432/Radiant Infirmary Episode 432: Burns in the ward.

Radiant Infirmary Episode 432: Burns in the ward.
Date of Scene:	16 September 2023
Location:	Administrative Office
Synopsis:	This time on Radiant Infirmary...a mahou comes in suffering from a Dark Energy infection. But with the power of memories and magical confections, Nurse Meiou is able to heal her.
Cast of Characters:	Setsuna Meiou, Chiyo Sakai

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Setsuna Meiou has posed:
The infirmary at the Radiant Heart Academy is, as perhaps expected, just as swank as the rest of the school. It's a large, well-supplied room separated with some of those rolling medical divider walls. Fairly nice beds can be seen here and there through gaps, and the main area is set up like a typical waiting room/nurse's station, complete with posters giving info about various adolescent diseases/conditions/problems.

One poster that catches the eye is a small, framed one that looked like it might have been made on a printer with a sheet of A4 paper. It simply reads:

        'Please do not confuse your GOOGLE search with my medical degree.'

At the moment, things are (as is rather often the case), fairly relaxed. In point of fact, the nurse is, as is often the case, leaning against a counter in her oversized labcoat that's practically a dress in and of itself and, oddly for a medical professional, wearing three inch heels. To pass the time, it seems that she is, as is also her habit, reading a book.

Her current reading material has a picture of a tall, scruffy man in a longcoat and wielding a staff and a MASSIVE revolver on the cover. Her free hand is absently spins a pen through her fingers the way that some people unconsciously play with fidget spinners.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai had put off visiting the nurse, or even the hospital, for longer than she should. She'd rather hoped that the burns she'd received on her hands weren't as bad as she feared, and that they would heal on their own. Yet the pain was still there and she had to keep replacing the bandages she'd wound around her hands to keep them clean and cushioned a bit. She'd avoided doing what she usually did that would aggravate them as well, but... When it came to grasping chopsticks? That was where she drew the line.

The infirmary is approached only for her to stop just in the doorway looking around with a glance cast toward the the nurse currently reading a book. Not that she could blame her as quiet as things were right now. A deep breath is taken to bolster her courage before she raises her voice---Barely.

"Um, hello sensei. I'm sorry to bother you, but I... Um. Hurt myself. A bit." The purple haired girl shuffles in a few steps uncertain what to do or say past this. It had been a LONG time since she ever had to visit the nurses office.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
The moment Chiyo reaches the threshold of the infirmary, Nurse Meiou almost instantly looks over at the younger woman, the pen in her off hand spinning into a sudden halt. When she states she has a medical problem, the greenhaired woman says, "Please, Miss Sakai, come in. Come in and let's get you looked at."

There's a twist of her hand, and the pen is replaced by...well...it's a bit hard to tell. It kind of looks like a hole in the universe. Just a short strech of what appears to be lightless void before she spins it in her fingers to reveal that there is a golden stylized capital P seemingly floating and possibly glowing within the bounds of said hole in reality...which she then uses to mark place in her book as she closes it...revealing the title to be 'Small Favors' in large English letters.

Setting said book down on the counter, Nurse Meiou ushers Chiyo over to a fairly comfortable looking seat nearby, "...now, what seems to be the problem?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai blinks rapidly a time or two at that odd little distortion around Setsuna's pen. Did she just see that? Was it a trick of the light? It was difficult to tell really. Odd things did seem to happen all the time even when she wasn't confrontign youma or witches or whatever else was currently running amok. The more important matter was why she was here.

"Ah, thank you," she begins as she moves forward again giving the book a sidelong stare. English wasn't her strong suit. It was such an interesting cover, too. Guns. Definitely English.

Pulling her attention away again she regards Setsuna biting down on her lower lip. "I burnt my hands the other day. I didn't think it was that bad," she adds uncertainly while lifting her hands up. They were still wrapped in bandages. Not overly tight, and it was a decent job, but it was also clearly coming loose by now again. "I was hoping there might be a gel or balm I could use on them?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Nurse Meiou takes a single look, then she says, "Oh, dear."

She gives a quick shake of her head, then she takes a quick step over to a corner where there are what appear to be several modestly-sized tackle boxes of various colors stored right next to each other. The purple one is grabbed, and Nurse Meiou walks over, absently catching a rolling stool with her toe and spinning it expertly to a stop right next to Chiyo's seat. A small rolling table is similarly caught and spun over as she walks back.

Once she arrives, she opens the tackle box...and it appears to be a rather nicely-arranged burn treatment kit.

The nurse sits down on the rolling stool then says, "Okay, I'm going to need to take these bandages off and inspect your wounds...given that you say this has been a few days and you're having problems, there may be a bit of discomfort involved. If it starts to really hurt, just let me know and we'll try something else, okay?"

And then once consent is gotten, she starts taking off the bandages as gently as she can get away with to see just how bad the burns still are.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai watches as the box is retreived. Color coded med kits. That seemed like an excellent thing to keep in mind for the future if she needed to keep helping out people herself. She waits patiently as Nurse Meiou comes back.

"It's okay. I've gotten burned before so I'm used to it." Realizing that sounds bad, she quickly clarifies, "I work in a kitchen often. It's just never been this bad before." It's never been fire before.

True to her word she holds still while the bandages are cut off only wincing here or there. Rather than make noise she sucks in a quick breath to hold it so she doesn't end up crying out. She'd already dealt with it for days now. It was just growing harder to deal with it.

The burns weren't normal burns, either, and someone with Setsuna's skill may be able to tell that. Dark flames had created this. Dark energy fueled flamse which had peeled back the skin of her palms and left the raw and red and purpled and blackened. Somehow on more than a skin deep level.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Nurse Meiou lets out an inadvertant hiss through her teeth as she sees the full extent of the burns.

This...this is beyond her.

Not for the first time, she wishes that her particular focuses weren't Time, Death, and by extension, Ending.

Still, she's got a line on what to do...and for the moment, a much more professional grade of mundane treatment certainly won't make things WORSE.

Resolve set and plan formed, Nurse Meiou goes and gets a bowl of water, then brings it back and starts as carefully and gently as she can, cleaning the wounds.

As she does, she starts asking questions, "...do you recall how, precisely, you got these burns? All the details, even?"

She tosses in that last line as a bit of fishing...anyone who knows about the Veil knows that normals will get fuzzy on details about magic.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"I..." The veil she knew about because that's how she'd been found out by a few of the other magical girls she'd known. It wasn't something she'd been told about by Bonito, her spirit guide. The Culinary Guardians were a first for the god 'sponsoring' them as well so perhaps he too was learning the rules of how such things worked.

In this case she already had a lie in mind. It was easy enough. So after a wince as her hands are washed she tries again.

"Yes, I remember. Stupid of me. I caught a pot off the stove." It's too bad she didn't realize that her memory should be fuzzy. She knew things were glossed over, usually. Not a totally legitimate story.

"It's pretty bad, huh?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Well, there it is. Confirmation.

Nurse Meiou sighs and sits back just a little bit as Chiyo hands out her cover story.

The greenhaired woman gives a very severe look first at the burns, then at Chiyo herself...then she pitches her voice to carry slightly more and says, "Niti-chan? Please initiate privacy?"

A pleasant if synthetic voice responds from a speaker somewhere, "Certainly, Nurse Meiou."

And at that, the door can be heard to lock itself and the blinds rotate so nobody can see in.

That done, Nurse Meiou looks back to Chiyo, "Now that nobody can overhear anything they shouldn't, would you care to tell me how you REALLY got these? I'll remind you that witholding important information from your medical professional rarely works out well."

She snorts, "Multiseason television shows have been made about just that kind of thing."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
A look of pure shock flits over Chiyo's face. It doesn't immediately register at first when she speaks to Niti-chan about privacy--There were enough things like Alexa around that it was relatively normal. It's the closing of the door, and blinds that makes her realize this was something far more involved than that. If she had any doubts what-so-ever they're dashed completely when she's urged to tell the truth.

"O-oh. Okay." Her voice is rather small, almost timid even, and her gaze drops down to her hands regarding them. They weren't healing right. She couldn't do what SHE needed to do with them this way.

"Sunbreaker," she finally exhales the name of one of the most hated types around here as of late since her kidnapping of Naru. While Chiyo was only marginally involved in helping get her back by providing information to help find her, she knew there were MANY who were after her.

"She stole my hammer and attacked me with it. I blocked it... But I couldn't control the fire she used without my kine. It's how I focus *my* fire."

After it's all said she risks looking up again, perhaps a bit guiltily. "I can make items to heal but not with my hands this way in the first place."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
The villain's name gets a blink and a curious look from Nurse Meiou, "Sunbreaker? Can't say as I've heard of her yet."

Which is true. Because despite how much of the local mahou population is after her, the Veil has some knock-on effects...like the fact that information DOES NOT SPREAD unless DIRECTLY communicated. Rumors just don't, as such, happen...so Nurse Meiou is utterly unaware of the latest kerfuffle simply because nobody bothered to tell her, and the segment of the magical crowd she's been spending her time around lately is one that was similarly insulated.

Still, the REAL description of what happened causes her to actually hiss a bit, "Yeah...that tracks with what I'm seeing here. These are pretty bad burns...and if there was Dark Energy involved, mundane medicine is going to struggle a LOT. I can do better than what you did, and I've got some medicines that are notably better than the over the counter stuff..."

She scowls, "...but it comes back to that Dark Energy again."

She pauses, thinking as Chiyo mentions she can make items to heal, then she blinks and looks at her again, "You can? How DIRECTLY do you need to be involved to do so? Could another mahou work as your 'hands' for anything you can make that would help?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai begins to chew against her lower lip worrying at it while the severity of what's going on is really drilled home. She knew but hadn't wanted to admit it to herself.

"She's really strong, unfortunately. I've managed to turn her attacks back a few times. Barely." Fire was difficult to deal with to begin with. "And this time the flames weren't normal." Dark flames. Dark Energy. It tracks.

The question though throws her for a loop.

Chiyo blinks several times, mouth open but unable to form words. "Ah... I don't know. I have to cook. I cook sweets like mochi and daifuku, and eating them can purify dark energy and revive, and heal a bit. It's not meant purely for healing. It's worked before though to help other mahou heal with their own abilities."

"... I could try? But pounding mochi and molding it require hands." Her eyebrows furrow together in thought. "I guess I could try a different type of dessert. They're not my specialty though."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Nurse Meiou shakes her head, "True enough...but does it have to be you specifically doing the shaping and pounding? And if so, would maybe something simpler to prepare be able to carry your magic? Perhaps dorayaki?" ie, sweet red bean paste sandwiched between mini pancakes.

She shrugs, "Even if it's not as effective as your normal mochi, if it can start purging out some of that Dark Energy, between medicine and your natural magic, you should be able to start healing properly once again."

She shrugs, "Sadly, all of my magics are much less suited to this type of thing...but I can be a pair of magical hands if you need them."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"That... Might work. I hadn't though tof Doriyaki." It would certainly be far easier to mix a batter and make them than that. She'd never made them herself but knew enough of them she could likely figure it out. Still frowning a bit she finally gives a nod.

"I can try it. It's a bit odd when I do it, but... I can try." At least she's sounding a bit more determined at that. Still, she does regard Nurse Meiou a bit quizically. "I know I'm not as well versed in this as many, but I thought that once we reached a certain age that we weren't able to use magic? How can you...?"

"Or, I'm sorry I guess that's not really important right now." Smiling apologetically she nods a single time. "Should we try it now or...? I've never transformed inside before. Or done my cooking inside. It kind of creates a kitchen out of nothing when I do."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Nurse Meiou smiles and says, "...for the most part, you are indeed correct...but there are loopholes and there are things that are not quite as they appear...in my case, it's a little from column A and a little from column B...but yes, I'm also in the business and have a few years left in me yet."

In her case, it's temporal shenanigans. When she started guarding the Gates, she got time-locked to her then current age...now that the Gates are broken, she's aging like everyone else...but she's taking advantage of her resources (because if you're centuries old and poor, you're doing something wrong) and the fact that she was one of those people who hit physical maturity early.

Being toweringly tall for the average woman helps a LOT to sell her apparent age.

She looks around, "Well, if you think there's enough room in here, we can...or we can sneak out and use some abandoned rooftop somewhere if it must be outside."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai considers it while glancing around the health room office a long moment. Would it work? A small frown forms as she considers the possiblities of it, only to realize, part of her wants to see if it would work. "It might. It kind of opens up a pocket space where time flows differently. What takes me time seems to pass rather quickly for everyone else, a bit like some of those 'stages' I've seen others use." Only without singing or dancing. Just cooking.

Glancing back toward Nurse Meiou she smiles lightly. "We can try and if not, then move elsewhere. I don't think it would damage anything to try. Just... Not work." A glance is cast back toward the door that was now locked. "Uh, if it's okay here? You seem to have some kind of security."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
At the mention of how the pocket space works, Nurse Meiou's expression turns into a very nearly brilliant grin, "OH! Temporal shenanigans?! Well, then...I might be of FAR more help than I had thought."

She wavewaves away the comment about security, "Oh? Niti-chan? She's just a rather well-tuned smarthome interface connected to a few handy devices like electronic lights, locks, and blind controls. Useful stuff for a nurse who might need to do something while her hands are busy in an emergency."

At Chiyo's determination to try, Nurse Meiou steps aside, checks around herself, then holds up a hand to the sky and declares in a voice that suddenly gains a bit of reverb, "PLUTO PLANET POWER...MAKE-UP!"

And then her body is reduced to just her outline as her body is obscured by a glow of what one wag once described as 'cosmic nonsense'.

Then a swirl of thick mist wraps around her in a cyclone that obscures her for a few moments before disappating just as suddenly and leaving Sailor Pluto standing in her place.

"Protector of the Planet of Space-Time, Pluto, Guardian of Revolution...Sailor Pluto." At which point she strikes the floor with the butt end of the Garnet Rod, releasing a tiny burst of magic power to punctuate her appearance.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
The few magical types that had revealed themselves to Chiyo had either done so by transforming back to their civilian guises, or simply telling her 'remember that person who...?' to indicate who they were. This is the first time she's seen anyone actively transform in front of her and been able to *watch*. It is quite magical indeed and even for someone of a similar ability, if different origin, she finds herself a bit in awe of it all.

There's almost a little urge to clap after though this wasn't a trick that needed such. So instead she lets out a little breath while grinning, "That was amazing!"

And the outfit certainly reminded her of Sailor Moon.

It was her turn now, it seemed. A step back is taken though it may be unnecessary, and she does a quick look around out of habit. In this instance it's more to make sure she's not near any of the curtains that sometimes seperated the various beds or seating areas in a nurse office. Satisfied, she pulls out her old flip phone from her bag. There's nothing impressive about it. It's that little Bao charm on it which she pulls off to give a gentle underhanded toss out in front of her that matters.

With a little pop of smoke it changes from a simple smiley-faced Bao charm to a white and ginger cat of somewhat plump proportions that carried a pair of long cooking chopsticks in his mouth.

"Bonito, Mystic Sabaishi to me!" The 'cats' head whips to the side tossing them up for her to catch out of the air and draw overhead with a quick click-clack. Got to click them tongs. "Let's cook!"

There's no sparkles or glow here---It's an ignition of fire surging up around her to obscure her form, like a gas stove being lit. The flames surge and swirl around her thankfully not catching anything on fire, and when they die out just as suddenly she's left transformed into a short kimono with a traditional half-apron over it. The cooking chopsticks were no more and instead she carries a kine hammer. The wooden mallet typically used for pounding mochi. Only the handle was elongated so that it was more like a war hammer made of wood.

"Culinary Guardian Daifuku! Ready to serve."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Sailor Pluto smiles at seeing another transformation. Seeing that kind of thing never gets old. She spares a moment to glance at the Garnet Rod in her hand, then shrugs, "Probably not going to need this right now..." And with that, she opens her hand and makes a little 'push' gesture...and the oddly-shaped staff disappears to...somewhere. Probably the same kind of place that Daifuku's mochi hammer goes when she's not using it.

Giving a little nod, she then laces her fingers and cracks her knuckles, "Okay, then...let's get started. While dessert cooking isn't something I've done a lot of...most of the cooking I HAVE done is in the 'short order' wheelhouse...and that certainly includes pancakes...which is half of dorayaki, as I recall. So now it just comes down to how we need to do this. Either you helping me and channeling your magic into the food, or me helping you...or some combination of the two."

She shrugs, "Worst case, we end up with some treats for you to take back to your dorm. Best case is we get you totally healed...but as long as we can at least get that Dark Energy at least partially purged, you should be able to heal on your own in a few days."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Guardian Daifuku lifts one of her hands to regard it. True enough it was still injured in this form, likely because this is HOW she got injured in the first place. Maybe due to it being Dark Energy is why it lingered when she transformed. She'd been bruised and hit before but never with that till now.

Lifting her head again she nods already starting to think of how to do it. "I'll try the measuring and pouring if you can do the mixing. That hopefully should be enough to do it." She does hope. "All right. Let's try it."

Normally she would spin the hammer with a flourish. It wasn't necessary, just... her. This time she just grasps the hammer handle in both hands resting the end on the ground as she focuses her power into the weapon. A light steamy mist rises up as she calls forth the kitchen. The steam crawls across the floor creating a line that obscures view until the half of the room that was there, isn't. Instead it's a tiered kitchen with fully loaded equipment, pantry, everything. As if one might see on a cooking show.

"I've never entered this WITH someone before," Guardian Daifuku explains lifting her hammer. "Hold onto it with me while we step in, just in case." It would work, too, but it hever hurt to be cautious.

There's a little 'shiver' of time to step into the kitchen but once there it felt rather cozy, warm. As if this were a perfect place to create some delicious treats in a good atmosphere. There's even an open flame stove in the back lit and fired up and that's where a majority of the magic seems centrally located. The 'heart' of the kitchen.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Sailor Pluto puts a hand on Daifuku's shoulder, since grabbing an injured hand would kind of defeat the purpose of what's going on...but as she steps into the space, the taller Senshi lets out a sigh of almost relief, "Oh yes...I can feel the grade as we cross...yeah, that's pretty steep time gradient there...a good hundred to one at least...probably a bit more. It should be good, but I might be able to push that for you if we need some more time."

That said, once inside, she lets go of Daifuku's shoulder and does a quick circuit of the area. After a few moments, she covers her mouth to conceal a giggle before she says, "If there were two of these next to each other, this could almost be Kitchen Stadium."

She steps off to one side, takes a deep breath and lowers her voice a register or so and strikes a flamboyant pose, "TODAY'S SECRET INGREDIENT ISSSSSS....BEAAAAAAAAANS!"

After a moment she coughs a few times, "Sorry, but I loved Iron Chef."

She glances around, "Just point me to what we need and let's get cooking."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Guardian Daifuku watches as Sailor Pluto remarks on the time dialation that she had suspected of this area. It wasn't really her power itself, but a culmination of what was needed to make it happen. This was the only place this effect could be called upon by her. "It's usually more than enough time for me to make things, but I also usually am at full strength," she admits.

Then she falls silent watching as the kitchen is explored with an emerging grin. THIS was her strong area. Even just being in the familiar area, around familiar things, was a soothing thing for her. Watching Sailor Pluto be as excited about it as she sometimes was just made it all the better.

Even the pose and remark earns a broad grin in return as her head shakes. "Never be sorry for something you love. We all need food. Getting to enjoy it though, that's really where the magic lies." A little cough comes from her now as she adds, "In my case at least."

The hammer is carefully flipped over to rest heavy side down where it just stands upright on it's own so she can move away. Toward the 'pantry.'

"Flour, sugar, baking soda... Pearl sugar is a nice choice, they use that in Belgian Waffles so it would also crisp up deliciously in Taiyaki. Oh and the agura bean paste, too," she adds while starting to reach for a bowl and measuring cups. All the impliments needed.

"If I ever find another Culinary Guardian I can see if we could set up our kitchens near each other. That would be interesting to see what we could come up with."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Sailor Pluto pauses from where she's retreiving the ingredients pointed at, and she turns to give Daifuku a VERY INTENSE look...

After a moment, she says, "...if you do that, I will happily buy you the BEST ingredients as long as I get to help you eat the results."

She smiles. SOOOOOOOOO many hours of her long watch went to watching Iron Chef, after all.

Still, it's the task of only a few more moments as she trots back over, somehow moving with absolute surety despite her costume having three inch heels. Once there, she starts setting out the ingredients to measure, then locates a spatula and a large griddle pan for later before looking around, "Where's the fridge? We'll need eggs, milk, and butter."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Guardian Daifuku gives a gesture to the half-fridges located beneath the prep counter, likely for easy storage of such items. It was also pointedly as far away from that firey hearth as possible. "Down there. And I could definitely try," she adds with a laugh. "Though I can also just bring you some sweets from my Ojiisan's shop later, too." Not quite Iron Chef level but he was a master at what he did.

With a bit of focus she turns her attention to starting to measure out the ingredients into the bowl. It's a little messy because of her stiff fingers, but managable. Stirring or putting any pressure against her injured palms is where the issue would really lie. She considers a moment, and reaches out to touch the bottom of the bowl with a hand when it comes to stirring time.

"Maybe if I just... Try this."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Pluto catches on quickly when Daifuku says 'try this', and she steps over with a spatula and begins mixing, "...okay...as I recall, these should be mixed more thoroughly than breakfast pancakes since for dorayaki we want a slightly thinner, more consistent cake..."

Once that's done she pulls the bowl aside, then sets out another one before putting the griddle pan on the stove to start heating up, "I think the next step is getting the bean paste ready?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"Exactly," Daifuku agrees once the mixing is done. The small fridge is opened again to withdraw a bowl that certainly wasn't there before. Rather than having to soak, prep, and cook the beans there were some already prepared in that instance that she slides over. "You want to mash in some sugar and water a bit at a time until it's a smoother consistency. With some chunks, if you like it that way," she adds smiling. Only to apologetically add, "I'll have to leave this part up to you too."

Though she can at least help prepare for the pancake part by fetching another spatula, and a small little sand filled kitchen timer that she sets down.

Only to stare at with lips pursed. "It never occured to me until now how this works in here. But it does. I usually just wait till I see the edges dry out and the air bubbles arise, but this works too."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Pluto does as asked, and starts mashing in the sugar and water, eventually settling on something about midway on the 'chunky-smooth' consistency spectrum. She glances over, "I find that literally always knowing the exact time helps a lot."

Looking around, she grabs a plate to start setting the cooked pancakes on, as well as a small spatula to spread the paste on said cakes.



And anyone who says that she snuck a little extra of the paste to sample when nobody was looking is a damn, dirty liar!


That's her story, and she's sticking to it.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
It's as Pluto begins to work on the rest that Daifuku nods in apparent approval of what had been completed so far. The ingredients were ready, and she was correct that timing was everything. She'd done things often enough the precise timing was second nature. This was something new to do in this kitchen though. Best to be cautious.

"What made you think of Dorikayki? Is it your favorite?" They seem like innocent enough questions, really, but she's reaching for information. A smile is offered while explaining, "I find it helps to remember a good memory you had with what you're cooking. Putting some positive thoughts into what you make, recalling why you might like it, or hoping that someone else will enjoy it too makes it all the better." Maybe that was part of the magic?

With the topic broached she reaches for a scoop to begin doling out the lower part of the stuffed pancake batter onto the griddle.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Pluto helps as she can, otherwise she just stays out of the way and answers questions...as noted, sometimes the feelings and the memories were part of the magic, "I was trying to think of a Japanese confection, since that seems to be your style...but a lot simpler, since your hands are hurt."

She pauses, thinking for a minute, then smiles, "...and I DO remember the first time I had doriyaki. I was visiting Tokyo and there was a new confectionary shop that I had heard about and decided to try, Midori-ya."

Which is a name that's low-key famous around Tokyo. Every city or town has one or two places that have been around seemingly forever and are known for something special they do. Midori-ya is a confectioner's shop and they're famous for being the first to popularize the current form of dorayaki with the two cake layers around the filling...and they're something like 100 years old at this point.

She stares off into the middle distance as she goes on, "They hit the perfect balance of cake and filling..." She trails off for a moment, then frowns ever so little, "...come to think of it, I don't think that stain ever came out of that kimono..."

Of course, the implication there is that she was enjoying them so much she stopped being careful and got some on herself.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
The story was perfect. The memory was perfect. Hurt hands or not, she can pour and flip. That was all that's really needed. A quick dip and pour of the batter sets several out on the griddle in a row to cook. Only half of them then get a spoonful of the agura bean paste placed inside. By the time the mention of the stain comes around the empty pancakes are flipped ontop of the others to seal them together. Another quick flip around a few times allows the heat from each to seal the edges up creating those perfect little fluffy doriyaki.

"Midori-ya is a wonderful place. Ojiisan used to tell me stories of going there, too, and spending so much on them that he begged my obaasan to learn how to make them."

"She was a good cook, but not as skillfull as my Ojiisan. I think he secretly pretended to be bad at these so she would have to cook them for him."

Soon the plate is piled ever higher with numerous doriyaki until the bowl of batter is becoming scraped to the bottom.

Daifuku smiles back toward Pluto. "I think we're done. We can take these and see if they work. If not..." Here she chucklese softly. "At least we'll have a snack."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Sailor Pluto helps by arranging the doriyaki as they come off the griddle, making sure they're placed so that they won't just fall over.

As things get finished up, she looks around, "So is your magical cooking station self-cleaning, or should we tidy up before we go?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Guardian Daifuku grins broadly when the mention of self-cleaning comes up. "Ah, that's the good thing about being a magical girl for Sambo-Kojin! Everything cleans itself up. I think it just burns out of existence until needed again." Not that she stuck around long enough to find out! Still. "Usually we would go into this cooking mode to help purify or revive those who have been injured or tainted by darkness after a battle. I think it's a small saving grace for having to fight, then cook, that he doesn't have us do dishes."

Which meant they could leave now.

"If you could bring the plate, please, I'll close things up behind us." So saying she moves to retreive her mallet by the 'entrance' of the kitchen steps.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Pluto grabs the plate and walks over to the 'entrance'.

Then she smiles, "Actually, now that I know where it is, I can feel the temporal gradient, so I can get out on my own."

And with that, she puts deed to word and steps right on back into realspace from the dimensional pocket.

Apparently, she's had a fair bit of experience stepping into and out of extradimensional spaces.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
That made it even easier! Though now she wonders if she should keep an eye out for signs of Sailor Pluto raiding the proverbial fridge... It's a thought that brings a smile to Daifuku. Even if it wasn't something that actually happened, imagining a more skilled 'adult' magical girl snitching some cookies or something was a sentiment she could understand.

She steps through the barrier herself back into 'real time' with a small breath exhaled as she feels that odd difference shift over her entire being. It was odd, but not unpleasant, or unfamiliar at this point. The hammer comes down again to swing out to the side, and the kitchen stadi--Er, mode, vanishes with only a waft of smoke that dissapates after. Like a candle being blown out.

"I'm sorry," she begins as she suddenly plants her hammer down on the ground to lean heavily against it looking *very* tired. She wasn't a moment ago. Now she was. "Apron off," she remarks quietly. As before when she transformed flames lick over her figure until she's left back in her school uniform.

The white and orange tabby cat which had been around before is suddenly back padding toward Sailor Pluto. In a deep--Very deep--voice the 'cat' speaks. "That typically pushes her to the end of her energy for awhile. Since she's still recovering it's taken more out of her than usual." The explanation given, Bonito plonks his butt down staring up at Pluto. No, more correctly, staring at the plate.

"If you don't need *all* of those I'll take one." He deadpans.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
As Daifuku dehenshins, Pluto does the same a moment later in solidarity...this time with a burst of the impression of ribbons and more 'cosmic nonsense', leaving Nurse Meiou standing there afterwards. She sets the plate down, then moves to ease Chiyo back into a chair, "Alright. Just relax."

The talking cat doesn't seem to phase Nurse Meiou in the least as she looks at the mascot guardian, "I think we should wait to see if this worked first. She might need them all..."

But after a series of glances between Chiyo, Bonito, and the plate of doriyaki...she leans over and asides, "...but I'm personally hoping she doesn't, because I kind of want one, myself."

That said, she hands one of the treats to Chiyo, "Well...no time like the present...let's see if it worked."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai doesn't argue about sitting for once. Finding one of the chairs, or even the edge of one of the beds, she sinks down into it trying not to look winded or tired. She *was* but that didn't mean she had to *look* it. None the less as the debate of the doriyaki commenses she just allows herself to smile a bit at the friendly banter before it's offered over.

It's taken in hand lightly with a solemn nod staring at it as if it were more than what it was. Which is exactly what it would be if this worked out. "Here goes nothing."

A single delicate bite is taken. The warmth that fills her suddenly isn't just from the freshly made Doriyaki but from the energy that washes through her. That single bite imbued with magic, and memories, and all the things food should be: Filling, satisfying, comforting, energizing. Healing.

A little hiss of breath sucks in sharply between her teeth a few heartbeats later and the doriyaki is very nearly dropped as she fumbles with it. "It's working," she assures though a few tears well up in the corners of her eyes. Her free hand shifts to flip palm up on her lap looking at the burns that were not only starting to heal but to purge that dark flame energy from her body. THAT stung. Purification. It was the first time she'd felt it.

"I... I didn't realize it was so bad, but now that it's fading I can feel it. Not just my hand, I mean," she's quick to explain. Another bite is taken as she nods knowing it was necessary. "Thank you. I'm so glad that worked!"

"I think I should be fine with one or two. There's so many there. Try one."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Nurse Meiou gives a brief look of 'you sure?', then shrugs and nods. One is taken off the plate and set where Bonito can easily access it, then she picks up another and looks it over. After a few moments, she shrugs and takes an experimental bite.

She doesn't have any Dark Energy to purge, but she's curious if it will have any other effects.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai gestures toward Nurse Meiou in a 'go ahead' manner with an encouraging smile. "You helped make them. You should get to enjoy a bit of your hard work too. Besides, food is best shared." Which may be why she tears off a piece of her own to offer down to Bonito who seems at least a BIT molified that he's gotten a snack.

As for the rest? She settles back eating it looking more and more relaxed, at ease, and healthy as she does. The color returns to her face as the pain she'd been enduring for a few days fades away.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Nurse Meiou smiles and relaxes a little as she relives that memory once more...

Though this time she's careful enough to NOT get bean paste on herself.

She relaxes back and leans against one of the counters as she lets out a small sigh...for the moment, her cares and worries are just that little more distant and she can just BE.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai smiles softly watching as she relaxes, too. "This is really the best part. Thank you, Nurse Meiou. I wouldn't have been able to do this alone. I hadn't even thought of asking for help. I'll know for the future, now."

"Though I'll also avoid catching attacks with bare skin in the future, too," she adds a bit more seriously. One more is taken from the plate only to stand again feeling more energetic than before. Or at least far less tired. She'd still need actual rest later. "Since you know who I am now, if you need my help with anything, I'd be happy to."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Nurse Meiou absently sends the signal to unlock the Infirmary, "I'll keep that in mind, Miss Sakai. Given the place we live, it's probably inevitable I'll run into someone else with this kind of wound to deal with sooner or later."