2246/Drawing Nature

Drawing Nature
Date of Scene:	18 January 2025
Location:	Beach
Synopsis:	While Hinoiri is chillaxing with some painting of the sunset, Laura decides to jump in and get a portrait of her own done! The two discuss life, here in the human world, for those who just... really, aren't.
Cast of Characters:	Hinoiri Kirara, Laura La Mer

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Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara was at the beach, gazing out towards the sunset. It was a relatively warm day, for winter. A bit chilly, to the point she was wearing a coat, but not so bad nobody wanted to go out. Nobody was in the water, at least, you'd want magic for that.

She had a painting easel and was sitting on a rock, painting an assortment of rocks and the waves of the ocean... it was... calming.

They said all of the greats found peace in nature, she didn't know how true that was, but at the very least it was helping to give her some peace. Just relaxing and enjoying the crashing waves, the delicate sound of water running... She closed her eyes for a moment, letting it wash over her before she started painting again. She... was relaxed. Calm.

Laura La Mer has posed:
At that very same beach, Laura is swimming and hopping amidst the waves with naturalness and enjoyment of the fresh water. Between school and the usual youma lottery chase, it had been a long day, and she was taking advantage of the return to her environment.

She is off to the side compared to where Hinoiri is painting, so the redhead probably isn't seeing or hearing her crashes above and below the water surface, and the mermaid is not worrying about people without magic potentially spotting her. Who even goes to the beach in winter?

"What do you say, Kururun, isn't this time of the day just splendid?", the pinkette smiles at the pink seal, resting belly up not too far away from her. "Kuuruuurun~", she replies slowly, present enough to agree with the mermaid.

"And the sunset looks great on my scales, right?", Laura stops her relaxation to admire the subtle orange hue on her tail. "If only there was a way to immortalise it", she sighs. "Kururun Run Kururun Kururun Kururun", the seal sleepily replies.

Squinting her eyes, Laura turns her head towards the beach. "What do you mean, Hinoiri is... Ah!", she cries out from the surprise noticing the painting redhead. When did she get there!?

This is perfect! A gleeful smile on her smile, the pinkette kicks the water with her tail and her form arches through the air, the acrobatic making her land right next to Hinoiri. "Hi, Hinoiri, just who I need!", the pinkette exclaims, waving her tail at her. "Why don't you paint me?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara let out a little squeak of alarm when suddenly MERMAID! She tossed her paints into the air, having to quickly air juggle to catch them and avoid spilling paint everywhere, one being caught on her foot for a moment before she rights herself and lets out a sigh of relief. Whew. But also, eep! When did she get here?!

Hinoiri was tempted to say something, only to stop after a moment and eye Laura. She was... huh.

"... Yeah, I guess Mermaids are nature. Go ahead, just pose on the rocks, if you'd like," she said, giving a light shrug. Now that her heart rate was returning to normal. "Laura-chan, right?" she asked as she got to work. She'd ned to add a bit more pink... and blue... Hm.

"So, you're a mermaid, not actually human, right?" she asked as she painted. "Don't think we really... talked that much before. Been a bit busy, in my own head. Sorry about that."

Laura La Mer has posed:
"Oh, pardon", Laura comments nonchalantly at Hinoiri's little squeak, inflappable at the objects that were sent flying due to her. None of them actually touched the sand. "Good job there", the pinkette raises her eyebrows, taking note of the precarious and skillful balance Hinoiri has just demonstrated. Really impressive.

"Fantastic!", Laura cheerfully plops on a rock, lying on her belly with her tail forming a C above her. "What pose do you think I should hold? This one?" The mermaid lies on her side, facing Hinoiri. "What about this one?" Next she lies on her belly again, with her tail curved to the side and her head tilted slightly. "Or this one?"

An affirmative hmm-hmm comes out of Laura's mouth as she stops showing off. "Laura-chan is good, and that's right. I was born and raised in Grand Ocean."

Waving her hand, she proceeds to reassure Hinoiri. "I have been busy too recently, don't fuss about it. What have you been up to?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara let out a sigh of relief, then nodded. "Of... of course. Thanks. Hmmmm... second one, that'll do nicely. Just don't do anything that's too uncomfortable on the rocks," she said, before she started painting again.

She wasn't the best, but well... she'd never pained a mermaid before, either. So it would likely be fine.

"Grand ocean, huh? Sounds like a nice place. What was it like?" Slowly, she started on the general outline, attempting to set the scales of the mermaid just right... she messed up a few times, but how did that guy put it? Just happy little accidents...

"I've been up to a lot. Got stuck in this... thing... for a while. Been working up how to tell everyone, since there's a... lot to tell everyone. You ever have that... thing? Where you need to tell people, and you know you need to tell them, but you're not sure HOW to tell them?" she asked, glancing over at the mermaid. "Oh, hold that, try not to move your fin for a minute."

"But... yeah. I've... got a lot going on and I don't even know how to start."

Laura La Mer has posed:
"I am good, it doesn't really hurt any", Laura dismisses Hinoiri's concerns, taking the chosen pose. This rock didn't have much in the way of pointy segments, and the pose Hinoiri had chosen really wasn't hard to hold.

Certainly not compared to the first one, whose turndown really did make Laura feel a bit disappointed. She was particularly fond of how it showed off her flexibility. She doesn't consider that it being complicated to hold would also translate info a difficulty when painting either.

"A beautiful place, joy and happiness everywhere, full of gorgeous corals and friendly people. I really miss it, but I am working hard at restoring it. There are still so many, both fairies and mermaids, that still haven't recovered their motivation", Laura sighs.

"Must have been hard", Laura notes, following Hinoiri's instructions. "I haven't really had anything that has been hard to explain. Mostly just Witch of Delays stuff, I guess, but magical people here are surprisingly accostumed to things of that nature", she twirls a lock of hair around her finger.

"I have never had to deal with humans before the Mermaid Queen sent me here, so everyone was on the same page as me regarding the ocean threats. What are you trying to tell people exactly?", she peers at Hinoiri curiously.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara nodded and continued her painting. All in all, it was coming along nicely. She thought she had a pretty good job done on the fins and tail. "It sounds really nice. It was a lot like that back home. Though... not many fairies, honestly. No mermaids. But lots of ponies." Pause. "I'm from Kirakirafantastica, not sure if I told you that. I'm actually a unicorn."

"As for well... what happened? I got caught in this weird... time loop thing. Ended up repeating things over and over and over and... I just spent like. Months... maybe years... repeating the same day. Over and over. And after that, I don't want to repeat telling people all about it over. And over. And over. I kind of just wan to explain it... once?"

"I'm thinking I might host a party or something."

Laura La Mer has posed:
Laura nods while Hinoiri goes ahead with the painting. 'Patience is key, how could it come out wrong with me as a model?', Laura tells herself in her thoughts, as much as she would like to know how it's taking form. "When Usagi-chan wanted to have you try a Tropical Pact, you told me then", Laura reminds Hinoiri.

"You never showed me what you actually look like", she observes, stopping playing with her hair. "And I have been looking up unicorns since then, but I have been quite busy, so I am still learning." A smirk appears on her face as she is struck by an idea. "What do you say I tell you something about me or Grand Ocean, and you tell me something about yourself or KiraKiraFantasica in turn?"

Laura stares frozen as she takes in Hinoiri's reveal. She tries thinking about it, but the more she dwells on it, the more it makes her feel frustrated. How could she bear with it all? "No offense, but I am surprised you are still sane. That's a really cruel thing to do to someone. A party sounds like a good idea", she nods in approval. "Had I met you during your loop?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod. "Ohhhh, right, I did, didn't I? Sorry, that was... at least months ago. I... yeah..." Pause. "Wow. Heh. Sorry. nothing personal." She held up her brush, using it to make small measurements of the other girl, before going back to her work.

"It's kind of hard, honestly. I managed to get a form... similiar to my form back home a few times. But once I was a plushy, the other time I was... hand-size. You could easily carry me around and, let's just say, not my... proudest moment. A bit humiliating, honestly. Not a lot of ways to do that unless I drag someone back home with me and that's... kind of a... rare thing to do."

"But yeah, that sounds like fun. Tell me about your home, I'll tell you about mine."

"I met a lot of people during the loop, so probably. It was... a lot of it, is, admittedly, a blur. I did some reallllly daft things. Some really.... smart things and a whole lot of frustrating things. Learned a good lesson, though. Namely, everything doesn't depend on me. Also, Ladybug makes good plans. But I think I learned how to better.... ask for help? If that makes sense? I feel better, too. Calmer. More... relaxed. I think I did go insane a few times, though. I just... got better, too? Sorta? In a way? It was.... weird."

Laura La Mer has posed:
"Don't make a big deal out of it", Laura encourages Hinoiri. A few months ago, and then whatever the timeloop was responsible for. She huhs when Hinoiri brings up she became a small unicorn one more time before Laura had seen her. Good to know that was an accurate look, size nonwithstanding.

"I can't say I like that", the pinkette scoffs at the notion of them probably having met while time was repeating. "You remembering something with me that I don't feels wrong", she explains crossed. "Especially since I couldn't recall it no matter how much I try", she grimaces. "Good you got better, at least."

A look of pity is reserved to Hinoiri accompanying the reveal that she couldn't go back no matter how much she wanted to. She feels homesick sometimes, and she can go back to Grand Ocean whenever she pleases. It must be especially hard for Hinoiri.

Laura bites her lips slightly, thinking. "Grandpa Giant Squid was the biggest sea animal in the whole ocean, three times the size of a blue whale, and he used to live in Grand Ocean", she decides to bring up.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod. "Yeah... yeah. That's... kind of why I want to like... gather everyone up where I can. It's a lot to go over when like... not a lot happened in most cases. Most people I just had small talks. A few I learned personal things and a few others... saved... my life..."

Grandpa giant squid. She blinked a few times, opened her mouth, then shrugged. "Well... neat. I've admittedly never met a giant squid, or a blue whale. We did have some pretty big sea serpents, though. But I think the biggest creatures back home were dragons. We had quite a few of them with like... fingers bigger than my whole body. Now, how about this... back home... we used to have a whole bunch of festivals, one of the most well known was Hearthswarming, which was said to be watched over by the gift giver's of the grove, magical deer."

She then pulled back, looking at the picture... Adjusting a bit more and... "Okay, almost done. I think you'll like it. Well, I hope you will at least. It's not perfect... but just hold that pose a little longer."

Laura La Mer has posed:
"Are you sure?", Laura thinks that over. "Even if repeating it all one by one unsettles you, why do you want to discuss personal things with with an entire group?", she remarks with slight distaste. It doesn't really concerns her, and if Hinoiri wants to, more power to her.

"I hope they were friendly", Laura shudders slightly at the size disparity painted by Hinoiri. Metaphorically speaking. "Like Santa Claus, I guess? Christmas caught me by surprise because we don't have anything like that in winter, and I had to get all the presents as fast as I could. We don't know a whole lot about humans, and my interest in them has only been fleeting", she groans, thinking that is proving to be a giant annoyance now.

"Next, Grand Ocean's entrance to the outside world is hidden by a really strong sea currents, that you have to calm down with magic first. Or avoid it with a portal, but only Kururun can do that. Kururun is the Queen's fairy, she is special."

"Don't worry, I am sure I will like it. It's me you are painting after all", Laura smirks confidently. There is no way somebody could mess her up really badly, that would really be a feat.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara shook her head. "Oh! No, I didn't mean that. I meant... like, the big.... the whole thing. I want to discuss the big stuff, what happened, with everyone at once. The whole... th personal things? I'll take people aside, have more.... one on one talks with them. That's what I meant," she said quickly, her cheeks going a little red. Oh, wow, she.... really had bungled what she meant when she said that. She couldn't help but blush at the idea of like.... just... explaining all of the more personal things with everyone, at once. She'd imagine a few hits to the face.

"Oh yeah. Christmas threw me here, too. First I thought it was like hearthswarming eve, but then I found out it's more a... romantic thing? And new years is where they do all of the gift giving, but that's also separate... a whole thing. New cultures can take time to get used to."

She then eyed the picture, before nodding. Washing her paints off as she let it settle... "Okay, you can come see. As for my world... well... the sun and moon are raised by Sora, my... mentor, for most of my life. She uhhhh.... was the leader of the ponies. But she didn't rule the world. The other nations had their own rulers, for good or bad."

The picture, when Laura took a moment to look at it, wasn't the best... but it wasn't the worst, either. IT was pretty clear who she was drawing, and it was apparent that Hinoiri was good, but hardly a master. It was a little fuzzy, and not quite as detailed... but it was pretty.

Laura La Mer has posed:
That plan does make more sense to Laura. She wouldn't imagine it being very appreciated. "Christmas is what?", Laura stares at Hinoiri incredulous, and somewhat frustrated, her attention taken by that detail. Now someone is telling her she could have had more time, and that some of them might have gotten the wrong idea from it. "But... But...", she repeats wide-eyed.

"Why wasn't I told? Seiko was the one to bring Christmas up, and all she did was try to reassure me I don't have to take part this year, she never mentioned that", Laura complains, arms crossed.

She takes a deep breath, and then another, and a third one for good measure. "Ok, so, if they never brought it up, they must have understood the way I meant it, and not that I was romantically interested. I am not with someone like that right now, so they could get that message."

She shakes her head and transforms into a human. "I don't know how your Queen can do that, but we do have our own lighting in Grand Ocean. Even if we were out in the open, not enough of it would reach that far down. And Grand Ocean's native flowers, the bubble flowers, wouldn't do that great then."

A smile appears on her face. "How about I share this with you. Grand Ocean has a whole field full of nothing but bubble flowers, and it's my favourite place. They smell really sweetly, and make a really beautiful sight", Laura shares enthusiastically. "They are also used to make Kururun's shell cookies, the ones I gave you when you were a fairy."

Taking a good look at the portrait, Laura appears satisfied. It definitely captured her essence, and she is sure the Queen would like it too. "You did well, Hinoiri-chan. That's a good light there. Are you using your paintings for something, or do you mind if I take this?", she asks the unicorn.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara couldn't help but chuckle and nod. "Apparently. A lot of couples cuddle and stuff on that day. I'm sure they understood, though. We're not the only people from.... somewhere else, you know. So they probably just figured you misunderstood the cultural significance. Or explained it poorly," Hinoiri said with a shrug. "That or you have a whole bunch of love letters about to end up in your locker. That's a thing that happens sometimes here, too."

"She's not actually a queen, though," hinoiri said before she could stop herself. "She's a.... sovereign... I guess that likely doesn't... mean much to you, though. It was... kind of her... title, above all. Even if there were queens and empresses and the like... she was... special. We considered her special," Hinoiri said with a light, nervous chuckle.

"Oh yeah... those cookies..." she mumbled, before picking up the picture and then holding it out to her with a smile. "Here, thanks. For ummmm... thanks. I hope we can keep working together and what not. I wouldn't worry too much about the like... christmas thing. I don't think most people are going to get the wrong idea. And I'm really only using this to help me relax. Kind of... get out of my head, as it were."

She eyed the picture for a few more moments before nodding. Honestly? She felt pretty good about it. "So... hmmmm, another thing about Kirakirafantastica.... hair magic. It was INCREDIBLY hard to do hair magic. And, considering how common it is in this world? It's really interesting because this?" she motioned to her hair, orange and red. "Is natural. Most ponies back home have two or more colors in their hair. The fact you people all have a ton of hair color magic, but only one color by default, is amazing."

She started packing up her things, gathering the easel, capping the paints, washing them all off. The paints were, of course, bio-degradeable.

Laura La Mer has posed:
As flattering as having a bunch of love letters in her lockers, Laura is not sure how to deal with the implication that would have to turn down the amount Hinoiri's insinuating. "Guess it really can't be helped", she tries to brush it off. "If you say that, it's going to happen sooner or later, no matter what I have done to cause it. Do you, ehm, turn them all down in person?", she asks Hinoiri embarassed.

"A sovereign could be either a queen or an empress, I am sure of that", Laura replies with a mental assurance to herself. "If she was that special to you, maybe more empress than queen. But Hinoiri-chan, the Queen is awesome, and I am sure if you could meet her, you would agree. She has this aura of majesty, peace and kindness around her, so it's not a bad thing to be called Queen", Laura talks with clear admiration in her voice.

Taking the painting that the redhead is giving her, she smiles gratefully. "I am probably going to figure out how to preserve it underwater and keep it in my Aqua Pot. Until then, it's going to stay in my dorm room." She will actually use it for something for a change. "I know we will do well together", she smirks. She has a good feeling.

"I understand standing out from humans. It seems not to be very common to have shapes in your eyes either", she points at the hearts of a lighter blue hue in her eyes. "Hmm, what next... Have I told you that we mermaids are born from the pearls inside seashells? The ones in Grand Ocean aren't magical though, unlike the Seven Kingdoms", she points out.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara managed to keep a straight face for a few seconds... before snickering. "Honestly? I wouldn't worry too much about it. You might get a few people who give you grief here and there, but you're really probably not going to get that many letters. And... Eh. I mean, they didn't give them to you face to face, why should you tell them face to face? Jsut write a letter and say you're not into them," she said with a shrug. "It's not really that difficult, trust me."

"... She... was above an empress, in most of our eyes. To a lot of people, she was... like... a god... silly as that may sound. She could do what would normally takea dozen ponies to do. And daily, for millenia," she said with a soft sigh. "And if your queen means that much to you... well... I hope one day I can meet her, too. Heh..."

She gave the other girl a small smile, as she thought of another thing and... "Back home, we could do things like... study dragons, or search ancient ruins, all kinds of things like that, for extra credit. I used to be one of the best at it and once found this old dragon relic... that uhhhh... came alive and almost ate me," she said sheepishly. "Admittedly, not my best moment."

Laura La Mer has posed:
Writing letters... That may make it a fair bit less awkward. She has never talked to someone about love before, and she isn't sure if she would make some big mistake on the spur of the moment. And how awkward it would be if a Tropical Pact started reacting while they are trying to take care of a confession? No, Hinoiri's way is better.

"That much is easy", Laura grins confidently. She had already brought guests over once, and she doesn't think Hinoiri not having powers would incredibly change things. Rather, she might even have something useful to say. "It's as simple as Kururun opening a portal", she explains.

Laura's expression turns darker when Hinoiri goes into the dragon incident. "I was sure they were the dangerous type, there really aren't many positive representation of them in stories. And Lamia likes to complain that people were defending themselves too, instead of maybe not appearing threatening from the start", Laura shakes her head.

"The important thing you came out well from that incident. We don't have dangerous relics at Grand Ocean, but we have things like the Marine Ring, that holds the essence of the seas. When I first found it..." Laura continues narrating her story, with many others to come.