1906/Down By The Ocean

Down By The Ocean
Date of Scene:	29 August 2024
Location:	Beach
Synopsis:	Coco meets Madoka and Brai at the boardwalk on the beach to relay news about Gretchen, and also urge Madoka to get some rest. The two of them chat for a bit before leaving to find something relaxing to do.
Cast of Characters:	Madoka Kaname, Coco Kiumi

---

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    The boardwalk at Yumegahama Beach isn't really a place where Madoka usually hangs out. However, that doesn't mean it isn't a place of particular significance to her.

    Roughly a year and a month ago, it was right here where Madoka's eyes were first opened to magic. It was here that she caught a glimpse of who Homura really was, and also here that she got attacked by a plant monster. Well, her and everyone else around at the moment.

    She's wearing the same outfit she did last year. Pink and white hawaiian shirt with white jean shorts. Madoka peers out across the ocean as she holds onto her straw hat, keeping the breeze from stealing it away.

    "Why this place, Gretchen-chan?" she whispers to herself.

    Brai is with her, sitting on her shoulder. It's her turn to keep Madoka company, just in case she suddenly needs to henshin for some reason. The tiny fairy responds, "I don't know, but this place feels important to me too. Like something happened here... but I don't remember what."

    Madoka's mouth twists into a frown. She has her theories as to why she'd feel Gretchen's energy in this area, but she can't quite confirm them. Either way, the Witch fairy remains ever elusive.

    The pink girl takes a seat on a bench, overlooking the beach. She watches the waves and lets her mind wander.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco is heading to the beach right this time, for a meetup her and Madoka had decided 5 days prior, after Gretchen had shown up at Mami's tea party with Rens and Tia in tow. Given Madoka's poster in the Shed, of course the pinkette would have been contacted right after. The blonde girl stops momentarily at seeing Madoka's frown, she really looks so unhappy. Not that there would much to be happy about right now.

She is wearing a wide-brimmed yellow hat with a green ribbon, a short yellow dress and sandals. "Hey, Madoka-chan!", Coco shouts as she approaches her friend, greeting her with energy. She brings out from her bag a small tray of 4 cream puffs, something for the melancholy Madoka was likely to have.

It's the first time she has ever seen Madoka this down on her luck, and she really doesn't want to see her friend that way. She would rather find a way to let Gretchen come back to her, and bring back with herself Madoka's smile. But at least she hopes news of them will cheer her up at least a little. "I have seen them, Gretchen and her new sisters", Coco starts. "They turned up at Mami-san's party. They are aren't hurt, rather they seem ok", the yellow mermaid gives the Chara Bearer a smile.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka is tired. Tired in a way that she likely has never been before. Tired and a little angry at Gretchen, but honestly she would let all of her disappointment and frustration go if she could just get her X-Chara to stop her plans and come home.

    As Coco approaches, Madoka stands up and smiles to her, inviting her over with a wave of her hand. She doesn't quite have the energy that Coco does right now, but underneath her exhaustion is a hardened interior. She is determined to get Gretchen back. It's only a question of how far she has to go.

    "Hey, Coco-chan." Madoka looks down over the cream puffs. "Oh, you brought treats. Thank you."

    Brai waves to the blonde girl and then looks down at the cream puffs, swooping down to grab one for herself before hovering back to Madoka's shoulder. The tactical Chara also says, "Thank you!" before starting to chomp down. Madoka smiles at her little fairy before turning back to Coco, taking another cream puff and popping it into her mouth, chewing as she listens to what her friend has to say.

    "They were having a tea party with Mami?" she thinks out loud, before responding, "... That actually makes sense. I saw the fliers for it. I thought that Tia might want to go, but I kinda assumed they'd be too busy avoiding me to attend, so I didn't really go looking for them."

    With a soft smile, Madoka looks back at Coco and says, "Thanks for telling me. I do worry about them, so it's good to know they haven't been captured by Obsidian or anything else bad."

    After a moment, she asks, "Did they say anything? About what they were up to, or what they were doing? I know they're trying to create a paradise and save Witches, but... I still don't know the details."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"It is a nice backdrop to eat something in front of", Coco replies, even if she feels uncomfortable at saying such an empty phrase. Madoka certainly looks really tired, with how she is still looking for the X-Charas. "You are welcome", Coco replies to Brai after she takes a cream puff, internally chastising herself. Perhaps she should have bought more: what would she have done if more of Madoka's Charas had been here? She needs to remember next time.

"They were being nice", it's the second thing Coco says about the event. At least Madoka will know there was no chaos there for any fault of theirs. "They intended to bring food if they had anything edible to offer."

She looks at the calm rolling waves while continues reporting the situation. "I asked Gretchen if she was ok. "For given values of ok", she has said. I don't think she is happy about doing this. You can still reconcile."

Coco hadn't asked about their research much given the occasion, only mentioned slightly some music research of hers. Trying to recall, she replies "Gretchen brought up they were researching Witches, then some Obsidian members at the same table said they were doing the same thing."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    At the comment about the backdrop, Madoka looks out over the waves again. "Yeah. If nothing else, at least it's a nice day out."

    As the pinkette listens to Coco recount the details of the event, she nods and considers the details, trying to piece things together. "Gretchen hasn't really been okay since the moment she first hatched. I try to make things better but... I clearly wasn't doing enough. That's about the response I expected from her."

    Crossing her arms, she looks back at Coco before saying, "The news that other Obsidian people are working on Witches worries me. If they were bringing it up in front of Mami, then I doubt what they were doing was too terrible, but... I hope Gretchen doesn't think to start working with them. I know she hates Easter because she blames them for all of her suffering, but that might not hold true for the rest of Obsidian."

    Madoka pauses and tilts her head before mentioning, "Gretchen, Tia and Rens captured a pair of Witches the other day. I trust Gretchen to not be too cruel to them, but... if she were to let others from Obsidian access them..."

    She trails off, not wanting to complete the thought. She shakes her head. No way would Gretchen ever let someone untrustworthy get close to her guests.

    Brai finishes the cream puff and comments, "If they didn't have any edible food, I'm willing to bet that her Labyrinth still isn't food safe. I suspect that's one of the things holding Gretchen back from completing X-Paradise."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco shakes her head when Madoka blames herself. "That is not fair to you at all. Everything you could have done for Gretchen, you have. Don't bring yourself down just because you don't have all the solutions", Coco intimates staring at her friend. Someone could point out to Coco she isn't really in a position to talk herself, even so she just can't see a friend like that.

"Madoka-chan, you are strong-hearted, kind, and you are always always first in line at doing your best. The only mistake you have done with Gretchen is the matter with the Heart Amulet, but you have always tried to make her feel better. You are a great person, and you deserve to treat yourself better", the mermaid remarks, approaching Madoka for a hug.

When the subject veers towards Gretchen potentially allying with Obsidian, Coco gives a bright smile. "Don't worry, Gretchen seems to have known about them for a long time. She doesn't seem to want to start now. Rens seemed more interested in the musical research I am having Hinoiri do at that moment."

The smile she was keeping up does fade when the capture of the two Witches is brought. "I didn't even known that was possible." Obsidian sure would like having someone like her. It's a good thing Gretchen didn't seem interested. "Amy-chan told me after Paris about the truth. Is she ok with doing that to them because she is trying to find a solution?"

"I don't think a Labyrinth is ever growing to be safe for growing food. Witches only create it out of their resentment, no?" Coco half-asks, half-points out.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka considers Coco's kind words, and she goes in for the hug when Coco does. Thinking back to the Heart Amulet, she frowns. "It was naive of me to think that it would be that easy, or that it would be harmless."

    Brai glances away, "That was my fault, too."

    Madoka shakes her head, then smiles at her friend. "Either way... thanks for saying so. It's just... hard. I really do think of her as my child in some ways. If nothing else, she's someone I feel responsible for, and someone I have to look after."

    Fidgeting with her hands, she says, "Rens being interested in musical research seems pretty on brand for her. I actually remember Hinoiri asked me to help her with that a bit. As for keeping a Witch captive... it kinda seemed like Gretchen could only capture those two Witches in particular, and only after we weakened them for her."

    Tilting her head down while looking at Coco, Madoka says, "... if Amy-chan told you then... yeah. Gretchen has reason to believe that the soul of Puella Magi stay inside of the Witch, and she intends to free them. I know Amy is hoping that Gretchen can figure something out, because that could be her future too."

    Brai comments, "I actually think there's a fair chance that she actually can. She's always had a special connection to Witches, so if she says there's a way there probably is one."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"It will all be alright", Coco tells Madoka earnestly. "Even with that mistake, nobody would doubt you really care about Gretchen, and they would believe you when you say what Gretchen is to you. You aren't alone either, I will be there to help you, and I am sure the same goes for all your friends."

Coco nods when the discussion of the Witches' nature continues, even if bringing it up is an easy way to make her frustrated. "When I first got to know I was angry. Really so. But it doesn't surprise me Gretchen thinks the Puella is still in there. She herself is a good analogy. Not due to her connection to Witches. The Chara she is supposed to be is still there. For other X-Chara too. We only need to approach this the right way."

A small pleased smile appears on Coco's face. "I would love to discuss some of that with Rens when all of this is over and we have recovered them. Honestly it beats doing research on only grim matters. If they continue their Witch research in a healthier manner, using that as a break would also be healthier to their mindset." She doesn't doubt for a second them coming back will happen.

"Speaking of a break", Coco adds, "you do need one as well. You really look like it. You have been looking non-stop for them, right? If you want to do your best once you have found them, you should go rest." She pauses considering, then offers. "If you have trouble letting the stress go, I can help. That is also my specialty."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka's mind flashes to all of the other timelines where things did not, in fact, turn out alright. Yet, even with all of those miserable ends... she's still here, isn't she? She's still fighting, thanks to Homura's miracle. "Thanks, Coco-chan."

    Sitting back down on the bench, and inviting Coco to sit next to her, Madoka says, "I was... upset, afraid, and honestly I felt really stupid. When I learned the truth it became impossible for me to see Kyubey as anything other than an enemy. A trickster. It hurt to think that my friends had all fallen for his lies, that all of us were doomed because of him."

    She starts hugging her own stomach for a moment, leaning forward. "Thing is... I don't really agree with the way Gretchen is doing things, either. I think she's about to do something really bad and I don't know what. I keep seeing her Witch Mark everywhere, and even if no one's really getting hurt it feels... wrong, even for her."

    Brai speaks up to add her piece, "We suspect that Gretchen is holed up on this beach somewhere, but we can't really force her to stop hiding. We aren't that far away from being able to find her, but I doubt this is a problem we can address on our own. We'd need more friends."

    Madoka sighs, and nods at her Chara's words. After considering for a moment, Madoka says, "It's hard for me to rest knowing that Gretchen is out there suffering. Honestly... I was so worried that she'd pick a fight with the wrong person that I didn't really notice how strong she was getting. Now I just..." She pauses, then sighs, and finally looks up to Coco. "Maybe I do need a break. When I do approach Gretchen, I need to be able to give it my all. What would you suggest?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco sits down next to Madoka when she is invited, one last inquisitive glance at the pinkette before she turns again to her home. "The first time I got angry at Kyubey was when Amy got hurt and her Soul Gem was about to exhaust all magic. It really seemed so stupid to add yet another risk when it wasn't necessary. I didn't suspect anything of the truth he was concealing. We all were unaware, and at best disliked him for the wrong reasons."

The mermaid turns her face towards the ground. "How she is doing it isn't healthy", Coco agrees. "You probably know much more than me as to why, but to me it is simply because she is imitating the power of Witches against them. I agree with you on the Witch Marks, I try to get rid of them when I can."

Smirking at the Chara's puzzling statement, Coco looks at Brai. "A good thing both of you don't lack them. There is always a friend for a reminder though."

Humming pensively, the blonde girl gets her focus to Madoka's question. "Besides a nap, read a book, play a game, watch a movie, order something to eat, go jogging. Nothing that stresses you. And my offer if you feel the stress is too much."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka thinks back to the time before they knew the Witch secret. Granted, Gretchen and Homura knew already, but they both hid that from for various reasons. Things were so different back then. "Someone told me not to trust him, so I didn't. Even then, I never really knew how bad things were. I'm not sure how I would've responded if I knew." She fingerpets the top of Brai's hair. "I'm glad that things worked out the way that they did for me, but... a lot of my friends still got involved in his bad deal."

    She smiles for a moment, but then frowns. "Gretchen... she's trying to make people happy by taking their bad feelings away. It... seems a short sighted way to think. Maybe she's just trying to take their energy in the least harmful way possible, but... I don't know. I feel like there's something more to it than that."

    Brai suggests, "Maybe she needs the energy for something. Either X-Paradise, or something related to the Witches."

    Madoka shrugs. "Either way, it's good to clear them off, even if there are so many of them."

    Both Madoka and Brai smile at being reminded that they have friends, and Madoka nods. "Yeah... I'm lucky to have so many I can rely on." Then as she considers Coco's suggestions, the pink girl frowns more and more. "I wish that I could... every time I think to do something fun or relaxing, I'm reminded of the times that Gretchen was there to enjoy it with me. I'd probably feel better if the three of them would just talk to me."

    Canting her head curiously to the side as she glances to Coco, Madoka says, "So... does your singing help relax people, too?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Someone that knew but wasn't able to talk about things?" Coco tries to guess. It's not like anybody else would consider that advice out of nowhere. Onto the matter of Gretchen taking people's bad feelings for some potential reason they are unaware of, she isn't sure either. "Sounds like she is trying to find a way to exclude Puellae from things", that could cause them to Witch out.

That would do it, Coco thinks. There are many things that would be helping admittedly, but not with the situation having escalated as much. "I can accompany you right now, and if you start thinking of Gretchen, I can do my best not to make those memories too heavy."

"If we setup a coordinating effort, we could definitely cover a lot of distance between everyone. We can think about that once you are rested", Coco muses, then offering Madoka a bright smile. "Yes, it does, relax people, help them deal with stress, things like that. Or even just be pleasant songs."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka crosses her arms and considers. "Hm. Maybe. Maybe they wanted to try that on normal people before trying to drain a Puella Magi, since the latter would be pretty dangerous. Or maybe she thinks that if she lowers the overall stress level of the world she can prevent more incidents."

    Either way, Gretchen is going pretty far, and Madoka doesn't really like it.

    She considers Coco's offer for a moment. It takes her a bit to push past the fear or bad feeling she gets the moment she considers doing anything other than trying to find Gretchen. In truth, aside from the bad things they're doing, Madoka's X-Chara are about as safe as they can be, and they aren't being that awful. If anything, they seem perfectly sincere in what they say their plans are. Even if they do hide things once in a while.

    Maybe she shouldn't worry so much...

    Madoka nods. "Okay. We can do that. It'll be fun to hang out a bit, and I admit I'll be happy to have some kind of relief." After a pause, she adds, "Thanks for telling me that you ran across them. I'd like to think that if they ever got into real trouble, they'd come ask me for help, but... I can't know that for sure, with them being as they are now."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"I think it really will help", Coco smiles replies enthusiastically, glad Madoka is taking step to feel better. "And you are welcome, i am glad to help you feel better, even just a little. While you choose what you would like more, we can start with a song..." is Coco's suggestion.