In the quiet kitchen of their Dublin home, Scáthach O'Connell's scarlet eyes studied the glutinous rice with a furrowed brow. The room smelled faintly of steamed rice and sweet bean paste. Her slender fingers curled around the pestle, her mind racing with ancient memories of battles won and lost. This was not the warrior's usual scene.

"How hard could it be to make mochi?" she murmured to herself. It was a simple quest, a nod to their newfound friendship with the couple from Japan they had met on their vacation. She had hoped to impress Medb, but so far, the sticky rice was winning the battle.

Medb, her pink hair tied back in a messy bun, snickered from the corner. "You're a legendary fighter, love," she said, "not a mochi master."

Scáthach ignored the tease, focusing on the task at hand. She had watched the YouTube tutorials, read the recipes, and listened to Fujino's instructions. Yet, every time she raised the pestle, the rice remained unyielding.

With a sigh, she stepped aside and called out, "Medb, let's try it together." The mischievous queen of Connacht took a few tentative steps forward, her golden eyes gleaming with curiosity and a hint of amusement.

They positioned themselves in front of the mochi maker, kneading the rice with a synchrony that spoke of centuries spent together. Yet, as the rice grew stickier and more resistant, their laughter grew louder, bouncing off the walls like a pair of teenagers up to no good.

Just as Scáthach was about to pound again, her phone beeped. The screen lit up with Sayaka's smiling face, her long brown hair's bangs framing her green eyes. "Hi, Professor!" she called out. "Need any help with that?"

Scáthach looked at Medb, who was already doubled over in laughter. "Maybe," she conceded. "We seem to have forgotten a few steps."

They tapped the screen to accept the call, and Sayaka's image grew larger. "Hi, Sayaka," Medb managed to say through her giggles. "Fancy seeing you here."

Sayaka's smile grew even wider. "I was worried you'd need a hand. Let me get Fujino." She stepped out of the frame, and a moment later, Fujino's calm presence filled the screen. Her red eyes twinkled as she took in the scene. "Hello, Scáthach-san, Medb-san. How may we assist?"

Fujino's voice was a gentle guide as she began explaining the process again. The Irish warrior couple watched intently, nodding along. Medb leaned in closer to the phone, her expression earnest. "So, it's all about the rhythm?"

Fujino's soft laugh echoed through the kitchen. "Yes, just like a dance. You both have to be in sync."

Scáthach and Medb exchanged a look, their competitive spirits piqued. They had danced together in battles; surely, they could dance to the beat of a rice pestle. They took their positions, Scáthach's strength and Medb's grace combining as they raised and lowered the pestle in unison.

But their coordination was not as perfect as their combat skills. The pestle slipped from Medb's grasp, and Scáthach's supernatural strength sent it flying across the kitchen, smashing into the wall. The sticky rice exploded, leaving a crater in its wake.

Sayaka and Fujino watched in shocked amusement from the phone. "Oh dear," Fujino said. "It seems you have a bit more practice to do."

Medb couldn't hold it in anymore. She burst into laughter, and Scáthach, despite her initial frustration, couldn't help but join her. They had been so focused on their newfound challenge that they had forgotten to enjoy themselves. The sticky mess was a small price to pay for such a moment of shared joy.

Together, they cleaned up the rice, the kitchen a canvas of glutinous splatters. The video call stayed on, Sayaka and Fujino offering advice and laughter, turning the failure into an evening of friendship and learning.

As they scraped the last of the mochi from the floor, Scáthach looked up at Medb. "Maybe we should stick to fighting monsters," she said, a grin tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Medb wiped her hands on a towel and leaned in for a kiss. "Maybe," she agreed. "But I wouldn't trade this for a battlefield any day."

And with that, they decided to leave the mochi-making to the experts. The night ended with a pizza delivery and a promise to visit Japan soon for a mochi-making class from the masters themselves.