1923/A Parfait day

A Parfait day
Date of Scene:	03 September 2024
Location:	Game Crown Arcade
Synopsis:	Usagi drags Adora away from schoolwork to meet with Mamoru and Bow! Parfaits are shared, conversations had, and Adora Teasing is dispensed!
Cast of Characters:	Mamoru Chiba, Adora Rainbowfist, Bow, Usagi Tsukino

---

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
It is a parfait day.

Usagi had detention and the boys were all at clubs, which meant Mamoru had free time he could have spent doing homework or reading a book or jumping on rooftops-- but he made the absolutely perfect decision of texting Bow and Usagi...

    Mamoru TXT: unless Bow says otherwise, we are nomnomnom parfaits at crown ok? meet us there

That was also in lieu of actually separately asking Bow, because there are some things about which Mamoru is inherently lazy, and one of those things is texting. Usually his typing is even worse.

By the time Usagi's out of detention, they've probably also played a few rounds of DDR or something and then gone back up to the Fruits Parlor for more sweets. As one does.

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
It turns out, Adora Rainbowfist /excels/ in structured environments, even when she's got other things on her mind at the same time. Unfortunately she is /also/ prone to focusing too much on said structured environment, so she's actually been spending a lot of her time mostly either at her cram school classes, tutoring with Ami, or studying, since she has a lot to catch up on!

This is, of course, something that doesn't make for good 'going out and meeting people' chances beyond during classes in general. To a degree with school starting she's already started being one of those overly-enthusiastic people who raises their hand to answer questions, even when she doesn't necessarily have /exactly/ the right answer.

Which is fine, really, but she almost had to be dragged to go off and do other things, which is exactly where she's at right now. Being tugged along by one Tsukino Usagi. Possibly not literally but close enough. "...But don't we have homework tonight??? What if we fail homework???" ...Okay she does /well/ in school but she's not /entirely/ got things down.

It's a work in progress.

Bow has posed:
If you asked Bow, today felt anything but parfait. The world outside might have been spinning in its usual, chaotic orbit, but for Bow, the storm was internal, a whirlwind that had been brewing since their return from Paris. It wasn't anyone's fault, really, but Bow had chosen to bury himself in his lab, as he often did when life demanded more of him than he was willing to give.

Surrounded by the cold, comforting glow of his workstation, Bow meticulously worked on the fragments of the Artha he'd secured. The room was filled with the hum of machines and the faint scent of solder, grounding him in the task at hand. He'd been developing a new bow---one that was a fusion of his Etherian heritage and modern technology. The CAD design on his screen showcased a sleek, innovative weapon, incorporating pieces of his Etherian bow with the precision of modern compound bows. The variance-based arrowhead retrieval system he was working on was genius, attaching the arrowhead to the shaft in a way that streamlined the process and maximized efficiency. Not to mention the new arrows---some designed to create a drone that could take flight and film the area from above, others with features even he hadn't fully conceptualized yet.

But this wasn't just about innovation. This was Bow's way of escaping, of throwing himself into something tangible when everything else seemed to be falling apart. He'd been doing this ever since the breakup with Sayaka, a wound still fresh and raw, even if he pretended otherwise.

His phone buzzed, pulling him from his reverie. For a moment, he considered ignoring it---just one of the million ways he could avoid facing the world outside his lab. But he exhaled sharply, a sigh that carried more weight than he'd like to admit, and grabbed his phone.

    Bow TXT: Parfaits sound fine. I'll be there shortly.

The message was short, almost painfully so, but it was a step away from the safety of the lab and into the uncertainty of the world beyond. He saved his work, shut down the systems, and carefully packed up his supplies. Meeting Mamoru outside the arcade, the two of them shared small talk, played a few rounds of games, and now, sat down for parfaits---a light break, but one Bow hoped might be enough to keep the storm at bay, even if just for a little while.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Oh, I always fail my homework," Usagi says cheerfully, because if having an actual genius and a might as well be genius as her girlfriend and boyfriend respectively haven't changed her, nothing will. "I mean, sometimes I don't, but like, usually. You'll do fine though! Most of it's not even due tomorrow!"

Probably.

"Besides, I already got detention for the term, so I'm basically batting the average." She's not concerned at all. What's school to a housewife? What's her grades matter, when they're better than ever, at a C- average?

"Besides, you haven't been meeting nearly enough people! I mean, you haven't even met my fiancé, and he's the best guy in the entire world." She's biased and proud of it. "We're going to have parfaits and hang out and it will do you some good. Have you even played video games, before?"

This is a great question to be asking as she leads Adora towards Mamoru, moving like a homing beacon. And she smiles brightly when she sees whose with him.

"Bow! Great!!! I've been meaning to catch you! Mamochan, good job!"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru's been good, he hasn't pried-- though he's been trying to be bad, he's been trying to work himself up to prying, when there are very, very few people he's usually comfortable with doing that to. But Bow wanted no secrets, so he's absolutely broadcasting (to Bow) reaching across the parfait-filled table to touch the other boy's hand--

--when, enter Usagi with a blonde as tall as Makoto in tow! So he gives Bow an 'I'll pry later' look and waves! to Usagi and Adora, sliding out of his seat to stand up. "Good job me! We still need to do the ice cream sleepover, but-- who's this?"

The absurdly tall eleventh grader's hair is still fluffy despite the warmth outside and the fact that they've been playing down in the arcade, and he's still in his ugly school uniform, mostly. The jacket and tie are long gone, his glasses are clean, his shirt's unbuttoned down two whole buttons, and he's already holding his arms out to Usagi.

The instant there's contact he's projecting that they should be slightly less insufferable in deference to Bow, but there is definite squish-hugging.

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
"Huh. Really? ...You don't seem like you'd do badly at homework. ...But I guess that confidence counts for a lot." Usagi /was/ right though. ...Most of it isn't due tomorrow! Except like, some little 'what you did over the summer' writing requirement which really she only kind of had much of an idea of what to write on. 'I came through a dimensional portal after an apocalypse happened on my own world that is probably fixed' is probably something they wouldn't accept very well.

She'd been given ideas by a couple of people, but still. "They don't, like, lock you up in the dungeon or something for that, right?" The academy is supposed to be different than the Horde, after all, so she's assuming better!

She'll probably find out what it's like in the detention anyway sometime. She's a bit too quick to fisticuffs. "...I met you and re-met Bow and Catra and Glimmer and also the big creepy but kind of nice guy and ... uh. The other people at that festival too. The small and strong girl! She seemed nice. And I met Ami! Your girlfriend! She's been helping me out a lot with studying and catching up. And no not really, though I've heard a little bit about them because I was warned about how the phone video games are evil plots that drain your energy and money."

Yeah she's rambling a little.

Until she's brought over towards Mamoru and Bow! Where she kind of cuts off on her rambling. "Bow! Hi!" She doesn't really hesitate with this one, moving over towards Bow almost immediately to attempt to give him a hug. "How are you doing? I haven't seen you much since we met up at Korma. Studying has been keeping me /so/ busy. We should do a study group together sometime with Glimmer! And we can plan our next steps against the ho--me owners association. Yes. That."

Yes. The great evil.
Home owners associations.
Smoothe, Adora.

When Mamoru asks who 'this' is, Adora would let go of the potential hug with Bow, moving into a bow towards Mamoru; more formal than probably necessary for the situation. She's at least got both of her legs down and not saluting now, right? "Hello, my name is Adora, grade ten at rainbow heart. It's nice to meet you!" She straightens back up afterwards. "I'm uh. Relatively new in town, though there was another person who looked a lot like me and had the same name and it's a bit complicated but I'm different."

Bow has posed:
Bow mentally clings to the phrase 'Pry later,' grateful for the reprieve. He turns to Mamoru with a grin, the kind that usually lights up a room, even if today it feels a bit forced. "I've been tinkering with some upgrades for my bow---working on the CAD design, and I'm planning to use the 3D printer to integrate the Artha pieces I recovered. I mean, I get that everything on Etheria is either handmade or fueled by magic, but that 3D printer? It's amazeballs! I've got this crazy idea to pre-create my arrows, stocking the arrowheads in advance so I can just dial them up whenever I need them. Saw something like that in a movie once and thought it was genius..."

He's mid-ramble when Usagi arrives. "Hey, Usagi! You totally missed out on chicken the other night," he teases, trying to keep the mood light. But then he notices who's with her. Not just any tagalong.

Adora.

Bow's heart skips a beat. Things with Adora have been... complicated, to say the least. More complicated than with Sayaka, if that's even possible. Adora has always been one of his closest friends, but the Adora he first met was so different---like something vital was missing. Then the new Adora showed up and just as suddenly, vanished. Is this even the same Adora? He's not sure, and that uncertainty gnaws at him.

But then Adora opens her arms for a hug.

And Bow, being Bow, can't help but step into it. He wraps his arms around her, holding on tighter than he'd like to admit. "Hi Adora. I'm Bow. I'm still one of your best friends." His voice wavers, but he swallows hard, blinking back the tears that threaten to spill. He's not crying. No, definitely not.

Then it hits him: Adora is introducing herself to Mamoru, and Bow, in all his awkwardness, flushes with embarrassment. He quickly takes a seat, rubbing the back of his neck. "Usagi and Mamoru are part of the extended rebellion here on Earth," he explains, his voice a little sheepish. "They know a bit about the Horde and Etheria."

Even as he speaks, Bow can't shake the emotions swirling inside him: the relief of having Adora back, the fear of what's to come, and the undeniable warmth of old friendships rekindled.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I don't put effort into school," Usagi says cheerfully, "I'm bad at it, so why bother? I do enough to keep Mamochan and Ami-chan happy and that's about... it?"

Some would call that unhealthy. Spoiled, perhaps. Partially, they'd be right! "But no, they definitely don't lock people up in dungeons, they just make you stay after school and think about what you did for a while. It's really boring."

But inside the arcade, Mamoru is quickly given a hug, Usagi sliding into his open arms as happy as a clam, while Bow approaches Adora and they hug. She whispers, "This is Adora-chan. Newdora-chan, though, I don't think you ever met Oldora-chan, so she can just be Adora-chan."

In respect to the silent request to be less insufferable, she nods quickly - no salt in wounds here!

"I can't believe I missed chicken," she sighs, before grinning. "But we'll be okay! There's always more chicken - and right, sorry, Adora-chan, Mamochan here knows about pretty much all of the stuff."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Chiba Mamoru, grade 11," Mamoru answers Adora's introduction with his own far less formal bow, after Usagihug and info downlow, and his eyes are twinkling behind his glasses-- though he will get Bow later. "And treats are on me." A beat, and he looks uncertainly at Adora. "By which I mean I'm buying them, not that they're literally on me."

He slides back into his seat, making more room for Usagi, but handing her his credit card. "You're not far off on HOAs being in alignment with the Horde probably," he tells Adora, half-smiling, "and I never met the other person with your name, so you're the only Adora to me and it's nice to meet you."

And then he leans over to Bow, "When I get an apartment building I'll definitely set up a 3D printer in the basement. I want to play with that too! You'll have to teach me how." This time, it's a hand on Bow's arm, and it's just a hand, squeeze; there's no emotional load, there's no power, there's just the safety of Mamoru's self-discipline and the warmth of friendly touch.

But he sits up and lifts his parfait! "Anyway, you two get stuff and come back and we can talk about whatever you want! Including that new lunch lady, what's her deal? She looks so angry. Do you think she's a youma?"

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
That returned hug, that familiarity. Honestly, it was a relief. That brief little interaction he'd been a bit distant and obviously hurting and frankly.

Just... I'm Bow. I'm still one of your best friends.

It's way more reassuring than one would expect. Adora smiles as she gives a small nod. "I know. I never doubted, even with how awkward everything has been." The explanation of how they know a bit about the Horde and Etheria gets a small nod from Adora. "Right. ...How much of that is actually happening here, anyway? Catra's here but... other than that..?" She hasn't seen much from the Horde. And the Obsidian stuff is, well. What it is.

To Usagi, she is just actively confused and unsure how to respond to it. "Uhm." Pause. "...I guess that's the important part is the people who care about you being happy..?" ... ...

Just. Not putting effort into something. What. That just sounds weird. "Oh. Good. Not short for 'Detention Center' then. Got it." She's still going to try to avoid that!

"You missed chicken, but you didn't miss parfaits! ...Whatever those are! Partial fates? Fates that are at par? ...I'm guessing they're a food." It's probably a good guess. Usagi's involved.

"It's nice to meet you, Mamoru." Treats are on him.

She definitely didn't do a searching look to look for said treats before he clarified. Nope. DEFINITELY not. ... ... Okay maybe a little. "Oh okay that makes more sense." Look there's weirder things she's seen.

"...Well I mean also we're in the middle of a public building and supposedly we're supposed to be a little ixnay on the magixyay in public...I think so you know. ...Evil HOA. Yep." Ahem.

And then they just go into talking about the lunch lady and if she's a youma. "I don't... think so? At least she didn't seem actually dangerous to me, just probably overworked." There /are/ a lot of kids to feed after all.

Bow has posed:
Bow listens to Usagi's carefree confession about school with a mix of amusement and disbelief. It's the kind of thing that would drive him nuts if he let it, but right now, it just feels like a reminder of how different their worlds are. "Well, as long as you're keeping Mamoru and Ami happy, I guess that's something," he replies with a light chuckle. The thought of dungeons being replaced by boring detention almost makes him smile, but he can't shake the thought of Etheria's harsher realities.

When Mamoru offers a touch of his arm, Bow feels the warmth of it---Mamoru's steady presence is like a grounding force in all this chaos. Bow's own embrace with Adora is softer, a quiet moment that speaks volumes. Her whisper about being "Newdora-chan" tugs at his heart. He'd been bracing himself for something far more complicated, but hearing her speak so easily about it brings him a sense of relief he didn't know he needed.

"I can't believe you missed chicken either," he teases Usagi, trying to slip back into the easy banter. "But you're right, there's always more chicken. And parfaits: though I'm pretty sure they're more like fancy desserts than anything mystical. Definitely not partial fates, though that'd be kind of cool."

When Adora asks about the Horde, Bow's expression grows more serious. "Catra's here, yeah," he admits, his voice quiet. "But other than that, things have been... calm, I guess? I mean, there's a lot going on with the Obsidian stuff, but it's not the same. Etheria feels so far away sometimes. And yet, so close. With Scorpia and Glimmer and all..."

Mamoru's comment about setting up a 3D printer in his future apartment makes Bow grin, the weight on his chest lifting just a little. "I'd love to teach you how to use it! It's amazing what you can create with those things." The squeeze on his arm is brief but comforting, a reminder that he's not alone in all this.

When Mamoru lifts his parfait and shifts the conversation to something as mundane as the new lunch lady, Bow can't help but laugh. "She does have that 'don't mess with me' vibe, doesn't she? But I'm with Adora---probably just overworked. Let's hope she's not a youma, though. I'd rather my food not be cursed, thanks."

Bow relaxes a bit, letting the banter and camaraderie ease the tension that's been weighing on him. Even with everything going on, moments like this make it a little easier to keep moving forward.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"A parfait is a dessert! One with layers, usually of like, cream or pastry cream, and then granola - nuts and dried berries sweetened together with syrup - and fresh fruits and syrups, and stuff. They're really great."

She is steadfastly ignoring the confusion and horror of her friends, with the grace of someone who has long since decided that since she won't be good enough at school, she just won't care.

"I think the lunch lady could totally be a youma. I mean, I fought a monster with Ami-chan and Rei-chan in the library once, so you never know!" As she says this, she's getting up to order her parfait - a blueberry and blackberry combo with vanilla cream and cake crumbles, and blackberry syrup overtop. It will be a little while before it's ready, so she wanders back to the group.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
It's difficult to avoid being That Goddamn Couple. But for Bow, it's absolutely possible. Mamoru only does stuff nobody can see unless they're looking for it, like catching Usagi's foot under the table with his feet if she sits down.

In the meantime, he's Participating.

He's participating helpfully, to boot: "You're not in mixed company with Obsidian types here, or in company with people you don't want thinking you're weird, so it's fine to talk about magic in public," he explains to Adora. "People just think you're playing around if they overhear you. And if they see it, they forget or just think it's a neat trick."

To illustrate this, he twists his hand in midair and produces a top hat, which he digs around in up to his shoulder. Then he pulls out a can of coffee, shakes it, and puts it back in. "Nothing interesting in there right now, unfortunately," he admits, then vanishes the top hat back into nothingness in midair, in short sleeves, right in the middle of Crown Fruits Parlor.

"Oh! If you plan on getting hurt, you should have my number anyway," he says, producing his phone more or less the same way he apparated his hat. "I'm a healer. Here, put in your number and I'll text it so you have mine..."

Once Adora's got his phone, Mamoru's eyebrows are Up at Bow. "Overworked? I'd expect a harried look, maybe, but not so much 'I will poison your food if you talk back'... I'd rather a curse that could be purified than poison or razorblades or something..."

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
"Yeah. Your uhm. Girlfriend and fiancee are way more important." Ha ha ha all of the romance around her is still kind of weird but nice??? Having time to stop and think about that is so weird. This time, it's Adora's voice that drops lower to a more whisper-tone to Bow. "...Do you also kind of feel out of place here, sometimes, Bow? This world is just... so like... different. Not as much worry about ... y'know. The looming evil slowly taking over your world. Not... bad just. ...Different."

Ahem. "Right. Fancy desserts. ... Heh, remember when we met Entrapta? All of her tiny snacks. Those were so fun." Etheria feels so far away, but so close. "Yeah... I..." She hesitates, not really finishing the thought. Parfaits. And fun times with friends. "Things are kind of nice here. Who all /is/ here anyway? You, Glimmer, Catra, Scorpia -- who is apparently a good guy now that's new and weird but honestly that's nice she always seemed nice." She nods.

"Honestly I should just start asking people to explain but it's kind of fun to try to figure out all the weird stuff in this world on my own too. ...But that still sounds really good. I'll have to try a bunch of flavors." Adora responds to Usagi's explanation of parfaits.

Soon they were acquiring their own parfaits. Possibly thanks to thoughts of Entrapta, she has somehow gotten ahold of tiny parfaits instead of full sized ones. Probably because she asked to try all of the flavors.

"I mean we could always go and check sometime! Bad guys normally become more fighty if I show up as She-Ra so just walking up to her as She-Ra she might reveal herself." Or be terrified because of there being an 8 foot tall woman with a sword walking towards her.

Poor lady. She's just trying to do her job.

...Probably.

"R...right, right. Yeah... I guess the only people really paying much attention to us is you guys and well, you also know things so." Adora gives a bit of a nod. The whole people not seeming to understand what's going on is /also/ weird, since on her world basically everyone knew about or had magic.

...But the hat trick is fun to watch. Coffee! "Oh wow, that's neat. I can just make my sword become different shapes and also become a giant woman, mostly."

...Those are both mostly understatements.

And the phone is produced. And Adora produces her own phone. This was a ritual she /had/ gotten used to. The phone-number-trade. A few people in her new class had done this same magic ritual with her. "Ooh, that's useful. I can theoretically heal but I have a hard time making it actually work except for those occasional times when it does."

Paaaause. "I mean okay that's fair but I don't know I just didn't get any sense of real danger from her? But I guess she might be better at hiding her villainous intent than some."

Bow has posed:
Bow is having a Matcha Parfait often includes layers of green tea ice cream, mochi, sweet red bean paste, and whipped cream, topped with a drizzle of matcha syrup. The blend of earthy matcha, sweet red bean, and the chewy texture of mochi would be a delightful, refreshing treat that aligns with Bow's creative and thoughtful personality. And he just likes Matcha.

He can't help but smile as Usagi enthusiastically describes what a parfait is, her energy contagious. "Layers of sweetness and crunch, huh? Sounds like the perfect treat to keep the spirits up." He nods, imagining the combination of flavors and textures.

When Usagi mentions fighting a monster in the library, Bow chuckles softly. "I guess you never really know with these things. A lunch lady turning out to be a youma wouldn't be the weirdest thing we've faced." He watches her head off to order her parfait, his mind momentarily drifting back to similar light-hearted moments on Etheria, like when they first met Entrapta and her obsession with tiny snacks.

As Mamoru pulls off his magical hat trick, Bow's eyes widen in genuine admiration. "Wow, that's incredible!" he says, leaning in to get a closer look. "I'm definitely gonna take you up on that offer to teach you the 3D printer. Maybe we can trade tips---magic for tech." The friendly hand on his arm grounds him, a small gesture that means more than he'd admit.

When Adora drops her voice to a whisper, Bow leans in, catching every word. Her question tugs at something deep inside him, a feeling he's tried to ignore. "Yeah," he admits softly. "I do feel out of place sometimes. This world is so... different. Not having to constantly look over your shoulder for the next threat, it's strange. But it's also... kind of nice, you know?" He offers her a small, reassuring smile, hoping to ease the lingering tension between them.

The mention of Entrapta brings a fond memory to mind, and Bow chuckles. "Her tiny snacks were the best! It's funny how those little things can make you feel connected to home, even when you're so far away." He listens as Adora talks about trying different parfait flavors, the hint of wonder in her voice making him smile. "You'll definitely have to try them all. Who knows? Maybe you'll find a new favorite."

When she brings up the idea of confronting the lunch lady as She-Ra, Bow raises an eyebrow, amused. "That'd definitely get a reaction. Though, maybe we should give her the benefit of the doubt before unleashing an 8-foot-tall warrior on her," he teases lightly. "But if she does turn out to be evil, I've got your back."

As Adora exchanges numbers with Mamoru, Bow can't help but feel a bit of relief. It's good to know she's got someone else to rely on, someone who can help when things get tough. "Healing's tricky, isn't it?" he says, nodding in understanding. "But hey, at least you've got that in your toolkit. I'm sure it'll come in handy when you least expect it."

He glances at Mamoru, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "Maybe we're overthinking the lunch lady thing. But you never know. Better to be cautious, right?" He laughs, the sound light and easy, a stark contrast to the heavy thoughts swirling in his mind. "Anyway, let's focus on the important stuff---like enjoying these parfaits and figuring out what makes this world so... weirdly wonderful." And distancing himself from the reason that Mamoru had originally brought Bow out for parfaits - Bless you, Adora.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I'm all for thinking about the parts of life that involve parfaits and the Earth being wonderful over youma and dangers," Usagi says cheerfully, swirling her spoon in the depths of her parfait before drawing out a nice, varied bite. "I mean, it's really different from what the Moon was like, and I bet it's really different from Etheria, but it really is wonderful, you know?"
Herss phone numbers are exchanged, she makes doubly sure that Adora has her phone number, and says, "So, on the subject of parfaits, Adora-chan, have you tried wagashi?"

Because if not, she knows who she'll be introducing Adora too next. Mamoru's magic trick gets a bright smile, and under the table they sure are playing footsy - guess the insufferable is only blocked from the table up, huh?

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Her girlfriend and her fiance are both making sure her grades aren't failing, and that's definitely fine," Mamoru says, taking another bite of his parfait while Adora beep-boops her number in. He swallows while he's texting her his name and 'Heals~' so she can save that, too. "And you do try, Usako, or I would make the biggest sad eyes at you all the time forever."

Then he pockets his phone and grins at Bow. "A trade it'll be, then. And yeah, we're both also used to worlds where magic is just... known. But that's a long story for another time, probably, unless you really like hearing about alien royalty and demons from the sun, in which case we can elucidate now..."

And the topic is shying the hell away from that actually, and from youma lunch ladies, so Mamoru works on his parfait some more and says, "What parts of this wonderful world are you most interested in...? I mean, I've lived here both my whole lives, and I still think it's all wonderful, and oh my gosh Bow has Adora had those hand pies yet?? And also, Kino-san-- Makoto Kino-- she's managed to make the cookies that were my favorite cookies back then, too! You both need to try them--"

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
"Yeah... definitely nice. ...Weird, but nice. I mean even my interactions with Catra haven't been... completely awful? We had a nice-ish conversation the other day. Promised to, well... not leave each other behind if we find a way out. ...Past me apparently hurt her pretty badly. Literally." She says quietly. Adora gives a soft exhale. Maybe a tiny bit of guilt there, since even if it wasn't /her/, it was her.

Speaking of tiny snacks, around then is when Adora's Ultimate Sampler Platter arrives, with a bunch of tiny little cups of parfait, each one having a different flavor and about a spoonful or two each. ...Which doesn't sound like much, but. There's a lot of flavors.

"I mean I wouldn't /attack/ her just y'know. Magical sword. And stuff." Explanation of healing being hard, a thought comes to mind.

SWORD SAFETY.

"...Yeah. It requires a lot of focus and calm and stuff." And there's almost always a lot on her mind.

"Wagwhatshi? No I don't think I have. I've mostly been eating sandwiches. They're easy to make and good practice in the mystical art of /cooking/." Also a few other snacks.

There's a lot of moving under the table. Adora is aware of it but deciding not to pay much attention to it. It's probably just one of those Things. "Not failing is good. I definitely agree with that." Paaause. "Let me know if I need to join in. I can do big sparkly 'let's go study together' eyes at her or something too."

Mention of Makoto gets a small smile from Adora. "She's my roommate, I know her. She made uhm... neo-politician...cookies for me when we had our talk about if we were going to stay roommates or not. They were tasty! Chocolate and vanilla and strawberry flavored. I'm not sure how she got it to work so nicely, they seemed like they'd get all mixed up."

... "I really like the food here honestly. Also a lot of the people. So many people have been really nice and supportive with the whole, well... new...dora thing. The people who knew me before have been really understanding and trying to make sure I'm okay."

Bow has posed:
When Mamoru mentions Makoto and the hand pies, Bow lights up. "Oh my Brightmoon. I had forgotten! That was during old Adora and the Prom - I hosted a prom here, Adora, can you believe that? There were singers and a dance and so much food! Chiyo made these sweets... but Makoto's hand pies... oh gosh, I could have gotten fat on those. I just regret I didn't get a chance to ask her to dance when I was wandering the floor before Sayaka arrived..." A brief sigh and shake of his head. Over it. Keep staying over it.

He was just about to go into more involved, when he clears his throat. "Anyway, Makoto's awesome." Keep it at that. And before he could go into more, but a chime on his phone and Bow glances at it with a bit of excitement. "My part on the 3D printer is done. I should go collect it. I'm sorry to cut things short... I'm glad you're out and about again, Adora." He rises to his feet and grins at Mamoru and Usagi. "And you two - don't stop being cute." A small smirk before he waves. "Call me later! Ta!" And with that, he's heading off.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Well - that's surprising, but good," Usagi hums, hearing this about Catra, and then... "That you're doing well together, I mean! Just, if things with you and Catra get bad again, come to Mamochan, okay? The... Oldora had a lot of scars. Most of them were new. You hurt her pretty bad while you were all poisoned and out of your mind and all, but she wasn't poisoned when she cut you up."

It's not meant to be judging - just cautionary, because Usagi saw some of those marks, and heard stories about others - the pool of blood, the complaints Setsuna made about stitching up Adora...

"But like, it's way too much to ask for you to give up on your girlfriend, so I get why you're still trying!" As someone very attached to the concept of romance, she'd know.

And at the mention of Makoto, she brightens up even more, "Definitely see if Makochan will make you the Mamochan cookies! They're really good and - oh, Bow, okay, see you! Good luck with your 3D printer pieces, and don't team up with Adora-chan and Mamochan and Ami-chan to get me to study more, okayyyy?!"

She's waving as he departs, and hums a little when she turns back to the others.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru does not bring up the only thing close to an interaction he had with Old!dora, which was when Double Trouble brought Hinoiri to Mamoru to fix the sword-through-the-gut wound when that Adora had, in fact, been poisoned...

Instead, he continues to work on his parfait, smiling about all the gushing over Makoto-- then he waves! as Bow gets up and leaves. "I'll tag you later about printer lessons and I can teach you some magic tricks anytime!" he calls.

There's a pause. "Oh, Double Trouble is from Etheria too, right? They're another one who's here. They got hamburgered by a kinetic laser punch from the sky and I healed that, so seriously, if something really really bad happens and you can't move, get someone to text or comm me. Anyway, sorry, that's business talk again... sorry. It's hard not to talk about! I worry too much." A beat. "Just all the talk of Catra... who I've also never met, which is wild because I used to work for Obsidian, too."

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
"I'll have to ask her to try to make the hand pies then! And I mean. ... I'm sure there's more chances to ask her to dance!" Oblivious Adora is Oblivious. "I do agree that she's awesome, though! She wasvery understanding about the whole situation and it was a good conversation when we talked. We haven't had TOO much chance to talk much since, but I've been busy with cram school."

Her scores honestly are probably not going to be that much better than Usagi's, though not for lack of trying! "...And yeah! I'm glad to be out, honestly. ...And I'm glad to see you. I'll talk to you soon too, Bow!"

The talk of Catra at first has a bit of a shift in place. "I mean, we were always fighting and stuff anyway, so like... it only makes sense we'd hurt each other but I mean it's different from ..." Pause. "...I guess you're right, but I mean. ... I don't know." She gives a helpless shrug.

And then Usagi says the thing. Calling Catra her girlfriend. "W-whaaaat? Noooo, Catra? Girlfriend, pssssh, there's ... there's no way that would happen. We're friends and we grew up together and, well, I mean." She pauses.

"...It's not like she really likes me like that. She just, you know. I was her friend and we made promises that things would be okay so long as we were together and then we weren't and I mean." Yeah she's gradually getting redder until she quickly is shoving her face into the parfait platter. DISTRACTION. SO MANY FLAVORS. Aaaaaa.

Really, this is why they aren't together. Because neither one of them truly believes the other feels that way about them.

Probably Adora would be feeling more guilt-by-association if that was mentioned, if she weren't buried in parfaits right now. Something that continues until he mention of Double Trouble. "Double who? I have no idea who that is. But... uh." She ahems. "Yeah. I'll definitely ask you if I need stitched up. From, uh. Whatever wounds." Look there will probably be a disproportionate number of Catra-related ones. Let's be honest. It's Adora.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Oh, you should totally ask Makochan to dance! We had a school dance last year a little after school came back, we might have another one..."

Hmmm, maybe? And Makochan deserved dancing! And Adora-chan is basically as tall as she is, and with some practice she'd probably be a great lead...

"Just make sure to ask for healing, after," Usagi says, not firmly, per se, but with a certain sense of do it, do it, do it. "I'm guessing you guys can't stop fighting anymore than like, Goku and Vegeta can, but you can at least make sure you don't scar up, after, you know?"

The denial earns a blink, and Usagi quickly wonders if this is a spoiler thing because Oldora is - oh right she's older - ohhh dear...

"Uh, I guess you're right then! I mean, you'd probably know if you wanted to go out with Catra and take her on dates and hold her hand and share a parfait, right?"

Just checking. Even though she is shoving her face in those parfaits PRETTY suspiciously!

"Oh, they're a lizard shapeshifter, I didn't realize they were from your world... I mean, I've only met them a couple of times, but, huh. And good! Mamochan doesn't charge, either, and you don't have to give gifts. I'm saying this because when he saved Double Trouble, he got paid in so much chocolate. Even more than I could eat!"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Oh maybe they're not, but I was pretty sure they were..." Mamoru says slowly, thinking, and then he shrugs. "But yeah, I only brought them up because of that. Are you..." He Looks at Usagi, maybe a little warily. "Are you saying 'don't pay him but guess what he got paid in so much chocolate' because you secretly want everyone to pay me chocolate? Not everyone is as rich as Shindo-kun, you know."

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
Bow and Mako dancing. Hmm! That would be interesting... like when he was at Princess Prom with Perfuma... and maybe hopefully it will go better and not have a Catra/Scorpia exploding it or anything. Which, well, since Scorpia isn't an enemy anymore, is slightly less likely.

"...I mean... here I think we probably could... but like... at home, she was basically the one leading the horde whenever I fought it most of the time, her and Scorpia... but here it's... different... I don't know. She almost just seems tired of me here."

Which considering how the Old Adora apparently treated her...

And the talk about taking Catra out on dates and holding her hands and sharing a parfait. "N... no. We couldn't do anything like that. Our friendship ... well... it's ... probably too broken. She made her choice... I mean... I did too but..." Ugh. Adora is scrubbing the side of her head a bit at that.

"It doesn't matter anyway, she doesn't like me that way." A lizard shapeshifter.

Let's focus on the lizard shapeshifter. "Huh that's pretty neat that she can shapeshift and stuff and that she gave you a bunch of chocolate in trade for healing to be honest so if I want to pay Mamoru back for healing I should bring snacks got it."

She nods quickly at that. Still half-hiding in eating the pile of mini-parfaits.

"Uhm. Do you like sandwiches? I can mostly do sandwiches right now."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Maybe Adora's right, and Catra doesn't like her that way. But Oldora was pretty confident about it, and their happy ending, so... but luckily, before she can say anything about that, Mamoru is providing an excellent distraction.

"Huh? No, that would be like super conniving - ooh, that would be really clever though - but no, I'm saying don't because Shindo-kun wouldn't not pay Mamochan, so he paid him in chocolate, and it wasn't necessary, Adora-chan."

There is a joking graveness to her voice, like being haunted but only a little.

"So you don't have to make sandwiches, either! Mamochan likes healing people!" Oh no, Mamochan is always right!

"I'm pretty sure Double Trouble is a they/them lizard, not a she/her lizard," she says casually, scraping the bottom of her glass. When did she get to the bottom of the parfait? Don't worry about it. "They work for Obsidian too, I'm pretty sure, but... it worked out pretty well for me when I made codewords with Naru-chan just in case. So if you ever think someone's being really weird or something, you can try and see if it's them. You never know. Could come in handy!"

Adora Rainbowfist has posed:
"...So make sandwiches and bring them just because friendship then." Is Adora's takeaway from the whole 'don't pay Mamoru' thing. Look she has been practicing cooking a lot and while she can eat it all there's also only so much she can subject the same people to it over and over.

"Oh! Oh... right. I don't know why I defaulted to she to be honest... probably just 'cause I was looking at you and thinking about--." Pause. Nope. Not Catra. NOPE. "Uh. Glimmer. Yep. Glimmer." Ahem. "Anyway. ...I'll. Uh. Have to talk with the people I'm worried about that with then... code words and stuff." Not that she doesn't trust herself to pick out a fake but also she doesn't entirely trust herself to pick out a fake. She's bad at acting and bad at picking out acting. In a moment of rare perceptiveness, she notices... Usagi is out of parfait! So she makes an offer.

"...Wanna share the rest of these mini-parfaits? There's /so many flavors/."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Sandwiches for friendship are great," Usagi says warmly, "And in return, I will show you wagashi, which my cousin Chiyo-chan makes! It's a traditional Japanese sweet, and the best way to learn about it is to eat plenty."

It's the best way to learn about any kind of food, after all."

Thinking about Glimmer, huh? Suuuuuuure.

"I would love to share these parfaits with you!"