1605/One real shot

One real shot
Date of Scene:	30 May 2024
Location:	Pikarigaoka Ward
Synopsis:	Madoka comes visiting Coco with gifts that would help tide her over till things go back to normal. Exchanging reassurances for what is about to happen soon, Coco gives her trust to Madoka, and the pinkette reciprocates with a promise to take care of things.
Cast of Characters:	Coco Kiumi, Madoka Kaname
Tinyplot:	Sunset of Sora

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Coco Kiumi has posed:
The water Coco is in is pleasantly cold, as per usual ever since the mermaid had been introduced to the functionality of the pool by Setsuna. The movie projector has been turned off at the moment, and she is just enjoying this moment without the noise of any external audio, and besides she has watched so many movies she isn't really in the mood for them right now. So she is instead facing her most pressing imperative, that has been a recurring matter, an inevitable one due to the situation she finds herself in.

She is getting some very light exercise right now, the only kind this bathtub allows, watching her tail move up and down, up and down, up and down. It's a good thing Setsuna has provided her a bathtub much larger than average, or else she couldn't even do that much.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka, by her request, was let into the Outers house. It was, presumably, made clear to her that she's not to discuss what she sees here. Which is fine, provided that she can get her Chara to cooperate.

    Speaking of Chara, two are currently following Madoka Kaname around: Gretchen, who is somehow more grumpy than usual, and Medo, who could not be kept away from a wounded friend if Madoka tried. Gretchen is actually hiding inside of her black X-Egg, looming behind Madoka in a way that seems to radiate annoyance, but otherwise isn't causing any trouble. The X-Egg has a new pink ribbon on top, for whatever reason. Maybe Gretchen wanted to decorate her egg?

    Madoka is also carrying around a shopping bag in both hands, the contents of which have also likely been vetted by whoever showed Madoka in. When she reaches the bathroom, she knocks on the door and calls out, "Coco-chan? It's me, Madoka. Can I come in?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco's neutral expression changes completely when she hears the voice of a friend on the other side of the door asking if she can come in. Both because she can decidedly use the company and because if they are there it means they have not suffered any grievous attack. And she definitely appreciates the reassurance given that as far as she knows, Hinoiri is still at large. That, plus all the other threats that roam through Tokyo, although the weirdly composite Sunbreaker is definitely on top of her concerns.

"Please come in, Madoka!", Coco smiles, her crystalline voice reflecting the happiness she feels at the moment. "I am really glad to see you", she adds to the pinkette, getting a bit more upright from within the bathtub. "How have you been? Everything alright?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Upon being invited in by the talented voice of a friend, Madoka feels... reassured. It's one thing to hear that a wounded friend is 'doing okay', relatively speaking, but it's something else to actually hear it. With a smile, she opens the door and walks in, followed by her two fairies. Well, one fairy and one ominous, looming egg anyways.

    The pinkette closes the door behind her and walks up to the fancy bathtub where Coco is being kept. She glances around at the fancy room and comments, "Eheh, I think Meiou-sensei might actually be richer than momma. Or at the very least she has a bigger house."

    When she reaches the side of the tub, she finds a place to sit and takes it, placing the shopping bag on the ground. "Overall, I'm... doing alright. I'm worried about my friends, which is... why I'm going around making visits I guess." Coco, of course, being one of the friends that Madoka is worried about. "Also working on a way to deal with Sunbreaker, so..." She pauses for a moment of awkward, nervous laughter. "... I guess you can say I've been busy."

    Madoka glances at Coco, and her eyes go to the mermaid's wounds. Medo also floats over the tub to get a closer look. "How about you? Have you been resting up? Feeling better?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco gazes curiously at the egg that she recognises as Gretchen's, before that expression turns to worry that she realises that Gretchen had been attacked by Hinoiri once before. "Hello, Medo", she adds to the greeting from earlier, waving at the pinkette fairy before asking the question pressing on her. "Is Gretchen alright? Sunbreaker did not get her too, right?"

"Yes, it's a very nice house", Coco comments, every now and then still distracted by the closed egg, until she will know what is up with that. "Since they need signs to let guests know where to go in this house, it's definitely very big." Madoka possibly had to make use of them herself to reach Coco's location. Not that the yellow mermaid is actually poking at the concept, since visitors to her palace get shown around by an attendant instead.

"I am glad to hear you doing well", Coco says, accepting that being busy in this situation is just one of the things that one has to come to term with. "I trust you to be careful", she adds when Madoka mentions trying to find a way to deal with Sunbreaker, "but just try to stay safe, ok?", those golden eyes look at her with apprehension and even some guilt from being to help when her friends could use it.

Gesturing at the projector, she adds "I have lots of cool movies to watch, more than I could possibly want to watch for in a lifetime. I am definitely feeling better", she smiles a bit to her friend. "The burns have been making great progress, in fact I have resting way more than I need, and all the energy one could possibly want and more. Would be nice to have something to use it on, but that's for when I can transform again or when my burns don't need supervision any longer and I can be let into the ocean."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "No, Hinoiri-chan didn't get me, but Madoka-chan did!" complains a very Gretchen-like voice from within the egg. Madoka immediately looks guilty.

    "Gretchen, you said you'd behave in front of Coco..." reminds the Bearer.

    "She asked!" grumps the Egg.

    Deciding to fess up, Madoka reaches towards her shirt collar to pull out her necklace. Normally this necklace would have a single pearl on it, but now there's a second thing hanging next to Aqua Regina's gift: a locket, in the shake of a lock with four prismatic heart-shaped gems arranged to look like a clover. "A friend gave me this. It's a magical item with purification magic meant specifically to work on X-Eggs. Unlike most forms of purification, it seemed safe to use it on Gretchen, but... it didn't work."

    The Egg complains further. "She used it while I was distracted with ice cream!" Madoka winces a little bit, but after a moment the black egg cracks open and Gretchen's eyes peek out at Coco. "I'm fine, Coco-chan. I just have strong opinions about the current situation."

    Madoka clears her throat and explains a bit further. "I mean... I thought that having a purified Gretchen would give me a boost when fighting Sunbreaker, but it didn't work out that way, and I think she'll get really mad if I try it again. Still, I can always try using the Locket on Sunbreaker herself." The pinkette makes a 'shush' gesture with her lips and says, "Try to keep that a secret for now though, okay? I don't want Sunny-chan to know that I have purification magic before I get a chance to use it on her."

    Madoka glances at the projector, and then is suddenly reminded. "Oh! Actually, I wanted to bring you a present. I know you like singing, so I bought you this." The pinkette reaches into her shopping bag and pulls out a cardboard box, which she then starts unpacking. "It's a karaoke machine, for home use. I... don't know how well it will work if you try to take it home with you. Electronics and ocean water tend to not mix well, but for now at least it can give you something to do while waiting to get better? It's got a couple microphones in case someone wants to sing along with you, and there's also an assortment of CDs to choose from."

    Glancing over to the projector, Madoka offers, "If you want to, I can set it up for you?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco has an uncomfortable expression on her face when she understands the situation. She can't really blame Madoka for wanting Gretchen to be better, nor Gretchen to get mad at something that was forced on her when she was distracted. The locket that Madoka showed her definitely looked the part of being something special, and if Madoka was told that...

"I get it, this is a pretty important matter. Gretchen, Madoka, even if the sneak purification wasn't nice and she should have told you, can I point out you still care about each other? I am sure you both want the best for the other." She offers a smile at Gretchen when she peeks out. "It's a great thing you are still fine. And thanks for coming along. Seeing all three of you makes me very happy."

Then Madoka brings up the present and Coco's golden eye shine when she explains what it is? "For real? Thank you, Madoka! I was missing when I could have my own soundtracks in the background. This means a lot to me. And Nurse Meiou has said nobody here would mind my singing, so I definitely can make good use of it. There is also a violinist living here, so it wasn't even that sure, if I sang something that didn't fit while she was playing the violin."

Smiling brightly at the pinkette, she confirms what Madoka is offering. "I would really like if you could set it up for me. I still can't believe it, this is great!"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "It wasn't nice, no..." admits Madoka. Gretchen's egg cracks open and it looks like she wants to say something, but she did promise to behave. Madoka continues, "I guess I just... never mind. I don't know what I was thinking. A part of me felt like it'd be irresponsible if I didn't try it? Gretchen was unstable when we first met, and I was worried about her health, but she's been a bit more solid lately and so I hoped it would just work."

    Begrudgingly, Gretchen admits, "It did change a little bit. I'm no longer tainted by Easter's energy. Now I only have my own darkness to deal with... besides, you never know when something like that will be useful, and I can't really fight Sunbreaker while bringing dark energy for her to siphon from me. ... and yeah, of course we care. I wouldn't be here otherwise."

    Madoka glances towards Gretchen, now looking a little more sad than guilty. So that Coco doesn't have to keep prodding, she asides to the mermaid, "Gretchen's started to worry about being a liability since Sunny used some of the darkness of her Labyrinth to complete one of her schemes, but she's also my most powerful Chara, so... I guess it's complicated."

    Seeing Coco get excited makes Madoka a bit happy. Medo smiles and actually decides to help by flying around the projector setup. "You can plug it in here, Doka-chan!"

    "Ah, I'm guessing Coco has the remote for all of this?" asks the Bearer as she sets things up.

    Gretchen looks down at the Karaoke machine's box, and leaves her egg to dig through the contents, finding another remote for Coco to use. Eventually Madoka finishes setting up the small machine, and turns it on to make sure it works, arranging everything so that the wounded mermaid will have easy access to the important bits, and also places the CD case next to the machine itself.

    Madoka asks, "Do you have a favorite human song, Coco-chan? If it's gotten high on the charts anytime in the last few decades, it's probably in this collection."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
That's really a relief that they are able to come to an understanding despite the thorny matter and Gretchen likewise extending an olive branch towards Madoka, admitting the amulet did something. She doesn't say anything though for fear of breaking the special moment.

Then there is that confession to Gretchen's dilemmas, that Hinoiri has absorbed a bit of the labyrinth and that is why the X-Chara is uncertain. "Gretchen, it is really not your fault that happened. If we want to talk about making her stronger, then I am guilty of that exact thing. She has taken all of my power and likely Tuxedo's too, so now you have to deal with them too. That's why I would like you to be careful.

And then everyone starts getting focused on setting up the karaoke, a process that Coco watches with rapt attention. "I do have the remote", Coco confirms excitedly, barely even able to contain themselves. "This will help greatly when I feel myself needing to move around. I can't say thanks enough. Can you find willow in there? It's by Tailor Swift, please."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Gretchen nods at Coco's urging. She nods and listens because, really, the mermaid princess is correct and her own condition is proof of that. However, the X-Chara crosses her arms and says, "We will be, but the thing is... sometimes the path that looks safe is the most dangerous, and sometimes the reckless-seeming path is the safest one. I don't think we can stop this without taking risks, but I can promise that we wont be taking any needless ones."

    "Willow by Taylor Swift?" repeats Madoka. "Oh, thank goodness, you picked an easy one to find. I was a bit worried you'd want something that I didn't have... not that I couldn't go find more CDs, mind!"

    Medo and Madoka open up the CD collection and parse through it until the medic fairy points out, "Oh, I bet it's one of these. That one says Willow on it."

    When Madoka puts the CD in the machine, she hands the microphone to Coco and asks, "Wanna try it out?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
She doesn't really like what Gretchen is saying, even if she knows the X-Chara is likely right. She will have to trust in them till the end, and hope nothing goes wrong. Her eyes fall on the white pearl of Aqua Regina. "I think you are indeed right. Some things require difficult choices, and it is not really my place to say, but at least, I hope Aqua Regina will be watching over you. She knows we are friends, and she doesn't want all this strife and chaos."

And then Madoka finds her song easily and Coco smiles with anticipation over her impromptu karaoke session. Thank you, then here I go." And the mermaid opens her heart, her voice picking up the melody as naturally as she had always done, grateful for the opportunity Madoka has given her with her surprise gift, her voice brimming with joy and enthusiasm, singing for both herself and Madoka. Even if not a purifying song, at least a song that is pleasant enough to distract from their current hardship and sing of becoming stronger after them.

I'm like the water when your ship rolled in that night
Rough on the surface but you cut through like a knife
And if it was an open-shut case
I never would've known from that look on your face
Lost in your current like a priceless wine
The more that you say
The less I know
Wherever you stray
I follow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans
That's my man

Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind (oh)
Head on the pillow, I could feel you sneaking in
As if you were a mythical thing
Like you were a trophy or a champion ring
And there was one prize I'd cheat to win
The more that you say
The less I know
Wherever you stray
I follow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans
That's my man
You know that my train could take you home
Anywhere else is hollow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans
That's my man

Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind (oh)
They count me out time and time again
Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind (oh)
But I come back stronger than a 90's trend

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Gretchen knows that what she's saying isn't nice to hear, but... Gretchen isn't the kind of mascot who lies or minces words. Maybe it's a corruption of the honest nature of her bearer, or maybe it's just an act of rebellion against the duplicitous Kyubey. She wants to be reassuring to Coco, but she doesn't want to make promises that she can't keep. Instead, she says, "None of this want this. If I had my way, we'd all be safe at home doing fun things. Don't worry. We'll get your powers back soon. Just hang in there."

    As Coco starts singing, Madoka listens entranced by her voice. It's proof, really, that Coco's singing isn't just magic. She actually sounds good all on her own. The pinkette smiles, seeing that even in her wounded state, the mermaid princess of the South Pacific is still full of hope and life. It makes gestures like this worthwhile.

    As the song plays, Madoka sways along with the music, twirling her fingers in circles to the tune, enjoying it in her own way. After it's over, Madoka clears her throat and says, "When we first met, way back when... you were always protecting me. Even though I kept finding myself in trouble, you didn't hesitate. It's funny how things change. I guess in a way, it's my turn to return the favor. I'm glad we met, and I'm sure things will get better soon. At least... hopefully in time for the next problem."

    Madoka takes a moment to look at her phone, and she frowns. Slipping it back to her pocket, she turns to Coco and says, "Look... I'm glad we got this chance to visit, and I'm glad you enjoy the gift, but... We're only going to get one real shot at Sunbreaker, and I need to make sure to get everything right. Thank you, Coco, for being my friend. Don't worry about the rest. We'll take care of it."

    Or so Madoka promises. It's a promise that she'll hopefully get to keep.

    "I know I haven't been here long, but... I think I need to go. I'll see you around, Coco-chan!"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"I understand, Gretchen. You really have a point, but I know that you all are very special, and I will do my best to wait. This is a see you soon", Coco confirms. "And thank you too, Medo, for always being so dutiful."

Lastly she turns towards Madoka, and things do actually have a mysterious way of turning around, really, and even just Madoka's visit has been a balm for her. She can keep hoping, and the real gift sh has received today is something she will keep with care in her heart.

"I didn't forget how you are always the first in line to help people, Madoka. Your kindness is something that's really important, and I am glad I could meet you and be your friend. Next time we meet, we will have a victory to celebrate", she smiles at the pinkette, her spirit incredibly lifted."I am glad you passed by, take care, later."