612/Tarots at the Festival

Tarots at the Festival
Date of Scene:	18 October 2023
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy
Synopsis:	Coco does some Tarots readings in preparation for the Cultural Festival. Takumi, Darien and Madoka join in. Her trial run goes well, and the other people have enjoyed the food she prepared too. At the end, even Brai came out for a Tarot reading, and that brough forth its own discussion about Chara and X-Chara, as well as Kyubey's involvement with Madoka.
Cast of Characters:	Coco Kiumi, Takumi Yoru, Mamoru Chiba, Madoka Kaname

---

Coco Kiumi has posed:
It's a fairly calm day all in all, a bit windy, but nothing that would hinder students moving about the campus. Even so, Coco's booth is well-covered by the elements, being a relatively large structure with walls on all sides, and a solid roof above people's heads. It must have been the works of a good number of people, but if you were to ask other schoolmates, nobody would recall anything about seeing other people.

The interiors is divided in two zones: a zone with cushioned chairs and a table with various assortments of food and drinks, as well as another covered by curtains: for the mystique, she would reply if asked. Inside she is waiting for people, multiple decks of Tarots waiting to be used in front of her for any people that want to join in at the same time.

Takumi Yoru has posed:
Takumi is the new girl in the school. An out-of-towner from some other part of Japan, with blue hair and matching eyes. She's mainly stuck to her own company so far, though the tattoo (An eye-catching thing enough for Japan, not to mention on a fifteen year old) has drawn a bit of gossip. She's wearing her school uniform still, though her little neck-bow is untied and a few buttons are undone. Her hands are in the pockets of her uniform blazer as she wanders the school grounds, a bored look in her eyes. She worries a bit at a lolipop, the stick poking out of one corner of her mouth.

She pauses when she spots the setup, and she hesitates a bit before poking her head in.

The smell of perfume wafts from her, though a strong nose will catch the cigarette smoke it attempts to cover. She plucks the lolipop from her lips, her nails colored with the white, pink and blue of the trans flag. "Hello?," she calls out. She spots all the cushions and such, then, and doesn't look a prize horse in the mouth. The skinny girl flops back onto one, stretching her legs out. "Ooooh..." She notices the covered area and leans forward a bit, looking quite curious.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
One of the students meandering around, stealing twenty minutes to just be a kid at the school's cultural festival, is Darien Shields -- he's in his school uniform, so he's merely intimidatingly tall and regal instead of also overdressed. He's carrying a plate full of tiny cakes and a can of coffee under that, holding it upright, and he slows down when he sees the fortunes-to-be-told mysterious covered booth.

He pauses when he sees Takumi sprawled on a cushion, but ends up poking his head into the mysterious part. And... there are multuple tarot decks on the table. Mystified, Darien takes a half-step into that zone, and asks hesitantly, "... you do more than one at once? That seems exciting."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka Kaname wanders around during this moment of free time, with her tiny mascot Brai hovering over her shoulder like a specter. She's not particularly known for any form of delinquency, and is still the nurse's aide despite apparently needing to excuse herself from class a little too often. It's not something she'd ever get away with in a normal school, but here at RHA they tend to accept her excuses a little too easily.

    Madoka would get suspicious of that if she ever thought about it, but maybe the veil is preventing that as well. The fact that Brai is such an obvious sign of magic is probably doing Madoka a lot of favors that she isn't really aware of.

    Madoka shows up slightly after Darien, and overhears what he has to say. "Several at once? O-oh, should we all go in?" She glances around, looking for some sign or answer. Fortune telling isn't something she does often, but like many she occasionally gets curious.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Yes, I do!", Coco smiles at Darien as he comes in. "Feel free to snack and drink while I do the reading for you." She raises from her chair and peeks out of the curtains. "You are free to come in, if you want. I can work with multiple people at once."

She sits back down and asks any who come in "What would you like me to read about you?"

Takumi Yoru has posed:
Intrigued, the blue-haired girl climbs to her feet. She pops the lolipop back into her mouth and wanders over, just as Coco peeks back out. She nods to her curiously and peers past her. "Oh, hey! I saw something like this in an anime once," she says around the lolipop stick.

...And then Madoka shows up with the floaty creature, and her eyes widen. She stares at it, her mouth opening and then closing. "Uh." She clearly sees it, and has also never seen anything like it before. She shakes it off (For the moment) and moves to snag a drink and a few snacks, piling them up in her arms before she moves over to slide into a seat at the table.

"Uuuuuh." She pops the lolipop out to sip a caffeinated beverage. "I dunno. What do you normally...read? About people? Never done this before."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"I wonder if you could just-- read how well the world will be doing this time next year," Darien says a little wistfully. "If it'll be better, or-- or if it'll be much worse, or if it'll be more or less the same..."

He comes in the rest of the way and sits down carefully, glancing back at Madoka and blinking at Brai in surprise. The candy-striper is a magical girl? The... candy striper is a magical girl.

"Or if we'll get a miracle," he adds quietly.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Hm? Madoka tilts her head and scratches her chin. Well... if that's how she wants to do things. Madoka suspects she knows that voice, and decides to accept the invitation. Drawn by curiosity, the pinkette enters the more mysterious, mystical part of the booth and takes a seat before one of the tarot decks. Brai takes a glance at Takumi for a moment, then shyly hides behind one of Madoka's pigtails. The benefit of having such a fluffy Chara Bearer is having lots of hair to hide in. Or so Brai thinks. Her tiny legs are still visible. She doesn't notice that Darien has spotted her too.

    Madoka is so used to her Chara being that close to her that she barely notices it as she gets situated. She accepts a bottle of water, but doesn't open it yet. She considers the question thoughtfully. "What do I want a reading on? Hm..." The future? Her love life? Does she even have a specific question? She considers asking about Gretchen, but how would she even phrase that?

    "I suppose if I had a question, it would be 'where to go from here?'"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco nods at Takumi. "I have a lot of offers on the table", she smiles, pointing at the decks of cards on the table. "I can read your planetary or astrological alignment, the guidance of the stars, your relationships, birthday, dream explorations, and love matters. "Any of these catch your eye?"

Coco hmms pensively at Darien's request. "Trouble times?" she asks concerned, raising her gaze towards him. "I think what would serve you best is consulting the guidance of the stars", she explains, starting to shuffle one of the decks concentrating on that meaning.

She places 6 cards in front of Darien, going from her to him in an alternating sequence of 1 card - 2 cards. "What you do now is you uncover the card closest to me and the card to your left in the next row. These represent your current situation and the cause of the struggle you face."

Coco is surprised when Madoka comes in, mostly by the presence of Brai next to her. "Are you..." escapes her mouth, before she bites her tongue and smiles at her. "Certainly, an astrological reading for you then." She shuffles another deck concentrating on that and places 13 cards in front of Madoka, divided in a column of 5-3-5 left to right.

She looks back at Madoka once it's over. "For you, we start by uncovering the middle cards of the central and left column, then the one below the left column's card, which are you, your mood, and your finances."

Takumi Yoru has posed:
She considers her options as she watches the others get dealt cards. She also watches the others, taking the other three in with quite a bit of curiosity. She looks around for anything resembling a trash can and tosses the remainder of her lolipop into it. She leans forward, then, elbows uncouthly on the table.

"Weeeell, alright. Love. Tell me about love. What kinda chance does a trans girl with a messed-up past have in a school like this? Any cute guy or pretty girl in my future? I'm fine with either. Haven't had a lot of luck with my love life," she asks. To be fair, what amount of a love life could a fifteen year old have had?

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Darien picks up the indicated cards and turns them over, and he sees the boat with people leaving on one, and someone stealing swords away in the night on the next one, and he looks a little blankly at them for a moment, then back up at Coco. "My friend reads the stars," he says, glancing away, "but I think his sight is occluded." He looks to Coco one more time. "Please, miss, what does it say my situation is?" It seems like he's taking this terribly seriously.

He sneaks a glance at Brai while Coco is talking to Madoka.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka smiles at Coco when she sees her, and Brai peeks at the fortune teller from behind her hiding place. The tiny Chara is a silent observer, but still apparently seen by everyone in the room. She is too shy to talk right now, so she goes back to her hiding spot in Madoka's hair.

    Madoka nods at Coco's instruction and reaches out to flip the cards. Reversed King of Pentacles is first, and she takes a moment to study the card's imagery before setting it down. Then she reveals the Page of Cups, and then Temperance.

    "A lot of water, today," she observes, not really understanding the meaning behind the imagery. Then again, she assumes that a lot of the meaning comes from the interpretation of the reader, so she looks to Coco for answers.

    Madoka glanes over at Darien's spread, and so does Brai, the latter of whom is starting to give up on her attempts to hide. Can everyone here see her?

Coco Kiumi has posed:
An excited twinkle appears into Coco's eyes as Takumi mentions Love. "Ohh, love is always nice, I hope you get a good result!" A tad unprofessional for someone doing Tarot readings, but Coco is always a bit excited about someone getting a good love life.

She clears her throat next before grabbing a third deck, displaying 7 cards in front of Takumi in columns of 2-3-2 left to right. "In your case, you want to uncover the 1st and 2nd cards of the central column closest to me. The former represents if you will ever find true love, the latter if it will be at first sight or not."

Coco starts explaining to Darien. "The Six of Swords represents that you are currently moving on from something that struck you, so you are pursuing the right path. However, the Seven of Swords says that your struggles are caused by a deception that still surrounds you, so you should beware of that."

She waves back to the cards on the table. "A bit grim, but there is sign of hope. Next you want to uncover the card both next and below the Seven of Swords. These represent what you will need to do to overcome your struggle and what is the core of your strength."

"The reversed King of Pentacles means the current you is being indulgent, while the Page of Cups denotes you are a sensitive person and a dreamer, so you have what it takes to shake you out of your current situation. The Temperance card is another good meaning: you are managing your finances with moderation and patience." She smiles at Madoka. "You are doing quite great."

Coco points at the next cards. "Now you want to uncover the three bottom cards starting from the left, which represent your communication, your family and your pleasures."

Takumi Yoru has posed:
Takumi is fully invested now. Forgotten are her piled snacks as she removes her elbows and leans forward, watching the decks be set out with wide, blue eyes. "Okay..." She reaches out, flipping both cards. She blinks and looks curiously at the person on the first card, who seems to be dancing, and the gathering of people holding aloft cups on the second one.

While waiting for an explanation, she glances over at the other two, trying her best to follow those readings as well. This is WAY more interesting then class for her. She brushes her fingers back through her hair before her gaze flits back to Coco, waiting a bit impatiently.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Things are a bit grim," says Darien with a half-laugh that doesn't sound entirely healthy, but he gamely tries to smile at Coco anyway. "And there are precious few people and things I can trust. So it does sound hopeful, that I could be moving away from my situation."

He turns over the cards next to and underneath the Seven of Swords, and comes up with the Hermit, and the World turned upside-down. It's difficult to keep the dismay entirely out of his voice. "I hope this doesn't mean my strength is inverted..."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka considers Coco's words. "Eheh, indulgent?" She thinks over that for a moment then says, "Well... maybe a little." She quietly nods to the rest of what Coco says. Page of Cups certainly is a fitting card for her in a lot of ways, though the exact mention of 'dreamer' has her giving Brai a sideways glance. Maybe the dreaming and the indulgence are related. She's not sure what to make of the Temperance card, but she hopes that further reveals will show something.

    Four rods surrounding a house, but the house is upside down. She frowns at that. It's the second reversed card she's gotten. This is supposed to be her communication? Her mind goes immediately to Gretchen. The next is an Ace card, regarding her family. The fire almost makes it look like a torch.

    The third card, her pleasures, is a king sitting on a throne with a sword in one hand and a sphere in the other.

    "Huh... So what do these mean?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"The World is awesome!" Coco comments. "So your answer as to whether you will find true love is a definite yes! The World indicates fulfillment, harmony and completion, so you are set on that front. The Three of Cups indicates friendship, community and happiness, so you won't fall in love all at once, but you will get there over time." She beams happily at Takumi. "I am so happy for you!"

She points at the cards Takumi has to uncover next, the second row of 2s starting from Takumi. "These two represent the physical and emotional characteristics of your love."

The mermaid moves onto Darien. "The Hermit informs you that to overcome your struggle you have to look internally, starting a path of contemplation and inner guidance. That is where you will find your truth. So you don't have to go anywhere far", she offers a smile. "The World reversed means your strength is incomplete. Something is missing from you, and you should concentrate your efforts on regaining it."

Coco motions towards the last two remaining cards. "You uncover those two starting from the bottom one. They represent the challenges you might face and the outcome of your journey."

She then starts explaining Madoka's cards. "Your communication isn't all that good, not for something you are doing, but by other people. There is a lack of support and conflicts from those that should be family to you. At the same time, however those same people may provide you the means to renew yourself and give you inspiration and willpower you are missing."

Coco taps the card next to Ace of Wands (Madoka's right) and moves upwards towards herself. "Uncover these ones next. They represent your health, your romantic relationships and deaths you should expect."

Takumi Yoru has posed:
Takumi looks surprised at her first two cards as they are explained, and she looks a bit skeptical. Still, there's clearly a part of her that wants to believe. She chews her lip a bit and moves to turn over the next two cards. "O-okay. Well, I'll try to have the patience for that. Either way...I've never really had friends. So, that sounds nice," she says softly.

She tucks blue behind her ear and glances briefly down at the tattoo on her hand, before lightly rubbing it with the fingers of her other one.

She eyes the two new cars, considering the two people facing eachother with the weird flying thing between them. It makes her flance aside at the hiding Brai again, before she returns her gaze to the second one. "Huh. A guy on a horse."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"My truth," Darien repeats thoughtfully. He looks at the Hermit card a little longer, and the corner of his mouth twitches a little; maybe he should listen to the girl who was trying to steal people's pure hearts and eat them, and meditate instead of spiraling. "Okay. And my strength is incomplete. Makes sense, it's-- it's being--"

Stifled. Strangled by dark energy. Of course it's incomplete. He doesn't finish the sentence.

The black-haired boy huffs out a small breath, then nods, and he reaches over to turn over the last two of his six cards. "Challenges and outcome, okay," he says firmly, and looks at the Fool, reversed, and then the Six of Wands. He looks up again. "You're good at this," he says with a lopsided little smile.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka frowns at Coco's explanations. Someone who should be family to her? That couldn't possibly be her literal family, but a part of her certainly considers Chara to be her family. It's hard to think of anyone but Gretchen when looking at that. Madoka thought the fault was with herself, and was trying to do better, but is it possible there's also something wrong with Gretchen? She never really got... purified, after becoming an X-Chara, did she?

    Maybe Madoka should be focused on saving Gretchen, now that she thinks about it.

    She starts to flip over the next three cards as instructed, but then pauses as she gets mortified. "Deaths?!" Does she want to know? Well... staying ignorant wont protect whoever it is, she assumes.

    Health: Six of Wands. A man on a horse surrounded by standards. Is he in a parade? Romance: Five of Cups, a sad woman who seems surrounded by cups, some of them possibly spilt. Madoka winces at the imagery there. Deaths, this time she hesitates before flipping. Queen of Pentacles. Strangely, to Madoka, she looks kind of serene.

    Madoka also takes a moment to listen to the readings that the other two are getting, though she doesn't quite get the full context for obvious reasons.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco looks grimly at the cards Takumi uncovered. The first one isn't good, at all. She sighs. "The physical characteristics of your love will be denoted by hardships. You will suffer from imbalance, broken communication and tension between you and your partner." She gives a little smile to Takumi. "On the other hand, the emotional field of your love couldn't go better. The emotional atmosphere between the two of you will be heartfelt, idealist and romantic, so you have something to look forward to." She really hopes the second part will make it worth it for Takumi.

"Of the three remaining cards you want to uncover the left one first, then the right one and finally the central one, from your perspective. They show if there are issues you need to deal with, which delay development of your relationships, then the same, but for your true love, and finally the circumstances of your meetings with your true love."

Coco gives an unsure smile to Darien. "Thank you". His cards are overall mostly positive for now, though a lot of the positive meaning is attributed by the Six of Swords she uncovered first. "The Fool reversed means the challenged you will meet will be denoted by people trying to take advantage of you, as well as recklessness and inconsideration, however you have cause for joy, because your outcome will shine bright, marked by victory." She is emitting intense happiness now, glad things are set to end well for him.

The mermaid looks uncertaintly at Madoka. "I am sorry, but your health won't be all that good. You are actually risking to disregard it, and there is a feeling of punishing yourself for something behind it. Please, be careful, nothing you could do would warrant this reaction." She shakes her head. "Your romantic relationships aren't all that better. They are steeped into a feeling of loss and grief. I don't know whether this is from your or your partner, but keep that in mind too. At least the situation regarding deaths is actually positive: it is denoted by calm and comfort, so you don't have to worry about that."

Coco now taps the remaining cards with the sequence of top-right, top-center, top-left and then the card below the top-left one. "These are your spirituality, your career, your friendships and your fears."

Takumi Yoru has posed:
She fidgets a bit in her seat. The first one makes sense to her. Afterall, almost her entire existance at this school is a lie for Obsidian and her family. So...all of that makes sense. She'd have to be lieing to her partner. She rubs her eyes and nods a bit. "Sure. Yeah. Romance sounds good." She does sound like she means it, but the kid is really not happy about the first part.

She slowly reaches down to uncover the last three cards. She takes in the details of each card for a long moment, furrowing her brow before she glances across at Coco for explanation. Her painted nails knead the armrest of her chair.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"My own recklessness and inconsideration?" Darien asks, just as uncertain as Coco's smile was a moment ago. "But if this is for the world's future, too-- where life will be in a year-- then the future being bright is a relief. We'll all need to work together, right? And maybe together we can make a miracle."

His fingertips trace the designs on the cards lightly, and he chews on his lower lip. "I know things are... vague, and I know it's just a game, and psychology, but... divination is sometimes a true tool of the gifted. I'm hoping the good parts are true, too, since the bad parts certainly are."

He smiles lopsidedly, then takes his hand away and sits back with his tiny cakes and his can of coffee, and he lets out a breath. Less intensity. "Thank you, very much."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka is taken slightly aback by Coco's warnings. Disregarding her health? Come to think of it, that's probably something she might do. Or maybe it's a sign that she's too hard on herself? As for Romance, she gives a somewhat nervous laugh. "I could see myself going for someone sad like that, but I wouldn't want someone I care about to suffer either."

    Madoka is glad that the death reading says that she doesn't have to worry. She'd hate to think that her calmness was what had to die.

    Respectfully, she flips over the three remaining cards. Nine of Cups for spirituality. The Sun for career. Friendships is the reversed Ace of Swords, and finally the Reversed Seven of Swords for fears.

    "Huh," says Madoka, glancing over to Darien's spread. "I got one of the cards you started with."

    Looking at the sun, she frowns. This is supposed to be her career? Then there are two reversed cards, which so far have been bad signs. "Huh... does this mean my friendships will suffer?"

    Brai finally peaks out a bit and looks at the cards. Deciding that there isn't much reason to hide at this point, she floats down to take a look at the revealed tarot with her hands clasped behind her back. Occasionally she glances at other people in the room to see if anyone's staring at her.

    Brai gives Darien a curious look, tilting her head to one side. She looks away from him and back at the cards, and then mutters. "Yeah... maybe together."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Under the Page of Wands, the issues you will be dealing with will be marked by a sense of exploration. You will be seeking excitement and freedom, and this search of yours will constitute your greatest impedement." She looks at the reversed Three of Pentacles next. "Your true love will have to face more internal challenges: a lack of teamwork, as well as disorganisation and not working well in a group."

Now only one card is left, the Five of Cups. "The last card isn't all that good either. The circumstances of your meetings will involve loss, grief and self-pity. You or your lover will be hurt, and seeking consolation, you will get together. And remember your true love is still marked by fulfillment, harmony and completion thanks to the World, so despite a difficult path, happiness will definitely be yours!"

Coco looks towards Darien. "I am glad this was useful to you, and I wish you all the best. I believe the outcome you seek will definitely be yours." Sprinkling on a little bit of extra positivity is always good, as far as she is concerned.

When Brai moves outside, Coco smiles towards her. "Hello, little friend. The cards got you curious too? Would you like me to read something to you?"

Coco moves to Madoka's Nine of Cups. "Your spirituality is definitely great, characterised by satisfaction, emotional stability and luxury. And you will have a great career as well. The Sun promises you joy, success, celebration and positivity, so what you want to achieve will definitely be yours."

Coco nods at Madoka. "It is like you say, your friendships will be very confused and chaotic. It will be a brutal period too. One of your friends may actually end up violent and unbalanced."

She looks at the reversed Seven of Swords. "This one means that the fears you will be having are denoted by missing results, distractions and lack of rewards, which is actually a positive since we know the Sun protects you from that. You have no reason to fear."

Takumi Yoru has posed:
The girl listens intently, piecing it all together. She'll fall in love with someone who isn't in Obsidian. Someone HERE. She glances at the other three in the tent and considers. Well, mabye not HERE, but at Radiant Heart. Oh, her dad would be so pissed. Good.

She nods slowly and sits back in her chair after it all, letting the information seep into her pores.

This is when Brai is spotted again, and she speaks up this time. "Okay, I have GOT to ask. WHAT is that?" Yes, she points at the little cutie.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Darien doesn't ask questions -- what he does is offer Brai a tiny cake. She is tiny too.

He looks at Madoka's cards, and his eyebrows lift. "Oh but yours is protected against! That's a relief, too. You should be free of that kind of thing."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    A-ah! Brai was spotted, which she half expected, but the reaction makes her blush and have a moment of fidgety panic as she turns towards Takumi and then away from her and then to Coco who is at least being gentle about it. "A-ah."

    Madoka reaches out to cup Brai into her hands to comfort her, then pulls her closer. While fingerpetting Brai's head, Madoka explains. "This is Brai. She's a Chara. She's my friend, and she represents my dreams for the future." Sheepishly, she also adds, "She's also proof that I'm a certain type of magical girl. If you can see her, you probably have magic sight, too."

    Brai calms down for a moment in the hands of her Bearer, and then she looks at the offered tiny cake. The smallness of both the Chara and the cake cancel out, and it looks like she's just holding a normal (for her) sized cake in her itty bitty hands. "Thank you," she says to Darien, before taking a tiny nibble.

    Madoka looks over to Takumi and says, "Are you new here? Mascots like her are pretty common around her, though most of them are like... cute little animals."

    Brai munches on the cake for a moment, and then decides to venture out of her shell again, before floating over to the cards and looking up to Coco. "Um... sure! If you're still doing readings. I wouldn't mind one. If I had to ask a question..." She head tilts and thinks. "I guess I'd want to ask about... my sister, for lack of a better term."

    Speaking of the readings, Madoka's still mulling hers over. "Sounds like it'll be hard, and there's a chance of the people I care about suffering, but it also sounds like everything will work out in the end. Regardless of my worries." Then, with a smile, she says, "Thank you!"

    With a nod to Darien, she says, "Right. The fears don't have to match the reality."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
When Takumi slumps down on the chair, Coco looks at her and reminds her. "If you want, I have a lot of refreshment in the waiting room I set up."

Coco nods towards Darien. "Yes, she is lucky in that way. Certainly an indication that her life will shine brightly.

"That was what I thought and was going to ask, but then I realised that would be impertinent coming from someone you only meet 4 times, twice magically and twice non." She explains, looking at Brai curiously. "This is however the first time I see her, and you never fought then, so I assume you must have become a magical girl recently." This is followed by a full smile being directed to Madoka. "Congratulations."

She starts shuffling a deck again after Brai's response. "Your sister, right? I believe we can ask for the guidance of the stars on that too." Coco sets the cards down with alternating rows of 1-2-1-2. "Go ahead, you can uncover the one closest to me, then the card in the following row on my right, then the one on my left."

Takumi Yoru has posed:
Takumi blinks and nods slowly. "Oh. Well, that's...really cool. I didn't get a neat little friend from the stuff I went through. Family I ran from was...are...really into some pretty dark magic. I guess it let me see things?" She shrugs her shoulders and peers curiously at the creature.

She nods, then. "I just started actually, yeah. Gossip'll spread damn quick so I'll just say it. Ran away from a Yakuza family. Dad runs it. Grandpa ran it. Grat grandpa ran it. He was grooming me for the same thing. They're demon-worshippers on top of all of that. But...I wanted a new start and Radiant Heart offered it to me." She clears her throat.

"Takumi Yoru, grade 8. Nice to meet you all. Guess you all knew about my future love life before my name. Heh. Kinda funny."

She stretches in her chair. "So, if either of you know any boys or girls in rough situations looking for an emotionally troubled trans girl to date...that seems to be what my reading mentioned. Lemme know. My DMs are open." Then her gaze moves back to Coco. "...Thanks."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Aaaand Darien is a softie, because he gives Brai a bright grin when she takes the tiny cake--

--a bright grin that Madoka might actually find aggravatingly familiar--

--and then he finishes off his own tiny cakes, and then his coffee. He watches her fly over to Coco, and ask about her sister, and abruptly he thinks there are probably things about to be said that he shouldn't hear.

He stands up, offers a little bow, and says, "Darien Shields, grade 10, but I really need to go. Thank you again, miss, and nice to meet you all. Please, I-- shouldn't know more about your Chara, candystriper, or probably your name," he tells Madoka in embarrassed apology. "You helped me film a video once."

And he pushes the curtain open and leaves, leaves, in an unfairly graceful hurry.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka nods and smiles sincerely. "Yeah, I didn't really get the ability to transform until a couple of weeks ago. Sadly, Gretchen ran away from be before then, so I've kinda lost track of her." She fidgets with her hands in her lap. She'd make a comment about Coco's involvement, but she doesn't want to out her in front of two unknowns.

    Brai looks up at Coco, and then down at the spread of cards laid out before her. She floats over to the first card, where it becomes clear that it's probably longer than she is tall. A life sized image of her could probably fit on one of these. On the other hand, they are still light, and flipping over the card is no more difficult than flipping over a poster would be for a normal person.

    She flips the first one, and then the next two as instructed.

    Madoka glances over to Takumi, then winces in her direction. "Sounds pretty rough. I hope you manage to get away from that. If it's true, then there's a good chance my friends might end up fighting with your family. I'm sorry about that."

    Madoka then watches as Darien suddenly drops his name and gets up to leave. She raises an eyebrow at what he says, until realization suddenly dawns on her. "Oh. That was you?!"

    He's gone, probably before he can answer. Madoka is sitting there aghast at the revelation. Then she turns back to Coco and Takumi. "... Yeah, that's... the kind of thing I mean. Sadly, as much as I love my Chara, they don't give me a whole lot of magical privacy."

    Madoka fidgets with her hands again as she worries.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Nice to meet you Takumi, I am Coco, grade 11", she smiles, then frowns at the mention of what Takumi went through due to her villainous family. "That must have been horrible, I am glad you have a fresh start here."

Coco ponders at Takumi's request. She doesn't know anybody here that fulfills those characteristics, and as for a certain person she knows in other places... She isn't exactly in the right mindset to move on. "Sorry, I cannot help you there."

"Hello, Shields-san", she says, all that has the time to come out of her mouth before Darien runs away.

The cards Brai unveils are the Moon reversed, the Sun reversed and Judgement. "Alright, I can see your starting relationship with her isn't really solid. Everything is so confused, and there is lots of fear and misinterpretation around you. The cause of this is due to some negativity that surrounds her. She may not be all that content with how things are, and that's why your relationship with her is unsteady."

She looks at the third card. "To get over this, an awakening will be necessary. The matters that drive her away are much too important, so they need to be settled before you can reunite."

Now the three remaining cards. "From my perspective, reveal the top left one, then the top right one, then the central remaining one, and we are done." She offers a smile of encouragement to Brai.

Takumi Yoru has posed:
"They aren't Tokyo-based. Toyama. Opposite coast. Left them as far behind as I could..." She turns to watch the boy leave before turning back to the other two. She stays silent for now, letting the other two go through the motions of the other card reading.

She glances back at Coco and smiles softly before she nods. "Guess I'll start the hunt." The tattooed kid rises to her feet and offers a bit of a bow to the two others. "Nice to meet you both, but I'm gonna get going. Thanks for the glimpse into the future." With that she turns and wanders out, lost in thought.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka watches as Takumi leaves, and waves goodbye to her. Then her attention goes back to Coco. This is a question that matters to her too, since Brai's 'sister' is Madoka's X-Chara. She gets a bit nervous about that. "That sounds about right. She's tried to explain herself before, but I get the feeling that there's something she isn't telling us."

    Brai is also pondering this. "An awakening? Hm." This is... eerily accurate, but also insightful in its own way. As she's thinking about this, Madoka fingerpats the top of her head.

    "Do you need help flipping the other cards?" the Chara Bearer asks.

    Brai shakes her head. "No, I've got it." The tiny little minidoka moves over to each of the last three cards in turn. The World, the Tower, and the Star. She takes a glance at the Tower and gets a bit worried. "That looks dire."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco waves to Takumi as she exits the booth. "See you around."

With that she goes to check the cards Brai revealed. "Your advantage in this situation is your potential at creating situations of harmony. Moreover, there is a feeling of completion you can rely on to help."

She taps the Tower next. "This however is a less positive symbol. It indicates a sudden upheaval and disaster. Something will happen that may be dangerous to both you and her."

However she reserves a smile to Brai. "Don't take it too hard, though, because the outcome of this situation is actually positive. The Star indicates hope, faith and rejuvenation, so things will definitely turn themselves right."

She turns towards Madoka. "I suppose Brai's sister has something to do with you too." She isn't sure if Madoka is fine with discussing that when Coco knows more about the pinkette than the Chara Bearer does about her, and they are alone now, anyway. "I am Yellow Pearl Voice."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka and Brai both listen closely to Coco's explanation and interpretation of the symbols. Something dangerous... to Gretchen? It's not impossible. Despite how much power she contains, she can't really tap into it without the help of her Bearer.

    The star being the symbol of Hope. Madoka wonders for a moment if there might be additional meaning to that.

    When Coco reveals her secret ID, Madoka nods. "I remember. You told me during the zoo incident, right? Or rather, you had to reveal yourself to me back then, because otherwise I would've run away." With a bright smile, she adds, "Thank you for that, by the way, and all the other times you kept me safe. I didn't want to say that earlier with the other two in the room, but things would have gone very differently for me if you weren't around."

    Madoka glances towards Brai, who is currently hovering over the cards and worrying about them. The Bearer fingerpets the Chara's tiny head. "By 'sister', Brai actually means my other Chara, or I suppose I should say X-Chara. Gretchen is avoiding me, and while I'm sure dark energy has something to do with it, I'm pretty sure it's not the only reason. There's an underlying problem that needs to be solved first, or else purifying her will do more harm than good, but I don't really know what that problem is."

    She shakes her head and adds, "Part of it is... she says I don't appreciate her enough, and well... at first I didn't know what she meant by that. When we first met I loved so much the idea of having Chara, and I still do, but it's not that simple. Chara aren't merely mascots. They're representations of our dreams regarding who we want to be. I love Gretchen, the person. I don't necessarily love the dream she represents, and I think that's the root of the problem."

    Brai, without changing her stance or gaze, agrees with her Bearer's suspicions, "That sounds about right. I think that she represents a level of power that would create a distance between Madoka-chan and other magical girls, so much that they might not be able to understand each other. Madoka-chan's afraid to embrace Gretchen-chan as a dream because she's afraid of losing that connection."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"I am glad you are all right now. I have been worried as to whether those burns healed well. They were really nasty." She shudders at the memory.

The explanation Madoka gives is actually confusing to the mermaid. "What are Chara and X-Chara?" Then there is the matter of purification not being a solution. "If she is contaminated by dark energy, how can you be sure she is saying the truth? She could be manipulating you for her own ends."

Madoka does say that they represent dreams, so she now knows that, but "Is it really possible to have a dream you don't want? How did Gretchen emerge?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka nods to Coco. "I'm better from all of that. Luckily, between you and Magda-san, the wounds didn't last long."

    As to the confusion and the questions, Madoka isn't sure how to answer that. It's not as if she has perfect knowledge of this kind of thing herself, either. Brai is actually the one who speaks up, since Chara seem to know other Chara.

    "You'd think not, but it's not that simple." Brai floats a little higher, to be at Coco's eye level. "It's possible to have a dream that conflicts with your other desires, or a dream that you suppress because it gets in the way of other dreams that you have. Sometimes human beings have paradoxical desires, and that paradox forces you to choose between one desire or another. Sometimes a person desires something, but is afraid of what it means. Think of it like this..."

    Brai starts to float slowly in wide circles, as if she's pacing around the table. "Let's say that you had a dream of singing on a stage. Like an Idol, maybe. Ideally, if you became a Chara Bearer, then that dream would become a Chara. However, let's also say that you absolutely hated the idea of being vulnerable, or putting yourself in a position to be mocked or criticized. The idea of going on stage, no matter how much you want it, could also be absolutely terrifying. If you gave into those fears, and chose to give up on that dream, then that Chara would eventually disappear. Chara that are close to vanishing are vulnerable to being corrupted into X-Chara, but that corruption isn't always guaranteed. Often that comes from an outside force."

    Brai stops her slow circle and floats to the center of the table, holding up a finger. "In Gretchen's case, she was hatched from an X-Egg, which means that she was corrupted before she was ready to be born. According to Gretchen, her original uncorrupted form represented Madoka's desire to be her very best self. Achieving her full potential, if you will. However, if you listen to Kyubey, Madoka had the potential to become a Goddess. That... in of itself, is not a dream. Not to Madoka's mind. Power without a goal or purpose is meaningless."

    Brai clasps her hands behind her back, and then turns away from Coco and towards her Bearer. "My theory is that if Gretchen had never become corrupted, she likely would have remained an unhatched Chara Egg, and she would have stayed that way for a long time. Long enough for Madoka to realize what form that dream should take. Long enough for her to achieve a stable, well defined form. Gretchen is the way she is largely because that natural process was interrupted by an unknown agent."

    Madoka, for her part, is mostly just listening to this. Though she does respond to one thing. "Well, I don't think that Gretchen would lie on purpose, but that doesn't mean she has everything right. Her clearly stated goal is for me to reach a level of maturity where I can accept her, and I believe that she means that, but I don't think it's that simple."

    Brai interjects again. "Right. She's being pretty honest about she wants, as far as we can tell, but she's thinking from the perspective of someone who's mind is being twisted."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco gives a thought on what is being said. Becoming a goddess, and somebody corrupting the symbol of that transformation before it could hatch... She tries to imagine someone who could rival Aqua Regina, but she can't imagine that, not a single person at least. It took an entire race of superpowered beings to force her to drain herself beyond repair, so what could have influenced something so abstract? Maybe it was easier if that goddess wasn't born just yet, which brings another matter up. "How does she ascend into a goddess?" she asks Brai perplexed.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Brai crosses her arms for a moment, and then answers, "Well, obviously, it's because..."

    The Chara trails off. This kind of thing has stopped being her wheelhouse. She can explain the parts of karmic destiny that involve common religious practices and theory, but she can't explain in detail how that interacts with Kyubey's stuff. Madoka is somewhat at a loss as well. "Eheh, I don't really know. It's just what Kyubey said. Something about how much magic potential I had."

    Brai adds, "Before Madoka became a Chara Bearer, there was a time when Kyubey was trying to tempt her to become a Puella Magi. You might actually remember that, but it was before my time."

    Madoka nods. "Right, he said that I could make any wish I wanted, and that I could even become a god if I wanted. He didn't really clarify what that meant."

    Brai tilts her head to the side and considers, "As for why Madoka has so much potential, we don't really know."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Oh, yeah, there was that", Coco comments with annoyance. She is still angry at the rat having put her friend in an unneeded danger with that Soul Gem thing of his. "I am glad you didn't accept his offer", she comments. "Could it be he is behind Gretchen's corruption? Maybe he did it as retaliation, for refusing him. He was somehow aware of your potential in the first place." If he could somehow measure it, he could potentially interfere with it.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka's frown is immediate upon the implication of Kyubey's involvement. She looks pretty nonplussed as she looks off to the side.

    Brai is the first to actually speak up. "Kyubey... has a lot to do with why Gretchen got corrupted. Actually, both she and I turned into X-Charas at the same time, but I was purified while Gretchen escaped. I thought it was pretty rude of her to ditch me at the time, but I think even as a corrupted Chara she was looking out for my best interests. That's why I trust her intentions, if not her words."

    Madoka speaks next. "I actually forgot about this, but Kyubey was the one who told me that all my potential was gone. I didn't have my Chara Eggs yet, so I thought that meant I'd never become a magical girl. Both Brai and Gretchen represent aspects of that dream, and so when I started to give up on that they became vulnerable. I don't think that Kyubey deals in dark magic himself, so I'm pretty sure that the actual corruption came from someone else."

    Brai nods as Madoka talks, and then adds, "It's possible Kyubey was hoping to make us disappear, to free up Madoka's potential so that she could still make a contract. I don't know if that would have worked, but I'm sure the thought crossed his mind at some point."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
So basically Kyubey doesn't even hesitate in killing someone before they are born. At least it didn't stick, even if Gretchen is still suffering from the consequences. "I knew he had to be cold and unfeeling, but I didn't know he was that ruthless.

Coco exits the curtains for a second before going back in. "I believe you two deserve some celebration for making it through Kyubey's machinations, and maybe we can do the same with Gretchen another time."

With her she has a few more tasty dishes and refreshing beverages. Good thing she had them already on hand. Now Madoka, Brai and her can enjoy this impromptu party.