799/TSAB undersea excursion

TSAB undersea excursion
Date of Scene:	23 November 2023
Location:	South Pacific Kingdom
Synopsis:	Chrono joins Princess Coco on a wild, undersea adventure. Spoilers: He doesn't like hugs. But he also learns more about the underwater kingdom and what it is the mermaid is fighting for.
Cast of Characters:	Chrono Harlaown, Coco Kiumi

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Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown had been texting with the 'Princess of the South Pacific Ocean' for a little bit, ever since their recent encounter. Now a meeting had been prepared. Rather than meeting at the school or the shed, today they were meeting at the beach.

Chrono arrived via flight, his device in hand and in his standard black enforcer uniform. Arriving on the beach, he landed on the sand, his boots digging into the sand slightly. "Hello?" he called out.

The beach, for the most part, seemed to be empty. Probably because it was cooooooold. People didn't wanna be out here when it was cooooold. Who'd wanna be in the water when it was cooooold?

Chrono didn't, but that was why he hadn't packed swim trunks. Because while he COULD, in theory, go in the water and endure the cold for a bit, even he knew better than to challenge the waves during a time like this.

That and he was meeting Coco, but what were the chances they'd need to go in the water, anyway?

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco, for her part, had been waiting right there next to a rock. She wasn't sure if she was actually supposed to do this, but it's not like she has Aqua Regina on speed dial to ask her what to do in the event of meeting with extraterrestial officers, and a highly ranked one at that, she thinks.

Still, she figures she ought to set a good first impression, should she not? Though there is the obvious hurdle of whether he counts as human or not, but if he comes from off planet, there is a good chance he is not. Probably.

She had managed to get him to meet at the beach, in the eventuality they were going to travel to her home. Coco has the intention to offer at least, as part of a proper welcome.

Waiting laying against a rock, she is certainly in no official uniform for now, wearing typical clothes for the winter season, a light orange jacket with a yellow wool dress decorated with a design of azure whisps of air, a set of black thighhighs and fur-trimmed brown boots.

"Welcome, officer Chrono", she smiles at him with a wave. "I am Coco, thanks for meeting with me. You will have to forgive my rudeness, I promise there is an reasonable explanation for it, but would you say you are human?"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown glanced towards the girl when she made herself known. He hadn't really noticed her visually, though his device often scanned now, just in case. Ever since the Norie incident against Hannah.

But well... yellow and orange didn't stick out the best against the sand. Boots did, at least. He walked towards her and gave a small, gentle smile. "So then. I suppose I should start by asking the obvious question. I met the princess of Europe recently, I heard you announce yourself as Yellow Pearl Voice? So not Sailor South Pacific Ocean?" he asked in an almost teasing tone.

Her question, however made him pause. "No. I am Midchildian. While we are similiar to humans, that's primarily due to the dimensions we travel in. You see, the TSAB travels through space and time, primarily through dimensions. While the number of dimensions are infinite, we tend to stick to ones that are, in terms of development, similiar. This dimension happens to be adjacent to ours, even if it is a black hole of magic. So no. You're not intending to try and attack me, are you? Some rule about 'not attacking humans' or the like?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Princess from which country in Europe? And why would that mean I ought to announce myself as a Sailor Senshi?" Coco asks puzzled. She isn't sure how Chrono went from a princess of Europe to using it as justification for calling herself Sailor. "Despite having often been her ally, I am part of a different group from Sailor Moon and her other close companions. Besides, that's even more of a mouthful than my actual moniker."

Traveling through dimensions? Like sort of the Dream Corridor and such? "So, getting off planet would not be enough to eventually find your home planet. It's in a different space entirely. Is that it?"

Coco fixes an imaginary fold of her jacket, as she collects herself for the revelation that still shouldn't risk her life. "You being a Midchildian simplifies things, actually. And no, my mission is to foster peace, not bring violence", she says, a serious expression on her face.

"Though there is in fact a rule, one about not revealing ourselves to humans. Simply put, the state I govern over, the Kingdom of the South Pacific, is a state of mermaids, myself included of course", Coco informs him.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown couldn't help giving a light chuckle when she asked about her ties to the Sailor Senshi. He shook his head. "Sorry, sorry. There was another magical person I met recently. She spoke of being 'Princess of Europe', something that didn't truly exist. I asked if she was Sailor Europe, which she said she was. I've begun to wonder if it was another scenario such as that, with your claim of being princess of the South Pacific. Which, as far as I am aware, doesn't exist. My apologies, I'm imagining there must be more to this story."

"As to my home... well... yes. I'd need to both leave this dimension and this world. Under normal circumstances, neither would be difficult. Even without the Arthra, it is more than possible. The biggest issue is that escaping the magical black hole of this world is... difficult." One might say impossible... but he refused to believe that.

Of course, then she explained who, and what, she was. And he blinked. Then, slowly, he reached up and rubbed his forehead. "I... see. A mermaid. Of... course. that would explain... some things." And once again he had more questions than answers. He was familiar with some of the myths and legends of this world... And mermaids, well. They were myths even on Midchildia. Of course they'd run into underwater species before. But never mermaids. And she was... ahem. To be blunt. Human looking.

He used his device to send a text to his colleague. A rather blunt one.

Chrono texts Setsuna: Setsuna. Are mermaids real?

Setsuna texts Chrono: Yes.

Chrono texts Setsuna: ... Thank you.

WELP! There was a brand new headache. "So... there's a whole... country of mermaids here. As well." Because WHY NOT?

"I... suppose greetings are in order. I've never actually met a mermaid, though. Do... you all look... human?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"That must have been been rather confusing, what was up with her?" Rather boggling how she just went along with what he said about her. She must have been disoriented herself. Would explain why she took on such an improbable title.

"Oh, I am sorry you are stuck here for the moment. It's rather distressing, being locked away from home." She looks down at him with sympathy. Her natural response would be a hug at this time, but she is isn't sure if she is allowed to. They literally just met. "How did this black hole form, why is it there?" That's a big concern as well. Is there some bigger reason to magic being trapped on Earth? Is it a natural phenomenon, or something with a purpose?

"No, not just a country", Coco corrects him. "The underwater kingdoms are many and varied, and of these the major seven are ran by mermaids: the Artic, the Antartic, the South Pacific, the North Pacific, the Indian Ocean, the North Atlantic and the South Atlantic. The reason I called you to the beach is to extend an invitation to my kingdom, the South Pacific Ocean."

"Hello, Chrono", Coco smiles warmly in response to the greeting. Though, she is a bit nervous about having to point out an obvious problem. On the other hand, she actually hasn't given any proof yet, so it's understandable. Still, she can't help but laugh a bit at that. "But well, of course I look human now. How awkward would it be if I tried to move on land with my tail, you know? Though, it's easier if I show you. Come on, follow me!" With that she runs towards the sea, and once the water is deep enough, she goes under, reemerging a few seconds after.

If Chrono follows her, he will actually see her a mermaid, wearing two pairs of beaded bracelets, one pair above her fin, another on her right wrist. The clothes she had on land have disappeared, leaving in place an armband on the left one, as well as typical mermaid swimwear. Everything is distinctly yellow-themed. A good thing mermaids don't suffer from cold temperatures. After Chrono reaches her, she explains once more of wanting to bring him to her home, and that's what she will do if he accepts.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a small shrug. "Not entirely sure. But I got her into contact with people who I believe can help her. It's really the best, the most, I can do," he said. "Honestly, that's about half my duty. Ensuring people like her who need help can get the help they need."

He nodded to the comment about... distress. "I've.... come to accept it. I have no idea how this black hole formed, but if I can I will try and stop it, or at least find the remains of the Arthra crew who were stranded on this world, to try and get them home. I'm certain there is a way."

Learning about the underwater kindom, however... oh. It was a whoooooole new thing to learn. He flew out into the water with her, hovering a few feet over and then... he started at her. "Uhhhh. I'd like to... visit your kingdom, of course. As a representative of the TSAB. However... While... I'm not quite human... I do require air. So if you're expecting me to swim there, that would be an impossibility."

Of course, upon learning the method to getting under the sea... well.... "I... see. Of... course... That sounds... delightful."

OH DELIGHTFUL WASN'T THE WORD HE'D USE FOR IT! Traveling inside a magical underwater barrier. Yeah. THAT SOUNDED AWFUL! AND TERRIFYING! "Of course." He quickly made his device send a record of his location and everything to Rashmi's device. Jsut in case. Not to alert her, just... well... if anything happened.

"Whenever you're ready."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Yellow Pearl Voice!" she declares, the pearl in her shell locket responding to her will and starting to shine with a yellow light. A kaleidoscope of colours covers Coco's clothes as those change into her yellow gloves and boots with flowy extensions, as well as a yellow blouse with a yellow skirt, while her pearl expands into her trusty E-Pitch microphone, its blue shape settling comfily into her hand, the jewel nestled safely in the head's center.

The Live Stage forms around both her and Chrono and she winks at him, unaware of his internal turmoil. "Well then, let's go", she declares excitedly. "So, when we get to the palace, you won't need this Live Stage to breathe, it has its own separate spell to let it happen. However, stepping out of it isn't recommended for you, since it doesn't extend all that far.

When they reach the South Pacific, she lets them into the castle, upon which she goes back to her natural mermaid form and lets the Live Stage dissolve. He can now breathe without it anyway. A large antechamber extends before them all suntously decorated by reliefs of what is clearly their history, as well as vases with underwater plants.

Upon hearing the opening of the doors, a crowd of attendants quickly forms, looking at who would possibly want to enter. All mermaids, not a single exception. "Princess Coco", they shout, not at all at the same time, scrambling to form two lines each displayed at each side of her. "Hello", the mermaid in question smiles smiles brightly, extending her right horizontally towards Chrono. "I came back with the esteemed TSAB officer Chrono Harlaown. This is an official visit to greet him to Earth properly. Would you prepare some refreshment, please?" Coco asks the other mermaids.

k"At once!" is their reply, and after they all disappear, Coco turns toward her guest with a smile. "It should be here shortly. How are you liking it so far?"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown would... have normally handled this decently well. Maybe. Possibly. If there was a ship.

But you see, he was currently inside a small live stage. With a singing mermaid. On an alien planet. Going underwater to depths that would have crushed him in an instant. Well, if she was his enemy (which she wasn't and he knew this), it would be a good way to finish him off.

Which the little voice in the back of his mind said. Repeatedly. Every so often. He sat down, eventually, legs crossed, eyes closed, relaxing inside the stage. Letting the fear wash off him, as it were. Well. Perhaps not off him. But meditating on it. Trying to ignore the.... perilousness of his situation.

Eventually, though, it ended. He was under the water. Safe. Secure. An hour? Odd.

His device wasn't able to get proper readings, either. He wondered if they had truly gone under the ocean, or if there was a portal or...

And now he was breathing underwater. This. This was... new. "I... see," he said. Slight eye twitch. "What a fascinating lost logia." Twitch twitch. Twitch.

Oh gosh it was mermaids. Mermaids as far as the eye could see. Beautiful mermaids and oh gosh he felt his cheeks getting slightly redder already.

He glanced out from the chamber and to the kingdom itself. "Fascinating. The magic of this place is incredible, the fact it doesn't let me drown or crush me. Were we to leave it, I would likely be crushed in an instant."

"For this magic to remain active at all times would likely require enough energy to compare with the engines of the Arthra itself, phenomenal power and..." Then he hummed, leaping into the air. Well, water, flipping upside down to come to a stop, feet on the roof, having crossed the distance in a few moments. A mix of his barrier jacket and the water's buoyancy. "Fascinating. S2U, make sure to catalog this magic, if we ever get a record out to midchildia, perhaps it could be replicated. The ability to..."

He then stopped, glancing to Coco and the mermaids and... went a little red again. "Err. Sorry. Right. Uhhhh. Hello there. As Princess Coco has said, I am Time Space Administrative Bureau Enforcer Chrono Harlaown, a pleasure to meet you," he said before kicking off the roof, flipping once and landing on the ground.

"Positively fascinating. Would you mind if I take a more detailed scan while I'm here?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco is apprehensive as they go down, now noticing the tenseness in her guest. It does get a bit better when he starts calming down on his own, but she is still a bit on alert.

Which is why when he starts acting oddly again later, she actually asks about it. "Is something wrong?" Coco asks as she sees him twitch, getting a tad nervous. She is the one responsible here if something goes wrong after all.

The mermaid princess doesn't know what a Lost Logia is, but it certainly shouldn't unnerve him this much. Miya was fine, and he doesn't seem to have struggles with breathing or anything else either. "What's a Lost Logia and why is it bothering you?"

She does smiles a bit impishly when he sees his reactions towards her attendant. "Hey now, think of Rashmi", Coco says in a jovial tone poking his cheek after swimming closer to Chrono, her arrival anticipated by the noise of her fins, which does avoid him possibly being startled by it.

"Well, yes, lots of work had been made to make the place hospitable to guests. While we are typically reclusive, we do need to have guests from the upper lands sometimes", clarifies Coco.

Then the refreshments arrive, transparent green drinks in their own glasses and some snacks that look incredibly similar to fragrant bread, crispy and only slightly salted.

"Hmm, sure, I guess. I don't think Aqua Regina would mind", the mermaid replies after Chrono asks for permission to run a more detailed scan. There aren't any important secrets here, after all.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown shook his head. "No, nothing is wrong. I'm merely... getting accustomed to more of this... reality," Chrono said. The underwater world was... special. It was amusing, in a way. They traveled the stars, the dimensions. But the oceans were their own... difficulty. In a way space wasn't.

"A lost logia is a type of magical artifact, but it is, in many cases, a magical artifact from a civilization that doesn't exist anymore and is unknown. This entire world is... possibly one. Or in one. Or adjacent to one. The magic here is strange and unknown, fascinating."

The mention of Rashmi, however, just made him blush more. Because he now imagined her in a cute little mermaid costume and it was adorable and he was so smitten for her. "Uhhhh... y-yeah. I'm here as an Enforcer, not as... uhhh. Rashmi's boyfriend," he said quickly. "How often do you have guests from above land?"

He took one of the glasses. Paused. Stared at it.

Slowly swished the glass around. And then there was BREAD. UNDERWATER. WHAT THE HECK?! Another eye twitch. He took a bit of a drink of the liquid, once he was sure it was safe. "I think you mentioned Aqua Regina before. Who are they? The queen?" Chrono asked. Just going to focus on his drink for now. Not the magic dress. Besides, he only had one hand to hold thing, the other had to hold the staff.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Would a hug help you get less tense?" Coco offers. Not the most political move, but to heck with that. If it helps, it helps, and she actually gives one in case of an affirmative reply.

"Well, then that's simple", Coco exclaims after the explanation over Lost Logia. "This is from our civilisation, and we are still around, so it's not a Lost Logia. In fact, we have recently finished rebuilding everything."

"Alright, if you say so", Coco squints her eyes at him. She was just teasing earlier, but is Chrono saying he would cheat on Rashmi with that excuse?

"Not that often", she replies. "Last guest was a friend almost a month ago, and the occasion before that goes back to before my birth."

His astonishment over the refreshments gets a chuckle out of her. "Surprised? Were you thinking we would eat raw fish and algae?" Coco offers him more bread from the plate. "We take good care in our food, of course."

At the last question, Coco brings Chrono over to a relief showing the goddess. "This is her, Aqua Regina, goddess of the seas and creator of the seven pearls that have given us princesses life and power."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
"No!" Chrono said quickly. Oh, there was another eye twitch. He already struggled with pretty girls. Getting hugged by them did not, in fact, make it easier. He coughed and shook his head, clearing his voice. "No."

"And... I will admit, I have been playing a bit more fast and loose with the term 'Lost Logia'. Namely, would you be able to recreate this magic? And... huh. So visitors are rare, then? I appreciate your kindness in allowing me to see this. Should I keep what I've learned quiet for the time being? Or are others allowed to know this place?"

"As for the food... I mean... kind of? Cooked, possibly. But... I'm underwater. I am literally underwater, drinking from a cup. In seawater. This? This is a bit... strange. Midchilda doesn't have magic like this. And on a... physics level? The number of laws of reality that are being bent and broken here is astonishing."

He then blinked a few times. Staring at the relief... and... "Is... meeting Aqua Regina a possibility? Is... she... here?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Oh, ok", Coco almost whispers from the surprise over Chrono's strong reaction. "I didn't know it would be such an issue, sorry for that", the mermaid raises the volume of her voice back to normal levels.

"If by you you mean me, then of course not. If you mean us, then certainly. We did have to rebuild everything recently, I already said that." Is he so distraught that he missed it? Maybe she should get him a drink for his nerves. It can't do him any good being so tense all the time.

"And you are a special occasion, I wouldn't have invited you if I didn't think it was important. Visitors from outside of the planet that represent a thriving civilisation?" She hopes Chrono can see why it would be special.

"You can erect barriers of ice just because you want, you have a spell that creates some place that can separate us from normal reality and this is where you draw the line at the law of physics being broken?" Her tone is half-amuses, half genuinely surprised.

"She won't appear easily anymore", Coco shakes her head sadly. "She is not as strong as she once was. Aqua Regina got weakened terribly after using her powers to stop the warmongering Panthalassa. Now she can only manifests in brief rare circumstances, or when all 7 of us mermaid princesses are together. The first is unpredictable, and the latter is currently impossible."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown shook his head. "It's fine. But, err, I am on duty now and do not enjoy... PDA's much while on duty."

"And you mentioned rebuilding this. I assumed you meant the structures. Not the magic. You set the magic as well? Incredible..." Chrono muttered, glancing around. "I'd love a chance to speak with your mages, if possible."

"While I do appreciate the... special privilage, I must admit as I am stranded here, I can't determine much on what the TSAB would do. While I have the authority to do quite a bit and even make trade offers and such... the truth is, enforcing anything I can't do personally would be all but impossible."

"As for my magic, it's actually not as 'magical' as you might think. It's not actually ice, so much as temperature manipulation. I extract all heat from an area, causing everything to freeze over in a..." He trailed off for a moment. "Okay, in retrospect, I understand it seems just as 'magical' as all this if you aren't aware of all the complex math that takes place within it. But I assure you, no laws of physics are being throttled. It's... just complex. For example, the 'barriers' that shunt non-magical people out of the local area are actually just temporal dimensional transitions that... okay the more I talk the more I realize that none of this really... applies here. This... is just very impressive."

"And I see... so she's trapped. And you need all seven of your magical princesses.... hm. Is there any other way to do it? A way to stand in for the princesses? Or... do you actually need Aqua Regina at the moment?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Oh. That was what he meant earlier. Good thing she never said any of it aloud. Though she still finds it a bit weird as a reply since she was joking about limiting it to Rashmi.

"Well, that's ok. I am not expecting anything back. Just showing hospitality", Coco gives him another warm smile.

"Well, no structures, no magic. I don't recommend stepping outside, but if you want to try for like, I don't know, a second, you will see what I mean." She skips over how unconvincing the second explanation is.

"I assume I could set you up with an appointment. That's well within my capabilities. Although, they are, well, more mermaids", she comments with no teasing this time, just a heads up.

And she didn't explain herself correctly, it seems. "Aqua Regina is not really trapped, she just can't, I think, 'be part of this reality' would be the correct terms."

"I don't know if there are alternatives, probably not. Since we are born from the pearls, we share a special bond with Aqua Regina. And you can't really replicate that. And Aqua Regina would guide us 7 to the assured defeat of the King of the Deep Seas that is threatening to conquer the world, she is our manager or leader still."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown nodded and then turned towards Coco, giving her a small smile. "You have been more than hospitable. And I would appreciate that, in fact. And... I'll... stay in here. At these pressures, outside of the magical field... well. I'd likely only survive due to my own magical shielding. And I have no idea how long that would hold out."

"... But yes, I would like that appointment, if possible while I'm down here."

Can't be part of this reality, huh. That... that was... certainly a thing. He wasn't sure how much of a thing, but it was a thing. "King of the Deep seas. Another enemy, I take it? Another threat to add to the list." Slow, deep sigh.

"It seems for every positive magical user, there is a negative to counteract them... Princess Coco? When... we return to the surface, I have something I'd like to show you. It's likely to not be very active at the moment, but well... as Rashmi has vouched for you, there's a new location. A special... shed. Where others meet up."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Ok, I will talk with them right away. It shouldn't take long." She will probably have them there in 2 hours, tops.

"A shed where others meet up? Within the school?" If it's special, it's probably hard to find, or maybe outright hidden by magic. That sounds extremely useful. "Thanks a lot, Enforcer Chrono."