2009/Spilling the Dee Tea

Spilling the Dee Tea
Date of Scene:	20 October 2024
Location:	Club Building
Synopsis:	Sarah happens upon Dianora playing piano in the music club room which quickly leads to a reprisal of the pair's dramatic duet from their past in Etheria, and then a tear-and-hug-filled reunion. Double Trouble then proceeds to spill so much tea, the hottest of which is their secret identity as Dianora!
Cast of Characters:	Double Trouble, Scorpia

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Double Trouble has posed:
Dianora needed more friends. The whole point of her existence was to make friends with sparkles so that she could learn information. She had grown complacent, though. Double Trouble had fallen into a rut. Things needed to change. Which is why Dianora Lagorio decided it was time for the students at Radiant Heart, and the people of the world at large to learn just how talented she truly was.

She'd been a part of music club since she got to the school and Coco invited her, but she'd not been particularly active. That started to change. The young, raven-haired girl in pink was quickly becoming a fixture in the Club Building.

Today, as per her usual, she's seated at the grand piano, her feet barely able to reach the pedals, and she's playing something jazzy. It's not even club time. She's just in there practicing.

Scorpia has posed:
To be completely honest, Sarah hadn't made many new connections, aside from Ryoko, since showing up on Earth. And she'd not seen much of her Etherian friends either, for that matter. Was she doing something wrong? Anxiety filled her tummy at the thought that her friends didn't like her anymore. And when the tall blonde was nervous? She sang about it.

She heard the piano music long before she reached the door to the Music Club. It was a beautiful tune and it made her want to dance. Dressed in her black combat boots, black leggings and an oversized dark red sweater, she peeked her head in to see a small pink covered person sitting at the piano. Sarah grinned and stepped inside, "Mind if I join you?"

Double Trouble has posed:
"Not at all," the younger girl said, smiling as she kept playing. She was almost done with the song, after all. One modulation and a coda later and she lifted her hands off the keys and leaned back, finally looking up at Sarah and taking her in.

"I don't think I've seen you before," she said, sliding off the bench and stepping out from behind the piano. She skip-stepped across the room to greet the tall blonde with a smile and a curtsey. "Are you interested in joining the Music Club? We have some pretty amazing musicians here. One day, I'll be like them."

There's just a heartbeat of silence before she throws her shoulders back and looks up, striking a pose. "I'm Dianora Lagorio, and one day, I'm going to be a star!"

Scorpia has posed:
Sarah was struck with how familiar the younger girl felt to her. But she shook it off, as she'd surely not met her before. With a friendly laugh, she responds, "I'm technically in the club already, I've just not been very present. I'm Sarah Point! Nice to meet you little lady. Do you know more than just piano?"

Double Trouble has posed:
The blonde was not the only one experiencing a little deja vu. Dianora looked up at her and cocked her head to one side for a moment. There was something very familiar about Sarah. She was going to have to keep an eye on this one.

"Do I know more than just piano? Do I know more than just piano?" Dianora laughs and claps her hands. "I'm so much more than just a pianist, my dear Point-san. I'm a thespian."

Then as if to demonstrate she takes a leap up on top of a nearby table, as if it were a stage, and begins to recite some words:

    As an unperfect actor on the stage,
    Who with his fear is put beside his part,
    Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage,
    Whose strength's abundance weakens his own heart;

When she says 'heart' she clutches both her hands over her chest. Before going on to say:

    So I, for fear of trust, forget to say
    The perfect ceremony of love's rite,
    And in mine own love's strength seem to decay,
    O'ercharg'd with burthen of mine own love's might.

She falls down to her knees on the table as she begins the next few lines of the poem:

    O! let my books be then the eloquence
    And dumb presagers of my speaking breast,
    Who plead for love, and look for recompense,
    More than that tongue that more hath more express'd.

She sits back on her heels and lets out a dramatic sigh:

    O! learn to read what silent love hath writ:
    To hear with eyes belongs to love's fine wit.

Then she bounces back up and swings her legs around and slides off the table, clapping. She's very proud of her performance just now. "See?! A thespian!"

Scorpia has posed:
Sarah stands, wide-eyed and slack-jawed while Dianora does her piece. When it's all done, she cheers and claps, a huge grin on her face. She doesn't even pause to think that this small girl wouldn't want a hug. She simply lifts her up and twirls her around, "Amazing Dianora! So much talent!"

Releasing her new friend, she hops up onto a desk, not that she has to hop too high, and grips the edge of it as she speaks, "I just sing. Especially when I have bad feelings."

Double Trouble has posed:
She's swept up into that hug and it's so familiar. The blonde gives good hugs. Then when Sarah hops up onto the desk, Dianora skips back over to the piano. "You sing? We should duet! You have any requests?"

She slides up onto the bench and gets situated right at the edge where her toes can stretch to press the pedals and tickles a few keys in a jazzy little riff, but then she stops and peeks up over the empty music stand above the keyboard. "I don't know what you know, or do you just want to make up lyrics as you go?"

Scorpia has posed:
Sarah lets out a surprised noise at the suggestion to sing in front of anyone. Her brow crinkles and her face flushes a pretty pink as she replies quickly, "Oh no! I wouldn't even know what to sing. I am not too familiar with the music here on Earth yet, and music from back home makes my heart sad for all the people I miss."

She looks down at her feet, which are swinging idly, and bites her lip as sadness does wash over her. She felt so alone. It had been a very long time since she'd had these kinds of feelings.

Double Trouble has posed:
Not too familiar with the music here on Earth yet. Dianora starts up playing again. It's probably not a theme Sarah recognizes. A well known theme from one of those American space shows. "It sucks being far away from home. I am too. It's really hard being in Tokyo and not having anyone. I'm really lucky I found my onee-chan so quickly."

She gets to the end of the melody and then starts into another tune. This one might be familiar, if Sarah remembers all the songs Scorpia heard Peekablue play in the underwater nightclub just before she got chipped in Etheria. It's the same pianist, after all. "So if you're not from Earth, where are you from?"

Scorpia has posed:
Ryoko would be mad. She knew this as soon as Dianora's question falls from her lips. Sarah freezes and stutters out an, "Uhhh, I'm from Earth. I don't know why I said that!" There was no way anyone would believe her. But then she goes ahead starts humming along with that second tune, because it was familiar.

The tall blonde doesn't even notice that she's harmonizing with the piano piece her little friend is playing. It feels nice. Like home.

Double Trouble has posed:
As Dianora played the song she took a mental inventory of everything she knew about this girl. She was tall and clearly worked out. She was very friendly and gave very good hugs. She's humming the correct harmony line to the song Dianora's playing. She's not from Earth and she's a terrible liar. Most of the non-Earth folks Dianora knows are from the same place she is. So she decides to take a risk.

"Right, of course. You surely meant you're not familiar with music here in Tokyo," Dianora suggests helpfully. Then she starts into the music that Peekablue played to accompany Scorpia when she sang I'm A Spy.

Scorpia has posed:
And of course. Of course Sarah would begin to sing along with the music. Because she is a girl of instinct. Leaning back on her hands, she stares up at the ceiling and pours her soul into the lyrics. They don't match what's going on inside of her at all, but what else is a girl to do? She's being given an outlet, and whether or not it's a manipulative trap, she probably won't ever know, much less tell.

Sneak, don't make a sound

Sneak, just look around

I've always been strong, but now my nerves are gone 'cause I know I can do it

Sing!

Dance!

Be a spy!

Hiding before your very eyes

How could I sneak with this fine physique?

Discover the truth, it doesn't take a sleuth

Yes, I'm a spy, spying in disguise

Hiding before your very eyes

Until you discover, stay under cover

Seeking the clue that will lead me to you

Yes, I'm a spy, spying in disguise

Hiding before your very eyes

Sneak, don't make a sound

Sneak, just look around

I'm a spy!

I'm a spy!

I'm a spy!

Sarah lets the last note fade and she takes a deep breath. It's then that she feels the tears trailing down her cheeks to splash down on the shoulders of her sweater. Singing is so cathartic.

Double Trouble has posed:
Dianora doesn't take her eyes off Sarah the entire time she's singing. The magic on this horrid planet is weird, and that girl has got hands instead of pincers. But there's nobody that could sing that song like that but Scorpia. It's her song after all.

Maybe they sympathized with her for being so far away from their home. Maybe they were just so caught up in the memory of their last performance of this particular duet. But when she finished, as she started to cry, they couldn't help but lift the necklace off their neck, slipping off the piano bench and moving around to in front of the piano as themself. Double Trouble. Glorious yellow hair, green skin, sharp teeth, and prehensile tail. Wearing their trademark black mesh bodysuit.

They immediately start applauding. "Brava! Brava, darling! You've been practicing, haven't you?"

Scorpia has posed:
Sarah is startled by the voice, the words. Sitting up straight, she gasps and rushes to squeeze Double Trouble to her, "I KNEW you felt familiar!!" And she begins to cry harder, "You-you made me feel like home again, DT. Thank you. You're exactly what I needed."

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble knows better than to fight the hug. She does give the best hugs, and they're better now because she has hands. Instead they just hug her right back, their arms reaching up around her neck and their tail squeezing around her waist. "Darling, why're you crying? I know this magic-forsaken rock is a lot to take in, but you're so far from alone. I'm here, and so is the whole best friend squad. Though, folks are...a bit of a mess."

They give her another squeeze and then they just drop right out of the hug, their arms going limp and their body falling to the floor as they skitter away like the lizard they are. They lean against the piano then and look at Sarah for a long moment. "So. What is it like having hands?"

Scorpia has posed:
With a half sob, half laugh, Sarah wipes away the tears on her face and returns to her perch on the table, "I've not seen much of the best friend squad since I crashed Prom. So I don't have any idea about what kind of messes anyone is in." There was a note of sadness in her voice, but also a bit of bitterness, should DT be paying close enough attention.

Lifting her hands up, a bright happy grin spreads across Sarah's face, "Having hands is wonderful! I never knew how convenient they would be, until I got here and now I can do things without hurting others! I can be gentle, like I usually try to be. But the pincers would never let me. It's one of the good things that's come from being here... being able to experience this."

Double Trouble has posed:
"Well, Catra doesn't remember anything from after the whole incident with the portal where she almost destroyed everything. She doesn't remember me at all, it was like she met me here for the first time," they say.

"That really messed up Adora, because you know she got yoinked here from right before their wedding. It's been a while since I've talked to her. She really went through a tough spell." They take a breath.

"Then Glimmer is stuck at Obsidian because the Moonstone is parked in Riventon's office," they say. "I'm there too because there's no magic here to sustain me, so I'm kinda stuck using dark energy which." They shrug. "Is what it is." They pull the necklace out of their pocket and drop it back over their neck, turning once again into short, pink and bubbly.

"They found me when I was in the wilderness surviving by killing small animals and eating them like a beast," she says. It sounds really weird coming from her cute little face. "They gave me this necklace to help me hold a shape without using my magic, and taught me the language--though I've learned several more, these Earth people have so many--and have taken care of me as long as I've been here."

She takes step forward and looks up at Sarah pointing at her with a single finger. "There are three people that know who Dianora really is. My girlfriend. My boss. And now you. I know you're bad at keeping secrets, but please, can you keep this one?"

Scorpia has posed:
Sarah blinks. That was a lot of information to process at one time. Her eyes fill up with tears again and she sweeps DT up in another bear hug, "I'm SO sorry you were all alone! I'm sad that the people who don't do very nice things, are the ones who have been helping you, but I'm glad someone has been at least. Of course I'll do my best to keep your secret!! You do all that spy stuff, so I don't want to mess that up for you."

Of course, the blonde had no idea what the shape-shifter had been up to since being on Earth, she was talking of the past. And then she's latched onto the next bit of information, "You have a girlfriend? I do too! She's the best and I love her so much. I thought Perfuma was the one for me... but turns out, Ryoko is the number one best thing to happen to me since being on Earth. How did you meet your girlfriend? Mine's my dorm roommate."

Double Trouble has posed:
Dianora relaxes and smiles, nodding enthusiastically. "Oh yes. Though for me she's my Onee-chan," Dianora giggles. "But like I said, she knows who I really am. We met at Obsidian. But she's left since. She, uh, nearly blew up the sun. But we all banded together to knock some sense into her. She's given up the dark energy, and it's really for the best. Her name's Hinoiri Kirara, and she's not from Earth either."

Double Trouble really missed having somebody comfortable they could just swap gossip with. Someone they knew and had some history with. They got so overwhelmed thinking about how much they missed home in that moment, Dianora started sniffling. Tears welling up in her eyes. She dashes forward, running rather that cutely skipping, to leap at Sarah for another hug. "I missed you."

Scorpia has posed:
Sarah just listens. She had missed being able to talk candidly, like she could back on Etheria, surrounded by her friends... her family. Ready to reply with more questions, she was caught off-guard by the small girl leaping at her. Her body instinctively reacted and wrapped around Dianora, hugging her tightly as she too started sniffling. Taking a deep breath, she murmured softly, "I missed you too."

Double Trouble has posed:
It's a sweet moment, and Dianora just lets it last. Sarah really gives the best hugs. Better than Scorpia. Hands beat pincers for hugging. She rests her head against Sarah's shoulder for a few heartbeats, and then she lets go. "So you and Gushiken-san, huh? Did you learn nothing from Catra?"

Then she pauses and says. "Did you say she's your roommate? But she went--ohhhhh. That clever girl. Glimmer set you two up didn't she."

Scorpia has posed:
The blonde's brow creases with confusion, "What do you mean by 'set us up'? I needed a place to go, and Ryoko had just lost her roommate." The comment about Catra finally sinks in and she takes a step back, hurt in her eyes and her voice strained, "I will never let anyone take advantage of me the way Catra did. Not again. Ryoko has been nothing but sweet to me. She's taught me to be strong and to have boundaries, for myself, and respecting others' boundaries too. She may work for an organization that does really evil things, but she is good. I know it. I feel it."

Double Trouble has posed:
Dianora notably is not wearing her necklace. She beams at Sarah and starts to clap, her body losing it's shape into an inky black blob and reforming as Shiori Ishii. In her prom dress even. She claps a couple more times and that beam is more of a smirk. "That's the Scorpia I know," she says and walks over to lean back against the curve in the grand piano, folding her arms over her chest.

"Do you recognize me at all? Because I was there at prom when you arrived. I was Hinoiri's date," she says, and then fluffs her hair a little. It somehow looks ridiculous for her to do so. "And your girlfriend was Glimmer's date."

Scorpia has posed:
Scorpia laughs, the tension leaving her body at DT's antics. Oh, it felt so good to be around someone from home again. She takes in the new look and shakes her head, "I'll admit I was really overwhelmed by my entrance to prom, as you say. There were a lot of people and a lot of information being thrown at me. I'm sad to say I missed you! That look is very impressive, DT! Bravo!" She offers her companion a bright smile and a clap. Because her human hands could do that now.

Shaking her head, she purses her lips, "I've seen Glimmer once since Prom, and not anyone else since. I was worried everyone had forgotten about me. I've had Ryoko. But it's been lonely." Her eyes moisten as she takes a deep breath and tilts her head to look up at the ceiling, "I miss everyone and I'm glad we're reconnecting, Dianora."

Double Trouble has posed:
Shiori's lips twist into a frown and she wrinkles her nose. She takes in a deep breath. "I didn't introduce myself," she says, as if answering a question that she'd asked in her head. "That brat is Hinoiri-chan's roommate. I'm her girlfriend, Shiori Ishii."

It's not exactly unknown that her themfriend is in fact Double Trouble, but it's also not at all unknown that they're a drama queen and love their characters. They're not as protective of the henshin, as they are of Dianora. Shiori is their human face that is supposed to be suspected of working for Obsidian, whereas Dianora is innocent beyond reproach.

But then Shiori just melts into a puddle of black and Double Trouble rises back up out of it. Such a show off. A soon as they reform they zip across the space between them and wrap their arms and tail around Sarah in a big hug. "It's good to have another friend here finally."

Scorpia has posed:
Sarah has no time to really process Shiori's words before she's turned back into DT and she's being wrapped up into a massive hug by them. She gives a soft affirming noise and squeezes her friend, probably a little too tightly, "Yes. It's very good. We should hang out and do musical things together more often, DT. This felt amazing."

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble just lets her squeeze them. Who needs a chiropractor when you have a Scorpia? And when she finally lets go they unwrap themselves and take a step back, reaching out to pat her on the shoulder. "Absolutely, darling," they say.

"You'll have to meet Hinoiri, too," they say, as they pull their little tourmaline pendant out of their pocket and drop it over their head, melting back into Dianora.

"Magic from Onee-chan's world makes people break out into musical numbers. We did a number once, after we had a big fight," she says, looking like she might cry remembering it.

"She doesn't look it here on Earth, but where she comes from, she's a unicorn Scorpia. Hooves. Horn. Everything. She and Switfwind get on pretty well." She pauses, puts her hand on her chin, and giggles. "Well they do now."

Scorpia has posed:
Sarah's smile turns soft and she nods, "If they are your people, then they will be mine as well!" And she means every word of it.

A surprised laugh falls from her lips, "A unicorn?? That is amazing! Is she not able to shift into her true form here on Earth? I sense there's a story with Swiftwind."

Double Trouble has posed:
Dianora Lagorio giggles and nods. "Oh yes, absolutely. Though, I haven't seen Swiftwind in a little while. Or Adora for that matter. But where Onee-chan is from alicorns are more powerful than unicorns, and seeing Swiftwind appear out of nowhere when we were fighting Adora was just such a gut-punch."

A single friend from back home showed up and Double Trouble is just spilling all the tea.

"But that upset didn't last long because no-one can resist that stupid horse's charms," Dianora says with shake of her head and a fond smile. "And now Onee-chan is out of the bad girl business, which is so much better for her mental health."

Scorpia has posed:
And as always, Sarah soaks up everything her delightfully dramatic friend says. Not for the sake of the drama, or the secrets, but simply because she enjoys listening, being in the presence of those she trusts.

She laughs, "That horse definitely has his charms! I'm glad they get along now. And I'm glad that she's doing better now that she's left the bad guy side. I know how that feels." Her face grows somber for a moment as flashbacks of being under someone else's control flashed before her eyes.

Double Trouble has posed:
Dianora smiles and then skips around the piano to grab her bag from under the piano bench. It is smol like her and pink like her and she slings it over both shoulders and emerges from behind the piano. "Speaking of which. I should get back to our room before Onee-chan does. I have a surprise planned for her."

Dianora giggles and then skips over to Sarah and holds out a green and gray business card with the comedy and tragedy masks. It reads "Double Trouble - Actor, Thespian, Poet, Agent, Talent Scout" and their Obsidian email and phone number. Pressed against it is another business card which is pink and edged in glitter. The front has a big gold star in the center and in a marquee font says "Dianora Lagorio". Underneath in a smaller point size it says "Thespian, Pianist" and has a different phone number and her email at RHA.

"We should definitely make a habit of hanging out, Sarah-chan," she says, beaming up at her. "I'm so glad you're here."

Scorpia has posed:
Sarah takes both the cards and grins, "I can't wait to spend more time together! I'm really glad we've run into each other. Tell your onee-chan I can't wait to meet her!"