1713/Dark and Glazed like my heart

Dark and Glazed like my heart
Date of Scene:	30 June 2024
Location:	Kaoru's Donuts
Synopsis:	Laura finds herself overrun by a rolling Sailor Charon, resulting in the pair of them getting donuted. However, Sailor Charon gets to hug a seal and go into a magic floating home, so she's pretty stoked.
Cast of Characters:	Hotaru Tomoe, Laura La Mer

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Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
It was a dark and stormy... okay, it was like. A little windy. Charon was standing on a rooftop, near the donut market. Half a chocolate donut in hand. Dark and glazed, like her heart. At least, that was what she had told the cashier.

For today, Charon was embracing her 'dark and stormy' arc as a heroine. She had borrowed a cloak that was at LEAST two sizes too big, and was standing on a rooftop. Gazing out over the city. "I am the darkness, I am the night," she said. The wind blew her cape away from her as she took another small bite of her donut. "It's a foul and--"

And then the wind reversed course, sending the cape up, to wrap around her and making her shriek. "GAH!" she cried out, before falling off the roof! NOOOOO! Her dark and ominous arc of heroing, brought to a tragic, but oddly fitting end. Also, now she had donut all over the cloak. Setsuna was gonna be maaaaad!

She plummeted to the ground and... and kind of stopped in mid air, about five feet from the ground, before being let down onto the sidewalk, gently. Luminous Titan was NOT going to let her get hurt. No matter how many poor decisions she made that kind of warranted it. Also, now she had to try and disentangle herself from the cloak, as she rolled around.

She hoped this didn't end up in a 'Mahou fail' compilation.

Laura La Mer has posed:
Laura didn't really have more leads as who where she would assemble a Precure team against the Witch of Delays, and while Amy got her to school, exploring every nook and cranny of it didn't really turn up any leads. At least, she had now gained a foothold into the school, just in case future developments made it necessary. Not like she was really pressed about it either. Had it come down to that, she could have hidden in a student's room (possibly even Amy's) indefinitely, since the Aqua Pot was her own home.

But as for now, the march of victory cannot be done on an empty stomach! And so she had been prowling the streets for more Precures and a way to get some. Ignoring the shell cookies convienently stashed in her room's fridge. She is in the human world now! She wants to try something new!

That's when she suddenly gets... shadowed by something. Is that Sailor Charon? Aaand now she is rolling around, the heck is even that!? Laura laughs as she approaches the unfortunate Sailor Senshi, extending a helping hand. Or so was the plan anyway: half because of bad timing, half because she was still getting used to this 'walking' business, she times it very very badly, ending up tripping and becoming part of the rolling Hotaru, Katamari edition.

With all that rolling the Aqua Pot flies out of her pocket, ending up crashing into the ground and waking up Kururun from her nap. The seal fairy pops outside as she watches the absurd spectacle happening in front of her, and gets the Aqua Pot upright, innocently pressing the shell-button on top to snap a bubble-photo of the moment, thinking it a game Laura was playing.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
It was time for Katamari! The apprentice moon rolled around wildly, trying to escape the borrowed, now dirty cloak. Eventually, however, she was free! And... blinking as she looked down at a girl. "Uhhhhh... hi!" she said. "There... citizen! Want a donut?" she asked. Then looked at the smeared remains of the donut. "Or... not?" she offered sheepishly. She unhooked the cloak from her neck so when she stood up it wouldn't snag the other girl with it this time! "Hi! Err, sorry. About that. I uhhh... was attacked. By... the... wind..." She didn't want to lie. But she didn't want to admit to being dumb, either.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Sailor... wait... I... I know you! You're the mermaid girl, aren't you? The one on the beach? Do you remember me? I am Sailor Charon, guardian of Pluto! A little moon of the Sailor Senshi! Nice to meet you again!"

She then held out her hand to help the girl up and... oh... she really hoped getting chocolate out of the cloak wouldn't be too hard...

Laura La Mer has posed:
Getting rolled around while entangled in a cape smeared with donut bits certainly wasn't a thing Laura had on the lists of things she meant to be doing today, and as soon as she is given the chance, she stands up, fuming with embarassment as she nonetheless takes Charon's offered hand. "I... This... You totally didn't see it happen", she glares at Hotaru as she gets her clothes fixed up.

Where is...? Realising in those moments the Aqua Pot has gone missing, she starts looking around for it. The seal-fairy lends her help, though, as she cheerfully states "Kururun!", turning Laura in her direction.

"There it is!", she sighs with relief as she picks the object back up, a small pause to consider the conveniency of it ending up upright. "Ready to get back inside, Kururun?", she tells her pink mascot, that cheerfully hops in without hesitation.

"The wind can hear about it from me later", Laura frowns as she looks back at Charon. "And of course I remember you!", she says with a wide smile. "Pluto's passionate defender and the fan of mermaids, right?", she summarises, caring more about the second than the first. "What brings you around here?"

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Sailor Charon nodded. "You're right, I didn't!" Sure, she didn't see it, because at the time she was wrapped up in cape and, as such, couldn't see anything.

Not that she'd say that. She did, however, bend down to wrap it up into a little ball and make it... disappear? Weird, that.

However, when she saw the fairy, she let out a gasp. "O-oh my gosh. You even have an otter mascot fairy? That's so cool! The other mermaid I know had an otter, and..." She inches over. "She let me hold the otter once." She said with a grin that definitely screamed 'I won't ask because it's rude but can I hold your little friend?'

"And yup! Because Pluto is still a planet. It has a Sailor Guardian and that means it's a planet, because she's been there and if the guardian of the planet says it's a planet, then it's a planet. That's a much better way to definite it. Size isn't everything. And I am patrolling the streets, keeping them safe from crime and youma!" she said fervently. "I am the darkness, I am the night," she said, making a little sideways V over her eyes... imitating Sailor V. "I am... Sailor Charon. Wait, where's my glaive?"

It was resting against the side of the building, managing to land, somehow, perfectly fine over there. Weird, that.

Laura La Mer has posed:
"Kururun is a seal", Laura corrects Hotaru as she lightly taps on the Aqua Pot to get the fairy's attention again. "Aqua Regina's princess, right?" she asks with a trace of curiosity in her tone. "There isn't lots of contacts between our populations, but we meet and do trades sometimes. But honestly, we have it better. At Grand Ocean, you don't get appointed a princess, you can earn it by becoming a Queen candidate. And that's me!", she exclaims with pride.

Kururun takes care of accepting Hotaru's implicit requests again as she throws herself from the inside of the Aqua Pot into Hotaru's arms with a happy squeal. "So, which one is better?", is Laura's question over the otter.

As Hotaru goes into explaining exactly why Pluto is a planet, Laura just shrugs, not really disagreeing with the conclusion despite the unusual method she went about proving it. She is definitely the one and only.

"That one?", Laura points to the resting glaive, who doesn't have a fairy to get attention, sadly. "You did good the other day. A pity you aren' a Pretty Cure, I am sure the Queen would approve of you. And I would also be a tep closer to being Queen", she grins.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Sailor Charon gave a small shrug. "Is a cuddly bean!" she said. This was apparently her official stance on seals. "And really? Yeah. I guess earning your... princess-ness seems better? But princesses are just cool in general. I've met a few. Most of them are nice. I know a guy who's kind of a total princess too, but that's... definitely a different context. Well, more of a queen." Drama queen, to be exact.

When asked which is better she just... gave Laura a confused look. "I don't... understand the question? How... could something... what?" A hug from an otter... or a seal... how could one be better than the other? Both were amazing! And she was definitely hugging the seal.

"OH! There it is. Yeah, I need to be careful with that. That glaive holds the key to the ultimate, most dangerous place in this realm... The divine laundry room. Where all lost socks are left." ... ...... ......... No. No it did not. But it did kind of look like a key? But... no. She was making something up.

"So, only pretty cure's can make you a queen? Ohhhh. Is it like a petition thing? You need five pretty cure's to sign off on making you queen? Or is it more like... you need one to be your champion? Cause Cure Wing is pretty great, you'll like him. We've fought together a whole bunch of times! There's some other cures, too. But I don't see them much."

Laura La Mer has posed:
Kururun is definitely doing her best to live up to her cuddly reputation, nuzzling against Hotaru's arms as she is. Laura looka quizzically at Hotaru over the batter of the queen guy. "Does he get two titles then?"

An 'Are you for real expression?' is left to Hotaru as she imagines new function for her Glaive. The dimension of the lost socks, of all things? Is that her imagination of a cool thing? "You sure it's not like your pocket home or anything? Like my Aqua Pot!" she suggests. That totally is cooler, and of course she would have it.

"It's a story so old I really don't know of how it goes", Laura confesses. "A Pretty Cure stopped a disaster threatening humans and mermaids by herself, and so Pretty Cures are remembered as legendary warriors since. Once I have assembled a team, the Queen will give me the greatest honour one can earn!" Her imagination rolls out, giving her a vision of herself laughing with a crown on the shell throne.

"But honestly, you are so energetic that it wouldn't surprise me you have sparkling sunshine in your heart, as my Queen said. If not for you being Sailor Charon, I would have given you a Tropical Pact already and seen if it reacted", she grins.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Sailor Charon shrugged. "No idea. He has like... five titles, though. I think. And no, I don't have a pocket home. I have a big home. Two of them, actually... seen a few pocket dimensions, though. They uhhh... aren't something I'm allowed the keys of." ... And Pluto would be wise to keep not letting her do that.

However, the comment on the cures made her gasp. "Wait... are you sure it's just cures? I mean, pretty cures are a type of magical girl, but there's all kinds. And I think they all work to save the world when it's in danger. Like, a few months ago something came and ate the sun. They put it back, like bam. So... I guess it's kind of like a 'fish or salmon' thing? All salmon are fish, but not all fish are salmon. And if the pretty cures are the legendary warriors, maybe you just need magical people, not necessarily pretty cures?"

However, the comment on the sparkling sunshine in her heart made her freeze for a moment. Her grip on the seal tightening a bit. "Ahhh... y-yes. I... try. But ummmm... there's not really... there's more to me than just... this. I'm not really eligible. I'm just really grateful to be allowed to spend my time with so many heroes. And to be allowed to help them. There's a lot of really good people here, I'm certain you'll find everything and everyone you need here."

Laura La Mer has posed:
This human... Is she really tearing herself down? After all the things Laura had seen her accomplish? After Laura expresses persistent faith in Charon, she just shies away from it all? "Listen, Charon, I don't say it lightly, but you have to believe in your charm. That's really the only way you will get anywhere. Do you think any of your heroes would have just said they were unworthy? No, right?" she nods with confidence in her own speech, accompanied by the joyful squeaks that come from Kururun expressing her own cheering for Hotaru.

A shake of her head comes from Laura when Hotaru doubts the veridicity of her story. "That one comes from the Mermaid Queen herself, you know? She didn't say a Sailor Warrior, or a Puella Warrior, she said the legendary warrior was a Pretty Cure, so no swapping around salmons and fishes here."

Though she does have a point, with the way she fought the Layabout. Laura guesses Hotaru does deserve something after that, and if they kept her away from a pocket home, at least she could see one, couldn't she? "Want to come inside my Aqua Pot? It's spacious and filled with all the charm one could find."

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Sailor Charon opened her mouth to object, then paused. She shook her head. "No, you're right! I could totally be a pretty cure and have the light in my heart! Heart heart nightlight!" she said, hugging the little cheering seal. Gahhhh. It was too precious! She couldn't not love iiiiiit!

"Oh... it's a shame they have to be a pretty cure, but I'm sure you'll find some amazing ones! There's a lot of awesome magical people here. And Cure Wing is great, his big finishers are so cool! And we got after-fight food once too!"

"Wait, I could go into your magical pot dimension thing?! Yes! Wait. This isn't a like... ploy to try to kidnap me, is it? Because I am not allowed to fall for such things... but you're a mermaid, so I don't think you could do something that evil. Eeeee! Yes! I want to see your magic pot home!"

Laura La Mer has posed:
"That's the spirit!", Laura exclaims satisfied, guessing it can't be helped. Diamonds too have to be polished, right? And maybe it's like Wing had said, just because it was done that way, doesn't mean she can't see if they can mix it up for even greater success. She should definitely have a talk with the Queen about that, and if she approves of it, then it will be all the better!

But before that, she doesn't want the other girl to lose her spirit, just after she finished cheering her on. "Just stick around for now, Sailor Charon. The situation here is quite different than expected, and I will bring it up to the Queen."

Laura is caught offguard by the reservation Charon demonstrates, mostly due to how innocent it is. Not allowed to fall for such things? What, like she has to ask permission for it first? "Were it a ploy, you could push me around with ease. I am not a magical warrior like yourself, I only find them. And you saw Kururun enter, right? Besides, even humans can breathe in it." And with that, she places the Aqua Pot on a nearby wall, taking Hotaru's hand if allowed, and jumping towards it.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Sailor Charon gulped and took the mermaid's hand, her other hand reaching out and the glaive flew to her hand. How... bad could it be? It wouldn't backfire on her, right? Like... there were people trying to kidnap her and all. But meh. This mermaid wasn't--

OH MY GOSH THIS WAS THE BEST THING EVER! She was like a polly pocket! With a mermaid! Her eyes were sparkling and she shrieked, taking Laura's hand... the other hand... and staring into her eyes.

"You *must* meet Pluto. She. Will. Love. This. Oh. Ohhhhh. I should show you where we live! We are the... oh... wait... hmmmm..." She frowned, looking thoughtful. "I'm... not actually supposed to show you where I live... though... ohhhhh... I'll give you the number to reach me! We need to have you meet Pluto, now! She'll think this is AMAZING! We're polly pockets! But under the sea! THIS IS SO COOL!" she shrieked, before letting her hands go and starting to run around, looking the room over. "And you live in here? Do you have snacks? Can you get cable? Internet? Could others carry you around then?"

Laura La Mer has posed:
Laura grins at Charon's excitement. Of course she would find this place awesome, it was a gift from the Mermaid Queen herself! That's really all one would need to know to admire it herself. "Polly Pockets? Miniature toys, I guess?" she asks, trying to draw a comparison with their current situation.

Swimming towards the kitchen area and foremost. "I keep shell cookies and sweets in that fridge unit on the left side if you want to help yourself. The shell cookies are fairy food, but there is more than enough for Kururun", she explains with an additional note not to make her fret.

But then she is drawn into the vortex of Charon's enthusiasm, and it is so overpowering that she can't help but go along with it. "That sure sounds like a deal to me! I will keep your secret safe, and whenever you want to come in, you can just call me. Sailor Pluto is welcome here too!" - She got the naming scheme right, yes? - "I have not tried to see how the internet works in here, but if it doesn't I can make it work. People can carry us around while we are in here, in fact that's what I used to have the Rocket girl sneak me into the school, but I can also make it fly wherever I want to."

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Sailor Charon nodded. "Uh huh! They're cute. I never really got them, but I've seen them and they're cute. Shell cookies?" she asked, eyes lighting up again. As she walked around... in the...

Oh, it was such a good thing she was in henshin, this could go so poorly, otherwise.

"Your home FLIES?! Oh my gosh this is the coolest little magic house EVER!" Somewhere... somewhere Sailor Pluto was likely trying to find ways to upgrade her time dimension.

She dashed to the mermaid, eyes gleaming. "How high can we go? Can you steer it? Can I steer it? How can I--"

And oh, Laura was going to have quite an adventure ahead of her... as she asked Laura everything she could about the aqua pot... And if she could pilot it herself.