953/Fried Chicken By Moonlight

Fried Chicken By Moonlight
Date of Scene:	24 December 2023
Location:	Tsukino Residence & Kentucky Fried Chicken
Synopsis:	Meet the parents! Then on their KFC Christmas Eve date, Usagi and Mamoru talk about things they've needed to talk about since the showdown at Soryuu Jinja.
Cast of Characters:	Mamoru Chiba, Usagi Tsukino

---

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
He's Very Nervous.

Mamoru Chiba is dressed in the most inoffensive clothes that he has that are neither school uniform nor fifty-thousand-yen bespoke suit -- black slacks, a white button-down, a really nice tie, dress shoes, and... Usagi's father's coat.

He's carrying a little box in a little bag with shiny paper wrapping stuffed in it, and he's shifting from one foot to the other. At least these days his hair is cut. At least right now his glasses are not smudged.

His breath is visible in the air and his face is a little pink from the chill, and he leans and presses the doorbell.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
She's Pretty Nervous herself. Usagi Tsukino had told her parents, of course. She and Mamoru were determined to do things properly, now that he wasn't full of Dark Energy and could use his own name, and that means meeting her parents. She'd bribed Shingo not to tell them anything ahead of time, but now...

She runs to the door to make sure she's the first one to arrive, even if her papa is right on her heels, his usually easy-going face a little stoic in preparation for meeting The Boy Who Wants to Steal His Baby Girl.

"Just remember papa, Mamochan is very sweet and nice and he's really nervous about meeting you because he wants to make a good impression!"

"As you've told me. I promise not to give him too hard of a time."

Too hard. Of a time.

Usagi opens the door and beams at Mamoru, looking at his newly shortened hair, his nice black slacks, and the little box - "Mamochan! Hello!"

"Oh, I know this boy," Kenji says, a little surprised, "You asked if he could have one of my coats. You're wearing it very well, young man."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Lanky and awkward in that way that's young-- he's so tall, but the shape of his face, he's not that much older than Usagi-- Mamoru bows politely to Kenji and tries not to give Usagi too kfldkgaldj a look!!! while he's on his best behavior. His face is not just red from the cold at 'Mamochan' in front of her dad, either, but he ducks his head to hide the grin for a half second. "Thank you, Tsukino-san. Twice over! Please accept my gratitude--"

And he takes the little box out of the bag and offers it to Kenji two-handed, bowing over it again. It's just a thank-you gift for the coat, interesting sweets he might enjoy sharing with Ikuko, or whatever, it's Not Mamoru's Business!! because his job is done when Kenji takes it from him.

And when he straightens up he's very serious!! and not flushed or grinning at all! and he asks, "May we go out for dinner? I mean! Usak-- Usagi-ch-san and I!" He gestures back towards the street. "I took a taxi, I thought it might be cold waiting for the bus."

Stop talking, Mamoru.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Kenji Tsukino is an easy going man, taller than Usagi (of course he is, could you imagine if he wasn't -) but not nearly as tall as Mamoru - Kenji is a comfortable five foot six inches, and he does have to look up, a little, at Mamoru. The red face and grateful way he offers a gift helps, and Kenji smiles a little as he accepts it.

"This is very kind of you, Chiba-san, thank you."

Usagi is smiling, not reaching out for her father's gift (but very curious about it), and then giving her papa the biggest puppy eyes...

"...why don't you come in? I'm sure Usagi-chan's mother would like to meet you too. We'd like to know more about the young man who's captured our little girl's heart."

It's Usagi's turn to go red, her whole face flushed. "Papa!"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
It's like he's practiced for this and is still afraid he'll get it wrong -- there's no dark energy falsely bolstering his self-assurance, and there's none of Endymion's easy social graces rescuing the orphanage boy. With the gift-giving culture impressed upon him by the Obsidian corporate environs, Mamoru bows again, swiftly, and laughs a little sheepishly as he steps inside and offers the bag. "For your home," he says, then smiles lopsidedly. "Please enjoy it. There's-- my situation is complicated, I'm not sure what you want to know? I've never dated anyone before."

A hell of a thing to admit. Maybe he doesn't know he's supposed to be more experienced or something. It doesn't seem to make him embarrassed, just a little helplessly amused.

Maybe the worst is over with.

Oh shit it's not. He might have to admit where he's from.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
The bag is also accepted, though now Usagi is being trusted with the original gift, as Kenji takes the bag and then shuffles around to close the door behind Mamoru once he's inside.

The Tsukino home isn't an especially fancy place, but it's not excessively casual or junky, either. It's a comfortable home, for a comfortable family - large, certainly larger than many places in Tokyo, proof that the family lives well. There are family pictures and older, well-cared for pieces of furniture, and the layout of the house is fairly traditional, sure, but also geared towards flow through the home.

Kenji leads them to the living room, where Shingo is playing with Luna and a laser pointer, and Ikuko is watching a movie, both of them looking cosy in sweaters.

"Dear, who was at the - oh! Is this Usagi-chan's friend?"

Shingo and Luna poke their heads up too, turning to stare. Usagi smiles brightly.

"This is indeed Usagi-chan's friend, Chiba-san. He'd like to take our little girl out to dinner tonight, and he's let me know that he's never dated anyone, and his situation is complicated," Kenji says, eyes saying, so we'd best get some questions in!. "He's been very polite, and brought us some gifts."

"That is very polite of you, Chiba-san. Would you like something to drink?" Ikuko is already getting to her feet, smiling at the tall, tall boy in greeting. "Where are you thinking of taking our Usagi tonight? And would you share some of what complicated means?"

Usagi's smile is - fading, a little, as she realizes her parents definitely intend to interrogate her boyfriend.

Both of them seem fairly pleased to hear that Mamoru's never dated anyone else, though.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Faintly poleaxed at the 'would you like something to drink' because is he supposed to accept? It's not tea necessarily which means it doesn't necessarily mean a half hour of misery, but, accepting is probably a better indicator of 'not trying to rush off with Usagi nefariously or selfishly' than just the standard exchange of shoes for guest slippers, and! taking off his coat to hold it in his arms-- Mamoru accepts, also bowing to Ikuko. "Tsukino-san, hello! Yes please, if it isn't too much trouble? Whatever is easiest..."

He shifts his weight, face still a little flushed, and he glances back at Usagi, and he gives her an encouraging smile when he sees hers flagging a bit. Then he answers Ikuko dutifully, only glancing at Shingo and Luna briefly, "I was hoping we could go to KFC, but if it's too busy there, I've heard about new restaurant downtown, called Okujoo Ramen, that's actually on a rooftop! They have an indoor seating option too, of course..."

He takes a breath and reaches up to adjust his glasses, blue eyes closing for a half-second. "I'm-- a--" this is difficult, this is very difficult, and the words are being forced out with a determined self-deprecating smile, "--ward of the state. There is a trust, but I'm a minor. The school is where I live until I'm eighteen. I was-- misplaced for two and a half years, and there is a lot of legal... drama? over it that's more complicated than I can really follow, but... I'm sixteen now, so it can only be truly complicated for another two years, I hope."

His face is burning but his hands aren't shaking and his voice, though a little halting, never actually wavered.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"It's no trouble at all, Chiba-kun. We have some lovely fresh pomelo juice, I'll bring you a glass!" With a warm smile, Ikuko steps away and into the kitchen for a moment. When she returns, it's with three cups of juice - one that Mamoru is offered, then one for each Tsukino child, and finally both Tsukino parents watch him contemplatively. He's tall, but his face is youthful and his demeanor awkward, so he's not some much older student coming to romance away their little girl...

But his idea of a place to take their daughter is age appropriate. KFC, or ramen in an outdoor establishment with indoor seating with the weather turns... the children do love KFC, it's been a popular concept... "That does sound festive," Ikuko acknowledges brightly, "Not to mention traditional. Usagi-chan loves to eat -"

"Mama!!!"

"I'm not saying anything untrue, Usagi-chan! And what I was getting at, is that KFC is a nice option because we never got it very often, and I'm sure you prefer getting food at the cafeteria than going out too often, especially since it gets dark so early~"

Right?!

"Oh,,," Usagi says, definitely not committing to any lies.

And then Mamoru continues speaking. And his smile may be determined but there's pain in his eyes and it's obvious everything he's saying is so difficult, and the story is - well.

The story had been in the news for quite a while. A ward of the state, wealthy, simply - gone. Kenji was closer to the news than most, with his editing circles, and he'd held his children closer in the face of that story. It's only natural, that their hearts melt that little bit.

"Thank you for sharing with us, Mamoru-kun. I'm sorry to hear about your difficulties. It's admirable that even with the challenges you face, you're helping out Usagi-chan with her studies." He's always been a soft-hearted, kind man. Of course he smiles at him. Of course he empathizes.

"...do you have any New Year's plans, Mamoru-kun?" And that's Ikuko asking, a touch of motherly concern on her own face, and they've both dropped from Chiba-kun to Mamoru-kun.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
It's funny, Mamoru is always on some level braced for rejection -- the two years prior to meeting Usagi and Kazuo and all their friends didn't help with that -- and even with the past six months of people being interested in him for him he's still not actually ever braced for kindness that has sympathy but not pity. And Mamoru-kun--

He's a little flustered, there, holding his juice.

"Ah-- I'm all right, sir, thank you, it's not so bad," he demurs a little gracelessly at the sympathy and then the compliment-- but the compliment also makes him blink. "And it's no trouble! We have fun. It's classes I took last year, anyway, so it's all still things that are, are relatively fresh. You know? And we have a friend, Kazuo, he's a grade above me and he does the same for me," he says stoutly, as if they didn't know the whole sordid history of Usagi's painful grades-- as if those grades weren't why she's going to Radiant Heart in the first place -- as if he weren't always vying for top standing in his class.

Then Ikuko sends him scrambling for words again; he's barely touched his juice, and for that, he takes a fortifying drink before answering. "Ah-- nothing solid, I was only considering asking Kazuo if he had plans, but-- nothing solid." A beat, and he gives Usagi a questioning glance. Then sips his juice again.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
It was almost certainly that bad, both Kenji and Ikuko knew, but they would not contradict him, not like this. This is his business - that part of things. How difficult it was or wasn't. However, when he tries to say it's not difficult to tutor Usagi?

They both exchange a deeply amused, already fond look. They both know very well how difficult it is for Usagi to manage her grades.

And it's not like she was a great student, now. But her grades were better. Still failures, still struggling, but better averages on her tests than she'd had in some subjects in years.

Any student who understood the material well enough to tutor her was a student who was definitely not in the same realm as her, and yet - "I'm glad you have fun. We've always told Usagi-chan that school could be fun," Kenji says cheerfully.

And then Ikuko's offer is in the air, and Usagi smiles at him, making it clear that she'd definitely have him for New Years.

"Well, if you'd like, we'd be happy to have you spend the New Year with us. Any of Usagi's beloved friends are welcome."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Now Mamoru's definitely starting to look overwhelmed, and he's enough on the back foot he can't even hope to lean on Endymion's social grace to rally. "I would love that. I would love that, thank you," he's left repeating himself, but smiling.

He wanted to make a good impression! He thinks he must have done so if they're inviting him back already. But he also wants to go out with Usagi and stop being in the spotlight; he finishes his juice and stands a little uncertainly for a half-second, unsure of the next piece of protocol for guests with empty juice glasses and their coats in their arms.

Mamoru hasn't been a guest in many homes before.

He glances at Luna as if seeking input from the cat, then offers Shingo a tentative smile, then returns his attention to Usagi's parents, all swift one thing after another, so it's not a terribly long pause before he adds with a laugh, affectionate and warm, "Usa-ko has a lot of beloved friends. There's so much room in her heart."

Yes! The next piece of protocol is 'let Usagi steer the conversation toward a speedy exit.'

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Luna licks the back of a paw, humming. Poor lad. Full brunt effect of the Tsukino's being welcoming and loving... he never stood a chance.

But Usagi rallies. "That's right! I do have a lot of beloved friends, Mama and Papa. I've had a lot of fun at Radiant Heart, and - just like we're inviting Mamochan, we should invite more of my friends. A lot of them might end up spending New Years alone, otherwise..."

She makes a sad, pleading face at her parents, which isn't even necessary - at alone, they're already making such sympathetic faces.

"Of course we'll be happy to host your friends, Usagi-chan. You can tell us -"

"I'll tell you all about them, when Mamochan and I get back from dinner. If we don't go now, we'll never get to have any chicken at aaaaaall," and she's whining but in that cute, playful way that a child has with an indulgent parent, and Kenji and Ikuko sigh and look at each other, having an entire conversation just with their eyes - Usako, Mamochan, really?

"Alright. You two can go, but I expect you home by ten, young lady!"

Viiiiiiiictory!!!

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
@};--',--'-,--

'If KFC is too crowded' he'd said. The reservations (!) were made in advance, despite all the changes in plans and wild uncertainties of the past week and change, so there's a spot and dinner already ordered, and they don't have to wait very long once they've let the staff know they're there.

Getting the 'family meal' for two from KFC is generally enough for three adults even if it says four, which means that two teenagers and a cat and maybe some of the cake for Shingo should be able to do it justice.

It's crowded inside, but it's not boisterously loud, just the loud of many people talking at regular conversational volume, barely audible Christmas music playing in the background.

Mamoru's feet have already found one of Usagi's, and he's got her foot loosely trapped as he delicately gets greasy fingers, laughing. "So messy!" he says, making for a couple of napkins almost immediately, just to hold the chicken with.

When he slows down a little, he says a little loosely-- a little tiny bit more adrift than he was when he was grounded in the moment-- "I know it's not a very romantic question, but before we talk about anything else... can you tell me why? I mean, why everyone came after me at the shrine. I wasn't going to put a glyph."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
The KFC is crowded, but they have their spaces arranged in advance, and they sit together having more food than two average teenagers could manage. It's perfect for an Usagi sized appetite paired with a normal growing teenage boy. It's messy, and there's music, and it's not a traditionally romantic setting, but it's definitely modern-romantic, and they're having fun.

Usagi crunches into chicken and laughs at Mamoru's greasy fingers and their feet are trapped together and the atmosphere is warm, good.

And then -

Well, it did have to be asked, didn't it? Usagi doesn't droop, but her face takes on a somber cast.

"I was wondering when you'd ask," she admits, "We've been pretty busy, between everything. But... I knew you wouldn't. And I felt really bad when I got your text, because we'd already made the plan to go for the shrine before you told us, and I couldn't call it off, because it was the last possible day, and... it was a decoy. You were a decoy."

She sounds very guilty about that.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru doesn't freeze or withdraw or anything, he just looks thoughtful, his feet and his hands still. He doesn't look away, either, not really. He does contemplate his chicken for a moment, but then his eyes seek Usagi's again, behind his glasses.

"Did it work?" he asks eventually.

"I mean, I got Py-tan out, and she's still around, and that was my whole objective."

He takes a breath and lets it out, and then gets a very small, reserved sort of smile on his face, like an affectionate secret. "And I knew you had to have a plan, because you rolled up with your posse saying you were going to purify the shrine, but then didn't. So-- I don't mind being a decoy, if it worked."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
He doesn't look angry. He's thinking, and she appreciates that, because - because well, she was nervous, because she felt bad. She nibbles on potato wedges for a moment, and then -

"It did. But you got hurt. And it was my plan. So I'm not..."

But then she shakes her head, because that's not explaining enough and she knows it, and tries again.

"I thought you might notice, because I didn't want to... we knew Himeko-chan was in there, and we didn't want to risk her. But we figured out that her shrine was probably the last target for the glyphs, so we figured if we made a show of attacking it, you'd fight us. And I figured - if we fought you, your boys would show up. And then we'd just have to keep you all busy, while Wako-chan's team purified the other shrines, and we ran out the clock."

And she smiles, a little sheepish, because she knows she buried the lede a bit, closing with that.

"It was kind of... gambling, because we'd have to hope none of them attacked Wako-chan's smaller team, but that's why I got so many of us together, to come at you. I figured if anything would keep their eyes on us, it was you."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"It was a really good plan," Mamoru says, and he's impressed. He's really obviously very impressed; he's brightened after hearing the psychology of it. He reaches across the table to lay fingertips over the back of one of Usagi's hands, and he shows her he's not angry, he shows her he's proud of her, so proud of her. Such warm pride in her planning, her leadership, her beloved friends--

--his fingertips aren't even that greasy thanks to the napkins!

The warmth of that golden touch, of that active use of his empathy, is full of the peace and stillness of a late summer morning in the shade, way out in the countryside. It's at odds with the busy bright loudness of the restaurant, with the different kind of warmth of a place filled with people at night in the winter, but not in a jarring way.

"It worked just like you planned it to, they all came. And... I'm sorry I panicked, I thought I could tank that but I'd forgotten in the moment that I tore my cape-- but at the same time, I don't... I don't think it would have ended as well if I didn't protect him. I don't think you would have cried for him."

In that touch: he doesn't blame Usagi at all for that. He's grateful that she came after them with him, to fix them, despite their being such jerks.

"I think you did the right thing. Your plan. You saved everyone."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
He says that - he feels that, and Usagi feels it through him, his warmth, his pride, his belief in her, she feels all of that and doesn't feel a load of grease on her skin, but what he feels from her is also - regret. Fear. Relief.

She had been so, so afraid. She still regrets her plan. She is glad that it worked, glad that they saved the day, glad that it turned out well, but the blood -

It will haunt her nightmares for a long time. Hematite falling. Mamoru bleeding. Endymion dying in her arms. A sword in her hands -

That last part hadn't happened. She hadn't let it. Her thoughts had not been for that, but for him, for keeping him with her -

"I probably would have cried for him," she says quietly, "But not like that. Not enough to summon the crystal. It wasn't just - the crying. It was - I needed you, Mamochan. I couldn't let you go. Serenity couldn't let you go."

She twists her wrist, her hand, so she can grab his hand, lace their fingers together. He doesn't blame her and that's relief. She does still blame herself, in so many ways.

"I love you, you know? I hate that you got hurt in the plan I made"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
He's so serious, and his eyes are so bright, are overbright. "I love you too. And-- I can't let you go, either, but I don't know if I can tell death to leave so emphatically that it listens, so how about we're both very careful from now on?"

Mamoru leans across the table, bends, pulls their laced hands towards himself, then kisses the back of Usagi's hand. "I can't hate that I got hurt, because... it was enough for you to make miracles," he murmurs, pulling back a little. "And because I remembered. I have a childhood now, Usa-- it might not be the right one, but it's still mine. I grew up knowing who I was, once upon a time."

Mischief enters his expression and he squeezes her hand. "I am sorry that it caused you so much pain and that you still feel guilty about it." Then gentler, "It worked out, didn't it? And we learn from our mistakes, and we learn the kind of things we might have to brace ourselves for in the future, and we learn what we have the power to change. I'm all right, I promise."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I like that plan. I don't want to risk that again - who knows if I can do it twice?" She hadn't been willing to let him die, but would she get a say in things, if it happened again? It was better to not let it happen again.

The gentle kiss to the back of her hand makes her smile again, relaxing that little bit more, and she - she is happy for him.

"You remember everything from back then? All of Endymion's life? That's - that's good." It really is. Usagi remembers a lot of Serenity's life, but not all of it, but what she has is more than enough to know that Endymion's early life had been far kinder than Mamoru's. Warmer, more complete. And now it was all his, again.

"It did work out," she admits, pouting just a little. "And we did learn a lot. And we stopped your boys from doing something very stupid for the demon that was in their heads..."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Well, I don't have total recall," laughs Mamoru, "but I remember it like anybody would remember their own life. It's a little tangled where there's overlap, but there was already overlap from the fake stuff that Hematite had, so I'll sort it out." He sounds refreshingly unworried about it -- he sounds free, somehow, in a way that Hematite never, ever did.

"And then," he adds to what Usagi says when she's pouting, "we went after them and you stopped them from doing any more very stupid things by taking the demon out of their heads. Thank you again, by the way, that thing's the worst, and I wish we could just go after it for real, all at once."

A beat. "Her, I guess. I'm not going to be accused of misgendering a formless demon that goes by 'Queen Metalia'."

Their hands are still clasped, fingers laced, and Mamoru laughs once more. "Do you want to eat the cake now, or should we bring it with us? We can go back to the school and hang around eating cake in the quiet, in the cafeteria... then we can take a cab back to your house, or we could take the rooftops..."

He pauses. "Are you sure that that Tuxedo Mask wasn't just someone copying me?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"You know what I meant!" But she's laughing now, mood lifted, and bites into a chicken leg with a hum of satisfaction, fingers shining with grease and absolutely needing to be wiped down as soon as possible. "It's all yours now. That's good! Really good. I don't - I have a lot of memories, now, but it's all jumbled up. Bits here and there. It's easier to remember when I don't think about it too hard."

She has no idea if that will change, but for now...

"And you put them back together, because that demon made them like, patchwork dolls of weird. It wasn't just me. We did it together and -"

Usagi wrinkles her nose.

"Queen Metallia? Isn't there already a Queen Beryl? How does that work?" They can't both be the true queen right? "Are they like, a package deal? Marriage?" Gay rights for evil queens?

"Let's take the rooftops. We haven't gotten to - you were definitely Tuxedo Mask. It's the only thing that makes sense. He always showed up for me, just like you do!"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Sometimes I think I remember being with you when I know I wasn't," Mamoru admits, grinning crookedly. "I figured it was just wishful thinking." He finishes off his own chicken and has one (1) more potato spear, then starts packaging things up to put into the bag. Well, wipes his hands first, then leftover-wrangling.

"I really don't know what the deal is. I mean, ... no, I really don't know. I don't think it's marriage, I think they're more mercenary than that. I have no idea what the demon's supposed to be queen of."

What's left worth bringing with them fits easily in the one bag, and the trash goes easily on the tray to dump in the garbage on their way out, and Mamoru takes out another handi-wipe and passes it to Usagi. "We haven't gotten to go roofing it together yet, no! I'm excited. We should do that whenever we can get away with it!"

Over the rooftops with leftover KFC in the moonlight. Merry Christmas~