2549/Weaving Social Threads

Weaving Social Threads
Date of Scene:	20 May 2025
Location:	Mamoru's Apartment
Synopsis:	Rashmi comes over to check in on Mamoru and ask if he'd be interested in creating labspace for a wayward purple-haired genius. They end up talking about friends and potentially helping friends become friends with each other. As one does.
Cast of Characters:	Mamoru Chiba, Rashmi Terios
Tinyplot:	Black Moon Clan
Tinyplot2:	BMC: Wicked Ride

---

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
She'd called ahead, so Mamoru's dressed in clothes that can be worn outside and his hair's at least had his hand run through it, and when Mamoru lets Rashmi in from the roof door he's still polishing his glasses.

"Yo," he says. It's tired, but the smile's genuine.

He steps back to let Rashmi through and pads back in to the kitchen, where... Rashmi can see that this young man has been eating ice cream for an afterschool snack. Or possibly dinner. Probably both, though he'll undoubtedly be made to eat real food for real dinner by the people making sure he does things like eat real food.

He puts the container in the freezer and the spoon in the sink.

His school uniform trousers are wrinkled and he's just got a t-shirt on with it-- a t-shirt with two bunnies on it, and the white one has a blue and white headband and the black one a red ribbon tied around one long ear. No house slippers, just socks. Tired face. No, depressed face, but trying. Doing His Best.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Hey," Rashmi answers... and if she doesn't sound *as* tired as Mamoru, it's definitely a matter of degree, and her own smile is just as genuine. Following the boy into his palatial penthouse, and the kitchen therein, she pauses upon spotting the container of ice cream... then looks up at Mamoru, down at the ice cream again, and raises an eyebrow.

It's probable that she means her look to say 'What in the hell is this nonsense' but there's been enough going on that the message comes out more as 'Why didn't I think of that.'

Look teenage nonverbalisms are nuanced and contextual and a little variation can mean entirely different things.

Sighing, she slips onto one of the stools, giving Mamoru a wry smile. "Understanding that I'm not asking the normal way, and I'm looking for a completely honest answer... How *are* you, Mamo-kun?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Rotten," says the boy, giving Rashmi a slightly defiant and slightly sheepish look over the ice cream, then going to wash just the spoon because the sink is otherwise spotless and leaving one spoon in an otherwise spotless sink is just straight-up rude.

"I miss them. I'm worried for them. But right now, with how powerful she is, Chibiusa can look after herself, and she showed me Usagi is safe where she is, so I could be a lot more worried, but..." He gives Rashmi a rueful little smile, then briefly steps out of the kitchen to where the big table with the tavern chairs sits. The chairs all have loose cushions on them now. Mamoru picks on up and sets it down in the kitchen too, then folds himself up to sit in it with his feet on the edge of the seat, one knee up and the other tilted in.

"I'm... I'm not sure how they're getting back from the future, though. I guess the same way the Black Moon Clan originally did, since my baby is evil and has her mommy under lock somewhere."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Makes sense," Rashmi murmurs at the 'rotten,' and nods along with the enumeration of worries. "Trust me... with everything that's gone on so far this year, I *get* why you're worried. I am too... but yeah, they're probably gonna show up here, and we'll handle it. We will," she repeats, looking into Mamoru's face. "All of us. Because no matter how strong they are, they don't *get* to take the people we care about without us having something to say."

And she believes it, the words spoken sincerely... But there's that little gnawing weasel in the back of her mind, whispering 'four and five and maybe six' and it's not an easy counterpoint to ignore.

Lifting her glasses, Rashmi digs the heel of a hand against her eye. "We'll get them back," she simply says in summary.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"We will," says Mamoru, nodding once, hugging his knee loosely and sliding down in the chair a little more for it. There's a little chuff of an unhappy laugh and he shakes his head. "I just want to be with them. It was so bad, it was so bad when you were all in Beryl's portal, but at least the portal stayed open and I could feel that Usagi was okay, that she was there. I can't feel either of them right now, so I'm extra worried until they do make it back."

He turns his head briefly to look out the big windows, visible from here. "I feel like half a sandwich."

His head turns back but his attention's still elsewhere for a second; it looks like he looks when he's looking for someone, then finds them. "Even though I've got most of my people here, even though I've got Kazuo, Kazuo is hugging a half-sandwich. But all that beating I took trying to keep Demande from getting to them, and this happened anyway. I guess... at least it wasn't Demande who got them."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
The problem with trying to console Mamoru is, he is just natively *far* more connected to those he cares about than any other person in the world, with only hypothetical exceptions. It makes the absence of those connections deeper, worse, and impossible to ignore, and when Mamoru says he feels like half a sandwich, it only requires a bit of thinking before Rashmi understands exactly what he means; it's not just that Usagi is the love of his life, it's that his entire sense of identity is wrapped up in the proximity of those he cares about most. Without Usagi, he is, mentally, *actually less* and he can't help but prod that absence like it's a lost tooth.

"...I only saw a little of Demande," she admits, after processing all of this and choosing, for now, to put it aside as probably unhelpful. "But I can guess... And yeah, at least it wasn't him... But I can guess *who* it was, which is... arguably worse, from a 'solving the problem' angle anyway."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
It's true. But he's taking the consoling like a thirsty flower takes water; maybe the more people he hears something like it from, the more he believes it. Even now his shoulders are a little less tense, and the hint of rawness that was rumbling in the back of his voice has quieted, a band-aid over it for now. But, it's true, and he won't be complete until they're back.

He just wants to be with them.

"Death Phantom's the only real possibility," he agrees, though, and unfolds himself a little out of the chair, letting one leg down and resettling himself to sit up better. "Especially since I'm pretty sure Wicked Lady -- that's what Small Lady's calling herself right now -- outranks Demande."

There's a pause, though. "How's Lumie doing?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...About as well as the rest of us," Rashmi sighs. "His primary function was to safeguard Hotaru-chan. Then... after Mistress 9, he was given to Chibiusa-tan, to protect her. At least he's in good company..." Shaking her head for a moment, she just takes her glasses off entirely, dropping her face into her hands. "*Catra-chan* feels like a failure too, Mamo-kun... We all had *one job,* and we were doing it pretty well, until dragon. So... yeah. We're helping him, but there's only so much help we can reliably be. Lots harder to lift someone up when you're standing right next to them..."

Her hands drop to the counter, head falls back as she stares up at the blurry ceiling. "Catra-chan's trying out school life, by the by. And... she actually gave me *objectively good advice,* so... Use *that* for a meterstick on how we're all doing."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru winces at Rashmi. "She took him off. She took off her whole necklace, and Luna-P gave it to me while I was fighting Demande. Luminous Titan can't help it if his charge de-henshins and leaves him behind. But I imagine that doesn't help him much. And... it wasn't just a dragon. Chibiusa opened the door. Everyone did what they needed to do, and it still just... didn't work. And sometimes that happens."

One of Mamoru's long arms reaches behind him to open a drawer, and he takes out a box of kleenex, and offers it to Rashmi. "I was using this to keep my ice cream from becoming salted caramel," he says.

Then, trying to sound even more normal, "Oh, is she staying on campus now? She can still have the apartment I offered her if she wants to maintain a place offcampus, but the school is objectively safer for her, since the protection field is up.... wait, did you say she gave you good advice??"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Yeah," Rashmi says, her voice a touch... sodden... as she takes the offered kleenex and presses a handful of sheets against her eyes. "Like, *actual experience-created good advice.* Take a break, recharge your batteries, don't drive yourself into the dirt trying to win... It's amazing, she wasn't getting in her own way *at all.*"

Her breath hitches as she inhales, but she manages to avoid becoming a bawling mess... for now.

"Thanks, Mamo-kun... And... sorry. Which I know, don't apologize, but... still. You get it."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"I get it," the prince says as he leans-- leans way over and up-- to squeeze Rashmi's shoulder. "Composure is a great thing and it's a little embarrassing to lose it, but I think we both have excuses right now."

He waits a beat and then says, "I called Demande an incel to his face. Then had to explain it. While we were fighting." Then he grins, and it doesn't quite stick the landing, but almost. When it fades he asks, "Do you want to play Stellaris with me and Riventon?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
The kleenex are balled up and lowered, and one hand comes up to rest atop Mamoru's and squeeze briefly. Not too long; Rashmi knows what touch means with Mamoru, and doesn't want to empower his own brainweasels more than absolutely necessary. "Thanks," she says after a moment, and can't help but snort a brief laugh at Demande being called an incel, then needing it explained to him. "I'm almost *terrified* to ask, because it sounds like the hologram wasn't the whole thing..."

When asked to play Stellaris with the boys, Rashmi tilts her head. "I mean I've never played it before, so I'm gonna be bad at it, if Riv-- oh! Right!"

The prospect of securing a solution to a problem seems to do *wonders* for her mood, if only briefly. "So... long story, but, Entrapta's looking to escape Obsidian. I've got a couple options in mind for how to *keep* her out of there, and you're one of them. Basically she needs enough space to do her experiments where it won't disturb her... by which I mean make anyone else complain. You're the first person on my list, but I wanna finish the list out before I come up with a plan."

Drawing in a breath, Rashmi turns and presses her hands together. "...How much bigger are your regular apartments, than the dorm rooms?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Can't lie: Mamoru instantly brightens as well, with something he can potentially actually help with in front of him. "Oh Entrapta! Oh, no, Obsidian?? I had no idea where she went and then we all went to the future... I sort of vaguely offered her space before, but she'd just blown up the Shed again so I was a little nervous about it -- but I'm positive we can reinforce something. Maybe she can help with specs."

His other foot comes down and lands on the floor, and he gets up to put the kettle on, and there's energy in him now. "Even the regular-size apartments are bigger than the dorm rooms, but there are barely any people here yet. If one bigger apartment isn't big enough, we can knock out the wall between a couple of them. In fact, I can already think of a place that might work, since we're soundproofing and reinforcing the floor. Don't ask."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Obsidian," Rashmi sighs. "I don't have all the details because she's kind of... focused... But they offered her space and materials and apparently immediately stole all the work she's done, so she's be looking to run soon. ...Probably best not to tell Riventon about it though, what he doesn't know he doesn't have to lie about."

As Mamoru lays out all the accomodations he can make, her eyes get wider and wider, until she has to laugh, holding out her hands. "Wow, okay! All of that is *perfect,* but like I said I wanna finish out the list before plans get made. But if the actual *apartment* doesn't work, would you be all right helping out with the refurbishing? Because I mean... Basically it's whatever I can come up with or she runs off to Kirakirafantastica, and we lose her in the palace library and never see her again. And she said she doesn't know how to handle cats."

Which, of course, means that the cats would find a way to be *all up in her business,* as the kitty do.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"I will help with whatever you need from me, she's great and let's not lose her," says Mamoru firmly. "And she doesn't have to handle cats -- Anko can be bribed to keep any and all other cats away, and stay out of stuff. Right now she's mostly busy aggressively mothering Diana somewhere around here when Luna and Artemis don't have her and she's not sleeping on me, but... she, Anko I mean, loves being the queen of all the locals. And it's easy to bribe her. All it takes is sashimi."

A beat. "Kind of like Catra I guess."

He puts tea bags in the pot next to the stove, then leans against the counter waiting for the water to boil, arms crossed loosely. "Please, I'd love Entrapta here, so I hope an apartment -- modified or not -- works out."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"I'll tell her you said that," Rashmi chuckles. "Entrapta-chan, I mean. I'll let you know what's what, when the plan's ready to go. It shouldn't be long, since I don't know *when* she's gonna make her break... and she doesn't want to risk anyone overhearing. So I want to have everything ready because I know it's gonna be one of those 'Okay we're doing this now I guess' things."

As Mamoru begins to make tea, and the prospect of something *doable* lifts both their spirits, she fells silent for a moment. Then:

"I think I'm making good headway with Zoisite-san."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Oh, do tell her! I get the impression she doesn't hear nice things often enough." He's pleased right now, even if part of him's missing, and honestly they're both like that-- they're all like that. Helping provides all the delicious chemicals that the system releases when excited and happy. Getting things done. Being useful. Preventing or ending suffering.

Mamoru very nearly spills hot water at the last thing Rashmi says, though, and he has to put the kettle down in a hurry. "I am so proud of you," he says with his eyes wide open. "...I don't think he even trusts Usagi."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"He doesn't," Rashmi says frankly, "but I'm not sure how much is him, or how much is Past Him, or what. I know he's trying, though, and I think... I *hope* that he's starting to understand where Nephrite-san and I are coming from. Maybe. I need to talk to him now, after..."

She flaps a hand, somehow signaling towards an alternate-future timeline without actually leaving three-dimensional space. "Catra Protocols are *definitely* in effect, but it looks like it was the right call. I can tell you right now, he's dealing with a *lot* of hurt... I think some part of him thinks that if he makes it flow downhill, it'll move away from him?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Oddly-- Mamoru lifts a hand. "If he's talking to you and Neph but not to me, there's a reason, and I shouldn't hear it until he's ready to tell me," he says, and it seems like he's having to drag the words out of himself, a little. "I want-- I want him to be able to trust me with his hurt. But failing talking to me, the other boys and you -- as long as he gets it out, maybe he can start to heal."

There's the smallest smile. "I think he may be starting to heal a little bit anyway. He was able to keep me from getting any worse on the ship. New power."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Rashmi's mouth closes with a sharp click, and she flushes a silent apology. "You're right... Sorry. That's *good* though, that he's found out how to do that. So... hm. Need to get some hair product soon, don't be surprised if I call him along."

Shaking her head in a moment of self-reproach, she looks back up, trying her smile on again. "But, yeah. I haven't been glued to his leg, but, what I have seen? He's doing pretty good. And now he and Catra know each other exists, so... *that'll* be fun."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"--hmm, maybe tag Minako-san too, if you know her well enough -- she's been really determined to befriend him after Izou set her hair bow on fire, and I think they're really hitting it off. And--" Mamoru grins at Rashmi, "don't feel too bad about wanting to tell me. I want to knooooow. I'm greedy and nosy and jealous."

At the note about Catra, he puts the teapot (tea from Rashmi actually) on the counter near Rashmi's stool, pours them each a cup, and sits back down. "You know, I'm not sure how that's going to work out. But speaking of Catra -- I haven't thanked her yet for coming to help get us back. I know she really only went for Chibiusa and didn't get her, but... I appreciate that deeply. I mean, I did the same thing."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"I'll let her know you want to talk to her," Rashmi says, bobbing her head in thanks, and wrapping her hands around the cup, taking a moment to breathe in the lovely spicy fragrance.

It's like walking through the door of her parents' apartment, all over again. Tea and spice and good feelings soaked right into the walls. Once she lets out the breath, she makes a note to visit the restaurant again.

"I did tell her pretty much that in my own words, so if it comes from you, maybe it'll sink in a little deeper," she says with a crooked grin. "And yeah, that's a good idea. I don't know her *that* well, but, that's what it's for anyway, right?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
There's a tiny smile on Mamoru's face, affectionate, as he watches Rashmi inhale some of the vapor from the tea and sees the way she centers herself on it. It's still there when she grins at him, and it turns into a grin, too-- "Yeah," he says with a little laugh-chuff again, and then he looks sort of quietly wry. "You're a good friend. You come over when one or both of us is upset, and when you leave we both feel better instead of worse."

Then he blinks and balances his tea while waving the other hand. "I didn't mean you only come when upset, I meant if--!"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
And one of Rashmi's hands leaves her teacup, waving off the protest. "No I got it, Mamo-kun, and... thank you. Seriously. It's nice to know I'm hitting the target I aim for; I'd *much* rather leave a room better than I found it, and y'know... You're half of that too. Despite what you might be thinking about yourself... You're a good friend too. And you don't need to *be* a full sandwich to be a good friend."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Oh no, Mamoru's nervous system is functioning sufficiently closely to normal for him that he flushes a little at the compliment, his ears going pink. He buries his face in his teacup and smiles a little, and then his glasses are fogged up. "Thanks. But also, RIP."

Mamoru takes his glasses off and waves them around, laughing. "And now I shall proceed to tell you altogether too much about both Stellaris and how Riventon plays."