1587/Fight Feast

Fight Feast
Date of Scene:	25 May 2024
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy Grounds
Synopsis:	Culinary Guardians Sukiyaki and Daifuku get together to make food before the big battle for everyone!
Cast of Characters:	Ren Morimoto, Chiyo Sakai, Usagi Tsukino, Sayaka Miki, Makoto Kino, Madoka Kaname

---

Ren Morimoto has posed:
A searing hole gives way to a rip in the very fabric of reality, a tear licked with flame that allows passage into... a kitchen, of all things. All of the amenities one might want in such a place are available, from big restaurant-style refrigerators, a walk-in freezer, stovetops with many burners and a fully stocked pantry.

The crowning glory, however, is the massive hearth in which a banked fire rests, the flames licking greedily at the wood fed into it.

Only those of the magical persuasion can perceive it, this sudden peak into another plane of existence, tucked away in a rarely visited side path of a park near Radiant Heart Academy. The call had gone out earlier: anyone needing healing or just a general "pick me up" before the big battle that awaits was free to stop by for anything from a snack to an entire multi-course dinner, provided by the Culinary Guardians.

Inside the tear, Culinary Guardian Sukiyaki moves like a whirlwind, alternating between chopping things with a deadly sharp knife to tossing things into boiling pots, giving them a frequent stirring and tasting to make sure the seasonings are just right. Even with the chaos of his movement he seems to clean as he goes, making for an easy means of sharing the cooking spotlight. As the Culinary Guardian of all things simmered and boiled, that means soups and stews, pastas and poached seafood, and of course his signature namesake: lots of hot pot!

He flashes a grin over at Guardian Daifuku and wipes his blade clean, having just hand-shaved beef down into thin layers to be enjoyed with hot broth. The kitchen is warm around them thanks to the crackling, merry fire of the hearth, but he finds he barely feels it, too focused on the task at hand and the desire to help out friends and acquantances.

"I'm going to start working on some more dinner sets," he says. Somehow the space has enlarged even further to accomodate waiting tables where the food has been laid out, ready to be packaged and wrapped up to be taken to-go, and Ren steps over to start assembling boxes.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
It had been awhile since Daifuku had made the Kitchen God Mode where others could potentially see or even visit. Lately she'd just used it to cook elsewhere and deliver where needed. Of course most of her deliveries had been to the hospital after all so doing that there was a bit iffy. You never knew who might actually manage to be able to see things.

While Sukiyaki is working on the meats, and soups, and hotpot, she's doing her usual thing of handling the sweets. Fruits were carefully wrapped in fluffy mochi pillows to make the daifuku she was named after. But she was also expanding her repetoir to include fruit jellies done in a similar fashion to Turkish Delight--Rolled in some chopped pistachios so it's not super sticky.

She pauses as she finishes a good amount of treats, and tugs her phone out to glance at it. While they moved at a quicker speed in Cooking God Mode she could still get texts. "I think we may have to just pack up some for others, too. Not everyone can make it and frankly, quite a few are hospitalized or injured in the first place."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Sailor Moon is watching the show - it's been a while, since she saw Chiyo-chan in her element, and she's never seen Guardian Sukiyaki in his. She watches with rapt interest as they speed around, cooking and organizing and spearating food, sweets and stews and meats and mochi, and she leans against the dusty wall of the Shed and says, "It's really awesome, isn't it?"

She's talking to the others here with her, and there's a bit of awe in her voice - she'll never get over how cool it is, the things some of her peers can do.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Despite having met Guardian Daifuku in the past, it is Sayaka's first time with seeing Kitchen God Mode at work, since all the other times involved either fights, or her handing out her healing/purifying candies (and forcing her into a relaxation course courtesy of Hinoiri). It's her first time meeting with Guardian Sukiyaki however, and getting to discover that Daifuku actually has her own mahou team.

And the inside of the magical realm is a delight, totally unlike the gloomy atmosphere of her Labyrinth. She wishes she could have at least a bit more lights in there. Anyway, when she does enter, she is almost more focused on taking in the very tidy and charming aspects of the kitchen before the food and its very delicious aroma.

"Hello, Daifuku", she smiles towards the other magical girl. "I like this place, it's actually awesome. And everything smells so good", she compliments the place before introducing herself to Sukiyaki. "Hello! I am Sayaka Miki, Puella Magi and heroine of justice, but you can call me Sharpsong in a less private situation." Despite being in her magical uniform, she really doesn't have any intention of concealing who she is.

Noticing the two of them are busy packing up the food they have been preparing, she decides she is at least able to help with that, and so she add "Want to have a third hand packing stuff?"

Ren Morimoto has posed:
The place definitely does smell good! Somehow the smell of cooking meat, simmering vegetables, and all things savory from Guardian Sukiyaki's food doesn't clash with the sweet smells of all the yummy treats Guardian Daifuku is making. That has to be magic. There's no way else to explain it.

He doesn't seem to be aware of the audience, really. Of course Ren didn't miss that people were watching, but that information had slowly gone foggy as he got into the routine of chopping and simmering and stirring, so when he hears a distant voice he looks up, and smiles out at Sailor Moon. Just a heartfelt smile of thanks for her compliment, because this has been a long time coming for Sukiyaki, and it really means something to him to be able to do this with his senpai.

When Sayaka introduces herself, Ren pauses the work of his hands, looking up again. "Pleased to meet you," he says, and then he stands up straighter. "I'm Guardian Sukiyaki! You can call me, uh, whatever you like, I don't really care." He laughs it off quietly and then returns to boxing up a dinner kit that involves lots of broth and cut up meat and vegetables, obviously meant to be cooked in the former. Somehow the broth is still steaming hot despite being decanted into a to-go container some minutes ago (again...magic!)

"Sure, why don't oyu start with packing up the things that look and smell the best to you? That way you get exactly what you want!"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Guardian Daifuku pauses to reach up sweeping some of her bangs out of her eyes with the back of her wrist so that she doesn't end up getting them dirty in the process. A smile is flashed at Sayaka. "Thanks! I haven't really had a chance to do this in awhile. It's nice to do again." The grin deepens just a bit as she nods over toward Sukiyaki as well. "And it's really interesting to get to watch from this side of things, too."

Looking out over at Sailor Moon she gestures in a 'come here' motion with a laugh. "We'll pack up things for those who can't be here, but come on. For now, we should all get to enjoy something fresh and hot. I'm sure Sukiyaki's food tastes much better that way." Even if the magic would ensure it lasted quite awhile regardless.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Outside of Kitchen God Mode, everything looks fantastical and cool - the good smells don't really leak across, but the sights do -

And then she sees Daifuku's little come here gesture, and Sailor Moon laughs a little, and steps inside.

It's warmer in Kitchen God Mode's pocket dimension, warm and cozy and full of all those good kitchen smells, and she really wants to steal a snack right now, but she probably shouldn't -

Except then Daifuku-chan is telling ehr exactly what she wants to hear.

"I can try some now~?" Eying the snacks and treats and hot things -

"You know you don't have to ask me twice."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Sailor Jupiter comes jogging up just about in time to see Sailor Moon step into that little rip in reality. Under other circumstances, that might be cause for alarm - especially after the past couple months they've had - but she's had just about enough warning, and trusts Chiyo enough, that she only puts on a little bit of speed to cover the rest of the distance.

And stops, eyes widening, to get her first good look inside the Kitchen God's kitchen. "Wow," she says, breathlessly. "I wondered if I should bring something, but you guys obviously have it covered. I am so envious right now."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Hope Blossom arrives and can't help but gawk at the Kitchen Dimension. She was aware, vaguely, that other magicals also had their own personal sub-worlds, but this is the first time she's seen one that's so bright and welcoming.

    She had, of course, gotten the call earlier, but she's a bit late because her attempts to get Gretchen to come resulted in failure, so her X-Chara is elsewhere trying to contend with yet another thieving vending machine.

    As she gawks at the magical scenery, Blossom wanders closer to Sayaka and says, "Eheh... a bit friendlier than a Labyrinth, right?" As she glances towards the food she adds, "Also a bit more sanitary than Gretchen's world."

    She waves at Moon and Jupiter, but a lot of her focus is on the Culinary Guardians and their work. Madoka is a bit amazed.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Apparently they don't need a hand right now, and Sukiyaki invites her to box up what she likes, and Daifuku similarly invites her to enjoy the food. "Ok then, don't mind if I do! Thank you for the hospitality", she tells the two Culinary Guardians while proceeding to heed their suggestion and takes some of the pasta with seafood from Sukiyaki and the daifukus from Daifuku. Hey, if they are the things they make her stand out, they get priority tasting over all other sweets.

Finding a place where she is not in the way of the two chefs, she starts from Sukiyaki's food first. Sweets always for last, that's a rule.

And that's when she notices Usagi and Jupiter are there too. "Hello, Moon, Jupiter, how are you? They are really outdoing themselves, aren't they?", the bluenette remarks, nodding towards the Guardians.

She sets her food aside when she sees Hope Blossom arrive, raising a hand in greeting. "Really, Labyrinths have nothing on this place", she tells the pinkette. "I wish more were like here", she adds, mostly implicity talking about her own rather than those of all the other Witches in Tokyo. "How are you, your Charas?"

Ren Morimoto has posed:
Delicately poached fish, creamy pasta with all different kinds of proteins, hearty stews with chunks of potato and, of course, the famous sukiyaki broth are all present on the table in various to-go containers, ready to be covered and taken away. Of course there are many big pots and pans from which these delicious entrees originated scattered around, if anyone wants to eat now.

Sukiyaki even steps back into the kitchen to fetch plates and such from a cupboard, which he sets out on the table for people to take. "Please enjoy!" he says, clasping his hands together.

He doesn't partake himself, but as more people approach he seems to brighten a little bit with each arrival. "If you have any special requests just let us know! I can make anything that you boil or simmer!"

Seeing as how he is not currently using his big cleaver, his spirit guide Umeboshi is sat at a miniature table off to the side, chowing down on food. Yes, that is a cat using chopsticks. Magic!!!

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Guardian Daifuku finds herself laughing warmly at all the praise. That was part of the boost of this particular area though: It was warm, inviting, friendly. It was the warmth of a good home with the benefits of a fully stocked and outfitted kitchen.

"I'm glad everyone likes it. I've only ever had Sailor Pluto inside here, when I was injured myself and couldn't cook," she explains. Though she also winks toward Jupiter remarking, "Which means I know that others can cook while in here, too, if there's something you really want. I'm no good at baking but I know you are!" She points out with a gesture at the pantry that was stocked not just with sweet ingredients, but literally 'what ever may be needed' in the magical sense.

"We still need to have that cook off sometime between us. I'd suggest Moon be on the judging team but she may be biased," she adds jokingly only to slide over some of the fresh strawberry daifuku for her cousin.

"Seriously though, try what ever you like. It should all help to restore your energy more than regular food."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi does not have to be told twice. She is scooping up seafood pasta into a little bowl and breaking her chopsticks apart so she can stuff it into her mouth, scallops and shrimp and noodles soaked in sauce, and it's amazing. "Oh this is way too good!!"

And then there's the offer, and the insight, and the knowledge that other people can cook here, and Sailor Moon whips around, cheeks stuffed with seafood, and she chews and swallows and chews and -

Clasps her hands together. "Jupiter-chan, please bake us cookies in the magical kitchen of unlimited everything? Pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase?!"

Makoto Kino has posed:
"We so need to do that cookoff," Jupiter agrees brightly. No comment on the advisability of Sailor Moon doing the judging, mostly because Moon is making pleading eyes at her and Sailor Jupiter can't help but laugh.

"Okay, okay! If I won't be in the way or anything..." A quick querying glance over to Daifuku and Sukiyaki. "...I can bake us some cookies or something. But, I am gonna eat first."

With that, she claims herself a bowl so that she can dish herself up a helping of nikujaga.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Turning her head towards Sayaka with a bright smile, Blossom says, "Oh, you know... Lydian is henshined with me right now. Brai and Sio were debating something the last time I saw them. Medo is a bit worried about our friends. Overall we're doing alright. How about you and Ula?"

    With the Culinary Guardians being so generous with their offers of food, Madoka think it'd be rude to refuse... so she grabs a bite of daifuku and eats, chewing slowly to savor the flavor. After swallowing she notes, "Huh, this is actually pretty good."

    She sees Usagi going after the seafood pasta and decides to take a bit for herself, making a bowl of it before stepping aside. Madoka is a bit of a slower eater than some of her Chara, which is really odd when you consider their relative size, but she seems to be enjoying the food all the same.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Flashbacks to the last time she had tried cooking anything elaborate appears in Sayaka's mind when Daifuku mentions that other people can cook in there. She can still feel all the cleaning she had to do on her hands. Sure, she eventually got that particular recipe right, but well, emphasis on the eventually. It's a good thing that Jupiter is the one being addressed there.

"I wouldn't even know where to begin grading all these dishes against each other", Sayaka smirks at Daifuku's joking proposal. "They are all so good I would be lost in a single instant."

"Hello, Lydian", Sayaka says when Madoka points out Lydian is there too, transformed with the pinkette. She can hear them, right?

The bluenette can totally see Medo being worried. At a guess, the poor Chara. She hopes that everyone will be fine then. "She is not stressing herself out, is she? Maybe try to have her spend time at the Mitakihara hospital", she suggests. Maybe seeing people getting healed will help her feel better. She hopes.

"We are doing well, both of us", Sayaka says. "Ula has received a commission from her home. Apparently somebody remembered her enough to want to have her work despite her situation. She has been at cloud 9 as a result."

Ren Morimoto has posed:
"It's hard to compare sweets to savory," Sukiyaki points out, at talk of cook-offs happens. "They're both so good for different reasons!" He looks around at all the people tucking into food, and as people compliment their work, Ren shares a bright smile with Chiyo, his eyes glimmering with happiness.

There's not much more for Sukiyaki to do but flit around, putting things into containers and dishing out food when things are low. "Oh yes please," he does say though, when Sailor Moon asks Jupiter to make cookies, and immediately he's bustling back deeper into the kitchen to check the ovens. "They're still warm!"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Guardian Daifuku gestures to her own makings with a little shake of her head. "Mine are mostly where they just need to be pieced together. There's plenty of room here--But yes, eat first," she urges Jupiter while grinning in bright amusement at the clear pleading from Sailor Moon.

Her hands dust off on the apron that was part of her henshin to begin with for obvious reasons now, and she steps to the side to watch the others enjoy things. Maaaybe she sneaks herself something from Sukiyaki's side, too. "You should try some as well," she urges him with a chuckle. "I've never gotten to try another Guardian's cooking before. It smells amazing."

"I think the cook off idea was mostly as a way to have some fun, and raise spirits a bit. Honestly maybe after all of this would be the perfect time to try it. Jupiter-chan cooks as well and makes the tastiest snacks."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Sailor Moon fistpumps as Sailor Jupiter agrees to make cookies, grinning brightly. "Great! Oh, this is awesome."

They can almost forget that all of this is the preparation for a pitched battle between them and someone who had been, sort of, their friend. Someone who many of them had wanted to see do better.

She stuffs seafood pasta into her mouth and then skips over the Daifuku's side of the kitchen, to grab a pair - no, a trio - of mochi pieces.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Sailor Jupiter grins and nods agreement with Daifuku, though she doesn't have any comments to add. She's busy nipping a chunk of beef out of her bowl of stew with her chopsticks and possibly having a minor spiritual experience when it all but melts in her mouth. "Mmmm! So good." Om nom nom nikujaga. Guardian Sukiyaki gets a little salute of appreciation between bites.

Don't mind her, she'll be a minute over here.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka smiles and tells Sayaka, "Lydian says hi! She's a bit less noisy than Gretchen is most of the time but she's still aware of things." Then she shakes her head and says, "I'm not too worried about Medo. If any of my Chara can handle their feelings it's her. I sometimes wonder if the more superstitious hospital staff ever suspect that they have a good lucky fairy running around."

    She giggles at the news that Ula is getting a commission. "That's good! Gretchen still likes the little gems she's gotten from her. I'm glad she's still getting work."

    People talk about a cooking contest and Madoka looks a bit wide eyed. "I'm not sure I'd be able to decide, either. There're so many good dishes here." And then it looks like Jupiter might make even more? Madoka eats smaller bites to conserve her appetite.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
"I hope you both are allowed a break soon, you deserve to enjoy the fruit of your work too", Sayaka points out when there is talk of letting the cooking workforce increase even more instead.

Going back to finish some of the things she had put aside so she can actually contribute with the packing soon, Sayaka marvels a little that the food is just like it had been prepared two minutes earlier. The Kitchen is special indeed.

"If they do, I hope they are grateful. Medo is great, even if they can't know that", Sayaka comments, even if she doesn't know how that would work with the Veil.

Ren Morimoto has posed:
"That's true, we should try each other's!" Sukiyaki says, all enthusiasm, only to realize that Daifuku has already sampled from his side. So that means he must go have some daifuku now, which he promptly does, taking up one to chew on.

And chew on some more, because it's a chewy treat around a juicy strawberry. He makes all the obligatory happy food noises and flashes Chiyo a thumbs up, which he also flashes at Jupiter as she enjoys her food.

The mention of a break by Sayaka earns a laugh from Sukiyaki. "I don't mind at all! Cooking here is different than at home, everything feels... lighter, easier. I dunno. But I'm never too tired after I make a meal here!"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Guardian Daifuku couldn't really resist trying a bit! She opts for a small bowl with some of the hotpot items in it. Some of the meat, some veggies, and definitely the broth. When Ren moves over to sample her side as well she grins triumphantly at his response.

Then her chopsticks rise to take a bite of the simmered beef with a sigh of clear delight. "Oh, Ojiisan would *love* this," she gushes in clear delight. Sweets were great, and her area of expertise, but come on. Savory things were just as amazing.

"Mm, Pluto-san had suggested that any cooking battles be done like Iron Chef, with a chosen ingredient. It'd be hard to compare savory to sweet, yeah, but still. Seeing how unique you can be using a single ingredient is a fun challenge I think."

Sukiyaki's mention of being energized earns a quick nod of agreement. "Time is a little warped in here, I think. Plus since it's magic itself it's like... We're in a pool of our own magic so it's hard to get tired while here. Sometimes I am after I step out though," she admits with a laugh. "I've already cooked a lot though. I can take a break for now. There's plenty to let everyone enjoy and send out to those not here too."

A more serious expression creeps over her as she considers. "I hope everyone does their best to be safe. I know it's going to be dangerous going after Sunbreaker, or whatever she's calling herself now. I've fought her several times and that was before she took this turn."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Hope Blossom eats a few more bites of her noodles before also joining in on packing things. There's not much else useful that she can do here, since she's not really much of a chef in the way that at least three other people here are. That said, as she starts to put the food into to-go containers, Lydian starts sharing her many opinions about the presentation, and so Madoka starts arranging the food in artful, appealing ways.

    When they get to the meat of the actual subject, Madoka's mood turns a little sour. "Gretchen is still pouting about our last big fight with her. Having her dark energy used like that didn't really sit well with her, and she doesn't really like the idea that she might be a liability."

    Turning towards Daifuku, she adds, "Come to think of it, you also had something go wrong with your powers last time, didn't you? Are you alright after that?"

Makoto Kino has posed:
Sailor Jupiter's been quiet, focused on demolishing her bowl of stew, but at Daifuku's concern she looks up to nod, with a serious expression matching the Culinary Guardian's. "No question of that," she agrees. "After what she's done... well, we're all going to be on our guard." For a half-second her eyes drift to Sailor Moon, but then she's looking back to Daifuku, as though with some silent promise.

Then she lets out a breath and her face relaxes a little. "But, I promised cookies. I better get on that before it gets too late." She hastily scarfs down the last of her nikujaga before getting up to explore the Kitchen God's limitless pantry. Under the more serious topics at hand, they can hear her quietly exclaim, "Oooh, ube paste?"

Sayaka Miki has posed:
Sayaka raises an eyebrow when Daifuku mentions they are getting galvanised by their own magic, and that it sort of comes at the expense of their condition outside of this place. "Is that really it? I think that going on a break is actually good then. How long have you been at this exactly? Have you thought of bringing in a timer so you have something else reminding you to pace yourselves?" She is actually slightly concerned now.

The summary of Hinoiri's situation is frankly catastrophic. She has spiralled out of control, and more people are getting hurt the more nothing Sayaka has been "I have been taking into account that Sunbreaker would ascend soon. But I actually didn't prepare for things getting this dire. I intend to do everything I can still", she says plainly.

It's almost like she has crossed the threshold into Witch territory now that her own complex have swallowed her up entirely. At least getting pulled out of that condition won't require a completely unexpected miracle, even if it's a meager consolation. But despite the underlying tension, coming here today was a good reprieve. "This has been really nice, thank you Suriyaki and Daifuku."

Ren Morimoto has posed:
Admittedly, Sukiyaki is out of the loop when it comes to the situation at hand. All he knew is that people needed to prepare for a big fight, and that was something he could help with, especially with his senpai Daifuku at his side.

So that's what he did, and what he's still doing now, smiling at Hope Blossom as she assists in packaging things up to go out to the various fighters who couldn't make it today. "Thank you," he tells her, and everyone else who is here, sharing a meal with them.

"Whatever happens, I believe in all of you. There's nothing we can't do if we put our hearts together." Something shimmers in his eyes a little bit, and he sniffs once, before bustling off to the pantry to help Sailor Jupiter with her cookies.