Chef

Luciana Del Rosario was born in San Diego, California to two Mexican immigrants trying to make a new name for themselves in their new home, Mr and Mrs Del Rosario. Her father was a line cook at a celebrated diner in downtown San Diego, and her mother worked as a florist. For the few short years that they were together, they were happy - and moderately successful, certain enough so that they were able to be comfortable. Unfortunately, happiness was not something that was meant to be for the Del Rosario family.

When Luci was five, her maternal grandmother passed away all the way in Guadalajara. Instead of passing over the border by car, her parents had made the decision to go back into Mexico by plane - they were legal citizens of the United States, but Mrs Del Rosario was destraught, and wanted to get to her familial home as soon as possible. Luci had never gotten a chance to meet her grandmother, and had taken ill - she wouldn't be going with her parents, no matter how much she begged and pleaded. The child had a bad feeling about this trip.

It would turn out, her bad feeling would be right. Her parents said their goodbyes to their daughter and left her with a trusted family friend - and that goodbye would be the last one that they ever said to her. On the way to Guadalajara, the plane that her parents was on crashed, and there were no survivors. Luci was, as one might expect, distraught. With all of her extended family still located in Mexico, and with no one among her parent's friends and acquaintances able to care for her, Luci was left to the foster care system.

It wasn't very long before she was a latch-key kid, caring for herself even despite the fact that she was put in the care of someone that might be capable. The first home that she was put in was over-crowded, and Luci had always been tall for her age - the kids there were just as neglected as she was, and they took it out on her. She didn't last there very long, and soon enough, she was jumping around the country. It was always the same things. She never made any friends, she was always teased for her height, or for something else. It didn't take very long for Luci to learn how to defend herself. When she would have much preferred gardening or cooking, she had to learn to throw a punch.

That all changed when she came to Orlando - not at first, but eventually. When she was fourteen she was put under the care of a woman who didn't exactly care about any of her foster children. Luci had just been the latest in a long line of kids. At first, it was business in usual; she was kicked out of her first school and gained a reputation for apparently 'picking fights' with the other, more privileged kids. It didn't matter that the truth of it was that she was just trying to defend one of the smaller kids, and maybe it was for the best. It was, after all, what led Luci to meet Cynthia on that fateful first day at her new school.

Luci was the fourth Guardian to join the team of Sailor Guardians, and the rest is - as they say - history. Luciana, as Sailor Jupiter, was faithfully right by the side of Cynthia and the others as they bested the Dark Kingdom, Black Moon Clan, Death Busters, the Dead Moon, and the Shadow Galactica. As with the other guardians, Jupiter technically lost her life during the battle with the Shadow Galactica - at the hands of Galaxia and her chaotic warriors. And, again just like them, when Sailor Chaos was defeated Sailor Jupiter was returned to life.

When she was returned to life, Luciana started working at a nearby restaurant as she finished her years in high school. Upon graduating, Luci went to a prestigious culinary school with the blessing of the head chef of the restaurant that she had been working at. Though she was a distance away from the other Guardians, who had all gone on to do their own things, she kept in contact with them. After all - they were her best friends, and they had been for millennia. Every year during the holidays, and Summer, Luci would return to Orlando.

After graduating, she relocated back to Orlando for good. She continued to work at the same restaurant that she had been at before for the next few years, eventually saving up enough money to open up her own, cute little bistro in downtown Orlando. It became popular quickly, known for the cute little floral design and pastries that Luci specialized in. When Cynthia became Neo Queen Serenity, Luci was of course there, beside her friend the entire way. Luci was ready for what the future had to offer.

And for a while, things were great. Luci was happy with Cynthia's decision to out her, as well as the other Inner Guardians, but then... her bistro was attacked, bombed, and practically destroyed. Luci's heart and dreams were shattered, and suddenly she wasn't too sure on Cynthia's decision. It had, after all, been Luci that ultimately was forced to suffer - but she was also incensed, ready to make sure that the Dark Kingdom, Black Moon, and whoever else were not able to take away their happy ending.

In the months since the bistro was bombed, it's become Luci's personal mission to rebuild and reopen the bistro, but between her time spent as Sailor Jupiter and given everything going on lately, it's been slow going. But Luci is determined not to be stopped or further slowed down.

The Cafe del Jardín de Rosas had seen better days; much better days, but it was recovering. It wasn't long ago that the entire place had been blown to bits by members of the Black Moon, all due to the fact that this was her place. But Luciana Del Rosario was not the type to be known to give up. Some people might have called her stubborn, and perhaps attached to lost causes, but Luci preferred to look at it like she was determined. This place was hers, entirely hers. She wasn't going to shy away from raising it from its ashes.

Paint was smeared on Luci's face, and she held a paint brush in her dominant hand. With a satisfied smirk on her face, she stepped back and measured up the frame of what she had just painted; it was part of the new sign that she was going to hang above the door outside the diner. It was green and pink, with numerous different and colorful flowers surrounding the name of the cafe. It was the border that Luci just finished. "Not half bad," Luci said - to herself more than to anyone else. There were workers around, but they were all busy.

"It looks really nice, Ms Luci." A young woman - younger than Luci even appeared - said as she approached the Sailor Guardian from behind. She was one of the hostesses that wanted to stay with the bistro when it reopened, a young woman by the name of Maria. Luci turned slightly to face her. "It does, doesn't it? Maybe things are starting to look up." Maria nodded slowly, but it was clear that there was something the matter. Or, at the least, that she wasn't entirely convinced. Luciana's lips pursed.

"What's wrong?" Luci asked, and Maria rubbed her arm nervously. "It's just... what if something happens again? This place is so... so... public. It's such a good target." Luci shut her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, inhaling and holding it for a few moments. And then, as she exhaled, her eyes snapped open and she crossed her arms over her chest. "It won't. Because I won't let it." The confidence in her voice was sure - and she was sure in what she said herself.

"Listen, Maria - come with me." Luci motioned for the girl to follow her, and stepped over to a pair of chairs. The chairs were covered with sheets in order to avoid getting paint on them. Luci sat in one, and Maria sat in the other. "I'm not afraid of the Black Moon. Or anyone else, for that matter. I'm not going to bother with their scare tactics." Luci said, pushing her bangs out of her face and leaning back in the chair.

"The moment that I decide to permanently close this place is the moment that they win."

"What do you mean?" Maria asks, almost nervously.

"They want to scare us. They want us to go back to hiding. I can't help who I am, Maria. And I'm always going to be that person." Maria nods slowly, and Luci continues, "and I appreciate you for sticking with me through this. You've been a champ this entire time, mi novia. But if you want to stop, if you want to leave... the door is right there. I'm not going to stop you. If you stay, I can't promise that it's going to be safe. But I can promise you that I'm going to do my damnedest to keep this place and everyone here safe."

Luci was looking directly at Maria, resolve burning in her eyes. Slowly, her hand reached out and gripped Maria's own.

"So. Whattaya say? Still in it for the long haul?"