2035/We Were Both Young When I First Saw You

We Were Both Young When I First Saw You
Date of Scene:	16 October 2016
Location:	Uminari City - Central Harbor
Synopsis:	Prince Hope Kanata and Haruka Haruno meet for the first time in years.
Cast of Characters:	Haruka Haruno, Prince Kanata

---

Haruka Haruno has posed:
Haruka is alone, for one of the first times since she became a Pretty Cure. She likes them well enough, even if Aroma's attitude is occasionally irritating. Still, she wants some time to herself. She's sitting and staring at the water, with a half-formed hope that proximity to the water might somehow make Cure Mermaid show up. She doesn't have high hopes for that, but still.

Haruka's sitting in a quiet spot, her own Dress Up Key in one hand. She's spent times like this in Verone's garden, but there's something different about watching the water. A few people have looked at her expression, distant and thoughtful, and moved on.

Haruka is thinking- and seriously debating how much she wants to ask other magical types she knows how long it took for everyone to get together. Haruka's been assured a couple times over that just making friends would draw them naturally together, but she hasn't had any luck on that front- all the friends she's made are from other groups, with other claims on their power.

It's not that Haruka is giving up, or falling into despair... but she is definitely concerned, especially with the impact it's been having on Aroma, who seemed to expect that the Princess Precure would meet up and become a team near-immediately.

Prince Kanata has posed:
Hope. Prince Kanata is drawn to it easily enough. After all, he's the Prince of the Hope Kingdom. It's his job to protect it, to nurture it and turn Hopes and Dreams into something more- and being the last remaining denizen of the Hope Kingdom not in a Cage of Despair- this task is up to him.

But something is.. familiar about this particular feeling. Is it the hope and dream itself? Or is the source familiar? Who could be familiar on an alien planet he arrived on perhaps only days, maybe even hours ago?

He finds himself walking across the boardwalk. He's looking at random people's faces. Sometimes he see's a frown, and he's concerned. Sometimes he see's a smile. And he smiles back- despite his own problems and struggles.

Eyes are scanning. They land on short, auburn hair sitting near a boardwalk bench- he stops.

emembrance passes through his face. A look of shock. Then disbelief. Though the item, in the girl's hand- is proof. He knows what it is.

-- but she's alone. And thoughtful looking. Alone?

Kanata has the same concern Haruka does. There should be at least two others with her. Are they nearby? His eyes scan a food stall nearby. No one's at it. The owner looks bored actually. Like no one's bought a hot dog all day. (Stupid nearby Takoyaki stand, grumble- he thinks.)

He takes a deep breath. He is not nervous or scared. But there's something in his approach like hesitance. Maybe more out of fear he has the wrong person.

It /has/ been many years afterall- since he saw her. In the flower field. Crying.

If Haruka is starting down at the water, she'll see feet come into her field of view on the boardwalk's planks.

Surely. If she is her. She wouldn't have forgotten- he thinks. So. He asks.

"Is it really you?..." asks the older boy with lavender, pinkish hair. "...Haruka?".

Haruka Haruno has posed:
The voice that interrupts her silent thinking is somewhat familiar- even if the feet and legs attached to the source of that voice aren't. The fact that the person knows her name and sounds so uncertain at the same time gets her head snapping up, focus switched from the random play of light on harbor water to--

"K-Kanata!?" There's only one person she knows with hair that color, even if he is a good bit taller and several years older than he was the last time they met. All of her thought stops for a solid moment, blue-green eyes wide with shock. She can feel her blood rushing to her face for a moment, before she shakes off the temporary shock of seeing him in Tokyo of all places.

"What are you doing here? How'd you get here?"

Prince Kanata has posed:
Hope Kanata is familiar to be sure. It's the hair color. And the eyes. So what does he do. He sits down next to her. Because speaking loudly about things like this is not a good idea. His movements are deliberate enough now.

The Prince does not sugarcoat his current situation. It isn't meant to scare or worry. It's honest. "I ran out of places to run." he says. Meaning, no more safe spaces in the Hope Kingdom. At all, unless they're places not even Kanata couldn't go.

"So either I stood alone. Make a final stand." he says. "or. I used the way here." he says. "Before re-sealing it."

Then he sounds ashamed. Admitting to more or less. Running away. "I was hoping I would you." he says more hopefully.

"But. Where are the other two?" he asks. Even he's expectant that Haruka should had met them by now.

A Pause. "Did. Pafu and Aroma.. not make it to you?" he asks with a sharp more touch of concern. It in fact, never occurred to him, that the two fairies may had been intercepted /that fast/. It is now. The concern seems very apparent on his face.

Haruka Haruno has posed:
"The faeries are back in my dorm. I wanted to think, a bit." Her expression clouds with concern for Kanata, but there's not much she can say about what he did.

"In your shoes, I probably would have done the same. Being locked up doesn't help anyone, and at least if you ran away, you can keep doing stuff..." And Tokyo is not the worst place for a refugee from what amounts to a magical apocalypse to end up.

"I haven't found Cure Mermaid or Twinkle, though." Her eyes flick out to the harbor again, and she shakes her head. "But... there are other people I've met, who've been helping fight DysDark when they show up here."

Prince Kanata has posed:
Hope Kanata takes a deep breath of relief. He seems a little better for that news at least.

"So. You have not found them yet." he says with a curt nod. "That's fine." he says, with a smile. A bright smile of course. That's fine?

"It's destined. They'll appear." he offers. "They have to." he says with such sureness.

Then a pause.

"It's.. good to see you again." he finally says. "I'd hoped to see you soon, when I arrived." he says. "I'm glad that came true." he says.

"I'm here now." he offers. "To help." he insists.

"So, you've been getting help from others?" he asks.

He leans back. "Please. Tell me. About some of your friends. I..."

"Well I know only you on this world so far." he says. Once again with some shame.

Haruka Haruno has posed:
Haruka nods a little at Kanata's assurance. "I didn't doubt it, I just... I felt like something like this would happen if it took a long time for them to show up." Which is why Puff and Aroma are at home.

At the question about her friends, Haruka closes her eyes and smiles. "Well, I met another prince- Mamoru Chiba, also known as Prince Endymion. I also met Usagi Tsukino, who is the Princess of the Moon and Sailor Moon. There's also, apparently, a whole bunch of other magical people who aren't royalty, like Fujisaki-san. He's a very pretty Japanese dancer!" Yes, Kanata. Some of Haruka's friends are boys. Magical. Boys.

Prince Kanata has posed:
Hope Kanata shakes his head. "My plight is not your fault. This plight was my burden since before you received that special key." he says. "Miss Shamour-sensei, would tell me that there's a bright side to everything- even the bad things. You make a mistake? Well, you learn from it." he says. "In this case. Things can't possibly get worse. So. The only way we can go is forwards at this point." he insists.

He listens. Oh. Haruka knows... another... prince... and a ... pretty.. Japanese dancer boy and...

That is most certainly not some kind of protective and/or jealous look on his face for a fleeting second. Luckily, he doesn't fluster at least.

"Prince?" he asks. "Prince. Of.. where? Of here? This world has a prince?" he asks with wide eyes. "I had no idea." he asks, perhaps with some fraught.

"Did. Miss Shamour. Make it here?" he asks, carefully.

In that 'uh oh, I'm in trouble' fashion.

Haruka Haruno has posed:
Haruka nods. "Mamoru-san is a healer, too. I got cut helping out with something-- pretty badly-- and he healed it like it was nothing." Fortunately for Kanata's dignity, Haruka missed that protective, jealous look. "And Nagihiko almost makes a better princess than Usagi-san and me put together."

At the question about Miss Shamour, Haruka nods. "...Why do you ask? She's nice! I mean, she put up with me trying to make tea until I got it right."

Prince Kanata has posed:
Hope Kanata smiles weakly. "I didn't introduce myself to the royalty here the moment I arrived, let alone- know this world had any. She'll give me a chide." he says. "and she'd be right. I don't know too much about Earth. I'm familiar enough. But. Well." he motions around himself, with his hands.

He looks over to the food stall. "That man looks awfully frustrated." he says.

"Excuse me a moment."

He walks over. How does he cure frustration here?

Well he buys two hot dogs. Mustard. Relish.

He returns to the bench. He offers Haruka one of the hot dogs. "There. Now he is less frustrated. And I am hungry." he smiles a little coyly.

Then he says something more serious. "I'm glad you haven't given up on your dream." he says. "There were not many things to smile about back in the Hope Kingdom at the time." he admits. "But meeting you..." he says.

"I'm not sure what would have happened shortly after. If I did not." he says.

Haruka Haruno has posed:
Haruka shakes her head a little. "It's not like that, Kanata. The impression I got is a little... well, Usagi is Usagi, and same with Mamoru. I mean, he has people who live with him, but..." Haruka gestures airily. "It doesn't feel like that kind of thing is really required?"

Plus, Mamoru and his people more or less treat her like a princess in her own right anyway, and they certainly didn't get all ruffled that she didn't introduce herself. If anything, they were all really nice to her. She pauses as Kanata gets up, blinking as he goes over to the hot dog stand. She accepts the hot dog with a smile.

"Thank you. ...Do you have somewhere to stay?" She has the dorms at Verone, but... it's not like there's a Hope Kingdom Embassy or anything here...

Prince Kanata has posed:
Hope Kanata nods. "Well. If it's. Informal. No worries." he says with that same smile. "But. There's still. Traditions. Where I come from." he says. Afterall. Where grand castles still exist and such things.

He seems more at ease, around Haruka right now. Not that he was nervous before. But most of that shame and nervousness he had early is pretty much non-existent.

Maybe it's a good thing Pafu and Aroma aren't here for the moment.

"Hrm?" he asks. "A place to stay?" he says rubbing the back of his head. "Well a hotel. For the moment. Until I find someplace better and permanent. I've only been on this world for..."

"Maybe a little over a day?" he asks. "I will not lie. I spent the first part of yesterday sleeping without fear of being attacked for a long time." he says. "Then I began searching for well. You." he says.

"I'm glad that didn't take longer than this." he says.

He does eat his hot dog. He doesn't get mustard all over his shirt.

Haruka Haruno has posed:
Haruka frowns a little. "I'd offer to let you stay in my dorm, but, uh..." Her cheeks color. There are a lot of things that could be wrong with it, not least of which is that she doesn't think the faeries would let them live with that. Still, Kanata should find somewhere more permanent than a hotel to stay. "And I'd sleep well too, with something like that going on!" She shoves Kanata, slightly, teasing him for holding himself to too high of a standard.

"Me, too. I mean, I wasn't exactly losing hope of ever finding the other Princess Cures, but..." She was getting frustrated, certainly. "Oh! At one point, when DysDark attacked, a girl who ended up in a cage of despair actually cracked it from the inside!" It had shocked the faeries, so it might be new information to Kanata.

Prince Kanata has posed:
Hope Kanata listens. Prince Kanata is very good at listening. He gets shoved teasingly. he wears a coy smile. He's good at that. Being too proud. It's bad for you.

He offers. "I'm also pretty sure it's impolite to sleep in a girl's dorm." he says. Yeah that would be. Strange. Also. He's too old for school proper. Maybe university.

"I'll figure out something." he says. "I know to look for help, if I need it." he offers.

He then listens. "Really?" he asks. "Who was this girl?" he seems curiously. "Breaking out a cage. For... someone... it isn't unheard of." he says. "The subjects of the Hope Kingdom used to be able to. But that was before...." Towa went missing.

"Here. The rules are different though. So. That's a big deal." he says with a nod.

Haruka Haruno has posed:
"I didn't get her name. She didn't break out all the way, but apparently..." Haruka sighs. "Her dream was not to be attacked by people like DysDark." It makes Haruka pinch the bridge of her nose just thinking about it. "She seemed fine after, but I just..." Haruka's brain keeps rattling like a dried pea in a can over the thought that not being attacked is someone's most closely-held dream, and what it would take to make that happen.

"Well, if nothing else, I don't have a roommate. If you need to spend the night, I have an extra bed and I'm pretty sure Miss Shamour wouldn't let anything... bad happen." She does have a good idea of what boys and girls can get up to unaccompanied, but her parents (or more to the point, her mom) made it very clear that it wasn't just a spontaneous happening.

"Yeah... it was kind of reassuring. I mean, I'm only the one person, and I don't know if anyone else can unlock those cages, so..."

Prince Kanata has posed:
Hope Kanata frowns. "That.... dream is..." he mutters. "Are attacks really that common here? Surely. If that was the case. Tokyo and Earth would be overrun too. Wouldn't it?" he asks.

"Of course. They're others here, as you said." he smiles. "So maybe that isn't as surprising as I think." he offers. He crosses his arms.

"Right, I'll keep it in mind." he says with a warm smile.

He shakes his head. "I'm not sure on the cages. If just anyone could unlock them. Well. Why the Dress-Up keys then?" he asks in earnest.

Also. He's a perfect gentleman! What on earth does Miss Shamour think!?

Haruka Haruno has posed:
"I know, right? It's... kind of sad. And I've fought different kinds of monsters and people who use darker energy since I got here, too..." On top of discussing the implication that her dream has taken on a different tenor, since she came to Tokyo.

"I talked with someone whose powers also come from his dreams- Fujisaki-san. It was kind of... interesting, because he actually has two dreams." One of which is practically being more of a princess than Haruka wants to be.

Prince Kanata has posed:
Hope Kanata frowns. "It is sad. No one should have to feel like that." he says.

"Good. Defeating DysDark is important. But it's important to help anyone- and stop those wanting to hurt others. There's no point, in defeating DysDark- if something can so easily take it's place because it was ignored." he offers.

"I'm here. Now regardless. To help." he offers. "I'm no Pretty Cure." he says. "But maybe together, we can find Mermaid and Twinkle." he smiles.

Two heads, better than one.

"One can have many dreams. But it is not very often that one is just as strong as another." he says. "In my experience. But Earth is very strange and wondrous in this sense." he offers.

"I'd like to meet your friends sometimes." he asks. "If possible, or feel comfortable doing so."

Haruka Haruno has posed:
Haruka nods in agreement. Nobody should feel that way.

"That's what I thought. A real princess helps as many people as she can." Haruka nods, reaching out to put a hand on Kanata's.

"I'd like it if you could meet my friends, too."

Prince Kanata has posed:
Hope Kanata gently stands up and takes his hot dog's tiny and empty cardboard hotdog boat-- and then offers to take Haruka's from hers. He places them into a nearby trash receptacle only a few feet away.

He offers a hand down, with a soft smile, as if to offer to help Haruka up.

"Come. I'll show you were I'm staying for the time being, and make sure you have my phone number." he says. "So you can call me, more easier- than hoping we bump into each other again in about oh... six or seven years." he says, perhaps a bit teasingly.