2023-08-06: DecuFes '97: Adventure and Waterpolis

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<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.


        Okinawa's marine amusement park Waterpolis could be considered the waterpark to end all waterparks- occupying an artificial island off Okinawa all of it's own. Even a Zonder Attack nearly a decade ago couldn't stop the park, and it's grown even bigger in the last decade.

        In the new oceanside area, there's water slides and wave pools as well as deck chairs by the sea, while the main park itself features thrillrides and funfair attractions, a mirror maze, and a ferris wheel that goes underneath the ocean in diving spheres. But the biggest atraction of all is the biggest attraction of all- The Shooting Coaster, a roller coaster that runs most of the length of the park, with a jump that leaves the rails and dives into the mouth of a robot Shark to continue the ride underwater, emerging on the other side of the artificial island. It's a pity the wait is about two hours.

        Today, a special deal has been made for GUTS students, with subsidised tickets to allow any student to attend. The park is hardly for the students alone though, and even the late summer draws a crowd- but today is a chance for students to cut loose and enjoy the day- be it by the pool, amongst the sideshows, on the rides or indulging in the slightly overpriced themepark food.

        GUTS Treasurer Emilia Eschonbach is there bright and early, just befoe park open, to make sure the money is settled before anyone tries to get in, and park entry goes smoothly. With that done, however, Emmy finds herself looking up at the themepark. This too is a new experience- and dressed in her white one piece swimsuit with a blue floral sarong, and simple white sandals, she's not really sure where to begin.

        She turns to those GUTS Students who have already arrived. "Um, y-your tickets should c-cover full access to the rides, and, um, the b-buses back to the stations c-c-come at, um, 7PM." She's a little quiet, for addressing the crowd. "O-other than that, please enjoy yourselves!"

        The introduction done, she looks for someone to travel the park with. It'd be a shame to enjoy it alone. 

<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.

Cascade Vermilion may have hosted a beach party for GUTS, but the beach isn't the same as a waterpark, and she was interested to see what the differences are. Even if she looked up as many of the attractions the waterpark had before she came and probably has a pretty good idea anyway.

She's never actually been to a waterpark before. This whole thing is new - and, frankly, a little overwhelming; there's everything everywhere all at once, and Cascade can't really get away with just looking around like she might want to. Even if she's not the only one who hasn't been somewhere like this before, Cascade is a little reserved.

Sometimes she thinks it was a mistake to act that way, when she first got to Ashford, and establish herself. But back then, she didn't really know any better.

Cascade arrived early, as she usually did. She is a tall last-year student with long red hair in a single long tail and freckles, mostly across her cheeks, nose, and collarbone with some fainter dots along the upper part of her chest, currently wearing an asymmetrical two-piece swimsuit; it's a deep green bandeau-style top except for the single shoulder strap with bottoms in the same colour. She looks like she's about to burn at any moment, but that's what sunscreen is for. Cascade also has sandals, a lighter green coverup left open, and, today, a little waterproof bag.

(It's a belt pack, though she wears it slung over one shoulder. It is plain black and does not fit the rest of her at least fairly fashionable look. But it *is* waterproof and it's not like she has a pocket she could put things in.)

(Well, not one she could use while she was in disguise, anyway.)

"7 pm," she repeats, though it's quite a ways in the future and she is not at all worrying about it. She can get back if she has to.

A pause, and then Cascade asks Emilia, a little more quietly, "Is there anywhere you particularly recommend?" Cascade, after all, has not been here before, and her knowledge is a lot more theoretical than practical. 

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

Wateropolis! Having finally got a swimsuit of her own, Alouette was quite eager to see if this waterpark really was the waterpark to end them all. At the very least, chances are high that this will be a good time - her friends are all going to be here too! She knew that she needed a good time like this of course. But she also wanted to invite Sho, because work hasn't exactly been easy on her either, and seeing her in a swimsuit is always a plus.

As she makes her way to the waterpark with Sho, she's already changed into her swimsuit, the same one she wore to the barbecue - a blue one piece with a wave pattern and ruffled skirt, adorned with a big blue ribbon and pearl-like accessories.

"So I told Hana where I'd be going today... and she looked like she was near about to faint or something." Alouette starts, making conversation on their way there. "And then she just told me to have fun, but to be very, very careful. I'm not really sure what that was about, honestly..." Bad childhood experience? She's only heard good things about Wateropolis. "Geez, I hope she didn't send Volfogg. That would totally kill the vibe..."

Once they arrive, the first thing to do is listen to Emilia addressing the students. Every ride, until 7PM... she nods. "So... what do you want to do first? We could always pick up a fast pass for the Shooting Coaster. The wait's supposed to be really long. But until then..." She waits for the answer to Cascade's question. And then she looks at Sho, and then back at Emmy... it seems like she's looking for people to hang out with, it might be a good idea to invite her.
Teletha Testarossa teleports in.
POT: Teletha Testarossa is now set observer.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Today, GUTS has gathered... to visit a water park! It's the perfect summer activity. Rikka has to admit that she's more than a little excited for this - not in the least because she has a new swimsuit to show off.

Specifically, a one-piece lavender competition swim-suit, rather form-fitting and showing off her back just a bit. Her hair has been tied up in a ponytail with her signature orange bird scrunchie.

...And, of course, she has with her a matching waterproof handbag, to keep her phone along with a few other things close at hand.

She offers Emilia a polite smile as she arrives, waiting for the park to open.

"7pm, got it. We'll be sure to be back by then." Rikka replies, and offers a smile. "You have fun too!"

With that Rikka reaches into her bag and draws out... a map of the park! She came prepared. She unfolds it, looking it over.

"I think... I kind of want to start myself off small before working up to the big stuff." Rikka considers. She's interested in the thrill rides, the park's signature Shooting Coaster especially, but she doesn't want to jump into the deep end(pun intended) without knowing how she'll take it. ...She's definitely more of a relaxed park-goer, anyway - but she wants to do things with her friends, too, so she's willing to give anything a try. She 'hm's to herself as she thinks over her route, before looking up at her friends - scanning the crowd for Hass and Namiko, especially. She doesn't get to do things with them as often! 

<Pose Tracker> LiSA has posed.

Fujinomiya is ... not that close to Okinawa. LiSA had learned that to her some surprise (realistically, she knew, but sometimes until you're directly faced with the information, it doesn't click.) As such, having done some RESEARCH OF HER OWN (as required of the adopted child of the Kabuto-Yumi Power Labs), meant she had to ask some questions. INQUIRE, if you will, about some things.

And also wheedle approval to go on this adventure solo. She has a phone! They can reach her at any point! (She also shared exact route details!) So she's been near the water park since the previous day, having left the day before -that-. She's not sure about the route home quite yet, as three days is one thing, five is a different matter entirely.

HOWEVER:
LiSA is now here at Wateropolis, and she is in awe.

She is wearing a pair of dark blue sandals, good for water use, and is in a soft pinkish-purple bikini, similiar to her normal jacket shade. She's wearing a pair of sporty boy-leg bottoms and a halter-top. Over it all, she has a more pink sarong wrapped around her waist with a small pouch, possibly nicked from or inspired by someone's wardrobe.

"... I want to do it all!" She declares effortlessly, already using a park map and a pen to make her game plan. Yes, thank you Lisa, please don't run in the waterpark.

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Akane's had a whirlwind few days! She got to see a concert, then flew back to Orbit Base to get some work done with Alouette, then to Tsutsujidai to sync up with Rikka, then finally -- finally -- headed down to Okinawa. It's been a bit of a time -- all this travel is difficult for her, but...

... she does have her transit pass with her. That always makes things a little easier (and not just because it's mandatory).

THey've got full ride access until 7:00, huh... Akane's a little nervous about it, in her brown skirted swimsuit. She, too, has invested in a waterproof handbag. "Hmm... yeah, I think it'd be good to build up to something like that. Maybe we should do it as a big group," Akane suggests -- things aren't nearly as scary when you're with your friends.

While Rikka looks for Namiko and Hass, Akane turns to her strongest friend. "I'm kinda glad you get another crack at the summer fun thing without any kaiju," she remarks, with a smile.
POT: Teletha Testarossa is no longer set observer.

<Pose Tracker> Hass has posed.

Hass arrives early with Namiko in tow, wearing a blue bikini under a zipped-up white hoodie, and a pair of cute sandals. Besides her sleepy aquamarine eyes, her face is mostly covered with a white cloth facemask, with a kitty nose and mouth printed on it, hair gathered up in a bun.

Her shoulders are a little tense, hands tucked into her pockets, as she joins the small crowd of students around Emmy. As much as she's looking forward to this, it's hard not to think about what happened after the *last* time she and Namiko went to a waterpark.

"Right..." She nods to Emmy, pulling out her phone to set an alarm for the buses. She then proceeds to put her arm around Namiko and takes a selfie of them, flashing a peace sign over Namiko's shoulder. She tucks the phone back away. "

She tracks down Rikka, waving to her and tugging Nami alongside her. "Plans..." She pauses a moment, thinking. "I really want to try the Shooting Coaster... so, we'll want to get a pass for later."

"That leaves us all plenty of time to spend together." Her cheeks lift in a smile toward Akane, Rikka, and Gridman. 

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

Water!

Sun!

Girls!!!!

Namiko of Tsutsu High is HERE and ready for ADVENTURE! She's already doffed the tee shirt she traveled in, putting her in a red two-piece with white zigzag stripes, with a full strap of a top, and matched to a pair of the very tightest black cutoff shorts she could actually zip.

She raises her hand high at Emmy's instructions, beaming brightly. "7PM! You got it!" That's so long! She can do so much hanging out!!

She splits into a wild grin, splitting cheek to cheek when Hass slips an arm around her for a selfie. Namiko gets her own peace sign up just in time!! She's used to your techniques, photographer!

And then she giggles brightly and slips along with Hass. "I wonder if they have one of those ride reservation systems? I forgot to check. Save us some time on the popular stuff, though."

And then her free hand shoots up, waving as they approach the knot of Tsutsujidai Friends. "Heeeey girls! And associate!~" she chimes.

<Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.

A waterpark...When was the last time she attended one? There's no real reason to turn down such an event, especially when Goldberry (and Mardukas, MARDUKAS OF ALL PEOPLE) recommended "to take a bit of time off". She couldn't exactly disagree on that front...That, and Mithril oh so conveniently had tickets available for her. The power of GUTS (and Jindai's presidency, if she had to think about it).

Still, to think she never visited this waterpark...Civilian life was a strange thing at times; To be able to go here, to etch memories...Ah, she's getting wistful again. A shake of her head to snap herself out of the edge of the spiral, those bright eyes scanning the horizon. 7 PM was...quite late, on every technical military term. She can't complain about it, switching her gaze from attraction to attraction. The ferris wheel, yes, yes, but that rollercoaster...

Hair tied in her usual ponytail, the familiar shape of a school swimsuit draped over with a white trim around the shoulders. Some nice sandals, and a similarly opaque waterproof bag with a flip-phone and some Other things inside.

The rational side of herself notes the irony of taking time off to enjoy peace after her job's incidents and be interested in an attraction that is, quite literally, thrillseeking adrenaline.

...Maybe later.

"7 PM should be plenty of time..." Crowds are fickle things, but if worst comes to worst, there's always something to do. The Ferris Wheel, maybe? Or just some swimming; She hasn't taken a proper dip in a while.

Her natural gravitation brings her to Emmy and Alouette, a similarly quick nod over at Sho, a hand raised in natural greeting. "Two hours is a long time for a coaster, isn't it? You could probably work two carts if the engineering is good enough."

That being said, the breeze is refreshing. There's already a sense that getting some air not spewed from refiltration devices does wonders for the soul.
Ranka Lee teleports in.
POT: Ranka Lee is now set observer. 

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

Water Park Day!

Gridman's had this written, and circled, on Max's calendar for weeks. Backpack packed, swimsuit on, he arrives at Waterpolis covered in sunscreen and an enormous smile. Everything is incredible here. It's a full-sensory experience, right from the gates: the sounds of the crowd, punctuated by screams from those on the thrill rides. The smell of chlorine and cheap food. The feel of the hot sun, and the sight!

"It's amazing!" Gridman laughs, taking in the Shooting Coaster. "That's gotta be worth the wait!"

Emilia welcomes those who have arrived, and gives instructions on how to get back home. Gridman bows quickly in thanks. "You're the best, Emmy. Make sure you have fun too!"

After that, he's looking for familiar faces. Many of these teens are familiar from other GUTS events, especially the prom. Gridman waves a friendly hello to Alouette -- walking with Sho, nice! They make a good couple.

"You look great, Alouette!" He shouts, as he walks through the crowd.

Rikka has a map prepared. Gridman hurries up to her side, that brilliant grin still in place. Unlike Rikka, Gridman has brought... his wallet, a bunch of snacks ("The food's always way overpriced in those places," Borr said, "Sneak some in."), and Oshansoo-san. What else can a guy need for a full-day waterpark trip?

Speaking of Buster Borr, if one looks in the crowd, they may find an odd personage wearing a full suit and tie at a water park, laying out on one of the prepared beach lounge chairs. Oddly, they don't attract any attention for this. Did they even pay to get in?!

"I want to see everything!" Gridman says, in response to Rikka. "Starting small is good, but we have got to try that big one."

He points to the Shooting Coaster.

"Just look at it! I can't believe something like that exists!" Gridman rocks up on his toes in excitement. "Vit said to make sure we take pictures. Oh, and I've--" He lowers his voice to a whisper. "I've got snacks when you guys are hungry."

Gridman is in his usual swim trunks. There's no real point in changing them up, honestly, guy's fashion doesn't have much when it comes to swimwear. Black with two red stripes, they match the ever-present sweatband on his left arm.

"Akane, Rikka, Namiko, Hass..!" Gridman brings a fist up, determination setting his eyes ablaze. "Let's make this the best day of our lives!"

If he's still nervous about his presence here with the group... he's doing a good job disguising it. Namiko's 'associate' comment even gets a laugh. "Just call me Gridman!"

<Pose Tracker> Sho Tachibana has posed.

"You know," Sho says, taking Alouette's hand and squeezing it as they link up together, "You look incredible. Did I say that at the beach cookout?" She grins. She's wearing her own competition swimsuit - gunmetal grey with red vertical stripes that accentuate her figure, with a jacket over her shoulders. "Well, even if she did have Volfogg tag along, we wouldn't even see him until there was a reason for him to act, right?" She doesn't seem flustered by the idea. "And both of us should be more than enough to handle any creep, so it's like he's not even here."

... And honestly, after the BioNet issue the last time they went on a date... She'd be quietly glad for the backup.

Looking around, she realises she doesn't actually... know that many people here? There's the two Ashford girls she's familiar with from the previous GUTS events, but... She frowns a little. "Not a lot of Jindai kids made it, huh?" As she says that, of course, Tessa makes it. There's another cluster of five forming nearby, too. "Maybe you could make some introductions, 'Lou-chan~?" She winks. 

<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.


        Her duties discharged, Emmy finds herself approached. "W-well, the Shooting C-Coaster is th-the big appeal, r-right?" She gives Cascade an apologetic look. "Th-th-this is my first time d-doing something l-like this, either."

        Alouette, too looks to her. "G-Getting the tickets early is. A good i-idea." Emmy says, with a nod. "B-Before the w-wait gets too long."

        Namiko's mention of a ticketing app gives her a good idea. "I-I'll check." She pulls her phone out- it's an older model flip style phone, but still plenty reliable. At least the ticketing system has moved forward in the past decade. Trying to hold on to physical tickets in a waterpark? Madness.

        "G-Geez, th-three hours already..." She starts the ticketing process for her group. "D-Do you want me t-to book for your group too?" She asks Rikka, with no expectations. She's certainly not going to make everyone hang out together.

        "I-It's no problem. J-Just make s-s-sure you all enjoy it!" She says, with a smile to Gridman. Despite her usual nerves, she's in her element as an organizer.

        Tessa gets a wave as she gravitates toward the group. "M-Maybe w-we should st--art on some of the, um, the normal rides?" She looks over at the underwater ferris wheel. "Th-then we can g-go w-wild on th-the water slides after lunch?" She looks around to the group forming around her- and waves to LiSA too. "D-Do you w-want to j-join us?" Emmy hadn't seen her around much, and, well. She doesn't want anyone feeling left out, either. She knows how that feels.

        She has no idea how awkward she is making things for Cascade by doing this.

<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.

Cascade has also learned a lot about waterpark fashion today. These lessons will be stored away, for when she absolutely needs them. When you least expect it.

She doesn't know most of the Tsutsujidai crew very well, though she's met Rikka and Akane at least, though admittedly under very different circumstances (and under competition, which she tends to be a little bit more determined about winning than she probably should). She gives Hass and Namiko a slight polite smile as they approach, then a nod to Rikka and Akane and Gridman.

But it's LiSA that catches her eye. As usual. Was her sister right about her? Cascade looks for a few long moments before moving on, not addressing her immediately. It's not quite staring but it's definitely A Look. Maybe she likes the sarong.

Instead, she says to Alouette with Sho, "Fancy seeing you two here again. I shouldn't be surprised, though. I'm glad that apparently wearing the same swimsuit to two events isn't a faux pas, because the other one I own I don't think would be practical for this."

But - Tessa arriving makes her stop a moment. Oh, she recognizes *her* - and she's as out of place as Cascade is, though for different reasons. She elects to not barge in and just listen, for a moment. Honestly, it's LiSA that makes things more awkward...

...and Emilia invites her! Cascade may be uncertain about this, but it doesn't show on her face; the smile returns. "That sounds like a good idea," she says, and leaves it up to interpretation whether she means the water slides after lunch, or LiSA being invited along, or both. 

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

"Of course you did~" Alouette teases Sho, about how incredible she looks. "But I don't mind hearing it again. Besides... you look even better." She winks. As for Volfogg, it's true you wouldn't even know he's there. "But that's the worst part! I've known Volfogg when I was a kid, so it's kind of like... having your older brother insist on looking after you or something. It's embarrassing!" But it's true... having backup of his level is also reassuring in a way. And who knows, maybe he enjoys the rides too.

And as she expected, a lot of people she knows are here, too. First, she waves back to her friends from Tsutsujidai, smiling at Gridman's compliment. "Merci, Gridman!" She calls back. "You look like you're having fun already~" Seeing that warm smile on his face after all his troubles... it's nice.

Tessa is here too, and it's certainly nice to see her outside of school again, waving her own hand back in greeting. "Hmmm..." She considers some of the options Tessa lays out. "The underwater ferris wheel definitely sounds like a time," she proposes. "Should we start with that?" Three hours of wait for the Shooting Coaster does sound like they'll be waiting awhile, but they have plenty of time.

"It's good to see you too, Cascade." She waves. "I actually don't have very many swimsuits, so I'd kind of be in trouble if I couldn't double up..." She admits with a slight laugh. But she does notice how her gaze fixates on Lisa, the girl she recognizes from both school and the BioNet raid of all places. How would they know each other?

Finally, when Sho asks for her to make introductions, Alouette is very happy to! "These are my friends from Tsutsujidai! Ahah... I've definitely told them about you before." She explains. Helpfully pointing them out, she notes, "The girl with the brown hair is Akane, next to her with the red hair, that's Gridman. And the girl with the black hair is Rikka, with her friends Hass and Namiko." Moving closer to the Tsutsujidai gang, she adds, "And this is Sho! We've been dating for almost a half a year at this point." It's a little overwhelming the amount of people from different places she knows... but it's not too bad, either. Like Akane pointed out, it also helps her nerves a little.

<Pose Tracker> LiSA has posed.

Lisa feels a chill down her spine ... no, it's just Cascade peeking at her. She doesn't think anything of it, but waves at her nonetheless and calls out- "It's nice to see you again, Cascade! Did you get your gunpla finalized? We had some competitions going after you left."

She goes to make her way over, only stopping by Tessa. "I... we go to school together, right? I know I've seen you before, so it has to have been at Jindai! I'm Lisa. It's nice to meet you!" Diplomacy, there's the Sayaka...

Then, back to the offer: "I'd like that, thank you! This is my first time getting to come here, so ... I'm willing to give everything a try!" There's the Koji. 

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Akane seems to be in much the same boat she is. Rikka nods, and smiles.

"That's a good idea. I know I'd feel much better that way, too." She replies, offering Cascade a nod in return as she approaches. Fortunately, she doesn't have to go looking for Hass and Namiko for long - the former waves to her, and Rikka gravitates toward her.

"Heyyy!" Rikka calls over, waving back as Hass and Namiko gravitate her way. She looks toward Gridman, then as he offers his opinion. She chuckles at his enthusiasm for the Shooting Coaster. "Sounds like we have to, then. As for me, I definitely want to go on the ferris wheel..."

...She can't lie, she has to agree with Akane - she's glad Gridman gets to have a normal, fun day in the water, too. ...Though she does find herself impressed by his resourcefulness. She wonders who taught him that one. She gives him a subtle, appreciative nod in return.

Fortunately, when it comes to booking their seats for the coaster, Emilia's on the job!

"That'd be great, actually, thanks." Rikka confirms with a smile. She draws out her own phone so they can easily share the necessary information. They might as well, right?

"Yeah, definitely." Rikka agrees with a small smile back at Hass, as she comments on how they'll have plenty of time to spend together... and when Gridman raises a fist, Rikka casually follows suit. "Let's."

...She might not be able to match his energy, but it's honestly impressive she bothered to share the gesture at all.

But right now... introductions! Rikka offers Sho a smile.

"It's nice to finally meet you in person. We've been in the same place a few times, but we've never really talked." Rikka greets. "I hope you two are getting along~."

Rikka's glad to go first wherever the others are interested in going - but if they can't reach a consensus, she'll direct everyone toward the ferris wheel. That seems to be the way Alouette's group is considering heading first, too... 

<Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.

"Three hours?" ...That sounds like a miracle, in any other sense of the word. Only three hours of waiting for something to get done. "More than enough time." Eyes flicking towards the sun. Three hours...Around there? Oh, it is perfect. "That's about the best time if you don't want to be completely blinded." Engineer's instinct!

"I haven't been here before, so I'll let the experts take the wheel on it." ...Wait, was any of them an expert? Were they all winging it?

There's a smile at Cascade, nodding in quick greeting. Go with the flow, and enjoy yourself. That's the best option in the moment: Relax. Allow the joys of the day to strip away the sleepless nights and the grinding millstone of stress, even as her eyebags had defined themselves the slightest bit more. "Some of the better rides are good as the place heats up."

Listening to Alouette's introductions, that gaze noting and etching each one into memory. Granted, she's seen the Tsutsujidai people elsewhere, but Alouette's girlfriend...Yeah, she chose well.

"Ah, you're one of the other transfer students!" Lisa is immediately recognizable, even if she was only glimpsed every now and then. It's hard to forget faces. The powers of a good memory! "Teletha. Call be Tessa." The minute bow of a friendly greeting. "GUTS sure is a large place, to be able to get so many tickets for this place."

But it's not a bad thing, is it? "The Ferris wheel..." Well, it's obvious where it is. She can see it. "I see a few people in the capsules, but there shouldn't be much of a wait with how its moving..." Granted, it's a bunch of assumptions, but it's something. 

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

A mysterious beauty passes by. Pale, with that ponytail...Namiko's head turns on a swivel, watching the unfamiliar Jindai student go by, and then her gaze shifts to Alouette in that lovely little blue number, and...

God. Girls are so great. Wait shit someone's talking to her.

"Huh? Yes! I agree!" she replies, incorrectly, to Gridman. A second to rerun through her muddy memories. "Er, that's...yeah! Of course, Gridman." Grins.

Then, Alouette and Sho have wandered closer, and Namiko puffs herself up. "Yep! That's us!" Namiko also has a girlfriend. It's awesome. She squeezes Hass' hand and hopefully does not get karate chopped for her wandering gaze. "It's so cool to see all this! Tsutsujidai's so much smaller...it's, like, cozy, right? But sometimes it's so nice just to see everything..."

She raises a hand and adds, "Speaking of which, thank you, boss!" to Emmy.

And then, she finally rounds her attention back on Gridman, grinning wide. "Yeah! Did I hear ferris wheel? That sounds like a cool start...!" 

<Pose Tracker> Sho Tachibana has posed.

"You realise you just described a 5-metre ninja robot who can turn into a police car, directed by a Super AI, as 'a big brother'?" Sho adds on to Alouette's complaint, grinning. "Cute." Cascade makes a remark about swimsuit choice, and Sho follows up her girlfriend's answer with "I had a couple different ones growing up, but this one is my favourite."

As the introductions go around, Sho's red eyebrows arch in realistion. "Oh - Hass and Namiko? I didn't recognise you out of the Alto. You two holding up okay? It's Tachibana, the NISAR specialist. Nice to meet you!" She grins, turning that confident expression to Akane and Rikka. "So." She steps over to Akane, offering her hand to shake. "Operator Shinjo-san, right? Thankyou for looking out for Alouette. I owe you one."

(Girls ARE great, Namiko.)

The discussion turns to the ride of choice, and Sho nods. "We're kind of owed an underwater viewing experience, right Alouette? This seems cool."

<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.

"I only have two," Cascade admits to Alouette. "And the other one seemed impractical if I was going to go down slides; it has too many straps." She glances over at Sho, unsure how to ask the question, but: "Wouldn't you choose a different one as an adult than growing up? I did."

(Technically a lie, but no more than the rest of Cascade's existence.)

Seeing as there's a few people Cascade doesn't know by name yet, like Namiko and Haas (or, in some cases, she knows them by name because she's been told but it's not mutual, like Tessa), she does introduce herself: "Hello. I'm Cascade Vermilion, from Ashford Academy... it's good to see how many people made it here."

When LiSA asks her about her gunpla, Cascade thinks back.

---

"May I have my gunpla back?" Cascade asked.

NX-3 reached back with the box of gunpla, but it was NX-1 who took it, blocking Cascade from reaching. She looked at the Venus A box, turning it this way and that, thoughtfully, as she scanned the description and the contents.

Then, with a blur of motion, her hair lashed out. One of the blonde tails simply snapped forward, shining golden in the light. It passed over - through - the gunpla box, and then she was holding a handful of debris; tiny strips of cardboard and slivers of plastic, the entire thing cut through many times over by something sharper than the sharpest knife. Most of it drifted to the floor of the car or the seat between the two Gamias; the handful she was still holding, she flicked at NX-2 dismissively, making it flutter like confetti.

"Denied," NX-1 said, as the car smoothly pulled to a stop. "Get out of the car."

---

She remembers anger, and she's not even clear why - it isn't like she had ever particularly wanted the Venus A to begin with. But...

"My sister actually took it." Cascade looks aside for a moment. "I suppose I will have to get another gunpla sometime, because I will not be getting that one back." Her tone is fairly neutral, more deliberately detached than anything else. 

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"I think the best day of our lives is a bit of a tall order," Akane shoots back to Gridman, with a slightly-too-smug smile and a glance at Rikka. "But we can shoot for top five." Or, hm... is just five no good? Either way, she mirrors the gesture... albeit with some cringing at herself. Real enthusiasm gradient here.

Emilia scoots over and asks whether their group wants to get booked for; she looks to Gridman, then Rikka, waiting to see if either of them commit to it. Rikka seems game, though, which gets a small but affirming nod.

Turning her attention to Sho, Akane feels a little -- almost intimidated? The way she scoots to the back a bit in the face of a Getter pilot is hard to miss. "Uh -- Akane Shinjo," she says, after a few seconds. "Yeah, that's me!" As she's offered a hand to shake, Akane takes a moment to close her eyes, breathe --

-- and then manages it. Her handshake is a little too firm -- her grip a little too forceful on her tiny frame. It's clear she's forcing it. But at least she does it.

<Pose Tracker> Hass has posed.

Hass glances over at Namiko, tracking the girl's gaze over toward Tessa... and both girls can't help staring for a moment. Far from a karate chop, really.

Giggling a little at her companion's distracted response, she puts up her fist in kind with Gridman, Rikka, and Akane. "Yeah, it'll be fantastic!" And just like that, the anxiety is mostly gone. Gridman's exuberance is infectious. She can't help wrinkling her nose as Emmy comments on the wait time, though, muttering, "Glad they do reservations... thank you."

"Yeah. It still feels weird, being someplace so open." It's nice, though. She nods to the suggestion of a ferris wheel, and as she's introduced, and Sho recognizes them, she can't help gasping. "You-- Oh my God, you were there too. Um... thank you, so much." She's blushing, and she nods to the question. "It's nice to meet you, too."

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

Gridman gives Alouette a thumbs up, smiling. "You bet! I'm going to make the most of today!" As he is introduced to Sho, Gridman bows. "I'm at your service!"

Namiko's distraction, Gridman fears, is from her dislike of him. For a moment, his sunny grim dims, and he anxiously fusses with the strap of his backpack. But, soon enough, Namiko smiles at him. A sigh of relief.

"Thanks. It's nice to see you, Namiko." His own grin returns. "Ferris wheel it is! I definitely wanted to try that one out. Going underwater and being able to breathe is really cool."

Gridman laughs at Akane, almost bumping their shoulders together, before remembering himself at the last second. "I'll take top five. Oh, Emmy, we'll take..." He counts. "Five for the Shooting Coaster, please! Or maybe more, if everyone wants to go together? I'm not sure how this place works."

Hass, Akane and Rikka both return his gesture, pleasing Gridman so much that he can't help but laugh, blushing softly. "You guys... You know, I bet we could go for a top three best day, if we really give it our best."

"Come on, let's get to the underwater ferris wheel!" Gridman encourages, setting out toward it. Hopefully the line won't be too long!

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

"I'm not exactly familiar myself," Alouette admits to Tessa. "Pretty rare we don't get to be experts on something, huh?" She's smiling, clearly she's just fine with this. And from what she gleamed from Tessa... she treasures experiences like this too.

"I mean...!" She tries to think of a counter to Sho's point before the 'Cute.' just shuts her down, completely. "That's no fair..." But clearly, she's enjoying the teasing.

"My own isn't actually the most practical itself, with all the ribbons and flowing parts. But I just like it too much! And it doesn't bother me much, either." she replies in response to Cascade's talk about swimsuits. "Now I'm curious..." She puts a finger on her chin when Sho mentions having other swimsuits. "What were the other ones like?" Girls really are great... she can't stop admiring everyone's looks.

Namiko and Hass specifically seem to recognize Sho... were they piloting an Alto? "Oh wow, you already knew those two, Sho? Now I'm wondering about that story... the world really is smaller than it looks." She knew Emmy was there during the Triple Zero attack in Nouvelle Tokyo, but she doesn't think Sho brought up Namiko or Hass.

When Sho and Akane shake hands, Alouette's there to bridge the gap a little, seeing Akane looks nervous. Sho is a Getter pilot, after all. "Akane is one of my best friends. And you see... there's few people I'd trust watching my back more than her." She smiles warmly.

With introductions made... it's time for the Ferris Wheel! "Yeah... we definitely do deserve that. Let's go!" She drags Sho by the hand, no matter how muscular she is. It's definitely an interesting experience, seeing things from the perspective of being underwater. "Are those... real fish?" Her eyes widen at the sight of them. 

<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.


        Emmy does eavesdrop a little as Alouette introduces Sho to her friends. She had a list of names of the expected students, but... Well, it's good to be able to put names to faces.

        When Rikka accepts her offer- and exchanges phone details- Emmy completes the booking. "O-okay, so we sh-should meet up at the c-coaster at a l-little before twelve, then." She is a little surprised when Namiko calls her boss, but she seems to... take it in stride. "N-No problem."

        She also notes the way Akane backs off from Sho... she can sympathise with that. She had a much worse reaction when she found out what Sho did.

        She's doing a little better about it now, but, well...

        Gridman's enthusiasm is catchy, though. "T-Top three best d-day, huh?" Well. She can support that sort of attitude.

        There's a consensus towards the Ferris wheel- a nice slow start to the day. The line's not too big, and each car can hold up to four people. It's a simple, slow ride that dips into the water, and you can see the sealife swimming around underneath the ocean. Schools of fish, octopi, and other denizens of the ocean swim around the pods.

        Also quite romantic, if you're into that.

        In the line, Emmy sidles up to Tessa- she hasn't had the chance to see her in a while, and there's a topic on her mind. "H-Hey, Tessa, um, c-c-can I ask you s-something?"

        She asks this just as the line moves forward, and the two are due to get in a car together. There's no escape... 

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Namiko is distracted by girls. Best friend privileges means she gets one (1) before Rikka is allowed to tease her.

It's not like she can blame her for it, here.

Akane says that 'the best day' is a tall order, but she'll shoot for top five. Rikka smiles back. ...She's proud of her for attempting the gesture at all, honestly - and Hass, too. She grins back at Gridman as her laughs.

"Let's just take things as they go. We'll be able to enjoy it more if we're taking it easy." Rikka replies, then looks toward Namiko.

"...Yeah, it's nice." Rikka agrees, as Namiko enthuses about how wide open this place is, compared to the smaller Tsutsujidai. She's really glad her view of the world has expanded so much...

"And recorded. Thanks!" Rikka replies with a grateful nod as Emmy completes the booking. "Before twelve - got it."

Every seems to agree about the ferris wheel, though, so the ferris wheel it is!

"I'm interested in seeing all the sealife." Rikka notes. "I've never gone diving, but... this seems really more my speed."

With that said, she climbs into one of the ferris wheel cars.

"We might be able to fit everyone in here if we really squeeze in, but it might not be a bad idea to split up into a second one..." Rikka considers. ...Well, she'll let everyone divide up whatever way feels most natural to them.

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

noooo Namiko loves the gridboy!! "Yeah!" she cheers. "I guess we haven't talked much, really, huh? You've done a lot for us. Let's make sure to live it up today!" She raises her fist with the others and gives her big megawatt smile.

Hass, meanwhile, is fully on her wavelength in re: hotties, and Namiko giggles and twines her arm even more around Hass', nudging into her shoulder with her own bare one. "Hee hee, this is great," she giggles, quietly.

Ah, but now she recognizes Sho better. "Oh right, you guys! That was a real tight spot. Yeah, I'm the Namiko!" The other one is the Hass, singular, and only. She looks just a little strained about it. "Wasn't my best date, but I guess we get points for spontaneity?"

Alouette inquires and Namiko scratches her head a bit, but doesn't let her smile fade. "It was back during the Transport Hub disaster, they helped us evacuate. I ended up hotwiring an Alto." She giggles. "Actually, saying it that way, it sounds kinda fun, huh? Our big adventure! Tachibana and her team were a big help getting out safe, though."

And with this in mind...she looks at Rikka, and Akane, and Gridman, and...looks at Hass, with the silent searching couples gaze that says, 'do we want to hang out or do we want to canoodle' 

<Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.

A complimentary wave towards Cascade on being granted with the privilege of her name, her natural smile blossoming. "Ashford? I could say the same about your school? There's..." Racking her brain. "Tsutsujidai, Jindai, Ashford..." Wait, is that it? "...Quite the selection, too."

She's barely aware of being watched by two people. She's relaxing and all that, but there's still the instinctual human trait of "I'm being watched" in full effect...! At least, for a bit. Maybe it's the swimsuit? She did choose something new for this.

"It's hard to not look everywhere and see things they could improve, but it's lucky I'm not in charge of the park." A beaming smile back at Alouette, the brain of a Whispered-stuffed gal unable to turn those instincts off. Many places to improve things, many ways to slightly tweak these machines to make them better. "I'm not an expert on waterparks, but I am proud of my swimming." There's even a twinkle in her eye at that.

She stands back while everyone is introducing themselves to each other; It's a case of knowing others, but not being familiar with others. Pieces on a board from above, and rarely at ground level like this. Gridman's enthusiam is infective, all things considered. Not the best day ever, but top three of the year? ...Yeah. She can aim for that like any normal girl should, away from work.

In that Ferris Wheel line, she's eyeing up that machinery. Ooooh, so that's what they have...The metal is better than most, and the waterproof lining...Oh, that's how they're keep it rust-proof! So many minute details as they get closer and closer, inching forward in anticipation. "Ah?" The (in)visible question mark of wonderment at Emilia's question, stepping into the pod proper, heading to the far side to allow more people to trickle in. "Sure, what is it? Are you needing more people at the maid cafe soon?" Innocent as can be, even as she remembers Ranka's final sentence to her. ...Wait, was she trapped in something?

<Pose Tracker> LiSA has posed.

Walking with Emilia and Tessa, LiSA squints at Cascade and comes to a full stop. "Eh? You don't have it?" A beat. "Your sister took it - and won't get it back?!" Lisa is mad about this! Mad! "That's not right - that was basically a gift! Well, I think we kept some, so if you have one you do want, let me know!"

Then, ack- "Oh, we're going to miss it!" She says, then with the curious lack of personal understanding, attempts to pull Cascade along with her. Will they make the Tessa-Emilia pod??? 

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"It's kinda nice, though," Akane agrees with Hass on the topic of being somewhere so open -- though her affect as she says it is a little muted. She might not be convinced, but hey -- better to try. She doesn't seem to mind being this close to Gridman, though -- maybe this really is good for her. "Top three, huh -- yeah, I'll buy that."

Alouette mentions that there's few people she'd trust with her back over Akane -- and the fact that that comes after all this prompts a slightly less strained, more genuinely warm smile. "It's a decent back," she teases, "but I've seen better~." Ah, wordplay. She moves along with Rikka toward one of the ferris wheel cars, and agrees, "I think this is kinda more my thing too. I'm not afraid of the water or anything, but this is decent."

It's at this point that she turns back around, giving Gridman a long look. "I think you should come in this one." She looks over to Namiko and Hass, wondering a little if she ought to pull them along more directly too, but... it's probably best to let them make their own judgment call on that one. She does her best to keep her body language open rather than nudge them in either direction... which is a little difficult, but even so...

<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.

Cascade may or may not be distracted by girls. It's hard to tell. She's certainly looking in every direction as they walk, though, and that includes at people - and she's trying not to look like she's doing that.

She can appreciate the engineering that goes into something like this wheel - she has to admit that building something like that, to go *under* the water, never even occured to her until she read about it on the Internet. (Cascade gets a lot of her information from the Internet.)

LiSA makes her an offer, though, and one that surprises Cascade. "It's all right," she says, hastily. "I don't mind - that is, I can get another on my own time. That one wasn't finished anyway." Well, it was 'finished' afterwards...

Cascade's gaze wanders again for a few moments, out to sea, until LiSA suddenly grabs her arm and pulls.

Cascade's first instinct toward being grabbed like that is to strike. She restrains this instinct, though LiSA instead finds her hard to move for a moment, as if Cascade was resisting the tug - but then she stumbles along afterwards, unwilling to show her actual strength or commit violence that would break her cover and thus unable to actually stop LiSA in any way she can think of.

Which means that, rather helplessly, Cascade is pulled into a pod with LiSA. Whether that's Emilia and Tessa's or not, she doesn't even know, at first.

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

It seems the goal of "top three best day" has been taken up by the group at large! Gridman is thrilled, nodding to Emmy. "We can do it! It's been a tough year, but there's no reason it has to stay like that. At least, not for today."

Scratching at the side of his cheek, Gridman nods to Namiko. "Sorry, I've been meaning to talk with you, but stuff kept coming up. You know how it is. Today we can make up for it!"

"Right." Gridman calms down a bit as Rikka asks to take it as they go, but his smile remains. "I'm glad you're here to take care of everything, Rikka. I'm no good at scheduling!"

The ferris wheel has sea life too? "Yesss..!" He says, under his breath. The Hyper Agent really is excited for this. He's never seen sea life before, not really.

Distantly, Buster Borr raises their sunglasses, watching as the kids go by on their way to the ferris wheel. They all look like they're having fun. They smile, lowering the shades again and laying back, hands beneath their head. This is a pretty good gig.

"Oh, um, don't let me be a third wheel here..." Gridman offers, with a little nervous laugh. He waits for the girls to decide on a seating arrangement, wishing Utsumi could've made it today. He's not surprised Kaworu and Rei didn't show up -- their skin is so pale, it must be delicate in bright sunlight like this.

Flirting passes through the group, half-unnoticed by Gridman, who is just happy to be here. The girls are really pretty in their swimsuits, but so are the guys..! Human beings in the sunlight... Honestly, he feels more envious than flustered.

But he's here. That's what matters. That's what he's going to focus on.

"Are you sure?" Gridman asks Akane. "I don't want to mess up a couple's moment for anybody. But it'd be really cool to see this stuff together, if you're sure you don't mind!"

He really doesn't take much convincing to get into the pod. Going underwater is cool, but seeing it with your friends is a hundred times better. Oshansoo-san is brought out of Gridman's backpack and prepared. Selfies, blurry pictures of fish: he wants it all. 

<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.


        As they get into the pod, and Emmy gets herself situated next to Tessa- and Cascade and LiSA get in across from them. That means... she has to whisper.

        She leans close to Tessa. "D-Do you know R-Ranka?" She asks, quietly, trying not to be overheard.

        She would not be so free if she knew how easily her companions could listen in.

        "D-Do you know, um, wh-why she'd think..." She pauses- not out of lack of confidence but because their pod is engulfed in a school of colourful fish. "O-oh wow..."

        They come out of the cloud shortly after, and she tries to muster up the drive again. "Sh-she um... she. I th-think she thought y-you and I were, um, d-dating?"

        Oh no, Emmy's blushing. "I... I j-just wanted t-t-to make sure that uh. Th-things were o-okay between us? Th-that I hadn't l-led you on or a-anything." She pauses.

        "L-like... w-we're friends, right? Y-you're s-seeing Sousuke and um. I-I'm in a relationship, too." She blushes a little. "I j-j-just wanted to, um. M-m-make s-sure we were on the s-same page."

        After she says that, though, her eyes shift to the outside of the ferris wheel. Hoo boy. She really hopes she didn't just ruin Tessa's day.
Teletha Testarossa has connected. 

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

"No problem. Someone has to do it." Rikka replies as Gridman thanks her for taking care of everything. "And I know it'd really suck if we came out here and missed our timeslot or had to just stand in line for hours instead of enjoying ourselves..."

Rikka chuckles just a little at Akane's wordplay toward Alouette, before nodding.

"Me either. But this? /Way/ more convenient/." She comments with a laugh.

At the ferris wheel cars, though... there is a dilemma! Rikka would appreciate Namiko and Hass, but she certainly wouldn't blame them for taking advantage of the scenery together. For Gridman, though, she offers a smile.

"It's alright. Sit with us." Rikka says, patting the seat in invitation. "It's better with friends, right?"

And he's a good friend to all of them. They can have plenty of couple moments some other time, but they'll only have this day today.

They promised to make it the third best day together, right?

And indeed, it's so much better with friends. They can see fish! Fish can see them! Rikka looks on, surprised and impressed at the amount of variety on display. She would've thought they'd be scared away by it, but they probably take that into consideration. And the way the light shines and plays through the water...

"...It's pretty." Rikka remarks, mystified, as she stares out the cabin window. This is kind of a magical experience. 

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

"...I can't help but feel the same," Alouette agrees with Tessa with a laugh. "But this is fine, too. It's not perfect... but it doesn't have to be." As long as it meets safety regulations! "Ah, so you're a swimmer?" And she notices that twinkle of passion in Tessa's eyes. "I'm quite inexperienced, in actuality... but I hope we get some time in the pool anyways." She enjoyed the time she had practicing with Leina.

So Sho met Namiko and Hass at the Nouvelle Tokyo attack after all. Sadly, she was... occupied, with other matters at the time. Nonetheless, she nods at the explanation. "It sounds like it was a good thing you were able to stick together. Tachi-chan really is the reliable sort, isn't she? But I bet you looked super gallant to Hass, too~" She's not actually sure she's formally heard of them dating, aside from maybe off-hand from Rikka. But like, come on, look at them!

Next, there's a very audible groan at Akane's masterful worldplay. "Geez, I really should've seen that one coming." She laughs along with Rikka, glad to see Akane smile wider all the same. 

<Pose Tracker> Sho Tachibana has posed.

"Oh, well," Sho explains to Cascade's question about her swimsuit, "I just liked the sleek design so, now I'm older..." She shrugs. "Either way it's my favourite of all of the ones I've ever worn." She seems relieved that Hass and Namiko are doing well after their last trip to Nouvelle Tokyo, nodding - and grinning slyly when she notices Namiko's silent interrogative to Hass. "You two haven't been dating that long either, huh?" She thinks. "Do you mind if Lou-chan and I join you? I don't have a lotta people I know in GUTS, and part of the point of a big event like this is to make new friends, right?"

She looks over to Hass, at this point, and volunteers, "Cute mask. I like the cat motif." She grins. (Of course she would, she flies Neo Jaguar.)

<Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.

There's a shift of the ferris wheel as it begins to dip into the water proper, shifting under the surface into the wide expanse below. In the sea of blue, there's a part ofher that visibly relaxes; The fish, the sea, the wide, wide expanse of a zone flourishing ecologically.

There's a minute pang at overhearing about Cascade's gunpla. Older brothers, older sisters, siblings...They always were a bit of trouble, weren't they?

She does catch the whisper, an eye quizically ascending as she reaches into her pouch...And pulls out a disposable camera, taking shots of the wildlife. "I've seen her a few times here and there...I was at one of the shoots of the film that boosted her up." She should...pick up a CD sometimes. It's hard...keeping track of everything.

There's a snap of the camera. Fish. Colorful fish, the sea of shimmering colors. "Wow..." Beat for beat. Its been a while since she's...rested her eyes like this and just looked.

Leaning in to listen to Emmy. "Dating? You and me?" Her brow furrows as she tries to think of...Wait. "...The Yumi Foundation Ball." It starts to click in her head, the pieces of fragmented sights coming together. If there was the ball...Then the shoot...Then...Oh.

"Leading you on? I couldn't. Not at all. Not...I don't think so. No." ...The thought of leading someone on for months on end, to twist them, manipulate them, the quick frames of a third party's thoughts to push at something happening...There's a pregnant pause as she muses over that sort of...Framing. Why is that innately...tantilizing? A shudder creeping up her spine, the train of thought shoved off course.

"We're friends." Best to state that plainly. "You're seeing someone, and I hope that you're making hem happy, no matter the circumstances. For me...It's more complicated?" ...Does she have enough time to say she's got a boyfriend and a girlfriend? "I have...Two. One. Girlfriend. Boyfriend. Two." That works! ...Right? Another picture of the sea, sizing up a school in the distance glimmering in the sunlight.

"Sousuke and...Kaname. Both of them."

<Pose Tracker> Hass has posed.

Hass giggles, smiling at Namiko. "Isn't it?" She gives the girl a wink.

Her face falls a bit as Namiko describes their 'adventure' last time, and shakes her head slightly. One gets the sense she doesn't agree with Namiko's assessment of it as 'fun'.

There's some question as to how to divide the group up... just as she's about to suggest going with Rikka and the others, Sho asks if she and Alouette can join them. "It'd probably get a bit crowded with everyone in there. Let's catch the pod behind 'em."

At the compliment, she puts her hand up like a cat's paw, smiling under her mask. She's resisting the urge to 'nya'. It's very hard.

"Hey, Rikka, we're gonna join these two on the ferris wheel. We'll catch you on the other side!"

Soon enough, they're inside the pod, surrounded by marine life. Hass' eyes seem to sparkle in the water-filtered sunlight, squeezing Namiko's hand tight...! 

<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.

"Ah, I understand. Not quite the same design, but close enough," Cascade agrees with Sho. Sometimes it's good to get the old faithful.

But right now, she's being put into a Ferris pod. Cascade seats herself before she gets pulled into a seat, because she has to take *some* control back.

Unfortunately LiSA still has her arm. Cascade makes a gentle attempt to pull it back, and she is absolutely sure she could do it if she just pulled hard, but she really doesn't want to give anything away and she can't judge, with LiSA clinging to her arm, exactly how hard to pull. Especially given what she knows about LiSA.

Which means LiSA ends up holding her hand the whole way down, despite Cascade's better judgement. She eventually gives up and also looks out the window. She leans forward slightly, seeing a faint reflection of her face and shoulders in the glass (well, plastic probably) before looking past it, at the sea life.

She listens, of course. There are no secrets from Cascade, or at least none that are stated when she's *definitely* close enough to hear in an enclosed room. She knows she's not being addressed, and so though she appears to pay no attention to it, she files it away.

At first. After some time, for the first time in a long while, Cascade just lets herself... enjoy it. The sea life outside, used to the presence of the wheel, is fascinating, in a peaceful sort of way. Even Tessa and Emilia, telling secrets - they're secrets she doesn't need to know, though now she does. She won't forget it but she also won't prioritize it.

Cascade feels faintly ... she doesn't know the word for it. Wistful? She has the sense that she will never be able to do this again, that she'll have to hold onto this memory for a while. It's sad, and even with LiSA's hand, she feels intensely lonely. She's not a part of this world, even if she got to be for a while.

But she doesn't let any of it past her faint smile, as she looks out the window, apparently enthralled by the sea. 

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

It sucked, but Namiko does try to look on the bright side of things in public, at least. Only Rikka-dan have sadgirl namiko privileges.

Alouette props her up, but...Namiko senses a bit of Hass' discomfort, and just squeezes her hand. "I think we made it work as a team," is what she says.

Then Namiko wiggles her fingers at Rikka, Gridman, and Akane as they head off in their pod. "Sounds like it's split up already! Let's catch up after! I bet there's snacks around here somewhere!" namiko it's like nine, what?

She giggles furiously at Hass and the cat mask. "It's so cute, isn't it? Hass has some great masks, I tell ya."

Loading into the pod, Namiko proceeds to drop all pretense and lean directly into Hass. "Kinda new," she says to Sho's question. "But...."

Namiko trails off, because the look on her face as she splits her attention between the amazing view of the undersea wheel and Just Only Hass says it all, really. 

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Alouette gets a teasing little wink, as the group breaks off into a few separate pods. Akane can't resist. She lets Namiko and Hass go with a brief, "Have fun, you two~"

Akane has every intention of ensuring that Utsumi and Gridman get at least one good DecuFes memory; you're only this kind of goofball once, right? (Maybe even more true for Gridman...)

"You're our friend," Akane deadpans; it probably comes out a bit sharper than she intends. "C'mon, get in and we'll see the fish or whatever." Once they get in, she's honestly got her eyes peeled for the fish; they're not kaiju, but at the same time... they're interesting. Sometimes there's the small, mundane things that are just as fascinating.

"It is," Akane agrees with Rikka, after a few moments. Something clicks, and -- "I'm really glad I got to see the water with you again." In a slightly cramped space, all this water... it reminds her a little of the trip to Banadiya. Even if that was horrible... the view was incredible -- and so is this one.

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

As a team... "Sounds like you two have a pretty good sense of balance for each other." She nods consideringly. "That's just as admirable. I couldn't be there, but I know it wasn't all easy." Messing with memories... she's not sure how she'd take that. Still, she's glad to let the conversation slide over to lighter topics.

Sho suggests riding the Ferris Wheel with Hass and Namiko, and Alouette certainly isn't opposed. She's glad to get the chance to know those two better. And well, she can't help but think Hass mimicking her hand like a cat's paw to match her mask is super cute.

Before each group makes their way to their respective ferris pods, Alouette waves away Akane, Gridman, and Rikka... before Akane hits her with that parting shot of a wink. And then she's gone! Infuriating!

As the fish and other marine life soar by them, Alouette opts not to take out a camera, instead committing the moment to memory. Nothing could truly replace this, she feels... and she touches the window as if she could reach out to the creatures of the deep herself. "I'm sure you've probably seen sights like this in Neo Getter 3 already..." Alouette comments, leaning her head. "But this really does feel special." 

<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.


        Emmy blinks a few times. "O-oh, wh-when I w-was..." When they danced that night. "I g-g-guess the r-rumour mill must have started th-there..." She sighs, before shaking her head. "I d-d-didn't think you w-were, I j-j-just... w-was worried I gave you w-wrong signals."

        Still, she nods. "...I h-hope I am too." It's then that she finally smiles. "I'm g-glad we're friends." Tessa reasserting that seems to have helped her relax significantly, enjoying the following loops of the Ferris Wheel as she watches. Indeed, she giggles a bit at Tessa explaining.

        "M-my cousin is i-in a relationship l-like that." She says, understanding instantly. "I... a-a-actually met her b-boyfriend by accident before I e-ever got to meet her. I'm h-happy for the three of you. I hope y-you're all making each other happy too." Still an amusing thought seems to pop into her head.

        Eventually, the Ferris Wheel ride ends, and the groups are free to unite and split off again.

        There are plenty of ways for one to entertain themselves at Waterpolis- Emmy ends up making sure to catch one of the dolphin shows, tries a few more rides, and spends a cautious amount in the sideshow alley. Three hours seems to fly by.

        But she's also one of the first their for their allotted time on the Shooting Coaster. She messages to let the others know she's grabbed a spot in line, and then gushes a little over what she's seen so far.

        The Shooting Coaster itself has been refined over the past ten years- longer trains, higher speeds, more thrills... But the major part is still the jump into the Shark's mouth- the point where the fixed camera takes the shots you can buy for an excessive price.

        With her hair tied into a bun not to ruin the view of anyone behind her, Emmy lets out a scream as the jump happens, unsure if it's of joy or terror or both. She's really not sure if she's an adrenaline junkie, but this is an experience.

        As they go into the underwater tunnel on the dragonlike coaster cars, she finds herself bewitched by the holographic 3D images of mermaids, and the cartoon sea creatures as the coaster slows through the underwater tunnel. Beyond the 3D images, there's sea creatures in the distance, simply existing.

        Eventually, they come out of the water on the other side, and the ride comes to a halt.

        Once they're walking down the stairs, Emmy has a big smile on her face. "Th-th-that was... r-r-r-really incredible!" 

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

"Don't tell anyone, but I've got snacks!" Gridman half-whispers after Namiko. "A whole backpack full! The stuff here's overpriced, I heard."

Namiko and Hass find their own seat, and Gridman happily sits across from Akane and Rikka. The ferris wheel begins to move, and as it goes into the water..!

He can't stay in his seat. Immediately, Gridman's pressed up against the window, laughing as a collection (a school? is that it?) of colorful fish swirls around them.

"And these are real fish? They're not scared?" Gridman asks, no one in particular. "Can we feed them or something? Are they part of the park, or wild..?"

Pictures are taken of fish. While they're still underwater, Gridman retreats from the window to snap a picture of himself, squeezed (non-contactually) on one side of Akane, opposed from Rikka.

"You're my friend too, Akane." Gridman shows off the picture. They look great! The underwater lighting really does something for making everyone's skin smooth... "And so are you, Rikka. Thanks for... still caring about me. I'd get it if you wanted alone time." He grins. "I'm pretty lucky you're willing to hang out!"

Gai's words come to Gridman's mind. Friends, still connected, even if they're worlds apart. His hand shakes on Oshansoo-san, squishing into the odd phone-creature's mass, but... A breath in, and out. The moment passes. He's okay.

Soon enough, the ride is over. Time passes. Gridman, indeed, finds a way to try everything. Three hours feel like a lifetime. He buys a shirt, and three hats (Vit wouldn't accept one, he always says his hair is his best feature.). Some of the snacks must be eaten, then, so Gridman can fit the souvenirs in his backpack. Hopefully, everyone can help him out...

"I still think I like the ferris wheel the best." The Hyper Agent says, as they approach The Coaster. He's never been on a roller coaster before, but somehow, Gridman knows this is going to be the best one in the entire Earthsphere. "Hey, Emmy! Thanks for saving a place for us!"

Gridman bounces from his ankles up to his toes as they wait. The line moves. Achingly slowly, even with their reservations. Able to meet Emmy's gushing with his own, their chatter, at least, speeds things up, and before he knows it: they're next.

"Here we go..!" Gridman takes his backpack off, glancing around for a place to put it. In a blur of movement, it has vanished. Looks like they've got a guardian angel. "Thanks Borr!"

Should anyone wish it, Borr will also take their bagsphonesassorted items. Better not to risk losing them on the coaster, after all. The price is a Snack Tax, taken liberally from Gridman's stash.

You're supposed to scream on roller coasters, right? Gridman saw that on a show once. As the carts accelerate, he throws his hands into the air, yelling at the top of his lungs. He's not particularly afraid -- he's done stunts like this in Sky Gridman mode many times. But feeling this acceleration in his human form..! Wow, it's so much more intense!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!" Gridman yells, with a huge smile on his face. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAA--!"

"THERE'S A --!" Before he can name the sea creature (a real one, not a 3D version), they've moved on. "DID YOU SEE?"

Who is he talking to? Whoever is nearby, really. He's a friendly sort.

Out of the water and to a halt. Gridman's hair is sticking up in all directions (aside from his 'spikes', which remain, as ever, stationary), and he has a breathless grin on his face.

"Akane! Rikka! That was incredible!" Gridman laughs, abuzz with energy. "Did you see? When we went into the water, and then out, and--!"

He laughs again. Of course they saw, they were with him! Slumping against a nearby wall, Gridman runs a hand through his hair, somewhat restoring it. "I think I need to sit down for just a second. My legs are all wobbly!" 

<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.

When Emilia and Tessa stop being so damn quiet, Cascade apparently feels the moment is broken enough she can speak again. Or, as they're hoping, she didn't hear them before and it's just the right moment.

"That was... a view. It's more than I thought it would be..." She didn't really know what to expect. It's different when you're seeting it like that.

Cascade breaks away from the group for part of the time. She also goes to see a dolphin show, and doesn't like it though she couldn't say why; she goes for a walk, by the beach, even though she could do that at any beach, and then to some water slides, which she likes better; she tries a couple sideshow games, and wins a large stuffed shark that she is then obliged to carry around for the rest of the trip.

But eventually it's time to go on the Shooting Coaster, something Cascade was anticipating the whole trip. She has never been on a roller coaster before, so she has no idea what to expect in the experience, though she knows how they work and more or less the route.

(Borr does get to hold onto her new shark, at least for a few minutes. She would pay the snack tax but has nothing but a granola bar herself.)

Cascade doesn't tie her hair into a bun - she ends up sitting on the end of it instead. Of course her hair doesn't do anything she doesn't want it to, so it stays where she puts it; a few strands get loose, but they manage not to smack anyone behind her.

She ends up sitting nearish Gridman, completely accidentally - she was not trying to get near or far from him. And...

She saw some of the same shows. Cascade is, characteristically, more reserved - but only on the outside. Inside, she's as loud as he is; outside, she lets out a startled-sounding yell once at the dive, gripping the safety bar and leaning forward (which also frees her hair from being sat on, but by this point she's being pushed back in her seat by speed so it stays where it is anyway).

"I saw," she says, sounding - well, more excited than she normally does. A little bit of the actual Cascade leaking out, and though she recovers her poise momentarily, it was still there.

She doesn't even know why it's as exciting as it is. She's been faster, made scarier jumps without a mecha of any sort, and even gone underwater. But it is. Maybe it's everyone else's excitement that makes the difference, she thinks. Maybe that's what it is. She wants to remember that, too, forever.

Afterwards, when they regather (and she recovers her shark, when gets held with a new tightness under her arm), Cascade runs her hand through her hair to straighten it back out. Then she says, a little tentatively, "And if anyone would like a photograph, you can have one." Pause. "My treat. I have never done anything like that. I want everyone to remember it."

Cascade is known as the daughter of a Britannian noble, so she's probably good for it. Really, though, it's Brocken's gold that's going to take the (tiny, compared to the budget) hit. NX-1 will probably frown at her for the expense, anyway.

But Cascade can't find it in her to care. 

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Hass and Namiko are invited with Sho and Alouette. Rikka smiles back, offering them a wave.

"Sure, have fun. Don't get too wild~." She replies, chuckling at Akane's comment, too. "Yeah, let's!"

And so, it's herself, Gridman, and Akane in the car. She does a bit of a double take at her sharper tone... but once they get in, Akane seems to be enjoying it, too.

Seeing the water with her again... It takes a second for it to click for Rikka, too, but when she does, Rikka looks her way.

"...Yeah. Me too." She agrees with a nod.

"Yeah, they're real." Rikka confirms with a nod. "Fish are pretty good at swimming away from things that scare them... they must be pretty used to this by now."

That's a good question, though.

"...I'm not sure. There's probably a fish-feeding station somewhere." She considers. It'd be a waste not to be able to sell parkgoers fish food, right?

She smiles, though - a soft, genuine smile.

"Of course. Always." She assures him. "I'm really happy to get the chance to know you, and spend time like this."

Gradually, the ferris wheel ride comes to an end... it's rather impressive - both the top and the bottom provide lovely views in their own rights.

When they meet up, Rikka is more than happy to join Hass and Namiko for snacks, if they're up for it. It puts them in a good position to pick up souvenirs. She picks up something for herself(a plush eel that caught her eye) and something for her mom, and volunteers to chip in a bit on something for Utsumi, too.

From there, she proceeds as suggesting, working her way up with less intense rides until she's built up enough of a tolerance for the Main Event, her items gratefully handed off to Borr to look after.

The Shooting Coaster.

It's an intense and fast-paced ride - there may be a little clinging when it comes to the point that they're launched into the shark's mouth, but it'll make a good picture!

And finally, as they pull back in... Rikka's more quiet, but she's practically glowing with excitement, too.

"It was." She agrees - and when he laughs, she can't help but finally start laughing, too. "I saw! It was- it was. Wow!"

Gridman's legs are wobbly - and frankly, Rikka needs a second, too.

"Yeah, for sure." She agrees, collapsing onto a nearby bench and looking up toward her friends. The day isn't even over yet, and it's already looking like they might make good on top three. 

<Pose Tracker> Hass has posed.

Hass nods as Namiko says they made it work as a team. She can't help giggling at the girl's appetite, though she gives her a gentle elbow in the tummy about it. She nods to the question, "Yeah. We haven't been together long... feels like it's been forever, though..."

It's a good sort of forever, though.

She snuggles against Nami, watching the fish swim by around them, and looking starry-eyed at the view of the park and its surroundings as they crest the top of the wheel. "She didn't see those sights with you, though," she replies to Alouette, giving Namiko's hand a squeeze.

They reconvene afterward, and after morning snacks, they find their way to the coaster, where Hass turns over her items to Borr with a thanks and a smile. But, watching as the previous group shoots into the shark's mouth below, some fear lifts up from her belly...

But she clenches her free hand and steels herself. She's here to have fun, not be scared!

She has the time of her life, screaming along with Gridman, though her eyes look like they're about to bug out of her head as they launch across the jump.

The girl is breathless and shaky, clinging to Namiko, as they file out afterward, but there's absolutely a grin on her face under the mask.

Getting her phone back from Borr, she waves it at the others, gesturing for everyone to come in close. "Let's get a picture! C'mon, you too, Borr!" she calls out, holding her phone up so everyone can squeeze into frame. Once they are... she flashes a peace sign and snaps! 

<Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.

"...It was a good dance. Really good." She can't lie about that. "If nothing else, you have a future in dance and teaching. I didn't know anything about waltzes, but I think I can...hold my own, if need be." Call it a gut feeling, however throwaway that thought was.

Her own smile only blossoms at Emmy's own, nodding in tandem as she admires the surrounding sea. The warm water shimmerig with life, with the possibilities and brightness of the summer and the future ahead. "So am I, Emmy. I wonder what Ranka thinks of me by now." Double-timer? Triple-timer? Could she even get to Ranka before she thinks of something else? "Maybe next time she's in town, I'll try to sort things out."

Long-term plan: Set! But for now. "We're trying, even if two of us are new to all this..." A breath out. Relationships were...strangely trying. "I can only hope they're just as happy with me as I am with them." There's a forlorn smile. What a year.

But all ethereal-seeming things must come to an end, having snapped up a good number of shots with the camera. She knows a few people who'd appreciate seeing some wildlife outside of their Arm Slaves.

She tries to keep close to others, ping-ponging through the people she knows. Alouette, Emmy, Cascade, Lisa, the others...She's the sort to easily integrate after a few pushes, melding into situations semi-naturally. The camera does help for a few shots here and there.

The Shooting Coaster.

All the knowledge about engineering and how she instinctually knew that it worked, that it was safe, paled to actually going through the ride, of being shot out and landing in the shark's mouth. Her scream was as loud as any normal girl on the ride, if not louder.

"Haa...It's simple to plan these, but to imagine the level of testing needed..." Especially for the catapult. Really! It's simple! Just ask her, she could probably form a model, but...It takes time. "It was worth the wait." More directed at Emmy, but towards the group in particular, squeezing her ponytail to strain out some of the water. She'll have to give it a good wash later.

She does try to squeeze in on the lower portion of the picture. The perks of being petite.

<Pose Tracker> Sho Tachibana has posed.

Sho makes a little 'mm' noise. "It's... different from in a cockpit. There's not much time to take in the sights when we're on underwater missions, whereas here it's the whole point." She shifts closer to Alouette, matching Namiko's behaviour towards Hass as she peers out of the porthole. "Mostly fish get out of the way of our engine noise. This is very different." She's slowly relaxing, her watchfulness draining out of her as the four of them watch the schools of fish shimmer and reform around the wheel's pod.

Once the ride's over, she's eager to explore the rest of the park - beginning of course by finding the nearest pool, shucking her jacket, and diving right in, before inviting Alouette to join her and helping her get more comfortable with the water.

Then: The Shooting Coaster!

As the craft soars through the air, Sho finds herself holding her breath. Flying like this - no, falling with style, with no control... it sends a frisson of anxiety through her.

And then the wheels of the coaster slot smoothly into the track and she chooses now to cheer, hugging Alouette tight as they wheel around. "Whooooooo!"

Anxiety turned to adrenaline, she seems livelier once they're out of the Coaster, grinning. "That was incredible! The level of fine-tuning they must do to make the 'shoot' work... I bet Gai would have a field day looking at their calibration equipment."

A group photo is suggested, and Sho nods in enthusiastic agreement, making sure to crouch down a little and let Alouette's slight height advantage fit them into the shot better.

<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.

Cascade, who is exactly the opposite of petite (seriously she's like five foot ten, what do those Britannians eat) immediately takes up position at the back of the group, because she knows where she needs to stand in any group shot.

Cascade is actually smiling in any photograph that gets taken. She still has the stuffed shark tucked under her arm. 

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

As the conversation continues after Akane gets a touch snappish, Akane seems relieved. ... It's okay, she tells herself, nodding once to herself. It's okay.

"Yep!" Akane confirms, when it comes to real fish. "I think the park's responsible for this stuff, but I'm not really sure... I'll check once we've got better signal." For now, Akane takes a few pictures too, click-click-click.

When Gridman mentions he's glad they're hanging out even though he wouldn't mind if they wanted alone time, Akane says, "I think it'd be pretty rude to exclude someone just 'cuz we're dating." That makes something click in her head, and she says, "I'm gonna send Utsumi my photo reel here..."

She sticks with Rikka for the most part, though there are a couple rides she just elects to skip and wait; she gets some park food instead. It's important to preserve her energy.

She gets that photo reel out there too, before -- sure enough -- coaster time begins. This time, she does scoot toward Rikka, nervous; she's never been on a rollercoaster before. When she picks a seat, she does her best to position herself close to both Rikka and Gridman; she wants a lot of support for this one. Nodding to Cascade, she says, "Uh -- hi," she offers the Britannian(?) girl, awkwardly. ... she doesn't have anything else.

When they get underway, there's a moment where she freaks out a little and clings to Rikka -- but once they get underway, she's spellbound. "Oh wow -- this is an incredible --" she stammers, as she takes some time to appreciate the effects... there's a couple more chances to cling, but she also enthuses to Gridman, "I totally saw it!!"

Akane needs to hang off of Rikka a bit when they get off, at last, and it's bench time for her too.

... after she gets a little more food. She could really use some sugar after that. While one hand holds Rikka's, the other holds...

... a churro. It's important.

When talk of pictures starts, Akane says, "Oh, uh -- sure, yeah. I don't mind that," pushing her hair back a bit. Then she goes back to eating her churro. 

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

Alouette nods thoughtfully as Sho explains the differences between seeing the deep sea like this compared to in Neo Getter-3. No mission to focus on, no fish being scared away... yeah, this really is nice. "True... like this, it's almost like we've been brought to an entirely different world. One we normally don't get to see." Hass has a point, too!

Exploring the rest of the park is a good time, too! Alouette immediately goes for a way overpriced soft serve, and hangs out by the pool with Sho. She starts by just dipping her feet in but as time continues to pass, she gets way more comfortable, completely submerging, hair and all, doing many of the same tricks she did with Leina. It's fun!

But the moment they've all been waiting for approaches: The Shooting Coaster! She steels all the courage she has in every bone in her body but even still -

She can't help but let out an instinctual scream as they're swallowed up by the shark, breathing fast and heavy.

"That was -- wow." She pants, only barely still standing. "That was so cool!" She manages to complete her sentence, in complete teenaged awe, as anyone would after surviving their first deep-end water coaster, even if like Tessa, she could understand the principles in her sleep. "The steep drop, the teeth... and then the mermaids... I saw it all!"

She is also enthusiastic enough for a group picture, not even bothering to fully fix her hair back into their curls after the swimming and the ride both turned it into a mangled mess of a mane. It's a moment she's actually okay being forever memorialized into photo as she grins and strikes a strong hand-on-hip pose, next to Sho, and the row above Akane, Gridman, and the Rikka Corps. 

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

Namiko says, "We haven't been able to get out into the lake back home in a while. They're not totally sure it's clear of ninjas yet."

This is an insane sentence, but it's also true.

She watches, excited. It's her own turn to get a selfie going when they near the top, pulling her phone out from those teensy shorts (it's fine don't ask questions) and stretching her arm out for a snap. "I wanna remember this," Namiko says brightly - reminded, a little, of the fear they felt on the day in the transit hub, but moving past it with Hass beside her.

Soon enough they're back down, having successfully not devolved into a necking pile of limbs. THEN IT'S SNACK TIME.

Snacks are awesome. Are those orange slices?? Gridman saikou...

She does also hand her materials off to her friend and business partner, Buster Borr. She leaves him a extra cookie.

Then...it's ride time. Namiko ALSO has never ridden a roller coaster. She looks at Hass for support and finds her also worried, so Namiko musters the biggest grin she has in stock, and saunters onto the rollercoaster.

FIVE SECONDS LATER:

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

But it's with a wild, uncontrolled smile, feeling her stomach flutter and twist in a whole new way from what she's felt before!

Soon after, bench time is achieved and Namiko is attached to Hass just as much, but...picture still manages to get her onto her feet, wobbling a little but smiling all the same. "Yeah! Get in here!"

Namiko is also relatively tall among Team Tsutsu Girls, which says nothing because they are all tiny, but it does put her in he back row, peeking over Hass' shoulder with a huge grin. 

<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.


        Emmy smiles back. "I-I'm glad you e-enjoyed it." It was a good dance, after all. Still, a future in Dance and Teaching? She shakes her head. "I d-don't know about that..." Still, she really does need to think about what she does after graduation.

        ...Other than revenge and revolution.

        "Y-Yeah!" Emmy responds to Tessa saying it's worth the wait. "It was... I-I've never d-done any thing like this before! And the j-jump and..." She seems to run out of words, but the bright look on her face says volumes.

        Maybe the goal of a top three day was well within reach.

        Cascade makes the offer to purchase a photo, and Emmy gives an enthusiastic nod. "Th-th-th-thanks!" She manages to stammer out. "I'd. L-l-l-love one, C-Cascade!"

        And then Hass calls for group photo, and Emmy is part of the lower part of the shot, smiling brightly, down near Tessa.

        It makes for a good memory to look back on, after today.

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