bit. "Yes. She work hard, not say much." His somewhat beady eyes glance up at Yi and the cub as he hands Yi the change.

Bernie smiles at the manager, her best polite one, the one that's always worked so well on teachers and school administrators in the past. "Yes, she seemed pleaseant, and the meal was quite nice," she agrees. "I wonder, though, if you might have a minute or two to speak with me?"

As Yi pockets the change, Mr. Chen gives Bernie an odd look. Glancing about his restaurant, he sees that the last two customers (the couple) still sitting there infatuated. Lovebirds. A slight roll of his eyes, and he turns back to Bernie. "What do you want?" he asks, a bit gruffly, but nothing as bad as, say, Steven.

Not to mention he hasn't got the Rage thing going on. Bernie smiles at him, and replies, "I'd like to clear up the misunderstanding between the two of you." She gestures slightly between the manager and Yi, drawing on all her get-the-authority-figure-to-do-it-your-way experience. "She is, of course, a very good cook, which draws customers to your establishment, but beyond that, you do realise it doesn't look good to the public to fire employees for improving the area of the city? You see, I'm sure you, like most business owners, want to give back to the community as well as receiving from it, am I right? But it can be very difficult to find the time or money to do so. Now, Yi here does help in the community, often by getting wayward and homeless teens to the shelters, so that they're off the street of our city and not causing a disruption. By firing her for that, it gives the impression that you don't care about this area, whereas merely by excusing the absence, you can not only show that you do, but in fact help the community as well, at no high cost to yourself. In fact, you benefit as well, by retaining a very skilled and reliable worker." She puts all her reason and confidence into it, keeping her expression friendly.

Mr. Chen nods as the girl explains, surprisingly giving her most of his attention while occassionally looking at Yi as she continues on about giving to the community. At the end of her speech, there is a moment's pause as if he were thinking this over. "You not understand," he begins, glancing at Yi with a bit of caution. Maybe this girl beside her is a future lawyer or something. "I tell her, come back hahf owah, and she not come back. Go with her boyfriend somewhere, I don't know." He waves his hand a bit towards that couple in the corner, who are now merely giggling and joking softly in low tones. "I tell her, ok I give her job. She know Cantonese, know English. Look nice, and cook good." His compliment doesn't go unheeded, as Yi dips her head a bit nervously and embarrassed at it. "But why I give her job back? I tell her before, no boy friend in here. She take break that day before lunch. That day was very busy. Make me lose business, not enough cook." His eyes, dark as black coffee, gaze back at Bernie. Not coldly, but simply an owner who doesn't want too much trouble.

Yi simply groans softly at mention of her 'boyfriend'. "Rotem..." she growls a bit under her breath.

Bernie nods slightly, with a light, "Ahhhh," as if just understanding something. "The boy you mention, despite whatever he may have claimed, is most definitely -not- her boyfriend. He's one of those teens I was mentioning, that she helps, and he was a very difficult case. Sometimes they're very mouthy, or even violent, and hard to handle. It's important to get them somewhere they won't be causing serious damage or trouble as soon as possible. Allowing him to remain would likely have caused a loss of more business."

The couple, finally finished with their meal, gets up from the table hand in hand. Even as they come towards the register, they are laughing softly and making near kissy faces at each other in turtledove love. The man pays the bill, and Mr. Chen gives them a nice enough thank you as the two walk out. Sara, the newly hired hand, comes out from the kitchen and begins to clean off the dishes. Yi takes a small breath, giving the manager a small glance before her attention is captured by the hired hand, who looks as frazzled and probably tired, as any other and probably a bit disgruntled that she has to spend Valentine's Day in a restaurant like this.

The manager glances back at Bernie. "If he not her boyfriend, fine. She still not come back after half owah though. Not come back to whole day, whole week even!" This time his voice is a bit more insistent and stubborn, maybe even annoyed that he's been confronted by this complete stranger and being asked to give a wayward girl her job back. "I have three cook and waitress already. Why I give her back?" He shoots Yi a small look, and the Canto-Gnawer arches an eyebrow at him.

Bernie takes a slight breath, and concentrates all her persuasive power on the man, "Because she's a good cook, who brings you business, has never been in any other way or at any other time unreliable, and because, as I said, it's a way to show that you care about the community your customers come from, not firing her for trying to do her part to improve things. And, incidentally, keeping half-crazy kids from scaring off more customers."

Mr. Chen quirks his eyebrow upward at Bernie, now that most of his attention is riveted on this young girl who seems very dearly to want Yi to get her job back. "She is good cook, yes. Bring real Cantonese dish. She say she come from Hong Kong few months ago." The manager talks like the newmoon cliath isn't there, as per some chinese with that sort of bad habit. "And she did get rid of stupid boy..." His eyes travel between newmoons. Then, his wrist comes up as he glances at his watch. For a few more minutes, he eyes his register. "Some customer not come back, they not like the food Hong-Hua cook. Say too salty, or too sweet." His snort of distaste is apparent, but then his mind refers to the bills he was gazing at earlier. "Fine," he finally concedes, giving Bernie a pinning look. "If stupid boy come back and cause more trouble, I call police." Shifting his gaze to Yi, he tells her rapidly in Cantonese. The newmoon's quiet demeanor breaks into a smile as she bows her head and nods, thanking the manager almost profusely. Her eyes glance back up at Bernie and she grins widely. "He says I can come back. Start again this weekend. And of course you heard about Rotem."

Bernie breaks into a wide grin, and nods. "Thank you," she addresses the manager, "you won't regret that. And if the boy should ever show up and cause trouble, by all means, he should be dealt with as neccesary."

The women from the back come out of the kitchen, laughing it up in loud voices as they finish up their kitchen cleaning and pause at the trio at the front. Sara arches an eyebrow in inquiry, and the manager types a few keys on the register. "Come Saturday morning, don't be late," he says gruffly, before closing the register and locking it up. "We closed now, go on." A stern, but not unfriendly gaze cast at the two Gnawers shoots at them. Yi dips her head again, and gives Bernie a quick pat on her shoulder. "Let's go." Her smile is evident of a mission accomplished.

Bernie smiles, and nods, giving the manager a quick wave as she joins Yi in heading for the door.