Scene #2866:

Owner	Pose
Coco Kiumi	On the bulletin board of the Shed: "Hey, everyone! I hope you are having a nightmare-free experience. Seems like the Black Beauty Sisters decided they wanted in on that nightmare look, because they are back and all shadowy. Somebody should have told them Halloween is long over. I think they are out to get more power, so be careful around Tokyo, and if you see something, please let me know. We will be running a meeting about them, so just keep an eye out for when I will share the time. Let's meet soon! Coco" Coco ran a few things by the others, and a second message was soon posted detailing the exact time for everyone to come in. The sun had already started its descent for a few hours now, but there would still be a few more before it would disappear below the horizon. When people start coming in, Coco and Rihito are sitting in front of a billboard, with a map of the larger Tokyo area attached to it, marking the place of attack, the location of the Pearl Pier, and where they got attacked. On the other side of the board, there is another map showing the whole globe, and 9 dots showing all the underwater kingdoms (or its entrance point, in the case of Grand Ocean). A white shirt with long sleeves has been integrated into Coco's usual outfit covering her arms in place of her fuzzy warmers, and her miniskirt and slackers has been replaced by cobalt linen trousers. At the back of the neck, a slightly humid washcloth acts as a cover, tucked into her collar. On the table, her hands are closed around a light brown thermos full of broth with a yellow cap, while an otter, showing grey spots on its muzzle and chest, is tossing around and occasionally biting a red plastic ball. "So only Cora can actually understand us?", Rihito asks, extending a hand and lightly fluffing the otter's back. The animal stops mid bite and looks at Rihito with its beady black eyes. "That's right. Everyone else is from the normal seas", Coco confirms, and her hand moves to fix the washcloth a little bit.
Madoka Kaname	Madoka and Homura were both concerned about Rihito and Coco ever since they saw them last, and the fact that the anglerfish sea demons might still be out there wasn't entirely reassuring. At least Rihito was doing well again, right? The pair appear at the appointed time. Madoka shows up in a light blue oversized hoodie that covered so much that one could barely see the white shirt and shorts underneath. Homura is wearing a thin black jacket over a lacey black dress. Tia and Kamiko are also with them, hovering behind Madoka's shoulders. As they settle down at the table, Madoka compliments, "That's a cute look for you, Coco-chan!" Homura smiles gently at first, but she notices the wash cloth at the back of the mermaid girl's neck and slightly frowns. "Are you feeling alright?" Then Madoka notices too, and the concern in her eyes isn't hard to notice. Homura turns to Rihito and notes, "You at least seem to be doing well."
Niji Dasshu	Niji Dasshu arrives at the meeting when it was called (or maybe only a few moments late) - coming in from the cold with a blue stocking cap on her head that her rainbow-colored hair pokes out of up front and even more behingf, a black jacket with a red-yellow-green stripe running horizontally, and purple pants that carry a blue stripe of their own downwards. The hat doesn't stay on long once she's out of the cold, and she walks over to observe Coco and Rihito. Madoka, who is already there, asks the questions Niji would ask otherwise, so she simply waves, attempts to regard everyone politely, and leans nearby with her back to the wall, foot occasionally tapping. She's not much of a the 'sit down for a meeting' type herself.
Usagi Tsukino	The message on the Shed had been concerning, but in a normal way - an ''expected'' way. Enemies who turned out to not actually be dead are kind of depressingly normal, when she thinks about it - and friends being attacked is, too. Usagi Tsukino wasn't there, when the Black Beauty Sisters attacked, but she's here now, to learn what she can to help, and share the information out, so they can all be on guard. When she enters, it's in a pink winter coat with white fluffy trim, a scarf around her neck. Under the jacket is a knee-length white skirt, pink leggings, and white sneakers. The first thing she does upon entering is wave to everyone and offer hellos, before settling in her seat. "It is a cute look," she agrees with Madoka, "I wish I wasn't seeing it for a meeting, but it's always good to be able to sit down for one of these." It was ''always'' nice to have time to actually have a meeting before a big disaster, instead of just being in it.
Hotaru Tomoe	Hotaru Tomoe walked in and looked vry srs. She had done everything but paint on srs eyebrows today. She'd worn a dark jacket, a black blouse, jeans (because jeans just SCREAMED srs business). Even her lil beany didn't have any animal on it, it was just dark purple. She was a mahou being serious. None of the other outers had come today, because she was handling this. And she'd be informing them of what took place later, of course. But she was no longer hurt, or weak, and her cute little black and pink mittens (which she took off the moment she was inside and slid into her pocket), were the only sign she was not totally serious. Srsly. However, she joined Homura in the concerned look at the wash cloth. She'd had to wear something like that on more than one occasion... but she didn't say a word about it, though her eyes did go towards it. She had been there, on more that one occasion. And she knew what it felt like, to be the one who was 'sick'. To be 'weak'. To be 'delicate'. To be 'soft'... To have others 'worry' about her... ... And she knew how much, even when you knew they did it out of care and worry... those caring words could make you feel even worse. She did pop the coat off, though, taking the hat off and shaking her head. "Hiiii Usagi-senpai!" she said, before she could help herself, her eyes lighting up when she saw the princess. ... She still had a lot of affection for the princess.
Amy Faust	"Rihito! You're doing better?" Amy asks after entering the shed. "And... nice to meet you, Cora!" She's not sure what else to say to an otter. She is otterly unprepared for this. Perhaps she otter have known better okay I'm done. Amy nods hello to the others, and as she approaches the group -- in her oversized comfy field jacket over a black T-shirt and leggings and red skirt -- notices the washcloth on Coco as well. "Is everything okay? I mean, are ''you'' okay? I mean, physically?" She touches her own neck t indicate her meaning."
Coco Kiumi	"Thank you, Madoka-chan. I am happy to see you here", Coco stands up straighter at the compliment. "I try my best to always look on point." With people getting here, she gives a scritch to the otter on the table and gets up to indicate specific points on the Tokyo map, but stops at Homura's question, turning around with a nod. Rihito raises his face from the otter, turning to look at Coco with thin lips. "It's just a little bit of a fever. Nothing to worry about, you know?" the blonde girl replies with a slight smirk, giving a thumbs up to the dark-haired girl. Rihito gives a caress to her hand, then turns at Homura too. "Whatever Coco did really healed me completely. I don't even have a scar where I was bit." He is not sure how much could his life have been at risk from an arm wound, but he can only guess the Black Beauty Sisters took a lot from him. "Hello, Niji-chan, Usagi-chan! If everyone is ''ready'', we can get onto this map", she adds with more of that smirk. It doesn't feel right, not saying something, and she twists her hands a little bit before lightly hitting the map with an outstretched palm. "As you can see, I have marked where the attack occurred, our location at the time and where Radiant Heart is." She doesn't know what trying to drain the school's protection would do, but the Black Beauty Sisters are probably smart enough to steer clear, especially as they currently are. "Hello, Amy-chan. Cora is actually out making a round in the sea, to see if we can find anything. And yeah, it's just a small fever", Coco reassures her, but her smirk twitches again. "More on the situation at sea later. Any question before we focus on Tokyo?"
Madoka Kaname	Madoka accepts Coco's and Rihito's explanation at face value. Surely if there was an issue that they could help with, Coco would ask, right? She smiles and nods, and doesn't visibly worry about it any more. Homura's response is a little reserved. She's a little more cynical than her partner, and has a bit more direct experience with people hiding problems from her. Is this the case with Coco? Who knows? Either way, it seems rude to press about it. Especially when the yellow mermaid clearly would rather talk about something else. She keeps her vague suspicions to herself. "Well, I'm glad you recovered so well," says Homura to Rihito with a smile. Kamiko floats up to the map, hovering about a meter away from it but high enough to not block anyone else's view. "Nope. That all checks out. No questions here." Madoka and Homura remain silent, content to let the small fairy speak for them in the moment. Tia sits properly on Homura's shoulder and twirls her parasol.
Niji Dasshu	Niji raises her hand. Not that she waits to be called on. "Do we know what those losers are after? Or why they went after your friend?" She asks. Almost blurting it out. "I don't want anyone else to get bit, and maybe the first way to that is if you know why your friend got targeted?" She asks. "Like, he had power to drain but so does liiiiike a bunch of the students here and I haven't heard about anyone else having the same encounters. Although, it IS pretty cold out in the water right now." she says, and grimaces. "We better get them cleared out before winter wraps up."
Usagi Tsukino	"Hi, Hotaru-chan," Usagi returns, warm and pleased - it's good to see Hotaru well and strong again, after Pharaoh 90. She doesn't consider herself very close to Hotaru, but after everything, she's glad to see the younger girl, especially since she's not the one being targeted for once. At Coco's words though, she frowns. "A little bit of a fever can still make you feel pretty bad... let us know if you need anything, okay? Like, soup or something! My mama would be happy to make some for a friend." That's all she has to say before they start talking business, though she quicky thrusts her hand up. "Wait, ''bit''? They ''bit'' you, Rihito-san?" Her eyes are huge, and she wasn't planning on going swimming in winter, but still! "It's good to see these maps, to figure out where they were, so um, I'm ready to talk about Tokyo, but do you think they're going to keep biting people?" Do they need rabies shots,,,
Hotaru Tomoe	Hotaru Tomoe looked relieved when Coco said it was just a cold. While she had lied herself a few times when it came to 'why' she was sick... Well... ... That was 'why' she was sick. When she was dying. Coco wasn't dying. She was just sick, and after what she'd been through? She couldn't blame her for being a bit under the weather. What happened was likely INCREDIBLY intense. "It's good to know you're doing so much better. Whatever they did to you was... foul," Hotaru said softly. "I've had a few times where my healing wouldn't work, but that? That felt... really bad," Hotaru said. She grinned none the less at Usagi, though. It was... fairly clear she still kind of idolized the other girl a lil bit. Especially after everything that happened. But of course, why wouldn't she? After they defeated Pharaoh 90... her other self had been entirely quiet. And she felt more like herself than she ever had. "They were like vampires, but in the ocean..." Hotaru said. "Or pirahnas..."
Amy Faust	Amy's calculation is that Coco would probably let them know if she were dying or something. It could be it's a magical or mermaid disease that would be more trouble to explain than a fever and not immediately relevant, but she won't press. Amy nods to Usagi, "Yeah, they bit him and drained enough energy to fight us with... I guess he has latent panthalassan power or something? They seemed a bit stronger than your usual 'put some random person in a mirror let the future in the mirror turn terrible' youma, and we didn't depower them..." Amy looks at the map. "...So why the map? I mean, set up like we're going to add a lot of pins to it. Do we have reason to believe they're operating out of a secret base we're trying to locate?" She blinks. "Actually, I guess they must, huh... unless they can just like, live as fishes between attacks? Or if their human forms are sustained entirely by dark energy..." Amy shakes her head. "Sorry, I'm getting ahead of things. Um, yes, what about Tokyo?"
Coco Kiumi	Coco's smirk softens when she sees she isn't being pressed about it, and turns to look at Niji. "Last time we saw the Black Beauty Sisters, they were trying to steal Gaito's Leviathan and had hipnotised the Dark Lovers. He punished them right away, returning them to their anglerfish form", she explains, tapping a spot unmarked on the map. "Thank you for having been there, Hotaru-san", I appreciate you helping me out still. "Everyone who was there", Rihito corrects himself with a slight bow. Niji may remember it as the place Gaito's palace rose. "Rihito is a Panthalassa like Gaito, so maybe they needed a similar power to reverse their transformation. Or it could have been all him being at the wrong place". Lifting her thermos, Coco stops to take a sip out of it. "at the wrong time. The Black Beauty Sisters were still fish at the time," she says. Rihito holds back a breath. "It's probably my mother who was Panthalassa, if what she left in our home matters. My father is human, likely", he comments. Coco gives him a sympathetic glance and quietly holds his arm. At his small smile, she nods and resumes. "I don't think they are done draining powers, but we are probably safe from people getting bitten. They were sort of normal, just kinda... shadowy? But they can enter Tokyo now, probably." The yellow mermaid smiles at Usagi. "Thank you, Usagi-chan. Nikora-san gave me broth for now", Coco explains, lifting the thermos, and then smiles. "But I think later would be nice. It sounds inviting." She then looks at Amy. "The map is so people can add places we should be guarding. I don't know where we should start, but I thought to ask if you know of any place like that."
Niji Dasshu	Niji smirks. "I don't suppose just drawing a big line around the entire coastline of Tokyo will do it?" she says, knowing full well it won't. "Do you think they'll contact Obsidian, or just do their own thing? The only thing dumber than our enemies is our enemies when they put their heads together, though, so I don't know if that makes them harder or easier to butt-kick." she says. "But... I'll admit, if somebody made me into a fish, or I guess back into a fish, I might do some pretty crazy things to get back. I don't suppose you think they'd get their forms back and just go, I don't know, open a bakery or something normal."
Madoka Kaname	Madoka turns to Usagi at her reaction and recounts, "It was a ''really'' bad bite. It wasn't just the physical wound, either. It drained him, and Hotaru-chan couldn't heal it. It wasn't... reacting the way a normal bite should, though admittedly I haven't seen a lot of fish bites." Hotaru explained the rest of what she could say, so she doesn't add more than that. Homura raises an eyebrow. "Places we should be protecting? You mean like... centers of power?" She crosses her arms and also her legs and leans back into her chair. "Well, Radiant Heart and Obsidian Tower are obvious goldmines for that, but I don't think those two ambush predators are ready to take on anything like those two. There are a few other places that come to mind, though I'm not sure they could be reached." Kamiko scratches the back of her head and says, "Um, well, I should probably be careful. My Labyrinth isn't entirely under my control, and that can introduce several weak points that I might not even know about. Henshining into Hope Concept makes it easier to protect, but considering we don't know exactly what they did or can do... I'd want to be careful about that." With a smirk, Homura comments, "A little hard to pin your location to a map though, considering how much you get around."
Usagi Tsukino	Ocean vampires? Piranha? Draining people by biting? No ''thanks''! Usagi shivers unhappily at the very thought, and frowns in concern the more she hears. She doesn't Rihito's story, but it sounds as thought he can't simply ask either of his parents about this, and she doesn't want to poke any sore spots. Instead, she purses her lips in concern, and glances at Rihito thoughtfully. "Has anyone scanned you, or anything? I mean - it looks like you're better now, but if they did something that couldn't be healed... maybe there's still like, trace evidence or something, and Mercury-chan or Rashmi-chan or someone can help find something to give us clues. It might not help us figure out what they're ''doing'' but it could help us figure out ''what'' they did?" It's an idea, and she won't take it badly if it's not a good one - she's used to having bad ideas, anyway. R But at the thought of centers of power... "Hmm... well... I don't know if it's a center of power, but, uh, we Senshi kind of have a secret base at the arcade? I don't know if it's actually at the arcade, or if the arcade's just the convenient entrance to the pocket dimension, but, um - not the point! The point is, if they're looking for places with magic, it might count?"
Amy Faust	Oh right, Hotaru's healing didn't work. That's... concerning. How, then, did Coco... Something to ask about later. "Well not ''just'' fish. Apparently still magical intelligent fish..." Amy glances at Cora. Oh right. "...although I guess that's not actually unusual, after all." She nods in agreement with Dasshu-san: She would rather not be a fish. Places they should be guarding? "I don't know of any... I mean, unless this gets into finding the leylines at old shrines or something, and then other people'd know more. For concentrations of ''people'', Comiket's right before New Years'..." She looks curiously at Madoka. "Targetting you through exploiting odd properties of your Labyrinth sounds awfully esoteric, though. Something to worry about from an enemy with some sort of special connection to or knowledge of Witches, or an assassin targeting you, perhaps, but it doesn't sound like something they can just stumble into, is it?" She looks back to Coco. "Oh yeah, has Mamoru scanned you?" The Senshi have a secret base at the arcade. "You ''what.''" Amy is just trying to imagine like... where? How? "Like... in a pocket dimension...? Or a secret extra floor everyone magically doesn't notice, even us...?"
Hotaru Tomoe	Hotaru Tomoe gave a frown as she looked at the map. "I could reach out to Riventon-sempai... but... I'll need to phrase it the right way. If I do it wrong, he'll try and steal the power himself. He's really smart... but also really dumb sometimes," Hotaru said with a sigh. "But if I did it right, he'd tell us if they reach out to Obsidian so we won't get blindsided." "But... he does try really hard to do the right thing. And he'd likely be able to let us know if they reach out to Obsidian, at least. Other than that, the ummm... gates of time? But those aren't really a place... And then there's the glaive, but... that's more... me. And... I don't know if... that really counts... I don't think I really know any-pl-- OH!" She did pause, loking and.... "Okay, yeah, I think Grand Ocean is there? La Mer's. Yeah. I don't think I have any, then. Sorry. I'm sure others will be able to add other places, though."
Coco Kiumi	Coco laughs slightly at Niji's joke. "I am sure that with your speed you would be able to travel around really quickly and deliver any message we might need in a second," she suggests. Would they need that? Who knows. "I don't think we need to worry about Radiant Heart or Obsidian being under attack. And them making allies..." Coco hums and takes another sip out of her thermos. "I don't they will, but I can't swear by it. They are probably more focused on working on their own, if Gaito's event burned them badly. Overall the better thing, even if it makes them hard to find. She doesn't want to think what they could be doing at Michel's service. ''Maybe'' steal his winged servants' chances. That would be nice, and she could see it. Coco's eyes widen. "Is that possible?" She knows they cannot just ask Madoka to be Hope Concept all the time, but still... That's a really big problem. She has to think what to do there. Rihito's holds his chin at Usagi's question. "Well, I don't really feel anything, but I don't have any special perception, so they could find something. But it's just as likely Coco's magic washed it all off." When Usagi reveals the secret of the Arcade, Coco hums surprised. She would have thought any secret base would have been on the Moon, not this close by. With a flick, the mermaid puts a pin at the Arcade. "We need to pay attention to it then, even if it sounds well protected." "This otter is not intelligent", Coco explains to Amy when she gazes at it. "Only Cora is." It doesn't stop her from helping out in her own way, though. Her mouth opens slightly when Amy wants her scanned, and there is a return of that nervous smirk. "Me? Why should I be scanned?" At Hotaru's mention of Grand Ocean, Coco flips the board, revealing the other map. "These are where our Seven Kingdoms can be found, plus Grand Ocean and the Kingdom of Giant Squids. We are trying to get into contact with everyone, since the Black Beauty Sisters might attack there too."
Niji Dasshu	Niji sees the wisdom in Amy's suggestion - she might not be book smart, but she's street-smart. Sometimes. "Really, both you and Rihito should be checked. Rihito because of the bite, and you because your magic interacted with it. It seemed to resist Hotaru's healing and who knows what other kind of nastiness it might have carried with it. Like... better safe than sorry, right?" she suggests. "And look, there's a limit to how far I can run normally - but if it comes down to it, to protect my friends, I'll do whatever it takes." she says, crossing her arms and noting that firmly. "So if there is anything you need... let me know, I'll figure something out. I honestly... haven't tried flying for distance over speed yet." and she sounds like she might find that boring, but for her friends, she'll endure a little boredom. "Okay but can I just say the arcade has to be the coolest place for a secret lair? Like, is there an arcade machine that swooshes back into a stairwell when you push the right keys?" she says, her eyes a bit bright at the concept. "I mean, at least it's not a kareoke bar or something. Can you imagine the noise? Yeesh."
Madoka Kaname	Homura notices the exchange about scanning Coco, and especially Coco's reaction to it. The black-haired Puella's response to this is to close her eyes, look away start playing with her own hair. It's true that not everyone wants a checkup over every little thing, but... well, Homura is a suspicious girl, and Madoka's starting to pick up on her girlfriend's body language. They exchange glances for a moment, as if having a brief silent conversation. 'What it is?' 'I'll talk about it later' To Amy and Coco's questions, Kamiko shrugs and says, "I wouldn't underestimate what someone could stumble into. Weird stuff happens by accident all the time, and esoteric doesn't always mean inaccessible." Then the divine fairy floats over to Madoka's shoulder and rests on it. Madoka reaches up to scritch Kamiko with her finger and says, "So it seems as if they're trying to regain power after Gaito took it from them, and also they're working alone. I also kinda doubt they'd stop if they thought they could get even more power." Homura comments, "It depends upon whether or not they have a specific end goal aside from 'more for me'."
Amy Faust	"Last time someone attacked Obsidian, I don't think it went well for them..." Amy mutters. And then Coco... "You have a terrible poker face. Whatever happened to Rihito resisted Char-- Saturn's direct magical healing, and you did something that healed it and now you're sick? If you like, transferred it to you, it should probably be looked at by a healer, it's magical. And... maybe Rihito checked out too, incase there's anything lingering." Plus, reading Rihito thinking about the experience might also reveal information. Amy looks at the map of the seven... nine kingdoms. "Great. Against just the two... do the mermaid kingdoms have any magical defenses at all? Or just your mother? I guess if they had their own magical girls, Laura wouldn't have come looking-- right, the other princesses. But any of them standing against the two alone..." Amy winces at that thought. Coco has more battle experience than any of the others, surely, and it took everyone there to fight the Sisters off. Dash has some lighter thoughts, at least. "She's right, that's pretty cool. An arcade lair..."
Usagi Tsukino	Hotaru makes a suggestion that Usagi is immediately :I about. She understands that people love her brother-in-law in spite of all his nonsense, but given that his latest nonsense involved ''almost killing her husband'' she's lost all sense of patience for him, or getting his help ine ven the most circumspect ways. "I don't think we should mention this to him unless it becomes necessary. He might think he's trying to do the right thing, but his idea of the right thing isn't ours - and there's always a chance that he'll just decide the 'right' thing to do is drain the power so ''he'' has it, before the Sisters can get to it." Despite being the princess, she can't just order Hotaru around, and she wouldn't - but she can make her own position known, before shrugging and visibly softening up at Amy's astonishment and Niji's mention of how cool it is. "Yeah... it's kind of private, and also mostly just a computer room and endless mood-setting sky, so I haven't really tried to bring anyone, but, if you go to a certain ...Sailor... themed game and know how to activate it, it will drop you down a slide right inside. But like, it's definitely some kind of pocket space, because it doesn't have walls, it's just pillars and floor and the endless sky and clouds around it." r It's cool, actually. It really is. Sometimes she loses sight of ways that magic can be... ''cool''. Amy's direct position has Usagi turning her eyes to Coco - "Coco-chan, if you have reasons to keep it quiet... I mean, I'm worried, but I trust that you wouldn't just, lie to us about being okay. So... I think you should get checked out, but none of us can make you. Just like we can't really protect all of these kingdoms, but we ''can'' take care and try our best to be ready."
Hotaru Tomoe	Hotaru Tomoe nodded along, looking more relieved when it seemed that the mermaid kingdoms would be safe, yay! "Well, better safe than sorry is probably better. And... yeah. Coincidences are dangerous," Hotaru said. "But if they only end up going after places, and not people, that'll at least be easier to defend. How many magical places could there be?" Hotaru asked. She then blinked, paused, started considering it... then looked at the map, frowning. "... Actually, maybe this could be pretty hard... also... an arcade lair sounds awesome..." Hotaru whispered. Usagi's opinions on involving Riventon were... well... Fair. She nodded. "Honestly... you're probably right. He's... going to probably notice something is going on, though," she said softly. "He's always watching everything. Directing him in the... slightly wrong direction might be better than letting him go off on his own. He has a lot of projects, so long as he thinks it doesn't need his immediate attention, he'll get distracted and focus on something else once it stops blinking. He's not the only one who needed a HDD."
Coco Kiumi	"That sounds great. Thank you Niji. If you need any help just tell me, and I will see what I can do." She can't keep up with any of Loyalty's techniques, but she could restore her stamina if they found a way to set her at specific rest points. It could make the experience a tad less boring, but wouldn't it defeat the point of going fast? Coco raises an arm in front of her as a shield, looking at Niji and Amy both, and she jumps slightly when Usagi joins in. She really didn't want to get this out, especially since there is a lot she isn't sure about. "Well, I don't want to worry you. There is a lot of things I don't know" she confesses. "I didn't take on Rihito's wound. That part was true. I just paid a price for it, one I don't really know about." She bites her lips. "The Yellow Pearl is part of myself. I can never willingly give it up, or else I will fall to misfortune. ''But'' this allowed to put all of my feelings in it, and heal Rihito completely. You would have done the same, right?" Rihito stands in the background with a dark face. He had already guessed some of it during their last talk, but to know the truth directly from here like this... His shoulders fall inwards."I will just find a way to make it better, and we won't have to talk about it ever again", Coco says.
Madoka Kaname	Amy just comes out and says what Homura was thinking. Her intention was to pull Coco aside after the meeting and ask her more privately, but apparently they're having this conversation now. Madoka glances at Homura, then Amy, then at Coco. "You know, come to think of it, you weren't looking so well after the attack." So... Coco really was hiding something. Naturally, Homura noticed. When she hears the explanation... The raven haired Puella takes a deep breath in, and then lets it out. After a pause she says, "Yes. I would have. Without question, and I know for a fact that I wouldn't regret it, either." Madoka blushes for a moment, and then shyly laughs. "Eheh... I mean, I guess I would, too." "But..." interjects Homura, "Hiding from the consequences will not make them go away. The truth is still there, whether you acknowledge it or not. I can understand if you don't want to share every detail of your life story, but you're our friend and we do worry about you." Tia frowns, and then floats up to Coco. "Wait wait wait. Homu-chan isn't asking, but I am. What exactly do you mean by 'fall to misfortune?'"
Niji Dasshu	"Well, in the meantime I'm going to step up my beachside patrols. I can cover ground in Tokyo faster than anybody. Not so much underwater, but at least the coast and any more boats." Niji says. But when Coco says she paid a price, Niji frowns obviously unhappily. "Well, if you don't know the 'price' you paid shouldn't we be trying to find that out as soon as we can? Nobody's ever returned to play the next game by just ''avoiding'' medical care. As my teammate, if you're hurt or sick, it's my responsibility to make sure you get care before you go back on the field." she says, taking a few steps forward. "I'm not saying you did anything wrong, but when it comes to this sorta thing you can't just make it go away by pretending. That's how little injuries end sports careers, and I bet it's the same on some level for merfolk!" she says. And she nods when Homura says similar things. "Hiding from stuff just means you're not prepared to fix it. I'm not cool with you doing that, Coco-san." she says, reaching out to try to put her hand on Coco's. "And whatever's happening - you can count us on while you recover."
Amy Faust	Amy listens, and nods. It sounds like the sort of power some of her friends might have -- the Silver Crystal, for example, which Usagi doesn't fully know how to use but which somehow, sometimes comes through when she needs the world to change -- so it's not out of ''nowhere''... but as Coco notes, she paid a cost and she doesn't fully know what it is. "Are you... what do you know about it?" She looks between them. "And why do you want to never have to bring it up ever again?" She double-takes at Tia. "Wait... I thought you meant you used it in a strange way... you ''gave up'' the pearl?" Amy blinks. "...'Oh.'"
Hotaru Tomoe	Hotaru Tomoe went still when she heard what the cost of giving her pearl over was. "It... If you give it up... you fall to misfortune?" Hotaru asked. "So you'll have bad luck from now on? Or... you won't be able to henshin anymore?" Oh, now she definitely looked worried. "... You can run that fast?" she asked, looking at Niji with wide, amazed eyes. "That's so cool..." she whispered. Her focus then shifted back to Coco. Sacrificing her pearl to save someone she cared about... that, she understood. And heck, it even made a lot of sense to her. She knew more than a few people she'd have... done the same for. Even if she wasn't Sailor Saturn, she understood that, sometimes, sacrifices had to be made. But... "If we find your goddess, can we like.... negotiate for a like... reprieve or... something? To undo it? Or... does it not work that way?" she asked.
Usagi Tsukino	"I think... it depends on what counts as a magical place... I mean, there are a lot of shrines and temples and graveyards, even without the base in the arcade or Kamiko-chan's labyrinth, or any of the rest..." She is feeling the same problem that Hotaru is realizing, and tips her head back and sighs, deeply, from her core. She's still got her head tipped back when Coco finally begins to explain, and she closes her eyes and doesn't look. "I would have done the same thing, Coco-chan," she finally agrees, "But I think... whatever this misfortune is... you don't have to find a way to make it better all by yourself, you know? We're your friends, and we want to face it and fix it with you." It's Coco's choice, and it's Coco's consequences - it's what she chose. But standing by her side, to see it through with her... is what they would like to choose.