2591/The Wedding Security Council Meets

The Wedding Security Council Meets
Date of Scene:	05 June 2025
Location:	Korma Chameleon
Synopsis:	Asked by Mamoru to help out with the various folks helping prepare the wedding, Rashmi contacts Masato, Aloisia, Ami, and Minako. A get-together at the Korma Chameleon to handle mahou-related stress? Rashmi really *does* feel perfectly at home.
Cast of Characters:	Rashmi Terios, Nephrite, Aloisia Stauss, Ami Mizuno, Minako Aino

---

Rashmi Terios has posed:
After having what was, on balance, a *mostly* reassuring conversation with Tuxedo Kamen, Rashmi decided to get a jump on all the things she was asked to help out with, starting with the largest group first. Since Minako and Ami were only *vaguely* known to her, and to intrude on the phones of people who didn't know her well enough felt impolite, it was Masato and Aloisia who got the simultaneous ping, around lunchtime.

<< TXT from RASHMI: So hey... Mamoru asked me to coordinate with you guys on what the security situation's looking like for the wedding. Bring everyone to the Korma Chameleon after school, and I'll tell my parents it's a study group? >>

The hook baited well with curry, after school finds Rashmi perched in a booth at the back corner, a plate piled high with samosas ready and waiting for her little fishies to nibble at.

It's been a while since she spent time doing mahou things at the family restaurant. It feels nice.

Nephrite has posed:
After school is a fun time to catch Masato, who is at present the Captain of the Tennis club. It's a given thing, since he is also-- technically speaking-- running the Sanjouin Tennis Association, who now sponsor the Club. But staying back to monitor the underclassmen and clean things up means he runs a little late to the appointment, and when he arrives, he does so straight from practice.

With wavy brown hair tied back loose and low, he walks through the door in his tennis whites, and Rashmi would be greeted with perhaps her first sight of Masato wearing shorts. Knee-high socks, tennis shoes, even his sweatbands still on his wrists, and an RHA polo with the collar trimmed in orange.

He nods her way as he makes for the booth, offering a small wave. Even when he is late, it appears he's still first in. "Afternoon, Rashmi-san."

Aloisia Stauss has posed:
More invites to meet with people at food places?! This time it was from Rashmi! ... Honestly these texts were a lot more pleasant to get than most of the others Aloe had been getting recently. When she'd seen a text being from Rashmi she half expected it to be that Seriss Nyx was at it again, but nope, instead, it was 'Hey let's meet up after school for a study group to talk about wedding security'.

Hell yeah.

Aloisia, after school, took JUST enough time to change out of her school uniform into a much more comfortable outfit, a pair of comfortable jeans and a light blue t-shirt that had a giant frog on a lily pad emblazoned on the front (The frog was, in fact, a chubby frog, and the lily pad was half-sinking into the 'water' of the shirt, even!), and a pair of comfortable wedge sandals.

Look her sense of fashion is maybe a little suspect, but at least she's not just wearing the army uniform anymore.

Upon getting into the Korma Chameleon, her Devices linked up with Rashmi's as she scanned the room, the pair of devices more or less just catching up with and... not quite but /almost/ chatting away, even if it was mostly just a basic update of things that have happened as well as maintenance and tune-up logs from what Aloisia had done to them since the last time they'd interacted. It was all good news, really. Aloisia loved her device and when it came to general maintenance of them she was very competent.

Meanwhile, physically, she was walking over to the corner booth around the same time as Masato, who gets a wave from the Knight. "Hello, Masato-san." She says politely to him, before relatively simply slipping into the seat across from Rashmi. "Hi Rashmi. How was school?" She asks, actually bringing out a couple of books from her 'bag' to set them out in front of her, opening to a page they were expected to study on their own.

Look they had other things to talk about but she /did/ actually have homework to do, so she might as well actually treat it like a study session.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami had been sticking fairly close to Minako in the time following their last impromptu meet-up with Mamoru. It would have been one thing even if it had only been to keep her overwhelmed-seeming friend company, but the Prince had let slip something of far greater importance. The sort of thing that raised it all above even classes, computer clubs, and tutoring commitments. This was senshi duty things.

And there weren't many things that Ami slid above academics in her ordered list of importance.

So, of course, she was still with Minako when they'd arrive at the Korma Chameleon. Still dressed for school and still shouldered with a hard-shelled backpack of study tools and otherwordly electronics. The latter of which was, definitely, part of the just-in-case category.

"Hello!" Ami was quick to approach behind the Shitennou. "You're looking very sporty today, Masato-kun!"

Minako Aino has posed:
"Amiii, Ami-chan! Did you hear?!" Minako walks alongside her friend while glancing over her shoulder at a gaggle of girls that they'd just walked past before coming into the Korma. She was mostly automatically following Ami, trusting her friend to lead the way, because her attention was not focused forward. She just looks rather gleeful as she shares the gossip she overheard! "They said that there's a cute guy in a cute tennis outfit in here we have to keep our eyes peeled, and phones out!"

This insistant suggestion is met with her arm sweeping forward, phone held out, to peer through the tiny rectangle's camera. A quick side-to-side panning of her arm allows her to squint as she focuses on the potential target!

"Oh ho ho~! And there he i--it's Masato."

Hand and head drop downward with a world weary sigh at such an awful revelation! How can she oggle boys if it's just Masato? "After the wedding we need a trip to the beach to properly appreciate the views," she decides abruptly while straightening up once more.

The momentary disillusionment seems forgotten as she instead flashes a grin to the group already here, including those she didn't know quite as well. "Hello, hope we're not late!"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
For herself, Rashmi has begun to bow to the growing heat, and beams up at the assembled mahou in a white-on-yellow floral print sundress, over a sheer green blouse. "Masato-san, good afternoon," she says to the first of them to arrive, then beams at Aloisia. "Day's been quiet so far, maybe it'll even stay that way Alo-chan!"

And then the Senshi enter, and her smile notches up on the wattage. "Not at all, have a sit!"

As the seats are settled into, she waves at the pile of samosas. "The red ones are beef, the yellow ones are chicken, and the green are veggie, and someone'll come by soon to get your drink order, and anything on the menu you might want."

Once the initial things are taken care of, she dips her head. "I know we don't know each other very well, but I'm Rashmi Terios, and Mamo-kun wanted me to help you guys out with the plans. I'll explain anything you want to know about what I can do, and just tell me what you'll need from me after."

Nephrite has posed:
Having settled into a seat now, a moment was spent looking over the food-- he wasn't prone to letting himself become so hungry that his stomach growled openly, like Minako or Usagi might. But it was evident, after tennis, that he was hungry.

It's Masato-- Brows rose, but he didn't quite catch on, thankfully. "Yes, it's just me. So sorry to dissapoint."

He glanced at Rashmi, and nodded. "Sorry this has been brought to you later than not... We've both been a little busy in opposite directions. I had no idea you weren't in the loop."

Aloisia Stauss has posed:
Ami arrives, which gets a polite half-bow from Aloisia towards her, a friendly smile on her lips towards the blue-haired senshi. "Hello, Mizuno-san." She says warmly towards her, halfway between friendly and familiar and polite. Using some of her social skills there! Just a little. She flips her page to the next one. "Oh, right, I should have gotten those specs you asked for sent over so you can coordinate things well." And then another person appears!

...A blonde-haired woman appears! A very pretty one, actually. Hm. Almost noble vibes to her, too, especially with the overt gossipping to Ami. Minako is given a polite smile and bow of her head from the silver-haired belkan. "Good afternoon, we're meeting for a study group. If you're Mizuno-san's friend, I'm sure you're more than welcome to join us." She says politely towards Minako. "My name is Aloisia Harlaown. A pleasure."

Meanwhile, her attention turns back towards Rashmi with a very slight look of concern on her face. "Why did you say that??? Everyone knows the Q word is a good way to invite chaos upon the world."

...Meanwhile, elsewhere, it is not quiet. Not quiet at all. Luckily, it wasn't /them/ that was suffering the concequences of a Mahou uttering the forbidden word.

As Masato settles in, Aloisia starts to order a few things on the menu.
...The amount she's ordering looks like she's ordering for everyone in the group, really.

...This is not the case.

"The loop has been a bit wibbly wobbly, honestly, I feel like." Aloisia comments in agreement.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami offered Rashmi a pleasant smile and a short, polite bow.

"Ami Mizuno." She introduced herself before slipping her backpack from her shoulders and settling into a seat.

Then she turned attention back to the blonde senshi.

"You know I'd love to go swimming with you, Minako-chan." Ami agreed, evidently oblivious to Minako's ulterior--and blatantly stated--motives. "It could be a lovely and relaxing sort of day, and we both need something like that, I think."

The backpack was finally settled beside her chair. It was a plain sort of thing, almost entirely unadorned save for a small plush bluejay that wobbled as she opened it to retrieve her little Mercury computer. At which point, Ami returned attention to Rashmi.

"Everyone's been a little bit overwhelmed, I think. There's a lot that's been going on and it seems like Masato-kun and poor Mamoru-kun have been doing the lion's share of communicating it."

Ami grimaced apologetically to the Prince that wasn't even here.

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino grins all the brighter when Ami agrees to go swimming! She could swim. It wasn't as good as just looking GOOD in a swimsuit but she was just as athletically inclined as she always was, too. "Yes, that would be great!" With that ever important matter taken care of, she actually pays attention when the others introduced themselves. There's only the momentary distraction of Masato's reaction to her entrance which she can do no more than shrug at sort of apologetically. "You had a little fan club walking by outside," she explains with a quick thumb over her shoulder indicating the doorway where a few younger faces may be seen peeking into the windows only to quickly dip away when anyone looks their direction.

Back to the introductions though!

To Rashmi she dips her head politely, red bow bobbing more into view with the gesture. "Pleased to meet you, Rashmi-chan! I've heard a lot about you."

Then her gaze sweeps to the bowing Aloisia to... blink. A single time. That long silver hair on the tall girl brings to mind another knightly sort she knows. Did Kazuo have a sister she didn't know about? The mystery is solved as soon as she introduces herself.

Blue eyes light up, and she steps forward to reach out and grab one of Aloisia's hands between both of hers. "You're our new knight! I've been dying to meet you! I'm Minako Aino! We really could use the extra help with like, *everything* right now!"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Oh don't worry about it," Rashmi chuckles, dipping her head at Masato's apology. "Things *have* been wild since we got back, and I'd *hoped* to just give you guys a little time to get your feet under you, then the Clan would thunder in and we could figure it out while kicking their faces in and it just *really* didn't turn out that way, did it?"

Her own order is for a cardamom lassi, and sandesh for five, but she fully intends to compete with Masato for who can demolish curry sandos quickest.

"So yeah... Mamo-kun told me about the wedding, and basically I'm helping out wherever I can. Also I'll be hanging on to the *whole wedding feast* so it doesn't get smashed during the fight. So... what's the plan?"

Nephrite has posed:
Masato smiled a little sympathetically at Rashmi, and a small hint of how run-down he actually was could be caught just at the very edges of him, like a piece of fabric that had started to fray. He settles on Kashmiri Curry with Pineapple, and iced lemon tea.

"Well, to put it bluntly, it's less of a plan and more of a wild gesturing in the direction of pulling this off." He leaned back in his seat with a mildly pensive look. "Mina-chan's got hold of the very important thing that everyone is after, I'm running around trying to match Mamoru in mitigating the damages that New Moon and Wicked Lady are actually doing...

He nods to Aloisia. "She is mostly going to focus on keeping things out though we do need a Devicer to help out with restraining Wicked Lady. Containment, to add to a blessed water trap Ami-chan intends to spring on Wicked Lady while she's sitting on her throne."

There was a pause. "And while she's being held for... as long as we can manage, that buys us some time to try and take care of New Moon. All Purifiers on deck."

Aloisia Stauss has posed:
"Swimming is a great source of exercise and other entertainments, ja." Aloisia says bemusedly towards Ami. She had picked up on the othe reason, though beyond the knowing look in her glance towards Minako -- she didn't elaborate either. But she /did/ look entertained. "Ja, that and life has been... very complicated for all of us." She adds. Between Seriss Nyx, New Moon, and... well. All the /other/ stuff going on, well.

Busy is an understatement.

And she's being examined by the aforementioned Minako Aino, who was looking over her with curiosity and confusion at first. And then that excitement. When those hands grab hers, Aloisia's hand curls around one of them to return the hand-shake.

"Ah, yes! Hello, I wasn't sure if you were magical so I hesitated to introduce that side of me -- I should have known you were considering who you came in with. Ja, I am Kristallritter -- or the Crystal Knight, in your tongue." She says warmly, that politeness fading away almost instantly after that introduction. "I am moderately aware of the general situation, if you need help with anything, do feel free to ask." She pauses. "Or if you just want to hang out." She adds.

"If Rashmi is being looped into this, I can likely focus on keeping Wicked Lady restrained once we need it, Rashmi is generally better at multi-target defenses than I am, whereas I have..." She lifts her hand, her Devices producing a golden pyramid floating over her hand and beginning to rotate, a small 2-D version of the Indomitable Sister floating next to it making little gestures towards various different text boxes appearing next to it explaining that it was basically a strong single target prison spell. "Pyramidenfall. Which is entirely designed around putting an extremely sturdy barrier around a single target. And if that is mainly ALL I am doing I can likely layer it enough to at least slow her down."

... Look it's a Dark General, she knows how hard keeping one contained is.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Though she might not look it from the outside, Ami also was quite the hungry sort. Before moving forward anywhere else, and with her computer looking all the world like some small gaming device beside her table placement, she made her order. Chicken tikka masala.

"Yes! That's perfect!" Ami smiled brightly at Aloisia, settling sapphirine gaze upon the Kristalritter with a nod. "Although, I might have to be on the inside of that containment to do my part. I'm planning to hold her down on the throne with water I'll be hiding inside of it. I also plan to have that water blessed at Rei-chan's shrine ahead of time. The more we have holding Wicked Lady in place, probably the better."

There's only a moment's pause before adding--"Without hurting her, of course."

Minako Aino has posed:
"And I'm Sailor Venus: Goddess of Love!"

Mina's declaration of her mahou identity comes with a wink, and two fingers raised to press to her lips breifly with a little blown-smooch salute of sorts. It seems like she'd strike a pose, too, if not for the distractions that the restaurant offered.

"Ooh samosas? Those smell amazing!" One of the ones on offer is snagged up by her, a chicken one, and she starts to chow down even while reaching for the menu with her free hand to browse over quickly.

"I'll take the Tikka Masala too! Oh oh and those little honey ball things! And a mango lassi!" At least she was going to be eating well, given her lack of actual food from the other day versus energy drink consumption.

"Honestly the hardest parts are going to be containment. With Wicked Lady she can teleport. If we could reach Usagi-chan and coordinate with her she can also create her own sort of barrier world now, too." Ah if only she knew New Moon was Usagi and how difficult it really was going to be.

"Basically though? The plan is 'Keep the Black Moon Clan out', 'Contain and purify Wicked Lady and New Moon', and 'Keep the food safe for the after party.'"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Hey gesturing wildly in the direction of a plan is still a *direction,*" Rashmi replies to Masato, and it's clear that she *deeply* feels the same frazzle as he, a bit of hair popping out of her plait with each thing Aloisia lists off. But the hologram, besides earning a quick glance around the restaurant to make sure nobody happens to be looking, earns Aloisia a concerned frown. "Alo-chan... don't you have to be the *center* of that Barrier? Because unless you've been tweaking the spell on your off hours, I *know* that's designed to force one-on-one *duels.*"

What goes unsaid is the obvious part; that they can't afford her to be absent in the fight against New Moon, *and* that there's only one likely result to trapping yourself in a room with Wicked Lady. But Rashmi's Concerned Face carries an eloquence all its own.

Ami's computer gets a long look, and her part of the plan is considered very closely. "That, I think I can help with. I remember being told Silver Millennium technology is *really* adaptable, so... I *might* have an idea that could augment your part, and maybe not force you to be trapped inside. My--"

Rashmi blinks, then firmly closes her teeth before she can say 'My boyfriend is amazing with restraint magic' when her internal editor starts screaming in her ear. "...Bind spells aren't really powerful on their own, but if we can figure out a way to combine it with your water trap and I can build a big enough battery quickly enough...?"

That seems to be about the extent of her idea for the moment, and she shrugs, turning to Minako. "I can at least toss up *another* Barrier to keep New Moon in the battlefield... I'll just need to remind Nicomachea to make the boundary hard, so at least if the Clan come knocking they have to *really* knock, and we'll be ready and panicking."

Hahahaha, we have fun, says the joke that isn't really a joke.

Nephrite has posed:
"We're really not sure what we'll be dealing with, closer to date, concerning Demande and Saphir." Masato takes a bite between speaking, and swallows politely. "We do have things covered in terms of body doubling for Usagi-chan and Koji-kun is helping Mina-chan cover her game streams so nobody catches onto the disappearance... But as things stand, Wicked Lady seems to be calling the shots on the entire clan, Wiseman not withstanding."

His brows furrowed, and he glanced around at the others. "She's protecting Usagi and Mamoru, but New Moon does seems to have access to Usagi's phone. So if there's anything to be communicated there, don't text any plans to Usagi-chan directly. Send them to Mamoru."

Another bite and a sigh had him deflate very slightly. It was delicious. Comforting, even, as he considered the barriers around the throne.

"I'll be setting up some illusory spellwork around the throne to disguse the trap and make it all look good enough for Wicked Lady to sit on, but I can set that up ahead of time. It shouldn't be effected by anything, but it just needs to hold until the trap springs, anyway." He considered, "I'll be holding my own barrier and another illusion on Mako-chan's cakes... That'll take up a lot of my concentration."

Aloisia Stauss has posed:
"...I can put a sub-shield around you as well to reduce damage you might take, though you'll be putting yourself in significant danger no matter what we do with that, I think. Your magic SHOULD work through the spell though, I can likely tune it to allow your magic through without it harming the spell, though it would take some time working together that I can get a good read on your unique energy signature." Aloisia comments. The nice thing about being a Devicer is the ability to customize your spells. Even if it was a bit of an arduous process, especially if you didn't know how they were constructed. On the upside, she was also a well-trained Knight, which had its perks.

Sailor Venus, Goddess of Love. "..." There is a pause when Mina declares that. Aloisia looks at her for a moment at that blown-smooch salute. Aloisia begins... to laugh. It's not a mocking laugh -- not one that implies she's /doubting/ Minako.

...Possibly didn't expect it though.

"A...ah... haha... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm not making fun of you." She says as she finally stops. "I just. It's so fitting, you are the spitting image of a goddess of love, ja, and I just. I did not expect it."

She wipes her eyes, where tears had started to pool, before she gives a soft exhale, thoughtful.

"...The Gerfangnis Der Magie can possibly ... help to LIMIT the teleportation. It was a spell designed to force duels, so if I condensed it down to a smaller area, I could likely limit her a bit more." She muses out loud. "It is breakable too, though, so it would only stop /that/. I have not tried creating a Barrier that small, but I do not see why it could not be condensed down." She muses, glancing towards Rashmi as if to ask her thoughts on /that/. "We would then have two people who have to remain close to Wicked Lady, though. Perhaps the two of us could act as a form of honor guard for her to keep her from suspecting?" She comments, looking towards Ami thoughtfully. Hmmmm.

This plan is starting to sound more risky, but, then, anything related to Wicked Lady was bound to be risky.

"What? No, Pyramidenfall is something I can place from outside. You are thinking of Gerfangnis Der Magie." Which she had /just/ suggested doing as well. "..." Which also was doing that same part. "But it would take a lot of my energy to keep a general contained, regardless, so I would likely be unable to fight very well while doing so." She adds. And then Rashmi suggests another reasonable and generally very good idea. "...Bind spells may be better than barriers, since they cost less energy and can be layered more easily." She adds.

...Look, when you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail. When you're a shielder, shields fix everything. Even if there's other good ideas.

"I do think that Pyramidenfall is still a good idea, though combined with extra binds should make things significantly safer for us -- and Wicked Lady. We can figure out a way to stop teleportation another way than the Gerfangnis Der Magie as well, I'm sure."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"I'm not worried about there being a little bit of danger." Ami said, the understatement of the hazard clearly understood upon the resolute furrow of her brow. "If it's what it takes to keep Wicked Lady still so that the others can handle New Moon."

The senshi shrugged faintly and smiled. "We all do our part, don't we, Aloe-chan?"

Ami bit lightly at her lower lip in thought.

"I haven't exactly had a great deal of time to do any expermienting with, so I don't know for sure. But, the blessed water might do just enough to help suppress or offset her Dark Energy. Along with whatever additional barriers are available?" Ami nodded. "I think we've got a good chance to keep her occupied for long enough."

Ami let her attention then trail to Rashmi, fingers brushing against the computer for a moment. "Would you like to have a look, then?"

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino has by now finished off at least two samosas. A sedate pace for her, really. Settled into a seat she leans one arm on the tabletop as she leans forward herself to keep a good focus on the conversation. There were several parts that spoke of magic she wasn't personally familiar with, so while she's curious about it, she also just assumes they'll work out what they need to work out with how it actually work.

Aloe's laughter at least doesn't seem to upset her in the least. "I do try to maintain my image! It's important to put your best food forward."

A gaze flits over the others only to ask, "Who do we have set up to help purify, otherwise? I know Ami-chan's waters can a bit, but this is..." Here her face darkens, eyes turning stormy, before she continues with a quick hitch of breath. "..Some really, really strong darkness we'll be trying to purify."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"It's okay, Masato-san," Rashmi says gently, and her smile is easy and sincere. "We'll cover your back, don't worry. Just focus on the job that'll be in front of you."

Conversation pauses for a moment as the server returns, and dishes and drinks are laid out. The concern of how to set a table covered in books and at least one toy with *all of Aloisia's order* takes a moment, but at the suggestion that they just leave the stand and serving tray -- blocking a nearby door, but only the one to the apartment upstairs -- seems to settle the matter, and the server leaves behind a table practically floating in a cloud of fragrant dishes and buttery naan. And in front of each diner is a plate, with a half-dozen of what look like cookies arranged atop; cookies smelling of almond and sugar, with little pistachio-saffron clusters in the center.

Well, Rashmi did order sandesh for five.

"Purifiers... Wako-chan'd be the one I want most. Also Hinoiri-chan, Laura-chan... basically anyone who calls themself a Pretty Cure would do. Coco-chan'd also be great for boosting purifying power, her songs are like the *direct* opposite of a patch of Dusk Zone. I know there's more, but they're not directly coming to mind at the moment..."

Shrugging, she pops a cookie into her mouth, then takes a drink of her lassi, smiling when Ami asks if she'd like to have a look. "Oh you have *no idea* how much I do, and I'd *love* to introduce you to Nicomachea and we could probably make an entire day just talking analysis... But this isn't the best place. I'll meet you in the Shed when we're ready to really dive into shop talk though?"

The little glass 'gem' in the center of the sunburst charm hanging around her neck glows, and a faint *bing!* can barely be heard by the table. "So okay, Pyramidenfall. That sounds like the better idea, and it'd be easier to reinforce if it's covering less area."

The hitch in Minako's breath isn't missed, and Rashmi tries to look half as reassuring as she'd like to be. "Yeah... but with enough of us there, we'll manage. We've done it before, in times way more desperate than this."

Nephrite has posed:
Masato nodded, finishing samosa and reaching for another. "Wako-san and I are responsible for the musical entertainment for the actual wedding, so that's locked in, at the very least..."

He paused for thought. "Laura-san is invited, as far as I'm aware."

Another half a samosa disappears into his mouth. As an aside, he gestures to Rashmi, "I can also cover the catering spread as part of the illusion, if you're going to take all the real food into storage beforehand. That's no problem."

Aloisia Stauss has posed:
"Ja, we shall all do our part to the best of our ability." Aloisia agrees with Ami, smiling towards her lightly. The talk of purification gets a curious look, even to the point with looking at the computer. Because frankly, purification -- something that their magic didn't seem able to do -- was fascinating. Sure, she could empower purification and such with Boost spells, but it wasn't the same as doing it themselves.

"It is a good image, ja. You definitely bring to mind the image of a noblewoman -- including the playful gossip." She adds, the comment not really meanspirited, more playful towards Minako. "I, too, put in some effort, though mine is in part done with combat in mind." She gestures to her hair, which is tied up tightly to her head, in spite of the fact if she let it down, she could possibly rival Usagi in length.

...Frankly if she tried she could possibly pull off Princess Serenity cosplay, but that's beside the point.

And then the food arrives! And Aloisia is starting to eat with abandon that ... probably just makes that 'Princess Serenity' cosplay seem more doable but that's beside the point. She does, however, offer to share bites of anything anyone hasn't tried to the others.

...How she fits all of that inside of her is a mystery, really. But she'd burn it all off later probably, anyway. "...Perhaps we should set up a playdate between the computer, Nichomachea, and Festungseid." Aloisia comments. Her tone is half-joking but the suggestion is actually serious, as her twin devices actually comment -- in ... japanese?

<Agreeable suggestion.>
<We would enjoy the chance to chat with new technology.>

...The lance seems more talkative than the shield, even if it's largely telepathic.

...Some people might be looking around for the source of the pings that accompany the comments, though.

The pyramidenfall disappears, though the 2D indomitable Sister is still sticking around. She hasn't been dismissed or summoned, she's shown up on her own because she, too, wants to hang out with the cool people.

She's doing a little 'eating animation' alongside Aloe, too.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Returning Aloisia's smile easily enough, Ami took comfort in the rather subtle moment of recognition there. The senshi wanted the Crystal Knight to think well of her, not just in general terms, but also around her capability and resolution. Ami, despite a sometimes timid nature, was not the sort to sit at the sidelines while her friends struggled.

The smile widened and she nodded between the both of them--Rashmi and Aloisia.

"I will definitely look forward to that, the Shed it is!" Brows lifted inquisitively over sapphire blues suddenly. "Oh! They--"

She lowered her voice a little, recongising a growing excitement for the promise of intriguing new things. "They talk!"

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino smiles a bit more at mention of gossip. Of course she has to nod at that, pausing to respond given the arrival of food. Her own is pulled close to enjoy the delicious scent of the masala with a happy little sigh. It had been awhile since she'd had more than junk food.

"Gossip can be fun when it doesn't really hurt anyone. Besides that, with all the stress going on right now? It's important to find ways to not let it get to you." ie, gossip, boy watching, flirting. The basics! "When things get really serious there won't be as much opportunity to find little ways to relax."

With that particular logic given to explain why she was perhaps a bit flighty at times, she turns her attention back to ... Food. The others were working out the rest nicely. She does nod though, and beneath her breath mumbles, "Wako, Rashmi, Hinoiri, Coco." She wasn't familiar with Laura or at least not that she could remember. Hm.

"Ooh cookies!" Half-standing from her seat she leans over to grab one, and flops back down bonelessly into her chair with it half in her mouth as she gives a happy little wriggle at the tastiness.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Wako-chan'll be... well I can't really judge if she's the *strongest* purifier, but there's a reason it gets referred to as a hamster-ball; it'll lock her in place while it works, so everyone else'll have an easier time. Laura-chan... well I mean, she'll summon a full-size magic whale and the Pinoccho treatment's hard to get away from."

Upon spotting Minako clearly trying to memorize the names, Rashmi chuckles, and slides her phone across the table, set to display her number, and a space for folks to enter their name and number as well. "There... just to make it easier."

At Ami's surprise, the redhead grins. "Yeah that's the 'Intelligent' part of Intelligent Device; they're as much our friends as our weapons, and I've rebuilt both our Devices myself so if you have questions about the hardware, strap in. It's a wild ride."

With that, she sits back in her chair and nods at Masato. "After this I'll be offering my sword to Makoto-chan and Koji-kun, so if you want detailed illusions I can help make that happen, too."

Nephrite has posed:
There's another nod to Rashmi as the other half of the samosa goes into his face. Sapphire eyes glance towards Minako as she mumbles names, and with a snap of fingers and faster chewing, he offers, "And I'm fairly sure we can count on Madoka-san being there, too."

He doesn't actually reach for the cookies at all, nor seem entirely interested in them-- but he is polishing off food at a decent rate, regardless.

When his mouth is clear again, "On a happier note, the second cake-- the one I'll be making appear like a tribute to Wicked Lady-- will actually be a birthday cake for Chibiusa. It may be optimistic, given how tall a task this is... but better optimism than not, right now, and Wicked Lady expects a cake, so-- that's that."

Aloisia Stauss has posed:
"Ah, yes. They're not very talkative usually, though. Their AIs are sofisticated, but a lot of the time relatively simplistic to allow for more processing power to be put towards the processing of spells." Aloisia explains to Ami. "But they still have an artificial intelligence in them. They even have something approaching free will, or at least as best as can be programmed by people." Aloisia sounds very fond as she's talking about her Devices, like one talking about old friends.

...Which, really, they are.

"Ja, harmless gossip can be quite wonderful, especially if it is used for good to spread good rumors, as well." Aloisia says bemusedly. ... That part she might have more read in a book than actually seen happen in person though, it's almost too fantastical to believe, really. "At a later date, going to the beach does sound like an excellent way to relax as well. Perhaps after we have recovered our princesses so they can enjoy said beach alongside us as well."

The comment of people gets a pause as she muses. "...I should catch up with Hinoiri sometime..." She comments to herself. "I haven't really seen her since she was Sunbreaker."

Ahem.

"I wouldn't be surprised if the other members of Wako's crew show up as well, and they're quite strong. They helped kick my rear while I was Prinzessin Nichts, after all." She says bemusedly.

...She's still working on desciphering the King's Fall, Prinzessin Nichts Ver.

...It's not very Belkan-Compatible though.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami had been chewing on a cookie as the conversation continued to flow, not quite digging into her tikka masala just yet. It was a little more workable for her to quickly nibble down a mouthful of sandesh and, only then, did she really comprehend how much of an insult it was to simplify this to cookie.

The senshi glanced down, eyes a little wider, and nodded. "I like that."

And then she lifted gaze again.

"it'll probably be good for us to coordinate on that side in the long-run, too." Ami said, eyes shifting between Rashmi and Aloisia. "It'll hopefully make communications easier in the future, at the very least."

A smile for Aloisia, again. "I think it'd be amazing to get everyone together for a nice, relaxing beach day once everything's done."

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino glances over to Ami when she mentions liking the sandesh. A big grin creeps over her as she watches the nerdiest Senshi simply enjoying something... simple. Or rather just enjoying food at all instead of having it just *vanish* while she was working on something.

"They're so good, right? Rashmi-chan this is your parents place? They're amazing cooks!"

Once again the beach is brought up and she nods emphatically, glancing ceilingward in a day-dreamy manner. "Yes! With cute bathingsuits, and boys, and watermelon, and boys, and sunbathing, and I guess the boys could come too." a pause as she fixes Masato with a quick thoughtful expression. "Although... I'm not sure we want to see Izou without a shirt. He seems like he doesn't get enough sun."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Yyyyup!" Rashmi confirms, beaming at Minako. "Literally used to live here, they rent the whole building and Mami has a greenhouse on the roof. She mixes the spices and does the paperwork, Papi runs the kitchen, and they're both *really good at it.* And I would *so love* for a beach vacation, but if I'm gonna wear a cute swimsuit I am *gonna* need Chrono there to properly appreciate it."

With a chuckle, she looks at Aloisia, eyebrows rising at the mention of how long it'd been. "Oh yeah she's *way* different now. ...In fact you should probably ask her to show you around her old home, she can get back there now and made up with her Queen. You'd have--" Pause. Consider what would be the most truthful way to finish that sentence. Consider how Aloisia might react to being a pony that can still somehow manipulate objects with her hooves. "--an interesting time!"

For many, many values of 'interesting.'

"But that is* happier news, Masato-san... It'll be nice to have *something* to scrape out the last bits of Dark Energy in her mind, and I think 'all these people caring about your birthday' will do a good job of that."

At Ami's reaction, the redhead grins wide. "Yeah it's *amazing* what you can do with fresh cheese, isn't it? I'll have to get you some chom-chom sometime, you'll never look at ricotta the same way ever again."

Nephrite has posed:
"I think Zoisite would describe it as having a luminous glow, but you're right. He could use a little less time poking about with future seeds in that new greenhouse of his." Masato snorts, and arches a brow. "Still. It sounds like you're still chasing the cabana boys you were owed, Mina-chan."

A small smirk follows that, playful enough despite his tiredness. He is contented by his curry, at any rate.

It does spur him to recall something else though, glancing from Minako to Rashmi.

"Oh... Zoisite's got a new phone, now. Different number. So if you're texting his old number, just be aware-- Saphir's likely on the other end."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"But, he's not quite actually glowing is he?" Ami asked after Masato.

She had been offering Rashmi an appreciative and enthusasitc little nod for the offer of perspective-altering, ricotta-powered foods until Masato's commentary on Zoisite had caught her attention. "He's just reflecting the sun's light. He has a high albedo, which is a little on the nose given his namesake."

Ami smiled brightly at Minako's commentary. The sandesh were slowly disappearing from her plate, none-the-less, until she suddenly squinted. Then she swallowed.

"You didn't tell me anything about cabana boys, Minako-chan?" A brow ticked higher.

It was almost as though she were holding that question all the way through the last bite. She might even have had more to say on the matter, but her attention snapped back to Masato. "What do you mean, Saphir?"

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino glances down to her Tikka Masala when Rashmi explains about the rooftop gardens, and the fresh herbs and spices. If she wasn't already hungry she certainly would be now! (Nevermind what she already had eaten.) "That sounds kind of awesome! My parents are so boring." Given the issue many had with parents though, that's all she says on the matter as she scoops up a spoon to sweep up a bit of rice and Tikka to pop into her mouth. "MmmHmm!"

Cabana boys oh yes. Masato gets an impish smirk in response. The follow up from Ami earns a firm nod. "Yes, Ami-chan! Cabana Boys! It's a time honored tradition to watch boys at the pool or the beach, and Cabana Boys put in all that hard work to be super cute. It'd be rude not to appreciate them!"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...I'd figured," Rashmi sighs. "Thanks, Masato-san... would you mind asking him to text me? I'm starting to run out of hair product, and I should check in with him, so... Maybe a shopping trip would be nice and neutral." Her head tilts as a thought occurs, and she smiles at Minako of the long tresses. "Would you like to come too, Minako-chan? I don't know if Quixote'll have what you like, but, maybe it'll go easier if he has another friend there."

At Ami's reaction, Rashmi pauses, samosa halfway to her mouth. Her eyes flick to Masato, one eyebrow rising, like 'Do you want to tell her, or d'you want me to?'

Nephrite has posed:
Masato glances at Rashmi with a grimace that suggests he does not. The rest of him is perfectly still, as if Ami will lose sight of him if he doesn't move a muscle. Like a T-rex.

"Saphir has Zoisite's old phone, Ami-chan. Got hold of it while we were in Crystal Tokyo." He clears his throat, perhaps a little awkwardly, "Because... it was cleared and prepared as a data package, to deliver some important historical information to Saphir. Zoisite believed, fairly adamantly, that Saphir's logical nature may force him to consider new evidence and that this might... challenge his position. Maybe get him to come to the table, or see reason, or whatever he was thinking."

He moved again, dipping to pluck pineapple from his curry. "A long shot that he decided to take. Not one that seems to have made a dent, so far."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"I see." Ami said a little patiently with a sigh. "Well, as long as he cleared anything sensitive off, it's probably alright for him to have a try at it. Taking some chances can be worth it."

She furrowed her brows again a little with a tilt of her head.

"If we're worried about Saphir and Demande showing up, and Saphir has Izou-kun's phone. Maybe we can play that to our advantage and track Izou-kun's phone?" Ami mused aloud with a satisfied nod before allowing her attention to be drawn to Masato's collection of sandesh. "Are you going to eat those, Masato-kun?"

Minako Aino has posed:
While the conversation starts to flow around her, Minako focuses on eating. It was hard not to stop once she had that first bite of curry to begin with! She shovels it into her mouth, pausing only for a sip here or there of her drink. Somewhere in there she recalls to breathe. Really!

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"But it was still worth the effort to try," Rashmi says, her samosa vanished by the time Masato is done talking. "And it didn't keep him from doing his duty when he was needed, so... Probably the best outcome we could reasonably expect, and not the worst that could have happened. But that's not a bad idea... Nicomachea, could you keep an eye on Izou-san's old phone please?"

Her charm again offers a cheery, if muted, *bing!* followed by a low-volume << COMMAND INPUT EXECUTE. SIGNAL FLAGGED FOR ALERT. >> in the English of what sounds like a kindly old humanities professor... pushed through a computer-distortion filter or five.

And that, to her, seems to be the end of it; a worthwhile shot taken, and a miss that doesn't result in collateral damage is a net positive, and now they have a possible early-warning system! From there, she turns the talk to lighter subjects, including -- should Ami ask -- a brief rundown of her Device's primary 'skillset.'

And, honestly, watching Minako attack her father's food like a school of sharks does a *lot* to bouy her spirits.

Food is love in the Terios household, after all, and the restaurant is just a means by which to spread that joy to the whole of the city.

Nephrite has posed:
"That's... actually a brilliant idea, if it works," Masato's brows rise, with a glance to Rashmi. "He's a technological genius, so there's a chance he might've taken measures against it. But it would be like ancient, alien technology to him. But if not..."

He glances down at his untouched sandesh, and after a sigh, he moves them over to Ami. "... You have them, Ami."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
An agreeable nod for Rashmi, before Ami beams out a smile as she receives the additional sandesh.

"You're going to be a great husband for Makoto-chan."