532/Growing up

Growing up
Date of Scene:	30 September 2023
Location:	Dorms #2
Synopsis:	Hinoiri decides to have a little talk with her roommate, Double Trouble, about her world... and future plans. Could this be the beginning of a beautiful friendship? HA! No.
Cast of Characters:	Hinoiri Kirara, Double Trouble

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Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara was glancing out the window, sitting on the loveseat and her phone besides her. TV was off. She was... thinking about things. Considering things. Plotting. Scheming. A large, black diamond was in her hands, though she seemed to be focusing more on what was outside the window than what was inside her hands.

Admittedly, she was thinking about a recent fight. How she'd... almost killed a girl. How close she'd come. How easy it would have been. And she was torn between hating it... and liking it.

Double Trouble has posed:
The silence in the room is broken by the sound of the lock in the door engaging and Dianora stepping in. She shuts the door behind her and locks it, before taking a few steps into the room, toward her very serious looking roommate. She lifts her purse strap over her head and sets it down on the corner of the ottoman when she gets there.

"Onee-chan, that's a very large, and unusual gemstone you have there," she observes. Then she reaches up to lift the delicate silver chain she wears up over her head. One moment she's the cute little girl, and the next she's not. Though Double Trouble is compelling in their own way.

They tuck their necklace into a pocket on their bodysuit, and then sit themselves down on the ottoman, facing Hinoiri, and look more closely at the gem and then up at their roommate. "You look so serious, darling. What have you gotten yourself into this time?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara glanced over towards her roommate before chuckling. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about this thing. I made it myself," she said before holding it out to her. It.... was dark energy. Compressed. Could barely feel it until it was in her hand. But oh, this thing was magic. "And just... thinking about things. The past. The future. My destiny. I wonder if it'd be too arrogant to have entire cities named after me, or if I should just do the one. Maybe a mountain range or an ocean. Sora has an ocean, after all. Why shouldn't I?" Hinoiri asked with a light chuckle.

She then glanced towards her hand. The hurt one. "It's mostly healed, though. Hurts less. I'll be getting back to work soon. Working on ascending. Working on becoming who... I was meant to be," she said before leaning back in the seat and glancing back towards Double Trouble.

"Mind... if I ask you a question? What was life like, growing up? For you? You mention these 'wastes', were you always there? Did you have any family?" Someone was suddenly curious. "What was your world like?" Ahhhhh, and there it was.

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble laughs and leans back and puts their hands to either side of them on the cushion of the ottoman. "Talk about an open-ended question," they say. They look thoughtful for a moment before launching themselves at the loveseat, but the empty side. They resituate with their feet tucked up underneath them, leaning against the back and facing Hinoiri.

When they speak, their voice is quiet, and more tender than usual, "It's always been just me. I hatched by myself. I learned how to survive by myself. I've always been the only person I could count on." They look at Hinoiri for a long moment. "I didn't _always_ live in the Crimson Waste, but it's where I learned to survive. It's an unforgiving place full of unforgiving people."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod, looking back at the gem. Then... "So you just hatched, fully able to walk and everything? Is that how your species works?" she asked.

"Foals aren't like that. We can't walk, or talk. Our magic is entirely out of whack, too. Baby unicorns can teleport around randomly, pegasi can end up bursting through clouds and then fall through them. Even normal ponies end up making all kinds of things grow and busting through walls like they're made of wet paper. We're liable to cause as much destruction to others as we are ourselves after a few months if left unattended. Foalsitting is a full time job, obiously. That's not even mentioning baby dragons, griffons, kirin are beasts or so I hear."

"Yet, despite all that, we can't walk. Can't talk. Takes us quite a while before we can do any of that."

"Where'd you live before the crimson wastes? If you can remember?"

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble looks at Hinoiri, confused for just a moment and then laughs lightly shaking there head, "Oh no, darling, I _hatched_ in the Crimson Waste. I just eventually outgrew it." Nevermind that that eventuality was actually rather recent, all things told. The life of a mercenary took them where people wanted their skills, and the pay was always good in the Waste.

"Etheria has everything as far as climes and cultures, though. There's a magical forest, a sea full of creatures, frozen mountains, and even industrial wastelands thanks to the Horde," they say. "People aren't quite so boring as they are here, and there's magic absolutely everywhere."

They consider Hinori for another minute, canting their head to one side. "So, why the sudden interest in where I'm from?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara lightly tossed the gemstone into the air. "Not entirely sure. It just... occurred to me. The Sparkle Skirts. Always getting in my way. I realized they know nothing about me. They don't know why I'm doing this. Tartarus, YOU know more about me than they likely ever will. Research is key. Understand your enemy. Know them. Figure out their weaknesses. Know how to strike. Where to hit. They ignore something so basic."

"But then I got... annoyed. They know *nothing* about me. Absolutely nothing. Yet they think *they* have the right to *judge* me? They're just as bad as everybody back home. So nearsighted. So blind to reality."

Her hand trembled slightly when she clenched the gem. "They know *nothing*. But, the more I thought about it... the more I realized... I know almost nothing about you. Like it or not, you're the closest thing I actually have on this world to an ally. Pathetic as that sounds. So I should at least try and get to know you a bit more. Buck, you're the only person on this planet who's meer presense doesn't aggrevate me."

She sighed and leaned back. "Or maybe the wound is just making me all melodramatic and I'll snap out of it before long. Who knows? Humans are weird..."

"... If you could go back to your home world, would you want to?"

Double Trouble has posed:
It's easy to know plenty about Hinoiri. All Double Trouble has to do is listen. Hinoiri is Hinoiri's favorite topic to discuss. Maybe she's not monologuing enough when she's out wreaking havoc. Maybe that's the problem.

Their tail curls up tightly behind them, making several concentric circles of green against the pink upholstery. "Would I go back to Etheria if I could?" Then seem to consider the question for a moment and then nod. "Probably. This whole business with the magic here is so dreadful. I hate having to use this necklace to blend in most of the time," they say, patting the pocket where they keep their device.

"I know you plan on going back eventually," they say, but they continue, "Do you think you'll actually be able to?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara probably wasn't. Then again, she kept getting stabbed and, frankly, it was no fun to monologue if nobody listened. That was why she needed a captive audient. Poor Naru. Then again, Sunbreaker hadn't been talking much.

The talk of lack of magic was plenty to raise Hinoiri's ire. "Yeah. I won't lie. THAT part of this world sucks. How can you NOT have magic? Like... that's so lame. How has this place existed? As for getting back home... well, yeah. I'd just need to wait for the portal to open up again. I know where it is, no I won't say, but it opens from time to time and then I could just go back. I just have to gather enough power than when I go back I can't be stopped. I am planning to fight the borderline ruler of our world. Sure, she technically only rules the one country, but she raises the sun and moon. How could any other nation hope to oppose that?" she asked with a light chuckle.

"... But one day I will ascend. I will make my namesake the reality and then I will take my place where I belong. Every bit of power I gather is just one step closer. And soon... this little creation of mine is going to make me even stronger than ever before..." she said with a soft chuckle.

Then she glanced to Double Trouble again. "Is there anything from your world you miss? Other than having constant magic, I mean."

Double Trouble has posed:
"I think the thing I miss the most is being able to be myself," Double Trouble says, after thinking about it for a moment. "Everyone here is so dreadfully _human_, and so I have to disguise myself just to blend in. In Etheria, people come in all shapes and sizes, so I don't _have_ to take another shape if I don't want to." They always _want_ to, though.

They seem to think about it more. "Everything was so much simpler. The humans here like to make everything so _complicated_," they say, gesturing toward the door. "They have all their bureaucracy and paperwork and _rules_." Of course, those things were present in Etheria, too, just not featured in Double Trouble's life.

A thoughtful look crosses their face, then, and their tongue slips out to wet their lips as their tummy makes a gurgling sound. "There was a particular kind of beetle in the Crimson Waste, though. It was delicious. I miss those."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a light chuckle and nodded. "Yeah, that one I get. We never appreciate something until it's gone, right? And nothing makes us want to do something as badly as being told we can't," she said with a light, amused chuckle. "It... really is boring here somedays. I can almost see something of value here at times. Something... worth it. But then the drudgery and lack of color just... ugh. It's so dirty and... gray. It feels like there's no actual color. Back home we had things on four legs, two legs, wings, claws, things that dug through the ground, things that flew, creatures that burst into flame. It's all so... simple and mundane here. Blegh."

"The bureaucracy though... that's familiar. Politics is something I've been playing since before I even understood basic telekinesis. It's the kind of thing you learn in short, but painful bursts," she said with a shrug.

She shuddered at the comment on the beetle, though. "Yeah... I imagined that'd be something you don't get much of here. Maybe we can see about finding something crunchy to get you the right feel, at least. Or, who knows? This world has all kinds of bugs. Maybe your particular beetle is out there right now, just waiting for you to snack on it," Hinoiri said with a small laugh before glancing down at the gem.

"... When I succeed, I'll be leaving this world. What are you going to do then? Anyone else you have an eye on trying to use?"

Double Trouble has posed:
"So far, nothing is quite the same as on Etheria," Double Trouble says, then pauses, seems to reconsider that thought and then laughs. "Well, princesses are still princesses here," they say. "Some things are universal constants."

They look at Hinoiri for a long minute after that, seeming to consider her question. Double Trouble really hadn't thought about what they'd do when Hinoiri left. They're so accustomed to being by themselves that it hadn't even occurred to them. What _were_ they going to do then? "I don't know, honestly," they say. "I guess I'll have to cast that role when you end your run."

"I'm making plenty of friends tho. Plenty of potential onee-chans," they say, and then grin.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara couldn't help but laugh at that. "I know, right? Back home we called her a sovereign, but even I'm tempted to call her 'princess' at this point. Dear princess Sora, please stop being a pain in my flank'," Hinoiri said with a laugh. "When I become a sovereign, at least I'll never do anything like that. Ugh," she actually shuddered. "I wonder how long until we actually run into a queen. Or maybe they all just think they're eternal princesses. That seems oddly fitting for such pains in the butt," she said with a light snort.

"When the time comes for me to go, maybe I'll even give one last gift. A 'betrayal' of my good lil imouto. I'm sure the girls would be fighting over themselves to be the one to take care of you then."

She then leaned back and closed her eyes. "Who knows? Maybe by then the time will come where you finally decide to make a move on me or something. Honestly, I kind of expected you to do it while my hand was hurt. Then again... I guess that'd be the obvious choice. You're much too good a performer to take the route that's so blatent and obvious, huh?"

Double Trouble has posed:
"Darling, why would I 'make a move on you'? What's my _motivation_?" Double Trouble asks and then laughs, shaking their head. "You're much more useful to me as my roommate and onee-chan. It's the perfect cover for my work. But, I'm playing a long game, so if you get your things together and go? I'll figure it out."

They always figure it out.

They gesture toward the black diamond in Hinoiri's hand. "So what's the story with that? You said you made it?" They look back up. "Is it gonna help you get home?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a shrug. "Probably to get in good, apparently I've managed to make a few enemies already. then again, I've always been a bit of an over achiever, it was bound to happen quickly," she said with a light laugh. "A few allies though, too. Underwater guy, then this weird old guy who apparently thinks he's a fairy tale villain. What a creep. But hey, useful."

She then held out the gemstone to them. "It makes a little tower. Gathers energy for me, radiates dark energy. I figure they'll purify it eventually, but well... until then? I can just leave it behind or grab it to reset later. If they break it, it refixes itself by absorbing dark energy from the dusk zone. Radiates dark energy outwards, the sparkle skirts realllllly hate that."

"A more efficient means of gathering energy, in the end. A masterwork creation, if I do say so myself. But I might be biased," she said with a low chuckle.

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble takes the gemstone and turns it over in their fingers, then holds it back out for Hinoiri to take back. Her magic is so different from theirs. It's so foreign. That's not particularly surprising, though, considering they're from totally different worlds. "Interesting. I imagine you'll need a lot of energy to accomplish what you're trying to do," they say. "Regardless, anything that makes the sparkle skirts mad is a good thing."

They laugh. They unfurl their legs and slide off the loveseat, walking across the room to the kitchenette in search of a snack.

"So what's your timeline, then? You say the portal opens periodically, so you just have to get ready. When are you going to be ready?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gaves a small nod, spinning the crystal on her finger... then it fell off and dropped to the loveseat. "Yeah. It uhhhh... yeah. A loooot of energy. I'm trying to ascend to a higher form, basically. There was a spell to do it, back home. Sadly, I never saw it. The moment Sora realized what I was capable of, well. She took every measure to keep me from it."

"... So basically I need to figure out how to do it from this world, where magic doesn't work right. That, or gather enough magic I can take with me, then drag it BACK through the portal, defeat Sora, use the magic to attain the form I deserve and... all in all, it's going to take a while. Possibly years. For anyone but me, I'd assume it'd take a lifetime. But I was performing the feats that most took a lifetime to master by the time most were learning basic potion brewing. So a year or two is likely the max I'll need."

If she was half as amazing as she seemed to think she was, maybe she could pull it off.

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble opens up the pantry and looks at everything on the shelves. They don't want to _cook_, they just want a snack. Can't always have delicious desert beetles, after all. They're listening as Hinoiri's talking, even with their back turned, and they finally decide on a box of crackers. Something to munch on that they can put away when ever they're done. Or when they finish it off. Whichever comes first.

"A year or two max, so long as those sparkle skirts don't get in the way, right?" As long as _Hinoiri_ didn't get in the way. That girl was her own biggest enemy, and she just couldn't see it. With an abundance of magical girls to shift the blame on to, she probably would never figure it out, either. At least, that's what Double Trouble figured.

"So what's your _next_ step then?" They ask as they cross the room and flop back down onto the loveseat with their box of crackers in hand. "Once your hand heals, that is."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod. "Exactly. Here's hoping they finally get the clue. I put one of them in the hospital and broke her toy, so she's at least not going to be a problem anymore. Another one tried to ambush me yesterday and go all 'I will get vengeance, rawr!' Seriously? I thrashed her, but she really wasn't worth it. So instead I slammed her through a car and put a 'curse' on her. Told her in a few hours the tattoo would reach her heart... and she'd die. All it did, though, is fade away once the timer hits. Probably scared her half to death, though. Hopefully next time she decides to actually stay OUT of my business."

"As for my next plan, well... gather more energy. Study more magic. Sparkle skirts are going to keep interfering, obviously. So might as well learn what I can from them. Maybe figure out if I can steal their powers for myself. Not their devices, just their powers. Who knows? Maybe that 'light magic' of theirs has its uses. The dark energy is strong, but even the weakest magic may provide a useful utility at times. If I want to match Sora, I can't leave any avenue untreaded."

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble opens the box of crackers and reaches in to take out a couple and just pop them both into their mouth. Then they hold out the box toward Hinoiri in a silent offer. Om nom nom. Snacking crackers.

Their lips curl into a bit of a smirk, and then they say, "It sounds like your plan is to learn enough to actually make a plan." Then they pop another couple of crackers into their mouth. They're not worried about Hinoiri leaving any time soon.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara would take a cracker, laying the gem on her lap. "I mean... you're not entirely wrong. Research, intel gathering. It's what goes into all of the best plans. If you don't know enough, then everything goes up in your face. If nothing else, this who Naru kidnapping incident taught me that."

"Magic here isn't right. It's weird. The things drawn here are weird. Some of you keep your forms. Some of you keep only a... smidge of your true forms. Then there's people like me, entirely altered. But then dark energy lets me access a piece of myself and it's almost enough. But then..." She holds up her hurt hand. "Things like this happen, setting me back. This place really is like home in some ways. Not a lot of people you can trust." Pause. "No offense. But hey, you and I both know where we stand. And, like it or not... you did at least cover for me when I asked you to. May not have done the best job, but it wasn't like I gave you any direction." She took a small bite of the cracker, chewing on it and swallowing. "If there's one thing I know... there's really no replacing good, quality support staff. Sure, a grand event may be impressive, but if you don't have good, dependable people setting up the lights, organizing all the deliveries, the whole thing explodes no matter how good you are. Nice to have at least one person in this stupid world I can count on."

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble's eyes narrow the 'not have done the best job', and then Hinoiri attributing it to a lack of direction. They ignore a lot of things that girl says, but this? "Darling, I didn't need direction, I needed rehearsal. I needed research. I did the best possible in the time allotted, I assure you," they say.

Sounds like Hinoiri isn't the only one who is _very_ sure of themselves.

Oh but the unicorn was giving them a _compliment_ in their own, self-centered way. Double Trouble smiles then, "But it's good you recognize the value of teamwork." Maybe she'd make _planning_ things a team effort. Though that would require planning things, which was not her strong suit, they reflected. "You're not all that bad, either, Hinoiri. Of all the people I could get stuck depending on in this world, I'm not mad it was you."