291/Lunch of Champions!

Lunch of Champions!
Date of Scene:	24 August 2023
Location:	Korma Chameleon
Synopsis:	Hinoiri is taken to get curry for the first time in her life by Usagi and Niji. Rashmi is their server. All in all, Hinoiri is unimpressed, how good could this slop possibly be? ... Then her life was changed forever.
Cast of Characters:	Hinoiri Kirara, Niji Dasshu, Usagi Tsukino, Rashmi Terios

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Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara had, admittedly... been unsure she'd ever see Usagi again. Sure, she'd heard of the girl. Once or twice. But she hadn't gotten her number, ergo, she had expected to never see her again after she'd failed to run into the girl the next day.

Of course, Usagi was not an easy girl to avoid... especially if like... you weren't ACTUALLY trying to avoid her. Which Hinoiri wasn't. So it likely came to nobody's surprise when by the park and focused on her phone (which she was CONSIDERABLY better at now, thank you very much), she almost ran INTO Usagi.

Actually, she did run into her. Shoulder to shoulder. Her head lifted up, eyes narrowed. "Hey, wat-- huh?" she said, staring for a moment. "Oh! Rope haired girl," she said. "Usagi-chan, right? I heard you left town, where you been?" she asked, giving a casual grin. Her phone quickly disappeared into the pocket of her jacket... which was slung over her shoulder. Because it was hot.

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    From a distance, it's hard to NOT be able to pick out either Usagi or Hinoiri. And the other girl that has rather distinctive hair - a rainbow ponytail pulled back tight - sees the two of them mid-interaction. "Oh, it's my two video game competitor-cooperators!" she says, letting out that mouthful of a mixed word like it's something anyone had ever used before. "I haven't seen you two in a little bit." She pauses. "Well, that's not true, I saw Kirara-san on a moped of some kind but she looked suuuuuper intense when she was on it and I didn't want to break her flow." She says, crossing her arms. "But no moped today, right? Did I hear something about you being out of town, Usagi-san?" Niji just rolls forward from one thought to another.

    "So hey, since we're all together and it's basically mealtime - why don't we go have that meal together we talked about last time? I still remember you saying you hadn't tried curry, and it's still crazy to me, so I still want to stop by the Khorma Chameleon with you both?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi'd been away from campus for about a week - back home, with her family, sleeping in her old room, looking after her little brother with her parents, watching the color come back to his face, the life come back to his eyes, the scars fade as the memories did. Shingo, she'd managed to confirm in that week, wasn't like Naru-chan or Hinote at all. Once the Witch was dead, he didn't remember the encounter at all - even the flashes of a nightmarish circus were only that; nightmares.

Her parents were relieved, if confused. Shingo was annoyed at the hovering but happy to have everyone's attention; he was denying that he needed therapy just as much as her parents were tentatively offering it.

And with Shingo fine - well, it was only natural that Usagi be sent back to the dorms, right? That was where she lived. She wasn't even upset about it - as much as she loved home, it had felt bizarre, being there. Like a part of her had already started to see Radiant Heart Academy as home.

She can't say she likes it! Being at the park was about getting out of her head, getting used to running around on her own again -

And apparently, running into people. "Hinoiri-chan!" How could she forget that hair? And apparently, Hinoiri hadn't forgotten her hair either. "That's me! And - hi, Niji-chan! Haha, it's a regular reunion of the gaming team!"

This? This was nice. Maybe this was part of what she'd missed, being at home.

"Not out of town, but I went back home for a week or so," Usagi explains quickly, "Lunch sounds great! We owe Hinoiri-chan curry; even if you've tried it by now, I'd still want to have it with you two."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara glanced over at the rainbow masquerading as a person's hair. "Oh hey. Niji-chan, right?" Hinoiri asked with a grin. "What an interesting coincidence... is what I'd say if the park wasn't literally right there and it wasn't summer break," she said with a light chuckle. She gave a nod towards Niji, though. "Yeah. Been figuring out how they work. We didn't have bikes back home and, frankly? They probably my favorite thing I've seen since coming here."

Her grin only grew at the comment about the curry. "You know what? That sounds fine. I've long since completed the curriculum of games you picked out for me. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a bit of challenge to it, but I've never met a subject worth doing that I couldn't excel at," she said, as cocky as ever.

But then... sounding just a hint unsure. "I uhhh... actually... haven't tried it yet, though. So go ahead, lead on. I uhhh... I guess it better blow me away, after the way you all talked it up. Heh. And... and it won't have any meat, right?"

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    "Oh, I didn't think about her having it before now." Niji says. "I hope she didn't, you've gone so long without it, right? Don't take the moment from me!" she protests, until Hinoiri says that she hasn't, which gets a fist pumping "Alright! We get to be there for the first time trying it then!"

    "Wait, first no curry and now no bikes? Like, not even bicycles at home? Where did you say you were from?" Niji asked, tilting her head.

    "Anyways, I guess it doesn't matter. You're from here now, right?" she says before Hinoiri can really even come up with an excuse. "And yeah I know they have veggie curry. I checked the last time I was there! Asked one of the family members, she's real awesome." She adds. "And maybe some instant curry out of a conbennie wouldn't blow you away, but the Khorma Chameleon's curry blows away people who've been eating the stuff all thier life!" she says, pointing boldly in the general direction. "We should go!" and then she realizes her bold pointing is off and she swivels the direction her finger is pointing. "But, this way not that way."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I can't believe you have a moped," Usagi says, shaking her head. "You just get cooler and cooler, Hinoiri-chan! You really played all those games?"

The admiration is real. That was a hardcore gamer curriculum - Usagi hadn't thought it possible for anyone to get through all of that in a summer, let alone less than a month!"

She has to giggle at Niji's protests, especially when they're responded to with a quick fist pump and cheer. Of course she's glad that Hinoiri hasn't had the curry without them - but she's a little surprised too, that there weren't any bikes... or maybe just no mopeds? where she was from.

"There's definitely vegetarian options - plenty with no meat! Lots of different curries with different vegetables, plus the snacks and appetizers too. It will be super easy to get something without meat; come on!"

And yes, she does take a step in the wrong direction, and have to course correct immediately. "Niji-chan, you lead the way!"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara blinked a few times. Uhhhhhh. Where she was from? "W-well. I mean, we lived in a fairly... closed... environment," she said softly. "The region likely had bikes. But if they did, I never saw them. And... nah. I didn't take the moment from you. But... it's just food. How big a deal can it be?" she asked with a shrug. Gee, they made it sound like it was life or death. It was curry. How good could it possibly be?

Either way, though, now she was roped in... and grinning at how awesome she was. "Yeah, I'm pretty amazing. Tell you what, Usagi-chan. Come with me out to the woods sometime and I'll take you for a ride on my dirt bike and wow did that... that sound as bad as I think it sounded? Because... that sounded not at all like how I meant it to sound," she said, shaking her head. Yes, sure, spending all of the energy she was stealing for things like.... bikes and the like was, technically, a waste of perfectly good magic. But, on the other side of things...

Dirt bike.

Though she'd need to be more careful of offering it to others without sounding... murdery.

"So, lead on, Niji-chan. To victory curry."

And hey, when they got closer... "Huh. Looks nice enough. Very... clean. Honestly, I expected more fire works the way you guys were hyping it up."

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    "Ah, but that's where you're wrong, Kirara-san." Niji says, holding up a single finger. "The more fireworks and bells and whistles a place has, the more you should be suspicious of their quality. If it's just got a little bit of charm and a good gimmick - like the music playing outside here? The food is more likely to be good. You want to eat somewhere that the good food does the talking, not fireworks and spotlights and neon." Niji instructs. "I bet Usagi-san knows exactly what I mean. All of the best food I've had came from places like this, though. Family resteraunts with good reputations." She wasn't invited dirtbike riding, so she didn't offer much of an opinion, since Kirara-san had already realized how Cabin In The Woods the offer sounded originally, it wouldn't do to pile on.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
The more she hears about Hinoiri's old home, the more worries that it was a... bad place. But Hinoiri's away from there, right? So there's no reason to keep harping on it - especially when Hinoiri is grinning and smug and obviously pleased. Maybe even a little too pleased. "It sounded a little flirty," Usagi says cheerfully, "And maybe a little axe-murder-y, but still tempting, Hinoiri-chan. And it's a dirt bike?"

Because that's very different from the little scooter type deal she'd been thinking - even cooler, for one thing. Something she'd figure more for Inai-sensei, not a student her age!

Korma Chameleon looks like it always does - clean, charming, and with the delicious scent of food wafting through the doors as people come in and out. "Niji-chan's right; the simpler and easier the idea, the better the food! Some places really like to go for the gimmick, but Korma is all about really good, really filling food. Just watch - this place is about to be an instant favorite."

There go the doors, pushed open for the three of them to enter.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
When the girls enter the Korma Chameleon, it's like being hugged by the air itself. Spices familiar to the Japanese palate and exotic curl around the trio, bringing a sense of wamrth and sleepy comfort. While not as busy as it would normally be given the time of day, several of the tables are still occupied by frantically-studying students and much-more-at-ease regulars, enjoying a variety of treats both hot and cold.

At the host's stand, Rashmi grins widely when the girls step inside. "Welcome to the Korma Chameleon!" she chirps. "Is this a first time for any of you? And are there any dietary needs we should know about?"

While it's less than likely Rashmi would recognize Hinoiri... On the flipside, there are *very* few people who have Rashmi's combination of dark skin, ginger hair, and big round glasses, for all that she's in a server's uniform and ballcap rather than butt-kicking frills.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara nodded. "Yeah. It... wait, flirty? I just thought it sounded murdery. Very 'take you out to the woods and use your organs to make potions' or something. Just... just forget it. The dirt bike is different from the moped," she said quickly. "I just... when I start something, I like to understand it fully. I wasn't going to be satisfied just learning how to ride a bike on the road. The moped was more for learning, anyway." Oh yes. She... she really was wasting far too much of her resources and time on this little 'experience'. "I don't know where you got flirty from, you're really not my type." She then blinked. "I... don't even think I have a type."

Well, with these two raving about it, she was going to give it only the most scrutinizing of gazes. As did the girl behind the host stand. She looked... oddly familiar. Huh. But she couldn't quite place it. Oh well, if she didn't remember her it obviously meant she wasn't important.

"Yeah, first time having curry. I don't eat meat, so... vegetarian, I guess. I usually just do like... pastries and stuff," she said with a shrug. That and coffee. She... really should expand the types of food she ate. But frankly, muffins were good and she... she was still unsure about a lot of human food.

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    "Sounded kiiiinda flirty." Niji admits. "I just didn't see it at first but once Usagi-san said something... yeah." Niji continues. Eventually that line of thought gets derailed by the entrance to the Khorma.

    "Gosh I love it in here though." Niji says, softly. "The smell, the atmosphere, and of course the food." And when Rashmi comes up, Niji is excitedly helping. "Somehow this poor girl has never had curry before!" she exclaims. "So she can't do the meat thing but when I thought about where she could go to get the best first experience with it, the only place to bring her was here. You guys are awesome."

    "Now, on the other hand, I'd like the pork curry. Like just a notch below 'run to the fire department' hot. I'm adventurous but I got limits."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Come out alone and ride my bike with me is definitely a plot point in a few shoujos," Usagi says decisively, and is absolutely not bothered to be informed she isn't Hinoiri's type. "Don't worry! I figured you didn't mean it like that."

Hinoiri-chan is cute, but she's not sure the whole haughty thing is for her; not for dating anyway! It's cute enough from a friend though, or someone who could be a friend.

"But you've got a moped and a dirt bike? Too cool!"

But once the host greets them, she's quick to shift focus - noticing that the girl was oddly familiar, actually, and wondering if maybe she'd been in the building the last time she'd visited, for that awkward study session turned romance trap. Maybe...?

"That's right! We're treating Hinoiri-chan for her first visit! Can I have the chana masala? And an order of samosas for the table, and all the sauce options for us to try." She loves meat - Usagi loves food in general - but she figures if she gets something vegetarian, Hinoiri-chan can try two things! Three, even, with the samosa. "And a mango lassi!"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Gotcha! Right this way please," she says, taking two menus off a stack, and pulling a third -- nearly as large -- out from behind the podium. Leading the three to a table, she starts setting menus down as the girls take their seats. "So... Mango lassi to start, and what about you two? We've got mango, coriander, rosewater, and pineapple, and since they're made with yogurt," she says, turning to Hinoiri, "we also have a vegan option we make with coconut yogurt instead. Also..." She glances around as if about to let the three in on a secret, then leans down to conspiratorially whisper, "It usually takes people awhile to realize the samosas are made with chickpeas, not meat, so there's nothing to worry about."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara just kind of glared at Niji. "I don't really have time to be flirting with anyone, I've got enough on my plate as it is to waste time on..." Then paused. Right. Too hostile. Puuuuull it back a little bit. And... huh.

She actually paused a moment later, sniffing the air. It was... pretty good smelling, actually. Kind of reminded her of... she wasn't sure, actually. She couldn't think of anything that she'd ever smelled like this. They probably had something like it back home, but nothing she could remember. Sora hadn't exactly been the 'spicy food' type and Hinoiri had, for the most part, stuck to her mentor's side. Still...

She couldn't help but smirk when Usagi ordered a ton of things. "Hungry today?" she asked in a light, teasing tone. Honestly, the rope-haired girl was quickly growing on her. Having someone who openly, and often, acknowledged how amazing she was? This girl was definitely someone she'd likely not want to entirely destroy. "But at least I'm here with a pair of veterans. If you've got to try new things, might as well make sure you try it with people who know what they're... doing... right?" she asked, trailing off. Her eyes fell on one of the tables... someone eating curry. And she quickly looked away. It... it was going to be fine, she was sure. That was probably just what it looked like after the person had... done whatever to it. But... it did NOT look appetizing at all.

"Uhhhhh... Rosewater? Wait, you serve roses here?" she asked, sounding utterly bewildered. "... Rosewater is... fine. And that's... all fine. I guess?" she said, now looking entirely confused, bewildered and like she had no idea what she was doing. "If... if there's anything else, just... let them decide," she muttered, motioning to Usagi and Niji. "They're the experts."

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    Niji laughed a little. "I didn't say you were, Kirara-san. I was just agreeing with Usagi-san that it sounded that way." she said. "That's all." she said, waving her hand. "It's nothing, it's nothing."

    "Anyways, let's make sure we go for flavor and not heat with this one?" Niji says, her thumb kind of pointing towards Hinoiri. "I don't want to burn her out." she says. "And... I mean, I don't usually get vegan or vegetarian anything." Niji admits. "So I may have to let Usagi-san help beyond that. I'd just tell you to get vegetarian curry and go for it. I haven't had anything here that's not good, so I can't imagine it isn't... good!" she says.

    "Oh, a rosewater for me, as well?" she asks. "It's a drink made by letting rose petals sit in the water for a while. It's good. I thought it was wierd the first time somebody told me, too." she adds.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I'm always hungry," Usagi says cheerfully, "But I want you to try the samosas - they're really good! And since we invited you, I figured if I want you to try them, I should order them. The manga lassi is a drink; lassi is really refreshing and cooling, and I like mangos!"

She'll let Niji explain the rosewater, but make encouraging gestures about how it's a good choice!

"What do you recommend for a vegetarian having their first curry experience? Oh - is cheese okay, Hinoiri-chan? I should have asked, because some of the vegetarian curries have cheese."

Hmmm, cheese isn't meat at all, but is it too close? Much better to ask the vegetarian.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"We can do pretty much anything without dairy if it's a problem," Rashmi reassures Usagi, chuckling. "Papi likes the challenge. So... Four-star pork, two-star chana masala, and... hm." Tapping the pen against her lower lip, Rashmi gives Hinoiri a considering look.

"Chana dal, I think. That's a chickpea stew with onions and tomatoes, and of course Mami's home spice blend. Since you're not used to spicy, we'll keep it a little bit more mild than the chana masala. Okay... I'll be right back with your drinks and samosas, and I'll bring some garlic naan to share when your food's ready! Thanks again!"

And just like that, the order is taken, and the redhead turns to bop back into the kitchen to place the order.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a soft sigh, crossing her arms. "Yeah... so... thanks I guess," she muttered. She wasn't used to not having the answers to well... everything. And while, logically, she knew it was JUST food... a part of her didn't like having to lean on them for the answers. Even if she knew it didn't matter. It wasn't important. IT was just like... food. They were taking her out. Kind of. Still bothered her.

"... So you don't eat the roses... but soaking the water in the petals that... oh, nevermind," she muttered. She crossed her arms and leaned back a bit, lightly tapping her foot. "How... long does it usually take?" Ohhhh, she was definitely tense. "And cheese is fine. My... dislike for meat isn't a nutritional thing. It's... meat just... guh. I just don't like the taste or texture. It makes me... nauseous. I've always just tried to avoid it ever since. Not usually an issue and... and you're just trying to be helpful, sorry. I'm just a bit on edge. It's not your fault. You're being great. Both of you."

Then blinked. Wait. She actually genuinely meant that. It wasn't just... ugh. She really needed to focus on taking over Kirakirafantastica before this place made her go... soft.

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    And Niji has a big broad smile on her face. Of course, it's a good thing that Hinoiri is being shown all of this kindness, based on how she'd talked about her previous life. "Thank you so much, Terios-san." Niji adds, smiling at the other girl, too.

    "I mean you know that soaking something in water lets the flavors kind of seep out, right? Rosewater is kind of soft but it's nice." she says. "Plus, I'll need something to cool down my tongue."

    "You're welcome. It's good to show folks things they haven't seen before. It gives you a warm feeling inside." she says. nodding at Usagi. Usagi knows. If anybody knows about getting warm feelings from helping and friendship it's odangoes there. "You'll be on edge for a while because of your past, I think." Niji says, offering her an escape route for any negativity. "But you're not there now, you're here, with us - with friends."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Don't worry about it," Usagi agrees, her smile gentle and warm; she really isn't taking any of the bite to heart. "The food here is pretty quick - a lot of what's made has to stew for a while, so they make a lot of it in big batches that they can modify for spice!"

And, she supposes they should address this, right? Since Hinoiri is bringing it up? "You're pretty great too. You're trying something new! That can be really hard, especially if you're good at stuff; you said you always felt like you had to be perfect, or something like that? It's hard to be perfect on your first try. Don't worry! That's what friends are for."

She's very grateful for their host having the perfect idea of what Hinoiri-chan should eat, and leads them to a table near the back, so they can become one of the shadows in the windows. She slides into a seat, so she can be the one trapped against the window, and Hinoiri can either sit across, or take the easy escape of being on the aisle side. "Come on, come on you too, take your seats."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
It's not long at all after the girls have their seats, that Rashmi comes back bearing a fully-loaded tray. Three tall glasses and a plate piled with steaming wrapped snacks... probably the samosas? The glasses set in front of Niji and Hinoiri are a faint, pastel pink, though Hinoiri's has a small green cosy wrapped around the bottom -- presumably to distinguish the vegetarian type at a glance. Usagi's lassi is pastel yellow, and the samosas set down smell inviting enough to let the girls know that if you weren't hungry when you came in?

*You are now.*

Tucking the tray under her arm, Rashmi grins at the trio. "Your lunch should be out in about... ten minutes? Close to that, yeah. Meantime, enjoy!"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara cocked an eye at Niji. "Cool down your tongue? Ah. Fun. You know... actually, no. If you like to torture your tongue, do whatever makes you happy." She had a bad feeling about this. But she was trying to keep her mood up. "So uhhh... the waitress seems nice, at least," she said with a small smile. "Always like waiters, they see everything, you know. Whenever Sora hosted a big event, everyone always fawned over whichever dignitary showed up from where ever, but honestly I think the support staff were a lot more interesting. They always had the gossip that all of the diplomats were too uptight to ever admit to."

Honestly, though, she was looking forward to the rose water. When was the last time she'd eaten a rose? She'd considered eating flowers but... well... since coming to this world, she'd tried eating some flowers. It uhhh... hadn't gone well. "Yeah... I guess... I don't have to be perfect here anymore, do I? Not like Sora is ever going to see me here. She'd probably flip out if she saw me on a moped or... well, half the stuff I do now..."

She glanced out towards the window and gave another soft sigh. Friends, huh? Waste of time. Wasn't it? But then... She glanced between the two of them. Friends were... useful. She was getting something out of this, learning something.

And she, being herself, slid... into the empty seat. Across from Usagi. Because why sit with someone when you could sit by yourself?

"Still feels kind of unreal. A part of me expects to wake up and hear her calling for me to--" And then she stopped, steeling herself and narrowing her eyes. "That's a useless thought. She underestimated me, thought I wasn't good enough. Her loss. At least some people out here understand just how amazing I am."

She food arrived before she could focus too much on her prior mentor. She eyed the samosas. "And... you're sure there's no... meat in them?" she asked. They smelled incredible. But... they looked... She slowly poked one as if she expected it to get up and bite her. "They... uhhhh... look... nice?" she said sheepishly. "This is what samosas are supposed to look like, right?" She then eyed the yogurty treat, giving it a small sip, before nervously picking up the flass and taking a very, very small sip of it. After a moment her eyes went wide. "This uhhh... this is actually pretty good. Heh..."

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    "It's not torture. It's exciting. It's like when you run across a field and your muscles burn but in a good way. For your tongue." Niji protests. "But we didn't get you anything like that, so don't worry. Besides, you gotta build up to that." she says, smiling.

    "Anyways, that's pretty clever, about the waiters and such. Did Sora host a lot of parties?" she asks, tilting her head a bit. Then she sat next to Hinoiri - since Hinoiri was kind of the focus. This meant that, of course, Hinori was trapped between Niji and Window. Not intentional from Niji's perspective.

    "It sounds like she focused a little bit too much on how well or not well you were doing, if you ask me. Stuff is supposed to be fun. Life is supposed to be fun. Good food, good friends, good fun. The three Fs." Niji says, like this is a deep and core philosophy and not something she made up just now.

    "Here, I can try it for you and make sure, before you bite in?" she helpfully offers, reaching over to grab a Samosa... "But yeah, Samosas look like this. They're kind of an appetizer. They sure do the job, I am even hungrier, now..." she says before taking a bit. "It's all veggies and it's all good." she proclaims after swallowing it.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Spicy food can be really great, but only if you feel like crying a bit, you know?" Not every day is a day to cry because your tongue is so spicy, but when that is the day you want to have, it's ideal.

"That kind of sounds like what my papa used to do - he's an editor for a magazine, and when he was a reporter, he would go to all kinds of parties. He still does, sometimes. Talking to the waiters is a pro strategy!"

Very complimentary; she's noticed Hinoiri responds well to those, and she doesn't mind laying them on, especially when it's true. Which is also why she doesn't draw on the useless thought conversation, instead taking a samosa for herself and cutting it in half, opening it up for Hinoiri to see.

"I'm sure! Niji-chan tried it, but you can see inside too - the samosa is potato and peas and chickpea filling inside this dough, and it's cooked in butter I think? No meat at all."

And with that, she does dig into half of the cut open samosa, groaning softly in appreciation - it's filling, warm, and absolutely delicious.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
There are still a couple samosas on the plate when Rashmi returns, bearing what is obviously the star of the show.

For Niji, it's a wide, shallow bowl heaped with rice on one side, and a warning-orange-colored stew on the other, in th Japanese style. The stew is absolutely loaded with chunks of meat, carrot, and thick slices of daikon for a peppery contrast to the heat of the chilis.

Usagi and Hinoiri each get a bowl of plain, fluffy white rice, and a bowl of a soup so thick it may as well be gravy. Turmeric and cumin lead the show in Usagi's food, but for Hinoiri it's a subtler touch of saffron and cinnamon

While the heat is present in Hinoiri's dish, it's very much like the heat is waving from across the road. Unlike Usagi, shaking hands with heat like old friends, and *definitely* unlike Niji's nostril-searing spice. After giving everyone a beat to appreciate their food, Rashmi sets down a final plate, stacked with garlic-and-herb flatbread. "Aaaaaand there you go. Before I go back, let me know if everything's to your liking?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara nodded. "Ahhhhh. Yeah, okay. That, I get. Not a huge athlete, mind, but I've often enjoyed a good push. Well... winning, at least," she said with a smirk. Prooooobably for different reasons than Niji. "But... no. I don't cry. Crying makes you look weak," she said. "Undermines your authority. Faith others have in you."

Yeah... uhhhh...

"A lot of festivals, parties, all kinds of things, really. Lots of people coming in and out all the time. I don't think she liked it much, though. They felt so... fake, most the time. But it made everyone else happy, so she'd go and drag me along for the show," Hinoiri mumbled softly. "Not... the biggest fan of reporters, admittedly. Tabloids are always... less than pleasant to deal with. A shame you can't just burn them down," she mumbled. She then blinked and gave a small chuckle. "Heh... heh heh. That's... a joke. Sorry, I uhhh... have been trying to get better at... those. Here, now."

"Three... F's, huh?" Hinoiri asked. "We... had the three P's back home? Presentation, punctuality and performance. I uhhh... don't think it was the same thing. We... had good food, at least. Different. A lot different. But it was good. Not a lot of friends. I thought I was having fun, sometimes. But I guess some people disagreed," she muttered. "Ugh. I'm sorry. I'm focusing too much on the past. I don't know what's been up with me lately! I need to focus on the future. Because that's just it. The past," she snapped.

Then, slowly, she picked up one of the samosas. It... it looked okay. Not the best, but not... terrible. She picked off a little bit of the tip and put it into her mouth, like a nervous chipmunk. Huh. Not bad. Slowly, she lifted it up and took a small bite. Huh. Okay, pretty good. A flavor she wasn't used to. Interesting texture. Not too bad. Yeah. She could eat more of these.

Unfortunately for her, now the full meal had arrived. She took a deep breath... ugh. Seeing Rainbow's... made her go a little pale. It looked like... Kirin stew. Or something equally unappetizing. Rice looked fine. But...

She just stared at her plate and then... lightly began to tap her foot, staring at it... and then... started... mumbling something under her breath? Was she singing to herself?

She didn't look happy, though.

"Here's what I know, this food is so ick. It's gooey and gross as could be.
I just need to show i can handle this taste. Go on, Hinoiri, take a bite.
It's disgusting, I know it's disgusting. I can't just stomach it now. Just try, a single little bite, you can handle it you'll see."

Taking a deep breath, she picked up a spoon, got a little bit of rice and the stew on it. Held her breath and took a bite.

And for a moment she was quiet. Then... Her eyes went wide and they positively *sparkled.*

"By Sora's rising sun, what in the world was that? It makes my tongue sing with delight!
Since I've come here, I thought it was all plain. Everything was just bland.
But now I can see, this was meant to be. This curry has given fresh life to me!"

They, fortunately, wouldn't be able to hear the mumbled words, but trust me. She heard them, with accompaning music, in her head.

As it was, though, she just stood there, mouth hanging open, eyes sparkling, borderline shimmering. The sun managing to filter through the window at just the right angle to illuminate the bowl as if it was divinely sent...

Before she just *tore* into it. Not like, super messily. But as someone who had just had like... a diet of fruit, muffins and ice cream for the last few weeks. She fumbled a bit with the spoon, but... "This is INCREDIBLE! I've never had anything like it! How? How did you make this? What IS this?! How have I NEVER heard of this before?!" And ummm, yeah, it was NOT going to last very long as this rate. if she was by herself she would have even abandoned the pretex of the spoon. The only reason she wasn't going on it faster was that she could only move the spoon so fast.

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    "Crying isn't really a weakness." Niji notes. "Anybody who'd look down on you for crying isn't someone you need to look up to anyways. It's emotions. Emotions are important." she says, before she takes a bite of her curry. And maybe there's a reason she said that, because a few moments later she goes for the rosewater and there's absolutely some tears at the corner of her eyes, too. "ssssgood" she mumbles. She does like it, but. It's been a while since she let anything challenge her tongue."

    After the rosewater helped, Niji smiled. "The past is important too. You can't get where you're going without knowing where you've been! My dad said that." she snotes.

    But then Hinori takes a bite and Niji just... almost is the moon to Hinoiri's sun, grinning wide. "Toooooold youuuuuuu." is all she says in response to it, right before... she started to almost go to war with the food. And Niji just snickered.... "Tooooold you!"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Three F's, three P's, Usagi is wondering if maybe she should get a three letters thing... something to ask Naru about, for sure. "Maybe crying does make you weak, because people know you're upset," she considers, because she cries all the time, "But maybe it's a strength too? Like you're confident enough to cry if you want, because you don't care what anyone says."

This is not something she's sure of - she, Usagi, has been a crybaby her whole life and she doesn't think it's made her strong, but considering everything, she doesn't think it's made her weak either.

But there's food, to consider, food freshly delivered, curry that smells absolutely perfect, with the right amount of spice to share with someone trying it for the first time, and she definitely digs in too, spreading spoons of curry over her rice and then scooping it right into her mouth.

Ohhhhhh yeah. That's the stuff.

"It's amazing, isn't it?! It's sooo good, and everything is seasoned so well!" She would offer some of her chana masala now, only, she's a little worried she wouldn't get the plate back. Considering how much that curry is being devoured...

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Laughing at the question of how it was made, Rashmi hugs her tray, equally as pleased as Niji by how *speedily* Hinoiri turned around on curry. "Well that's why Mami and Papi work so well together," she says, when Hinoiri has to pause for a drink. "Mami's a spice artist, her *entire thing* is growing and making spice blends, and Papi learned technique from everyone he could, when he was out of cooking school. You could ask him how he made that, and get enough of a lecture for two whole classes, *and* a quiz at the end!"

Chuckling, she bobs in gratitude at Niji and Usagi's enthusiasm, as if her entire day was brightened yet further by the fact that three diners love her family's cooking. "Thank you *very* much, customers-san, and you should try the desserts! I think I heard that cheese is okay? Well... You should *see* what Bengal can do with fresh cheese!"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara eventually lowers her bowl. Her face... well... okay, she had a little bit on her cheeks. And some rice on the tip of her nose. She gulped and glanced away, face burning. "Err... I uhhh... y-yeah. I uhhh... I guess... you did tell me, didn't you?" she asked sheepishly. "W-wow. Ummmm... I uhhh... yeah. Uhhhh. T-that was... wow." She didn't say anything about their crying, though. Or at least... Not verbally.

But now she was trying to remember.... who told her not to cry? She'd never seen Sora do it. But... had someone told her not to? Or did she just try to imitate her?

She blinked when Usagi offered some of the chana masala. "Uhhh... sure," she said sheepishly. And then... did, at least, only take a bite.

She then glanced to Rashmi. "And that is precisely what I expect. If you're going to do something, you might as well be the best. Now, ummm... Rashmi-chan? Later, I'm... not sure when. But I will be coming back here for one of *everything.* I'm sure you think I'm joking, but I'm not. It'll take a bit to gather the money to-- wait, no. That wouldn't work. Even if that wouldn't possibly kill me from caloric overload, the food itself can't have the longest shelf life and maintain proper spice thresholds and..." She seemed to be, once again, doing mental calculations. She uhhh...

She liked it. And Rashmi was going to be seeing a *lot* more of her.

And she was going to have to steal a *lot* more energy to get the funds to pay for this. But yes. This TRIUMPHED over the caffeteria's muffins.

"Uhhhh... I'll take whatever dessert the chef recommends."

She still hadn't noticed that the had a little on her face. But honestly, she was smiling. Really, really smiling. They hadn't likely seen her do that... ever, actually. She had forced smiles. 'I just CRUSHED ALL OF YOU' smiles. That gentle 'half smile' she often did to appear friendly.

But... this smile was real. Genuine. She... actually looked happy. And when she did, she almost glowed, her hair managing to catch the light, eyes sparkling with their own light and even her movements seemed to almost be in tune with some song only she could hear.

And it was then she paused and looked at Niji's neck. "Huh... have... you always had that? It's a pretty necklace." She seemed so relaxed, content... taking a piece of bread and happily nibbling on it. Even giving someone ELSE a compliment.

Maybe friends... weren't so bad. If she had to be in this world, maybe she could find things in it that made it tolerable. Who knew? Maybe she could even get these two work at Obsidian.

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    "Not crying, when you feel like you need to - holding it in? That is totally bad for you." Niji says. "You can cry too much but you can also not cry enough, and that turns into too much when you can't hold back anymore." she adds. "I've seen it happen to others." Not to her, of course. Niji's awesome.

    Niji is... a little bit quieter, as she gets to work on her curry. Partly because her curry is HOT and she is drinking a lot of rosewater to offset it. Partly, because she's listening to the ball of amazement that is Hinoiri.

    "See? You gotta listen to others around you or you miss out on all sorts of cool stuff." She teases gently.

    "Gosh it's so good. Hot, but good. Terois-san, your family is amazing - for making this food and for making it their passion to share it with others. It's like... like a power-up for the whole rest of my day." she says, before finishing her curry - and promptly thereafter, her water.

    Then Niji grinned at Hinoiri. "You know you can come here like, multiple times, right? I am pretty much always happy to meet somebody here for food if there's not a game going on or something." she adds. "You don't have to try them ALL at once."

    Niji gripped her little geode almost instictively? "This? No, I found it. I wasn't able to find anybody who knew about it, and I think maybe they left it there for someone else, because people don't usually lose things in the tops of trees?" she offers. "I guess you could say it's my good luck charm, because after I found it I got the invitation here." she says, shrugging. "Kinda silly, but everybody in sports has some sorta silly thing. This one's mine."

    She put her silverware in the bowl and went about stacking it with everybody elses. "Thank you so much Terios-san. Your family and food are awesome. I have to go grab some gear and get ready for a practice, but it was good to eat with you. And Hinoiri?" she paused, and grinned wide again. "Tooooooooold you."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Ahhh, Hinoiri-chan is pretty cute like this, rice grains on the tip of her nose, a smudge of curry on her cheek - Usagi is tempted to brush it away for her, but what if she gets upset, the embarrassment turning to cutting words? Better to just say nothing, maybe?

"Everything at Korma is wow," she agrees, nodding sagely. It's a sign of sincere effort, that Usagi offers a try of her food, because she prefers to inhale her own food, without any hint of offering to share, and often will happily take other people's food, but - there's a lot of joy to be found, in sharing.

You learn something new every day!

And if this was the reward for sharing? She was going to have to do it even more, because Hinoiri-chan was always pretty, but she's adorable smiling, her eyes sparkling, even her hair almost shining. It was the happiness that did it, and it was definitely enough to make Usagi want to make her happy again.

"Rashmi-chan! Thank you for taking such good care of us today. I know Hinoiri-chan will have a great time at all the rest of her visits." Because of course she'll be coming back! She's already said she would!

And she - pauses. Looks over at Niji, and the necklace, and listens to her saying - huh. She got the invitation after she found a new necklace?

Usagi's hand strays to her broach, tucked into the pocket of today's outfit, close at hand and ready for carry, for danger. She'd gotten invited a week before she received it - but only a day after she met Luna.

But it wasn't the same, right? What was the likelihood that Niji-chan was like her?

Totally a small chance, right?

It's pretty, Niji-chan. It definitely looks like the kind of lucky charm you expect to see on an athlete!"

She starts stacking her dishes too, pushing the remaining samosas towards Hinoiri. "You should take the rest of these! They'll make a great snack. And - hey, here's my phone number, okay?" There's a quickly scribbled note, offered to both of them. "I realized after we ran into each other last time that I didn't give it to you! It's lucky we all ran into each other again, but this will make it easier to do on purpose, y'know?"