Scene #2805: Party Til' The Dead Wake Up!

Owner	Pose
Nanoha Takamachi	Nanoha Takamachi had been begging and pleading with her mom and dad to use the bakery and cafe after hours to host a late night Halloween party. They finally agreed IF she could find a clean up crew. Arisa and Suzuka, two of Nanoha's close friends, agreed to help, as well as a few other kids. Maybe that's you too. The Midori-ya Cafe's exterior has grey painted cardboard put up in front of it with brick patterned painted rectangles on it, and spooky cardboard tombstones. It has become the Midori-ya Mausoleum! Inside the lights are on, as not to be unsafe, but it's decorated with bat shaped streamers and little tissue ghosts hanging from the ceiling. An array of snacks and drinks are available. Key items available are cookies frosted with giant icing eyeballs on them, bat shaped cream puffs, a big bowl of candy of varying types, and the big bowl of punch. Nanoha is greeting people at the door dressed in a pink bunny costume. She worked hard on it! Okay she ordered it online but still. Arisa is dressed as an elegant deer complete with fuzzy antlers and Arisais dressed as a skunk, minus the stink! At least Nanoha convinced her friends to join her forest animal theme for the spookiness. Come join the fun! The party is just starting! There's an American music track in the air. Something about mashing monsters.
Rashmi Terios	Especially after the disaster that befell the Takamachi family's Cake Walk, Rashmi was all too happy to volunteer to help clean up after a party at the Midori-ya. Not only is Nanoha a friend deserving of support, but also it's the Midori-ya. Small-business families support each other in this town. Both of those reasons are why Rashmi shows up at the cafe's door, having begged a Freiren costume from Setsuna. "Hiiii, Nanoha-chan!" she says, beaming brightly at all three girls. "Okay those are such cute costumes, you all look great and-- whaaaaaa, the decorating is amazing!" And thus does Rashmi look utterly unlike the character she dressed up as, openly expressing joy and wonder as she breezes into the redecorated cafe.
Mamoru Chiba	It's chilly out, but ''someone'' jogged here in full Zagreus cosplay from Hades game-- someone who has neither his Thanatos nor his Megaera-- so Mamoru may be slightly underdressed but he's not ''cold''. He's not a stick figure, he fills out the toga pretty nicely, and the fiber optic sparks and fluttery metallic and silk leaves of his laurels look impressively like they're actually on fire, out of the corner of one's eye. Mamoru slides in after Rashmi, orange-and-yellow light-up sneakers flashing like he's six and he doesn't care. He simply does not care. "Yo," he says in cheerful greeting as the door closes behind him. "Oh nice costumes!"
Veronica Perenna	Veronica is not actually coming to a party and then dipping without helping clean the place from top to bottom. As soon as she was informed of the party Nanoha was going to host, she didn't spend half a second hesitating on approaching her, and confirming her own participation. For a change the brunette is not using her own magic to mimic her costume, but she has instead sewn it herself, and used red and green contact lenses to replicate the eye colour of her character of choice. The only distinction is her unwillingness to cut her own hair for the cosplay. Given the difference between the two, she doesn't want to wait an eternity for it to regrow. "Thank you for having me!" Veronica cheerfully exclaims as she comes in after her friends. Another mark against the cosplay, as anyone who has seen the anime can attest to have never seen such a cheerful Souseiseki in there. "Cute theme!", she comments with a wide smile at seeing the trio, closing the door behind herself with the hand that's not holding a reproduction of the Rozen Maiden's shears.
Amy Faust	Amy's wearing a pink coat-dress with a broad, flat white collar and cuffs partway up the forearms, held closed at the chest with a red bow, over a slightly frilly, short white summary dress over black leggings. Completing the costume are almost-knee-height white boots with a low heel to them, fingerless black gloves, and a gold-colored head ornament worn sort of like a reverse tiara on the sides and back of her head, with a vaguely spiky leafy design on the sides and two parts sticking up in back evocative of fox or rabbit ears. (She did not find a way to do the 'sharp features' (spiky teeth) and didn't change her hair or eye color either.) When Nanoha and friends answer the door she gasps. "Ohmigosh you three are ''adorable!'' Happy Halloween!" The encounter leaves her grinning as she walks on in, although her face falls a little upon realizing her costume might not quite match the vibe here. "This old man didn't think this clever plan all the way through..." She perks up though as she recognizes Frieren from the back and waves, "Hello, fellow 2020s anime character! Oh, Rashmi, hi!" She runs up to hug her, and looking around soon also spies Mamzag... Zagmoru... I can't think of a good way to combine the names. She waves and holds out a hand for a fistbump, "Zag, man, is that you? ...I already did this bit but hey, good to see you!"
Nanoha Takamachi	Nanoha Takamachi hops a little! "Hi Rashmi-chan! We'll have your family's bread delivery tomorrow still! We'll be cleaned up in time! But enough business have some spooky fun! Maybe we'll tell some ghost stories later!" she says. Nevermind ghost stories may be... real in a world of magic!? Arisa and Suzuka wave in compliments to their costumes! Still, she smiles as Mamoru arrives and 'woahs!'. That's a costume! "That's a nice costume!" she says. "I'm Nanoha Bunnyamachi!" she says cheekily. "This is Arisa-chan and Suzuka-chan! We're the Woodlands grouping!" she says. The two wave at Mamoru and Nanoha asks. "So.. who are.. you dressed as?" she asks politely. Suzuka leans over to Nanoha and whispers into her ear. She 'ohs!' "OH! From a Greek Mythology Video Game...?" she asks. She smiles at Veronica. "Thanks for agreeing to help later!" she says. "That's a nice costume too!" she says. She smiles at Amy and she hops again! "Hello! Welcome! Uh...I don't recognize the costume though..." she might be too young to recognize it regularly. She then smiles. "Snacks are over here. There's plenty of room to mingle and talk and sit!" she says softly. "--any music requests?" she asks, looking at the small laptop connected as the music machine playing a Youtube playlist.
Rashmi Terios	"Deliveries are for Mami and Papi to worry about," Rashmi laughs, "but spooky fun sounds great! And... wow Mamoru-kun, that's an amazing costume! And Victoria-chan, and Amy-chan... Dang everone's looking so good this year!" Whether or not she knows the characters in question, quality is quality, and good costumery always deserves appreciation, and more compliments are handed out to the various attendees as Rashmi starts to mingle, eventually ending up by the laptop around the time requests are... requested. "...Is 'Crazy Party Night' on there, maybe?" she asks Nanoha.
Mamoru Chiba	Mamoru doesn't know who most of the characters being played are -- he didn't really watch TV as a kid, or in Obsidian, and aside from things Usagi or Jadeite has made him watch, he still doesn't see much. But it's fine, the costumes are great. He has an easygoing smile on his face-- and he ''grins'' when Nanoha identifies his costume. "Yeah! Zagreus. Usako's Flinch stream chat complained. I was gratified." The boy actually flexes a bicep before starting to laugh. "Thank you, and yeah--" And Amy's making her Hades 2 joke again, and this time it's in person and Mamoru can fistbump her. "I watched an actual clip of that... what was he WEARING?" he exclaims. Leopard print ''what''?? He gives Rashmi a big grin and a double thumbs up. "Thanks!" He goes over to start munching on snacks.
Taro Yamada	Taro arrives a little after Amy in a cheap tuxedo, hair slicked back and wearing thick-rimmed fake glasses and an oversized black clip on tie that he has over a T-Shirt, hiding the design. "Amyyyy - " he zips over to the telltale flare of red hair, waving. "Amy! How does it look! I have an extra costume underneath in case no one gets it," he whispers, "but we can do a matched cosplay like this!!" And - oh, there's a lot of people he hasn't seen in a while, Veronica and Mamoru - "Hey, did Usagi enjoy the gun show?" he says with a grin, though that doesnt stop him ffrom flushing a little at that bare arm...
Veronica Perenna	"No sweat", Veronica comments to Nanoha. "Let's focus on that later, sounds good?", she grins disarmingly. "What about This is Halloween, after Rashmi's choice?" "Guess you wanted to stick with your choice all the way, isn't that right?", Veronica comments when she sees Mamoru. But it's one thing to see a cosplay through a screen, and one to see right in front of you. "You really look the part, nice job", she approves with a few glances. "I guess the Hades I met on the way here was looking for you, though. If you end up in a fight, it will fall to us to be your supports", she grins at him. Admittedly, she only knows about the game by word of mouth, but she still knows enough to remember who does what in general terms. By comparison, she is a lot more familiar with Frieren, and can appreciate the fidelity of the redhead's cosplay. "My compliments to your tailor, if I didn't know better, I would have thought you'd just raided the wardrobe of the real deal." Amy's choice, however, goes completely over her head. "Hmm, are you some kind of goddess?", she tries guessing after stopping at the tiara on the second redhead's hair. "Hi, Taro-san!" Veronica greets. "How are you?"
Nanoha Takamachi	"Hey no guns." says Nanoha seriously. Before she smiles at her own silly joke. She's clearly joking. she gets it, okay!? Maybe others will. Arisa giggles a little at it at least. Suzuka looks unimpressed. "Oh we can put that on next then!" she says as Suzuka walks over to que it up. Nanoha then looks to Taro and blinks, a salaryman? Is that a costume? She looks to Arisa, who shrugs, and Suzuka is at the laptop now so can't interject. She's still too young to get the duo costume. So she sneaks up to Suzuka. "Look up their costumes." she whispers conspiratorially. She does so quickly, and she sneaks back with a little knowledge. But only a little. At least she gets it. A little. Now. The snacks are fresh baked, well except for the candy. There's a large spread there of it all! Including definitely not youma cake. It's even labeled as such for some strange reason. A boy seems to scrutinize this and pass on the cake.
Mamoru Chiba	"Well, it was keep on with the outfit I spent a lot of time putting together, or, show up in a white tie and tails," Mamoru-Zagreus says to Veronica, laughing again. "I could have been a magician, done some tricks, you know? Even produce roses out of thin air! I'm very good at sleight of hand." A beat. "I was not at the Louvre." PAUSE. Mamoru's brows come together. "Were you?" he teases, leaning in conspiratorially. But then he's straightened up again and he nods very seriously to Taro. "She--" he starts, but Nanoha says 'no guns' and he looks at her in surprise, then snorts. "I mean-- I was going to ask what gun show, I did ''not'' get that, despite all the flexing. But yeah! Usagi and Kazuo both. You guys didn't get to see Kazuo's Thanatos costume..."
Amy Faust	Bunnyamachi actually does a Nanohop and Amy's heart melts a little more. D'awwwwwwwwwww! ;.; "That's fine, it's from a recent anime." Rashmi says they all look so good and Amy ''smiles''. She laughs at Mamoru's comment, "Yeah, I mean, I heard Aphrodite wears even less... Not the only goddess of beauty to, though..." she gestures vaguely. "I guess gods can wear whatever they want, huh?" "Also did you say Veronica's here?" She turns and looks at Veronica, trying to recognize the costume. It's been awhile, but she never watched Rozen Maiden, and hasn't seen the character a ton. "Um, nice costume!" She blinks. Wait, Veronica's not transformed, how..." She steps forward, leaning closer, "How did you do your eyes...?" Veronica makes her own guess about Amy's costume. She smiles. "Close! Chosen hero of the goddess of beauty!" And then she turns and her face lights up with a grin. "Jinguujiiiii! I thought you couldn't make it 'till later!" She runs up almost to Taro like she might jump into his arms but stops and stumbles to a halt a few feet short as she realizes at the last second that out of transformed state he might not be able to catch her, but also it works since Tachibana's generally a little reticent to be ''quite'' so openly overly affectionate too. Still, she beams up at him, but as Nanoha guesses 'a salaryman?' her face falls slightly. "Ah, okay, yeah, I do kinda see how it's not a very, uh... Not much of a costume out of context. Hmm..." She holds a hand to her chin thoughtfully. "It is kinda more a personality than a distinct look, though. Aside from being tall..."
Rashmi Terios	"I mean," Rashmi says, clearing her throat and blushing at Victoria's compliment. "Setsuchan loves to make costumes, so... In a way I kinda did?" About to say more, she catches the 'gun show' and Nanoha's admonishment, and cannot help but giggle behind her hand as she wanders toward the snack table. Punch, absolutely, bat-creampuff, definitely... Definitely Not Youma Cake? ... Rashmi takes a slice, rests the creampuff against it, then puts the plate aside as she finds a scrap of paper and pen, upon which to scribble-- <Proof of Legitimacy> --and set the note in front of the new open spot in the cake. No Midori-ya treats should be passed over, and Rashmi will do her part to ensure this! Passing by Amy and Taro as the former starts questioning their costuming choice, she leans in. "There's so much anime you could get twenty people in a room and maybe three of them will have seen the same shows. Your costumes look great, that's all that matters."
Taro Yamada	"Veronica!!" Taro lights up. "I'm doing - well, work and midterms have been busy enough I haven't really been on the job," and he mimics a little magical wave of hisf ingers, "but I'm doing good at the other stuff! How have you been?" He wiggles his very faint eyebrows at Mamoru and Nanoha. "The only guns allowed are ancient Greek guns, I guess!" And for those asking about the anime he and Amy are from, and the tuxedo - "We picked an anime about two friends who get isekai'd into a fantasy world and each got one power based on a wish. But since the two friends got isekai'd when they were coming home from drinking, my guy's wish was to get him and his friend home safely, and so he can summon his apartment at will - and refuses to change out of his modern day clothing no matter what. It makes him striking, especially compared to Tachibana, who's starting to go native." That's - simplying a lot, and avoiding the messy matter of the romance between the characters that he and Amy lack but hopefully clarifies? a bit?
Laisa Samuiko	Laisa shows up a little bit after Veronica, but she's clearly following a similar theme. She's only wearing half as many colored contacts, because her eyes are already naturally red, so only the green color is necessary. She arrives in a long flowing 3-layered dress, green with dark green frills, white bonnet with translucent ribbon hanging from the sides. In her hands is a brass watering can which she holds in both hands. Suiseiseki, also from Rozen Maiden. Naturally after seeing Veronica's costume, she had to match it in some way, and also she had time to prepare. She did not spend a lot of time thinking about what kind of conclusions people would draw from it. Largely because she's not really hiding her relationship status at all. "Oh, you know... I'm not sure I've been here before. Is this the party?" She glances around to see a few familiar faces, smiles softly at them, and when she finds her 'twin' she smiles a bit more brightly. "Hi, everyone...~desu," she adds the last part after some hesitation, having forgotten about the verbal quirk until like just now.
Nanoha Takamachi	Nanoha Takamachi giggles when the Not a Youma cake becomes 'definitely a legitimately not a youma cake'. It is indeed a chocolate pudding cake with white frosting, imitating a devil's food cake of some sort. It's delicious and needs a big glass of milk. Luckily there are small cartons available for that in the cooler that's been provided from the cooler drinks that need fridged. She's now occasionally bugging Suzuka for costume help who eventually stops answering her requests or giving wrong ones with a cheeky smile. Nanoha is now ON HER OWN SOME FRIEND YOU ARE SUZUKA-CHan! She smiles all the same and gets herself a slice of the Legitimacy Cake and she smiles as Laisa arrives. "Hello, welcome!" she says. She also welcomes Taro. "Want some Legitimacy Cake? It's over there!" she says. "It's Legitimately not a youma!"
Amy Faust	Amy watches Taro explain. "Woooow." She walks up to him, beaming, "There's that classic Jinguuji-san social expertise right there," she stands next to him and pats the back of his shoulder, "you ''excellently'' navigated what I woulda bungled and somehow avoided the weird part while still making it sound like an anime people would watch!" She then rubs her chin thoughtfully again. "'Go native', huh? That's an interesting way of putting it... That seems like it woulda been a back-up excuse, like, 'I just want to blend in!' if the whole 'I just need clothes that fit' excuse is pressed..." And then she sees Laisa and Veronica together and recognizes and points. "Oh! You're uh... those two dolls! Uh... Suiseiseki and... Sou...seiseki?"
Miho Inada	Well, after the other night, Miho has had to think about a few things. She took some time, and decided that she really does need to go out. And become a bit more social. So the girl heard about something going on at Midori-Ya, and headed over there to see what's going on. She got a quick costume together. Nothing fancy, but she got some cat ears, a tail, and some cat eye contacts. Bright blue types. As well as a bright blue wild hair wig. She's wearing the spring version of the RHA school uniform. Miho takes a deep breath as she heads to Midori. Miho walks into the Midori-ya. She looks around a bit to see whose here as she kinda moves over to the wall. She's crowd watching a bit, wondering whose here. The girl is a bit more nervous about just showing up, but well, she needs to get out. Its something that a few people have pointed out to her.
Mamoru Chiba	With his mouth full, Mamoru's expression changes-- he chews quickly and starts heading for the door, but he makes a stop by Nanoha first and bends down to say quietly, "I have to go, Sailor Moon's in trouble." Then he straightens up and says where everyone can hear, while also shoving some pastries into a top hat he's produced from nowhere, "Thanks! I got a text I have to go I'm sorry-- this is a great party, Bunnymachi-san! Bye everyone."
Rashmi Terios	Discovering that the Not A Youma Cake (certified) was in fact actually a chocolate pudding cake will be a highlight of the entire evening, for Rashmi. There's some small disappointment as Mamoru has to leave, but The Job has always hit the two of them hardest in their social lives; she'll just have to enjoy the party twice as much. As she makes the rounds, she beams as she sees Veronica and Laisa together, and the penny drops. "Oh! The Seki twins! I always loved the names in that show, they were always so pretty! Wow, great work you two!" As her circuit brings her by a visibly unsure Miho, Rashmi pauses, face softening. "...You're not... used to being around this many people, huh?" she says quietly, so as not to be heard over the music. "C'mon... grab a couple snacks and a drink, and just follow my lead? You'll figure it out, I promise." Looks like Rashmi has decided that there will be no wallpaper ghosts at this party.
Taro Yamada	"I think this is the first time that me and 'social expertise' have been in the same sentance," Taro admits, shyly stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Usually I"m the ewird one - of ocurse it's an anime people would watch, you're making it sound indecent!" It's a normal anime! Normal! "Well - 'going native' isn't quite right, but it's close enough because otherwise we're going to get distracted and miss out on eating that incredibly suspicious cake!" And clearly they need to have some of that! "....oh, is that Rozen Maiden?" he asks as he sees Laisa and Veronica together, finally putting two and two together. "It's a nice look." ...and, ah - "Good luck, Mamoru! Kick ass!" And then there is Rashmi and Miho, and Taro waves a little shyly. He's, uh - is he the social master here? He can't be, can he??
Nanoha Takamachi	Nanoha Takamachi gasps at Mamoru's words and urges him to go faster because SAILOR MOON IS IN TROUBLE go be Tuxedo Mask! Still, she eyes Miho. Who is trying to wallflower. She's not the only one, but they are few and far between and obvious. She's about to go say hello and Rashmi gets there first, and she approaches anyways. "Hello!" nanoha says in her bunny costume. "I'm Nanoha Bunnamachi!" she says with a hop. "Welcome to the party! Yes have some snacks! Say hello to some people!" she beams. She walks over to Veronica and Laisa next and smiles. "Hello, um Veronica and...?" does she know Laisa? She nervously smiles just a second. "May I ask. Who your costumes are?" she smiles.
Veronica Perenna	"I would be very guilty if I said 'no sweet', Nanoha-san", she echoes her earlier comment jokingly, reaching out for a slice of cake. Not before sliding the fake shears on her arm. "Did you make this one? I like it!" She has made sure to move around Rashmi's message, so the piece of paper is still where she put it. "Are you going to pick one too?", Veronica asks Taro, pointing at the cake she has just taken, while the fake shears swing slightly on her arm. The brunette grins amused at Mamoru's question. "You wouldn't turn a friend over the police, wouldn't you?" she replies, and directs her gaze at the ceiling, a hand on her forehead, faking hurt. "But no, I wasn't there." The cake is safely put in a remote corner when Laisa appears, and Veronica gives her a big hug! "I am glad you made it, my snowsweet, you look awesome", the brunette replies. "Really, you are just a wonder!", she insists. "Is that why you were asking Mamoru about Aphrodite?", Veronica comments in reply to the rold of Amy's cosplay. "I used contact lenses for the colour of my eyes! Really easy, as long as you can bear with something in your eyes." The enthusiasm over hers and Laisa cosplay makes Veronica blush happily. "Thank you, thank you. I am happy you enjoyed how they turned out!" "This is Laisa Samuiko, the sweetest girlfriend one could have", Veronica happily introduces her to Nanoha. "Our characters are from a show about magical dolls that have a fighting contest with each other. They are called Suiseiseki and Souseiseki", she nods at Laisa first then points to herself.
Amy Faust	Amy smiles and gives a light giggle at Taro pointing out he is not usually the social expert. Although at him saying how she made it sound it's her turn to look flustered and embarassed, "Tha, that's not what I meant! I just meant, like, you made it sound even more mainstream isekai! Although it's still ''way'' more popular than I ever would've expected, part of why I picked it for this..." Amy briefly wonders if Sailor Moon is actually in trouble or if Mamoru is making a meme out of that, but then he says he got a text, and she looks concerned. "Uh... let us know if you need help, alright? Good seein' ya!" In the meantime, Cake is mentioned, and Amy rallies, patting Taro's shoulder again. "Oi, Jinguuji, you know what's notable about that cake?" Beat. "...We don't have to pay for it! That is cake on somebody else's dime! A rare chance--" She turns and looks to see who he's waving to and... Miho! She freezes, momentarily, not quite sure how to act towards her with the whole in-character bit she's doing. But then she sees how nervous Miho looks, and she strides over to give her a hug and a brief cheek-nuzzle. "Hey, Mi-nyo! You make a cute catgirl." She turns back to the others with one arm still around Miho, "Hey, Taro! This is Miho. Miho, this is Taro, a dear friend..." Once they're closer and she's not having to speak over background conversation, she adds, "I guess uh... Miho and I are kinda dating? Uh..." She looks between Miho and Taro with a bit of awkwardness, not sure what to call the situation. "Like we didn't formally decide anything but then also... I dunno it is just kinda happening and feeling things out I do ''not'' know how to do all the normal courting stuff so it's kinda... I don't know what to words it." She's smiling but also a bit nervous/awkward at kinda flubbing this.
Miho Inada	"Well, more so when its a small party like this. I'm used to being a part of the crowd, or being the DJ in the background.", Miho admits to Rashmi. "Especially when everyone knows who and what I am.", she blushes horribly. She gives a small wave to Taro, and then Nanoha introduces herself to Miho. Miho takes a moment. "Mi-nyo Inada. Thank you for hosting, miss Bunnamachi.", she states with a bit of a bow. Her cheeks turn a bit red at that pun. Amy comes over, and introduces her to Taro, and she gives a bow to Taro. She blushes a bit deeper red before she hugs Amy, and kisses her cheek. "Yeah, it's something that just kinda happened.", she tells. The girl purrs a little bit at Amy as she is called a cute cat girl. "It was just something that I could throw together in a hurry.", she tells. Miho pauses a moment as she looks at the cake. She bites her lip a little bit, and thinks back. She had her victory sweet, but does Dire Wolf Barricade warrant her getting a second sweet. This causes Miho to think a bit more closely as she eyes the cake. Miho looks at Amy and Rashmi a moment as she tries to decide...
Rashmi Terios	"When you're at a party," Rashmi murmurs with gentle amusement as Nanoha goes off to talk to the other couple, "and there are snacks, it is okay to have snacks. Also the cake is Definitely Not A Youma, I inspected it myself and can confirm its legitimacy." As Amy and Taro find their way to Miho, Rashmi's eyebrows climb in surprise... then comes the explanation, and much more of this makes sense. "Well whatever it ends up being, have fun! Also Taro-kun that is a snappy suit, it looks good on you!" Which is... mostly true? Suits can put in a lot of work to make the gangly and spooky look... gangly and professional, but Rashmi's smile is genuine. as she turns it on the occasional Kuiper Belt Cape.
Laisa Samuiko	Laisa is getting a hug from her favorite hug partner and she happily holds Veronica close for a moment. "Do I look lovely? I am merely trying to keep up with your beauty, my kitten~." Laisa then watches the cutest little hostess walk up to her and greet her, and she smiles at the Bunnymachi as her girlfriend introduces her. "We're the gardeners of the human heart! Sort of," she explains, regarding the anime. "You might know me better as Mou Fubuki, if you do at all. I ''think'' we've met at least once or twice before, though I'm not sure I've ever given my name? Either way, it's nice to meet you, Nanoha. Thank you for hosting us." Laisa, naturally, will also be staying behind to help clean, because there is literally no universe in which she will leave Veronica to do that without her. Mamoru has to go. She waves at him as he leaves, and doesn't really spare a second thought to whether or not he's using his ~wife~ as an excuse to leave. Probably because she wouldn't blame him even if he did. Turning to Veronica, she says, "Maybe I'll get a bit of that Totally Not A Youma cake, too. Would you like a slice?"
Taro Yamada	"You two are doing wonders with the contacts," Taro tells Veronica and Laisa. As someone who's used his own henshin to change his own appearance over and over again, he can respect what it takes to do that with vanilla costume supplies! "And with the costumes! You've done a good job of emulating the colors and textures from the art to not only look like you're from the same show, but are related!" And he grins, bowing jerkily for Rashmi. "Thanks! It took a while finding one that didn't make me look like Frankenstein! Which'd be fun but wouldn't really fit Jinguujii, you know?" "See, we've got to get our hands on that cake," he agrees with Amy - as someone working in a pastry shop, he is Prepared to Enjoy that sguar while he can - oh, it's Miho? Oh its????? eh? Eh????? "Congrats???" :<> Not that! This is bad! He just did not see this coming! He's a little???? Cough. Ahem. "If you make her sad... I'll dye your rabbits magenta," he proclaims.
Amy Faust	Amy mutters, 'oh my gosh how do you purr like that that's ''adorable''.' Continuing to keep her voice down for the ensuing conversation, she smiles at Rashmi and Taro's congratulations, "Thanks!" And then she can't help ''smiling'' as Taro tries to be supportively threatening. "Awww! Your concern is really sweet of you!" At concern about costumes, Amy notes to Taro and Rashmi, "You'd be a great Frankenstein's monster too if you wanted! But yeah... I cant't really appreciate it, but Jinguuji's... how'd Tachibana put it... 'Now that I'm this short, I understand how reliable 180cm can seem.'? Frankenstein's monster is, perhaps, a different sort of reliable... The author said it's great that he and his wife, the artist, have the same taste in men." Amy shrugs. And for Miho's concerns... "I'm pretty sure the host and her two friends there got store-bought. But if you ''want'' it to look-- if you'd feel better, or you're self-conscious about it or something, I have costume magic, we just have to duck out of sight for a moment." She looks to Taro, "That offer's for you too, if you want, of course." She looks between them and follows Miho's gaze and smiles, "We were just about to get cake, want to try some? ...Your magic burns calories, right? If you're worried about that, just practice some tomorrow."
Emi Hoshino	It's Emi! And Emi is dressed like she normally is, you know, since she dresses largely like Halloween is every day. She snaps her spider-web pattern parsol shut with a flourish and places it over her shoulder, platform heels that make her shortness look a little less obvious clicking on the flooring. She's got a little gift wrapped item tucked under her arm, wrapped in black cloth with a little pink bow. Those who are magical (you know ,lots of people here) can also see the palm-sized, multi-colored spider that sits on her shoulder, legs draped over each side of her and looking on placidly. Upon arrival, she scans the interior and spots Rashmi pretty much immediately before heading her direction.
Miho Inada	Miho giggles a little bit as she hears Taro threaten to dye her bunnies. "I'd be less worried about the bunnies, and more concerned about the new move I finally got to work right.", she tells. The girl leans against Amy a bit. "But do not worry. I don't plan on making her sad.", she tells. The girl rests her head on top of Amy's head a little bit. She is a bit taller then Amy. "I'm not worried about what it looks like. I'm just thinking does Dire Wolf Barricade warrant me getting cake.", she admits. The woman gives Amy a squeeze as she explains. "And I am sorry, Taro. I am getting used to being around people again. Especially with the Job. I only recently decided to come back to the front. I kinda been hiding a bit since Walpy. My apologies.", she tells.
Rashmi Terios	"When it's chocolate pudding cake," Rashmi says with all the seriousness and formality of a senpai about to divulge Life-Altering Wisdom, "it is not a matter of 'Did I earn it?' It is a matter of 'is there any left?' And if there is... Have some. Also the bat creampuffs are great, the Midori-ya is basically Nounamu but for baked goods, depriving yourself should be illegal." At which point she sees another girl heading into the bakery, and grins, lifting a hand to wave cheerily. "Emi-chaaaan~! So good to see you!" This last, said as she approaches the parasol-bearing goth, beaming. "And you, Kenken~!" she says under her breath once she gets within conversational distance. "How're things? ...Oh have you met Veronica-chan over there, and Laisa-chan? You'd probably get along great!" Oh dear. The perils of being familiar to Rashmi; friends need to at least meet friends, to see if they will be friends or not. It's never 100% successful, but it must be tried, with every friend. Sorry, Emi, but you chose this.
Veronica Perenna	"Oh?", Veronica raises an eyebrow interested when Miho comes forward, and her and Amy dating comes up. "I don't think we have had the pleasure to meet, I am Veronica Perenna", she smiles at Miho. "And Rashmi-chan is right, the important thing is having fun! Let your heart guide you, it's almost never wrong!" Well, they can be the gardeners of the human heart this way too. "Is that so? One might think that it all comes natural to you", Veronica replies, giving Laisa a quick peck, her eyes shining brightly with affection. "If you want, then of course, please", Veronica smiles at Laisa's kindness. "Thank you, Jingujj-san", Veronica playfully regards Taro at his compliment. "I don't know who you are, but you must be a great Jinguji if Amy-chan thinks so", she comments. "Hmm, you can use your costume magic on others?", Veronica comments interested. That is definitely news to her. "If you do make Miho a real catgirl, let me know if you want me to share some tips." Veronica's gaze turns to Emi as soon as Rashmi calls attention to her. "A friend, Rashmi-chan? Don't worry, come over, we are all in good company here! Do you want some snacks? Or cake?"
Amy Faust	"Hi Emiiiii!" Amy waves to her friend across the crowd, briefly raising her voice. Rashmi dispenses the Wisdom of Cake, and Amy looks from Rashmi to Miho and nods, "Ya, ya! This young lady's wise beyond her years, you don't get to eat a treat like this every day!" Then she blinks and drops character again. (She's just going to have fun with it and ''not think about it or worry it's weird'', dammit!) "Wait did you say ''chocolate pudding cake''?! If it's made with any skill at all, that sounds... mmm..." And then Miho is resting against her and her cheeks pink a little and being hugged is very nice and she ''smiles''. Although she looks a bit concerned, not having realized Miho was having this much trouble being around people. "I'm happy to help if I can! And Taro really is quite nice... so are most of our friends. I think perhaps the only way to overcome it... we've got to have some good experiences together with people, right? That'll help, like... teach your brain that it's less scary. I used to be shy too. So was Rashmi. And Taro. Really, your struggles are in good company." She nods to Veronica. "Our hearts can figure it out as long as we don't worry about meeting arbitrary standards and boxes. Taro's a special friend I like being close to, but also don't want to date or-- or more. I don't know if that makes this some sort of polycule or not. Words restrain the heart, though they're useful for communication sometimes..." If you make her a real catgirl... Amy blinks. "Wait, can I... ''do'' that? I can ''do'' ears and tails now... honestly I've barely tried it on other people. Getting Molly out of that awful hospital gown was the first time."
Laisa Samuiko	Laisa notes that Amy and Miho are dating now, kinda sorta? They're not sure? "Ah, well it can be like that, sometimes. You have to take love at its own pace, you know?" As long as they are talking about it in terms of exploring feelings instead of recreating dubious fairytales, Laisa isn't all that worried about them. They'll figure it out. She heads towards the cake, overhearing Rashmi make an introduction. Laisa looks over to Emi. Fellow goth detected. "Oh, huh. Guess I'm not the only one," she comments, before slicing a couple pieces of cake, one for herself and one for Veronica, placing each on a plate. "Emi, is it? Laisa Samuiko, pleased to meet you." Then she hands one plate to her girlfriend and keeps the other for herself, using the side of a fork to cut it open. "I guess a couple of us are on the shy side, are we? It's fine. I don't bite. Unless you're made of ice cream."
Emi Hoshino	"Ehhhh?" is what Emi says when her attention is called over to the others. Laisa gets a quick, quirk of a smile from one Goth to another Goth. KenKen raises her forepaws and waves them in her direction. Did the spider wave hello? Yes, yes it did. Emi untucks the package she's holding and aims to hand it to Rashmi. "Uh, yeah. Hi everyone. Nice to meet you all," she offers, halting. "This is for Molly," she says, "she's never really met me except the once off ... the web, let's say, and it's better if this comes from someone she knows instead of me just trying to wedge myself into see her now that she's ... in a better space. It'll open some doors," she explains, a ghost of a smile crossing her face.
Rashmi Terios	Blinking, Rashmi looks down at the package, and by the look on her face her first reflex is to argue. But she stops, thinks about it for a bit, and nods. "I'll be happy to give this to her," she says gently. "But I think it'd be a pleasant surprise for you both, if you visited her at least once. If I know Molly-chan, she'll be so happy to see you." And leaving it at that, Rashmi grins. "Now c'mon. if you've never had Midori-ya cake, there's chocolate pudding cake that is Certified as Not Actually A Monster, and trust me you'll be glad you had some. Also bat-shaped creampuffs, and for KenKen's peace of mind nothing at all is spider-shaped."
Miho Inada	Miho gives Veronica a small bow. "I think you were in the hospital room after Hinote got hurt getting the rose, if I'm not mistaken? I could be though. It was...a long time ago. And well, before I kinda...yeah, I'm working on making myself better and getting out.", she tells. The girl takes a moment to adjust herself a bit. She looks at the time. Crap! Her dorm mate is going to kill her if she doesn't make it back before lights out. Maybe some cake will ease the teasing? Miho goes to get some cake, and hears the comment about ice cream. "Oy! Yuki-onna here! Snow and ice! No biting me!", she laughs with a bit of a tease. "Well, normally. Tonight, I'm a neko-chan!", the girl laughs. Miho gets two pieces of cake, and some for her dorm mate. She looks around, and bows a bit. "Thank you for letting me visit.", she says with a small smile. She moves over to Amy, and gives her a quick kiss, and a hug. She blushes horribly, before heading out. She decides to cheat a little bit, and henshins into Yukihime. A small cloud of snow floats past the doors.
Amy Faust	Take love at its own pace? Amy looks to Miho, "Ah... well, let's... figure out what it is over time." And back to Laisa, "I don't want to use that word until I'm sure. Then, whenever and with whomever I do..." She glances back to Miho, "it'll mean more." Rashmi lists the virtues of cake, and Amy reminds again: "And it's free and a chance you don't get every day." She ''laughs'' at Laisa's joke about only biting if someone is made out of ice cream. It's a bit loud, but it's not a booming laugh. And then giggles at Miho pointing out that she is a yuki-onna, after all! She strokes her chin thoughtfully. "Well, nekomusume. Or perhaps neko-ko..." She glances sidewise to Taro. "Do people say that all that much?" But then she blushes at the kiss and at getting hugged, she hugs Miho back warmly, and nuzzles, and gives a similarly quick peck in return, smiling. n_n "Well, you are a nice and sweet kitty if you want! I'm glad you could stop by, we'll have to spend more time together soon! Have a safe trip home!"
Emi Hoshino	"Oh, I suppose I can stay for a little bit of cake," is Emi's response. A glance between Miho and Amy and that exchange between them has her looking a bit surprised, but then she's genuinely amused and clearly works diligently to say nothing at all about that. Trap. Shut. She's gonna get cake.
Veronica Perenna	Veronica blinks when Amy acts surprised at the notion of using her costume magic on others. "Why are you acting like that? You are the one that offered to take Miho aside and mentioned you have costume magic to make her feel better if she was feeling self-conscious." Shr tilts her head to the side, trying to understand the redhead. "That is for Molly. She is finally free from Seriss and back in her own body?", Veronica comments wide-eyed, staring at Emi. "Wait, that is great! When did it happen? Is she at Mitakihara Hospital? At the nurse office?"
Rashmi Terios	Miho's goodbye to Amy gets an approving chuckle from Rashmi, as she tucks the box up one sleeve... and somehow it stays there? As she turns to follow Emi back to the snacks table, this time choosing a lovely eyeball cookie, and another cup of punch. "There's no rush to figure things out," she notes to her redheaded friend. "It's okay to let that happen at its own pace." As Veronica asks after Molly, Rashmi's shoulders drop a little bit. "Yeah... she's free now, for good. Ami-chan got the last... five...teen...hundred...? hits in, Seriss is gone gone gone." And the reflief in her voice, and on her face, is practically a thing you could touch. "We took her to the Infirmary, cos uh... There was a problem at the end. This isn't really the place to go into it, just... She's back, and that's what matters most."
Amy Faust	Amy blinks at Veronica. "Well yeah, but it wasn't 'till a few months ago I seriously ''thought'' about using that magic on others... and I didn't ''do'' it 'till days ago. I guess I kinda... it had seemed like it wouldn't work, before? Also, ears and tails didn't ''used'' to work. Not 'till we were fighting the apartment nightmare... the landlord, that was it. So... I honestly ''hadn't'' thought about applying that to other people yet." She holds a hand to her chin, thinking. "How long would it last, I wonder..." Molly is free? "Yes!" Amy smiles, "We did it, it's awesome," her smile falters, "there was a complication, um... we ''will'' cover this, it was a few days ago, I am getting cake before it's all gone so I can get bites while you're asking questions." And she hurries off to get a slice of cake and a cream puff, and returns with a plate and a plastic fork. "Ohhh this is rich. This is really good." She raises her voice, "Whoever made this cake, you're amazing!" Rashmi relates that Amy got the last few hundred hits in. "Forty-seven. Or four hundred and forty-five if you're gonna count every single boom gun flechette." Amy grins. "She was a stain on the pavement after." She nods to Rashmi's summary.
Laisa Samuiko	Laisa glances over at Miho and blinks at her response to the ice cream comment. Laisa playfully objects, "Hey now. Ice and ice cream are two very different things. I can make my own snow cones thank you very much." She waves as Miho heads out. She leans against Veronica, giving her cheek a quick peck before going back to her cake. Mmm. Delicious. Very much not a youma. As Laisa hears the description of the end of the fight, she glances over at Amy with a raised eyebrow. "Sounds like you really let her have it. Not that I blame you, she was a creep by all accounts. I was lucky enough to never actually see her in person." She notices the mention of a problem, but Rashmi doesn't want to get into it, so Laisa doesn't ask. "Well, I'm glad Molly's back at least. Hopefully things will get better for her."
Emi Hoshino	"Yeah, so I'm told," says Emi, carefully, not super comfortable as the others are in discussing these things so openly. It's just not her style -- but it's clear too t hat she's not holding it against anyone else. She adjusts adjusts her parasol against her shoulder while her spider crawls up on top of her head and sits in her hair. Her eyes roll up towards KenKen and she sighs. "Gonna mess up my hair again," she grumbles.
Rashmi Terios	"Yeah," Rashmi sighs. "That's what matters most, that she's back. And that's one less thing I have to worry about, which is always good." Sipping from her punch, she smiles to her friends. "So! I gotta ask, Veronica-chan, Laisa-chan... How long you been together? Cos I think I've seen you being adorable before, but I can't remember how long back that was." And this is how Rashmi seems to prefer to spend her evening. Catching up with friends -- or at least, people she likes, even if they wouldn't use the term 'friend' so freely -- being interested in their lives, and though by the time the party winds down she is pretty noticeably draggy... she did promise to help clean, and she pitches in without a single word of complaint. Small-business families stick together, yo.
Amy Faust	Amy listens to the others, nodding re: creepy Seriss. "Yes. Very much a creep." After Rashmi's comment she looks between the couple. "Yeah, you two have been cute for awhile... since at least Crystal Tokyo."
Laisa Samuiko	Laisa smiles and fidgets with her cosplay watering can for a moment as Rashmi asks about her relationship with Veronica. "It was slightly before the first trip to Crystal Tokyo. Middle of April. She was pulling off a reverse heist with a few friends and I joined in at the last moment. I decided that there was something about her I really liked, which... is unusual for me. My Rime Rosary is supposed to suppress romantic feelings, but I suppose my curse is more complicated than that." She blushes a little bit and looks away from Veronica, but still leans against her. "I caught up with her on the way back to the painting world and decided to shoot my shot, and well... eheh, here we are! She's an absolute sweetheart, so I have no regrets."
Emi Hoshino	This is when Emi's phone pings and she looks at with a chagrinned expression. "Mister Sato," she tells Amy, as if she'll understand. And then she's off to the door. "Tell Molly hi for me," she calls out after them, giving a little wave after Veronica and Laisa too because she didn't really get the chance to say much to them!
Veronica Perenna	Veronica decides not to press further on the matter of Seriss, and instead is happy to redirect the conversation towards how they started dating. "Exactly like that", she adds to Laisa's summary smiling widely. "I was really surprised at first. I remembered her as an ally I saved Christmas with, and she helped out during the siege from when I was first stuck as a cat, but we never really talked." Not like she was able to talk the second time. "Still, I decided to try when she approached me, and we really started clicking. She is beautiful, smart, fun, a great sculptor, and she can make everything more enchanting." The things she can create with her ice magic... "I am really glad I could get together with someone so sweet", she concludes warmly. "See you around, Emi-san", Veronica tells her.
Amy Faust	Amy grimaces in sympathy when Emi says who's calling. She waves. As for the couple, she listens to their story and smiles. "I'm glad you got to try being together. Without worry that it had to be perfect, or follow a dumb societal script about a boy and a girl. And that it's worked so splendidly. It's been wonderful seeing you two get to ''be'', you two, together... and it's been wonderful having a shot with Miho now. I look forward to seeing what the future brings, for all of us."
Laisa Samuiko	SuiseiLaisa waves goodbye at Emi when she leaves, and then smiles at Amy's response while still blushing slightly from Veronica's praise. "Yeah I think relationships are best when you and your partner decide the rules on your own. A lot of times, society's romantic scripts aren't really born out of meaningful relationship advice, but rather other people's standards and expectations. So you end up with a set of 'rules' that are really just a control method to serve someone else's agenda. A Golden Path that leads to where they want you to be, but not where you actually want to go." "There's no point in pursuing an appealing lie when the truth is far more beautiful. I sincerely do not think we'd have the connection we do if we were following someone else's script." Tilting her head to the side, while reaching out with her free hand to hold Veronica's, she says, "I hope things go well between you and Miho. I can tell she's a bit shy in some ways, but that's not a bad thing."
Veronica Perenna	Veronica smiles happily at the touch of Laisa's hand and squeezes it, holding it softly. "This would be a far duller world for me if I had to worried about being influenced by others' rules. It can't be perfect, really, but I am still here, and I want to make the best of it, for everyone." Even if, to her the only thing she wouldn't call "perfect by others' standard" is how they started dating, but there is nothing that she hasn't cherished so far. "Even if I were to stumble in the future, my relationship would still be the most important thing I have, and it's by how the two of us want it that I would try to protect it." "I hope that you two find something really valuable too."
Amy Faust	Amy smiles as Laisa says it's best for a couple to decide on the rules together. And smiles wider as she identifies that society's expectations are a means of control, and she says the truth is better than 'appealing' lies. Veronica, too, sees how dull that gilded path is and that their relationship can outshine it. "Jinguuji, this generation is seriously wise, huh? Imagine if our class could think like this, ne?" And she turns to where one can only imagine a Taro-shaped outline might be next to her. "Oh right, he left." Her shoulders droop a little. She looks back to Laisa and Veronica. "But seriously, I'm using the bit to say real sentiment. Twenty years ago, so many students were blinded by that path they'd hurt anyone who stepped off it, even if it made their own feet bleed." "I'm lucky to have Miho now, but even when I thought my one shot had passed by and I'd never get another, it is just..." she smiles, "so wonderful to see people ''actually getting to figure themselves out'' at Radiant Heart." "It really gives me hope that... that... that you'll make a better world." She could hear Rashmi in her head saying ''you're part of this future too, don't act like you're not'' but while that may be true, thinking those blinded by the golden path would ever ''listen'' to ''her'' is a lie she cannot earnestly tell herself. People like that don't care about her or what she thinks about anything, and unlike the character she's dressed as, she does not have supernatural charm powers. "And thank you. I think we will. Whatever happens... We'll know more about the truth of ourselves, and that can only help us to find more happiness in the future."