1815/A Taste of Home

A Taste of Home
Date of Scene:	30 July 2024
Location:	Plot Room 1
Synopsis:	Rashmi and Molly meet for ice cream, and the conversation gets serious, heartfelt, and important; and Rashmi truly is a great listener.
Cast of Characters:	Molly Skyline, Rashmi Terios

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Molly Skyline has posed:
A pleasant evening in Tokyo sees Molly out with her best friend, currently lined up outside this place that looks like an absolute hole in the wall -- Suzukien Asakusa Honten -- which, Molly has been assured by a classmate, sells the absolute best ice cream in Tokyo. Or, at least, it's a contender. And given the size of Tokyo and the sheer number of ice cream places, that's both extremely high praise and a largely unprovable one, since nobody could possibly eat enough ice cream to really know.

But what the heck, Molly will try anything at least once, especially if Rashmi's involved.

The purplenette is dressed as scrappy as ever, with new patches added to her jacket, which is starting to become a bit of an art gallery of the things; and all of them nerdy of course, like the one that features a busty woman with a pointy wide-brimmed hat that says 'Sorceress', and the one that features what looks like a anthroporphic marsupial and says 'Shofixti'.

"So I hope this place is good," Molly comments, as the front of the lineup gets closer. Or rather, they get closer to the front. "Judging by the lineup you'd kinda... expect it to be. But I'm British, we're pessimistic by nature. Can't entirely be helped."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
There will always be a favorite ice cream spot in Rashmi's heart. However, the hype *has* certainly got her intrigued, and the size of the line hints that the hype may not be entirely empty. Tha flavors on offer are intriguing as well, and Rashmi is resolved to try the miso-in-pancake-wrap once they finally manage to get in.

Also, just doing something fun and normal with her best friend is a *wonderful* cure for the gremlins she hasn't managed to fully shake, after she returned from Paris.

"Well I mean, if it *wasn't* good someone would have told the line," she hazards, shifting forward as a gap opens in front of them. "Also! I don't know if you've ever heard of 'omiyage'? It's a really, really old tradition when Japanese people go abroad."

Hiking up her ubiquitous bookbag, she rummages in it as cover for dipping into Nicomachea's storage, and emerges with a small box, with French writing on five sides. "When you go somewhere, you always get gifts for your friends. This is yours!"

Inside is a dozen madelines, arranged in pairs according to their flavor; all are chocolate-dipped in some form or other, but no pair is exactly like any other pair.

Molly Skyline has posed:
"Yeah okay that's probably true," Molly agrees. "So it can't possibly be bad. I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to try, I mean... most ice cream places in England are functionally identical. Chocolate, Vanilla, the standard stuff, usually a few optional falvors but usually a high degree of overlap... honestly you don't need a favorite ice cream place, basically any one of them will do as long as the person behind the counter remembered to wash their hands."

They are, at least, getting near to the front of the line. They might even be able to get a seat inside if they want one. Molly is busy craning her neck to check it out, when she finds a small box thrust into her hands. She ohs! in surprise, and openes it up for a quick peek, before closing it to keep everything nice and fresh.

"I-- Thank you!" She immediately throws her arms around Rashmi for a quick hug. "That's actually something we did back home too, just... we called it getting souvies. Y'know, short for souvenirs. Except usually you bring people stuff like fridge magnets or cheap shirts. Next time I get to go somewhere though, I'll keep..." she pauses, feeling out the new word given that she's still relatively new to speaking Japanese, "Omiyage in mind."

As they talk, another couple people go into the shop. Just one more couple in front of them now. Getting close!

Rashmi Terios has posed:
The hug is returned with a pleased chuckle, and Rashmi bobs her head in answer. "It doesn't have to be expensive," she notes. "It sounds like the price range is pretty much the same, so..."

The redhead shrugs, then *laughs* as Molly describes the ice cream offerings in England. "Well I mean, you've *seen* the KitKat nonsense we have, ice cream's not far off. There's even wasabi ice cream, and I've heard of at least one place that does squid ink, or even actual baby fish. I'm gonna try the miso flavor myself, I haven't tried that yet but I've heard good things!"

...Because of course, the daughter of a fusion chef has an adventurous palate.

"So did you want to sit down, or take it someplace else?"

Molly Skyline has posed:
"Squid ink, I'm willing to try. But uhm... I like fish, I like ice cream, and I like wasabi, but I'm not entirely sure if I like them, like, y'know. Combined." Molly glances towards the shop, and mmms, "Might be waiting a while if we want to sit, so taking it someplace is probably preferable. Have to be somewhere nearby though, 'cause it's ice cream. So... y'know. Physics and laws of thermodynamics and all that."

Molly quirks an eyebrow upwards. "Cool that you can use Nicomacea as a bag of holding," she adds. "I hope one of Starcrash's lost modules will let me do that eventually. It's not critical or anything, but it'd sure be nice. Help with lugging my schoolbooks about, that's for sure."

And just like that, they've made it to the front of the lineup. And, promptly, Molly has forgotten what she was going to order, and the purple haired girl just stands there, looking generally bewildered. "Uhm, you order first," she offers.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Honestly it probably will be," Rashmi says, resettling bookbag and hair, grinning at the purplenette. "If it was part of the Arthras' inventory, then it'll have storage space *and* secure storage for... well. Hazardous things," she temporizes. "...Though that last one, let me tell you, you *gotta* make sure they're either dormant or weakened before you try to seal em away. Think... Pokemon rules, only for things that are *lots* more scary than Pokemon."

As they get up to the counter, Rashmi beams at the server. "Miso with cookie crumbles, please! And-- oh, you have mochi-waffle cones! That please!"

Paying for her order, she steps aside, then looks back to notice that Molly has the poleaxed look of the foreigner who has no frame of reference. Leaning over, she murmurs gently, "If you want to try something new, I'd suggest the red bean or the sweet potato. But, strawberry's almost as popular as vanilla too."

Molly Skyline has posed:
The British girl in Japan is wholly lost, a thing that happens to her on a semi-regular basis, even after the amount of time she's been here. And if her appearance didn't make her stand out, her accent and relatively basic Japanese skills certainly do. She shoots Rashmi a grateful look, before turning back to the very patient looking person behind the counter.

"Oh, uhm, right. Red bean, please! With..." what goes well with red bean? "Sprinkles? Does that work?" She glances at Rashmi, then back to the person waiting for her order. "In a mochi-waffle cone, like my friend?" She blushes, and lifts one hand to cover her mouth and chin to make it a bit less obvious. "And, I'll cover the bill. My treat."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Oh *good* choice," Rashmi says. "You'll like that, they use rice flour in the batter instead of regular, so it gets all chewy on the inside-- Awww, Molly-chan..."

Bobbing her head in thanks as the cashier hands Rashmi back her yen, she can't help but smile at the young Brit's earnestness. So much so, that she doesn't even *try* to refuse the treat. "Thank you~!"

When they've got their order, and are heading back outside, Rashmi nods to an alley not far away. "Ice cream is for sitting on top of a skyscraper, c'mon..."

Molly Skyline has posed:
Now that Molly has her ice cream in hand, she follows Rashmi into a back alley, and at least her blush dissipates on the way. Mostly. Well, pretty close to mostly, at least.

"I can't disagree with that," she agrees, and after glancing over her shoulder to make sure nobody could see anything, Henshins into her barrier jacket and lifts off to hover a few inches off the ground. "Honestly, flying is one of hte best parts of all this," she muses, as she floats there with a staff that shoots energy beams in one hand, and an ice cream cone with sprinkles on the other.

"Alright," she muses, resting Starcrash on one shoulder. "Which building? Where's the one with your favorite view? You lead, I'll follow you."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"I know, right? Skyscraper snacks are the *best* snacks," Rashmi says with a grin. Her path is easy to follow; straight up at first, until they break free of the alley's wall, then after a moment to look around, she points at the top of a nearby building. "There," she says, "that'll have a good view of Clover Tower."

It's not a long flight at all, and she's quite thankful for the waffle cone keeping her ice cream where it belongs, as she touches down by an HVAC unit, and points out the aforementioned tower. "There! *That's* the best part of flying, you'd *never* get a view like this any other way."

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly follows along with Rashmi, keeping within talking distance and also keeping her ice cream properly upright. As hilarious as it might be to spill a scoop from this height and see it tumble all the way back down into the streets, where no doubt it would surprise people because, well, when does ice cream rain down from the sky...

She'd really much prefer to eat it.

So when they arrive, she plops down on top of the HVAC unit, to sit with her legs dangling over the edge of it. "Agreed," she replies, bobbing her head. "It's nice when you're busy fighting a Youma or something, especially if it can't come flying after you and you get to just pummel it. But it's... it's nice to get to relax, sometimes." She's just about to taste her ice cream, when she stops, and looks back in Rashmi's direction.

"I'm really glad you're back."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"I'm really glad to be back."

There's a *weird* tinge to Rashmi's voice when she says that, almost as if the fact that she *is* back is... kind of surprising.

Shaking her head, she gives her ice cream its due consideration, and decides that miso is an *excellent* flavor for ice cream.

"Honestly I know a *lot* of people who think like that," she says, banishing whatever gremlin had hold of her with a chuckle. "That's probably part of why your mom's place is as popular as it is; there's *nothing* like rooftop snacks after fighting youma to chase your worries away."

Molly Skyline has posed:
There's a definite worry that's sitting deep in Molly's brain, just like there seems to be in Rashmi's. The sort that doesn't go away easily. But, for the moment, she banishes it by applying tongue to ice cream, and giving her lips a little smack-smack in the wake of the flavor.

"Brittain definitely never had anything like this," she pronounces. "So, okay, I'm selling English food short. I haven't found anywhere here where I can get Toad in the Hole, or Beef and Yorkshire Pudding, or Steak and Kidney Pie, or Blood Pudding, or..." she pauses, "Okay well I can make Eggy in a Basket myself, that's not so hard, but it's nice to have things served to me sometimes." She shrugs lightly, "Admittedly, I don't miss Haggis. ...But I have got to get you some Turkish Delight sometime. I don't know if I've managed to get that for you yet. It's hard to get it shipped here."

She spends the next couple of minutes just enjoying the ice cream, the view, and the company. And she can sense that there's a shared state of emotional turmoil, and she hasn't yet asked what happened in Paris.

But, sometimes it's hard to get things off your chest, and she understands that.

"Mind if I... tell you something? D'you mind if I ask you to keep a secret?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Yeah that always is the problem, isn't it," Rashmi sighs. "There're things that Mami misses, and even with the two of them to recreate it it's just... not the same. Street food especially, but... You can't really get a taste of home unless you're there, can you?"

Then Molly brings up Turkish Delight, and the redhead nods rapidly, enough to set her plait bouncing on the rooftop. "That was your Christmas present to me," Rashmi says with a grin. "*I* remember, that was *really* good."

They fall into easy companionship, enjoying their ice cream and worrying at their own thoughts... then Rashmi blinks, as Molly speaks up. "...Um? Of course, Molly-chan! I can keep a secret, no problem at all."

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly struggles for a moment, visibly. She looks up at Clover Tower, then back sideways towards Rashmi.

"I don't think I'm cut out for this," she blurts out. "It's not... I'm not, like, afraid to get into a fight. Well, no more than is healthy, I mean. And I *will* stand and fight, and you know I will, maybe even put myself in more danger than I should. Just..."

She stops, holding her ice cream and staring at it for a moment. And in the middle of her confession she takes a moment to lick a bit of ice cream that's threatening to fall off, because we can't have that happen.

"I'm really sorry I haven't asked you about Paris. I just... what terrifies me, absolutely makes my heart stop and my blood go cold, ist the thought of something happening to my friends. I'm *terrified* of what happened to you, even though it's over. I didn't sleep until you sent your message to say you were okay, I just spent the whole time basically patrolling, flying past the Korma, and trying to get some sleep until I just couldn't so I'd get one of those energy drinks my Moms warned me not to have, chugged it, and kept going."

The purple haired girl hunches her shoulders, and gazes down at her knees. "I'm worried that I'll, just... I don't know. Freeze up at a critical moment, and someone will get hurt because of me."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Molly-chan," Rashmi starts... then pauses, shaking her head. "It's okay if you don't feel up to this... whole thing. I mean you're *wrong,* because it's so down in your bones it's how you *worry,* but... Nobody's perfect, Molly-chan. Everyone makes mistakes, and the only thing to do if something happens is to figure out how it got like that, try never to do it again, and keep at it."

There's a crackling crunch, as Rashmi bites off a chunk of the cone, tugging a bit due to the marshmallow-like consistency of the inner waffle, and cronches thoughtfully. "Don't be sorry, either," she says, shaking her head. "I've kinda been going back and forth on whether or not I even *want* to talk about it... Definitely it's not something I ever want to repeat, that's for sure. Like... they knew we were coming, Molly-chan. And they grabbed us *on the middle of the teleport* and scattered us all over the Paris catacombs. So the *very first thing I saw* when I made a light, was a wall made of skulls. And that... was pretty much the highest point of the whole mess, until we won."

"But we *won,* Molly-chan. It was terrifying and dangerous but Sailor Moon saved all our lives. And all of *Paris.* And the only way she could have done it, is if we were all there to support her."

Leaning over, she nudges the Brit's shoulder. "That's the important part; don't worry about how you'll mess up, or who'll get hurt if you do. Cos you're not doing this all by yourself; we're *always* stronger together than we are solo, and that's our *real* power."

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly's muscles are taught; that much is clear, but the nudge helps them loosen a little. "I wish I'd been there with you," Molly mumbles. "Literally nothing happened here. Not a single Youma. Nothing. Like, seriously, I didn't even see anyone get mugged, it was the super boringest time, aside from the fact that I was... y'kow. Worried to the point of bawling."

The little crunch reminds her that she does indeed have an ice cream in her hands, and she echoes the motion, munching on the cone so she can get at the rest of her ice cream. And it's really good ice cream, as it turns out. "I'm very afraid of losing people," she admits. "My Moms... I've told you I'm adopted, right? I grew up mostly in orphanages, and like... the one I was at most of the time, the woman running it tried real hard, but when politicians are busy deciding how to spend taxpayer money so they can keep getting taxpayer votes, looking after kids who aren't old enough to vote who don't have parents who vote is pretty low priority. But... thing is, a bunch of the other kids and I this one time, about a year before I was adopted, we spent time crawling on the internet to find out how our birth parents died."

Molly has another bit of ice cream, a quick pause while she's talking. "And like, that was a morbid thing to do, but we were all twelve or thirteen and it was Halloween, and we were all dressed up like ghosts 'cause cutting up old sheets is the cheapest way to get kids costumes, but like..." she trails off, and dips her gaze downwards.

"Rashmi-chan, my parents didn't die. They're still just fine. They just... they gave me up. The moment I was born, they handed me over to the state. Didn't want me."

The purplenette crunches up another bit of the cone, and sighs, gazing out at the city skyline, and the nearby Clover Tower. "I just... wish I understood why I was so worthless to them." She still sits with hunched shoulders, as she looks sideways at Rashmi. "Why was I so worthless? That's why I doubt myself so much. ...I could never turn over Starcrash to someone else and let them take the risks for me, just, that would be wrong. I signed up for this. Nobody forced me. I *wanted* to do it, and I want it to be me taking the risks, not someone else. And I know you're right about making mistakes, it happens to us all. I just couldn't bear it if *I* made a mistake, and *You* got hurt."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Rashmi is, if nothing else, an *extremely* good listener.

Even while working on her cone, it's apparently that Molly's story has her full attention, and that her mind is working over what it means while the next thing is spoken.

So when Molly asks why she was so worthless to her birth parents, she clamps the remains of her cone in her teeth, and leans over to give Molly a bone-crushing hug. In Barrier Jacket, she actually has to take care not to make the term literal.

After a while, she takes the cone out of her mouth, but leaves one arm around her friend. "So... There is *no way* to answer that where you're not happy. Even in the very, very best case, it's not a matter of 'they didn't want you,' but 'they couldn't take care of you like you deserved.' And even just *saying* it's like trying to find a silver lining to a broken sewer main, y'know? But I mean... it *is* possible."

Sighing, she looks out over the skyline, and shakes her head. "But there are things I *do* know, Molly-chan. One of them is you're not worthless. You're my *best friend,* like... When you met me I had magic and stuff, but you were the *first real friend I ever had,* and there wasn't any magic involved in that at *all.* So I understand why you doubt yourself, but... I'm not gonna let you down like that, Molly-chan. Not now, not *ever.* You're my best friend, and that means every chance I get to help you up, I'll do it, *especially* if you end up rising higher than I ever could. You *don't deserve any less.*"

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly, for once, doesn't return the hug; she just sits there and receives one, looking a bit like her brain is too busy processing what's going on to be of much use in offering anything in return. The hug pulls her into leaning sideways, a position she does nothing to correct once Rashmi releases her once more, being perfectly alright with remaining so, leaned up against the other girl's shoulder.

She snorts loudly, and shakes her head, "I'll never rise higher than you," she replies. "I'm an artillery mage, Rashmi-Chan, which means I just blow stuff up. You... You lift up everyone around you. Remember you were saying that working together is our true power? Well, working together is *literally* your power. It doesn't matter how good anyone is, they could be the strongest mage on the planet, they'll be *better* whenever you're around. There's no power that beats that, I promise you."

Molly's ice cream is once again reaching the point where it looks like it's going to start dripping, so she tends to it for a moment, crunching up a bit of cone and licking the ice cream to keep it from turning into a splatter on the rooftop. "I know you'll never do that. You're one of the very... very few people I've always been certain would always be there for me." She glances sideways, "I saw how mad you were when Sunbreaker tried to dissociate my soul from my body. And every time I take a hit, I'm... I'm afraid that you'll come get hurt on my account. I'm not built tough, like that knight I told you about that other day, but I'd easily rather take a bad knock than see it happen to you."

The purplenette crunches up a bit more of her cone, working her way down to the last bits of it now. "Also, like, I don't want to sound like I'm sad that I'm here. Tokyo is beautiful, and I met my best friend here," she adds, "'Cause before I met you I'd never really... had a friend like you. Sure, I was chummy with the other orphans most of the time, but it wasn't the same... there were always pre-teenage dramas and shifting alliances and conflicts to navigate, and just... nothing like this. I don't wake up in the middle of the night and wonder if you'll still be my friend next week." She sighs softly. "I still have nightmares about my Moms giving me up. ...Please don't tell them I said that."

Molly sits up a little straighter, and shakes her head. "I'm not gonna give up. Even if I think I can't do this, which I still don't, but... the fact that *you* think I can tells me, maybe I'm wrong? So I'm not quitting. And you know whenever a fight starts, just call, I'll drop literally anything and come help you. And next time there's a big fight, I'll be there. I promise."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...So there's a pretty terrible anime," Rashmi begins. "...I mean the people who love it just *love it,* but I couldn't really get into it. Anyway. There's a line that stuck with me, and... thinking about it, it's pretty good advice. Because you don't believe in yourself, Molly-chan. I mean... you *should.* But even if you can't? It's okay. You believe in *me,* and *I* believe in you. And sometimes? That's enough."

She goes silent for a moment, then finishes her cone and sighs deeply. "So... I understand what you're afraid of. But... I need you to understand this, Molly-chan. Like, *bone deep* understand it. We're *all* flinging ourselves headlong into danger doing what we do. We make a game out of it, and sometimes it's fun, but like... We've *both* spent time in the hospital, and *both* of us were lucky that it was just that. You know that, I know that. So I can't guarantee I won't get myself hurt coming in to defend you... But if I do? It was because *I chose to.* Because I thought about what would happen, and thought about the best way to go after the situation... Because I looked five moves ahead, and decided that a little hurt now would save a lot of hurt later."

Looking down at her empty hands for a moment, she takes in a deep breath, raising her head to meet her friend's eyes. "And if *I decide* to put myself into something I can't come back from? It's for the same reason. Because there was literally no other way. And it means I *honestly believe* you're strong enough to pick up and carry on."

She seems about to say something else, then chuckles quietly, dropping her gaze. "Sorry... Just... It was close, there. And I think if it ever comes that close again? I really, really would feel a *lot* better if you had my back."

Molly Skyline has posed:
"I'll always have your back," Molly answers, fiercely. "Yeah, I doubt myself, and I don't know how I'll ever stop. But yeah, I believe in you, completely. And..." she trails off, looking down at the last bit of cone, held between her thumb and two fingers. "And what you said, what you want me to understand? That goes both ways. If I ever get hurt protecting you, if I see like a thousand barrets coming at you and I jump in the way, it's because I chose to do it. Look, I love chess and I love playing it online where the timer is like, three minutes each, but I'm seriously bad at it. You do the think five moves ahead thing? I'm lucky if I think one move ahead."

Molly can't leave the ice cream any longer, it's gonna melt. So she pops the last bit of cone and the cold treat within it in her mouth, and crunches it all up.

"But one thing I've thought through, well in advance? I wouldn't hesitate to take a hit for you. Even if it means you have to pick a dumb Liverpool chick up off the floor and fly her to the hospital. Because I believe in you, too, and I believe you're strong enough."

She looks up at the tower in the distance, and breathes out slowly. "I get the feeling that it was a lot closer in Paris than..." she bites her bottom lip, "I get that it was super bad, and I'm not gonna stop crying about how worried I was for a while. But even if I'm halfway across the planet or all my bones are broken or like, if someone summons a Kaiju and it eats me or something, no matter how bad it is I've got your back, and I'm always gonna. That's a promise. But, like, let's just... not die, okay? We're talking a lot about diving in to take a hit for each other, but on the other side of that coin? If you're hurting real bad, and I say I got it and you should run, then trust me, and run for it, okay?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Rashmi nods, as Molly talks. Very obviously listens, and takes what is said to heart. THere's no sense, ever, that in any of this she's humoring the purplenette, or condescending to her. What Molly has to say is *important,* and Rashmi can't do any less than honor that import.

She has always been a *very* good listener.

"You can *learn* to think ahead," she points out, first. "Mostly it's a matter of 'what happened last time?' It's just a skill, you do it often enough to get used to doing it."

Falling silent for a few breaths, she stares at the tower, then lifts her glasses to scrub at one eye. Thinks about the shattered look on Mamoru's face, when she told him to run away. Thinks about how Chrono gave her an out, knowing how she'd respond.

After a moment longer, she nods. "I will, Molly-chan. I'll trust you, no matter what. But... yeah. Let's do our best to see it never comes to that, okay? I don't-- once was enough. I don't wanna get that close ever again."

And if she keeps silent about how 'that close' was 'on the other side,' well... She was asked to keep a secret, and as she told Molly just now... She can keep a secret.