1217/Influential Meeting

Influential Meeting
Date of Scene:	01 March 2024
Location:	Korma Chameleon
Synopsis:	Hinoiri and 'Shiori', who is certainly NOT Double Trouble, have their first meeting on valentines night... It starts rough and ends with a kiss. Sometimes improv can be fun, no?
Cast of Characters:	Hinoiri Kirara, Double Trouble

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Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara was, well... at the Korma. She likely managed to get here first... because she had a motorcycle. For driving. And she came often enough. She'd hummed... and got a table in the corner. Alone, mysterious, slightly grouchy, looking out into the evening, through the window. Waiting for her food... A vegetarian korma, just for her. Nobody else.

Her phone out, lightly glancing down at it on occasion, tappy tap. Playing phone games. She felt... silly. Waiting to be picked up. So silly...

But it was Double Trouble. So she KNEW it would be MAGNIFICENT!

Double Trouble has posed:
It had taken Dianora some time to get to where she was nominally staying and stash her bag, then shift into Shiori and duskport away. As she found her way to Korma from the distant part of Pikarigoaka she'd found herself in, Shiori pondered how she really ought to get another necklace for this form just like the other one.

She wondered if she could just requisition it. Obsidian really liked to act like any other corporation, some of the time. She'd never worked for any other company, but at this point she'd read and watched enough to have an idea for the tropes. Worst case, she could beg.

When she got to Korma she was ravenous. All she'd eaten all day was about a third of that cake. So she went straight to the counter and ordered herself a lamb vindaloo, extra spicy. She pays and then moves aside to wait from them to dish it up and turns to look around the room, as if she doesn't know exactly who she's going to spot.

There she is sitting in the booth looking as glorious as always with that flame-streaked hair, face glued to her phone screen. Shiori really looks at her, and then when her order comes up she takes it and carries it over toward the table where Hinoiri's sitting.

"You're far too pretty to be eating alone on Valentine's day," she says, as she sets down her food and sits down across the table from Hinoiri. "I'm Shiori Ishii. It's nice to meet you."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara would have, admittedly... found the fact DT was willing to BEG for a device so they could pretend to be her girlfriend to be... rather flattering. They must reallllly like her.

She glanced up, actually seemingly startled. She was EXPECTING this. How could she be startled? She really was a good actress!

HA! No. She'd just zoned out, her face going a little red. "Huh? Oh, uhhhh. Hinoiri Kirara. And it's... been a rough day. Just taking some me time is all. Don't think I've seen you here before, new in town? Or just new to the korma?" Well, she did come here... QUITE often. but then, she also knew that. She did focus on the other girl and... "Vindaloo? Oh, wow. Extra spicy. I hope you can handle it. If not, you miiiiight want to get something creamy to wash it down. They don't buck around here with spice."

Double Trouble has posed:
"This is the second time I've been here, which why I got it extra spicy this time," Shiori explains and then offers Hinori a mischievous grin as she breaks open her chopsticks. "I don't always want a spicy curry, but when I do," she adds, shaking her head and mmhmming.

She leans over the table and looks at Hinoiri's dish, taking a big, dramatic, deep breath in through her nose. "But you don't like spicy foods much, do you," she says. It's not a question.

Then she plucks a piece of lamb out of the sauce and pops it in her mouth, to taste and evaluate. Is it spicy enough? She already knows. This is Double Trouble's favorite dish here. But she's got to sell it, so she looks thoughtful, and just a little distressed, and then she's done. "Ohhh, that's good. Oh my mouth is on fire."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small shrug. "I don't mind spice too much, I find it adds a zest. But I really like to enjoy, and linger on my tastes. To really get the full experience, taste everything together at once and pick out all the bits and pieces woven into it, like a chorus of flavor. I find it harder to do with spicy food. Granted, the right spicy can make that... fun."

"Then again, I've always found life to be plenty spicy for me. If I go looking for it in food, I've probably let myself slip in other ways."

She took a small bite of her own food. She tended... well. She liked the vegetarian korma. It was kind of a comfort food for her. 2 out of 5 in spice. "There's a 'oh, so you like it hot' joke in there but I've never really been one to take the easy path for points," she said in a playful tone. "Want a drink?" she offered... nudging her water forward. Why? Because water made it worse. And they both knew that. But hey, she was 'nice'. And it was kind of amusing.

To imagine, this magnificent creature came from a place where things like 'cooking' were a suggestion.

Double Trouble has posed:
They both knew that, but Shiori drank some water anyway. "Thank you," she said, as if that didn't take the heat and just wash it down her throat too. There's clearly only one thing to do, and that's eat more curry. So, Shiori takes another bite, this time with some rice.

That's a pro move because the rice helps cut the heat.

"I can't even begin to imagine what a rough day for somebody as stunning as you must be like," she says, looking across the table at Hinoiri with a curious expression. "What kind of things send you looking for answers at the bottom of a bowl of curry?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara sighs and then glanced back out the window. "Oh, you know. Basic stuff. Ruined someone's life today, felt like a monster. She got better, we're taking things easy as friends now. Much easier. Less obligations. Roommate decided she needed to go out, so nobody to share my woes with. Lit a kid on fire who thought trying to shove my bike over would be funny." Pause. "The last one was a joke. But... mostly just the former. Other than that... mmm. Work, I guess. Got a project I've been working on a while, it's positively brilliant."

A small, malicious grin formed on her lips. "In fact... it's going to take the world by storm. Nobody will see it coming. But don't worry, I can't give you any spoilers. That'd ruin the surprise," she said with a wink. Then glanced back to her.

"So, what's your story? You're not hard on the eyes yourself, do you normally go to..." She almost called it a 'sleezy dive', "Nice family owned restaurants just to see what's on the menu?" And she didn't mean the food. "Or are you trying to get away from something too?"

Double Trouble has posed:
Shiori Ishii takes another couple bites of her vindaloo while she listens to Hinoiri describe her rough day. And then she takes a couple more. She's reaching for the water again when Hinoiri asks her what her story is. She just lifts up her finger and drinks a big drink of water and then sets it down. Now her mouth is wet and hot at the same time.

"I came here today to try the extra spicy vindaloo, but I came here a week ago because I overheard somebody talking about it. I love curry, and I'm always looking for new spots," she explains. "The regular vindaloo is good, but this? It's amazing."

But then she shrugs. "Aside from that? I'm not running away from anything. Yet."

She lifts up her chopsticks and points them at Hinoiri. "But you sound like just the sort of person I've been looking to meet. You sound like somebody who likes to cause trouble."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave her the most innocent and bullshit of smiles. "What? Moi? cause problems? For anyone? Perish the thought. I will have you know I am the most innocent, gentle, delicate little bundle of sweetness you'll ever meet. And anyone who says otherwise I'd likely have killed~ Oh, or they're just jealous. Prooooobably the latter. Not just anyone can be as magnificent as I, in fact, as far as I know? Only I can~" she said in that playful... albeit arrogant tone of hers.

"Though, I have been known to... cause a tiny, itsy bitsy, absolutely tiny amount of trouble. Here or there. Not that anybody could prove it."

She picked up the remains of her water, not much... but took a drink, none the less. Oh, it was a good thing Rashmi wasn't working tonight. They'd likely have new water soon, anyway.

She took a small bite of her own food, an amused smile on her face, sucking on a potato for a few moments and she eyed her up and down. "You know, I'm guessing you don't go to RHA, do you? I think I'd remember those piercings. Not a lot of people there who do that. Heck, few will even do the leather jacket thing, though none pull it off as well as me."

Double Trouble has posed:
Shiori Ishii takes another bite of vindaloo covered rice and eats it as she listens to Hinoiri ham it up. Double Trouble wants to laugh. Dianora wants to giggle. Shiori just smirks around her food.

"Just a tiny, itsy bitsy, absolutely tiny amount of trouble," she echoes, lifting up her chopsticks and holding the tips of them not quite touching but close. "Not that anybody could prove it."

She jabs the chopsticks in the air toward Hinoiri as if to point at her. "Exactly my kind of girl," she says. Then she grins. "And smart too. No, I don't go to Radiant Heart Academy," she says, the name of the school said with an affected snooty accent. "I go to Higashi-Ayase Junior High School right here in Pikarigoaka."

There's a mischievous smirk. "Nobody there can pull off these piercings either."

They lean back and look at Hinoiri for a moment, seeming to consider her. "After such a heavy day," they say tapping their chopsticks against the bottom of their bowl. They pick up another morsel of extra spicy lamb and gesture with it and gesture toward Hinoiri. "What you need is to blow off some steam." They glance aside for a minute and then grin. "What about a walk in the park after we're done eating? We could heckle all the couples."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara took a small bite of her own food, a piece of potato disappearing into her mouth. "Very smart. Top of my grade in every school I've ever been to. And I only go to the best."

Well... amongst the top. And only sometimes. But it was close enough.

"But yeah, evidence is definitely something that has to be managed and controlled, otherwise it just goes so poorly. As for blowing off steam..." She glanced out a window. "Mmmmm. I suppose. I do like parks and walking. But heckling is always hit or miss. Most people are just so bland and boring they aren't worth the trouble. Heckling them would almost add meaning to lives such as that..."

Slowly the grin on her lips got wider. "Wanna do something... more dangerous? How do you feel about a test of courage? I know a place just filled with all kinds of scary ghosts and monsters... where none dare to tread..." she said in an amused tone. The abandoned district... which now, really, wasn't nearly as scary since it got purified. BUT THE IDEA WAS SOUND!

Double Trouble has posed:
"I'm in," Shiori says, interrupting to interject her words in answer to Hinoiri's first question. She doesn't care what of course she wants to do something more dangerous. Hinoiri goes on to explain and Shiori's eyes get wider. Then she grins.

"Why Hinoiri Kirara, are you flirting with me? That sounds like my dream date," she says, bringing her free hand up to rest at the center of her chest.

If that is what she has to look forward to and all that's standing between her and her spooky bliss is the rest of her extra spicy vindaloo, well, her mouth is going to pay the price as she sets to eating what's left in her bowl.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small grin. "Well, not really. I'm just naturally that incredible," she said with an airy grin.

She was totally flirting.

Now, normally she'd get a desert, but honestly? She'd had cake... and she was curious to see how far she could go here. This 'Shiori' was kind of fun. And she could probably get some cans of spray paint, even.

Her bowl was soon empty, new cups of water replacing the one they'd been sharing, as she paid... A total power move. Paying for both of them and... "This, however, is flirting." She pulled out her keys.

"You ever ride passenger on a motorcycle before? I hear it can be a bit rough for the inexperienced... so I'll try to be gentle," she said in a teasing tone as she headed towards the door.

Double Trouble has posed:
Shiori Ishii arched her brow and then relaxed into a smile. The invitation to a spooky test of courage may not have been flirting (it was) but picking up her tab definitely is. And she's here for it.

She definitely looks like someone who has ridden passenger on a motorcycle before, and yet she denies it. "I have not," she says as they walk toward the door. When they get to the door she steps forward to open the door, looking at Hinoiri with a sultry expression. "But I can just hold on to you, right?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara felt a small rush of excitement when the door was held open for her. Oh ho. So, on the interesting side, it looked like Double Trouble Wouldn't make her fight for it too much.... and this little bit of play? This performance? Was...

Admittedly kind of fun. She got to see this side of Double Trouble and actually be a part of it. To play, too. She wasn't as good, but it was nice to be involved.

"Yeah. Hold on, make sure not to distract me too much while I drive, it's not that hard... maybe a bit scary, for some people. But you seem pretty tough, I'm sure you'll be fine," Hinoiri said with a wink, before walking towards her bike. Pulling the spare helmet out of the case, she'd toss it to her... and then put her own on, sliding on. "Just hop on the back, put your feet on the back stirrups and wrap your hands around my stomach. I won't go... too fast."

THAT WAS A LIE!

Double Trouble has posed:
Shiori Ishii catches the helmet and then takes one hand and gathers up her hair and twists it up so she can slide the helmet down over it all. It's so smooth a motion, it's like she's practiced it. Did she lie too?!

Not technically. Hinoiri only asked if she'd ridden passenger. Shiori had never ridden at all, but Double Trouble had. At least that one time. But importantly, Double Trouble was showing off. Shiori was just that cool.

She climbed onto the back, put her feet in the stirrups and wrapped her arms around Hinoiri's waist, leaning forward so that she pressed into the other girl's back. "I'll try my best not to distract you. Wouldn't want to die in a motorcycle crash."

And then Hinoiri went too fast. Shiori held on for dear life, squeezing rather tightly around Hinoiri's waist. Her voice is mostly torn away from her lips by the rushing wind, but if any of it makes it to Hinoiri's ears, she's saying, "Wheeeeeeeeeeee."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara couldn't help it. She... uhhhh... maybe... heart fluttered just a bit at that smooth motion. It was hot, okay?!

But as it was, she did go slow... until she was on the road. THEN VROOM!

It wouldn't take them that long to get there at all. You could tell they were there, because nobody else was...

And soon, they were at the location where the two of them had gone with Catra and Adora all those months ago. She paused by the crater... "You know, they say this is where a bomb from one of the wars landed. Right on an old couple were, and their ghosts haunt this district... still looking for their car..." she said in an ominous tone.

As if they hadn't SEEN the crater be made.

She soon parked, not even in a parking spot, just on one of the sidewalks near the abandoned buildings. The graffiti was still there!

Double Trouble has posed:
Shiori wasn't there. Glimmer was. So it's totally reasonable to act as if Shiori didn't know exactly how that crater got created.

"Wow, you'd think by now they'd have fixed it," Shiori says, a bit deadpan. Then she looks around at all the buildings in their various states of disrepair and then shrugs. "Or maybe not."

She slides off the motorcycle, and then in another single fluid motion she pulls off her helmet over her head and shakes out her hair so it falls down her back. Could've been right out of a movie that move. So cool.

Then she turns around, inspecting that disrepair just a little. "So where's the scary part, Hinoiri-chan?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small smile, taking her hand and starting to walk towards all of the abandoned buildings. "Oh, admittedly I don't think it's that scary... but apparently some people find this place to be incredibly creepy. Half the lights don't work, all the buildings are shattered, the--"

There was the sound of something in the distance... falling.

"... Well, things like that. I wonder if there's some creepy stalker guy out here, stalking... waiting for girls like us to be here all alone. Waiting in the darkness... to strike!" she said, saying that last part loudly, jerking towards her a bit.

Double Trouble has posed:
Shiori Ishii does not react except to reach out and grab hold of Hinoiri's hand, clutching it tightly like she's scared even if she doesn't look it. Then she turns to look at Hinoiri and her eyes go wide, and her face pales as she lifts up her other finger to silently point.

Then she screams, "IT'S HIM! RUN!" Then she turns and runs, heading deeper into the abandoned district, dragging Hinoiri behind her.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara was grinning from ear to ear... Until Shiori pointed behind her. Hinoiri STARTED to turn--

Only for the scream and to yelp as she was tugged along. What? She quickly found herself forced to look ahead to avoid tripping over her own feet. It wouldn't be long before she had no idea where they were going... Or where they were.

However, she soon caught onto the game and her hand tightened around Shiori's and, when they turned, her other hand reached out, grabbed a part of the wall and used it to try and swing them that way, pushing herself against the wall and yanking Shiori against her.

"I think we lost him," she whispered. "But oh no, where could we be now? Do you know?"

Okay, so improv was kind of fun.

Double Trouble has posed:
Shiori Ishii isn't really all that much taller than Hinoiri, and yet when the other girl pulls her close into the wall she instinctively puts her free hand up against the wall up over her shoulder. She practically looms, looking just a bit deranged in her eyes, and then leans her whole body.

Her lips stop just an inch from Hinoiri's ears, and she murmurs barely above a whisper. "I'm with you."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara looked up at her, a small grin on her face. Even being loomed over, she didn't look frightened. Not from the girl over her...

But feeling that breath on her ear? It made her chortle. Just a little bit. "Is that a threat, a warning, or a promise? Because I guarantee you... I am far scarier than anything else you could find in this city... when I get serious," she whispered.

"You know, this hearts and ho-- valentines day really has been a roller coaster ride, up and down, hasn't it?"

AND THEN A CAT RAN OUT FROM ONE OF THE BUILDINGS, BRUSHING UP AGAINST BOTH OF THEIR LEGS! Hinoiri yelped and jumped.

Double Trouble has posed:
Shiori Ishii starts to say, "It's a good thing I'm hol--" and then a cat runs out and squeezes between their legs before dashing off. Hinoiri yelps and startles. Well it was going to be a smooth line, but it seems the feline gods disapproved.

So instead Shiori laughs. It's a quiet laugh, but not a giggle. "We are ridiculous," she says.

She's still holding Hinoiri's hand. But she lets it go to turn and push the flame-haired girl back into the wall for real this time. "I'm not scared of you," she says, sounding very serious. Almost defiant. She plants her hand back over Hinoiri's shoulder and leans in to touch her forehead to Hinoiri's and says, "Just bring me along with you when you wreak havoc."

Then she steals a kiss.