319/Chameleon meets Unicorn

Chameleon meets Unicorn
Date of Scene:	28 August 2023
Location:	Obsidian Tower - Board Room
Synopsis:	Double Trouble decides to introduce herself to another member of Obsidian, Hinoiri. From this, the shapeshifter gains a bit of info on the lay of the land... and prepares to take center stage.
Cast of Characters:	Hinoiri Kirara, Double Trouble

---

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara was sitting on one of the board rooms... tables. Her TV was set up against the wall and she had a controller in hand, playing video games. It didn't look that impressive, all things considered. A simple platformer, the kind of thing that might get a few quick looks but not really drawn too much attention. The most impressive thing about it was that there was a teenage girl playing on it. But, hey, there was another controller in it, perhaps she had been playing with someone else.

Still, Double Trouble was someone who made a living watching people. While she looked like just a kid playing games, there was definitely something else about her. Namely, the way she moved seemed oddly... unnatural. As if the body was just wrong to her. But she also seemed... confident. Like she belonged. Or, rather, like she could belong anywhere she WISHED to belong...

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble knows that kind of confidence. They have that kind of confidence themselves. It's easy to be confident when you can be the perfect person for the situation. Play the perfect role. But it's hard to take a shape all on their own, so they really need to use this necklace, but they have to _pick_ a face. They craft the role to the task, and so they need to figure out their purpose here in this world. What is it they want to do?

Ted was very informative. Between his answers and the tidbits the witch had dropped, Double Trouble understood the local geography and the whole mess of these magical girls that are all like the princesses--and in one case actually was one of the princesses--they knew in Etheria. Double Trouble knew how these stories went. Obsidian seems to have a lot going for it, but those girls always pull it together. But they seem to only have a path forward here at Obsidian. The jewelry box still in their hand as they walk down the halls.

They actually hear the video games first. But then they peek in the door to the board room. A split second later they move across the room, insinuating themselves into the space right next to Hiniori. "Hello, there. I'm Double Trouble."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara glanced up and then held up a finger. She killed the surrounding platform enemies before pausing the game. She put the controller down before hopping off the table and stretching. "Double Trouble? I'm guessing that's a threat, right? So, who sent you?" she asked, before black flames appeared in her hand. She then turned towards the girl and... stopped.

"Waiiiit a minute. You're not a youma at all, are you?" she asked. The flames disippated. "No. You don't have that whole summoned slash created dark energy thing about you. You... seem real. Wait." She frowned and looked her up and down. "And you seem to have been lucky enough to *not* be stuck in a human body. So... is Double Trouble actually your name? Cause... I'll be honest. While it sounds like a silly name... My name means Sunset, I know another girl's who means bunny and another who's means Rainbow. So I don't exactly have a strong leg to stand on. Even if I did have all four."

"... But damn, if your parents called you Double Trouble you must have been a real hoofful, huh?" she asked.

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble scoffs. "I gave myself this name," they say, their head turned up in faux indignation. Then they look down and slide down off the table to stand next to her and use their magic to make themselves look _just like her_. They do have a little bit of dark energy they can tap into. It does recharge. It's just not much. But this feels like the time for a _performance_.

"But you're not wrong. I am nothing but trouble. How much trouble are you Susnet?" They say, their mimicry of Hinoiri flawless, and they only just met her.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara nodded. "I see, fascinating. And why--" But a moment later, she had that answer. A grin formed on her lips. "By Sora's mane. You're a changeling, aren't you? The mimicry is impeccable. More than just a simple disguise spell, no. You've even got the... ouch. Do I really do *that* with my hands? Ugh. See, this is why hooves are better. But fascinating. Even my world didn't have actual changelings, just myths."

"Oh, right. My apologies, I suppose I should introduce myself, huh? I am Hinoiri Kirara, unicorn from the Realm of Kirakirafantastica. The greatest mage for near a millenia. And I?" She crossed her arms and gave a smirk. "Am no trouble at all... Unless you decide to get in my way." She motioned towards the controller. "So, do you play games? They're simple. But good for learning finger coordination if you didn't have them before." She'd sit back down and pull the controller back into her lap. "Seems simple enough, at least. Jump on things, shoot with the bows and try not to get eaten."

"Now, what brings you to my temporary office, Double Trouble?"

Double Trouble has posed:
One moment they're a perfect clone of Hinoiri, and the next they're their own lizardlike self, tail and all. "I've known some unicorns, my dear Hinoiri Kirara, and you do not look like any of them," they say. Of course, they're one to talk. But they do, at least, look like a lizard. They pick up the offered controller and look toward the screen. "I've never seen a thing like this before." They experimentally move the thumbsticks around and press buttons. They have no idea what they're doing.

But then Hinoiri asks a queston, and that question gets Double Trouble back on track. "I'm trying to find my _role_ here, Hinoiri. My motivation. My _purpose_. Tell me about you. What do _you_ do?"

They turn their attention back to the game then, trying to learn it. They're a quick study.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara nodded. "Ugh, I know. Tell me about it. Blame the stupid portal that brought me here. One moment it's telling me I'll be an alicorn and rule alongside my mentor. Then I come through it and, bam. I'm walking on two legs, my magic doesn't work and apparently humans are a thing. We didn't have humans back home. I'm beginning to understand why."

She tap tapped away. "We didn't have these either. Or, well, we were starting to? I think I saw some new things with them, but wasn't really a big deal to me."

She glanced over at the lizard and gave a light hmmm. "Now, as for what I do? For now? I'm learning how the magic in this world works before I go back to my world, show Sora just how powerful I am and take my rightful place over her as Sovereign. So, a bit of this, a bit of that. Learning about dirt bikes. Those are pretty cool. Video games, eh. They're okay. Oh. And dealing with sparkle skirts. That's apparently the scientific name for the magical boys and girls who keep interfering in our work."

She paused for a moment before looking them up and down again. Finally... "So... like... were you a drama student or something? In theater? Cause you are definitely giving off those vibes. I half expect you to break into song," she said before turning back to the game and unpausing it. "Might be nice, actually. Apparently I seem to be the only one who does that here. So weird being in a place where the weather and sunrise just happen and nobody ever sings."

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble moves in a lizardlike fashion down off their seat and onto the floor and then up onto their feet and up into a pose with their controller held against their forehead dramatically. "Am. I. In. Theatre?!" They laugh evilly. They're definitely in the right place here with Obsidian. "Hinoiri, my dear, the whole _world_ is a stage, and we _all_ have roles to play. I'm just more flexible than most." They frown, then, and glance at the jewelry box in their hand. "But I need to pick a role to be in for a while, because this device they gave me will only let me pick one."

They look at Hinoiri for a few moments, then thinking. "Tell me more about these sparkle skirts. What do you know about them?" There's something sinister in their voice, like they're hatching a plot.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small smirk and nodded. "Ahhhhh. So you're one of THOSE types. Gotcha. We had a few at the castle from time to time. Amusing sorts. If you've got a talent, well, why not perfect it? Though I can't imaging the political and social destruction a talent like that could create." Then she gave a snicker. "Actually, though, I can. Double Trouble indeed."

She glanced towards the box and... almost felt pity. Almost. "As someone currently stuck in a single form she realllllly doesn't like? My condolences. I imagine it won't be very fun being stuck all the time as something you're not. Still, there are worse fates. So, I'm guessing you're not native, are you?"

"As for the sparkle skirts... they do things like this," she said, before putting down her controller and wreathing her entire body in black flames. A moment later, Sunbreaker stood in the room. Her body covered in black flames, dark unicorn horn protruding from her forehead. Real fan of black and red, this one, the leather jacket fairly noticeable. "Just, you know. With a lot more sparkles, pink, annoyance and ignorance. Same old, same old," she said dismissively. "They're... interesting. The magic here doesn't work like in my world, though." She then held out her right hand, forming a ball of dark energy in her palm. "This? Is dark energy. It's the only magic I can apparently access. Through it I'm able to imitate my own magic, but the calculations are all off. The sparkle skirts? They seem to have a different, weird magic. I don't know how it works... yet. But well... I'm a student of magic. I've forgotten more about magic than likely everyone in this building put together has ever learned. I'll figure out its secrets before long. For now? They're serving as proper demonstrations on how the magic is wielded."

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble snorts. "That sounds about right," they say. "The witch _said_ they were like the princesses. I know just the type." But then a moment later, they're right up next to Sunbreaker--their controller discarded on the couch--and in her face. "Look at _you_ though. Aren't you magnificent?" They circle around her, their tail trailing behind them and brushing against her. It's honestly kinda creepy.

They stop, though, when they see the ball of dark energy. Really when they _feel_ it. They're a bit sensitive to magic, especially on this magic-starved rock. They unwind themselves and lean down to focus their big, yellow eyes on. "Yes. I've got the same problem. The world I'm from is just filled with magic. It's _right there_ and easy to use. Here, not so much." They nod toward her hand where she'd held the energy ball. "How much are you able to use before _you're_ a lifeless husk?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker visibly preened under the praise, standing a little straighter, her flames a little brighter, her head a little higher. Oh, her buttons were easy to see. Heck, they practically glowed. "Indeed. I am absolutely magnificent, like a second sun. Which, admittedly, isn't surprising. I was the personal protege of she who made the day. Well. In my home world." She reached a hand up to comb her fingers through her hair, letting it flip magnificently.

"Ugh, I know what you mean. When I got here? I couldn't even USE this," she said, her voice filled with annoyance, before tossing the little ball of dark flame from hand to hand. "Apparently my necklace from my home was blocking me from even touching dark energy. So I arrived here as a pathetic, empty, barely alive husk. The greatest mage since Sora herself and here I am, arriving on a world without magic. It would have been easier if the world didn't have air, or light, or water. At least those I could theoretically make," she said, the ire at this situation dripping from her voice.

"Fortunately, Obsidian found me. There's a... person here. Riventon. Arrogant, but... probably one of the few people here who actually understand the basic principles of how magic should work. An absolutely rookie, mind. He'd barely manage to scrape by even magic kindergarten. But for someone who grew up in a world devoid of magic? Not so bad. He found me and managed to figure out why I couldn't access dark energy to begin with." She then held up her hand.

"Now? I am Sunbreaker, she who will shatter the sun itself and show all that I am Sora's equal, no. Her better!" she said with a low, malevolent laugh.

She then lowered her hand, the fire dissipating. "Though, I am exceptional. Apparently most people require a device of some sort in order to 'henshin' as it were. But as a student of magic, I could hardly allow myself to result to such things as devices to perform the necessary calculations and job for me. I'd rather tap into the magic directly."

She then gave a soft sigh. "As for how long... well... it depends. I'm working on that. I can't stay in that form for too long before I get exhausted. But I've been learning how to properly crystalize energy and convert it to magic." She closed her hand, then opened it again, now with a small, red gem in hand clasped between her fingers. "But whenever we do that, the sparkleskirts show up to get in our way. It's a whole... thing. You get used to it. All of them are novices... buuuut..." she mumbled, a bit grouchily. "While none of them could even hope to hold a candle against me, personally? They tend to hunt in packs. Three or four of them can be a bit of a struggle at times. I'd be more annoyed... but frankly, they'd be idiots to try and fight me one on one, so challenging me in a pack is their most effective strategy." On the one hand, she was annoyed she kept losing. On the other hand, she could understand the awe and fear she inspired, so she coul forgive them treating her like the amazing and dangerous threat she was.

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble takes a couple of steps back and just watches and listens. They're always studying for roles. Never know when they might need to play one. Finally they nod. "Yes, of course. They're _always_ about the teamwork," they say with a knowing nod. The glance down at the jewelry box in their hand and then back up toward Hinoiri. "I'm very impressed that you would forgo a device like this one they've given me. I'm not so much a student of magic, as I am a creature of it. So many of my abilities are as much a part of me as breathing. At least you blend in without the device." They definitely do not.

They walk back over to the table, then, and sit down on it, their tail coiling up around their middle as they pull up their feet and fold them crosswise in front of them. "What I've found effective when dealing with these sorts, is sowing seeds of distrust and discord. They all rely on their _friendship_ and _love_, don't they? Attack there, and their strength crumbles."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave another sigh and her hands fell to her side. "Consider yourself lucky. I wish I was in the same position as you are. See... this isn't my normal form," she said, motioning towards herself. "I never *got* the choice to keep my form when I got here. Even now, when I transform? It's nowhere near as glorious as my actual form. Even worse, since this world doesn't actually HAVE unicorns. How lame is that? They have ponies but... they're mockeries compared to our actual form." She wrapped her arms around her stomach and shuddered. "I'd... give a lot to be able to be myself again. Magic wasn't just a park of me, in many ways it was what I was. Now I have to grab things with my hands, I can't do telekinesis anymore, I can't even..." she gave a light shudder. "I can't even do a simple three stage transfiguration spell to turn apples into tea cups. I mean, sure, it's not simple for most ponies but for ME it was EASY! Instead, I'm this!"

She shook her head. "But, well. In the quest for one's true place... one must make sacrifices, no? What's one more thing?"

She sat back down on the table and shrugged. "I'd... probably be willing to accept the need for a device if I could at least be myself. Like... seriously." She held up her hands and spread the fingers out before shuddering. "Fingers. SERIOUSLY. Why is this a THING? Why do you even NEED these if a simple bit of telekinesis is SO much more refined? Not to mention the instability of walking on TWO legs. Ugh."

She nodded along with Double Trouble and gave her a small smile. "You know... you seem to catch on quick. I've actually been working on the same thing. Originally I was intending to play the cool girl, see if I could wrap this school, RHA, around my hooves. But... yeah. That's not so much going to happen now. Even I can tell that. But I'm trying to get close. Back home, Sora alllllways told me 'Go on, Hinoiri, find a friend. Learn to depend on others. Blah blah blah'. You know how many friends she had? None. Not a single one. The most powerful pony in our world, lifting the sun and moon BY HERSELF every day... and no friends. All they EVER do is get in your way." She then gave another sigh. "I can see that now. I used to think she was... just wrong, you know? But now I understand. She didn't want to help me. She was trying to slow me down... because she knew if I kept working at it, one day I'd be as powerful and amazing as her. Her equal. And she just couldn't let that happen." Her hands were now in fists.

"But I'll show her. I am everything she refused to see. I am better than her. She WILL understand this and all of Kirakirafantastica will bow to a new sovereign," she said, gritting her teeth.

She then shook her head. "Right. But yeah, I've been working on it now. Slowly pretending to make friends with these idiots, learn what I can. Pretend to be the 'helpless, if tough, Hinoiri'. They are so gullible... probably. I think... It's... really rough sometimes. Apparently there's a massive magical thing in this world. It makes it so most people can't even SEE magic when they recognize it. And unless someone who's henshined SHOWS you or tells you? You can't figure it out. Even if it's obvious. It's so. Annoying. But I'm sure I'll eventually get in their graces enough one of them will let me know. And from there, I'll figure out others, learn the source of their powers and figure out how to properly harness it for myself."

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble reaches out with one hand, their long, spindly fingers resting across Hinoiri's shoulder. "It's tough, here in this place. But we're survivors. Look at you, you're already harnesing this dark energy to transform. Sounds like you'll figure things out in no time, as clever as you are," they say.

They pull their hand back and steeple it with their other, finger tips tapping against each other. Their eyes narrow--oddly, coming in from the sides--and they seem thoughtful. "Tell me more about this school. This RHA. What's it's strategic appeal?" Ted had mentioned it during their questioning. It seems quite a few of the individuals working for Obsidian attend this school masked as students, so it's an option Double Trouble is considering, but they want to know _why_ somebody would do that. "Is it a locus of sparkleskirt activity?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod. "Yeah. It... it really is. Survivors... is a good way to put it. I didn't get where I was because I was willing to just lay down and take whatever sour grapes life decided to give me. I will NOT be stomped on and cast aside life refuse. I am Hinoiri. If the world wants to fight me for everything I deserve? Then I will grind it into the dirt and laugh all the while," she said with a smirk, a little black flame rising off her.

She glanced back toward Double Trouble. "Hmmm. Well, it's a place of learning. Apparently a pretty big one. But there's magic there. I got a letter of acceptance after I arrived here. And keep in mind, at the time, I was living in a random abandoned cabin in the woods that I had broken into. And I had literally only existed in this world for about a week, or less. There's definitely magic there. I just... don't know how much. Or where it is. As for the sparkle skirts... most of them are young. Like, incredibly young. I mean, I guess I'm pretty young too but ponies age a lot faster than humans do so if I was back home I'd practically be an adult. I was far more competent than most. It wouldn't surprise me if this school was managing to locate and send invites to everyone with magical... well, anything."

"It's also a good cover. they have room and board. Most people there have room mates, which... frankly, I'd rather choke. I managed to get a single room, but who knows how long THAT will last?" she muttered. "But if you're looking to find these sparkle skirts, then I'd be willing to bet an energy shard that's where you'd find them. And I'm not a gambler."

"You'll probably be receiving an invite soon as well. The new term starts soon."

Double Trouble has posed:
That surely depends on the magic that sends out the invites. Double Trouble is not school aged by any stretch of the imagination. Not that it's easy to tell, considering they're a lizard person. But that school does sound like it's in the middle of what's going on here, and Hinoiri makes a good point about it being a good cover. They continue to tap their steepled fingers as they think, a plan starting to formulate in their mind.

"I know just how those sparkle skirts think," they say, their mouth turning up at the corners in an evil grin. "If I show up all cute and shy and timid, they'll want to protect me. I can get close to them," they say, raising their hand up and clenching their fingers tightly in a fist. "And then," they jerk their hand down as if stabbing. In the back. Backstabbing. Yeah, Obsidian is definitely the right place for this one.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small smirk. The girl was smart, at least. Slowly, a grin formed on her lips and she nodded. "Oh, that sounds like them. From what I've seen, the smaller ones tend to be protected by the older ones a lot. if you can manage to get them to protect you... well... it's not a bad idea."

She blinked and then slowly a hand moved up to her chin. "In fact... that's... a useful idea. If you played the role well enough, it could be a good way to fish out some of their identities. Knowing exactly who some of them are would be useful in order to monitor and determine where best to strike." She then gave a sigh. "Admittedly, there's probably quite a few here who'd rather use that knowledge to strike them when they were out of henshin. But what's the point of defeating someone when they're at their weakest? How do you prove you're superior then?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Anyone can slay an tatzlewurm. It takes true power to slay one that's fully grown and trying to devour you in kind. Err, tatzlewurms are... fifty foot long worms made of teeth, vines and bad attitudes," she said after a moment.

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble doesn't care about power. Not exactly. They care about coming out on top so that they can do what they want. What they want right now is to figure out how they can more easily use their own magic, same as Hinoiri wants to, but they're pretty sure that means learning how to get at more dark energy, and not learning how to do magic like a princess. It sounds like Royal Heart Academy might be just the place for them to learn that skill.

They know just the character, though. This wouldn't be the first time they'd played this role, although here they'd have to play it differently. Flutterina would stand out just as much as Double Trouble in this world they've found themselves in. "I need to be small," they say, unfolding their legs, and sliding down off the table. They pace toward the TV. "I should seem innocent, pure, and without any guile or ill intent." They turn around and their long, slender fingers, reach behind them to grab hold of some of their hair and twirl it around idly as they think.

Then it hits them. They don't know much about where they are, but they don't have to. They did spend a few days watching people in italy where they first arrived. What if that's where they're 'from'? They remember Ted mentioning something about the school housing foreigners. The witch only taught them _Japanese_, and so they'd need to learn that other language--they can already tell it's different--if they wanted to really _sell_ the act, but they can do that.

They look up at Hinoiri with a smile, then, and their body just seamlessly melts into another. Standing before her is the 4'11" sprite that will win and then break so many hearts at RHA. With her green eyes and, long black hair tied back in a pink bow and butterfly clips. She's wearing a pink dress and cute black shoes. "Now I just need a name, and I can take this face out for a spin," she says, softly, sounding entirely too confident for how quiet her words are.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a light nod. "Yeah, that seems about right. People adore something smaller than them. Oh..." she trailed off, watching the creature work. Within a few moments, they let out a low gasp before giving the smallest applause. "My oh my. You seem absolutely precious. I imagine you'll have the sparkle skirts eating out of your hands before long. Though, if I may make a suggestion?" she said before holding up a finger. "Find a big brother or sister. Not a real one, mind. But someone you can latch onto for that. From what I've heard, the sparkle skirts are absolute suckers for protecting 'the widdle sister'. Especially effective if you can find someone who a heart bigger than their empty head," Hinoiri said with a laugh.

"Also, the ability to even change your clothes. I've got to tell you. You've certainly won the lottery when it comes to traveling to this world. I'd be lying if I denied being jealous," she said before getting to her feet. She then gave a little smirk before glancing towards the door. "Tell me, does your world have ice cream? If not, how about I treat you to one of the... very few positive things about this world. Let you really... absorb the culture, as it was. Consider it a thank you for showing me a new spell. That's definitely not something that happens every day."

Though, she did frown after a moment. "Hmmm... assuming you'll be able to keep that form long enough for a quick pop out, Double Trouble. As for a name... perhaps something with an animal name in it? People seem to love their animal names here. Well, animals, insects, all kinds of things. Not that I can judge," she said with a sigh. At least she fit in well enough.

Double Trouble has posed:
The smol girl considers and then shakes her head. "I don't think I've ever heard of this 'ice cream' you speak of," she says, before making big eyes at Hinoiri. "So, why don't you show me the wonders of this world, _onee-chan_." Big. Pleading. Eyes. As if Hinoiri didn't just already offer to do just that. What a ham.

She deteriorates into a fit of giggles after that. "I think I can wear this face for a couple of hours at least before I need to get back here. Maybe I'll find inspiration for a name. In the meantime, just call me DT."

The small girl heads to the door and then looks back over her shoulder. "You coming then?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara blinked and then... she burst into laughter, covering her hand with her mouth as she tried to control it. "By Sora's mane, I don't think I've actually laughed like that since I got here. Ha! You're going to do well here, DT." She reached out, affectionately ruffling her hair. "Play that up and you'll have the lot of them eating out of your hand."

Her hand would glow with dark energy and, a moment later, she'd reach into the darkness to pull out... a helmet? And then a second one. Which she'd put on her head. "Here. They've got a lot of little laws and stuff, but it'll help us avoid too much notice. And if your world doesn't have ice cream... oh, you're in for a treat. Nowhere near as good as the ice cream from my world, but you'll fall in love with it all the same. I hope your world at least has motorcycles, otherwise this? Is going to be a whole new order of experiences for you. Don't worry, you'll be perfectly safe."

Oh, this was going to be an experience for the shape shifter...