156/Everything is Okay!

Everything is Okay!
Date of Scene:	25 July 2023
Location:	Penguin Park
Synopsis:	Coco encounters Mio at the park while she is selling baked goods. Things are not what they seem.
Cast of Characters:	Mio Morita, Coco Kiumi

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Mio Morita has posed:
The sun is bright and hanging brilliantly in the afternoon sky. There are plenty of people in Penguin Park. Most schools are out for the summer so there are kids everywhere. Adults as well. It seems like most people are out, about, and happy. Set up in the park once more is a table filled with baked goods. Mio is there, sitting at said table waiting for people to come buy her wares. She seems distracted to say the very least. Like she not entirely there.

"Oh I'm sorry. Yes that will be 700 yen." She smiles to someone buying a bunch of baked good from her. She takes the money and puts it in her money box before slipping again into her distracted mindset.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco is still familiarising herself with Tokyo. The end of the term now allows her more freedom and she is straying further from school grounds. Today's weather in particular is excellent for this type of exploration, not a single cloud trying to ruin her mood with rain. She has heard several good things about Penguin Park, its many attraction making it popular tourist ground.

'I wonder what Hippo would think about the decorations here', she thinks gazing at the Penguin-themed slide. 'No doubt he would feel all flattered and start acting like a big shot', she giggles.

Walking alongside the pond, Coco breaks the water's surface with her hand, enjoying its coolness. A fresh smell of baked goods starts permeating the air, enticing Coco towards Mio's bakery. 'This smells great. Where is it from?' wonders the mermaid, taking the bait and heading towards the table.

Coming in proximity of the bake sale, she takes a quick look at the vendor. 'That's Mio!' she realises, recognising the friend and waving towards her. She moves quickly towards the kiosk, a smile on her face. "Hello, Mio!", she tells the girl, checking out the selection of goods. "These look great. Did you make them yourself?"

Mio Morita has posed:
The sound of Coco's voice snaps Mio out of her distracted mindset. She looks at Coco and smiles to her. "Oh Hey! Welcome to my table." She nods. "My dad and I made all of these. We do this about once a week. We make a bunch of baked goods, I bring em out here and sell em. All profit goes to feeding the homeless." She smiles happily.

"So what are you doing out and about today?" She smiles and seems to drift off again. Her mind racing over the fact that her life is now torn between being a pretty cure, helping the homeless, and school. "How am I going to find the balance..." She mutters just loud enough to be heard. "Sorry. I dunno where my mind is today."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"That's a great initiative!", she says with admiration, taking a moment to check her purse. Things have been slowly improving for the South Pacific Ocean ever since she got broken out of Gaito's palace and she has been receving a bit more money than usual.

With Aqua Regina's money system set up for land operations and the slightly renewed wealth of her kingdom, she is not so dependent on the school for sustenance anymore, though the full restoration is still a ways off.

"Let's see... I will have 3 of these sweet rolls, 1 loaf of bread, 4 muffins and and 6 macarons", she lists, pointing out at each good as she does. "I didn't know you were doing something so amazing, Mio. That's really admirable. It's like you are a heroine at all times", she adds, with the implicit reference to Mio's Pretty Cure activities.

"What am I doing?", she repeats as she registers Mio's question. "Well, I am just wandering about, I guess. I am taking advantage of the end of the school term to explore more of Tokyo. I don't remember if I told you, but I am new here." She smiles at her just before noticing the absentminded look on Mio's face. "A balance? Is something worrying you, Mio?" Coco asks, now an attentive expression on her face.

Mio Morita has posed:
Mio smiles and quickly begins gathering the baked goods. She puts them in a bag as each one is mentioned. "Thats Three sweet rolls, one loaf of bread, four muffins, and six macarons." She repeats back to Coco. "That will be one thousand four hundred yen." She states. Each item being a hundred yen.

"Thank you and have a great day." She states when she is paid. "I guess I am. I don't see myself as a hero. I just like helping people and bringing hope where there isn't much hope. Its something my mom taught me. Never lose hope."

The money immediately goes into the money box to be used when she can actually head out and feed the homeless. "Oh! That sounds like a lot of fun! I only explored part of Tokyo myself. I've been here for two years and I haven't really explored a whole lot. I got a permit to sell here and mostly hang out here.

She pauses and takes a deep breath. "Last night I messed up. There was a umm, Terribad." She comments trying to not draw too much attention with the topic at hand. "I fought it of course. Defeated it and all. Then I found out that my dad had been calling me the entire time. I had to go over to his house to make the baked goods.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
With a nod and a smile, Coco grabs the bag of baked goods Mio is handing her. "Thank you a lot, they smell delicious, I bet my roommate will like these." She gives her the money before continuing to chat with her.

"Your mom sounds like a great person. I fully agree about never losing hope. Sometimes you can't see yourself pulling through and unexpected help comes just then", she agrees, suddenly a bit pensive. Touching the shell locket containing the yellow pearl, she asks Mio "Did she use to take part in these activities too?"

Coco looks around at the park, picking up on the busy comings and goings of people around here. "You picked a good place, this looks like a popular zone. Doing it for two years, besides, you must have seen lots of things around here and how to better attract attention." Coco moves her gaze to the money box. "I doubt it's the case, but do you want me to tag along to distribute those? You know, in case you need an extra hand?"

Coco looks a bit worried for her friend. "How did he take it? Wanna talk about it? I have lots of free time atm if you need someone to lend you a ear."

Mio Morita has posed:
"My mom was amazing. I miss her every day." She shrugs. "I don't remember. For much of what I remember, she was sick. It looked like she was improving then she'd get sick again. She really started to improve and we thought that she was going to pull through. Then the sickness came back and she couldn't beat it. I miss her so much." She smiles brightly. "She passed when I was five."

She smiles and gestures behind the table. "Come on back. I always welcome help when I am doing this. Seeing the smiles on people's faces is always great." She beams happily as she helps another person. She gathers several items and bags them before handing them over to a person who quickly pays the required yen. "Thank you! Have a nice day." She states to them before turning her attention back to Coco.

She is just about to brush off the need to talk but her mind goes to the tenets of the Hero Club. 'If you're troubled talk to someone.' She smiles. "Thank you Coco. It means a lot. I just need to find a way to balance my life now. Its not as easy as either I'm selling stuff to feed the hungry or just be at school. The things we do now, they can't be put off or just ignored. We are making the world a better place, But what does that mean when we are at school or have plans? We can't exactly just put off fighting a youma that is literally destroying stuff or people being locked into their misfortune. We have to fight for them to rescue people. Its no longer simple. What am I supposed to tell my dad when I can't return his calls while fighting a terribad?" She asks curiously.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco was under the assumption her mother was still alive, so the correction Mio inadvertedly gives her is quite shocking to her. "Mio, that is... I am sorry for understanding. That sounds horrible... I'm sorry you had to go through that." Coco can't quite understand the depths of Mio's feelings as Aqua Regina is the closest thing she has to a parent, and there doesn't seem to be a particular end to her life, even though she is not as strong as she was prior to the conflict with the Panthalassa, however she doesn't seem to be quite sure of the way Mio smiles so happily. "Have you been able to talk about it with someone?"

Coco quickly joins her at the back of the table and starts mimicking her as more and more clients arrive. In a matter of minutes she has settled into a rhythm and resumes talking with Mio. "You are a great person for turning this activity into your personal strength. I don't think many would be able to do the same."

The mermaid princess ponders for a while the matters her friend has confided her. They aren't issues with an easy solution and she doesn't want to give Mio a careless answer. "You are right that we can't afford to put off those fights, and there isn't an easy way to explain other people what we are doing, but... What about using Blue's club as a cover by introducing some fictitious volunteering like cleaning the park, or taking care of injured animals?"

Mio Morita has posed:
"Its okay Coco." She sighs and thinks back to her mother. "The last thing she said to me was this, 'Never lose hope, I will always be in your heart.'" Mio tears up just a little. "It hurt for so long, I wanted to give up on everything when she passed away. Then my mom's words hit me. Never lose hope. I looked around and I could see so many people losing hope. I started making baked goods. When my dad asked me what I was doing I said I was feeding the homeless. He laughed at me and said they couldn't live off brownies. So he gave me the money to get the stuff to make the baked goods. We sold them at a park and used the money we made to feed the poor. Thats how this started."

"I don't really talk about this sort of thing. I probably should though. This is something that I love doing. I enjoy feeding the homeless because for that moment, I am inspiring hope in some people who have really lost hope. If I can do just a little to make things better for someone then I know I'm making my mom smile." She quickly bags up an order and gives it to a patron.

She laughs a little at the idea that Blue ran the Hero Club. "Blue had nothing to do with the hero club. That is all Inubouzaki-san's doing. Fu Inubouzaki to be exact. Her sister is a part of the club as well. No gods involved to my knowledge." She smiles a little as she continues helping customers. The line is starting to thin thankfully. Which means a lull in the traffic.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"I'm glad you can feel her so close to you even now", Coco says, putting a hand on Mio's shoulder as a gesture of solidarity. "Do you want me to cover the cost of something from your sale as a little pick-me-up? Pick anything you want, from a friend."

"You are so kind, Mio", remarks Coco. "From what you said of her, I'm sure you have made your mom the proudest mom ever. Anyone would be amazed at what you do."

Coco is a bit embarassed as Mio corrects her on the Hero Club. "Oh, he doesn't? Would that mean the club is open to everyone, that you don't have to be affiliated with him to join? I would like to ask Inubouzaki-san to join the club myself. I really admire that kind of volunteering."

Mio Morita has posed:
Mio smiles a little. "Thank you. Honestly the Candy Cakes are some of my favorite." She picks one of them up and smiles. "Its a yellow cake with peanut butter on it and topped with chocolate." She smells the cake and smiles, "Thank you Coco. It means a lot.

"I hope I have. I loved her so much I miss her even now." She frowns and shakes her head. "My dad took the loss of my mom a lot worse than I did. Its how I ended up here. My Dad left Okinawa and came here. Its where his family is from." She smiles.

"Oh the club is open to everyone!" Mio cheers. "Fu-san has been out of town since I joined. I just kinda joined in with Itsuki-san and Togo-san. We actually brought food to another club to make sure they had plenty."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"I can see why, they look amazing", says Coco, depositing 100 yen into the money box. "And don't worry about it, ok?", she adds with a smile.

"Left Okinawa... Too many memories resurfacing there?" Coco comments with sympathy. "I hope he is ok now. Those memories tend to stick to you. Even anything you do reminds you of what you lost, but I am sure you know that."

"Oh, she is out of town? I guess her sister is with her then" Coco says, thinking this may make it a little complicate for her to join. "Thank you, Mio. I really appreciate you taking the time to explain this even in the midst of work. Who do I contact then if I want to join the club?"

Mio Morita has posed:
"Yeah we left Okinawa. It hurt my dad a lot. I Think they were soulmates, ya know? They loved each other so much." She smiles a little as she thinks about it. I don't think my dad could handle the thought that of being without her. I think he sees her in me." She laughs. "That sounds really silly doesn't it?"

"Her sister is in the club. Though honestly the one to talk to might be Togo-san. She is like a second in charge. At least I see her that way." Mio focuses on a customer who interrupts the lull with a nice sized order. She quickly gathers the items and collects the yen for it. "Thank you!" She states as she gives a little wave.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco grows uneasy at Mio's declaration. "Are you ok, Mio? I don't want to make wrong assumptions, but it sounds like you are telling me your father has stopped seeing you for yourself", Coco esitates before continuing. "Do you feel like you are living in your mother's shadow in his eyes?"

"Ok, Togo-san..." Coco quickly take a pen from her bag and scribbles down that name on a break between clients. "I hope to join you in the club soon, then, Mio."

Mio Morita has posed:
"What? No. No Way. My dad would never. I mean. He couldn't. I'm not that much like my mom, Am I?" She stumbles over her words, trying to find the right ones to say but sadly those words never come. She frowns, "Sometimes it feels that way but there is no way he sees me as some kind of replacement. I mean he couldn't, right?" She looks slightly panicked over the whole thing.

"Well I look forward to seeing you there. I know Amy-san is supposed to be joining too. So we all will be in Hero Club! I can't wait.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco looks at her with more apprehension now. "Mio, are you sure you are really ok? You are sort of worrying me there." She starts fidgeting a bit now, not really sure about how much she is pushing Mio's boundaries. "It's ok if you don't want to talk now, but if you ever feel like saying something, you can trust me I won't say a word of it to anyone. So please, just do what makes you feel safe, ok?"

Mio Morita has posed:
Mio frowns and shakes her head. "My dad hasn't started dating again. I told him to. I asked him to start looking for a girl friend just for his own piece of mind. He never has though ya know. He always says that he's too busy for a girlfriend. That I keep him too busy. I think that's part of the reasons I decided to to to Radiant Heart Academy. I would give him a needed break and I would be free to do what I wanted to do." She smiles. "You know he called me like six times while I was fighting the terribad? I think maybe he needs to find someone."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco thinks about the issue, unease still lingering on her face. "I think he is hovering too much over you. You are right, finding him someone would be the best solution. But on the other hand, I don't see how to do that if he is unwilling to cooperate."

Coco looks at the side, lost in her thoughts. "In this situation, I would ask Aqua Regina for suggestion, but it's like I have the time to just go back under... I mean", she coughs a bit here, "Have you thought about asking Blue to act as a school counselor and relay some of this to him?"

Mio Morita has posed:
"I will have to talk with him. I know he cares about me and wants what is best for me. But I think maybe I can start doing stuff without him. Maybe I should see about using the school kitchen to make the baked goods for this. So my dad doesn't need to get involved anymore, you know?"

She considers the whole thing of getting Blue to act as a school counselor. She shakes her head. "No no. I wouldn't ask Blue-sama to do that. Of all the things to ask a god, asking him to lie for you sounds really messed up. I think I can talk to my dad and get him to see reason.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Are you sure? What do you do if he refuses?" Coco can't shake off the feeling of unease. "You said he was particularly insistent, right? At least ask Blue for an opinion before facing him. And if you think it will help, I can come with you to your father under some pretext."

Mio Morita has posed:
"I'd rather not bother Blue-sama. I know he deals with Precures all over the world. I can handle talking to my dad. I believe he will listen." SHe smiles a little bit. "I think we're about done selling for today." Its true, the number of baked goods has dwindled down to a very few left. "We can get in contact with Amy and go get Yukatas" She smiles bright.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
'I guess she made a decision. I hope she ends up being right, or at least remembers she can always talk to me', Coco thinks. "Sure, I was looking forward to it a lot, it will be great", she says, giving Mio a bright smile too. "I have never shopped for a yukata before actually, I am kind of nervous."

Mio Morita has posed:
"Its fun!" Mio exclaims as she gathers the remaining baked goods and wraps up everything. "We will find our Yukatas and we will look awesome for the festival." She smiles as she gets the money box and starts moving to take the items to the dorms. "Just need to get them put up first ya know?" She keeps moving, getting cleaned up rather quickly. "I'll meet you at the store!"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco says, "Got it, see you later then!" Coco gives her a wave and goes back to the dorm."