993/Curry Time

Curry Time
Date of Scene:	11 January 2024
Location:	Korma Chameleon
Synopsis:	It's a boisterous gathering at Korma Chameleon! Chiyo, Sayaka, Klarissa, Hinoiri, Niji, and Usagi make it a busy day for Rashmi.
Cast of Characters:	Chiyo Sakai, Rashmi Terios, Hinoiri Kirara, Niji Dasshu, Sayaka Miki, Usagi Tsukino, Amanda Faust

---

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai hadn't been to the Korma in awhile. Too long perhaps because the food really was good here. She'd stepped inside just a few minutes ago, wavering between whether to get takeout or to eat in, before ultimately deciding that sitting down and eating was the better option of the two. A table is claimed and the purple-haired girl is hunkered down in her seat reading over the menu.

She didn't look well. She looked tired, really, as she pauses to rub at her eyes then read the menu again. It helps a little.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
When the Korma gets busy, as long as Rashmi has her homework sorted, she volunteers to help in whatever capacity is needed. Thus, today she's bolstering the waitstaff, and clad in the green apron and ballcap of a Korma employee, she bops over to the newly-seated table. "Welcome to the Korma Chameleon! May I take your-- oh! Chiyo-chan, hi! ...Wow are you all right?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara didn't look the best either. For entirely different reasons, mind. She uhhhh... was what one might call a tad.... jumpy. After everything that had happened, accidentally blowing up her room and all, she had been crashing with Sayaka.

Which meant, unfortunately for the twins, she was with them a lot. And while.... sometimes.... she could be considerate.... It also meant she had been caught plotting once, going over Obsidian files while inside the warrior of justice's room and... yeah. She'd agreed to not do it in front of her again. While it hadn't turned into a full row, it had resulted in a bit of tension for a bit, but Hinoiri was.... trying to be better. Maybe not always succeeding, but she was trying.

Today was one of her attempts to be 'better'. In this case, she'd ended up returning to the room just a liiiiiittle bit before the twins and so, when the pair returned...

"Get changed, we're going out. I'm treating you to something nice tonight."

Was this a nice gesture? Was this an attempt for Hinoiri to not feel guilty about the fact she's been kind of mooching off the pair of them for a while and hiding from her roommate? While also being a villain and likely causing who knows how much problems for her?

Ah ha ha ha ha of course not that'd be silly BUT ANYWAY!

So it was that Hinoiri would guide the two into the restaurant and.... "Oh, hey, Rashmi-san!" she called out to her favorite waitress, giving a wave to the girl. Finding a seat wasn't hard until... Her eyes fell on Chiyo. She nudged Sayaka that way. "Hey, come on, she's cool," she said, nudging her and taking a seat by her... only to pause after a moment. "You look like tartarus. What happened? Oh, and Chiyo-san. This is Sayaka and Say-- Klarissa. My... uhhhh..."

... Welp. How to... put it.... Chiyo... knew Sayaka. "Girl...friend and... girlfriend's... twin," she finally said. That was the cover story, right?

... She was oddly bad at this part.

Niji Dasshu has posed:
Niji is cold. It's cold. Winter is cold. There's ice and snow and sometimes places you want to run are slippery and that's cool when you know it but not cool when you are surprised by it and go skidding into a wall and bump your head. That sums up Niji's morning. So now she's cold, and a little annoyed (at both the ice and herself) and you know what's good for both cold and bad feelings? Delicious warm fusion-food from a restraunt. Plus, she'd been out of town seeing her parents (oh yay!) for a while so she hadn't been here in a bit.

    Of course, it seems like everyone else had the same thought, as the Khorma is absolutely packed. She squeezes past some people and looks around.

    And when she spots an empty chair, wonder of wonders it's at the table with someone she's acquainted with. She can't move fast (which is driving her up a wall) but she does eventually shift close to it.

    "Hey, Kirara-san. Long time no see?" She asks. "This place is absolutely stuffed like I want my stomach to be. Do you mind if I take one of these chairs here?" The rainbow-haired girl asks before she starts pulling it out anyways. She will actually stop if she's told she isn't welcome, but it doesn't look like she's really intruding on a date. Or if she is, the date was already real complicated anyways.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
All in all, living with Hinoiri has definitely been a novelty. They couldn't have a third bed set up (they barely had the space as is for Klarissa's bed), and they certainly aren't going to involve their elusive roommate into the matter.

So Sayaka had decided to take the couch in the meantime, with the additional bonus of being able to watch any odd movement around the room from Klarissa. All in all things were going well, despite Hinoiri's work having definitely been something unexpected for them to deal with. At least they reached an agreement of sorts.

And they are making time for some fun together, at least. It has been a while since they last went to eat out with Hinoiri, if they don't consider Guardian Daifuku bringing them hot chocolate back when they were still one for that impromptu theraphy session. So, sure, let's go check out what's actually Hinoiri's favourite place. Hinoiri knows theirs, so it's only fair.

Klarissa didn't bring up any real opposition this time on account of this being a special place for Hinoiri, although Sayaka fully expects she will have to face the music later. Ula didn't want to be carried for once, so she is just floating right new to Sayaka's sleeve and acting like an adhesive plushie. That's a thing, right?

When they get reintroduced to Chiyo once more, Sayaka offers her a smile and exclaims "Hey, Chiyo-san, nice to meet you again, how are thing?" On Klarissa's part, she frowns when she gets called the twin of Hinoiri's girlfriend, but she just bows towards the other girl. "Hello, Chiyo-san. Hinoiri has introduced me already, so thanks for hanging out with my twin."

They take a seat at about the same time Niji asks for one, and they give her a curious gaze when she reveals to know Hinoiri. "Are you a friend of Hinoiri?" Klarissa asks to Niji. This is turning out to be quite the gathering, in a way that makes her a bit nervous.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai glances up at the familiar sound of Rashmi's voice to offer the girl a smile at the greeting. Even if it points out how awful she looks. "Yeah--" she begins only for her attention to be torn away. It would have been to begin with, really, but seeing two Sayaka's was a bit unnerving. It's only when Hinoiri comes over and gives the line about her 'twin sister' that she can nod slowly considering this news.

The question again as well as pointing out how bad she looks... It causes her to feel a bit self-concious as she reaches up to brush her fingers over her hair trying to smooth the curls out just a bit. Maybe it would help a little.

"Hi Sayaka-chan, and good to meet you Klarissa-chan," And another joins, only earning a small nod of, "Feel free," as the table did have plenty of free chairs. Maybe it would cheer her up to have people around for awhile.

"I'm okay, I've just been working a lot more lately. Ojiisan's not feeling well and I've taken over most of the shop duties. Plus... Can I also get something to take back to him later, Rashmi-chan? I don't feel up to cooking tonight."

A long sigh comes, and she mutters, "He's just so *drained* lately."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Suddenly people! Every greeting interrupted by the next, until most of the table is full of students, and Rashmi just stands there, chuckling to herself, until a few beats *after* Klarissa has seated herself, just in case any stragglers want to rush in and take the last seat. "...Okay, *lots* of familiar faces tonight! I'm guessing three checks then? Also, that won't be a problem Chiyo-chan, and I'll have Mami make a special batch of tea to take home to him too."

With that, she turns to the twins, smiling brightly. "Good to meet you both! If you have any questions about the menu feel free to ask, and if you're new to spicy food in general I'd suggest not going higher than 2-star."

"Happy to see you again too Niji-san! So... can I get anyone lassis to start, and maybe some snacks to start with?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a shrug. "Nah, one check, I'll cover it. Just thank Klarissa for it and try and show her a good time, she's been having a bit of a rough week the last..." Pause. Paaaause. "Month. And sure, lassis sounds great. I'll get my rose one." She'd let the others order for themselves. Waaaaas she showing off for her girlfriend(s)? Yes. Yes she was.

Look, Sayaka, I has money. Cause Obsidian. Ah ha ha. See? Not all bad.

She then glanced to Chiyo. "Your... Ojiisan? Huh. Isn't he the older guy working at the sweet shops? He's not feeling well? Did he catch something?"

Odd, she remembered seeing him up on that mountain just... not that long ago. A week or so ago? Oh. That reminded her. She really needed to check on those flowers. She hoped they were okay. After all, it wasn't like THEY could possibly be the cause. "He's... a real sweet guy, actually. I saw him a week ago or so, he... helped me out of a jam. Do any of the doctors know what caused it?" She even sounded legitimately concerned.

She then motioned to Niji. "Yeah, she was one of the first girls I met. One of only two people I've seen in this city with rainbow hair... she carries it *way* better, though," Hinoiri said in a playful tone. DARN YOU LOYALTY! Ha. And Niji was sweet, helped her with the games. She bet THAT girl understood the concept of loyalty.

"Can we get some samosas, too?" Of course, then her eyes wandered over Rashmi, just... a liiiiiiittle curious if she was wearing the brooch.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
When Chiyo mentions that her grandpa isn't feeling well, Sayaka wonders how she is doing managing the shop all by herself. Certainly she could use a hand, right? It can't be easy managing a shop all by oneself. "Would you like an assistant, Chiyo-san? I can't help with making sweets like you do, but I can serve the clients who come in at least." The bluenette at least hopes Chiyo hasn't been getting swarm of people to make things worse.

"Huh, Mami is here?" the twins ask when Rashmi mentions her, Sayaka looking around to try and see those twin ringlets of her, while Klarissa's gaze darkens. Ula reacts to the name too, turning a bit pale over the though of a fight erupting here.

If Klarissa sees the blonde magical girl, she so wants to storm out of here. Her feelings towards her all seem to acquire more and more peculiar hues even when she isn't there, with the latest development being Hinoiri having been rescued by her boyfriend. But then again, she is expected to behave, so she just sits in her chair and looks at Hinoiri splurge money around.

"You don't have to spend so much money", is Klarissa's obvious complaint. Not that she expects Hinoiri to actually listen. Knowing her she would have an excuse ready. She is frighteningly good at that, Klarissa thinks with a sigh. She will have to find some way to pay her back at least.

Rashmi has also mentioned a few things about the menu that's quite important to consider, namely the spicy food. "Uh, yeah, I think we will both keep that to a minimum", Sayaka replies awkwardly over refusing what's probably the place's specialty. Way to make a good first impression. "And thanks for the welcome, this place looks really nice."

Klarissa nods. "Yes, you did a good job, and as she said, please avoid spicy things for me too, sorry for the odd request."

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    Niji is so confused at the idea of another girl with rainbow hair. "Huh. I'll have to mess with her if I see her. I'm the one who found the loophole in the school code, if she's doing it too she's just some sort of poser." She says. Niji seems legitimately put off by this. And has not remotely considered the idea that Hinoiri might be talking about Also Her.

    "Oh well if she's getting it, I'll put in for another order of samosa and uhhh... a lamb Korma when you get to the entrees." she says. She's grinning at Hinoiri. She may not know how Hinoiri feels about meat-food. "All of the stuff here is -ama-zing though." she adds.

    "I don't think she means Mami Tomoe, I think it's another way of saying her mother." Niji says, looking to Rashmi. "Anyways... So, twins?" she asks, Sayaka and Klarissa, kind of as a unit. "Cool. Do you ever like. Swap places with each other to mess with people?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Well, the worst had finally happened. Usagi's parents had heard there was an explosion in her dorm building, and it had been the fight of a lifetime (read: the shouting match of the month) to convince them that she and Naru did not need to move back into the Tsukino house. The dorms were perfectly safe! Plus, she did not need Sunbreaker following her home the next time she wanted to talk to Naru.

When they hadn't gotten their way, they'd at least insisted on sending her money so she and Naru (and that sweet Chiba boy) could have a treat. Naturally the treat was going to be Khorma!

And the plan was take out, too, at least until she walked in and saw a number of familiar faces, from Chiyo to Niji to Sayaka to -

"You! Hinoiri-chan!"

Forgetting ordering food, Usagi is rushing right up to Hinoiri (and probably gathering a lot of attention from the other customers in the process). She doesn't care. She's flooded with relief and concern and barely manages to lower her voice to a reasonable speaking volume. "Hinoiri-chan! You're okay! Your sister(?) said your room exploded and you were missing! But you're here! And okay! Have you told her?! Also, hi Saya-chan, hi Klarissa-chan, hi Chiyo-chan, hi Rashmi-chan, (deep breath) and hi Niji-chan!"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"You met Ojiisan?" That causes Chiyo to pause regarding Hinoiri a moment before a fond smile creeps over her. All she can really do is nod. "He's the best. He may be quiet and distracted a lot at work, but he really does pay attention to everyone. Usually." The question of if the doctors know the sickness causes Chiyo to grow quiet once more. A glance is cast to Rashmi, then to Sayaka, before she ultimately just clears her throat. "No. They don't. He just... Starts his routine like usual. Cleans the kitchens, has breakfast, tends to the garden. That's about all he seems to have energy for. Eating good, healing foods helps him a bit though," she explains with a smile toward Rashmi. "Thank you, I'm sure he'd love the tea as well."

For now she runs a hand back through her hair and pauses to realize her top bun had gotten a bit loose. Out of habit she reaches up to quickly spin the hair around a time or two retying it. "Sorry. I really am a mess today. I'd love a mango lassi. I know it's traditional but it's also really good. Some chicken curry too, please."

She seems about to say more when Usagi explodes into the Korma in much the same way as the explosion that had caused such an issue with the dorms. Thankfully she didn't live in them. Her expression brightens a bit, only to chuckle to herself when Usagi greets everyone so breathlessly. "Hello Usagi-chan, it's good to see you again. Thank Mamoru-kun for me again next time you see him, would you?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Rashmi is indeed wearing a glittery crystal broach on her apron loop, shaped like a scroll! In fact she's been making it part of her outfit daily, which might tickle Hinoiri if she knew. "Nothing at all wrong with not wanting spicy," Rashmi assures Sayaka and Klarissa. "And yeah, I call my mother and father Mami and Papi... Honestly the only time they have a *problem* is when people want food that's super spicy just because they think it's a challenge, so... Kormas for everyone, two plates of samosas -- I'll make sure the ones with meat in will be red -- and lassis for everyo-- oh."

Usagi's breathless entry has Rashmi stunned for a bit, but when she talks about Hinoiri's dorm *exploding* that wipes away everything else. Good job she'd already written the orders down. "... ..... .......Wait *what?!*"

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    Niji turns to Usagi and then to Hinoiri. "Wait, it was -your- dorm that went all explodey?" she asks. "I heard that. Like both about it and I literally heard it." she says.

    "Good thing you're okay." Niji is not, say, the investigative or scholarly type. But when her school blows up randomly, her first thought was not chemistry explosion, it was youma. That's what tends to put big holes in things in her weekly life. "What uh... what happened?" she says. "I mean I'm glad you're okay but like. I uh. Have a dormroom too?" she tries. "And I would like it to stay unexploded."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara just smirked to Klarisa. "Oh, relax. It's not that much. Besides, what good is money if I can't use it to spoil the people important to me? Otherwise it'd be just paper." She reached out to lightly boop her nose. "Trust me, considering you two have been letting me crash with you two, I more than owe you at this point."

She glanced to Rashmi and smiled. "I'll go for veggie. I'm feeling adventurous, let's see if I can challenge a four, vegetarian."

She then glanced back to Niji and almost asked what she meant by loophole, then paused. Right. She dyed her hair, didn't she? People weren't... multi-colored haired weirdos. "And it really is, Niji-chan. I still remember the first time you and Usagi-chan brought me here. I never thought food that looked like... that, could, well, taste so great."

She then gave a nod to Chiyo. "Yeah, we passed when I was out on a walk. I'd dropped something and he... helped me... huh. Really? I wonder if he... maybe check the chemicals he's using to clean the kitchen? I think some of that stuff can build up over time. It... garden?"

Wait. The garden? Where he'd put the flower? And her mind was slowly spinning. No. It wasn't... possible. Was it? That... he... Her eyes widened slightly. No. It wasn't... like...

Before she could fully grasp what she was thinking... suddenly USAGI! "Hey, Usagi-chan! Pull up a--"

And then Usagi spoke. And the reaction was instant. Hinoiri, normally so calm and confident... shrunk... back a bit. Just a little. And the color draining from her face. She looked away from Usagi. "O-oh. Yeah... I... I guess... huh. I should... call Dianora... huh. Y-yeah. She's... yeah. I'll... I'll do that... later. Just... not been... yeah..."

Worse, her voice had gotten... meak. Soft. And she had almost *wilted*. Shrinking down a little in her chair. "I... I'd rather not... talk about what happened... I'm not even... fully clear on what happened other than it... it wasn't... good... it wasn't..." Slow, deep breath.

And they might notice she'd inched just a little closer to Sayaka there. 'Soras words echoing through her head.

"Can we just NOT talk about it?! Okay? It's not a big deal!" she yelled, before cringing. "O-okay, it is a big deal... I just... I'm not even sure what happened and I don't... I just don't want to think about it, okay?! So just let it GO!" she snapped, a bit of vitrol in her tone. "There was just... thing... and fire... and I just... it's not... it's not a big thing. I ran and I just... I'll be right back," she snapped before pulling back and making her way to the restroom. "Stay here," she told Sayaka and Klarissa, just in case they tried to follow her. She needed a second. Or two.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Klarissa shakes her head at Niji's question. "No, we don't. That seems like a stupid way to get a cheap laugh." Nevermind that Sayaka actually would have proposed that kind of antics at least once if she had expected Klarissa to agree. But as things stood, she barely had the time to stop her from running herself into the ground. "Yeah, Klarissa doesn't find it fun at all, what can you do? But, that doesn't matter, I understand it would just make her feel blue." Is that a pun? Yes, yes, it is. Hopefully, Klarissa doesn't mind if Sayaka throws in something to dampen her response in the reassurance she gives her.

"What's this about a sister, Hinoiri?" Sayaka's eyebrows rise as she looks at Hinoiri quizzically. Hinoiri has many secrets, but to never talk about your own sister? That's odd. Then she turns to Usagi with an explanation. "She wasn't missing, she just decided to crash at our dorm room. An explosion just occured there, she doesn't feel safe", she justifies Hinoiri's movements. Then again, not telling your sister you are alright is a bit weird. Is that really the case though? Sayaka knows from experience that magic shenanigans make blood relations a bit muddier than they would be. "Is everything alright?" she moves towards Hinoiri to whisper to her only. "Is that really your sister?"

Klarissa meanwhile just gives Usagi a glass of water. "Don't speak so fast, you will hurt your throat. Drink this, and breathe".

They relax a bit when Rashmi explains what she meant by Mami. "Oh, I see, that's actually fair. I wonder if Mami has ever had to deal with the opposite misunderstanding", Sayaka replies. Not that there is anything motherly in her, she thinks. Not like she is pampering anyone, right?

Hinoiri moving away does make the twins alarmed. They actually wanted to reach for her and try to check on her, but she deliberately warned not to, so they reluctantly stay put in their chairs. "Yeah, the fire isn't a good subject to her", Sayaka winces as she throws an excuse to the rest of the group, even if it probably isn't needed.

"Let's act like nothing happened when she comes back", Klarissa remarks. 'Has the mention of that suspicious sister made things worse?', she wonders. That's really odd timing for a new relative, even compared to theirs.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Even the most emotionally obtuse person in the world could have seen that Hinoiri was visibly upset by the reminder, and Usagi was already regretting her words, just a little, except - she'd been pretty worried - decently worried - rather worried -

Okay, the only part she regrets is that well,,,

"I didn't mean to make her run off," she says apologetically. The glass of water is gratefully accepted, and Usagi downs a few swallows before continuing, "I only found out the other day, and I was kind of worried. My parents just found out, so I had to convince them everything was definitely fine and they didn't need to make me move back home... I didn't mean to freak her out! But - I should have realized it was a bad subject..."

She's definitely feeling guilty.

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    "It's not your fault, Usagi-chan." Niji says. "It was bound to come up. If you hadn't asked I was going to. You just had more information than I did. We'll just have to treat it carefully from here on." she says, and looks around at everyone else for agreement.

    "Plus, if we upset her and she leaves, we'll have to pay for our own lunch. Pass." she adds.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai leans over to slide an arm around Usagi's shoulders giving a little squeeze to her friend. A sidelong hug in an attempt to help ease her sudden worry over the situation. "It's okay. You were just worried, and you didn't know. It's a good idea to change the subject when she comes back, yeah. I imagine that was pretty traumatic for her."

A glance is cast over to where Hinoiri had run off. The hug to Usagi tightens just a bit before she leans back letting her go if she wants. If not? Well. Uh. She'd deal with it?

Trying to focus more on the others around her she smiles toward Sayaka. "I really appreciate the offer. We have some part timers that help out, but they don't know how to make the traditional sweets like Ojiisan and I do. If you want... I'd really appreciate it, honestly. I'm getting really worn out, especially with school starting up again."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Despite warning Dionora days ago, Amy walks down the street with her eyes glued to her phone, periodically tapping. Well, that's why she didn't chastise Dionora, after all. Every once in awhile she suddenly looks a bit shocked, clutches her phone to her chest, looks around, then glances and taps more furtively before relaxing again.

    She stops and looks around as she hears... background music? No, that's... Karma Chameleon?

    And then she sees the title of the shop, and also several faces she recognizes through the window. Oh hey, she's been meaning to try this place for ages! She walks in, waves, smiles. "Heeey! I finally found this place! Um. What do you actually serve here?"

    She also smiles and waves to the group already at tables. "Hey, good to see everyone! Feels like it's been awhile... What's, uh... Everyone gathered for a study group or something...?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Hinoiri's outburst was startling, but on balance not entirely unexpected. Rashmi does, after all, have experience with the terror that out-of-control fire can instill, something she's still shaking off to this day. After a moment's consideration, she blinks, shakes her head, and looks around the table. "I think I can help," she says. "Just let me run this back and I should be done when your lassi are ready. Usagi-chan, let me know when I get back, if you want something to eat!"

So saying, she dashes to the kitchen, then back out and through the door to the upper levels of the building, returning in short order with a small paper bag, and disappearing into the kitchen.

It's only a few moments later, that she emerges, balancing a fully-loaded tray, and brings it back to the table. Mango for Chiyo, Sayaka and Niji, rose for Hinoiri, Klarissa and Usagi. "Feel free to trade, and we have a whole bunch of other flavors if you want to try," she says with a wink to the twins. Then comes the last item on the tray -- a flower arrangement? -- that gets set in front of Hinoiri's lassi, with a little note.

    -- Rose, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, and ginger. You can even make tea out of them! Individually, probably, I don't know how they'd all taste together.
--R

Which is about when Amy wanders in, prompting a smile and a wave. "Hi, Amy-chan! Um... no it was all coincidence, I'll be right back!"

And because this particular table is *stuffed* with customers, zooooom goes Rashmi into the kitchen to collect and arrange samosas.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara finally returned! Walking out from the bathroom, her face was a bit wet, as if she'd splashed it with water.

Nope, anxiety, panic, her? Never. Not even a little bit. Nooope. She came back, sliding into her spot between the twins. Slow, deep breath.

"Yes, our apartment blew up. No, I'm not entirely sure what happened at the time. That's why there's an investigation. I got... pretty burned up. They look a lot better now but the day of... yeah."

"Dianora isn't actually my little sister. I made the mistake of buying her some ice cream or chocolate one time, I can't even remember what it was. She started calling me big sister ever since. And, apparently, one day she'll be a *star*," Hinoiri said, jazz hands and all. But her tone was... far from amused.

"I... haven't talked to her since. I just... I... haven't... gone back yet. I've just been kind of... uncomfortable. Haven't gone to class either. When... I was calm enough... Sayaka and Klarissa came and picked me up..." Close enough, she supposed. "And I've been staying with her ever since. I'll... I'll text her later or something... Damn it, I don't even know where our new dorm room is... if we even *have* a new dorm room..." And there it was, just those small signs of panic rising up. "So... we good? Any more questions? Because I really don't know what happened, it's not like some weird... monster... made of fire just popped up and exploded in our dorm or anything. Cause magical monsters like that aren't real..."

She kind of glanced to Usagi when she said that. After all, she was the only magical girl here... as far as she knew.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi calms down a little, when everyone says that it's alright, or they would have done the same - and she relaxes yet more, when Hinoiri comes back, looking calmer, if a bit wet, and she breathes in and out - "Sorry, Hinoiri-chan! I didn't mean to upset you."

Especially when she says fire monster, because - the dorms have never been targeted before, but they could be. And Hinoiri-chan knows about magic, that might be enough to get her targeted more often...

"I didn't mean to push you. It's just, your roommate got a little... attacked by a dog - she's fine! So I was a little... worried. I'm glad you were just staying with Saya-chan..."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Usagi has taken Hinoiri fleeing quite hard, and she is now left second guessing herself and going over her every decision, prompting her to try to clarify herself to everyone else. Taking precedence over Klarissa very quickly, Sayaka comments "We get it, you were only acting out of concern, that's a very dangerous thing to happen to anyone." And if she saw the state Hinoiri had been in when Riventon brought her back to Sayaka and Klarissa, she would really be worried. Though she can't really explain that to Usagi sadly, given all the parties involved and Hinoiri's big secret. "I will make sure everything is fine, Usagi-san, you are fine, ok?" Sayaka smiles towards her.

And Chiyo confirms to Sayaka that the shop could actually use the help. "Got it loud and clear, Chiyo-san", Sayaka replies. "I will be there, and I am sure Klarissa will come along too." When she is named, the latter stares at Sayaka, then at Chiyo. Helping Chiyo is a good thing and certainly a better use of their time than the current dining, but she really wants to tell Sayaka to stop spreading them thin. Where are they going to actually rescue people? That was long overdue for today, so if she wants to help people over lack of personnel, then she should cut it out with these pointless activities.

"Yes, I will be there too, Chiyo-san, we will do our best to be good assistants." She can at least promise that.

"Hey, Amy, we just happened to synch up. Funny coincidence, right?" Sayaka replies while Klarissa waves at the redhead. That makes two people her who know of the twins' true nature. That's just great. At least they aren't bringing it up.

Their food arrives, and Rashmi curiously winks at the twins. Is that meant to be a friendly gesture? Well, probably. That earns Rashmi a friendly smile from Sayaka as she starts looking at the portion she brought. "Will definitely try, thank you! This looks sooo good."

Then Hinoiri comes back and Sayaka and Klarissa give her worried glances as she gives an awkward explanation to Usagi.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "...Is she the only one working here? Was it this busy when you all came in? I guess not, coincidences can't be helped..." Amy mutters. She stands at the counter, looks back at her phone, laughs, and then pockets it to focus on something else.

    Like the tale of what happened to Hinoiri's room. A fire monster? That's suspicious. It sounds like she saw something she can't explain and is fishing for anyone who knows. Poor girl. Wait, doesn't Amy suspect she's from another world? Well, still, if that's the first magic thing she's seen here, it's understandable she'd be cautious, not wanting to seem crazy to Earthlings.

    Also: Concerning if true, that a monster got in the dorm.

    Sayaka jokes that they synched up, with her twin right there. Amy suddenly recalls an ancient memory of doublemint gum commercials on TV. It's like a Japanese Doublemint commercial... of course there'd be schoolgirls...

    She shakes her head a little and looks at the food brought out. "Ooh, what's this? Err, wait a minute..."

    She turns to Hinoiri, seriously. "If... a monster did attack the dorm and explode... That'd be something people need to know, right...?"

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    True to her previous concerns (about Hinoiri and the payment for food) Niji has no intent of bringing it up. She does, however, listen intently to the information. Somewhere it gets filed in amongst the mental soccer balls. She drinks her water and is quite pleased with it.

    She gives a wave to Amy as she sits down. "Just the place is crowded." She explains to Amy. "And I know some of these girls. The rest, less so." she says. And she does not volunteer to help Chiyo at her shop. As a conscious decision. She also watches the way the two twins talk around each other, and presumes that Sayaka is the more outspoken one, which is right in some ways. Siblings always have such interesting dynamics.

    She's got slightly restless legs, and needs to distract herself from the Conversation She Can't Have and the Food That's Not here. So she turns to Usagi. "Hey Usagi-chan, some time we should go to the arcade and set some high scores." she says. "Oh, or you could come with, Hinoiri. Maybe we could see which set of us can top the charts?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai sits back properly to focus on the food that has arrived. That was usually a good way to get people to cheer up in her experience. It might not be her own cooking, or magical in nature, but there was something magical about good food to begin with. The mango lassi is drawn closer to take a sip with a sigh of appreciation.

"Glad you're all right then, Hinoiri." She does pause, staring at the girl with some concern at the mention of the fire. "Sounds... scary." A look is given to Amy at the remark. "I don't think she was being literal," she points out with a soft chuckle. Then again her voice was soft in general so maybe she wouldn't be heard.

Sayaka and Klarissa garner a look of relieved thanks. "That would really help. Thank you. Even if it's just an hour or two after school it'd be great. I can show you the cafe side, just serving things. It's pretty small but it does help."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a soothing smile to Usagi. "It's... it's fine. Just... still a... sensitive topic. Not... just not something I like thinking about. I'm fine. Wait. Dianora got attacked?!" Hinoiri asked. And there it was, worry. For a second she'd actually forgotten that Double Trouble was planning to 'fake it' to get closer to the magical girls. So, in a startling fashion... her concern was real. However, she turned a little red, glancing away.

"... Okay, so she may be a brat but I'm... fond of her. I don't really like having a roommate usually. But she's... not the absolute worst you could have."

She then glanced between Chiyo and the twins. "Oh? You two are going to help in the sweet shop? That might do you some good. Maybe you can find out what's... making him sick..." And then she felt concern again. Ugh, this whiplash of emotions was... rough. It wasn't like she CARED about the girl's grandpa or anything. Sure, he was a nice guy. But like. She only cared because he was helping her a bit. That was all. No other reason. None. Nil. Zilch. That was all. Because of the flowers. If it weren't for those flowers she wouldn't care at all, totally.

She glanced towards Amy... and then shrugged. "Probably. If you believe in monsters," Hinoiri muttered. "You'd need to ask the people investigating the dorm room. The school's handling that stuff, on account of it being their building. Probably... just an electrical thing or something."

Then Niji said the magic words. Competition? Top of the charts?

"Oh? We definitely should, Niji-chan. I won't be nearly as simple a challenge this time. I finished the curriculum that Usagi-chan set aside for me," she said in a playful, amused tone. Oh, Niji might remember *well* that competitive side of Hinoiri.

Finally, she reached out to grab her lassi... and paused. "Huh?" she asked, looking at the note. What in the... And then her eyes lit up. "Oh, wow... These look delicious. Thanks, Rashmi-san," she said.

... Admittedly, she might straight eat some, not just make tea out of them. Don't judge her. It had been a stressful... week.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Two full plates piled high with samosas are rushed out, and set in between the circle of cool drinks. As promised, one full plate is wrapped in red-colored flatbread, and the other in green, the green being placed closer to Hinoiri. "OKAY," she says, faintly out of breath. "Usagi-chan, Amy-chan, would you like anything? Only it's gonna come out a little bit later. And... absolutely no trouble at all, Hinoiri-san."

That she might eat them is completely swept aside. Because, hey, when you're out of sorts vocabulary can be the first thing to go.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy quirks an eyebrow. It's Hinoiri that brought up the 'monster'... why cold feet now? Maybe Amy misread the situation. She mutters, "Ah yes, I'm sure arson investigators check for signs of monster attack..."

    Anyway. Videogames? Amy is fired up! "I'll take you on if you want! I'm a gamer, after all!" She grins. And then looks back t Rashmi. "Uhh. I dunno, what's good? Although, if we're all going to the arcade I might need to take a rain check on that."

Niji Dasshu has posed:
    Niji smiles. "It doesn't have to be today, or all at once. But I was thinking we should hang out more, and you get better at a game by playing it more often anyways, right? So I thought, well. If we all exchange numbers, we can at least try to meet up at the Crown. And even if we're not able to meet up, if we're all playing at the same arcade, it's the same high scores, right?" she asks.

    "And as far as I'm concerned anybody who's cool can come." she says with a smile. Cool is not subtle way of speaking about magic, here. It just means that. Anybody who's cool.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi sneaks in a quick hug to Chiyo, then sips at her rose lassi, before saying, "I'd love to do some video games! And she was attacked, but it's okay, it got handled, no problem. It was just a uh, dog, gone a little wild at the park, apparently. But that was when I found out about - stuff, so I was a little worried! But you're totally okay, so everything is fine."

She is definitely content to allow that everything is fine.

And Niji and Hinoiri are talking about games, and Usagi is - thrilled! "I'd love to go to the arcade with you guys! We could do some challenges to see who's better at what games! Like, just a gamut of games to see who comes on top!"

Samosas arrive and Usagi puts an entire one in her mouth, chewing with the strength of a beaver or something, humming with satisfaction at the hot, hot, hot taste, and then - "Oh, oh, can I have some stuffed grape leaves? And then surprise me! Anything, as long as there are no carrots." She'll order her take out later! "Thanks for paying, Hinoiri-chan!"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai dips her head toward the pair that had offered to help at the shop. "I should be getting back soon to check on Ojiisan. Thank you for the dinner, Hinoiri." Of course it had only just come out, but ... she had reason to be worried. "I'll take it to go as well as his order."

The hug from Usagi earns a grin as well. Still it doesn't stop her from starting to get up. At least the table would be far less crowded. "Maybe once he's better I can join you all at the arcade. It's been awhile since I had some fun."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Amy is *also* new to the wonders of curry! Eeeeexcellent. "Let's start with korma, like everyone else is having," she says with a grin.

And with that she bops back into the kitchen, to fix orders to go, fetch a plate of dolma and a bowl of doi maach, which is *definitely* a surprise for anyone who's never heard of fish curry before.

It's a loud, chaotic dinner -- what else *could* it be, when the table is stuffed to bursting with high school students -- and once her duties are done Rashmi joins in, occupying Chiyo's vacated seat and joining in the generally happy babble. Hinoiri occasionally gets a concerned glance, but upon seeing that as long as talk doesn't stray to exploded dorms everything is generally fine... she relaxes some.

And Sayaka soon learns that just because a curry isn't *hot,* doesn't mean there's no *spice.* What flavors the Korma's signature dish is warm and rich, like a heated blanket dropped around your shoulders by an old friend. Much like the restaurant's atmosphere in general.

Because the only troubles one finds in the Korma Chameleon, is the troubles one brings with them.