2633/Fake Cake Fake Sake

Fake Cake Fake Sake
Date of Scene:	19 June 2025
Location:	Plot Room 1
Synopsis:	Mamoru calls Koji and Rashmi together to tell them New Moon is Usagi, and ends up doing more wedding food tasting. Delicious.
Cast of Characters:	Mamoru Chiba, Koji Silvia, Rashmi Terios
Tinyplot:	BMC: Wicked Ride
Tinyplot2:	Black Moon Clan

---

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
    Mamoru TXT: hey guys do you have a secure channel i can use once im not in orbit
    Mamoru TXT: because i have delicate information for you

    Rashmi TXT: ... I don't suppose the Lunar Comms count? I can throw a three-target Telepathy.
    Rashmi TXT: Heck I could throw it *now* but the mana signature might be noticed.

    Koji TXT: Mamo, remember the online chess game we used to play in the dorm? They have chat rooms now.

    Mamoru TXT: yeah don't want to do that. give me about ten minutes
    Mamoru TXT: oh LOL no the problem is data transfer

    Koji TXT: Well that's all Rashmi. I'm civvie at the moment.

    Mamoru TXT: the lunar comms would work but idk if kojikoj has one. just give me about ten min and then a three-target would be great

    Rashmi TXT: Nearly done with Hanzo by the by. He seems pretty happy with my work!

    Koji TXT: The eternal grump is happy? Another world first.

    Rashmi TXT: Well I mean everything is relative. He's noted satisfaction.

    Mamoru TXT: actually now that my feet are on the ground, how about i just meet you at school? rooftop of the boys dorm?

    Koji TXT: There's also the kitchen. Need you to try the last dish anyways.

    Mamoru TXT: is that where you are rn? rashmi you up for that?

    Rashmi TXT: Absolutely, and if it is I'm not surprised; he's even convinced Setsuchan to count it as club credit.
    
    Mamoru TXT: good it ought to. koj im outside the door
    Mamoru TXT: alone lol

    Koji TXT: Weirdo. Doors unlocked.

Prince Endymion pushes open the door; there's nothing on his forehead, and Endy's henshin is the one with no mask and no gloves. He still looks tired, but less so than the last time Koji saw him. More so than the last time Rashmi did. But there's also an absolutely absurd amount of relief in his posture, in his carriage, in his steps, in the set of his jaw.

He's going to avoid TMJ after all.

"Hey~" he says overly cheerfully, but it's not fake.

Koji Silvia has posed:
When Mamoru comes in, Koji is not... cooking. In a kitchen. Which is rare sight in the last two and a half weeks.

Instead, he seems to be doing a lot of computer work. Cutting and pasting images, adding notes, printing pages, and adding them to notebooks that are all marked 'Banquet Bible.'.

When he sees Mamoru, and hears that word, he just quietly stands up and goes to the fridge, taking out a cold coffee drink, and holds it out to the older boy, "Hey."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Rashmi doesn't lag terribly far behind Endymion; it's math class, and while finals are soon she'll do her cramming after the wedding.

When there *is half of a freaking moment to breathe.*

"Heeeey Mamo-kun," she says, peeling away to move around the other side of the counter, leaning in from the side to see what's on Koji's screen. It's *much* less rude than looming behind someone, after all. "Oh niiice, Koji-kun!"

Approval given, she moves to a nearby stool and slips into her seat. "Okay, so..."

    << *BONG!* >> << TIME-SPACE BARRIER >>

"...What's up?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru picks up the ccan of coffee and turns it around in his hands, and then he grins when he looks up. "So-- you heard this from Ami, Minako, or Masato. Not me. And you can't spread it around, because the whole deal with the secret is to keep Demande and Saphir from finding out she's right under their noses-- but--"

He can't stop grinning. He can finally say. "New Moon is Usako."

Koji Silvia has posed:
That little revelation just makes Koji sit down next to Rashmi on the other stool that's normally hidden under the prep table.

    "Oh."

He seems to have to chew on that for a bit, and eventually just takes off his glasses and rests them next to the computer.

A deep breath is taken, and then he just nods, "That... took a moment. Okay. So that's partly why you've been spending so much time there. And..."

Another pause, and his eyes seem to glimmer for a moment, "And what happened at the Takoyaki stand makes more sense now... especially that thing about you kissing her! I was soooooo ticked off at you over that, but I knew there was something going on."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
It's almost audible, the way the Veil gives way and allows the puzzle pieces to *snap* together. There's that familiar journey of 'Wait... so... her... and... WHY DID I NOT SEE IT BEFORE?! OH RIGHT I WASN'T *ALLOWED TO.* Well that explains how the wedding's still on.'

But all that comes out of Rashmi's mouth, right on the heels of Koji's 'Oh,' is a weak "...Ah."

Closing her eyes, she draws in a deep, deep breath, then lets it out. "Okay that explains why it didn't seem *super* weird suggesting a date spot. Even if it was just 'walk around someplace pretty.'"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Oh, the prince looks so sheepish at Koji when the younger boy finally says something. "She's... she's so wildly allergic to dark energy, it's making her so sick, all the time. If I hold her, and ground her, while we're resting-- it's not so bad for her, it helps. But-- the thing at the takoyaki stand-- I was trying to sell the fake Usagi because of the game Wicked Lady's having us play, and also distract the real Usagi with a kiss that if fake Usagi were real Usagi I'd absolutely need permission for, and in short, I miscalculated severely."

He cracks the coffee open and drinks some of it, and adds, looking at the can instead of his friends, "It's been a lot of thinking on my feet and if that's the worst thing that happens then I'm not doing too badly, I guess. But-- I mean-- corrupted Chibiusa brainwashed her. She's not acting. She's gotten temporarily reprogrammed and then stuffed with dark energy that Wicked Lady insists she keep, so, she's keeping it even though she has a fever and wants to throw up all the time."

Koji Silvia has posed:
Koji stands up and goes over to where his school backpack is, opening it with his back to the others, and rummages for a moment.

When he comes back, he's got a couple packets of the kinds of cookies you can get at a conbini, these ones looking like simple biscuit cookies, shaped like cats.

Those are held out to Mamoru, "Give her these. I remember early on... before things got all... well... magicky... Usagi used to like these from the conbini. So I'd keep a couple packs in my bag. You know how she is about snacks... and they might help settle her stomach a little. Sometimes it's just a small comfort, but those seem to be the only ones we can afford these days."

The offer made, he then goes back over and sits down next to Rashmi, actually putting a hand on her shoulder, "You both look like you could use a break. Maybe once this whole... thing... is over, Usagi and Mamoru can help you focus on Seriss and Molly. We get lucky, we can solve this all in time to go do a proper summer thing. Away from all the strain."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Rashmi blinks in surprise, upon hearing that Wicked Lady actually *brainwashed* Usagi. "...Okay so *now* it makes sense why it was so easy to get her to go along with everything... *Wow* I cannot wait for the wedding to happen." Understatement seems to be the mode of the day, and she gives Mamoru a worried look. "...When she's purified, if she needs room to shake off the effects we'll be able to give it to her, Mamo-kun. If body doubles've been being used, what's one more illusionary Moon to keep attention off her?"

As Koji puts a hand on her shoulder, she seems to sink under the weight of That Which She Keeps Trying To Avoid Eating Her Up, and turns a wry smile Koji's way. "Yeah... That'd be *super* nice, and oh right speaking of. It's confirmed, she's *going* after Hotaru-chan. I got it straight from an insider-- well I mean, Molly-chan."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Yeah... look at the wedding as proof of concept as to whether we can stop a Beryl-grade boss with crazy amounts of purification and no curbstomping..." Mamoru says, offering something, at any rate. "And based on undoing the daimonization of that one girl in the park when Tellu was still alive, it really ought to be throw a planet's worth of purification at her. But... we'll see what else we can do."

He takes the offered cat cookies and gives Koji an affectionate and grateful smile. "I'll give them to her and let her know you gave them for her. And you know I'm not much of a beach person, but I guess it's better than a cruise, which is what Masato wants. You guys can all go on a cruise and I'll sit in the ballpit," he says with a grin.

Rashmi gets a nod for the illusionary Moon situation, and again, there's gratitude. The prince sips some more of his canned coffee, then finishes it off. "Did you tell the rest of the Outer Senshi yet? Hotaru-chan should be safe enough during the wedding, Seriss Nyx is not invited."

Koji Silvia has posed:
    "Speaking of..."

Koji looks up at Mamoru for a moment, "To get everything ready and packed... I'm going to need some help. I don't suppose you would see clear to letting me charge a larger kitchen for prep on your card? And... maybe wrangle... about a dozen people who can follow directions to make sure everything's ready to store and plate once we can all... let you relax and just be Mister Tsukino?"

There's mirth in his eyes as he goes over to where sitting on a plate is what looks like a sake bottle and a pair of the bowl-shaped cups for them, "Speaking of which... this is the last dish. It's another fake-out. Instead is a clear soup that you can sip to clear the palate, get a little warm in you, and you can even play with the other foods. Dipping the topping on the fake pops so far gives you a nice curry-broth if you want it."

He pours from the little clay sake bottle for both Rashmi and Mamoru. It's a light chicken stock, with hints of garlic, ginger, and something sweet.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Yeah I did the moment I found out," Rashmi sighs, nodding to Mamoru. "Because that's the kind of nonsense you *just do not play with.* So I'm *super glad* that she's not invited to the wedding-- oh *that's* what that smell was!"

Her 'sake' shot is gratefully accepted, and she sips, eyebrows rising. "Understanding that I helped with conception... Koji-kun you could be a *five-star* chef if you really wanted to. This is *good.*" Curious, she pours herself another shot, then extracts some spiced pork rinds, for all of them to test the palate-cleansing effect. "I do think a dozen people would be enough to let us all get this done over the course of a day," she agrees to Koji's request. "And then storing will be simple, so..."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Whatever you need, Koji," says Mamoru, not even commenting on 'Mister Tsukino' being Usagi's dad-- his eyes twinkle instead, amused. He doesn't argue it. He nods to Rashmi again at her confirmation that the Outers know. "I'll tell Usa once she's in her right mind. Hotaru is one of her senshi, you know?"

Koji is talking about -- oh, ooh, food; the prince takes his own 'sake' shot and just--

enjoys.

He leans against the counter and drinks some of the broth, then some more, then some more, and it's finished too soon. "Can I bring some up for the girls?" he asks hopefully. "And... do you need me to find twelve people who can follow directions? Because I think I know three. I'm not one of them."

Koji Silvia has posed:
When Mamoru asks, there is a bag that's brought to him by Koji... there is a small thermos, a sake bottle, and a few more cups inside to share. The bag is zipped up and then handed by the strap to the older mahou, "There's a few more dishes in there too, in the tupperware at the bottom. A few tastes of the new Stacked vegan dish, some of Rashmi's delicious crispy cranes, the scallops, and a couple bottles of the sparking drinks I ordered to try."

Stepping back, he finally addresses Rashmi's comment, "I'm... not sure I could cook for people I don't care about. This is my comfort-thing. If I turned it into work... I'm not sure what I'd do to relax."