2139/Pink meets Purple

Pink meets Purple
Date of Scene:	05 December 2024
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy
Synopsis:	During another one of her episodes, Hotaru is come across by Chibiusa. Something about the girl resonates with her and she sees the perfect chance to be... a senpai. She hopes she can do it right! Also, she made a new friend! And got her ice cream! And told her about how awesome Riventon can be, that will definitely NOT turn out badly later!
Cast of Characters:	Hotaru Tomoe, Chibiusa Tsukino

---

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
There weren't a lot of reasons for someone to go to the gardens of RHA. But a school as nice as this one had so many of them. Small ones, big ones, beautiful ones, statues, flowers, trees... when a campus got this big, it was only natural.

The one that Hotaru Tomoe, or as she was currently calling herself, Yokina Meiou had chosen was... one of the less popular ones. It had a handful of flowers, nothing fancy, and just the one bench.

But Hotaru hadn't made it to the bench. The young girl was collapsed on the ground by some of the camillas. Clutching her chest, she had broken out in a sweat and was panting. Her body shaking.

She could feel it. It didn't like it here. The Crystal Heart had helped, though she didn't know what it was. But it had managed to suppress the symptoms... for a time. But even that was starting to fail her.

Luminous Titan was losing and it didn't know what to do. So instead, it offered the girl what comfort it could... even as she whimpered on the ground and waited for it to pass.

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    The fact that this garden in particular was less populated was all the more reason for Chibiusa to come here. Gives her time to be alone, time to think, time to scheme, and time to take in the reality of her situation. Luna-P, her catball companion, is held in her arms like the favorite toy that it is. She starts heading towards the one solitary bench here, somewhat relieved to see it empty...

    Except... there's someone else here.

    ... And they look like they're in pain.

    Chibiusa drops Luna-P, who bounces off the ground and floats after her, and runs to Hotaru's side. She doesn't really know what to do about a collapsed girl who's shaking, panting and sweating, but she knows that she can't just ignore it.

    "Are you okay?!" she asks, once she reaches Hotaru. The future princess reaches for Hotaru's shoulder, and squats down to look at her face. "Are you hurt?"

    The tiny pinkette starts looking around frantically. Should she go get help? What should she do here? If only Diana had come with her...

    Luna-P watches with its unchanging smile, though the way it floats seems to mimic its owner's concern. Can a floating catball with no moving parts have body language?

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Someone saw.

... Someone saw.

There was a person there, she heard them, but she was in a lot of pain. Her body trembling, clutching her chest as her heart pounded. Asking if she was okay? "I-I... I'm fine," Hotaru said. "I-I'm fine. It... it'll pass," she said. "I just... I just n-need a m-minute... s-sorry," she said.

Bit by bit, the beast within began to calm, its attempts banished for the day. Finally, Hotaru opened her eyes and looked into kind, caring red eyes. "U-uhhh..." she said softly. And she had no idea who this was. Then, slowly, her eyes wandered towards Luna-P. "H-hello. I... I'm sorry. Please don't tell anyone you saw that. They'll... they'll just worry. It's just a condition t-that happens every so often..."

"... Is that a haunted cat doll?" she asked, blinking a few times.

The girl was absolutely precious! She had cute, adorable pink hair shaped like little bunny ears and then the twin tails. A part of her wanted to pick her up and hug her, but... yeah. She wasn't even going to be moving for a while, let alone picking someone up.

"I... I'm Hota-- errr. I'm... Yokina... Meiou. N-nice to... to meet you... And really... please don't tell anyone."

And she was a kohai! Hotaru needed to be strong, tough! Make a good impression! It was like, Fate! But younger! She couldn't do bad here!

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Chibiusa watches as Hotaru insists that she's okay, insists that it'll pass, and while the pinkette isn't entirely sure she understands she also doesn't want to make anything more complicated for the poor sempai than it needs to be.

    "A condition?" she asks. When she thinks of who to ask for help, her mind goes to Sailor Mercury, before she realizes that she's probably still a teenager here. Besides, 'Yokina' did just ask, several times, for Chibiusa not to tell anyone.

    Luna-P matches eyes with Hotaru. Unlike the frail child, it does not blink.

    Chibiusa looks back at the catball before turning back to Hotaru and shaking her head. "Luna-P isn't haunted. It's just..." how to describe this toy to people from the ancient past? "... a balloon!" They have balloon technology in this era, right? Chibiusa is pretty sure she saw a skirt with a picture of balloons on it the other day. "A special balloon."

    The pink princess frowns at Hotaru, still concerned about her health, but after a moment she decides that everyone has a right to secrecy. It's not like Small Lady particularly likes it when people dig into her secrets.

    She extends a tiny hand to Hotaru, to try and help her up, and says, "Okay. I won't tell. I promise. But you need to be careful, okay?"

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Bit by bit the pain faded and 'Yokina' began to breathe a little slower, giving a light gasp before sitting up straight. "Y-yes. Just... just seizures. I've had them..... semi frequently," she said, before beginning to, very slowly, get to her feet. It was a struggle... but... when Chibiusa offered her hand? Yokina started to reach for it... but then pulled her hand away. There was... fear on her face, just for a moment. Concern. Trying to avoid being touched and scaring the poor girl.

She reached down to wipe some of the dirt off her leggings, cheeks a bit red. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that. I... I usually try to stay out of the way so I won't be a bother." She glanced to the cat, cocking her head to the side. "A... balloon? Oh! Like a drone?" she asked, perking up. "Wow... that's so cool. Does it have a mix of helium and air in it, or is it more the counterbalance that makes it able to float like that?" she asked.

Then glanced down at her. "O-oh! Right! Um, I'm Yokina Meiou, grade 7. Nice to meet you!" she said, bowing her head politely. "Nice to meet you, Luna-P and... ummmm..."

And she had no idea who this girl was.

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Chibiusa notices the hesitance at being touched and instinctively pulls away. Some people don't like being touched, and they don't always explain why. She doesn't press the issue, withdrawing her hand and hesitating for a moment because she wants to be helpful but she's not sure what to do and... and...

    ... Maybe things really are getting better on their own?

    She blinks and then looks at Luna-P. How does it float? Magic, probably. How should she tell 'Yokina' that it floats? Well... "I'm... not sure? It's kinda like a drone, yeah," Okay, so they -do- have drones in this era.

    Upon getting Yokina's name, Chibiusa smiles and says, "Usagi Small Lady S-- Tsukino. Though most people around here call me Chibiusa, since I have a cousin with the same name as me around here." She bows politely, though maybe not as deeply as one might expect. "Nice you meet you, Meiou-senpai!"

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Yokina Meiou smiled down at the girl. She was really so sweet. She...

....

Usagi.

Small Lady.

Tsukino.

"... Wait. Usagi... Tsukino? O-oh... oh no. Oh no!" And she knelt down, a look of concern on her face. "U-Usagi? Oh no. A-are... are you okay? It's me, Hotaru. Did you eat one of Majorina's magic kit kats? Don't worry, we'll figure this out, you're going to be okay! It happened to me and Setsuna-senpai last year and she was completely okay after a few days, she was even still able to transform and everything. I'll call--" Then she stopped.

And then she looked sad. "Oh... I guess... I can't call senpai anymore... who do you want me to call? Wait, why is your hair pink? It's really cute, but... oh. Duh. Did you dye it for the same reason I dyed mine? Of course! Did Setsuna-senpai help you? Of course she did. The 'totally her cousin' disguise, obviously! You... you really had me-- o-oh no."

"... This... p-please don't tell S-Setsuna-senpai a-and the rest of them that my s-seizures are back! If... if they know, they'll just worry again and, and they've already done so much to help me, I don't want our time together to be spent with them frantically trying to find a cure that doesn't exist. P-please don't tell them, senpai..."

... Well, that was certainly... a turn.

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Small Lady blinks at Yokina's-- Hotaru's?! reaction. "I... wait... no... I just told you I'm not her!"

    Oh geeze. Maybe she really should just start calling herself Chibiusa instead of Usagi from now on. Feels kindof unfair since that's actually her name, but... apparently her mom has a reputation even in this alternate timeline.

    She holds up her hands to say, "Who is Majorina? Who is Meiou-sensei? No I haven't had a kit kat but now that you mention it I kinda want one. This is my natural hair color. I... look... I..."

    Chibiusa looks helplessly exasperated at Luna-P, and the toy just looks blankly back without sympathy. You got yourself into this mess, Small Lady.

    As Yokina goes on, Chibiusa frowns and starts feeling overwhelmed. For someone who has regular seizures she sure has a lot of energy...

    For a moment she's tempted to do the hypno-umbrella trick and force Hotaru to forget this exchange ever happened, but that feels overly mean. It's one thing to use hypno magic for your own survival, but using it to escape an awkward social situation feels like a step too far.

    But then how does she deal with this situation? She crosses her arms and gets insistent. "I really don't know what you're talking about. I said I'm not her. We just have the same name."

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Yokina Meiou blinked a few times, her hands clasped together and... and slowly, it all kind of clicked.

Blink blink. Blink. Bliiiiiiiiink.

"You... aren't? You just have the same... name?" she said. "Not... magic... kit kats? Oh. Ummmm... this... this is a-awkward thing... to... recover from... ummmmmm..."

Pause. Blink. Blink blink. "It's... a gaaaaaame?" she tried. "... Okay, yeah, I'm not really good at that. I guess... the veil means you'll forget this and... o-oh no... you're going to think I'm weird now, aren't you?" she asked, poking her fingers together.

"I'm ruining everything and Usagi already dislikes me... I... I'm sorry... can... can we start over? Majorina is an old friend who tells amazing stories, Meiou-sensei is the school nurse, Setsuna Meiou, and my... cousin. I'm Yokina Meiou. And... oh! If you'd like, we could go get kit kats. My... my condition has calmed down now so ummmm..." She got back to her feet, folding her hands in front of her.

"Oh! Or I bet we could get kit kat shakes. Have you ever had one? They're really good."

"... Should I call you Usagi-chan? Or ummm... Small Lady Usagi? Or would you prefer a different nickname?"

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Chibiusa looks at Yokina, and then at Luna-P, and then back at Yokina. "Oh, I see. You're talking about magic things. Well, if it's like that..." She gestures to herself and says, "I'm from another universe. I don't think the Veil is going to work on me for um..." She looks at herself, "... a really long time, but if we can both see magic then at least we can kinda talk like normal people."

    With a bit of tension leaving her smile, Chibiusa says, "Probably better call me Chibiusa. Everyone else does. I also like 'Small Lady', but most people don't know that name for me yet. Keep it between us, okay?" She punctuates that last sentence with a wink.

    She scratches the back of her head and says, "Sorry to stress you out when you're not feeling well. I'm glad you're doing better! I wouldn't mind getting kit kat shakes if you're up to it. I haven't had them before. Are they like kit kat ice cream?"

    After a moment, she holds up her hands and says, "Oh! But don't push yourself... don't feel like you have to overdo it for my sake. We can just sit and talk here if you'd like."

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Yokina Meiou blinked a few times. "You're... from another universe? Oh... oh my gosh... that's so *cool*!" she said, keeping her voice hushed, eyes gleaming. "So... you're like... Usagi from another world? Or... her cousin? That's really cool. Chibi-usa. I can remember that."

She then trailed off for a moment, before sighing. "And, ummmm. So, if you will remember that... my real name is Hotaru, I've... got... some bad people looking for me. I'm hiding as Yokina so they can't find me. So... I'll keep Small Lady between us, you keep Hotaru between us? That way we're both keeping a secret," she said, giving a big smile.

Then... she slowly moved and sat down on the bench. "Y-yes. Actually... that might be better. Luminous is working to... suppress the effects, but... I maybe should just rest for a few minutes before I go too far. But... just a few, okay? Then we can get shakes."

Then, however, she looked at Chibiusa. Resting her elbows on her knees, her face on her palm. Eyed her for a moment. "Are... you okay? I mean... you... came here. Right? So... I guess... you must have a plan? But..."

Hotaru looked concerned. Even... worried... Why? Chibiusa was... young. Very young. Much younger even than her.

And... she seemed mature. And kind. Kind of reminded her of Fate...

"... I hope you like it here. This is such a wonderful place. You can see all kinds of things. Magic, mermaids, phoenixes, werewolves, ghosts, zombies, oni's, witches, just... this is the most magical place in the world. But... it can also be scary, too. And... and I guess this makes me kind of your... senpai, right? If you are a student here? So... so if you need anything, let me know, okay? I'm definitely dependable!"

Pause.

"I definitely know people who are dependable and can get you into contact with them!"

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    "I'm not her," she says, very quick to correct it. "Sorry, but if I let people think I'm alternate-universe version of her, things will get really dumb really fast. I'm related to her. I'm not her. I'm kinda sorta using a loose definition of the word 'cousin'. Like... really loose. I can't get into details. Sorry."

    So... her real name is Hotaru, and she has some bad people looking for her? Her tiny hands cover her mouth and she glances off to the side to see if anyone is overhearing. "Me too," she whispers. Then she nods, with a big smile, keeping her voice low. "Sure! We'll keep our secret names, but we should only call each other by them when we're really really sure we're alone."

    Seeing Hotaru move to the bench, Chibiusa moves to sit on it with her. Not too close, since she seemed nervous about being touched, but she's not making a big deal about keeping her distance either. She is also, as the height of the bench makes obvious, still pretty small. Her legs freely dangle off the edge.

    If Chibiusa has managed to fool literally anyone into thinking she has an ounce of maturity, then there are three talking cats from an alt-u who'd be very glad to hear about that. She's a spoiled brat with princess training, but not so spoiled that she'd make unreasonable demands from someone who was clearly having a bad time mere minutes ago.

    "Plan...? No. I thought I had a plan. My plans haven't been working out, and even if the bad guys haven't found me yet I still have to worry about magic pyromaniacs."

    As Hotaru starts to describe all of the magical things, Chibiusa gets really curious. "I notice there's all sorts of magic here. Stuff I didn't see where I'm from. I kinda know about Sailor Senshi and dark energy, but there's people with song magic and magic computers and... People I feel like I should know but just don't."

    On the topic of knowing dependable people, Chibiusa pouts. "I wish the people I knew here were dependable." Then she feels bad about that and says, "I shouldn't say that. Mamo-kun is dependable. Usagi, though..."

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Yokina Meiou gave a small nod. "Gotcha. I get it. You don't want everyone to like... just assume you're her, when you're not? It... can really suck when people just... assume things for you, or about you, because they can. They do that to me all the time." There was just a hint of annoyance to her voice when she said that.

Her eyes went wide when she heard that Chibiusa was hiding from some bad people too! "You are? Oh... do you have a phone?" she asked. "Or... something to call for help?" she asked, before giving her number. "If you're ever in danger, send me a message, okay? I'll come and save you. I'm... not always the strongest, but I have a lot of friends who help give me so much strength. And a lot of them are so, so cool."

The talk of a plan, though... made her frown. She glanced away. "... If your plan didn't work... are you scared to tell anyone? Because you're scared they'll... dismiss you for being a kid? Or ignore what you say because 'they know best'?" Hotaru asked, her voice filled with... well... she knew that feeling well. "I've... never been the best at plans, honestly. But my senpai is really smart and good at plans. I mean, he's really dumb in a lot of other ways. But... he's good at coming up with plans when... it feels like nobody else can. He... even managed to save my life with his plans."

"And he doesn't ignore you just because you're a kid, or tell you that... you're seeing things, that you misunderstood things. Because... well... I think he's used to being dismissed to. Because he's also kind of *really dumb* sometimes and gets carried away. But... sometimes we all need help, right? But it's not easy to ask for help, when it always feels like everything you do is ignored or pushed aside because you're 'weird' or 'just a kid'."

"... Sorry if... ummmm... I'm way off the mark here. I just went through a lot of that until recently. And there's almost nothing as bad as knowing something is wrong and that I can't stop it alone... and not having anybody who will help me when I need it. So... I don't wanna be that kind of senpai, who doesn't listen when it's needed, right?"

"Mamo-kun? OH! Mamoru-senpai? Ohhhh, he's really cool! My senpai is also his brother! He has a lot of brothers. He was the one who suggested I change my hair." She shook her head, making the green strands bounce. "And... Usagi-chan... ummmm... your cousin? She's... I... hurt her. A long time ago. Well. Not... that long ago. But... I don't think she hates me now. But she's really kind and forgiving. I don't know if she's dependable, though. But... I feel..." She lifted a hand to her chest, over her heart. "I feel like she's the kind of person... who... when you need her? She'll always be there. No matter what. But... I guess that's just a feeling. I'm probably just being silly."

She got to her feet, and paused. "Oh... if I'm sharing secrets with you..." She reached up and pulled up her necklace from under her shirt. A crystal on the end. "This is Luminous Titan. He manages my health condition. Say hi."

...

"Come on, say hi."

<< ... Greetings >> The voice sounded... creepy, to say the least. Like Hannibal Lectar and Jigsaw had a kid. The kind of voice you'd expect from some horror movie commercial, where you never saw the villain.

"Don't tell anyone, though. But... if you're Usagi's cousin, I should be able to trust you. She knows about him, after all. He's a magic space computer. My senpai made him for me, to help manage my condition and protect me if I get attacked or worse."

Then... the voice made the most exhausted sigh. As if he was so, so used to this kind of thing happening.

"Oh, relax. We can trust her." She'd slide the gem back under her shirt, though. She had to hide it... And then she offered a hand to Chibiusa. "So, shakes? My treat. Well... technically Setsuna-senpai's treat, but she always encourages me to spend the money to get treats anyway."

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    "People are just gonna make assumptions," agrees Chibiusa. "It can't be helped. If I told the truth they'd assume one thing, if I lied they'd assume another. If I don't say anything they'll probably make something up. Most of the time they can think whatever they want, but some misunderstandings are worse than others." Her own mind wanders back to things said to her, days ago, hundreds of years in the future, except not this world's future. She frowns. "... and sometimes trying to clear things up only makes things worse."

    Does she have a phone? She points at Luna-P. "She acts like a phone. It's... advanced. Not in the same way that magic space computers are, but you probably aren't gonna find anything quite like it. I don't think I'll be chased. It was a bad idea to come here and it would be dumb of them to follow me, but who knows? There's monsters all over the place here."

    Is she scared to tell people? Yes, for a number of reasons. Maybe they'll try to stop her, or try to do it 'better'. Maybe they'll blame her, and they'll see just how this is all her fault. Maybe she can avoid all of that if she doesn't even tell them what the problem is.

    "I don't think anyone can help me. Nothing can really help me other than the Silver Crystal, but no one's just going to give me that. It's my problem and I gotta solve it myself."

    Her frown turns a little more thoughtful. "I didn't realize Mamoru had a brother." Must be another difference about this world. "Whoever it is, sounds like someone you really care about. Is it Tamaki? Because that guy is really clingy in ways that I don't get. Like how M-- Serenity's guardians are around her sometimes."

    She glances towards the green hair, and says with a faint smile, "It looks good on you. I wouldn't have any idea that it wasn't your natural color if you hadn't told me."

    She keeps her opinions on Usagi to herself, though she does look at Luminous Titan. The spooky voice goes uncommented on. Just a couple of girls hanging out with creepy-yet-supportive pieces of magic technology. Nothing to see here. "Hi, Luminous Titan. Please keep taking care of Hotaru for us." She says with a smile. Then she looks to her senpai and says, "So you have one of the magic computers, too? At first I thought they were like Mercury's computer, but they're actually something else entirely?"

    She takes the hand, and gets up off the bench. "Sure! I'm ready to go if you are."

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Yokina Meiou gave a small nod. "Yeah... yeah. Sometimes... that happens. That's why everyone needs at least one person who they can trust to hear them out, right? But... if you don't feel you can tell the whole story, I understand. I... used to feel like that too. Sometimes there are things we have to do ourselves and we can't tell anyone because they won't understand or they'll try to stop us. But... it's a lot easier to do things as a team, than alone. That's why there's so many Sailor Senshi, I think. You said you knew about those? So when one of them falls, the others can pick them up. So... I hope you find someone you feel you can share everything with... and I really hope whoever those people are, bothering you, they can't follow you here."

Then her smile wavered slightly. "But... don't... expect them to give up. Bad people can be determined. Good people can be even moreso, though."

"... The... silver crystal? There's... a lot of magic crystals, so ummmm... I don't know which one that is. I could try to look for it, though?"

However, the mention of Tamaki? That made Hotaru giggle and shake her head. "Oh, no. Riventon-senpai. Mamoru-senpai has a lot of brothers, I think. But I think most of them are more... adopted. Tamaki-senpai is... a very close friend, I think. I think they were from back when Mamoru-senpai worked for Beryl."

She'd gently begin to walk with the other girl towards the gate. Luckily, Chibiusa had no injuries... so there was nothing for her power to react to, nothing to heal! "It's... kind of like that. I think it's like... a really advanced, magical AI. So like... smart? And very person-y? Luminous Titan seems to have real emotions and everything, he worries about me a lot. I... think its different from a computer. Probably the magic. Kind of like how the magic makes youma imitate intelligence, even though they're more... advanced pretend things, made of dark energy? Riventon-senpai explained it to me once, but that was a long time ago."

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Someone who she can trust? Who can hear them out? "I used to have someone like that. I think she's mad at me now, but I don't know because I can't speak to her right now. I took something from her that I shouldn't have."

    Chibiusa reaches down under her uniform's collar and pulls out a shiny golden key with a head shaped like two hearts stacked on one another, each with a pink oval gem set in the middle. The teeth of the key also make a heart shape. "My world's Sailor Pluto... this is one of her time keys. I took it without asking and ran away. I needed to, but... I wasn't supposed to. When I saw the Pluto from this world, I thought it was my own, come to find me." She tucks her key back into collar, letting it rest next to a sparkling gem that can only really be seen if the view is at just the right angle. "That's how far away from home I am. Even Pluto is different, and this one doesn't know me."

    She starts to visibly worry a bit when Hotaru mentions that bad people can be determined. "R-really? But... they shouldn't be able to. I mean... I don't think so." Unless they got past Sailor Pluto, or... "I guess I shouldn't be that confident. I ended up here, and I don't even know how."

    Mamoru worked for Beryl? Chibiusa only vaguely remembers stories of that, from her world. "Is Beryl still a mean witch who brainwashes people? I don't know much about her. She was long gone before I was even born, but I've heard stories."

    So Luminous Titan is like an AI. A magic AI. "That makes sense. Magical AI having emotions. Luna-P has some intelligence of her own but she doesn't talk. She kinda looks after me in her own way."

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Yokina Meiou stopped when Chibiusa told her about the key. Her hand... tightening on Chibiusa's. Not cruelly. But in a concerned way. And she looked down at her. Then, finally, she turned and knelt down to look her in the eye. "I won't ever tell her, I promise," she finally said. "But..."

"I should let you know I am... kind of... Sailor Pluto's... intern? Apprentice? Sort of? Part of my cover, since my... former identity was... ummmm... complicated. If you'd like to know about it, I'll tell you sometime. But..."

"Sailor Pluto has been helping me a lot in the last few months. And even if she's not the same Sailor Pluto you knew, the fact you were special to any Sailor Pluto... special enough to her that you were able to get that? Means that you must have been very important to her. And Sailor Pluto is very wise and kind. So... if you ever do want to tell her, if you ever need to ask for her help? I'll take you to her."

"... But you're probably right. She probably is mad at you for taking it, without asking. But... sometimes... we get mad at people. But it doesn't mean we stop caring about them."

Slowly, she stood back up and started walking again. "And... I know this must be scary. Leaving behind your friend. Since I ummm... had to go into hiding... I haven't seen my best friend either. Or, well. I have, but he couldn't see me. He... doesn't know where I am, because he wants to make sure I'm safe from everyone he works with. Even if it means he never gets to see me again... I know he hated to see me go, though. I... really miss him. All of the friends I made before. And... daddy... I miss daddy a lot," Hotaru said those words and her hand tightened on Chibiusa's, just a tad. As if she was looking for comfort that time, not trying to comfort her.

"But that's why I know I have to try. No matter how scared I am like this, I know it's for the right reasons. Good reasons. And so I try to be brave and take the next step towards tomorrow, so things can be better. Even when I'm scared."

Pause. Pause. Pause.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm... I'm not the best at giving senpai speeches. Was... was that a good one? I usually get senpai speeches from others, so I'm still learning. I did mean that, though. I... don't... admittedly know what that key is? But I do know Pluto has a few keys. And if they're that important, I know she'd want you to talk to her. But... I also know it can be scary admitting to things like that, especially if you're scared that she'll take it back. So... if you ever do, I'll keep you safe from her if she tries to, okay? Cause... well... I mean... You have it now, right? So... there's gotta be a reason for it."

"... Also, Sailor Pluto is like... infinite years old... and lots of adults just, I swear, they just don't listen." She actually puffed up her cheeks and looked just a little annoyed. "So I don't think she'd be all mean about it... but if she did then there's no way I could break that promise. And if there are bad people after you? It wouldn't do if you were in danger just trying to talk to the people your trusted."

"But... ummmm... Also, yes, Beryl was a bad, bad person. But she's gone now. But really, really, really awful. I met her once and she broke something very dear and precious. Just. The absolute worst. Like. You know those people who hate puppies and kittens? She's like one of them. Times. Infinity. Like, not the ones who are allergic. But just the ones who hate them. Could you imagine? Hating an innocent puppy or kitten? And I think she wanted to kiss Mamoru and had him like, mind controlled or something? But then he got out of it and was like 'Nuh uh, begone old grouchy lady!' and she took it personally. And then she went to france and got blown up by a bunch of angry magic people cause she was a jerk."

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Chibiusa's eyes widen at the mention that Hotaru is Pluto's apprentice. "That's... neat, but you mean this world's Pluto, right? This key doesn't belong to her." After a pause, she adds, "Thanks, though. For keeping it to yourself. There's no telling what a bad person would do with something like this. Not that Pluto would ever be one of those people, I don't think, but still... it's better if people don't know."

    Small Lady looks ahead and listens for a moment, holding Hotaru's hand and listening as much as she talks. 'But it doesn't mean we stop caring about them' makes her wince. "I think... maybe some day, I should talk to her. Just... not yet. I'm still figuring things out. People I knew don't know me, and there's all these other people, and it's all weird now."

    The sempai speech is given, and for a moment Chibiusa is looking at Hotaru with something resembling stars in her eyes. She's doing well, but then she apologizes, and Small Lady has to giggle. "You're doing better than you think. That's right, though. We gotta keep going, doing our best, and trying to make things better. It's not always fun, and it's scary, but that's what we gotta do."

    Chibusa looks ahead, reaching up with her free hand to fidget with the key through her shirt. "It's my way home, basically. When it's time to go back. If I'll be able to."

    The thought of Beryl kissing Mamoru... the thought of Beryl being her mom makes Chibiusa want to retch. She makes a face. It's not a pretty face. "... I'm glad he got with Usagi instead. Even if I think she's dumb. She's more right for him than any mean old Witch."

    Not that Chibiusa would have any particular bias on that subject.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
"Oh! Yes, this world's Pluto. And of course. As Sailor Charon, it is my duty to always help those who are friends of Sailor Pluto... and I take stuff from her all the time without her knowing, the important thing is that you put it back before she notices," Hotaru said proudly. "Then, it is a victimless crime, like glitter bombing the witches 5's office."

Luminous Titan just sighed.

"But... take as long as you need. Make as many friends as you need. The people here... are good. I don't know what it was like back home, but... a year ago? I had no friends. Not even one. Now? I have dozens. You're not alone and you don't need to be alone. And when you need help? Just give me a call."

Speaking of 'help', the shake place wasn't that far away, at least. And better than anything else? She got PRAISE from her kohai! She was learning the art of senpai-ing! Yesssss!

Her hand gave Chibusa's another small, little squeeze. "I... do hope you can go home one day. That you can be safe... like you deserve. I know... going home isn't always an option. But I hope it is."

"Oh, yes, Usagi is *sooooo* much better. Whenever I see Usagi it's like, this gentle warmth in my chest that kind of... spreads all the way out through to my fingertips, you know? Whenever I saw Beryl it was like this icky little crystal in my heart, trying to grow out and pierce things and made me feel nauseous. And she was *so old* and bitter and all she ever did was yell at people. And you know what? I don't even think she could do a proper villain laugh. It wasn't just that she was evil. She was evil and *boring*. There were werewolves and onis and monsters and all kinds of things... and then Beryl. Just the angry, grouchy lady who always yelled at everyone."

"... Besides, I never saw Mamoru smile when he was with Beryl. It... was always that fake smile. The one you force when you don't want people to know something is wrong. But it's not... real. It never reaches your eyes. It doesn't have that warmth. He sometimes could... almost smile? With a little warmth, with the right people? But even when it reached his eyes it wasn't right. The smile he has around Usagi... is so much nicer. Like a comforting fireplace versus a slightly warmed piece of coal. I wish I could make someone smile like that someday."

Then she pushed open the door to the make your own ice cream store! Because where else could you get kit kat shakes?

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    "The Witches 5? Isn't it the Witches 4? ... or is it 3 now?" Chibiusa thinks back, seeing the moment Eudial bought it. "So there used to be 5 of them?"

    Neo Queen Serenity doesn't kill often. She doesn't need to. Hasn't needed for centuries. Sailor Moon, though... from the stories that Chibiusa was told, the world used to be a lot more violent. Which means in this universe, that violence is happening right now. Honestly, considering the world she recently fled from, Chibiusa can kind of understand it. If it's a choice between killing one person and killing every person...

    "Back home was... peaceful, but lonely... I stood out and not in a good way. I had my mom and dad, and I had people who cared about me, but they didn't always understand me. It was a good place, even if I sometimes felt I didn't belong. I had no idea how good I had it."

    Hotaru describes Usagi in glowing detail, and Chibiusa listens and thinks back to the gentle warmth of her mother, to the kindness that she had, essentially, taken for granted. Not through any sense of entitlement persay, she just never comprehended the possibility that her mother might not be there for her. Chibiusa's mood grows more somber. She looks down at the ground. She promises herself that she will not cry, not now, not in front of her new friend.

    "Mamoru is kind and sweet. Well, maybe not to everyone, but to the people he cares about. I'm not going to hold it against him if he has to tell off a bad guy."

    Here they are, at the ice cream store. It looks a little bit old-timey by her reckoning, but it still has that familiar ice cream shop smell that's a mix of melted cream and waffle cone. She takes a deep breath and smiles as she goes inside, still holding Hotaru's hand. "So this is where they have the kit kat shakes?"

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Yokina Meiou gave a shrug. "I honestly don't know. They change their name a lot."

She'd walk Chibiusa through the process. Telling what toppings they want, the base flavors to add to the shake. Hotaru got... a very small one. Because she had a very tiny appetite. But she'd let Chibiusa get whatever size she'd want. Of course, after, she'd head to the seats.

She'd give a small sip of her shake, before speaking up. "A... place can be good. It can be very good... but... it can still make you unhappy. Before... I met Riventon-senpai? I was probably... technically safer. I didn't get involved in the fighting, I didn't even see most of it. But... I was very lonely. Daddy... I love daddy, but he spent too much time trying to fix me, so I never saw him. I had the same issue at school. Everyone thought I was weird because of my... health issues, and I had a bit of magic that they didn't understand. Now? I fight with people and it's nowhere near peaceful..."

"... But I'm so much happier. And... I think it's okay to be happier. If you're lonely... if you don't fit in? It... can hurt. A lot. It's not a real battle, with physical monsters. But it's still... a battle. The biggest difference is, nobody can see the hurts and so nobody knows that you need help. So... don't beat yourself up over it, okay? The only one who has any right to tell you how happy you are, or deserve to be, is you. And anyone who tries to tell you why you should be happy and ignores your pain is a liar and a scoundrel and they should go forth and step on a lego." Pause. "Do... do they have legos where you're from?"

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Chibiusa follows along, because ice cream customs have probably changed in the last 1000 years and also because it's a whole different world and this might be the world where sprinkles actually taste like peanut butter and peanut butter tastes like sprinkles.

    Well, okay, this is not actually that world, but Chibiusa doesn't know that yet!

    She also gets a small one, because she is Small Lady, naturally.

    Chibiusa considers Hotaru's words. Was she... unhappy, back then?

    That's silly. It was a utopia. The world overall was better under the rule of Neo Queen Serenity. Sure, even such a place is going to have its ups and downs. Perfection is never really possible, but...

    In all honesty, if Chibiusa had been perfectly happy, she wouldn't have tried to use the Silver Crystal. Just to prove that she could. Just to prove that she really was Serenity's daughter and that she had every right to use it.

    She has yet to prove that. The Silver Crystal doesn't respond to her yet, even if it's supposed to be her birthright.

    "Sure. They have legos. The crystal ones didn't really take off because people kept stepping on them, but the plastic ones are still around. The cats don't like it when I leave them in the hall."