1810/A good day for Gardening

A good day for Gardening
Date of Scene:	28 July 2024
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy
Synopsis:	Seiko is Gardening when she meets Madoka and Lydian.
Cast of Characters:	Seiko Akai, Madoka Kaname

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Seiko Akai has posed:
After the events of the meteor shower night, Seiko has been looking for a way to decompress. That has lead her to do some gardening. She happens to be at one of the school's flower beds, plucking weeds. The Gardening club usually takes care of it which Seiko is set to join. So she is just doing it. As she plucks the weeds from the ground a soft tone is heard from her "My latest sun is sinking fast. My race is nearly run..." She quietly sings as she moves some mulch around to make sure no more weeds sprout where she just cleared out.

"... Oh Come, Angel Band. Come and around me stand..." She continues singing as she works. Suddenly there is harmonization. The second voice is that of her Chara. Only magical types would be able to hear her part but its still cute to hear. Seiko plucks a few more weeds and then pulls out a bandana which she uses to wipe some sweat from her brow.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    A third sound joins in, the harmony of a tiny recorder. Another small fairy is here, pink hair tied in a hidden braid style, white and pink poofy dress covered in paint splotches. After a moment or two she giggles and says, "Eheh, sorry! I saw you two singing and I wanted to play too!"

    Around then, another pinkette human girl wanders by, and then gets a bit closer. She wears her hair in high fluffy pigtails, and she leans in to speak to the recorder-playing fairy. "Lydian-chan, did you meet a new friend?"

    Lydian smiles and nods firmly. "Just ran across them, actually." Extending her tiny hand to the other fairy, she says, "Hii~! My name's Lydian, and my Chara Bearer is Madoka Kaname!"

    Madoka waves to both Seiko and her fairy before saying, "Hi! I don't think I've seen you two around yet. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Seiko Akai has posed:
Upon hearing the second voice, Seiko looks up and sees Hoshi singing along with her. She can't help but smile. If Hoshi is the essence of her own dream then of course she could sing. It was still nice to hear. Then the sound of a recorder joins in? That gets a double take. She has not met any other Chara bearers up to this point and seeing a chara there playing the recorder gets a few blinks.

Then her Chara Bearer appears. Seiko quiets her singing down. She looks up to the other Pinkette. "Hello Lydian. Hello Madoka Kaname-san." She greats them meekly. She is nervous to say the very least. "Umm This is Hoshi," She states while gesturing to her own chara, "And I am Seiko Akai." She smiles a little.

"A pleasure to meet you too. I think I've heard your name around. I was just doing some gardening. Its a nice day for it and I enjoy doing it so, It made sense to do it today." She smiles. "Sorry. I am a little shy."

"But she is getting over that! I'm going to help her be a Star!!" Hoshi states as she flies over to Madoka. "Nice to meet you Madoka-san!"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka glances over at the flower beds that Seiko is tending and stands up a little straighter. "I used to be in the Gardening Club, but... that was a while ago. Back in Elementary, really. I kinda dropped club activities when I started volunteering at the hospital." Scratching the back of her head she says, "My dad actually maintains a garden at home, so I thought it might be fun."

    She then extends her fingertip to Hoshi, offering it like one would a handshake. "Hello, Hoshi-san! Take good care of your bearer, okay?"

    Lydian crosses her arms and hovers over Madoka's shoulder while she looks at Seiko. "It's okay to be shy, but don't let that get in the way of your dreams!"

    Madoka cants her head to the side and taps the side of her chin. "You know, I think I have heard someone mention to me that there was a new Chara Bearer around. That must have been you, right?" She reaches under her uniform's collar and pulls out a necklace holding both a pearl and a lock-shaped amulet with a four-leaf clover design on it. "If you see any X-Chara or X-Eggs around, tell me about them okay? The Humpty Lock lets me purify them... sometimes. The people who are supposed to hold onto this locket are absent, so I guess I'm kinda its caretaker for now."

    Lydian adds, "Just don't mind Gretchen. She's also an X-Chara but she's not like the others."

Seiko Akai has posed:
"Oh! You work at the hospital? That is really cool. I don't have a job." She comments as she turns to pluck another weed out by its roots. She tosses it to a small pile she has collected so she can compost them. "Oh yeah? Thats really cool. My dad has a small farm. I grew up working with the gardens and tending to plants. My dad focused on the animals that we had. Sadly I'm not on the best terms with him. He kinda discouraged me from my dream... like a lot. He said my dream is too big. That I should dream smaller." She looks to Madoka and frowns.

Hoshi smiles and shakes Madoka's finger. "I'm doing my best. I'm going to help her get her dream! I can't wait because She has what it takes. She just doesn't see it yet!"

Seiko looks at Lydian and smiles, "Thank you. I need to not be so shy though. I kinda closed myself off when people started bullying me. That is getting in the way of my dreams. So Its gotta change!"

"Yep thats me. The new Chara Bearer. Its really strange. I'm supposed to be magical now but I really don't feel like I am all that special." She then pauses and looks at Madoka curiously. "Whats are those? The X-chara and X-egg?" She had never heard those terms before. "That is a cool necklace. My mom gave me mine," She pulls out her necklace. Its a simple necklace with Horseshoe shaped charm on it done in green gemstones.

She looks at Lydian, "Ummm Who is Gretchen? How is she not like the others?" She asks trying to figure things out.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka chuckles, "I mean, they don't really pay me either. I guess if I were to say what my 'job' is then I would actually say, 'magical girl'."

    Lydian adds, "... which she also doesn't get paid for."

    As the pinkette listens to bits of Seiko's back story, she starts to frown slightly. Bullied? That doesn't seem fair or right. That wasn't really something she ever had to deal with until Hinoiri came around, though.

    Madoka comments, "You kinda remind me of Homura-chan. She used to be shy and withdrawn like that, though she's a lot more assertive now." She blushes for a moment, and then with an awkward laugh she adds, "I guess being magical has a way of building up your confidence over time. That's a cute necklace by the way! The lock was given to me by another Chara Bearer who moved away to take care of his grandmother, and the pearl was given to me by a friend."

    Shaking her head, she goes on, "You are special, though. Your Chara is proof of that. You must really have a strong dream in order for your Heart's Egg to turn into a Guardian Chara."

    Lydian decides to explain a bit of the terminology. "If someone gives up on their childhood dreams, their Heart's Egg turns into an X-Egg, and out of that X-Egg can hatch an X-Chara. Most of these are dark energy creatures who throw fits and cause trouble, and we have to calm them down in order to purify them."

    Madoka adds, "Gretchen is different because she's my X-Chara, and she doesn't really cause a lot of trouble but she can't be easily purified. She represents a dream that is... I guess a bit too outlandish for me to really accept. She helps me out sometimes, but..." She shrugs. "My relationship with her is always tense at best."

Seiko Akai has posed:
"I can't even say my job is a Magical Girl. Those most I've done so far is get Chara Changed. She's done that to me like twice. I'm still getting used to that. Going from my shy and scared self to a super outgoing and bold version of myself is really jarring."

Hoshi smiles and winks at Seiko, "That is what you can be. You aren't there yet but you will be someday! I guarantee it! Besides, how are you going to get up on stage and perform if you are terrified of the audience who may well be there just to see YOU." She says excitedly. "You've got this. Just keep practicing and singing! You will see!" Hoshi cheers her bearer on.

"Homura-chan?" She doesn't know hardly anyone. "That is really cool. Maybe Someday I will be able to transform and do awesome stuff."

"You will, Silly. Madoka-san has that special necklace that lets her transform whenever. For us we have to really be in sync. You have to trust me 100% and I gotta trust you the same! We aren't there yet." Hoshi comments.

"I know. It feels like I will never be in that state though." Seiko states as she tries to wrap her head around trusting Hoshi that much. "For that to happen you've gotta stop bugging people. Like flying in front of them and trying to see if they can see you? That is kinda annoying for them."

Hoshi blinks and then smiles, "Okay but you have to do something for me too! You have to not get mad when I chara change you!"

Seiko blinks a few times. "So an X-egg is a punished heart's egg. And an X-Chara hatches from an X-Egg. And they are dark energy creatures. That sounds scary.

She turns and looks to Madoka as she explains Gretchen. "Oh. I see. Sounds like a difficult situation. I don't have multiple eggs. I just have Hoshi. I guess my dream is a one track mind." She giggles a little. "I want to be a pop idol."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka and Lydian listen with a smile as she watches Hoshi and Seiko interact. They kinda glance at each other when the mention of inconvenient Chara Changes happen. Madoka waves her hand in the air and says, "Don't take it too hard when they do that. Sure, its inconvenient sometimes, but deep down they're just giving you a taste of who you really want to be. Don't be afraid of it. Embrace it."

    Lydian crosses her arms and nods. "We do have the Locket, but actually Madoka didn't really need to use it at first. Other Chara Bearers only needed to figure out how to do it once before they could repeat it at any time."

    Madoka's expression takes on a somewhat wry look. "Well, we were all kind of in deep trouble at the time. I was lucky in that my Chara Change gave me a weapon to fight with before then, but... that doesn't really mean it was a good idea."

    Lydian chides, "You knew that and still did it anyways."

    Madoka shrugs and doesn't respond to Lydian's chastisement. "X-Eggs and X-Chara are scary in their own way, but they're far less threatening than some of the other magical threats around. The hard part is that you shouldn't just outright destroy them like you can a youma because they represent someone's precious dream."

    Lydian chimes in, "Madoka-chan's dream was to become a magical girl, but really her mind goes all over the place. She has one Chara for being a veteran magical girl, one for being a medic, one for being a ruthless businesswoman... I represent her interest in arts and music. Plus there are two more eggs that haven't hatched yet!"

    Madoka is awkwardly sweatdroppng as Lydian lists off her Chara. "Eheh. Sometimes I wonder if my real dream isn't just to be surrounded by tiny cute things. Different Chara are supposed to result in different henshins, but most of mine end up being all the same." Tilting her head to the side and fidgeting with her hands, she adds, "I think there's a lot to be said for having one single favorite dream to follow. Gives you something to focus on!"

Seiko Akai has posed:
"The first time I was chara changed I agreed to sing at an upcoming event. Thankfully Laura and Amy both agreed to sing too, so I won't be alone with it. But still I'm nervous about it. I figured out what song I'm going to sing and such. And Hoshi-chan said that she isn't going to chara change me at the event! So I'm stuck dealing with the aftermath on my own!" She gives a little bit of an annoyed look to Hoshi over that.

"You actually have a really cool dream though, to be a Magical girl. I didn't even know that was possible until I had an egg in my bed. I mean I saw tv shows and then there was the Sailor V games. That was fun! But Magical Girls were just kinda... fantasy." She smiles. "So I didn't even know It was possible to be magical until I was and even now I don't think I am all that. I know everyone says that I am special because my Heart's egg became a chara but I just don't feel any different."

Hoshi rolls her eyes, "You are already different. You just don't see it! You are talking to someone without freaking out! Thats a big step forward. You are special. Trust me!"

"I've wanted to sing since I was little. My mom used to sing to me while we were working in the gardens. She would sing church songs like the one I was singing earlier. I think I remind my dad of her. She got a divorce from my dad and he got custody of me. I haven't seen my mom in a long time." She sighs. "I miss her a lot."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka seems a little surprised when Amy's name is mentioned. "Oh, you know her, too? She's a sweetheart in her own way. I've known her for a while. I'm... not sure that I've met Laura yet." She holds back on talking about Amy's magical adventures. Madoka isn't sure if that's supposed to be a secret or not, but she errs on the side of caution.

    Lydian nods as she hears about Hoshi's antics, saying, "It's our job to help, but we aren't supposed to do everything for you. If you want to become a star you'll need to learn to sing on your own."

    Madoka glances off to the side, "If Hoshino-san weren't with Obsidian I'd point you in her direction, but... eheh, actually it's probably best to be cautious around her."

    Hearing about Seiko's family situation, Madoka glances down and off to the side. "That sounds so sad. I can't imagine not being able to talk to my momma." After a pause she adds, "I guess having family trouble is actually pretty common for magical folk, now that I think about it. I'm kinda lucky in that both of my parents are still happily married together. Some of the others I know don't really talk to their parents anymore, for one reason or another."

Seiko Akai has posed:
"Yeah she is really a good friend. I haven't had many friends in my old schools. The one in America had the bullies. The one i went to here in Tokyo, I just didn't get to know people. I was really kinda isolated from everyone. I figured Radiant Heart would be a good chance to change. Thats how I met Amy, Laura and Rashmi. They have been really wonderful. Made me feel welcome here."

Seiko looks at Lydian and smiles, "I understand. I know how to sing. I've been singing since I was little. I would sing along with my mom when we were gardening. I just had my dad tell me to not dream about being a singer a lot. It hurt when he said that stuff but what could I do? He is my dad. So I wished I could be someone else and the next day, I found an egg in my bed."

Oh You are speaking of Utau! Her songs are really good. I haven't met her but I have heard her music. Its really good."

"It sounds like you have some really wonderful parents. I'm happy for you." She smiles. "I just wish I knew what my Mom decided to do? Maybe that would be a clue as to why she left me and my dad."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Lydian shakes her head. "I mean... We heard you singing on the way here, and you sounded good, but that's not quite what I meant. I mean more that I agree with your Chara not Chara Changing with you during your performance. Your Chara can make things easier for you in the moment, but it wont help you in the long term if it doesn't build your confidence!"

    Madoka sheepishly side-eyes Lydian and says, "Well, at least... that's how a Chara thinks. I'd probably have less trouble with mine if I was able to do that more."

    Hovering closer, Lydian says, "I'm sure Hoshi-san already tells you this, but don't worry too much about what your dad thinks! Don't worry about whether you can or can't, just try and you'll get better!"

    On the subject of Utau, Madoka nods. "I've run across her a couple times, but I wouldn't say we really know each other. I went to one of her concerts and she used magic to draw X-Eggs out of people. I don't really know what her full story is, but... She's a Chara Bearer like us, and she's an enemy. In fact you should be wary about anyone who works for Easter."

    Shaking her head, Madoka adds, "I couldn't say. I'm sure she had her reasons, whatever they were." She almost suggests that she should talk to Ikuto but... that might not be helpful. She hasn't seen the black cat in a while.

Seiko Akai has posed:
"I know. I know. I just... I'm scared. Getting up in front of people... What if they don't like me?" Seiko asks curiously. "What if they boo me off the stage?" She pauses and looks down. "That is a really hard to think of."

Hoshi flies over to Seiko and stands on her shoulder. "Thats not going to happen. You're not a bad singer. You can put on a show. I've seen you while you are practicing and you are going to make a big splash for everyone. People are going to cheer for you. I think once you have a taste of success its going to suit you! You will want to keep succeeding!"

Seiko sighs. "I just gotta get there first. Its not a hurdle to jump but a really big wall."

"Thats your dad talking. Not you. Think about it. Your dad was always on about how difficult your dream is. Its as simple as standing up, opening your mouth, and singing!" Hoshi pauses and smiles, "Your keyboard runs on batteries! Why don't you take it to the park and use it to accompany your singing! You might be even make some spending money!"

"You want me to go out and busk basically? Do you really think I will make anything doing that?"

"Its not about making anything. Its about getting out of your shell and doing what you love."

Seiko blinks and nods slowly, "Umm okay." She turns to Madoka who mentions about how dangerous Utau is. Seiko blinks a few times. "She actually did that? That is horrible! Wait there is a company called Easter and we are dealing with Eggs? If there is a big bunny bouncing around I'm hopping a boat back to America." She laughs.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka silently commiserates with Seiko. Come to think of it, would she be able to stand up in front of others and perform like that? "Well, I don't envy you. I guess there's always a fear of our dreams messing us up somehow, but..." She glances towards Hoshi. "Your Chara wouldn't have appeared if your dream wasn't really important to you. One day, hopefully, you'll realize that being able to sing in public means more than your fear of being rejected by the audience." Tapping her chin she adds, "At least, I assume it is. I mean I see a 'star' egg, but I don't see any 'being afraid of crowds' egg."

    Lydian floats higher and spreads her arms wide. "I think playing your keyboard in public is a great idea! There's also sometimes a piano at the mall you could use instead. You'll know you're doing it right when you start drawing a crowd!"

    At the subject of Easter and Eggs, Madoka blinks, "I mean... I don't know any bunnies aside from Usagi-chan? I'm not sure if she counts, and she's not really after our eggs." Crossing her arms and tilting her head, she asks, "So how did you get from America to here? Is your dad still overseas?"

Seiko Akai has posed:
Seiko nods, "Yes my dad is still in America. When he couldn't force me to drop the whole singing thing he decided that maybe it would be best if I stayed with my grand parents for a while. His mom and dad are Japanese. So he sent me here. It wasn't all bad with grandma and grandpa. Grandma taught me how to make candles! Its fun to do. Sadly I don't know where to get bees wax so I can't make any right now. I suppose I could call my Grandma and ask her..." She gets a little side tracked."

"I guess playing at the mall could be fun... It would be kinda scary. Plus I'd have to play other people's songs. I don't have any of my own. Not yet anyway. I'm working on one!" She comments as she considers it. "Plus that means I wouldn't have to haul my keyboard around. Though the park thing could be good. Fresh air and plenty of people frequent the park, right?" She considers.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka listens to Seiko's explanation, and her face brightens a bit when the mention of making candles is made. "Oh! That sounds neat... though I admit I wouldn't know where to find beeswax either. Eheh, it's not really something I look for at the grocery store."

    Lydian gets a lightbulb moment and says, "Oh! You know who you should talk to if you want to sing more? Coco-chan! She likes to sing a whole lot and she's pretty friendly once you get to know her!"

    Wincing slightly, Madoka mentions, "There's also Hinoiri-san... She likes to sing a lot too but she's pretty... abrasive, at times. She's trying to do better lately but... well, we'll see. I'd like to think she means well, she just..." The fluffy-haired girl pauses to think of the most diplomatic way to say it, "... she has a lot to learn when it comes to interacting with people."

    Lydian chimes in after, "Either way, you have lots of options when it comes to venue! There're always Karaoke bars, too!"

Seiko Akai has posed:
Seiko smiles, "I actually went to a Karaoke bar with Amy, Laura, and Norie. Laura kinda tricked me into going. She really likes to sing too." She smiles a little. "It was scary at first but it turned out to be a lot of fun."

She shrugs, "I haven't met Hinoiri. I did meet Coco-chan though. She is really nice. I might talk with her for pointers on singing." She smiles a little.

"Look at me talking like I'm just going to go off and start singing for people and stuff." Seiko laughs. "I don't even know if I can get in front of people! Ha! Haha! I am going to sing in front of people without panicking!"

Seiko stands up and brushes the dirt off of her skirt. She then gathers the weeds and prepares to take them with her. "I should get going if I am going to perform in front of people!" She exclaims in a near sarcastic tone. "It was really nice meeting you Madoka-san. You too Lydian-san.

Hoshi looks at Seiko nervously. "I think she is losing it!" She nervously laughs and follows after her.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Seeing the other girl get nervous makes Madoka feel a little bad for pushing her, though hopefully such courage will pay off for Seiko in the end. "I'm sure you can. It may be hard at first, but if you keep trying then you'll get used to it."

    There's probably something to be said for magical combat having a way of teaching mahou how to perform under pressure, but Madoka decides not to bring that up just yet. Such things can probably wait for when Seiko can Chara Transform fully.

    "It's nice to meet you too, Seiko-san, Hoshi-san. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other around here," says Madoka, cheerfully.

    Lydian waves as the two start leaving. "Take care of yourselves! Don't be strangers!"

    As the other two leave, Madoka and Lydian also start to turn away. Madoka asks, "Do you think Gretchen-chan is still mad at me?"

    "When isn't she?" says Lydian. "Either way, we should go check up on your new Chara eggs! You never know when they'll hatch!"

    So saying, the two start heading back home.