2439/A Seraphic Debrief

A Seraphic Debrief
Date of Scene:	29 March 2025
Location:	Pearl Pier
Synopsis:	Coco, Madoka, Catra and Amy gather at the Pearl Pier to discuss ideas over Michel. Then they get a table there and stop for lunch.
Cast of Characters:	Coco Kiumi, Catra, Amanda Faust, Madoka Kaname

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Coco Kiumi has posed:
"So this is the Pearl Pier", Coco smiles at Seira as she sits down on her bed with a plop. So concludes the tour of the whole building the yellow mermaid had given her while they were waiting for the others to arrive. All of them had been here before, so she is confident there should be no problems in getting them there.

"Hippo really is cute", Seira looks adorably in the direction the had last left the penguin/hippocampus at. "Yeah, he really is", Coco agrees to her with a hint of nervousism. That kind of depends what mood he is in, and even seeing him angry as a penguin turns him from cute to straight up annoying.

The later Seira has to see him like that the better.

"Ready to meet with the others?" Coco checks one last time. It may be the last moment she gets to ask that before they actually get here. "Don't worry, Coco, I am good", Seira asserts with complete certainty. She appreciates the yellow mermaid caring so much for her, but at the same time, she would like to take some of that guilt away.

Catra has posed:
Catra does not like piers. Or, rather, she doesn't like large bodies of water. Anything too big to fit in a glass is basically unacceptable, and this particular place is where, last time she was here, she ended up IMMERSE IN WATER FOR LONGER THAN THREE QUARTERS OF A SECOND.

And she'd rather not do that a second time, thank you very much.

And yet, she's on her way; there was a text telling her that she should show, because there's information to go around, and... what the hell it's not like she's doing anything else these days. So she used the Black Card in on epart of town and then promptly sped away on her motorcycle as fast as possible, blowing through two speed traps and rocketing away before the cops could catch up to her.

Now, she's pulling up outside, and sets the kickstand before killed thr engine and swinging dismounting from the bike. As she does, she restores her illusory disguise for the moment, presenting to the world as Rachel Miller in damaged jeans and a ragged hoody pulled low over her head, walking up to the door with her hands stuffed in her pockets and the music from her earbuds obnoxiously loud.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Back to Yokohama! Thank goodness for affordable mass transit. Amy makes her way to Pearl Pier from the train station with her laptop bag across her shoulders, just in case it's needed. The new, lighter laptop (thanks, Setsuna-chan!), not the bulky one from 2009.

    And as she's walking across the parking lot, Catra pulls in. "Wow, you learned to drive a motorcycle already?! Nice." She is assuming Etheria doesn't have motorcycles.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka walks down the hallway to the room where Coco is staying. Kamiko and Lydian are floating behind her, quietly but eagerly following along.

    Recent events with the mermaids have been worrying, but with a recent victory (such as it was) against Lanhua it seems that things aren't entirely hopeless. Michel, however, is still at large and who really knows what his next move will be.

    "Do you think he'll go after the other Mermaid Princesses?" asks Kamiko.

    Madoka glances back to her and says, "Who knows? Maybe. I know he seems to hate us."

    Lydian wonders out loud, "So do you think he hates all land dwellers or is it just the non-magicals specifically?"

    Madoka shrugs and says, "If his schemes end up hurting my friends and family, then it doesn't really make a difference whether or not he's spare the mahoujin."

    She walks up to Coco's door and knocks.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Sounds like they are starting to come", Coco heads to the door of her room, opening it for Madoka to greet Madoka. "Hello, Madoka-chan, Kamiko-chan, Lydian-chan", the blonde girl smiles at the pinkette, offering her a hug before letting her come in. "I was just talking with Seira", she motions to the transparent figure of the orange mermaid floating above her pearl.

"Hello, Madoka-san, I am happy to see you again", Seira promptly speaks up waving to the group. "Are you doing well?"

Coco takes a place on her bed again, and turns her head to the pinkette. "Sit anywhere you want. Do you want me to get you a drink while we wait for Catra and Amy?"

As soon as Catra knocks on the hotel door, it takes only a few seconds for the door to open, and they are met by a serious looking woman in her twenties with dark pink hair and pink eyes, who then offers them a smile.

"Hello, you must be Coco's friends. I am Nikora Nanami, the manager of this hotel. Kaname-san just went there, please follow me", she waits for them to walk in, then shows them the way.

Catra has posed:
Catra raises an eyebrow at Amy, and shrugs. "I've been riding a motorcycle for about a year," she points out, "Just after I got here. I'm extremely good at it now." She shrugs, and might've said more but the door opens and someone addresses them as 'Coco's friends'. Well... maybe debatable, in her case, she's really not very good at being a friend, but whatever. She just shrugs and accepts it, as she follows the pink-haired woman to Coco's room.

"Hey," she greets as she wanders in, and picks a spot to lean against the wall in one corner, not getting too close (in case there's any water magic, naturally) and keeping her hoodie drawn low over her face.

At least she turns the music off, and stuffs her earbuds in her pocket with her phone.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Catra learned to ride a motorcycle right after arriving on Earth? "Oh? Damn! That's even more impressive."

    Amy smiles up at Nikora, "Hi, Nanami-san!" and gives a little wave in greeting, before being led inside to the meeting room. "Hi Coco, Madoka, Seira. Um, are you doing okay? I know you're kind of... absorbed by Michel, but still able to talk to us, so... I guess I don't really understand what that entails?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka cheerfully greets Coco with a friendly hug. "Hi, Coco-chan!" Then she releases her and walks in as invited, waving at the transparent Seira and saying, "Hello, Seira-chan. I've been doing alright. How are you holding up?"

    Kamiko and Lydian also offer the blonde mermaid tiny Chara hugs before moving inside, both of them saying in unison, "Hii~ Coco-chan! Nice to see you."

    When offered a seat, Madoka sits in the nearest chair. Her two Chara each summon the bottom halves of their eggs and sit in them, resting the eggshells on a tabletop. When offered a drink, Madoka shakes her head and says, "No, but thanks for asking."

    As Catra and Amy are shown to the room, Madoka looks up and waves at them each. Her two fairies follow suit, waving with their tiny arms, but otherwise being quiet observers for now.

    "Well, I guess we're all here," says Madoka, placing her hands on the edge of her seat and scooting in, letting her legs dangle over the edge. Her pink eyes dart between Coco and Seira. Regarding Amy's comments Madoka remarks to Seira. "Is it like... you were split into two and one part of you was given to the chibi orchestra lady?"

    "Lanhua," corrects Kamiko.

    "Right..." says Madoka. "I guess I kinda showed up late to that affair. I'm not fully sure what happened."

    Lydian crosses her arms and says, "It was dumb. They told me they painted their eggs! It didn't even work when I tried it. The paint doesn't stay on the next time you summon the egg!"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Hello, Rachel-san", Coco waves to the disguised catgirl, and she turns to Seira. The younger mermaid is looking at Catra with a confused look on her face. She hadn't been told about her visit. "She is Catra", Coco quickly understands her doubt and dispells it.

Seira smiles at Catra at Coco's explanation. "Thanks for helping with the library search for information on Michel", she tells her. "I have heard you two were there as well, thank you", Seira adds towards Madoka and Amy.

"Yeah, the pull to be with him is very strong, I can detach myself for short bursts, but being here right now is fine. Usually I am together with him inside what I think is his soul", she shakes her head lightly lightly in a pensive mood.

"That seems to have been the turning point", Coco agrees with Madoka. "Seira has never been able to appear before, and she tried that." Floating closer to Madoka, Seira agrees. "A lot, and it didn't really work. Lanhua only had a very very small part of me, like a crumb fallen from a loaf of bread."

"I have only been there for a short while as well, but disguising as a Chara was low", Coco criticizes strongly the Dark General.

Catra has posed:
Catra waits until the pink-haired lady hase left before hse drops her illusion, and returns to being her usual self; Horde jumpsuit, Red Wastes jacket, and a sword that exudes dark energy hanging in a csabbard off her belt. She stands with her arms folded and listens to what's going on.

"As... long as I don't have to go swimming again," she mumbles. "I mean, it's whatever, it's fine for everyone else but I don't... like getting wet."

The feline scratches the back of her head, and wanders to somewhere she can sit down. "So... I'm really uninformed, who's Michel and what's he got to do with you? ...I was there to help look and I was looking based on the symbols that I was shown, but I'm really light on context." She pauses. "Outside of the battle at the labratory, against the Black Moon Clan, when I was..." she pauses, trailing off and looking distant.

"When I was still with Obsidian."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy gives Lydian a mildly surprised look. "You really can't paint the eggs? Huh."

    She turns to focus on Seira, nodding at the explanation that she was at the library. "I... see. Inside his... soul?" Amy imagines Seira wandering a wasteland under a green sun. "Is that like inside a Witch's Labyrinth...? Wait, you don't know what that is, nevermind."

    She looks to Coco. "I'm not sure she knew what a Chara was. If she did she'd have known not to make them all identical. Although I can't think of why she'd specifically have the power to turn into a bunch of little fairies... like, you think of vampires doing that with bats, but what does it with fairies?" Amy shrugs.

    She looks over to Catra and listens, unsure if she should exposit or the others should. After a bit of hesitation, she decides to say: "He's this guy who looks like a winged human, who claimed to be working for a deity to make paradise by eliminating all of humanity. He showed up when Seira was born from her pearl -- that's how mermaid princesses work, apparently -- and... absorbed Seira somehow."

    "He claims that he is the one who taught the mermaids, and the nigh-extinct panthalassans, at the beginning of their civilization. His name, and his appearance, bear similarity to divine messengers of western human myth. We're not yet sure of the connection."

    Amy looks to Seira for further explanation, but also asks, "So... just to make sure I have this right... the tiny piece of your... essence, that was in the fairies-lady, was recovered when we defeated her and went back to your pearl and that in itself is enough for you to talk to us now?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "I'm over it," says Lydian, rolling her eyes and pouting as she crosses her arms. It's clear that she doesn't think highly of Lanhua, but it's not the most important thing right now. The tiny fairy glances towards the translucent Seira and says, "Honestly I'm more worried about you, since most of you is still with him."

    Madoka gives Catra a sideways glance. "Had a falling out with them, huh? Hope they aren't causing you too much trouble. I know they don't take kindly to those who turn away from them."

    Lydian turns to Amy and says, "I mean... it's like henshin armor. You can mess 'em all up but they revert to normal later."

    With regards to Michel, Madoka nods at what Amy said. "That seems about right. Apparently he last showed up a really long time ago. He was more or less forgotten by the time he showed up again."

    Kamiko flits her tiny translucent wings and says, "That weird winged thing also mentioned someone called The Great One, and I don't think it was referring to Michel when it said that."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco gives a smile at the catgirl when she mentions her plight. "That's kind of how it goes with us mermaids. I can't promise you will never have to visit one of our kingdoms again, but we will always do our best to make the experience as easy on you as possible if you choose to come again."

And she gives a wink to Catra next. "Don't worry about having worked for Obsidian. You are not the first to quit, and hopefully not the last. Rather, if they give you trouble, let us know. We will be at your side to help", she speaks with certainty.

The yellow mermaid looks uncertaintly at Seira, wondering who should explain out of the two of them. "You don't have to do it, I can", she makes her know well in advance, but the young mermaid shakes her head and replies. "I was about to be born when this angel comes in offering an opportunity to work with him to restore a paradise. None of us wanted that, he absorbed me first, and sort of stuck around playing with everyone."

Coco nods, looking slightly dejected. "That wasn't really how we thought it would go. It was supposed to be a happy occasion, and I wasn't able to look after Seira like I said I would. And we would probably be all part of him now if he didn't double over in pain out of nowhere. Did you have anything to do with that?" the yellow mermaid asks Seira.

"Not really, I could barely do anything then. Michel felt really oppressive then, it took me a while to get used to it. But don't blame yourself. None of it is your fault, and you are doing all you can even now. And it's sort of like me and him in a white space. Most of the time it's just me, maybe when he is not thinking to himself", Seira adds the last part to Amy, nodding when the redhead requests confirmation.

"We found a Michel in Noel's library, but he might just be someone from the same race", Coco adds. "He seems very different from the person in the book, so they may just share a name." Seira intervenes. "He feels very lonely and sad when I talk with him. I am not sure if something could have changed him."

The mention of the Great One causes Seira to turns to Madoka. "I have seen a few of the people working with him. There is this living flame in Michel's palace. Sometimes you can see a silhouette of a person in there. I think the Great One may be them."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy nods in agreement when Coco says they'll be at Catra's side to help.

    She listens to Seira's account. "Still, forced to hang around him so much? Ick. We'll find a way to get you out of there as soon as possible."

    A michel in the book? "What was the Michel in the books like? Could it be that they were corrupted by dark energy?"

    She holds a curled finger to her chin. "So he's-- he considers himself a god, and he's taking orders from a 'great one.' I feel like puzzle pieces are starting to fit together but we don't have enough to tell what the puzzle is going to fit together *into*, you know?"

Catra has posed:
"I didn't quit Obsidian," Catra mumbles. "I... helped kill one of the board executives and ran for it before getting fired. The hard way." She sighs heavily, "But if I can figure it out I want my job back."

The feline pulls out her phone to look at it, and anyone who didn't know her might think she was checked out of the conversation, but her ears are swivelled up to pay attention while people are talking about angels and gods and mermaids and all the rest. She sucks in a breath at one point, and a deeply conflicted look crosses her face.

"Okay at the risk of sounding hypocritical I actually don't overly like the idea of wiping out an entire race of people. What's the point of a paradise if there's nobody in it?" She shrugs her shoulders, "I might be a villain -- I am a villain, just 'cause I'm on the run from Obsidian and I have the Spirit Ember doesn't change anything, don't get any ideas -- but wiping out all humans is a terrible idea, if you work out where this Michel is let me know, so we can deal with him before Obsidian hires him so I don't have to be in trouble for that too."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka scratches her chin as she considers. "Huh. So there is a Great One, and it's a flame thing." She glances towards Seira and says, "So you can see all that? Huh..."

    Kamiko leans back in her egg-chair and says, "So there's a flame thing, an angel guy, and a bird with a human head. There's also a lady who can split into a lot of chibis who each play an instrument, and when you hear their song it forces you to dance."

    The tiny divine fairy glances towards Catra and shrugs. "It's a common villain thing. When I was evil I wanted to make the world a paradise, but I didn't try to kill people. I think he just hates humans for some reason."

    Madoka twitches a little bit as she remembers Gretchen's schemes. "I mean... I think everyone has their own idea of what paradise is like. I don't know if I can tolerate someone who thinks 'paradise' means wiping out huge numbers of people."

    Lydian plays with her braid for a moment before asking Seira, "Do you have any idea what their next move is going to be? I'm still not entirely sure what Lanhua was trying to do. I don't feel like tricking us was the only goal."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Sorry about that, Seira", Coco lowers her head slightly. She is not sure of how much she might be able to do about her feelings, but she will try to keep her guilt in check.

"We can't exclude that", Coco replies to Amy. "A lot of what the book said matches him saying he taught us things, but the book makes him seem much kinder. The emotions Seira has felt from him could mean something has indeed changed him", she considers biting her lips.

"Are you sure about that, Catra?", Coco looks perplexed and a bit disappointed at the news. "If you intend to get back into Obsidian's good graces opposing a villain might not be the best way", she points out to the orange cat.

"I don't think we can make you stay if you don't want to, but you should consider it at least. Can you really close your heart to the evil you have to do for them if you have enough of a conscience to fight back against it in the first place?", Coco gazes at Catra.

There might be something that could change her mind then. "People that are part of the supernatural might be safe from him. He certainly didn't seem interested in attacking me and Seira. Wukong too was brushed in with us because she looked like a mermaid at the time. As a cat person you are probably safe if you don't fight him." Do you really want to stick to this path?, Coco keeps to herself, while Seira also looks their way with interest.

"There is also a pixie girl calling herself Alala and a vampire named Lady Bat, but I don't know what their specific plans are. They all have wings of some kind, I have noticed. I will try to pay attention to anything more they might say. Fuku and Lanhua had a quarrel about the incident the other day. I don't think she meant to trick your Chara either", Seira tells Madoka.

Catra has posed:
Catra's ears go flat, and she shrugs, abruptly going back to staring at her phone. "There's someon there I need to look out for," she mumbles. "And it's not like I'm a hero. I don't belong with all of you so I gotta belong somewhere."

Which she says, sitting here in a hotel room with a number of heroes all of whom are not trying to kill her while it seems like Obsidian most definitely is. Has she figured this out? Maybe (not)?

"Anyway, this Michel guy isn't part of Obsidian so far as I know, so fighting him is fine. ...If... he has joined up since I left then that'll be more difficult." She pauses, tapping her screen to make the page she's on reload and see if it unsticks it. "If they made him a director then I dunno, then... Well then if I go against him then I guess I'll absolutely never get back into Obsidian's good graces and I might as well take this credit card I've got and go buy a hotel or something."

Could the black card buy a hotel? Probably not? is she going to try it? No.

"So, forgetting about Obsidian for a moment, what can we do about Michel? ...And wait, flame thing? Damnit... why is everyone going for fire now, that's my thing now..."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Kamiko refers to the Great One as a flame thing. "I don't know, it sounds like the fire could be a magical communication effect." Amy notes. "There was a legend about talking through a burning bush, after all."

    On Paradise, she notes, "You *actually* wanted to build a paradise for people, and despite dark energy you tried your best to actually do it. This guy just wants to kill humans. Who is that paradise for, exactly? Him? He's one dude. The merfolk? They live deep in the ocean, apparently not yet scathed by our pollution of the ocean. It doesn't make sense."

    "I mean like... he's magical. He said some stuff about how we've polluted the planet, but like... if that was truly his concern, you'd think he'd ask people to stop, first. And then he could use magic to do something about that. We're still missing pieces..."

    "A bird with a human head... I feel like I must have seen such a creature in myth somewhere..."

    Is she just remembering the ooccoo from Twilight Princess...?

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka listens and considers what's all being said. "So they all have wings. Wasn't there some mention of 'creatures of the air'? It might refer to them, though you're right in saying they don't seem nearly as kind as the ones in the old stories."

    The pink Chara Bearer purses her lips and keeps quiet as she side-eyes Catra. She looks like she wants to say something, but she's biting her tongue, so Kamiko says it for her. "Are you evil or just tsundere?"

    "Kamiko..." whines Madoka.

    "All three of us were thinking it I just said it!"

    Madoka winces and cups the divine Chara in her hands. "Behave now."

    While the pinkette might not be saying it, the mention of 'creatures in the sky' is certainly making the Sky Dungeon background music from Twilight Princess play in her head.

    Going back to the topic of Michel, Madoka says, "I think it depends on what he means by 'pollute'. I'd assume he was talking about the air quality or the environment, or maybe even some of our garbage that ends up in the ocean, but I don't know that for sure."

    To Seira, Madoka smiles softly and says, "It might just be the case that she was trying to blend in, and then my Chara got excited and jumped to their own conclusions. They are a bit rambunctious like that sometimes."

    Lydian seems offended by the implication at first, but then she taps her chin for a moment and thinks, "Huh... maybe..."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"But you are welcome here, Catra", Coco crosses her arms, sighing. "Do you think I would have invited you to the Pearl Pier, which, mind, is a hotel completely run by mermaids and sea fairies, if I didn't want you here?" Coco asks with no hesitation. If this is what it takes for Catra to see.

"Nikora? She is a North Pacific mermaid. Hippo? The guardian hippocampus. Madame Taki? An oyster fairy. The staff you see? All various mermaid attendants. Then me. And sometimes the other princesses pass by here. And I am trusting you with all of this information anyway. Am I wrong for choosing to trust you?", she finishes listing.

"I don't actually know either", Coco replies to Amy. "If the Panthalassa that Aqua Regina had sent to live on the surface are still around, they might count. We mermaids are probably involved in his plans in some way. He might be trying to bring his kind back. We will only know going forward."

"Those are the Panthalassa that didn't chose to fight in the war from 300 years ago. I don't think those people would be interested in working with Michel, regardless of what they are promised", Seira considers, to Coco's agreement.

"About pollution, we work a lot to keep the seas clean, and we have habitats in our mermaid kingdoms dedicated to the sea animals humans think are at risk of extiction. All part of our efforts to take of this planet", Coco starts explaining. "Even the garbage patch humans made in the South Pacific is heavily controlled." That is in her waters, after all.

"Maybe Michel thinks talking to humans is pointless. Wouldn't be a first for dark energy to influence your thoughts in that direction, and god or not, he is probably affected too."

Seira nods and returns Madoka's smile. "I understand. Maybe I can ask Michel about that. I think that after the quarrel that question is probably innocent enough.

Catra has posed:
Am I wrong for choosing to trust you?

Catra glances up in Coco's direction at that question, and just stares at her, eventually realizing her mouth is open and shutting it. She looks back down again, and shakes her head.

"No," she mumbles. "...I don't think so." She pauses again. "I hope not." And there's that word getting bandied around again -- Princess -- that word Catra hates so, so much, even now that it's found a way to get applied to her anNO IT'S NOT IT IS NOT NO SHE IS NOT ONE OF THOSE THANK YOU VERY MUCH GETTING A SHINY ROCK DOESN'T MAKE YOU SPECIAL.

Catra looks up at Madoka's little Chara person and at first she looks taken aback, and her eyes narrow to mis-matched slits. "I'll have you know," she snaps, "I'm -- " She stops, and takes a moment to chew over what she was about to say, and then shakes her head. "Nevermind."

The talk of pollution plunges her back into silence. The Horde used to do that -- pollute, that is. Big time. Something Catra was well aware of but if anything, only worked to promote as it was bad for the rebels and their stupid forest. But it waa clearly bad and if she admitted it here Coco would probably tell her to get lost, so on that reasoning she keeps shut.

"Villains don't ask nicely," she points out to Amy. "Actually, we don't ask, especially not the big bosses like Hordak or the Witches or..." she shrugs, "I guess this Michel reject. It's not how it works. If someone was gonna ask they wouldn't be a villain."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy nods to Coco as the Panthalassa are mentioned. "I doubt he means for the merfolk, or he would have urged them to colonize the surface long ago. Although..." She glances to Madoka. "'Pollute' can mean a few things. Perhaps he considers humans' mere presence pollution... but then, why not wipe us out?" She gets her laptop out as she speaks, and starts it up, and starts searching things like 'Toba extinction event' and 'bronze age collapse' and 'historicity of great flood myths'.

    "Huh. All known or suspected historical apocalypsi I can think of are either way too recent, or way too old..."

    Amy blinks. "Uh, I got distracted. I was checking if maybe something had wiped out a ton of humans shortly before he showed up, and so, maybe he figured we were doomed anyway and not worth the effort. Honestly..." She looks to Coco. "Did we get a remotely certain date of when his last visit was? It might be that it was pretty soon after the collapse of the Golden Kingdom -- so there would have been a lot fewer humans, then."

    Amy sighs. "Another possibility, is that there was another people -- perhaps winged folk -- who used to live on the surface and got wiped out. Uhh... I would *think* there would be archaeological evidence, but if mermaid princesses can be born from pearls, who's to say that winged folk leave behind skeletons? Maybe folk with wings used to exist all over the place... But the sea people killed them all, or the great flood destroyed their food supply, or some crazy magical thing happened."

    "...That dark energy influence is making him unable to see the point of reasoning with humans or taking direct action against the worst polluters is also a possibility, good point."

    And then there's Catra. "I suppose you're right. I mean, villains have asked stuff before even if they don't think we'll say yes -- 'surrender, give your friend to me, give me the crystals', whatever -- but, if he's intent on wiping us out, obviously there's no point in asking us to die."

    "Um." She glances around, then back to Catra. "Maybe this is a weird question to ask, but if you're not working with them, and have been fighting against them a lot lately... why is it important that you're a villain?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka continues to cup Kamiko in her hands and keeps the tiny fairy and her half-egg in her lap. The pinkette doesn't want the fairies picking a fight with Catra, even if she doubts most people would react as badly as Sunbreaker used to.

    Regarding Lanhua, with a wince and a half smile she says, "Even if it was a misunderstanding, the fact that she was an enemy means that she was probably planning something..." To Seira, she adds, "If you think you can get away with it, it might be worth knowing what her actual intentions were, but be careful. Don't take needless risks."

    She takes a moment to reflect on the number of sea creatures in disguise who are here. Madoka ponders out loud, "So... they're all magic? Does that mean the staff here can all see my Chara?"

    When Amy mentions humanity themselves being the pollutant, Madoka shrugs. "Maybe. If humans aren't really one of the 'magical races' he might see humanity itself as a problem."

    Another thing occurs to her, and she says, "If there were any magical ruins somewhere on Earth, it may be that the Veil made them impossible to find. Or recognize."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco's expression softens when Catra gives her the answer the blonde girl was hoping for. She didn't think she was wrong in her judgement, and Catra saying it is exactly the positive development she hoped for. "Wonderful", she clasps her hands together with a smile. "Don't forget that I meant what I said earlier, Catra. If Obsidian gives you trouble, we are always here to help."

"He meant the merfolk too at least, since he invited us. But there definitely were other races during the distant past since he had talked about them when he started talking to us during his attempts at negotiating, bad as they were", she addresses Amy's thoughts.

"I do think there is something he misses, and he is afraid of reaching out. He doesn't want to tell me much, but I can feel it. There is a side to him that is absolutely cruel and dangerous, but another side that hurts. I don't know why, but it would make sense if he misses the distant past too", Seira ponders.

"They all can see Chara, yes", Coco nods to Madoka. "Just checking, or did you want to know for a specific reason?" Surely the Chara aren't any out of place around here compared to most other places. The only humans are the clientele.

"Ruins may difficult to find, depending on how long ago they have been."

"I will be careful, Madoka-san", Seira acknowledges the risk and smiles reassuringly. Not like they can do much more to hurt her. She is already only alive as a spirit, and they need her power. If Michel could have done only that, he probably would have already.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "It occurs to me... if he did have past contact with humanity or a big magical society... maybe we should ask Sailor Pluto about it?"

    Amy blinks at Madoka's comment. "Now there's a thought. And ruins like that really could be anywhere. I figured if there were any magical ruins, they'd have to be from the Golden Kingdom... it never occured to me before that there might have been a society of nonhuman magic folks somewhere to leave ruins."

    "Damn... Ruins just... out in plain sight somewhere... that people see and don't notice. Sounds like a goddamn SCP."

    Amy blinks. "They don't even have to be gone. There could be magic people now we just don't remember, living far more openly than the mermaids..." She mutters, "That sounds like an SCP for sure..."

    "Like, say they're living in, I dunno, the German or Russian countryside, or the middle of the US or something... There might be no magicals around to notice."

    Her eyes widen as she has a realization. "Wait. What if I'm thinking too small? Some hidden village or city... there could be, like, entire magical islands."

    And then she realizes how little she actually knows for sure about reality.

    "Or even... continents."

    Beat.

    She shakes her head. "No, no, they'd show up on sattelite photos, right? ...........But, pictures of magical stuff get messed up to hide it..."

    "........Maybe we'd better ask Mamoru or Sailor Mercury how well they remember geography from their past lives.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "Just checking," says Madoka with a smile. "People get weirded out if I talk to invisible fairies, and then I get strange looks, and it gets even more awkward if Homu-chan is around because she gets kindof... eheh... defensive on my behalf." She waves her hand and says, "If people are used to seeing cute magical things flying or being around, it's a very different story!"

    Perhaps Seira may be mostly safe, but that doesn't really stop Madoka from worrying. If Michel sees her as a threat, he might find some way to try and contain her even if he can't outright banish her spirit. At least, that's what Madoka is concerned about.

    On the subject of magical cities, islands or continents... Madoka and Kamiko both shake their heads. Kamiko speaks up first, "No, no. I'm pretty sure there aren't any magical continents. At least not visible from the surface of the Earth. If there are, then they'd be invisible to magicals, too."

    Madoka says, "After Gretchen was purified and turned into Kamiko, she and I did a world tour to try and fix the things she messed up and also try to save the souls of whatever Witches we found. We didn't really see anything like that."

Catra has posed:
"I can take care of myself," Catra mutters, hunching her shoulders sullenly.

"But... thanks." She sits, listening to the conversation going on for a time, without interjecting. Why are the heroes here so insidiously nice? This planet isn't like Etheria at all. On Etheria the heroes were total jerks. But, even the Etherian heroes who've come here seem to be... nicer. Mostly. Well all of them exce--

WHATEVER.

"Look, I don't think I can just walk back into Obsidian Tower like I own the place anymore, but I still know my way around it. I never forget stuff like that. So like... if there's anything I can do to help you that way, let me know and I'll help you out with it," she starts, and then feels herself feeling silly so she just looks back at the door, "Like... whatever, I guess, up to you."

Real smooth, Catra.

"I mean hey at least Mistress 9 isn't there, if she was me going back would be totally not an option."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"It's not really impossible that Michel could have a country where his people lived hiding away. Grand Ocean is pretty much the same", Coco considers. It's them who have just casually built their kingdoms onto the actual seafloor.

"I don't know what magic is in place, but none of our kingdoms show up on your satellites, even if they exist on the actual planet, not in some separate realm", she adds to Amy.

"If you are nearby and want another place where you can talk to your Chara without getting weird stares, you can always come in and hang out with one of us. The worst that can happen is Madame Taki trying to predict your future with one of her less reliable method", the mermaid smiles to Madoka.

So long as Catra doesn't get into mortal danger regardless of her ability to take care of herself, Coco won't push right now. Hopefully she won't turn down help when it actually matters, the blonde girl thinks.

"If you hear about Michel being in Obsidian, that would be great to know, but I am not asking you to actually put yourself in danger. This is not about you being able to take care of yourself, I fully trust you are, this is about not taking risks." Says the one who is a champion at taking risks for those she cares about.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy stares at Madoka. "You went around the whole world...?"

    Amy tries to wrap her brain around this.

    "Like Santa Claus?"

    Also, she remembers something Coco said: "You said it seems like he was hurting..." Amy looks to Coco. "Isn't it only natural, to feel that when the world, or your life in it, is not as you would like? I dunno if that means we can really... reach him, when what he wants is... anathema to us."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka nods as she listens to Catra. So... she'd be willing to help them around Obsidian Tower? That would, also, be very dangerous but... might be worth keeping in mind. "I hope it will be a very long time before we have to invade that tower, but you never know."

    The pink girl makes a face at the mention of Mistress 9. She heard from others that the evil monster was taken out, and Madoka is more than happy to not have to face that evil woman a second time.

    On the subject of talking to Charas, Madoka giggles. "I'll keep that in mind! It's good to know where the magical safe havens are around. Thank you for the offer. I'll try not to worry about the unreliable fortune telling."

    Thinking back to something, Madoka taps her chin, "Huh, that reminds me. Didn't you do a tarot reading for some of us way back?"

    Still, the idea that there -could- be magical kingdoms on Earth that were hidden... no, actually Madoka already knew that there were. She's visited a few of them already, though they were underwater. Just not entire continents. Right?

    Despite being so sure a moment ago, now she isn't.

    'Like Santa Claus'

    Madoka blinks. "Um. Yeah I guess. We didn't have a sled, though."

    Kamiko taps her chin and says, "But you know... we could."

    Lydian raises a hand. "I wanna decorate the sled!"

Catra has posed:
Catra shrugs her shoulders lightly. "Well, when the time comes, we'll... do whatever, I guess. Either we'll invade Obsidian Tower or we won't. ...If I hear about MIchel being in Obsidian though, I'll definitely let you know." She pauses, and presses her fingertips to her forehead,

"I... damnit, I left..." she sighs heavily. "Something important behind. Nevermind, It... it doesn't matter."

The feline stands up from where she was sitting, and stretches, reaching up above her with both arms, then to her sides, and then behind her. "I need something to eat. ...Obligate carnivore and all that. Anyone want to go get noodles or something? I know this great place that'll do double or triple chicken in the same order, and they're in the crappy part of town so no tourists know about it."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"I don't really know, but maybe there is more to his goal than what we know now. He was definitely in pain then", Coco replies. If they could save Seira, help him out with whatever malady afflicts him and get him to step away from his goal, all at once? That will be a definitive step forward.

Coco smiles at Madoka remembering. "Yes, I did. Mermaid tarots are actually pretty accurate and Madame Taki is actually really skilled, but she has this hobby of trying the weird methods first. She makes weird choices."

But Catra is hungry, and wants to go for a noodles shop. "No need to go somewhere else, let's take a seat here, and we can order anything we want", Coco promptly recommends to Catra with a wink. "You won't be disappointed, it's a promise."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy nods uncertainly at Coco's hope of helping Michel and stopping his evil scheme.

    It will be a long time before they invade Obsidian Tower. "Apparently we tried in one of the timeloops. I ran out of magic." Amy observes.

    A somber subject, and she looks to Catra with concern, "What did you leave? ...Wait, if you're a carnivore can you eat noodles?" and now her intellectual curiousity is engaged. Madoka's chara getting excited over the possibility of a sled makes Amy smile.

    She nods towards Catra at Coco's assurance. "They got great food here, it's like at Radiant Heart. But there's some fancier stuff..."

    She smiles to Coco as she thinks of food. "Do they have crab or shrimp today, by chance? Ooh, or maybe swordfish?" It is important to get the stuff you couldn't have every day when it's on someone else's dime!