1370/Princess of the Sky

Princess of the Sky
Date of Scene:	30 March 2024
Location:	Obsidian Tower - Cafeteria
Synopsis:	Ryoko was just starting to eat her lunch while despairing about how she still did not have a date for Prom. Then the solution to her problems fell out of the sky. Literally. Ryoko, meet Glimmer.
Cast of Characters:	Ryoko Gushiken, Glimmer Brightmoon
Tinyplot:	Princes and Princesses Prom

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Ryoko Gushiken has posed:
Ryoko Gushiken was getting desperate. Prom was less than a week away and she still didn't have a date. Her irritating roommate's bothersome friend had made it clear that Hime was not going to be of any help. So not only did Ryoko have to help plan the Prom, but she also had to attend, and it was looking increasingly like she'd be attending alone. She was thinking about it constantly, and all that did was throw fuel on the fires of her rage.

And so she was sitting in the cafeteria glowering over her lunch. It was a large salad, and a bowl of what appeared to be some kind of seafood stew. It was definitely not Japanese cuisine. She angrily stabbed her fork into some leaves, and then stuffed them in her mouth. Bite after bite. Taking out all her frustrations on the poor salad. At least the salad didn't have to get a date for Prom.

Glimmer Brightmoon has posed:
Glimmer Brightmoon was NOT preparing for a prom. In fact, she wasn't intending to attend. Primarily as she had no idea how it worked.

What she was doing was preparing for... was a fight against the elite four. That was right. She was planning. Her team was ready. Apparently these four were supposed to be some kind of top dogs. She wasn't worried, though. She'd utterly crushed that jerk, her rival. And first up was Bruno. Four battles, then she'd have beaten this 'pokemon' game.

Of course, before THAT she had to fuel up. That meant the cafeteria. Maybe she could--

Of course, being Glimmer she almost ALWAYS went the fun way. But her, in Obsidian, her teleports weren't... as dependable as they used to be.

So she appeared with a shriek, landing--

On the table. On her side. Gameboy out, playing the music... and accidentally flipping Ryoko's salad and soup across the room. She watched it sail... and land on a sunacky's head. Both of them. As the sunacky shrieked and ran away, trailing sand!

Glimmer blinked a few times, then looked over to Ryoko. And put on her most charming smile. "Hey. I'm Queen Glimmer of Brightmoon, nice to meet you."

Oh dear heavens she *literally* sparkled. There was *glitter* in the air. At least it was magic and so would just fade out.

Ryoko Gushiken has posed:
Ryoko's fork, however, did not go flying. It did not go flying because it was in her hand delivering a bite to her mouth when Glimmer appeared and came crashing down onto the table. A bite which Ryoko chewed slowly as she stared at this girl who was suddenly laid out on the table before her.

She hadn't even had a bite of her soup yet. She'd found a place that served moqueca, and she was excited. She hadn't had any in months. Not since they'd arrived in Japan. She missed it. It was her favorite. And this girl had to go and just send it flying into some disposable lackey. Ryoko's rage was always at a constant simmer, this was starting to turn up the heat.

And why did this girl have to be so pretty?! It was just rude showing up, destroying somebody's lunch, and then having the audacity to look gorgeous doing it. Ryoko's rage started to bubble, threatening to boil over as she chewed her bite of salad. It was important to thoroughly chew every bite. It aided the digestion. That was totally why she was grinding her jaw so hard.

And then Glimmer introduced herself. Queen Glimmer of Brightmoon. That was even better than a Prince or a Princess. And to think she thought Hime would be able to find her a date. Hime would never in a million years have found her a Queen.

She swallowed her bite and then took a deep breath, her lips curling up into the most sinister smile as she exhaled. "A pleasure," she says, sounding actually pleased. "I'm Ryoko Gushiken, and that," she says, gesturing toward the trail of sand and soup the sunacky left as it fled. "Was my lunch that I was very much looking forward to. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find good moqueca in Tokyo?"

Glimmer Brightmoon has posed:
Glimmer Brightmoon stared up at the woman and the long, looooong chewing motions. She finally just teleported off the table, to behind the girl. No hand was taken, so she just shrugged and dusted herself off. Sigh....

She missed Bow. he was so much better at meeting people and making friends than she was. But....

Finally the girl was talking to her. Annnnnd... she sounded happy, so that was good! "Well.... I have no idea what... that is, so I'm going to go with no. But! Here." And then held out a hand and inside it... was a small candy. It was a gummy! "Trust me, they're amazing. Sooo... how hard is it to find a mow-quick-ka here? And where would it be easier to find? I might be able to teleport over there and just grab it?" Pause. "Wait, how big IS Tokyo?" she asked, rubbing the back of her head with a chuckle. "... I'd just need to do it quick so my power didn't all leak out."

Ryoko Gushiken has posed:
"I couldn't tell you. I'm not sure that one was good, since I didn't get to take a bite," Ryoko said, drily, as she rose up from her chair and turned on her toes toward Glimmer before letting her stiletto heels rest back on the floor. She still had a fork in her hand, held in her fist with the tines out the bottom. Like she might stab someone with it. Her plastic fork. "I had high hopes for it, though."

She looked down at the gummy in Glimmer's palm. The last several months she'd spent so much time reading memos and reports. She remembered reading a memo from a little while back about not eating candy around the office for one reason or another. Looking up at Glimmer she said, "No, thank you. I don't particularly care for candy."

There was that smile again, though, as she just looked at Glimmer. "I don't know why you think teleporting is what's going to get you out of this mess, when it's also what got you into this mess." She stepped past Glimmer to walk over toward the trash bins to dispose of her fork.

"But, there is a way you can make it up to me," she said, turning around and re-approaching. The solution to Ryoko's problem had literally fallen out of the sky. This time she put on her most smoldering look. If anybody knows how to smolder it's her. "Be my date to the Princes and Princesses Prom."

Glimmer Brightmoon has posed:
Glimmer Brightmoon sighed. "Well... errr... sorry? I'd offer to make you one but I'm really not the best cook," she said, with just a little nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of her head.

... What was IN that soup? What made it so magical? What made it so wonderful?

And then... "You don't like CANDY? What did they DO to you? Is this another 'Horde' situation? You know what a party is, don't you?" Oh dear heavens. She then shrugged and tossed the candy into her mouth.

"I teleport into a lot of messes and it's usually how I get out. That and my negotiation skills." Glitter to face negotiations, she means.

Then... then Ryoko told Glimmer what she wanted. And...

"You have PRINCESS PROMS here too?! That's amazing! Ohhhhh, last years was amazing! Who's hosting it thi-- wait, did you say Prince and princesses? Do... princes have kingdoms here too?" she asked, looking a bit confused. "But, sure. Sounds like fun. I'll need the scroll, though."

... The scroll?

Ryoko Gushiken has posed:
Ryoko Gushiken stood there and looked at Glimmer in silence for a few heartbeats longer than was polite. This prom theme seemed significant to her. Queen Glimmer of Brightmoon. Where was Brightmoon anyway? Where was she from? She didn't even know how big Tokyo was. And what was this scroll she was talking about.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. You use scrolls where you're from?" She just looked at Glimmer with disbelief in her eyes. She wanted to ask if Glimmer is from the middle ages, but she was not sure that it would really land as an insult, and besides she wanted to keep on Glimmer's good side. "What do you expect to get from this...scroll?"

Ryoko's stomach growled. She hadn't eaten her lunch, after all.

She reached out to grab one of Glimmer's hands and turned to lead her out toward the door. "Tell me about it on the way to the place where I got that soup."

Glimmer Brightmoon has posed:
Glimmer Brightmoon shook her head. "I mean, sometimes we do? But the princess Prom only happens once a decade and there's sooooo much ceremony and aplomb with it. Making sure you greet the host the right way, how to carry your weapons, how to walk down the stairs, how to walk UP the stairs, all of the different dances, how to..." She trailed off. "Aaaaand this is an entirely different type of dance, isn't it? I guess... it would make sense that there's not..." She trailed off.

"Oh! That's a good idea!" Distract from her lack of knowledge of how this world works. And teleports the BOTH of them from this floor... all the way to the ground floor, outside. "So, how far away is it? Do you think if I teleported up high enough I could see it from here? Cause then we could cut out the boring walking part and just teleport us there. We'd only be in freefall for like, a few seconds. Tops."

... She was wayyyy too perky to be trusted with this.

Ryoko Gushiken has posed:
Ryoko Gushiken had regrets, and those regrets had pink and purple hair. She immediately let go of Glimmer's hand as soon as that first teleport completed before any more teleporting could include her. She took a deep breath and slowly pulled the corners of her mouth up in a smile. She needed to make sure this girl liked her for at least the next week.

Maybe if she got all the HR paperwork done in advance, The Grim Queen would let her do a murder at the office.

Probably not.

She turned to Glimmer and shook her head. "Try not to think of it as a boring walk to the restaurant," she said, sounding only just a little bit condescending. She was trying, but it was hjard. "Instead, think of it as an educational experience. I can tell you about this world, so that you don't give yourself away to some civilian and cause an HR incident."

Then, in a foolish show of trust, she reached out to grab Glimmer's hand again and start to lead her off deeper into Mitakihara. "Besides, good conversation can make time fly and distance vanish," she says, glancing back over her shoulder. "So tell me about Brightmoon."

Glimmer Brightmoon has posed:
Glimmer Brightmoon nodded when Ryoko gave a reason. "Well... if you insist. Hold on. I've got a... they call it a henshin device? It's to make sure my magic doesn't like... leak out, I guess? It's weird, here. Back on Etheria I was connected to the runestone all the time, except when I went off-planet. I could teleport anywhere. But here the moment I leave the tower it's like I'm too far away and it's just burning out. It's awful," Glimmer muttered.

A necklace. There was a henshin later and she...

Oh dear heavens. She had a LEATHER JACKET, a bodice, and she even pulled a TOOTHPICK out of her pocket and put it rest in her mouth.

"Okay. Just... call me Ikken," Glimmer said. "Apparently it's what my name means here. Or how you say my name here? I don't know. I think I'm going to try and get a better name. And Brightmoon, well... it's the capital of Etheria. Err, Etheria is the planet." ... Wait, the capital of a planet?

"I'm the queen, my mom... used to be. But she's... not... now... eh..." And there was... quite a bit of sadness there.

"It's perfect. A gorgeous castle, surrounded by the whispering woods. Beautiful... The Moonstone stands on top of a great pillar overseeing everything. Now that the war is over, we've been working to renovate and build new housing. There's a lot of refuges, especially from the Horde. I swear we host a celebration almost every night. Can you believe, an entire army of people... who've never even *heard* of a party? Or cake? The princess alliance isn't really necessary now that the Horde is disolved, but we've been working to setup proper quarters for when the other princesses gather. We even have a building now we call the 'dungeon'... Adora thinks it needs to be more dungeony, but frankly even prisoners should be allowed a few fluffy pillows. And, most importantly, it's *not* the spare bedroom anymore." Pause.

"We mostly just use it for storage, though."

Ryoko Gushiken has posed:
Her henshin. Made her. Hotter. Ryoko was fine. Maybe if that necklace was containing her magic it meant that she couldn't teleport. So maybe it wasn't so foolish to be holding her hand after all.

She was only doing this to make sure she had a date to Prom. She only had to keep it up for a week tops. She could do this.

So she led Glimmer toward the restaurant, which was appropriately located in an alley. Stepping thru the door is like stepping around the globe. Salsa music plays in the background. It's the sort of place where the patrons order at the counter and then take it to their seats. Ryoko walks them right up to the counter and orders.

"I'll have two bowls of moqueca," she said, in Portuguese. Then she offered a smile to Glimmer, saying in Japanese, "This is how I know it's good. I know this guy's uncle from back home."

She lead Glimmer over to a booth and slid into it, finally letting go of the other girl's hand so she could sit where she wanted. "You sound like a good Queen, Ikken," she said, and she sounded like she meant it. She didn't even comment on how Glimmer fudged the tense a little in her description. Because unless the runestone and the Moonstone were different, the the Moonstone wasn't on top of that pillar any more. It was in Agera-san's office. She'd seen a memo about it.

"It must really bother you to be stuck working for Obsidian."

Glimmer Brightmoon has posed:
Glimmer Brightmoon was dressed like her mental image of herself. AKA. A badass. As she walked, and talked, the toothpick made the journey across her mouth and... "Ohhhh. So... you're not from Tokyo?" she asked. "Other world and all, you know? So not sure... what language that is. I really wish I'd learned that translation spell dad tried to teach me. But frankly? I didn't see much point. Like, the only other language I was even slightly aware of was seagull. It didn't work on old one's writing, annoyingly."

"I... wasn't that good a queen. I'm trying my best but... my mom. Now she was amazing. I... was more the teleport in and punch a bad guy in the face sort. Great during times of war, noooot so much during peace. Mom was... she was the kind of person who knew how to run a kingdom. Dad... dad has been okay. He helps, where he can. But he's never really... had the same responsibilities. His job was more... magic. Less politics. I get that from him, probably. Heh."

She sat down next to the other girl. Of course she did. "And eh. Obsidian... Obsidian has some good, some bad. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'll figure it out. They're hardly the worst people I've met, though. At least they haven't wiped out entire planets and left them as nothing but rubble or tried to purge all life in the universe. So... I've met worse."

Phantom, though, still had her conflicted and... maybe a little confused. Where did he stand? What did he truly want? How nasty WERE the people here?

"How about you? Are you 'stuck' working in Obsidian?"

And, admittedly.... she was maybe.... denying some things. That... well... the Moonstone... and Etheria... she was certain they weren't all in danger. Certainly not.

Ryoko Gushiken has posed:
Ryoko Gushiken was totally fine. She wasn't feeling at all bothered by Glimmer sitting down right next to her. If she was being honest with herself, she was the opposite of bothered. But she wasn't being honest with herself. So she was just totally fine.

"Correct. I'm from Sao Paolo, Brazil," she said. "Though really, it's basically just like Tokyo with Carnivale. At least the part of Sao Paolo I grew up in," she explained with a light laugh. She smiled more when she was not being mean.

"But I go where Hokori-sama needs me to go," she said. "That's why I'm at Obsidian. I'm her executive assistant." Then she leaned in so that her lips were maybe a centimeter away from Glimmer's ear, and she murmured, "I see every memo that comes across her desk. Let me assure you. We are the bad guys."

Glimmer Brightmoon has posed:
Glimmer Brightmoon gave a small nod. "Brazil... wow..." She... had no idea where that was. "I... do not think I could say most those words. It sounds lovely, though. I'd love to see it. And there was a carnival there, too? So you must have gone to a lot of parties growing up, huh?"

Glimmer's eyes went a little wider at the warning... Then she chuckled. "Yeah... I know. I've seen bad guys before. A lot of them. And I'm... not... quite like Bow. I know I just look like a sparkly buttercup princess who can't handle herself if things get rough... but you'd be surprised just how 'bad' I can be when I have to be."

Especially to protect her moonstone. She took out the toothpick... and ground it onto the table. Like a cigarette. But it was a toothpick.

"So... what's an executive assistant? I was ummm... a general, a princess and then a queen."

Ryoko Gushiken has posed:
Ryoko Gushiken wanted to go to parties when she was younger, but she never could. Her wicked stepmother always made her stay at their hotel cleaning while she and her step-sisters would go out for Carnivale. But it's not like she's going to tell Glimmer about her tragic backstory. That would be vulnerability and she couldn't show that kind of weakness. Not even to pretty, interesting girls like her.

So, instead, she decided to sprinkle in a little bit of that education she was talking about. "My mother was a hotelier, not a queen. I didn't have the privilege of placing so much importance on things like parties."

She was rescued from having to say anything further by their food arriving. Two big tureens of moqueca made with shrimp, cilantro, and red bell peppers. Ryoko picked up her bowl so she could breathe in a lungful of its aroma. "This? This smells like home."

Glimmer Brightmoon has posed:
Glimmer Brightmoon was eying Ryoko. And there was a look in those eyes.

And for the first time since they'd met, Ryoko might get the slightest glimpse that there was a lot more to this girl than that hyper, excited child she'd met.

That this was a queen. This was a woman who had experienced having an entire kingdom hinging on her every word.

And suffered the results of her failure.

There were three generations, they said, to wealth. One to gather it. One to continue it... And one to squander it.

And this girl had been both the first and last. She'd been lied to, deceived, made mistakes. And worse, she cared.

She learned to lie, to deceive, to scrape victory from the jaws of defeat.

And now, she was watching Ryoko. And she was measuring her. In the same way she had measured threats to her kingdom. Alliances. Requests.

"Your home sounds like it smelled nice. A hotel is like... a fancier inn, right? Is having a party here considered a privilege? Back home we had regular festivals and parties in even the smallest villages. In fact, the first day I met Adora they were having one in Thaymor. It was so much fun, she'd never even seen a horse before. Girl could tear a tank apart and put it back together blindfolded, but you show her a fuzzy animal and her entire world turns upside down."

Ryoko Gushiken has posed:
Ryoko Gushiken set her tureen back on the table and unwrapped her utensils. Dipping her spoon beneath the surface of the bowl, she scooped up a shrimp along with broth and vegetables. With her other hand she pointed to the shrimp. "This is a shrimp," she said. She didn't know if they had those where Glimmer was from. Her world sounded a lot different. "You don't want to eat the tail," she added, plucking the shrimp up off her spoon by the tail, popping it in her mouth, and applying just the right amount of suction and force to pull the tail right off the shrimp, so she could set it down on the plate next to her tureen. She chewed and swallowed the shrimp and immediately ate the rest of what was on her spoon.

"Mmm," she intoned. "Yes, just like his uncle's. This is the place to go," she said, looking aside to Glimmer with a smile on her face. She couldn't help but be happy when she was eating moqueca. It felt like all of her happy memories from childhood. It practically was all of her happy memories from childhood.

"Yes, a hotel is like an inn. We had many parties at our hotel, and my step-mother and step-sisters attended them all," she said. Then she scooped up another spoonful of soup. "But not everyone has the privilege of free time."

Glimmer Brightmoon has posed:
Glimmer Brightmoon was silent for a long, long moment. Seeming to be thinking. Coming up with the proper thing to say. Lightly swirling the spoon in her food. "Shrimp is good. We had it sometimes when we went to Salineas." She did seem to be thinking about things. Before finally taking a bite of the soup.

Finally, she just said it. "I know it doesn't really make up for it, but... well... I'm sorry your step-mother was a bitch. We've had a few people like that back home. Users... abusers. The damage they do is... I know it can't be undone." Not 'it can't be undone easily'. It can't be undone. She's seen the effect that Shadowweaver had on Adora and Catra.

"... I wish I could offer more, but... I really can't. I was lucky. I lost my dad when I was young, but my mom was an angel." Pause. "Literally. She was an actual angel. I... didn't appreciate her for it. At least... I never appreciated it until it was too late and she was already gone. Then they found my father and I thought he was gone and..." She idly swirled the spoon.

"... I guess I'm just... sorry. I know it's not good enough but there's really not much else I can do." Pause. "Well, unless they ever show up. Then I can punch them for you! Sparkle to face negotiations *are* my specialty!" she said proudly before taking another bite.

"So, you know his uncle? Is he back in your old home?"

Ryoko Gushiken has posed:
Ryoko Gushiken was also silent, but not because she was thinking. She was eating. This whole impromptu date happened because someone interrupted her lunch, and she was hungry. Whatever else came out of this encounter, she was going to leave with a full stomach.

She did not expect Glimmer to be so understanding. She did not expect to be validated in that way. It was not part of her lived experience that people were like that. Her step-mother wasn't. The Grim Queen wasn't either, not really. It felt good.

Glimmer said she'd punch her step-family if they ever showed up, and that made Ryoko smile. Not because she was happy Glimmer would do that for her--although that also felt good, she liked it when people did things for her--but because it reminded her that her step-family was all dead. She'd killed them. That moment was seared into her memory forever. It was the happiest day of her life.

She scooped the last shrimp out of her nearly empty bowl and then plucked it off the spoon by its tail. She glanced aside to Glimmer and shook her head. "Oh, they won't be bothering me. They can't leave Sao Paolo."

Glimmer Brightmoon has posed:
Glimmer Brightmoon couldn't help but smile when her new friend smiled. "You have a pretty smile. And that's good. I understand it can be hard to say goodbye, but some people? Some people just don't deserve to be a part of your life."

And some people? Did... but needed to have it punched into their face a few times. She took another bite of the food, letting out a soft sigh, before coughing into her napkin a bit. "Hee, its got some spice too it, fun."

"So... how'd you meet your boss? She sounds...." Pause. Blink. "Actually, I know nothing about her, so she sounds like she exists."

Glimmer understood things! Some things. Not many things.

"I'm currently a part of Beryl's Holdings, apparently, but I'm not really doing a lot there yet. Oh! Other than this really cool game called 'pokemon'. It even comes in a little blue case, it's cute. We didn't really have games like that back home. The only person I really knew with anything like it was my best friend, Bow. But he never played games on thetracker pad."

"... Unless he was an he was hiding it from me... No, no, he'd never do that." Welllll, maybe he wouldn't. He probably hadn't. But you never knew.

Ryoko Gushiken has posed:
"I couldn't agree more," Ryoko saaid as she brought a napkin up to wipe her lips after swallowing that last bite of shrimp. "Some people just don't deserve to be a part of life."

That was not what Glimmer said, Ryoko.

"Hokori-sama led me to the path out of that hell-hole," Ryoko said, looking at Glimmer. It almost makes The Grim Queen sound like a good person, saying it that way. "She helped me get away from my step-family, and has taken care of me ever since. I owe so much to her. Enduring my dreadfully boring office job is a small price to pay for everything she's given me."

It was a small price to pay for all the fun she had as Ember.

She lifted her tureen up to her lips so she could drink the rest of the broth and small pieces. Then she set it down and turned a little in her seat so she could focus better on the pretty girl sitting right there next to her.

"Makes sense, since Agera-san's reporting to her too, right now. Everything got shaken up after her whole staff defected," Ryoko explained. "I hear she's a real nightmare to work for."

Even The Grim Queen thought Beryl was awful.

Glimmer Brightmoon has posed:
Glimmer Brightmoon would likely be... horrified if she knew the truth. Fortunately, she didn't. Then again, she'd hardly been one of the people grieving over Shadowweaver's death. So maybe she'd be entirely okay with it... Probably not, though.

Glimmer nodded, but... welllllll...

"I can understand wanting to pay her back. Just don't let it stop you from pursuing your own goals and dreams. I mean... it'd hardly have been worth being saved, if you end in the exact same situation just out of a feeling of debt, right?" Glimmer said with a chuckle.

She was a much slower eater, it seemed, she was only about halfway done with hers. Then again, she'd likely never grown up, wondering if this meal would be cut short by someone just taking it from her.

"I wouldn't know, admittedly. Haven't met her. Probably for the best, Age-ra reports directly to her, I think. And I kind of work for him, I think. Things are still a bit up in the air. But, well, it could be worse. I'm sure this Beryl isn't anywhere near as nasty as people say, things are always being blown out of proportion. You should have heard some of the stories they made up about us princesses back home. That we could control minds and destroy entire battalions with a wave of our hands and all kinds of other terrible things."

Ryoko Gushiken has posed:
Ryoko Gushiken waved her hand dismissively, saying, "It's not just out of a sense of debt. Hokori-sama is a firm believer in delegation. I practically run DUST Enterprises, and I'm only seventeen. I'm willing to put in my dues now to get a leg up in my career down the road."

She loved the power. She loved hearing people scream when she relesaed Grimm. She loved the look of fear in her subordinates' eyes when she expressed her displeasure. She loved her job. Her real job. It was the fake one she hated, but it was worth it.

"Just don't get on her bad side until at least after next week," Ryoko said, that hand she'd waved earlier coming down to rest on Glimmer's shoulder. The far shoulder. She'd put her arm around Glimmer's shoulders. Classic move. "I need my date for the Prom."

Glimmer Brightmoon has posed:
Glimmer Brightmoon let out a low chuckle as Ryoko talked about her duties. "Really? It sounds like you've been having an amazing time, then. That's great!" No jealousy. No barely contained annoyance. No ribbing. None of it. She seemed to actually mean it. To truly, genuinely be happy for the other girl.

And when the arm went over her shoulder, she couldn't help but laugh a bit louder. "Oh, don't worry. I'll wait a bit before I make everyone ang--" Pause. Thinking about.... some of the people she'd annoyed so far. Poor Phantom.... and... "Hey, do you think Ikken is a good name? Or should I try for something more 'american'? Apparently Glimmer doesn't 'fit' in this world. I know Catra's using Rachel."

And she even leaned into the hug a little as she ate. Because... well, she LIKED physical contact. She was part of the best friend crew! HUGS WERE AWESOME!

Ryoko Gushiken has posed:
Ryoko Gushiken's cheeks flushed. It must have been because of the soup. It was spicy! It definitely had nothing to do with Glimmer leaning into that hug. It didn't have anything at all to do with the cute girl pressed up against her. Nope.

She inhaled slowly, looking thoughtful as she considered Glimmer's question. Glimmer certainly did not look Japanese, and so a Japanese name seemed incorrect. But why do something so boring as an American name when there were so many better options to choose from?

"American names are boring," she said, sitting there with an incredibly Japanese name herself, and she was not even from Japan. Though she looked it. "You're not boring. You should have a name that is as beautiful and regal as you are."

She looked at her for another long moment and then smiled. "Soraia," she said, pronouncing it suh-rye-uh. She reached across her body with her other hand to try and catch Glimmer's chin and turn her to meet her gaze. "It's a Portuguese name that means princess of the sky."

Glimmer Brightmoon has posed:
Glimmer Brightmoon was actually really enjoying this. This Ryoko girl was pretty chill. "Really? American names are boring? And thanks. I try not to be boring. I was bored once, I hated it. Though, I guess there are worse things than bored."

"Soraia... Yeah, I like it. Princess of the Sky! Though, technically I'm the princess of light. You know, sparkles, explosions, teleporting, lightspeed dashes, the twelve moons." Pause. "So, ummmm, the sun. It's a star, right? NOT a magic moon? At first I assumed it was a magic moon, that's what we have. We don't have a 'sun' where I'm from. But I've been to space and traveled to other worlds, so I've actually learned quite a bit about other systems now." She sounded *so proud* of this.

"Also, I wanted to use... Spyra as my undercover name, or Mysterira, but apparently naming conventions like that are seen as weird."

Then she grinned and looked up into her eyes. "Or maybe I should just switch my name up everytime I go somewhere. Play the cool, mysterious foreigner who never sticks to a name. A rebel without a name, yeah. Doesn't that sound AWESOME?"

... She was a total dork.

Ryoko Gushiken has posed:
Ryoko Gushiken just sat there, gazing into Glimmer's eyes in complete and utter disbelief. How was this girl a queen? What kind of world was this Etheria that its queen was so silly and carefree?

She giggled. Ryoko Gushiken giggled. She never giggled.

"It does sound pretty awesome," she admitted, letting go of Glimmer's chin and shaking her head. "So one thing to consider is that most people here have at least two names. A family name and a given name." Thankfully Gushiken had been her real parents' family name, not the horrid woman who'd adopted her. "Though some people choose to go by just one name. Usually celebrities. Performers."

She didn't move her arm though. It was comfortable there around Glimmer's shoulders.

After a few moments of silence, where she just sort of stared down at Glimmer's tureen, Ryoko said, "For now, we just need to figure out what name you'll use at Prom. Also, your outfit. Do you have any clothes besides what you're wearing?"

Glimmer Brightmoon has posed:
Glimmer Brightmoon was from a world... definitely not like earth. But her life had been different. And frankly? All the pressure, the responsibility? All of it... was off her right now. She'd done everything she could. Now? She just had one more job to do. And it was for her. It was, relatively, painless.

"Family name, huh? Well, my mom was named Angela and my dad was named Micah. I could be... ohhhh. Wait. I could go with just one name? Maybe I could go that way... Play the celebrity. That could be fun. Hee hee. I guess my real name would be Glimmer Brightmoon, if it came to it then?"

Her tureen was, finally, being emptired. She picked up the bowl and drank it down. Giving a soft sigh, before putting it back on the table... she had a bit of a soupstache now. "That was really good! I'll think on it some more. Do you think I could pass as... what was it? Portuguese? And nah. I'll need to get some new clothes. But hey, I didn't have a jacket, either. Maybe I can get another henshin or something. I knew a... minor illusion spell, but it wouldn't really hold up for long term without draining my magic. I wonder if I could get one like my princess prom dress, it was beautiful. Though... I've probably outgrown it by now, even if I did have it."

Ryoko Gushiken has posed:
It was as Ryoko had expected. It was a good thing Ryoko was a sewist. "There's no need to get another henshin, when we can just get you clothes for this one," she says with a roll of her eyes and a smirk as she shakes her head a little.

She gave Glimmer's shoulders a squeeze before lifting her arm over the girl's head and nudging her with her hips. "I'm taking the rest of the day off work, and we're going to go to the fabric store," she declared. "My date is not going to wear some last-minute fast fashion sack to prom."

Ryoko Gushiken had standards.

Glimmer Brightmoon has posed:
Glimmer Brightmoon gave a nervous little chuckle. "Errr... I-I won't have to make them myself, will I? I've got to tell you, I'm a *terrible* seamstress. We had people for that. They were very good. Mom had picked them out herself, they were always pretty great. They knew just how to do a proper wing cover. But sure, sounds like fun!"

She'd get to her feet and then hold out her hand to the other girl, to help her out of the chair. Smiling the whole time. "Ohhhh, can it be pink? I look AMAZING in pinks and purples. Ohhhh, and sequins. It's sooooo annoying that when I do this whole 'henshin' thing I don't sparkle anymore. Like, I get it, it's supposed to be more 'subtle'. But subtle doesn't have to mean boRING!" and oh gosh, her voice even did a high pitched little crack there.

Ryoko Gushiken has posed:
Ryoko Gushiken stared at Glimmer for a minute and then laughed. "Of course not," Ryoko scoffed waving her hand dismissively as she scooted out to the edge of the booth, taking Glimmer's hand with hers. "I'm not about to leave such an important task as making sure my date looks good to anyone else. I'll be sewing your dress."

She stood up, took a step back, but did not let go of Glimmer's hand, instead lifting it up in the air. "Turn around for me," she said. "I'm seeing you in fuschia. You've got good shoulders, we should show them off. And sequins are an absolute must, I agree."

She smiled. "Don't worry. We'll be the best dressed couple at the dance," she said, and then turned to lead Glimmer out the door and off to her favorite fabric store. Walking. At least it wasn't that far away.

Glimmer Brightmoon has posed:
Glimmer Brightmoon let out a soft gasp. "You can SEW? That's AWESOME!" She would do a spin, no problem. Even while holding the other girl's hand. "And thank you. Shoulders are very important for blasting and punching, so I work on mine regularly," she said proudly.

She couldn't believe how nice this new girl was. Ha, eat your heart out, Bow. He wasn't the ONLY one who could make friends everywhere he went. She could make friends too. She gave the other girl's hand a little squeeze. "Fuschia sounds pretty. Like a purple, right? I want to make everyone's jaw DROP! Show them the queen's in town!" And who knew? Maybe she'd see Adora and Bow there...

... Wait, would that be good or bad?