1156/I've got this friend...

I've got this friend...
Date of Scene:	21 February 2024
Location:	Classroom
Synopsis:	Cho asks Coco for some help dooming her friends... Coco is more prepared than any could have imagined. Together... they begin Grand Matchmaking Quest: The Queen of Grades and the King of Conquest.
Cast of Characters:	Cho Konishi, Coco Kiumi

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Cho Konishi has posed:
Hours ago:

"Call," Wuwu said, putting his cards on the table. "Three aces. Read 'em and weep."

"Grrrr..." Kiseki said, tossing down his hand with king high. "It should still be a royal flush, for I am a king!"

"I'll call it the royal one card," Wuwu said, reaching out to take the pot... only for a furry paw to go on the tail.

Wuwu glanced over to the otter... Cora. She put down her cards. Full house. She then took the pot.

"... She's far too good at this," Kiseki said.

"It's the poker face, even I can't break it," Wuwu said with a chuckle. "So, what's new with your little future king?" He slid the cards over to Kiseki, who began to shuffle, using his whole body.

"Not much, he's got a bit of a crush on this girl, Ami Mizuno. Smart enough to recognize my regal appearance, at least."

Wuwu blinked a few times... and then grinned. "Ami, huh? Top of her class? Yeah... Cho's seen her a few times. You don't say..."

An hour ago:

Cho collapsed to her knees, covered in sweat, panting from the training session. Wuwu looked INFURIATINGLY nonplussed. "You're getting better, kid."

"T-t-t-thanks... how... do you do this... e-every time?" Cho asked.

"Eh, you just need to visualize being immortal. Then you'll get it. Speaking of visualizing... I picked up a bit of gossip about your little friend, the small king..."

"Huh?"

Which lead to now. Cho standing in front of a clipboard, with a picture of Ami and Tadase on it.... and a string connecting them. Between them was a piece of paper that just had a question mark on it. "So, Coco-chan... are you in?" she asked.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
What Cho didn't know is that Cora knew her mistress all too well. So when Wuwu and Kiseki talked about about two potential lovemates that just needed the push to actually approach each other right in front of her?

Well, it didn't take long for her to reach Coco and inform her of everything that went on at that table (as well as request that she buy her some delicious fish with her win). She wasn't the leader of ONI for nothing.

Coco thanked her profusely for the news and took care to fulfill her request. Still, she listened patiently while Cho was explaining the situation to her only to bring out *her* *own* billboard with the writing "Grand Matchmaking Quest: The Queen of Grades and the King of Conquest".

"Don't worry, Cho, I am fully in", Coco tells her with a satisfied grin. "And that's why I came prepared!" she says, placing an arm around the shoulder of her friend as if she were about to show her a marvelous vision.

"So, here is my idea: since the one already in it is Tadase, we have to focus on Ami. And that's why with a name like that, the first step of our plan shall have Tadase inform her of an underwater patch of medicinal plants I transplanted there specifically for this occasion. And then he will bring her the best of the best the seven seas have to offer."

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi blinked and stared at Coco's shipping board. Some people? Might have been a little hurt they were so outdone.

Those people were not Cho.

Because Cho? Right now? Her eyes were GLEAMING! She was all but sparkling. "Yessssssss... Best. Roommate. EVER!"

"An underwater patch of medicinal plants... ohhhhh... hmmmm. But if he knows that they're there... ohhhh. That's not bad. He couldn't lie to save his life, though. Not a deceiving bone in his body. BUT! I am Wukong... and I'm his friend... I could let it slip..." Then paused. "Wait. So is the plan for her to see him going for the plants? Or are they supposed to go there together? We could setup obstacles? OH! I bet we could get the nurse to tell Ami that we need these for... reasons..."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco was likewise sparkling when she saw Cho kept pace with her. No, not sparkling, she was straight up blazing, her aura revealing itself as a huge column of harmless fire. She paid attention when Cho spoke to the nature of her friend, even if there was no lie there, if Tadase stuck to plans. The garden *is* there, the fact it came there because a mermaid transplanted it from elsewhere doesn't really matter to the king knowing where to find a nice surprise for her. "They are supposed to go there together, and just that will be the occasion to spend time with each other, the gift at the end sealing it."

The princess is ecstatic when Cho adds in her own step to get Nurse Meiou to do them a favour. "That sounds great, of course. You are in the Student Council, right? It would make sense for you to come in and request those particular acquatic erbs from her." And since there wasn't really a market for acquatic plants in the same way there was for land plants, them getting there is all but assured.

"And that's where the next step comes in. I have sent a message to the oyster fairies, and they will send one of their good fortune tellers here, so that not only will she be able to prove her legitimacy by adding in a few precise predictions, but also talk about the potential couple about what their future together would look like."

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi was getting absorbed in Coco's energy, not quite as blazing but DEFINITELY reveling in it! "Yesssss. But... I think we should make a slight adjustment." She looked to Coco. "We should tell the nurse. If I make the request, it'll look suspicious if I mention that we 'saw them' in passing to Tadase. But... if you go and talk with the nurse directly, I'm certain you can get her to tell Mizuno-san specifically that she needs these plants. Then we just have Meiou-sensei mention to Mizuno-san that maybe someone on the student council will be able to help. Then the two of us will be 'mysteriously absent' and 'unreachable'."

"Tadase-san will have no choice but to go with her himself..." And then she lit up, clasping Coco's hands. "Oh my gosh! That's BRILLIANT! Once they're done, you and I can come out with the Oyster Fairies! Say we 'heard' what was going on, we're so sorry we couldn't help! And then have the oyster read their romantic future as an apology! At that point they'd have no CHOICE but to realize there were feelings!"

"YOU ARE THE BEST TRIPATAKA EVER!"

"Why don't you just have the two of them write a love letter to each other?" Wuwu called from the other room.

"SHUT UP WUWU THIS IS ROMANCE!" Cho yelled.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Tell the nurse... Coco knows from the first meeting with the her that she is definitely sensitive to the magic happenings of this city, so there really isn't a problem informing her of how the garden got there, as long as it's Cho herself to do it, at least. Though she does have one doubt. "Are you sure Nurse Meiou will back us up? I assume she has better things to do than involve herself in the romantic endeavours of two students. And if we do, I will need to rely on you to explain that I am a mermaid."

But Cho's addition to make themselves look indebted is definitely one of great merit. "Yes, yes, Cho, you definitely get it!", Coco says, clasping her hands. "And there should be no problem getting Tadase to understand the fortune telling is the real deal since he is already a mahou. The only doubt lies with Mizuno herself. But at least the atmosphere should be good enough to let her feel it."

"Anybody can write a letter, Wuwu!" Coco explains in addition. "But having all these efforts he puts in for her? THAT. IS. WORTH. SO. MUCH. MORE!", Coco excitingly declares, stressing each word. "And after all this is done, when it's nearing sunset, I can have one of my otters steal something from Mizuno and get the two of them to chase, leading Mizuno and Tadase straight to a nearby cliff, after which the stolen item will be dropped, and they will be left alone with the beautiful sunset glistening on the sea, in front of them."

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi gave a nod. "I'm sure she will! And we don't need to tell her everything... just that we planted the plants. And that it's for romance. Of course she will! She has a heart! If not, we can bribe her with like. Pearls or something. It'll work out. But yeah, I'll go and tell her you're a mermaid before I go to face Tadase. So..." Pause. "When should we do this? Now? In a few days? This weekend? NOW?"

Cho was GIDDY! And jumping up and down and EXCITED and EEEEE! Her first convoluted romance plan! She'd never done one of these before!

Coco Kiumi has posed:
As Coco nods at Cho's elaboration on how to behave with Nurse Meiou, Coco smiles and observes enthusiastic the joy of her jumping roommate. "Be careful, you wouldn't want to hit your head", she gives a faint warning to Cho, not really wanting to spoil all that much her happiness that was just as much her own.

"When it comes to these things, we have to strike while the iron is hot. Love is a battlefield, and with a good enough first strike, there is no need for a second! Between the two of us, we have crafted a plan that is will earn its due fame. Let's do it now, Tadase and Ami await to start their love adventure together!"

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi nodded. "Right! Okay, I'll go tell the nurse right now! Nurse Meiou! So when you talk to her she knows you're a mermaid!" And just like that... she was out the door. Zooming off like an excited, well... monkey. Which she was. She was GIDDY excited. Almost squealing with excitement. They were so doomed...