1965/Friends along the way

Friends along the way
Date of Scene:	23 September 2024
Location:	Dorms #1
Synopsis:	Hinoiri decides to give Double Trouble the chance to know they're a magical girl now... or keep it hidden for the drama. Not a hard guess which one they choose... They also begin to suspect their girlfriend might be making even more terrible choices. Pfft. What are the chances of THAT though?
Cast of Characters:	Hinoiri Kirara, Double Trouble

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Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara was sitting at the table when Dianora got home. She had a sealed envelope in front of her, which she was lightly twirling on said table with her finger.

She looked... tense, though. Sitting there. Twirling it. Oh. Oh no. There was Korma, too. Something new. A gift? An apology?

... A comfort?

Whatever the signs were, they didn't look good. Especially if Hinoiri was sitting there, like that... obviously waiting for Dianora to get home.

No, for Double Trouble to get home. Something.... something big was happening. Something very, very big. Something that she obviously was preparing herself for the worst possibly happening.

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble had been busy. They had gotten back into the swing of their classes as Dianora, and were starting to make an effort to really connect with people in drama club. Meanwhile they were also lurking around campus as Shiori to try and connect with and egg on the Obsidian, or potentially Obsidian affiliated students. But they'd been doing that for a while. Lately the rest of their work at Obsidian--work they didn't really discuss--had been keeping them pretty busy the rest of the time. So maybe their mind jumped to some conclusions when they walked in on this scene in their dorm room.

Or, well, Dianora jumped to some conclusions. "Onee-chan..." She started, her voice quiet and wavering with uncertainty. "Is everything okay?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara stopped spinning the envelope, before giving it a light flick across the table... it came to a stop just before the tip. "Take a seat, I need to have a little talk. With you, specifically."

With Double Trouble. Oh. Opposite table from her. That was... ohhhh. That couldn't be good. She'd wait, patiently, for her to take a seat. Then she'd look up at her.

"So, Dee... I care about you. A lot. I also think that honesty is an important facet of any relationship..."

"But I also know you're a lover of drama and this? This is a lot of *drama*," Hinoiri actually made jazz hands when she said that. "So, here's the thing. Something... is going on. I can tell you exactly what it is... or, I can let you find out on your own. Now, letting you find out on your own will be more dramatic, so I realllllly did struggle over how to tell you. Now? I know the answer. Easy enough. Inside that envelope is the information. Or I can tell you. But it's your choice. The dramatic way, or the simple, honest way. My gift to you, Dee."

... And she even made the presentation dramatic as heck.

Double Trouble has posed:
As Dianora crossed the room, she lifted the necklace up off her neck and her body was briefly an amorphous blob of inky blackness before reforming as Double Trouble. They pulled out their seat with their tail and then sat down in it, picking up the envelope and turning it over in their hands.

"Darling," they said, affectionately, clutching it to their chest with both hands. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble." Then they hold the envelope out with a hand on each side, holding it up to the light. None shine thru. "Solid paper too," they observe. Then then thwack it against their palm and nod. They fling it like a flying disc over onto their bed and then quickly are out of their seat and around the table giving Hinoiri a hug and a kiss, arms wrapped tightly around the flame-haired girl's shoulders before she can even object.

"The entirely forseeable consequences of your choices is always the very best drama, Hinoiri, my love," they purr. "Thank you."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small grin, being pulled in close to her lover. She leaned forward, returning the kiss to Double Trouble's cheek. "Oh, I know. But let the record show that, when the chance came, I gave you the choice to know." Pause. "And none of these choices should, in any way, cause the destruction of the world in any manner. I mean, I don't foresee how it COULD, but it really shouldn't. Otherwise, I'd just..." Pause. "Well, I wouldn't be doing it."

She leaned against the reptile and gave a soft sigh. "And... yeah. I mayyyy have gone a little overboard on this, but... I really did spend a lot of time fretting over this. I want us to have a good relationship and I know one can't function with lies and deceit. I may not be the most honest person in the world, but if there's anyone I can tell the truth I feel it should be you."

She closed her eyes and leaned into Double Trouble contently.

"I've never been in a real relationship before, though. So... I want to do it right this time. Especially since you've put up with all of my... well... not... being..."

"... Kicked from Obsidian, I guess. I love you."

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble held her close and squeezed tightly. As they let go their tail flipped out to pull their tail around so they were seated across the corner from Hinoiri instead of across the entire table, and then they sat down. "I don't put up with anything. I love you, too, darling. Being here for each other is what that means."

They lean back in their seat and drape one knee over the other, bringing a fingertip up to tap against their lips. "I could speculate as to what's in the envelope, but that would ruin the fun," they say. So instead, they glance at the food. They always glance at the food. They can smell the curry. The spice. They take a deep breath.

As they reach for the carton that smells of vindaloo, they ask, "So does this mean they're mostly done trying to assassinate you then?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara shook her head. "Oh, not a chance. Also, go wild. I figured you'd be a bit dramatic about it, so just in case you were posing an over the top fit about it. 'Oh, woe is me, trapped between choosing the truth, or the drama...' we'd have plenty of food to go through and not need to take care of anything during that time," she said in a playful, teasing tone.

"... But no, I think I'm still up there as their number one 'we should remove her' target. They're not really... trying that hard? but there's always going to be someone, somewhere, who wants me gone and I can't really say who will try next." Pause. "Also, they're playing with my towers now. I really don't like that. They should NOT be using them like that. They're going to get themselves, or someone else hurt."

Double Trouble has posed:
The chameleon opens the carton and unwraps the chopsticks and then takes a big bite of rice and lamb. Their eyes lid--both lids--and they take a deep breath as they chew that first bite. Lamb vindaloo is their favorite. "You really do love me," they murmur as they take another bite.

Then they almost choke on a piece as they start laughing. "You know all this talk about honesty and caring about if people get hurt, I'd almost think you'd went full sparkle." They stuff another bite of curry in their mouth. Om nom nom.

"If I didn't know better."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a soft sigh and glanced off to the side. "Well... I mean..."

"One side of this battle this world has is trying to kill me. The other... keeps protecting me. I did a lot of damage to both on my way out, but... still. There's definitely one side managing to ingrain itself more to me than the other."

"... I may not... have really... been any good at the honesty thing, especially nowhere near enough to meet the expectations back home... but I know you don't lie to the person you're forming a relationship with. All that does is cause you both pain later. You're just... special enough to me I can trust you and tell you the truth. I can... share with you, the truth."

Hinoiri reached out to the other container. Veggie samosas. She wasn't really... that hungry.

She'd been fretting about this a lot. "... Besides, I could go sparkle, if I wanted. Maybe. I mean... there's something to be said about the people who still want to be around you and give you chances after you've bucked everything else up. There's only a few people in Obsidian who are still there for me."

"Who knows? Maybe you'll even go sparkle one day. You'd look cute in a poofy skirt."

Double Trouble has posed:
"I assure you," Double Trouble says around another mouth full of rice and curry. They do not have the best table manners, and the food is so yummy. How can they resist? "I'm one of the only people in Obsidian who's ever actually been there for you. The place doesn't really attract the love and friendship sort, you know? Everyone's got their own agenda, and they're only there for you when it aligns."

Of course that's where she met them, and they are all about the love. Their love. But they're special. They're Double Trouble. They're better than all of that. At least, for Hinoiri.

But then? Then their girlfriend has to go and say she would look good in a poof skirt, as if Dianora doesn't have several. They set down their curry, push back from the table and morph through a blob of inky black goo into the raven-haired, pink-obsessed girl once more. But this time, instead of her school uniform, she has a poofy skirt.

"Are you saying I'm not cute, Onee-chan?!"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small smirk, shaking her head. "Yeah, probably. There's some... so many special sorts in Obsidian, isn't there? Amazing to how many people me surviving seems to like... align with their goals. And the number of them who think offing me, despite all the sparkles trying to keep me safe, aligns with their goals. Obsidian truly is a nasty place filled with drama." Then she smirked. "I see why you like it."

Of course, as Dianora popped up, Hinoiri only smirked more. "Oh? I never said that. I already *know* you look adorable in a poofy skirt, Dianora. I said my they-friend would look precious in one as well. Now, I will admit while the distinction is subtle, it does exist."

Double Trouble has posed:
Dianora's nose wrinkles up and her lips twist and she puts her fists on her hips and she stomps her foot. "That's right I'm cute," she says, sounding rather adamant.

And then she's morphing back into Double Trouble, who sits back down on their chair and picks up their curry to take another bite. They were, apparently, quite hungry. As it turns out, they don't have a lot of time to eat with everything they're doing.

Leaning back in their chair, tipping it back just a little from the table--but keeping it from tipping farther by holding onto the table with their tail--they say, "You and I both know that the only way I'm wearing a poofy skirt is with some other face on. It's not like I can go around out there with this glorious visage." They gesture at their face with their chopsticks between bites.

"Besides, the tail makes skirts awkward," they add. "But it doesn't matter because I'm an agent of chaos, not a sparkle."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod, the grin on her face as large as ever. She rested her elbow on the counter and leaned to the side, resting her head on her hand. Watching her.

She just smiled at her. "Mmmmm. I don't know. I mean, a lot of people saw me as a little pony, they see Catra. Sure, the humans of this world, the non-magic ones, flip out. And they might try to hurt you..." She frowned at that thought. "... If that ever happened, buck the necklace, I'll make my last act being destroying them. But... people know what I was and who I am. They still like me. I think they'd be a lot more okay with you, being you, than you give them credit for. Who knows? Maybe they'd even, dare I say it... like you," Hinoiri said in a teasing tone.

"Well, okay. Aside from the drama sowing. But that's just something they'd need to learn to accept. It's part of your charm."

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble peers across their take-out carton as they listen to Hinoiri. They're paying attention, really. They're just also eating. They are the Devourer. Every little morsel of delicious vindaloo must make it into their hungry maw. All will be consumed. Om nom nom.

"Don't be silly, Hinoiri, my love. Nobody likes the real me," they say like it's just a fact. "Except you, but you make bad choices all the time."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small snicker before taking one of her samosas, biting into it. She then gave a small shrug. "Lots of people make terrible choices. I mean, they all saved me, didn't they? I'd be willing to bet a bunch of people would absolutely love to make you their next bad choice."

"... Besides, if they didn't? They'd be no friends of mine." And that, at least, was the truth. Unaware it was the kind of thing the little geode around her neck, in a weird way, loved to hear...

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble set down their empty curry carton and put the chopsticks across the top. That spicy lamb vindaloo always hit the spot. They had a spot specifically for it. They let out a satisfied sigh, pleased with their unexpected meal.

"You never did belong at Obsidian. I'm glad you got out," they say as they lean back in their chair and cross their arms over their chest. She's really leaning into the whole friendship and love schtick. It would make them sick if it were anyone else, but when she does it, it's cute. She's clearly so happy. How can they argue with that? They can't.

They glance at the envelope on their bed and wonder for a moment what it is Hinoiri wanted to tell them. What it is she'd go to this much effort to reveal to them. What would be so important she'd want to get it it just right. Double Trouble knew better and yet it really did seem like there was only one answer.

Well, if she's gone full sparkle, the most dramatic way to find out is to cause some mayhem. That's their specialty, after all.

They smile and say, "Maybe the magic you were looking for was in the friends you found along the way."

Except they mean it ironically.