2768/Just a Taste

Just a Taste
Date of Scene:	16 September 2025
Location:	Okujoo Ramen
Synopsis:	After a fight, a group of friends talk about magic candy and rose petals at Okujoo ramen, and Usagi makes a terrible choice.
Cast of Characters:	Usagi Tsukino, Chiyo Sakai, Nephrite, Mamoru Chiba

---

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
It's evening, and the smoke is clearing up from the explosive end of yet another run-of-the-mill youma fight. This one wouldn't have been special at all, except that the web-slinging, city sweeping youma led them on a wild goose chase from Juuban to Mitakihara to Yumegahama, until they'd finally blown it to bits in the sky above Pikarigaoka.

Sailor Moon's still panting, worn out from the run as much as from the attacks she'd had to throw one after the other, stomping her foot between building leaps when they missed because of the masked youma swooping away just before the attack could land.

"It just had to be so agile," she complains as she lands on the rooftop serving area of Okujoo Ramen, a place that feels so much less awkward to visit now that Molly's that much safer than she has been for months. "Since when do youma spam the dodge button?! But don't think I've forgotten what you were up to before this whole thing started, Mamochan!"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
The purple haired Ginga Hanma, who weilded a glowing sword which could turn into a war hammer, floated down to the rooftop joining Sailor Moon. The psuedo-military uniform that was her attire certainly made her stand out compared to the sailor scout outfit, although it still had a skirt. The pink and gold top was still feminine in spite of the epaulets and the clearly defined six pointed 'shooting star' clasps at the collar.

Ginga Hanma had a slightly easier time given she could fly, but it was still difficult turning on a dime once momentum had started!

"That was a workout," comes her easy agreement as she pauses to flick off a remnant of spiderweb from her arm with a crinkle of her nose in distaste. "Eugh. At least this stuff seems to be vanishing even if it's slow. I can't imagine getting that stuck in my hair permanently."

An eyebrow rises curiously with a quick glance between Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask. "What was he up to?"

Nephrite has posed:
A leap downward takes Nephrite's boot to the same rooftop with a bounce to voluminous brown locks. "There must be a rollover at Obsidian or something... That thing moved like a Russian circus act."

It's only now that he sheathes his sword again, sliding it away with a singing of metal and an air of finality. Sapphire eyes moved pointedly towards Tuxedo mask, though. Expectant. "Yes, what was he up to?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Ta-tap go Tuxedo Mask's dress shoes on the rooftop restaurant's tiles as he lands behind Sailor Moon, disheveled and irritable as well. "Spamming the dodge button is supposed to be my job," he says, disgruntled. "Getting spammed by that guy was really unfair because--"

Well, the evidence is on his person, he's half-covered in what looks like cobwebs. "I HATE spiderwebs! And I was dodging great until he stuck me to the wall..."

He squints at Usagi, then at Chiyo, and he crosses his arms at Nephrite, scowling. "You know people come to restaurants to eat, right?" he asks, brushing past them to go order.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Mark me down for hating spiderwebs too," Sailor Moon huffs a little, brushing spiderwebs off her bow - she'd been webbed to the surface of a building for a few precious moments - and bounces after Tuxedo Kamen.

"He was taking apart roses the way I take apart Hershey's kisses," she informs Chiyo, "And since last I checked the roses are pretty cool I'd still really love to know whyfor?"

His irritation is taken in stride, but she doesn't jump ahead to order, just putting her request for shrimp wonton ramen after his own order is in.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Ginga Hanma glances back toward the taller Shittenou who joins them with a quick nod when he joins in the questioning. Tux's response of stalking off earns a little chuckle as she steps in closer to Sailor Moon to loop her arm through hers so she can lean in a little closer to whisper, "Is your anniversary coming up? Sometimes rose petals sprinkled around is romantic right?" She suggests with a teasing wink.

But Kamen was right, this was a place to eat, so she allows Moon to be free to order before she places her own. A bowl of tonkatsu ramen with extra egg.

"I could think of one other thing," she pipes up as if she hadn't just taken a good long pause to place her food order. "But I think you're both past the point he would feel the need to do the 'love me, love me not' game with flowers."

Nephrite has posed:
Well, true enough, it was as good a time as any to eat. Especially after a battle. But he wouldn't be taken in by any kind of diversion.

"Not that I'm against a good pot pourri," Nephrite revealed, after settling his own menu choice, "But don't keep us in the dark. What's the deal?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Once the order's in-- once the orders ARE in-- Mamoru's a little more gruntled, and he sort of absently steps away from the counter to preen just a little bit so he's also somewhat more sheveled. His main attention's on paying, a moment later, and then a moment after that, he's paying more attention to Is It Eating Time Yet? than the conversation, practically bouncing on his heels, he's faaaamished.

"Well like, okay, I mean, that's the part of roses you use when you make rosewater," he says, then goes to sit down so he's not literally looming over the poor employees.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Orders are made, and Sailor Moon plops down beside Tuxedo Kamen, glad that they've de-sensitized the poor employees to enthusiastic cosplayers coming into eat in full costume.

Chiyo's suggestion gets a little laugh, and she shakes her head. "Nah, it's not our anniversary, but Mamochan wouldn't mess up the roses just for romance anyway..."

Mamoru gives them some insight into why he did that with his roses - and she blinks. "Rosewater like... for snacks? With your roses?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"Rosewater is used in a lot of things. Perfume, medicines, and of course candies," Chiyo informs matter-of-fact as she settles into a seat as well taking care to leave the love birds plenty of room to sit.

"But... Why your roses? You could just buy some premade easily. It's not a hard to get ingredient." Somehow she manages to look dubious at the remark that Mamoru wouldn't harm roses for romance. For Usagi? She doubts.

Her attention is momentarily stolen away as she watches Nephrite with a hint of amusement. "You, ah, you've got some webbing in the back of your hair. Curls." It's said in a way that meant she understood exactly how troublesome curls could be for catching odd bits and debris. A hand lifts to double-check her own.

Nephrite has posed:
He nodded alongside the examples given, letting the thoughts tick. Studying Mamoru quietly for a moment, until the web was pointed out. Whatever thought he had been having was stalled there as his eyes widened.

"What? No!" A hasty search took his hands behind his head, and a very slight amount of panic. "Get it out? I can't afford breakage, the humidity took its toll this year--"

Ah. Breakage. Perhaps...?

"This is about infusion, isn't it? Your roses specifically? That's why you wouldn't just buy some..." A blink then, curious. "It's about magic."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru nods to Usagi, cheerfully; he's not irritated anymore, food is on the way, things are happening in the right order, he puts his arm around ~his wife~ and then nods to Chiyo encouragingly, and then Masato doesn't quite panic about spiderwebs in his hair, fussing about breakage, and he looks faintly baffled.

"I don't--" he starts uncertainly, but then Masato gets it.

Mamoru snap-points at Lad Lovely Locks. "Got it in one. I don't think I could make anything out of the roses that could heal, but like-- if I can make temporary buffs people can carry around, like the healing and purification candies Chiyo-chan used to make... that might be really useful to people."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
With Mamoru now putting an arm around Usagi, there is no chance the soldier of Love and Justice will be getting up to help Masato with his hair. Instead, she says encouragingly, "It doesn't look like that much! Do you have a comb? I bet it would come right out. Chiyo-chan could help!"

Not her, she's comfy.

And then, following that panic, Masato puts two and two together and makes four, and Mamoru confirms it, and she - "...I mean, when you put it like that, it makes sense. Chiyo-chan's candy could have magic, and your roses have magic, so maybe... could you make magic cookies?" Her eyes are sparkling. "Magic cookies from your roses? ...are those food safe? Make me one! I'll eat the petals to test it!"

Usagi, no.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"Calm down, I'll get it," Chiyo assures as she reaches up to do just that with care so she doesn't tug his hair. The last thing she needed was to accidentally pull the hair of Makoto's boyfriend. Besides, she did understand curls as well.

Magic flowers? Magic candy. Ginga Hanma pauses in her de-webbing to look over with eyes wide at the realization. "Ah! I can do that! I mean-- I was able to do it with the Godly Kitchen, but if the magic holds then the process is the same. I just can't produce the magic myself anymore for the candy-- Usagi you should not just *eat roses* they have thorns!"

Nephrite has posed:
"Easy--" With some mild (and completely unnecessary) wincing, a full sigh of apparent relief escapes him as the webbing starts to be removed safely from his hair. Why could it never be a hair product youma? A fiend of styling mousse or a leave-in conditioner villain?

"Right. No, the stems are too fibrous. You'd have to pickle the hell out of them, and even then, it's just not worth it... the leaves... maybe. Chocolate coated decorations?" Perhaps he was thinking about these things more, since dating Makoto. He did furrow brows at Usagi, however. "Really. Just the petals... I suppose that can't hurt, can it?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru scrunches his nose under his mask, and flicks one gloved hand out to produce a rose and catch it between two fingers, flip it around, then hand it to Usagi with a curious expression. "I mean, they're magic roses from Elysion, how could they not be food grade?" he asks the other two, then returns his attention to Sailor Moon. It really does smell sweet.

"Let her cook," he says mildly to Chiyo. Then, "Yeah, I was hoping once I got the rosewater I could offer you and Mako both some, and maybe you can make candy and she can bake with it, or..."

A blink at Neph. "You mean infusing them in something other than... well I guess we could add it to anything. Jam, honey... hm? Yeah nah she'll be fine."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I wouldn't eat the whole rose, Chiyo-chan! And pickled rose stems... doesn't sound... good..."

She scrunches her nose at the very thought, but in spite of these warnings, she accepts the rose cheerfully, rolling the stem about with her fingers.

"Well, the last time we saw Elysion it didn't look too good, but all your roses have been very pretty for a long time, so..."

And that's what she says before she just chomps it. Petals first. Just stuffs the whole rose into her mouth and chomps the petals.

This is a terrible idea, and the servers come over with steaming bowls of ramen just as Sailor Moon hacks and coughs rose petals over the side of the table, like something out of a hanahaki story.