302/The Ruler and The Mermaid

The Ruler and The Mermaid
Date of Scene:	25 August 2023
Location:	Dorms #2
Synopsis:	Yellow Pearl Voice returns a battered Hannah to her dorm after the attempt on her life. Coco learns of Hannah's circumstances, and the two form a bond of friendship, magical and mundane.
Cast of Characters:	Hannah Steiner, Coco Kiumi

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Hannah Steiner has posed:
Hannah and Ami's dormroom is mostly standard: one bunk bed, plenty of furnishings and a common area with a couch (looking quite well appointed, that particular piece of furniture) as well as a general sense of pure tidiness. For different reasons, the duo have built quite the bastion of order and comfort where many teenagers would instead indulge in chaos.

Luckily too, for Coco, it's not hard to find Hannah's keys in her pocket as she clings to her Device, drifting in and out of consciousness the whole way back!

Coco Kiumi has posed:
The walk back to the dorm has been rather calm all in all: Coco didn't receive many disturbances, calmly finding her way to the dorm as Hannah floats next to her in the Live Stage. Walking in the open like that is a huge risk, but the sphere of white light isn't exactly incospicuous.

It's a blessing she isn't jumped by Riventon or anybody of that sort. Hannah's dorm key is a huge help on finding her way, the room number clearly displayed on it. She walks right up until she reaches the door, the only event during the way being Hannah sporadically waking up.

Everytime she is about to explain what is going on, and everytime the blonde girl goes back to unconsciousness. 'I hope she is alright', Coco thinks a few repeats of this.

Once inside the dorm, she lowers the Live Stage onto one of the beds there (is it Hannah's? let's hope so), and she tucks her in. "Sleep well, Hannah", Coco says, after making sure she is comfortable.

Hannah Steiner has posed:
Groans and shudders come and go quickly for Hannah. She might be tougher than most being a magical girl, but getting so roughly handled and nearly dying by a youma that strong takes a toll. Yet, the young Steiner heir is nothing if not /stubborn/. As she's laid down, she lets out a particularly pained groan. Sightless eyes jolt awake, her back arcs, and suddenly both hands are gripping at one of Yellow Pearl Voice's wrists.

"M...Mother? Nein! Do not leave me! Not YOU! Father will be fine. He will! He...he...NO!" Comes Hannah, clearly still half-lost in reliving the past that the attempt on her life has so starkly drawn back into her mind.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
A jolt of surprise passes through Coco when Hannah grabs her wrist, and the panic in the Steiner's voice doesn't help with putting her at ease. The mermaid princess nervously walks back next to the half-conscious girl, wondering about what traumatic memory she is revisiting, grabbing Hannah's free hand. "It's ok, Hannah, I'm not going anywhere", she says, sitting down on the bed.

She caresses her hand, telling the panicking girl everything is fine and nothing is going to happen to her. 'Were her parents killed like she was about to be?' Coco wonders with equal measure horror and care about what Hannah has gone through. While making Hannah feel her closeness in this fashion, she starts singing a little melody, hoping the sound can reach her in that nightmare she is having.

At dawn I will see the seven lands destiny wants me to truly find.
Charming melody, you sprout life and urge me to sing a loud message of love.
You shall always be in the depths of my soul, not even time shall part us.
Charming melody, you sprout life and urge me to sing a loud message of love.

Hannah Steiner has posed:
The sound of Pearl's beautiful voice has the young woman clinging that much more, the dark thoughts and nightmare in her head slowly fading away the more that she sings. Remembering the love of her parents, rather than their painful demise. Of much brighter times at home, crossing blades with her mother and laughing by the fire as she and her father shared stupid jokes.

Eventually as the song fades, her groan becomes less immediately psychologically distressed, and more simply pained. Another little gasp.

"...frau...Yellow Pearl Voice...?" Mumbles the girl, some vague sense of consciousness returning to her. Her heart feels bit to burst. So much to process, but right now? She's /exhausted/.

But at least half way conscious next to one of her saviours.

"Where...?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Hi, Hannah", Coco smiles reassuringly at the waking noble. "We are in your dorm room." Now that Hannah is more conscious, she realises how much she doesn't look well. "You are safe now, your attacker has been disposed of. Lots of people came at your rescue", she tries to comfort the girl.

"Do you want to drink a glass of water?" she suggests, thinking that would help her with her exhaustion, perhaps with one or two spoons of sugar in addition. "How do you feel?" Coco adds. 'I hope the monster didn't get her too badly. We arrived there pretty fast, right?' she gives form to some of her concerns in her own mind.

Hannah Steiner has posed:
"Mmmph. So they did. Is...everyone alright?" Comes Hannah weakly, concern flashing across her face. Everything is still a blurr, but concern for those that have so gallantly came to her rescue easily worms its' way out of her heart. The thought that someone has actually been permanently /hurt/ for her own miserable life suddenly sends a sharp pant of terror through her body.

"Yes, please. The fridge is eight paces from the door towards the 'living room'." Agrees the young woman, clearly having every inch of the place mentally mapped out.

And then she's groaning again, one brow knitting. Part of her wants to be sarcastic. She feels like several Lyras were dropped onto her skull. "Horrible. Embarrassed. Und every inch of mein body is either on fire, or numb. But given I am not bleeding to death, well. Alacrity is something I shall praise." She mutters quietly. Her body is starting to shiver, all that adrenaline fighting with her desire to shove down the emotions assailing her rather than break down in front of her rescuer. Luckily, that song has helped tremendously!

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Yes, everyone is alright", Coco replies quickly, this not really being the time to let mental stress pile up on the physical one. "The demon's attacks have either been avoided or shrugged off", she specifies, thinking in order about most of them for the first one and Jolly Roger for the second one. "So your condition is a more pressing matter. How do you feel? Frankly, you don't look good."

Coco gets up from the bed, going to where the noble has indicated, a bit curious about the manners of the instructions. She adds two spoons of sugar to the glass before filling it with fresh water and mixing it well. "Here you go", she says once she is back to Hannah, holding the glass near her.

"We were really worries about you, so of course we would be fast. My pearl reacted that day, and it doesn't usually do that", Coco adds, still not really sure about how that came to be since she doesn't have any particular tie with Hannah as far as she knows.

Hannah Steiner has posed:
It's perhaps telling that Hannah doesn't answer the question before that glass of water is offered over. She at first quickly - suddenly hacking and coughing in her haste - then more slowly drains it. With a long gulp and sigh, she tries to sit up a little more properly.

Only to shudder and crash right back to the bed.

"I suppose...question answered, hm?" A weak little smirk, her cheery and strong personality trying to come to the fore, but frankly she sounds tired and beaten. Which she is, quite literally.

Quietly, she considers. Coco /did/ just save her life. Is this really the time to be holding things back? But then again, can she risk drawing her further into danger as a reward for saving her hide?

There's the conflict.

"I...may have an answer." She starts quietly, gently.

"Und while the whole of it...aught wait until I've mein wits about me. Mmm. Do you wish to know? I caution you, Yellow Pearl Voice. Mein Sankt und freund. Think before you answer. I fear this is just the start of matters, und you deserve an opportunity to walk away." She coughs out, all of her warmth dying out like a sun snuffed. Hannah is tired, grim, and for once, humorless.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco takes the glass from Hannah's hand as she starts coughing. She doesn't look good for sure, no need to trouble her further with that.

"Someone has it out for you, that much is clear from what that robot was going on about", Coco says, cutting to the heart of the matter. "And I wouldn't be a good friend if I took a chance to run away when you are in danger", she exclaims resolutely. "I am not going to leave you behind, no matter what." An implicit "not you too" echoes in her mind.

"I do have another question for you, besides the whole assassination deal: why do you know to call me Yellow Pearl Voice? I am sure this is the first time you have met me, and you were unconscious the whole time I was fighting."

Hannah Steiner has posed:
Hannah's face becomes tighter as she takes in Coco's words. Hands fall to her lap, Blauer Greif still stubbornly kept close. She can't find it in herself to fault such noble sentiments, even as the idea that she never should have come to this planet begins to subsume her thoughts. Her chest hurts. Guilt has her mouth wavering. She could lie, refuse to answer. Send her saviour away grumpily.

Stubborn honor wins out. "That is because we have fought by each other's side." Admits Hannah easily enough. There's little point in hiding it, even with the Veil's protection, her sense of honor easily shatters it. YPV deserves to know.

"Mein freund...you know me by mein cognomen, Trager des Blauer Greif. Indeed. You have wielded mein freund once." The Device she's clutching gently pings the mahou before her.

And with what little she can do in this form, lightly begins to scan Coco quietly for some kind of identification, versus the other magical scans she's taken while they've been in combat.

Again, nothing familiar. The Device seemingly fades...only to start to scrape the local internet for anything resembling Coco's presence.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco looks at the girl before her, suddenly recognising her. "That's you!" she says agape. "That explains the pearl's reaction. It wouldn't do it just for anyone. But we have had many occasions to become friends", she says smiling, going forward to give the german girl a light hug. "Though, you have to know we did meet each other once or twice here at school. I am Coco", she says.

"You still haven't explained what is going on", she interrupted the merrier moment. "Whoever sent that demon is going to try again, right? I want to help you, Hannah. You are really capable, but your opponent clearly doesn't mind underhanded means, and I would never forget if something happened to you", she says, much more seriously.



Blauer Greif's scan returns the following data:

Voice of the Yellow Pearl
Item's Material: Oceanic Composition of Magical Essence
Magical Signature: The Yellow Pearl is a Focal Point of Yellow Pearl Voice's Birth
Form: Currently Shapeshifted
Weakness: Water undoes the shapeshifting
Magical Talent: Singing (Innate, tied to the Yellow Pearl)
Hypothesis: Maighdean na tuinne, Melusine, Selkie, Ningyo, Mermaid, Finfolk
Data: Mermaids have magical singing
Conclusion: Mermaid

Hannah Steiner has posed:
Smile. Hannah slowly nods, then immediately regrets the motion as her noggin throbbs heavily! Nngh. "frau Coco then. May we /properly/ spend time together once I have legs not feeling as baked goods." Offers the young woman, arms reaching out to gently cling to her friend, her heart happily swelling at connect both sides of her friend!

"Admittedly, this was bound to happen sooner or later, either upon mein own side or his. Someone always must needs make the first streik." Comes Hannah much more dourly in response to Coco's question.

A deep sigh. "This is no doubt the work of mein Uncle, Count Otto von Bismark Karstein-Steiner. No creature such as that would know about 'royal blood' without being told. Mein apologies, freund. I have gotten you caught up in a political matter." Explains Hannah, avoiding the full details rather deftly as she gives the broad scope of it all.

And then Blauer Greif is trying to shunt that data into her head. Which...results in a groan of pain.

<Yellow Pearl Voice. Interrogative. Frage. Gathered data suggests current form adjacent to planetary legend 'Siren'. Alternatively 'Mermaid'> Questions the Device to Coco. Hannah's too out of it to hear, as her head pounds.

<Anfrage. Statement of alliance to Great Belkan House of Steiner. Belohnen. Focused denial of hydro-based assaults. Ack? Nac?> Comes the straightforward but equally unhelpful offer from Hannah's Device.

Cursed Space Nobles!

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Your uncle did this?" Coco repeats appalled in the face, her voice cracking from the complete betrayal that would imply. "I am sorry for the situation you found yourself in due to someone who should be on your side", she saids, giving Hannah another light hug.

"I don't mind being caught up in this. We are friends, and that's something that I care lots about. Nothing that could happen to you would make me regret it and turn tail." She points to the E-Pitch mic where the Yellow Pearl is currently inlaid. "I did tell you the pearl reacted when you were in danger. That wouldn't have happened if I hadn't cared to know."

"That's...", Coco says, surprised at Blauer Greif's degree of knowledge. 'I am pretty sure I did nothing to give it away, is that device so powerful?', she reflects, worried about the potential such a technology would have in enemy hands. "I should ask you how you found out. That's an important secret, and one I wouldn't want everyone to know", she talks, looking a bit unsure towards the device. 'It should be fine, I can trust Hannah', she decides.

"But it actually comes as relief to me in this case, since that's something I can't reveal myself, and it prevents me from having this secret weigh on my friendship with Hannah." The mermaid princess nods in thanks in Blauer Greif's direction, a smile on her face. "I am grateful to you for that and as far as I am concerned, this alliance has been going on for a while now", she replies to the device. "But if you need a concise answer, then it's yes."

Hannah Steiner has posed:
Hannah...well, she first tries to laugh, and then coughs, and is sucking in breath at Coco's words.

"You are to kind, mein freund. 'Occupational hazard', as some dour souls may say." Smiles Hannah at all that betrayal and would-be familitude! Teeth clench.

Bluntly, Hannah feels embarassed. Her head again pounds, and she finally just /relaxes/.

"Hah. Nein. Yellow Pearl Voice would never turn her Stage und run. Which is exactly why I suggest you do the utmost to stay alive, mein freund." Offers Hannah weakly, and suddenly she's cuddling her blankets and pillows roughly. Her entire body shivers.

<Antwort. Multiple subsequent scans of Yellow Pearl Voice's combat techniques. Sensoren of Blauer Greif graded level Alpha by Belkan Armed Device Standards combined with multiple local data-network requests for possible connections. Conjecture levels: Alpha. Redacting subect 'YPV' to State Level Security grade maximum. Current clearence level members in local space: 1. Nomen. Hannah Steiner> Concludes the Device to Coco alone.

Hannah, meanwhile, seems to have finally given up consciousness again and is a curled-up mass of snoring. The Device settles gently upon her neck protectively, and suddenly seems to fall in much the same condition.

It seems both are utterly exhausted.