178/The Monkey and Mermaid talk

The Monkey and Mermaid talk
Date of Scene:	29 July 2023
Location:	Dorms
Synopsis:	Cho and Coco have a long, long talk about who they really are. Also, they agree to go to the beach later!
Cast of Characters:	Cho Konishi, Coco Kiumi

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Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi had made muffins! Why? Because they had to *talk*. And oh, what a talk it was going to be. And uhhhh... Cho wasn't sure how to talk about this. But now there were muffins. And they were sitting on the couch. And Wuwu was in time out under a laundry basket that she'd stacked things on top of, but he didn't care because he was playing a game console anyway.

"Soooo. Mermaid then, right? Princess? So like... I guess first thing. Which ocean?" Start small, work up to the big things.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco is munching on a muffin. The vibe around the roommates was really tense. For one Coco has never talked about anything like that before, so she wasn't sure of the best angle to approach it, for another when you have made a habit of keeping something a secret, it's hard to break out of it.

The mermaid princess is looking at her friend with a nervous smile, on one hand appreciating the muffins Cho had gone out of her way to prepare, on the other knowing she had done so because she was equally nervous. That made her open and close her mouth a few times as she tried vainly to think of the words to break the ice.

In the end, it was Cho who came to the rescue with a question about her origin. 'It makes sense, it all started with me saying I am from the South America', she thinks. "I am the mermaid princess of the South Pacific Ocean, and the holder of the Yellow Pearl, though that part comes at no surprise, haha", hoping her tentative at a joke would further ease the atmosphere.

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi nodded. "Huh. Cool. Mermaids are real. Neat. Can I like... go there sometime? I mean, I guess... probably not. You're probably really far down if humans have never met you. Then again, our exploration of the oceans kind of... sucks. Right. I guess... not. Huh."

"You know, eventually you can probably turn into a mermaid for a few minutes!" Wuwu calls out.

"... Not really helping, Wuwu," Cho said with a sigh. "I don't even know if I'm getting that thing, anyway. I got a stick, clones and immortality. Still, pretty useful. So uhhhh, right. So. Not a human, right? Or... like. You are now. Is it a spell? Does it wear off? Do you gotta kiss some guy to stay 'human'?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Yeah, getting you there would be the problem, though once inside the palace, you would be safe from the oceanic atmosphere", Coco replies, taking another bite out of the muffin. "It's part of the magic, you could say. I don't why that is when we can't reveal ourselves to humans. Maybe something changed."

"I have never heard of a human turning into a mermaid, though Aqua Regina would know more. She... is really ancient", Coco shrugs, not paying any mind to Wuwu's mocking.

"No, I am not human. Does that shock you?" she asks esitantly. She remembers the reaction Cho had when she uncovered her lies. What is her current form if not another lie.

She doesn't expect her roommate to bring up kissing a guy to stay human, however. 'That makes no sense, why would she... Oh, right.' She read a story like that, once, though it was vastly off the mark. "No, there is nothing like that. We can switch forms at will. The one thing is dousing our shell locket with water forces us into our true forms."

There is one more thing that dude's tale allows her to take Cho, but she is not sure if she wants to bring up something that heavy. 'That's not right, I'm here to stop with the secrecy.' "That writer did get one thing right: we can dissolve into seafoam, though that's when we reveal ourselves to humans. That's why I couldn't tell you anything."

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi nodded. "Huh." That's a lot to take in, honestly. She then shrugged. "Eh. It might have a year ago," she said before taking a bite of her muffin. "But, you know. Wuwu. Also, I guess it's safe to tell you. Mermaid and all. Never, ever tell anyone. Got it? Ever. Like. EVER. This? Big secret. Do NOT tell anyone," she said. "But... it's only fair, you shared your stuff with me, I can share it with you. I uhhh. Used to be a boy. Not now. Neeeeever again. Girl now and staying a girl. For like. Ever." Another bite of her muffin.

"... So, if your uhhh... thingy gets wet, you turn into a mermaid. Can you still breathe? Or like, if it happens do I need to get you into a water tank, stat? And like... if it dries off, do you turn into a human again? Also, yeah. Not turning into... sea foam... seems a good reason to keep it hidden. Do.... do you get better from that... or....?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Thank you for taking it so well. You know, in a way, you are looking at a lie. The exact kind of lie that almost ruined everything once you caught I wasn't being sincere. So, thank you for not taking it badly."

Cho's change in disposition to a severe mood unsettles her. 'What's going on? Why is Cho acting so reticent?' The only explanation would be if she too had a secret besides being Cure Wukong, but what else could there be?

"Oh, you were a boy?" That revelation catches her off-guard, for the completely unexpected implications it had to her. "Uh, that's... How did you manage to lock yourself in a single form so early? You are 14, right?"

Her muffin was already finished, so she takes another one off the tray. "Well, I guess that explains why you too didn't know your way around Yukatas", she replies with a lighthearted tone. "We have been lucky Rashmi and Mio were there for us, or we would have been completely unprepared."

She bites her muffing again, chewing it slowly. "I can still breathe and everything. It's just... a mermaid's tail isn't made for movement on land, as advantageous as it is underwater. For the few minutes I am locked in that form, I would have to crawl everywhere, which is a pretty big annoyance, let me tell you that."

She shakes her head as Cho asks if there is a return from being turned into seafoam. "No, once we become seafoam, it's over. There's no coming back."

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi gave a shrug. "Eh. I don't know if it counts as a lie. You're human right now. Sure, it's magic, but you're still human. And won't be forever, but who cares? You're my friend either way. And being able to go 'I had a mermaid princess for a friend' is pretty cool. And you can go 'Hey, I knew this monkey king. She was rad' to all your friends back home." She took another bite of her muffin. Hers was lasting a while.

"... Locking... into a single form? What... are you talking about? I was born a boy? Now I'm a girl? It's not like I could just switch back and forth. Would have fixed a whole lot of depression, let me tell you."

Another bite, considering for a moment before nodding. "Yeah... Rashmi and Mio were great. Uhhhhh... but... really. Don't tell them, okay? You're a mermaid, so like. It's not as big a deal. I don't... want... other girls to know I'm not a gi... that I wasn't... always a girl. Okay? They'll... think less of me... and I want... to just be... me... I guess? If that's okay?" she said softly, her eyes lowered.

"... I will resist spritching you with water as a prank, then. Because while watching you flop around for a few minutes might be funny, it'd be pretty jerkish. And hey, if you need me to tell anyone, I'll tell them then. But you're my buddy. My mermaid princess buddy. So I'm not gonna let you get turned int-- OH MY GOSH! I could like, do a 'turn you into a mermaid' magic trick! That'd be awesome! Probably... cheating though."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
That makes Coco laugh fullheartedly. "Yeah, I will tell them of the raddest Monkey King, who could take on armies by herself and still go on for more. Thank you, Cho", she tells her roommate, moving in for a hug.

"What do you mean, "It's not like I could just switch back and forth"? Wasn't that what you were talking about? That you are one of people that with an unsettled body and you locked your form early? Do humans behave differently?"

Coco is really unsure why Cho is asking her not to tell Rashmi and Mio. "Ok? I don't get what's the big deal about it, but sure. Though at least Mio is a good person, she wouldn't look at you negatively for it."

Coco nods after another bite to her muffin, though she is slowing down now she is past the hurdle of breaking the ice. "Yes, thanks for that. I'm not sure if I would dislike moving around or having to hoist myself onto chairs and the likes." She shakes her head at Cho's proposal for a magic trick. "I don't know how the magic would react in front of a big audience. I don't want to risk turning into seafoam because of something like that."

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi nodded. "Sweet! I can be a bad ass in that world. And like... don't tell them about the times I keep getting my ass kicked, okay? Cause that... happens a lot," she said with a light giggle. "It has been really nice here, I have a lot of people who come to help me."

However, the talk of switching back and forth made her pause. Ah. Right. "... Oh. Uhhhh. Humans... are born. One way. And we can't really... change. Ever. Without like.... external help. So ummmm... it sucks. I'll... I'll get you some info on trans people later. I... realllllly don't wanna get into explaining that bit. It's depressing. And... same reason I don't want to tell them. It's... a lot. And I don't want them to think to themselves that... that I'm just a... a guy pretending to be a girl cause magic, you know?"

She eeped at that. "W-wait. So... like... if someone SEES you transform into a mermaid, it counts as you telling them? And you get turned into sea foam?" she asked, a look of horror on her face now.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Sure, I won't." She smiles at Cho. "Though don't complain if they come seeking your aid in throngs", Coco jabs at her.

"Oh, uh, sorry. I was being careless, wasn't I? That's, actually, really different from what happens in the seas. I'm on your side though, and I won't tell a word of this to anyone else." She takes a breath, a bit of hesitation holding her back. "Is that why Wuwu stole that yukata? Because he wanted to help in his own way?"

"Yes, from what we get told, even that counts. It's a bit unfair, honestly..." She shrugs a bit, not really comfortable with the consequences of that prohibition. "That often means we have to keep people at a distance, you know?"

She takes the time to take a breathe, looking at the ceiling in contemplation. "Especially in a city so close to the water like Tokyo, having to make excuses like "Oh, I have an appointment that day" or "I can't swim". It hasn't happened yet, but people will ask to go swimming sooner or later."

She shakes her head, going back to smile at Cho. "But, you know, I wouldn't really want to move anywhere else. Having access to somewhere I can swim freely really helps me destress. And doing it daily helps a lot. I often use the bathtub for that purpose since I can't really go to the beach every single time, of course after double-checking to have locked the door.

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi only grinned wider. "Well, if I'm Cure Wukong I can't just ignore helping someone who needs it, now can I?" she asked with a snicker. "It wouldn't be fair."

The smile flickered and then she glanced to Wuwu. "Yeah. He... he does help a lot. I keep telling him NOT to steal, but--"

"Wukong doesn't need to pay for stuff! I saved the world enough times!"

"That," Cho said before rolling her eyes. "He means well, though. He's just also... a greedy little brat. I'm still lucky to have him... most days."

The smile fell then. "I... see. So... if somone discovers because of an accident, you're turned to foam. That must make rainy days awful. I'll... I'll keep an eye on you, then. Okay? If anyone is gonna find out... I'll stop them. And uhhhh..." She blushed. "Errr... if I see you transform now, will you turn? Cause like... if not? I'd totally love to see a real life mermaid. If... if that's okay?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"I'm glad you have him as support, even if he is a piece of work", Coco says. "I don't know how you were planning to keep him hidden, given how energic he can be." She looks at the pile of stuff he is currently locked under. "That isn't actually keeping him confined, I imagine."

"No, now you have discovered my secret, revealing my form to you won't turn me into seafoam." Coco gets up from the sofa, heading towards the bathroom. "We can use the bathtub for now, but do you feel like having a proper trip to the sea later on? When I'm in the mood of stretching my tail a bit, I typically avoid detection by going through the sky with the Live Stage."

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi shook her head. "No, I doubt it is. He... humors me sometimes. But really, trying to control Wuwu is like... well. Controlling Wukong. It just... doesn't... work," she muttered with annoyance.

Her eyes widened and she nodded. "Yes! I'd love that! That'd be so cool! And who knows? If I master Wukong's monkey arts, maybe I can turn into a mermaid or something too! And we could swim together, it'd be sooooo cooool!" she said, practically squealling with delight at the idea.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Once the slowly filling of the water is over, Coco sits on the edge of the bathroom, with a leg resting on it. "Here it comes then", she says, smiling at Cho as she lets her human guise disappear. With a shine of her yellow pearl, her legs instantly mutate into her yellow mermaid tail, the clothes she is wearing disappearing like nothing in favour of a yellow bikini, a tight bracelet on her upper left arm, two beaded bracelets on her right wrist, as well as two more right under her tailfin. With the transformation over in a second, she brings her body properly inside the bathtub.

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi blinked when she saw her... and just... oh, her giddy, girly shriek was likely heard down the hall. "Oh my gosh a mermaid, I get to meet an actual mermaid princess and there's a mermaid and eeeee this is SO COOL!" she shrieked shrilly, running around with giddy excitement. "Hee hee. Ohhhh. You know, though. We should train together sometime, too! I've gotta still work on my Cure Wukong techniques and I'm sure you've gotta work on your, well... singing attacks. Right?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco smiles at her roommate's excitement. "I get that mermaids haven't met much with humans, but I'm surprised at how happy it makes you. Though, you should lower your voice, please. I don't actually want every single person to know since I don't know how they will take it."

She isn't quite sure how to react at Cho's offer to try. She isn't really the best training partner for someone with an active fighting style. "I'm will do my best to help, though I can't actually do any of the crazy stuff you do as Cure Wukong, so I'm not sure how much help I will actually be. I'm really no better than your average non-magical person in my human or idol forms."

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi giggled. "I mean, yes, any girl would be happy to meet a mermaid in the flesh!" she said happily. She certainly was.

What followed next was a bit jarring, though. She stared at her. "Uhhhhh... I mean... like... you know how delicate humans are, right? Like... we can't get stabbed, or punched through buildings, or any of that. We'd like... die and stuff. But.... I mean, you're more durable than that, right?" she asked. Considering the things they fought.... she hoped so.

And that smile was going to fade pretty quick when she found out the truth.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco shakes her head. "I'm not saying it lightly. If you do any of those things to me, I'd be taken out of commission pretty fast. You don't have to worry, though. I can still get out of range of attacks and dodge things and that got me this far."

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi just stared at her. "It... you... can't?" she asked. "What... what if... what if you got hit by like... there's a lot of..." She trailed off. She finally shook her head. "I... I guess. Right. Just be careful, okay? Like... I'll try and protect you. But... the things we fight sometimes are dangerous. You've seen what happens to me, right? And I'm way more durable than a human."

"... So just... be careful, okay?" she said with a smile. Still... it wasn't like... anyone would ever get really that hurt, right? ... Right? "But yeah. Us training together... really wouldn't work then. Heh. Sorry. Seriously, though. Thanks. For trusting me with all this. You're a good.... friend," she said, grinning again, a small rosy red hitting her cheeks.