2331/One Mermaid is as good as another

One Mermaid is as good as another
Date of Scene:	16 February 2025
Location:	Plot Room 1
Synopsis:	Luminous Titan calls Hotaru back to meet with Laura so they can get their bodies back, but they hit a bit of a hiccup when Laura doesn't want to see Hotaru suffering anymore and wants her to enjoy herself. Unfortunately, Butler decides now is the ideal time to attack. Fortunately, Amy shows up to offer support and with the appearance of a ring, gifted by the Legendary Pretty Cure, both girls are returned to their rightful bodies and Hotaru's pain is driven back, for now.
Cast of Characters:	Hotaru Tomoe, Laura La Mer, Amanda Faust

---

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Laura, who was really Hotaru, was sitting on a bench at the park, a small checklist in hand which she was writing on... What was it?

A list of how much yen she owed Laura. She'd uhhhh... bought things and been experimenting with the wonders of touch and the like since, well... she had a body nooooow. And she liked it. No. She LOVED it. It was AMAZING. She felt like a healthy girl. Able to do things like hug and not be afraid she'd accidentally turn into a monster or hurt anyone or use magic and freak them out and it was AMAZING!

But Luminous Titan had sent her a message to meetup at the park... And had told Laura (In Hotaru's body) she should do the same considering... well... the 'thing' inside Laura was getting worse. It seemed to be stirring more than normal and he was concerned this whole thing was worsening her situation.

Meanwhile, in the halls of Obsidian, Butler was, unsuccessfully, having no success in getting the other three workers of his to do their jobs. All three seemed terrifyingly successful at dodging him today. Annoying. So he grabbed the little green orb of his, took out his boat, and started sailing across the open skies... It looked like, today, HE'D be gathering Motivation Power...

Laura La Mer has posed:
"Yokina Meiou" was, from Laura's understanding, a healthy child, so she has been doing her best to hide the discomfort Hotaru is experiencing, as much as that gets hard at times, with her breath having a chance of being cut off from her at any given moment due to that weird pulse hiding in the recesses of Hotaru's body.

And there is also the lack of sensitivity of her prosthetics to consider, that makes it hard to apply the right pressure since she is not used to it. The result? The objects that fell out of her grasp and the ones she broke number in the tens. She is certainly giving the impression she is an easily distracted person.

When Luminous Titan told her to meet up with Hotaru due to the worsening ebb and flow of the pulses of dark energy, Laura agrees with a reluctant sigh, making sure her disguise is in order before going to their meeting place.

"Hi, Yokina", she gives Hotaru a smile, keeping her arms crossed while she moves closer to her friend. "Luminous Titan told you, right?" She had almost considered loudly berating the Device for worrying Hotaru, but with how pallid she looks, one doesn't really need the Device to understand something is wrong.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    One of Amy's friends got turned into a cat and another got bodyswapped. Life is becoming more manga-or-early-2000s-webcomic by the month. It's not that she's happy for their trouble, but somehow, dealing with these issues feels more natural and comfortable to her than... most other things, really. And she's ready to suggest ways to ruggedize any delicate objects Laura has to handle, pens and pencils with larger grips, etc.

    She may not know the details of the dark energy inside Yokina Meiou's body, but she's coming along to consult with Yokina about any issues she may be having in Laura's body that can be accounted for.

    Seeing the two of them she waves as she approaches, smiling, "Hey, Laura! And..." She does stare for a moment, not used to seeing Laura's body walking arund with someone else inside. For a moment it kinda feels like there's two Lauras, until she's around Yokina long enough for her brain to subconsciously notice how she acts differently. "Yokina? Long time no see, damn, you've grown! When I last saw you you were this tall!" she laughs nervously, "Haha... um... little joke there... was that... bad? Um, anyway, how're you holding up?"

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Yokina gave Laura a big smile when she saw her, in her body. Only for that smile to turn grim when she saw how pale Laura had become. She got to her feet almost instantly and ran forward, reaching out to touch her face and... stopping. Just before contact could be reached. Slowly, she pulled her hands back. "It's... getting worse, isn't it?" she asked, her voice hushed and grim. "I'm... I'm so sorry," she whispered. "Laura, I never meant to..."

And then Amy was there and she turned a serious look towards her. "Faust-senpai? No, I... oh. Ohhhhh. You know?" she asked, then chuckled, nervously. "Sorry... I ummm... I'm sorry, Laura-chan. I got... carried away. I was just having so much fun and... I'm sorry," she said, bowing her head. "I never wanted you to suffer. I was hoping it wouldn't... how bad is it?"

Her frown only deepened when Luminous Titan told her, going behind Laura's back to say it. Well, even if Hotaru WAS in Laura's body, she was still the owner. She sighed and then stepped back, gripping the Aqua Pot. "It hasn't worn off yet, so there's got to be a way to like... force it, right? Like... maybe... if we both get sucked in again, together?" she asked, smiling at Laura before holding the jar out to her. She then glanced around before... shrugging. She took off her coat and held out a sleeve. "Here, let's try this. You take one hand and we can like... go in together? I imagine you want to get your body back as quickly as possible, right?"

It hadn't dawned on her at all that well... Why would Laura WANT to be like this? She knew what it was like to be her... it sucked.

Meanwhile, Butler was approaching, glancing out over the land as he went, not yet upon them... but... well... close.

Laura La Mer has posed:
"Hi, Amy-san", Laura tells the redhead, still clinging to herself with her arms crossed. This is really not what she wanted. Even if she gave away her problems with holding onto things, at least Hotaru's health issues had been hidden well, as far as she knew. With Amy here now, even the one thing she was sure she did well might be gone.

Even if Hotaru hadn't stopped herself from touching her own face, Laura takes a step back when she sees her hands approaching, feeling her heart beat louder at the thought of being touched.

"What is getting worse, Yokina-chan?", Laura still keeps on that smile, trying to look Hotaru in the eyes in a relaxed manner. That was kind of a mixed success. "So, how has your day been? Having lots of fun, eh?", she winks at her friend.

Hotaru holding out the Aqua Pot manages to erase Laura's smile, and she takes a step back. "Didn't I say I am fine? There is no need to go back yet. Why would you want to stop having fun when things are fine?" she tells the girl in Laura's body. Why would you want to go back to this body?, she doesn't say.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy smiles to Yokina at first. "I know you're swapped," and then she looks more serious, "but she's kept whatever... conditions you have confidential." Although given she said that she can tell there is something going on.

    She probably doesn't expect it's supernatural in nature though.

    She listens and nods as they talk about swapping back, offering each a hug before the attempt -- last chance to experience a hug from Amy at this size, after all! -- before stepping back.

    ...And then taking a couple extra steps back. She's not sure what the minimum safe distance for this is but the last thing anyone wants is for this swap to get even more complicated. She's been reading a story like that.

    But... Laura doesn't go back, and is acting like she's bearing... whatever it is to try and protect Hotaru from it.

    Amy can understand that, she'd probably do the same.

    For awhile. Depending on how bad it is.

    She doesn't know, and briefly imagines how it'd go if she swapped with some guy who found out he was actually a trans girl due to the swap and didn't want to go back. When she'd both understand and sympathize to the max with sparing the other person what she dodged with magic, and also... well, she can only imagine for how long she could stand it. She'd be happy to give them a few days though, she thinks.

    Amy returns from being lost in her own head to ask, "I don't now what you're going through... but I think open honesty about how you feel is probably best. Um. I can like. Go out of earshot for a bit if you need to talk privately."

    She smiles, and holds up her phone. "I got new manga chapters to read, so like, I won't be bored."

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Hotaru stared at her own face and... looked... so sad. "Laura-chan..." she said softly. "Trust me... I know. Luminous Titan has... tattled a bit, too. He only does it because he cares. It's his job to help keep me... you... safe..." She took a slow, deep breath, before glancing to Amy and nodding. Oh, Amy had it sooo right. She would give the other girl a big hug, while she could, before agreeing. "Yeah, a minute of privacy would be very nice, thank you. Just... a minute," she said, waiting for the girl to give them a little space, before smiling back to Laura.

A sad, gentle smile. "Laura-chan... I... know what you're trying to do. And... thank you. But you can't bear this for me. It's... my curse. Not yours. And you've given me something nobody else could. A chance to be normal." As normal as a mermaid could be, at least. "And I will never forget this. But... I can't... ask you to endure this anymore. It's time for us to switch back. To--"

And then the bench started to glow. And she had only a moment to glance back before it became a massive, bench-shaped youma. With fins on its face. One of its big, metal arms reached out, wrapping around Hotaru, yanking her into the air with a shriek and making her drop the Aqua pot and her coat in front of Laura. She gave a startled shriek, eyes wide. "H-hey! Let me go! THIS IS CHEATING!" she yelled.

Butler, meanwhile, laughed from his position where he snuck up on them! "Well well, while I would prefer to have captured the aqua pot itself, capturing the mermaid should do much to stop you from interfering with our plans. Zenzen Yaraneeda, drain their motivation energy!" he said, one arm folded behind his back, the other hanging at his side.

Amy would now have a GREAT time to come back.

Laura La Mer has posed:
Laura is not quite in the mood for hugs, and keeps well away from Amy when the redhead approaches her. She feels cold and yucky, being touched right now makes her think she might vomit what little she has been able to eat right out.

She doesn't want sympathy right now, she isn't looking to be understood. Being understood would break apart the weak facade she is trying to hide behind.

"Would you stop assuming how I feel, Amy-san? That's not appreciated, and really, it just ruins things if both of you act like there has to be a problem", Laura glares at them. She doesn't really want to have to focus on keeping her composure and fend off their prodding.

"Yeah, I know Luminous Titan has talked to you. That's the reason I am even here. Because he saw a wrong reading and then thought to raise a fuss about it with you. No, Luminous Titan is wrong and he should apologise for making me come all the way here just to clear the air", she scowls.

Ever since Hotaru offered to swap back, that's the sign she has failed already, right? It's all Luminous Titan's fault. "I am enduring nothing, really, Yokina-chan." Just great, she feels a headache coming up now.

And then there was Butler. "Leave Yokina alone, Butler! Don't make me come there and kick your butt right into the Dusk Zone", the ailing girl growls.

Yokina was having fun, and then she had to worry, and then she had to get caught by Butler, and now she will be brought back to the Witch of Delays, who will probably drain her motivation this time since Laura had refused her deal. It's all her fault. It's all because she wasn't good enough at hiding it.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    When called out on making assumptions, Amy does look like she feels bad about it and is second-guessing her assumption. "I'm sorry." She turns and walks away to give them space to talk.

    Amy then turns around when there's screaming and when she sees a BENCH MONSTER grabbing Laura-- err, Yokina, she transforms! She quickly sights a gyrojet rifle on the monster -- basically shooting it with non-explosive bullets, for most intents and purposes, save that her magic can make them curve -- and fires a few shots BEFORE shouting at Butler, "Let her go!" She tries to keep the fear that the only other two magicals here are not going to be as effective fighters in their current situation, out of her voice with bluster: "I don't know why you keep trying! Shouldn't you be too lazy to? Just give up! Cancelling plans feels great, doesn't it?!"

    When 'Yokina' shouts to leave Yokina alone when 'Laura' is caught, Amy gives her a brief look and shouts, "Yeah! Leave both of them alone!"

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Butler chuckled and his gaze turned down to Laura, the one in Hotaru's body. "Now why would I do that? You are incredibly foolish if you think I would give up victory you have so resoundedly given me. And no, I am not one who will 'just give up'. I serve the Witch of Delays with all of my being."

As the youma was shot at, it lifted its arms to shield itself, stepping back and the rattling shaking Hotaru, who gave a startled, pained shriek. "L-let me go!"

The yaneeda, unfortunately, ignored her. Instead, it started shooting out bits of wood and tinder at Amy!

Seeing no other way out of this, Yokina pulled out the compact and... and she couldn't use it. She wasn't the mermaid. She wasn't *Laura*. So she was unable to henshin. Panif formed on ehr face and...

<< Try it! Henshin, it doesn't matter who sees me as Sailor Charon if your body gets stolen! >> Hotaru said to Laura, through the telepathy of the device... unfortunately, Laura was quickly finding her own problem.

Luminous Titan couldn't henshin with her. It was only designed for Hotaru. The REAL Hotaru. It could manage her body, but with her mind and soul somewhere else, it wasn't able to properly henshin.

Laura La Mer has posed:
Yeah, she knows fully well Butler won't just give up. For whatever reason that is. "Don't waste your breath on trying to question him, Red. His motivation is completely unlike that of the other servants of the Witch of Delays. He really wants to do this, for some reason."

And then she is called to transform, but with the Mermaid Aqua Pact in Yokina's hand, she only has one alternative to her. Besides, even if her mind and soul are that of a mermaid, her body isn't that of one, and the Mermaid Aqua Pact only answers to a mermaid.

"Ok, let's do this, Luminous Titan!" Laura exclaims, trying to access the power of Sailor Charon. How is it that Usagi does it? "Under the house of Pluto, Charon Moon Power, Make Up!", she shouts, desperately trying to reach that energy.

But nothing came.

Once more.

"Under the house of Pluto, Charon Moon Power, Make Up!"

But nothing came.

Again.

"Under the house of Pluto, Charon Moon Power, Make Up!"

But nothing came.

Why!?

She only wants to help her friend...!

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy groans. "Why do you have to have motivation when it comes to serving the Witch?!" She hops to the side, out of the way of the incoming attack, continuing to fire a couple more homing bullets since she doesn't actually have to aim.

    And then she realizes neither of them is henshining. Uh oh. Can they not activate eachothers' henshins?! "She said LET HER GO." Amy reiterates, switching to the anti-tank launcher and firing at the Youma's center of mass. When she's worried about collateral damage, her magic can downplay it somewhat...

    But doing that while attacking, instead of rocket-jumping, is something she hasn't really practiced, and so her magic turns the entire attack into one more of force and movement than one of damage, this time. Although maybe knocking the youma around a little will still do something...!

    Shit, shit, shit!

    "TITAN! Call for backup!" She shouts, looking up slightly as if she's talking on a communicator or to someone unseen.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
"Running into trouble?" Butler asked before he laughed, enjoying this.... As the youma was knocked back, sliding across the part and then into a tree, shaking 'Laura' heavily and causing her to shriek in pain. Ow. Nothing was broken, yet, but... all of he momentum on a normal human was... well... "I-I'm sorry, Laura, I'm so sorry! I-I should have been more careful! I'm sorry!" Yokina yelled, a few tears welling up in her eyes. "I never wanted you to get hurt!"

And things went from bad, to worse. As Laura would feel whatever was inside her... once again... stirring. As Luminous Titan tried to suppress it, but a seizure would rack the girl's body. As Butler Laughed. As Yokina was grasped and held hostage.

And then there was light. The aqua pot, dropped at Laura's feet, began to glow... moments before a ring appeared on 'Yokina's' hand. And then? The pain was gone.

And then Laura would feel as if something was wrapped tightly around her. Grasping her. And... she had... the compact in her hand? SHE WAS IN HER BODY?!

Hotaru, meanwhile, was Yokina again, and that pain... was faded off. She was breathing heavy, but well...

"Let... my friend... GO!" she yelled.

A moment later, Sailor Charon was there and she took off like a bolt, grabbing the aqua pot and glaive glowing bright green, and she slashed. Unlike Amy, she was a melee fighter. So she didn't need to worry about knocking the youma around, or hitting the civilian. she slashed the arm, causing the youma to let Laura go.... before Sailor Charon tossed her the Aqua Pot, only pausing a moment to let the other girl henshin.

Laura La Mer has posed:
"None of this is your fault, Charon!", Laura shouts to her friend apologising desperately. She couldn't have predicted the Aqua Pot. That was her responsibility. The Mermaid Queen entrusted it to her. And now, Butler is taking Yokina away. Yokina away.

A fit of pain cuts through her body when the dark energy stirs again, a gasp of pain coming out of her mouth before her breath is cut off, her limbs as rigid as stone while she feels her body shudder and shake in spite of it.

Behind Butler, on the roof of a building, a light shines blindingly, and from within the light the form of blonde girl clothed in green with hair styled like a palm tree looking at them. The appearance of that ring, a pink ring just like the Marine Heart Swirl Ring, causes the pain to disappear, and Laura's vision blurs.

Was that... the Legendary Pretty Cure just then?

When her sight comes back, she is in the grasp of the Layabout, and she is looking down at Yokina. So she has failed. She couldn't give Yokina the joy she deserved. If Butler had never come here, if they had the time to handle this themselves...

Then Sailor Charon finally surfaces, and Laura feels herself falling, thanks to Hotaru's glaive strike having given her freedom. "Thank you, Charon. Butler, prepare to pay for ruining today. I will never forgive you." Her pink-blue eyes focus on the seahorse only.

"Pretty Cure! Tropical Change!", she announces as a pink sphere surrounds her, her body changing to her human form with a dress made of blue energy as the giant bubble pops.

Placing the Heart Swirl Ring sideways into the keyhole of the Mermaid Aqua Pact, she twists it upright and its seashell cover splits in half, revealing a purple base with white stars and blue waves on the left side and white hearts on the right side, surrounding a blue circle with a motif of crystals all around a white sphere.

"Let's put on make-up! Shine!", she declares spinning a pen with a glowing blue tip in her hand and rotating the circle as it turns pink, a water pillar rising and whirling before dispersing in 2 pink, 1 red, 1 lavender rose and 2 yellow spheres. "Face!" The pink spheres land on her cheeks, giving them a pink blush. The yellow spheres then briefly make her eyelashes glow yellow, adorning them with three pearls and making her eye colour turn pink with the exception of the blue heart at the bottom of her irises.

The red sphere lands on top of her hair, making it grow much more voluminous and colouring the middle section blue, then 2 giant pearls land on top of head's sides, the pink hair above twisting itself around them. Finally the lavender rose sphere lands on top of her lips, colouring them with the corresponding lipstick.

Another rotation of the Aqua Pact's circle and Laura calls out "Nails!", passing her pen on top of her left hand's nails, painting them azure while those on her right hand automatically change to match, before moving it to her toenails and painting them pink.

"Dress!" One more rotation and she draws a pink outline of a star vertically in front of herself, that then spins around rising above her head and descending to her waist before duplicating and the two stars move in opposite directions transforming her clothes into her magical outfit and placing the Mermaid Aqua Pact in a small pink bag appended to her waist.

Jumping upwards with a splash of waters, finally Laura introduces herself. "The Shimmering Ocean! Cure La Mer!"

"Marine Heart Swirl Ring! Charm Up!", she stretches her arm upwards, raising the complementary ring to Hotaru's own, and a blue sphere engulfing her from the ring on her arm and making her change form. "Five powers, roar through the seas!", she shouts, the ring creating a blue heart above her from which a bioluminescent whale comes out.

Laura La Mer has posed:
Jumping inside of its mouth, La Mer swims in it, sending the purifying whale crashing against the bench, slapping it with the whale's tail and encasing it in a pink conch while it gets purified. "Pretty Cure Marine Beat Dynamic!"

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy winces. "Sorry!" She calls out to 'Laura'. She goes back to firing the non-explosive, bullet-like gyrojets while she tries to think of another strategy, hoping that Charon's Device is calling for help... when to her surprise, suddenly 'Yokina' is able to henshin?! She sighs in relief. "You're outnumbered, now! Leave, um... whoever you are!" It's not the crab or the scientist, she doesn't know this one!

    And once 'Laura' is out of its hands...

    Amy raises her left hand in front of her as if aiming a heavier weapon again, and then the same cannon she lent to Molly appears in her hands, braced on her shoulder as BANG! it aims to pierce the youma with a tiny piece of metal going very fast. How tiny does it have to be before it's just a bullet instead of a cannonball? It doesn't matter, as long as it hits!

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Things had gone from bad to worse for them to bad to worse for Butler incredibly quickly. "I-impossible..." he said, as defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory. And now? Laura was pissed.

And she demonstrated said fury by beating the youma with a massive, powerful tail of destruction. At the same time, explosives from Amy rain down on the youma, tearing it apart...

And the youma was defeated, leaving a bench in its wake. Butler scowls down at them, though it was likely hard to tell with his face. Before disappearing entirely.

Defeated. He didn't even gather any motivation energy... bah. Well... there was always... tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Charon put her glaive down... and then hugged Laura from behind. Just... charged in. And hugged her. "I... I'm sorry... and... I'm grateful. I truly, truly am. I... had fun. A lot of fun. Being you was great. And I mean it. I will never, ever forget it. So thank you..."

"... But this burden is never, and will never, be yours to bear. But... thank you. For... trying. I... I'm happy I have a friend like you..." she whispered, hugging the other girl tight. "Also... ummmmmm... I think... this is your ring?" she asked, holding the ring up under La Mer's face.

Laura La Mer has posed:
With the youma purified and returned to what it was, the only thing left to see is if Butler will continue confronting them. He did chose to try and oppose her, even if that had been before she was Cure La Mer. But no, he chooses to leave. He doesn't really want to confront the three of them.

Laura's hand goes to touch Hotaru's when her best friend hugs her from behind. "I don't... You shouldn't... That's not right, Charon. You would still be able to have some more fun if things had gone right. You didn't ask for that burden either. But, I am happy you could enjoy yourself for a time."

At the mention of the ring, Laura shakes her head. "The Legendary Pretty Cure gave the ring to Yokina Meiou. That's you, Charon. And I agree with her decision. Please keep it, ok?", she smiles to her friend. Even if she wishes they could have had a bit more time.

She could try to trigger the swap again, but she holds no illusion that Hotaru would never accept it again, and that now they are back they will stay like this for good.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy dismisses her weapon and runs over to pat Charon's shoulder with a smile. "Congrats! For a moment there I was worried you wouldn't be able to use eachothers' henshins."

    Although as they speak, it becomes obvious they've switched back... which is just cause for her to smile more! "Oh it, it wore off!? That's good, right?" Though she gives Yokina a worrying look; clearly the mysterious 'burden' is not a happy thing, after all.

    She'll offer hugs to both again, though; they can be celebratory or comforting, after all.

    But also, a magic ring apparently appeared? "What's that?"

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Sailor Charon shook her head lightly to Amy... then... well... while she'd been happy to accept a hug from Amy as Laura.... as Yokina? Not so much. It was a little... different, now. She glanced down at the ring, blinking a few times before ending her hensin. She then smiled to Laura, pulling back from her with a gentle smile. "I... thank you..." She rubbed the ring, though. "And... the Legendary Pretty Cure? She gave... isn't... that the girl you spoke of? Where your pretty cure powers come from? She gave this to me?" she asked, rubbing the ring. It did feel like there was magic in it, power. Like... in a way... it made her stop hurting. Just... a bit. It helped.

"... Want to go get donuts?" she asked, then gave a sheepish grin. "Oh, and uhhhh... I ummmmm... I owe you... some yen. Since, uhhhh... I bought some things while I was you. Eh... heh heh... hee... I-I know Setsuna-senpai will re-imburse you, though! Honest!"

Laura La Mer has posed:
"You see, Red, remember how I came looking for the legendary warriors known as Pretty Cure?", Laura nods slowly as the origin of the ring is questioned. "Like I said, that was because centuries ago, it was a Pretty Cure who stopped the Witch of Delays, uniting within herself the power of the ring of the land, and the ring of the seas."

La Mer raises her right hand so Hotaru and Amy can see it. "I have the Marine Heart Swirl Ring, and when the Legendary Pretty Cure appeared just now, Charon has acquired the Land Heart Swirl Ring." She accepts the Puella Magi's hug then, returning the gesture before ending it and moving towards Charon.

"If you think how the Tropical Pretty Cures have a heart of sunshine, the Legendary Pretty Cure must have had the most shining heart. I don't know if that was really her spirit, but I believe that her appearing today, may just be the blessing we need to turn this around", La Mer addresses Charon, reaching out to delicately take her hand.

Smiling at the other two girls, Laura looks to the direction of the donuts stand. "Eh, I really should have expected that", she sighs, then wink. "I am sure that will come later, but let's enjoy our victory for now."