2023-08-25: DecuFes '97: Yacht Party

• Log: 2023-08-25 DecuFes '97: Yacht Party
• Cast: Sheryl Nome, Gridman, Rin Starking, Rikka Takarada, Cascade Vermilion, Shari Loom, Chloe, Ranka Lee, Gemini Sunrise, LiSA, Alouette Pommier, Sho Tachibana, Emilia Eschonbach, Namiko, Akane Shinjo
• Where: Mediterranean Sea
• OOC - IC Date: August 25, UC 0097 (2023)
• Summary: Sheryl Nome puts on a lavish event for the Deculture Festival of 0097: a cruise to take GUTS members on a day trip through the Mediterranean Sea.

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<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        It may be the future, and countless wars have scarred the face of the Earth, but one thing hasn't changed: the waters of the Mediterranean Sea are beautiful.
        
        Last year, Sheryl and Milly had talked about keeping the spirit of the Deculture Festival alive and how it'd be up to their juniors to take care of that. Milly had graduated at the end of that school year, but Sheryl's back--and so, while she might not be on the student council or anything, she's done her part in keeping the student tradition alive.
        
        First of course was accepting the request to MC this year's Crossdressing Pageant--but that's only a small part in a different activity. Second, and now, is something she arranged for herself for her fellow GUTS students: a yacht cruise through the Mediterranean Sea. The continent once known as Europe might be at least partly in shambles after the Impact Wars, but the waters themselves are still blue, and the mountains in the distance have regained their green.
        
        The yacht itself is a splendid affair. Those aboard are a mixed bag; there aren't just GUTS students, though those that are got on board for free, but also wealthy travel-lovers and fans of Sheryl Nome's. (Grace's idea. With Sheryl on hiatus, it's just wise to offset these kinds of extravagant expenses.) The bow of the ship is reserved for GUTS students, however. Those there can enjoy an on-board pool with a diving board and various inflatable rafts and beachballs with tons of poolside umbrellas, tables and chairs, a dance floor with a top-notch sound system playing tons of pop hits--including Lynn Minmay, Fire Bomber, of course Sheryl Nome, and even newcomer Ranka Lee--a delectable buffet just inside that is periodically refilled by the yacht's staff, a shuffleboard station to one side, and of course an amazing view of the ocean below and the coastline and mountains in the distance.
        
        Sheryl herself is of course at her fashionable best, as always. Her blonde hair is loose and free, draping over her swimsuit. Said swimsuit is brand-new this season: a black bikini, almost lingerie-like that's solid around the straps but glitters like the stars on the cups on her top and on the fridge of her bottom. A black string bow with white beads at the ends decorates the center of her top and the sides of her bottom.
        
        Around her neck, she wears the gold version of her limited edition jewelry line from last year, which consists of a sculpted rose that hangs on a chain and from which dangles a single small amethyst. On her left wrist, she wears several colorful bangles, one purple, one red, and one gold. On her feet, she wears chunk-heeled wicker weave sandals.
        
        Currently she's on the dance floor, grooving with whoever else might be there with her to the tune of Fire Bomber's Planet Dance (duet version). Anyone who might think one couldn't dance in high heels has never seen the Galactic Fairy on stage. She laughs gaily as she swings her hips at some lucky fellow teen, hands rising up over her head as she shimmies and twirls.
        
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP9FBpQWKx8

        https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/829115454084612096/1144750656897433651/sheryl_23.jpg

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

Gridman, looking more than a little starstruck at the sight of a real-life yacht, arrives to the party at Rikka's side. He's dressed fairly predictably with his usual red swim trunks, wristband, and snowflake pendant, but today is a bit of a special day for him. So why not take it up a notch? As the sun went down, the Hyper Agent threw on an open button-up shirt, but the real star of the show is...

A flower crown. Delicate flowers, so faintly pink they almost appear white, are nestled against his red hair. Gridman seems quite pleased with them. The 'spikes' of his hair serve to keep the flowers in place quite well, and so the circlet takes no maintenance over the course of the evening.

A matching flower crown, this one with baby-blue flowers, was made for Rikka and offered to her back in Tsutsujidai. It's her choice to wear it or not, of course!

"Hey, Rikka?" Gridman asks, as they make their way to the GUTS-reserved portion of the yacht. "For tonight, if it's okay, could we pretend like everything's normal? I don't want to bring the mood of the party down. Having one more happy night with everybody is all I could ask for."

His voice is soft. He doesn't want anyone else to overhear his request. As far as his friends are concerned, Gridman hopes, it'll just be another fun GUTS event to end the summer. There's no need to say goodbye.

No matter how Rikka chooses to respond, the dance floor calls to Gridman soon after. The Hyper Agent takes up a decent amount of room compared to other dancers -- he wants to be able to safely do acrobatic moves and flips! Golden eyes alight with joy, Gridman gives this dance everything he has, flowing easily between more traditional dance moves and his battlefield-honed acrobatics. If this is the last chance he'll get, there's no reason to hold back! He nods to Sheryl, grinning. How many people get to dance with a superstar like this? No matter what happens, this is going to be an evening to remember!

<Pose Tracker> Rin Starking has posed.

GUTS DA ZE!

Rin certainly feels like she's in a Guts Daze, alright, having been able to snag something connecting her to this luxurious trip through scenic Europe! It's not like it's very far from her homeland, if you want to be precise about it -- at least, not if you recognize the existence of Euro Britannia, and it was through Euro Britannia that she (and perhaps other Ashfordites) routed.

AND RIN IS NOT ALONE... although the person who came with her, Samantha Crowley, is currently reclining on a deck chair and playing a mobile game console. She does have it plugged into a portable solar panel sitting next to her, so that's sort of sunshine.

RIN HERSELF, though, is in her swimsuit. The astute observer might recognize that Rin is wearing the same outfit she wore to the beach recently. It's pretty eye-catching - an intense crimson red on a bikini with a pretty high cut and matching bottoms with white bows on a high-cut hip. She has sunglasses on, despite being

ON THE DANCE FLOOR

Where she has been executing maneuvers -- while wearing flat sandals -- and during a momentary lull, she asks Sheryl, "Okay you look great doing it but HOW. How are you not falling down!! Are they gravity heels?!"

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

A yacht cruise on the Mediterranean Sea... that's an experience that Rikka doesn't want to miss, especially when so many friends are going to be there, too.

More importantly, this might be one of the last chances she gets to hang out with Gridman for a while, to have a time like this, and she isn't going to let him go without a good event like this.

"...Yeah, I get it. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. We'll make it a happy memory." Rikka replies with a nod, walking next to him. Her swimsuit today is a form-fitting one-piece, in dark blue with white trim...

...And, atop her head, is that crown of baby-blue flowers, offered to her by Gridman.

The two of them make their way to the dance floor. Sheryl is here too, among others, dancing to the sounds of Fire Bomber's Planet Dance...

It's a good one.

Rikka joins in on the dancing - she's still kept up her practice, so her moves are pretty vibrant... though she sure isn't capable of pulling off Gridman's acrobatic flips!

<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.

Cascade Vermilion has never been invited onto a yacht before. It is a new experience.

Therefore, she accepted. What, did you think she wouldn't take the opportunity to be on a boat with Sheryl Nome? She may never have this opportunity again. (And definitely won't without paying an exorbitant amount.)

Cascade arrived in a tank top and shorts, but neither of them are around anymore - she just wanted to wear them over her swimsuit, apparently, probably because she looks like she'd sunburn if you looked at her too hard.

Instead the clothes are in a half-size gym bag and Cascade is in a swimsuit. She's wearing an asymmetrical two-piece with a deep green bandeau-style top, with a single shoulder strap (the right) that serves as much as decoration as actual support, though it's doing a bit of that too. The bottoms match in colour and seem to have a bit of decorative cross-over going. (It's the same suit she wore to the beach.)

Cascade herself - a tall last-year student with long red hair and freckles, mostly across her cheeks, nose, and collarbone with some fainter dots along the upper part of her chest - has also been dancing. She doesn't have any kind of raised heels on her sandals either - she's tall enough already by most standards, given she's nearly 5'10.

"It's practice, I suppose," is her guess as to how to dance in heels. She's never tried but feels it can't be THAT hard.

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

This is nice.

Shari Loom is at this particular party, and showed up for many reasons, including the fact thta it's free. She's in a black bikini, too, but it's not nearly as nice as Sheryl's, nor does she have nearly as much jewelry, except for a nice bracelet with a green crystal in it.

She has long pink hair, and she is wearing a light overshirt--button-up but left open--to help shield her against the HATED SUN because she's pale as any goth girl ever was.

And she's hovering between the pool and the dance floor, debating. Debating.

<Pose Tracker> Chloe has posed.

        Chloe and Coco's presence here is a bit of a strange one. Coco is the one who wanted to go, though she's not part of GUTS as she doesn't actually go to school. Chloe didn't want to come, but it is her military academy which is a part of the international group. But she came nonetheless at Coco's insistence, Coco claiming that Chloe needs to 'socialize more'. And in a reverse application of a bodyguard's 'I go where you go' Coco came with.

        Which is how Coco expertly manoeuvred the two to be here.

        Coco is of course in her wheelchair, but has nonetheless donned appropriate attire despite having no intentions of swimming. It's a relatively plain white one-piece swimsuit, joined by a slightly less plain flower-patterned sarong and a large white beach hat.

        Chloe is no where near as feminine-inclined as her protectee, so she's wearing a black/red, short-sleeved croptop and beach shorts matching swimwear set. Of course, it was picked out for her. Because she has no idea what one wears to a yacht party.

        Coco's wheelchair is currently perched near the edge of the pool, the girl enjoying the occasional spray of water from the wind. She tilts her head a little in the direction of her bodyguard and says, "You know, you don't have to stay by my side. Go and do things! This is a time to relax."

        Chloe, who stands almost at attention beside Coco, replies, "I don't need to relax."

        "Nonsense! That's the whole point of this trip. You've been so tense lately, I can tell!" Coco leans over, feeling around a little before finding Chloe and then giving her a light push, "Go! Gooooo!"

        Although it's only light, Chloe decides she'll have to just accept the push, both metaphorically and physically as she takes a step to stabilize herself, "... Very well."

        Having been gently pushed in the direction of the dance stage, Chloe continues that way before stopping at its edge and simply... Watching the people on it.

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.

It's not unusual that Ranka would attend Sheryl's yacht party, their friendship is very much known within the circles of GUTS and DecultureFes. Even with her busy schedule, she's doing everything she can to support them this year, as shown by judging at the Crossdressing Pageant.

A Yacht Party though??? She's new to the idea of being an Earthsphere Celebrity, so it's not 'just another day' for her. While she's been exposed to the life just by virtue of being around Sheryl, that power dynamic of her being a Sheryl's fan and friend had changed the moment she placed herself on that stage.

As such she's still getting used to it. One thing she has little problem with is the polka-dotted white top with transparent ruffle she's wearing, with a contrasting pineapple yellow bottom decorated with pink and orange tropical flowers with leaves with decorative string bows on each side.

She got over her shyness about showing off her body in such things with the Miss Macross Pageant, one kind of has to given all the costumes an idol is required to wear, showing various amounts of skin.

As such, she's walking around with a drink, every so often getting cornered by a new face or question. She's still trying to answer them gracefully, to be good to her fans like Sheryl is, to cultivate that kind of fanbase.

But even she has to admit it wears sometimes, with some of the questions she asked.

It's not until she gets to the dance floor that she puts down her drink, and, sneaks on and around before - joining her wordlessly.

Without missing a beat she seems to synch up with her dance moves and to dance nearby her. She's definitely improved her dancing game of course, she's had to - and part of how she made it there is thanks to Alto.

The moment Sheryl catches sight of her, she just winks with a single eye, before continuing to make herself a presence on the dance floor only speaking up when Rin asks the question.

"Because - she's Sheryl!"

Despite how far she's come, despite the different dynamic she is here, she's so readily willing to use Sheryl's own words to describe how she is herself.

Evidence she remains one of her biggest fans, perhaps even number one.

<Pose Tracker> Gemini Sunrise has posed.

         The Cowgirl of Jindai is currently bounding around the deck of the yacht in an almost irresponsible fashion, completely unable to contain her excitement at bein' on a big-shot boat in the big-shot sea.

         "It's even bluer than it is from space! Wow!"

         Wearing a simple white bikini with red polka dots, she has to be pulled back by a fellow student to prevent herself from going overboard.

<Pose Tracker> LiSA has posed.

Lisa had politely avoided the crowds, still wearing the ye old pinky-lilac boy-short + halter swim combo. Her pink sarong has been draped over a drawstring bag, in which her phone resides, along with a pair of blue sandals under her chair. On the chair... it's been laid flat, and Lisa is stomach-down on top of it, hair hanging down as she keeps her chin propped up with her hands, elbows down.

She's brought a book.

... it is currently not being read, as she flicks her gaze to Sheryl, then to her bag, almost as if telepathically communicating with someone.... Shiro. Her gaze drifts back to Sheryl and the rest.

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

A cruise across the Mediterranean? Hosted by none other than the shining star and trusted friend Sheryl Nome? And it's free with an exclusive area for GUTS students? Count Alouette in! She's certainly happy to make good on it, after how the last cruise went...

"Geez, Sheryl really went all out this time..." She comments, looking around at all the care that's been put into the yacht setup, nevermind the fact that they're on a yacht in the first place. "Well, it wouldn't be Sheryl Nome if she didn't!"

For her own part, Alouette came in the same swimsuit she wore to the beach and Wateropolis - an intricate wave-patterned one piece adorned with bows and ribbons.

When Gridman and Rikka make their arrival, though, Alouette has to stop and stare for a second. "Wow... you two look seriously radiant. The flower crowns are super cute! When did you get those, even?" She didn't hear the promise the two shared, but she nods to Gridman regardless. They're going to make it the time of their lives no matter what.

Sheryl is already tearing up the dance floor, and although she got a sneak peek of that look already, GOD does she look good and make those heels look like they're nothing. She waves hello to the Galactic Fairy, and then...

She wordlessly drags Sho over to the dance floor, with an enthusiastic smile on her face. "C'mon... I've seen the footwork you're capable of, Tachi-chan~ so why don't you sweep me off my feet?" It almost sounds like a dare. And even with all these ribbons and bells and whistles on her swimsuit, she's going to give it her best in dance, even if she makes a few mistakes.

A couple more faces filter in - many of which she's seen from school or at the previous events even. But Chloe in particular stands out, because she does not remember her from either such things, but elsewhere. "Hey... that lady. Isn't she from NERV?" Alouette asks in a whisper. She guesses it's not THAT big of a deal, they're also pilots and not that secretive about it. "Wonder if she has a side-job as a bodyguard or something." If Chloe notices her gaze, Alouette gives her an innocous smile.

<Pose Tracker> Sho Tachibana has posed.

Things have been quiet on the dinosaur front lately, so Sho is taking some time to enjoy DecuFes with her girlfriend - and Alouette insisted they get more time with Sheryl Nome's extremely high-end expensive parties.

It's hard to argue with 'free entry for GUTS', after all.

Wearing her steel-grey competition swimsuit, but with a powder-blue blouse over it, Sho waves to those on the yacht she recognises before she's quickly dragged over to the dance floor by Alouette, whereupon she grins and slips an arm around the blonde's waist. "Oh, well, if you insist, Lou-chan~," she responds as she takes Alouette's hand and guides her into a pirouette. Is she a little smug about showing off her girlfriend? Maybe.

Watching where her girlfriend's blue eyes track, Sho follows Alouette's gaze. "Hmm. I haven't met her, but she might be? Feel like I've seen her ID on the dossiers somewhere." She looks back to the 3G Operator, curious. "What're you thinkin'?"

<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.

        The past few years have contained a lot of firsts for Emilia, and today is no exception. Despite her family's wealth, a party like this was never something she got to attend.

        She's dressed in the same white one-piece swimsuit she's worn the past few waterside events, this time forgoing the sarong and just wearing comfortable sandals and a simple sun hat.

        She hasn't made her way onto the dance floor yet, though, having taken a little bit to psych herself up. This is a bigger event than has happened recently.

        There's maybe a few things weighing on her mind, too.

        Still, with a drink in hand, she wanders over to a familiar face. "H-Hi Shari!" She says, with a smile. "Having f-fun?" She asks, a smile on her face. Up close, it's possible to see tired rings under her eyes, but she's doing her best to keep a cheery disposition.

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        Gridman and Rikka's flower crowns are very cute, and Gridman's dance moves in particular are as fresh now as they were when he won last year's crossdressing pageant. As they dance in proximity--Gridman a decent ways away to have the space to pull off his moves--Sheryl grins back, and, if an opportunity arises, even graces him with a high-five. Her hand's up there and all anyway!
        
        As the song reaches its midway instrumental, Rin asks her how she can dance in heels. Her pink-painted lips curving up mischievously, she tosses her hair over one shoulder, and rests a hand on her hip as she winks.
        
        "You wanna know my secret that bad~?" she teases her. But then Cascade weighs in, and Sheryl laughs. "Aw, you leaked it! It's exactly that. I wear heels all the time. Once you get used to them, it's weirder not to wear them!"
        
        In other words, as Ranka chimes in--because she's Sheryl. She grins, eyes sparkling, at her #1 fan and now fellow songstress. "You know me so well, Ranka!" She looks her up and down and gives her an approving nod. After all, she's the one who recommended that mix-and-match swimsuit look for her. "Looking good~ Is that your first time wearing this out?"
        
        She catches sight of Chloe hovering at the edge of the dance floor, having been sent this way by Coco. At first she thinks it's Nunnally, even, which is what caught her eye in the first place, but that's before she actually sees who's sitting in that wheelchair. It looks like there's a couple girls wondering about if they should get on the dance floor, even, one hovering between this and the pool and another on a lounge chair and frequently glancing over this way (at her, but that's everyone). Looks like that pink-haired girl is a friend of Emilia's--and Sheryl remembers what she learned about her recently, but keeps it on her face.
        
         Instead, she waves to another friend on the dance floor. "Rikka~ You're looking so cute! What are those, matching friendship flower crowns?" she calls--after all, Rikka and 'Yuta' certainly aren't dating, that'd be nuts. Alouette weighs in on them too, and after giving her a wave back too, Sheryl nods to Rikka and Gridman. "Let me in on that too!"
        
        (An undercover paparazzi overhears, and next thing you know, the next hot global trend is flower crowns. ...Just kidding. .......probably.)
        
        The song's vocals resume, though, and so too does Sheryl's dancing--if with a brief smirk at Alouette as Sho guides her into a pirouette. She'll be off to get a drink after this, but for now she keeps up her moves. From the sound speakers, the rough vocals of Basara Nekki and the dulcet tones of Mylene Flare Jenius intertwine with ferocious energy:
        "No more wastin' love -- don't make love pointless
        "There must be someone who's looking just at you
        "Hey everybody, with your hearts just as they are
        "Give a shout, jumpin' on the planet dance!"

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

IT'S TIME TO PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARTY!!!!

Namiko (LAST NAME CURRENTLY UNDER EXECUTIVE REVIEW) is HERE baby, dressed in her red-white bikini top and black short-shorts and...

...just chillin' out on her front on a beach chair, man. She's not 110% every day here. She has a little drink with an umbrella next to it. It's hibiscus punch.

She does peer over her cool girl sunglasses at the dance floor, though. "WHOOOO GRIDMAN!" she hollers, punching the air in encouragement.

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"Oh, hi!" Shari brightens when she sees Emilia, turning to face her as she's reeted. "That's good luck. I was just thinking I didn't know most of these people ha ha..."

She beams anyway, "But yeah, it's fun, I'm just--thinking about what I want to do. I dunno if I want to go dance alone, and I kind of want to try the pool..."

She notices those tired rings; instead of commenting on them, she fiddles with her green crystal bracelet. "How about you?" she asks. "I like the swimsuit!"

She's pretty cheerful, but Emilia at least knows by now not to judge by all the dark makeup about Shari's mood.

She glaaaaances over to the dance floor though, "Huh... That guy's pretty good, huh?" Pause. Peering over at Namiko. "And he's got fans!"

<Pose Tracker> Rin Starking has posed.

Samantha Crowley glances over at Coco and Chloe for a fleeting moment. "My father didn't relax for twelve years because he believed in never relaxing," Sam advises them. "That's why he's got a replacement heart at forty-nine."

The game machine starts making noises again. Samantha is exactly as gothic-looking as you'd expect from someone named 'Samantha Crowley.'

"I mean I'm sure," Rin tells Cascade, "but that just begs the question! How do you even practice that without breaking both your feet off?" She leans backwards, peering over her sunglasses as if to examine Sheryl's ankles -- how forward!

But then Ranka reveals THE TRUTH... and Rin lets out a laugh! Wait, which truth was it? Only one truth can prevail, right? "So practice makes perfect, huh? Still, giving up flats like that's quite the sacrifice for your fans~!"

Rin drifts nearer to Ranka, then: "So admit it," she teases her, "this is YOUR yacht and you're just lending it to Sheryl. I know you've got a secret, and I bet that secret is interbloc console smuggling. Am I right?!" What a savage accusation!

<Pose Tracker> Gemini Sunrise has posed.

         Having gotten her fill of oohing and aahing at the lifestyles of the rich and famous, Gemini makes her way over to the dance floor, standing at the edge and cheering on Gridman just like everyone else.

         "Yeehaw! You go, Yuta!"

         Oh dear, who's going to tell her?

<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.

Cascade has been keeping tabs on the other students on the ship, too. It mostly looks like curiosity, when it's noticable at all - who else came? It could be anyone. It could be everyone! (But probably not, because 'everyone' across multiple schools would have trouble fitting.) Yuta (she thinks of him as Yuta) and Rikka, Emilia and Alouette and Sho, and others she knows less well; she keeps track of them all. Especially the ones she knows of as pilots.

Victory! Or at least knowledge. Knowledge is like victory.

"Smaller ones to start," Cascade guesses, though she is still out of her personal knowledge base and has decided not to consult the Internet this time. Still, it's a pretty safe bet, especially if it does get 'weirder not to wear them' once you're used to them...

She is a little surprised to see Ranka, but not displeased. She has Ranka's disc, after all - it was some of the first music she'd heard and appreciated - but she assumed she'd not want to show up on a Sheryl-branded yacht. Cascade gives her a slight smile, uncertain if it is best to bother her or not.

Chloe, guided toward the dance floor, attracts her attention. Cascade looks her over briefly, then over to Coco, then back. She doesn't recognize Chloe OR Coco, which is not impossible (GUTS schools are, collectively, pretty big) but unusual, because she's at least skimmed photographs and Cascade doesn't forget a face. Her gaze ends up passing on as she walks...

...toward Ranka after all. "I know you probably hear this frequently," Cascade says, more quietly, "but I do enjoy your music. Thank you." No questions, though, no cornering: just a pleased note before she moves on.

<Pose Tracker> Chloe has posed.

        Chloe is a bit of a new face to these kinds of events, yes. As it's only just recently that her academy joined GUTS. It's also true that she's with NERV! Technically. Well, more allied with the organization. But close enough. Good memory!

        Chloe watches the people on the dance floor for a few more moments before finally deciding to...

        Walk away! Yeah, she's not doing that.

        Hearing the comment from someone, Chloe replies, "My genes preclude the chance of heart failure. A replacement will not be necessary." Given the somewhat unusual mixed colouring of her eyes, it's probably no surprise she's a Coordinator.

        Chloe instead walks over to get herself a drink.

        Water.

        Very adventurous!

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.

Ranka beams at Sheryl saying that, continuing in her own moves on the dance floor, "You know it! Couldn't wait after our shopping trip, but it had to be the right occasion!"

Before shimmying and almost bumping right into Rin, as she giggles nervously at the idea, "I don't even own one yacht! Like - I guess I could buy one, but right now it doesn't feel like a priority." She gives Rin an apologetic look, "Sheryl's been successful for so long, she just has so much money!"

Which isn't to say Ranka isn't already rich, just not THAT rich yet!

And as Cascade, comes up to her, Ranka blinks, and then smiles at her, "You're welcome. I'm glad you do- and wait-!" Ranka actually takes a moment to catch up to her, before, "Cascade right? You competed in the pageant? I appreciated your answer to my question."

She puts a hand to her chest, "I hope you're able to find the bravery you're searching for, to live beyond them."

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

Gridman would never leave a friend hanging. He high-fives Sheryl with careful enthusiasm -- not wanting to knock her over or anything. Even if she's used to heels, Gridman knows how precarious they can be!

"Alouette!" Gridman waves to her, beaming. "Thanks so much! You two look great as well! Borr made these, you know how they get with plants." The Hyper Agent cheers as Sho guides Aloeutte into a pirouette.

"Color me impressed! I couldn't manage them for even a cafe shift!" Gridman laughs, and in turn, offers Ranka a high-five! It seems to be a thing now -- pass it on! Much like Friendship Flower Crowns, perhaps? "Yeah, my comrade grows more flowers than they know what to do with, so they made us some crowns tonight! You want one? I have an extra two for some friends who didn't show up!"

Pausing his dance, Gridman runs off the dance floor. After rummaging in his back for a moment, he returns with a pair of flower crowns. One with teal sea-green flowers, and one of bright lilac. They're both held out to Sheryl. "Take your pick!" Once Sheryl has chosen one, Gridman tosses the other to Namiko, giving her a thumbs up.

Rikka's acceptance of the flower crown makes Gridman smile all the more. He'll be sure to offer her his hand should a slow song happen to come along, though it seems for now the party is high-energy and fast-tempo!

Somewhere in the flow of conversation and music, Gridman comes to the realization that this night may be the final time he ever gets to dance. Instead of making him depressed, it seems to inspire the young Hyper Agent. Determination flares in his eyes, and his grin turns all the more daring.

The vocals resume. Gridman turns to Rikka, offering her his hand. "Let's dance, Rikka!"

Should she accept, Gridman will take both of Rikka's hands in his own. With a quick movement, he guides her through a twirl, bringing her body in close next to his -- but only for a moment, before she's twirling back out again. Stepping close, Gridman slides one of his hands to her waist.

They spin together, Gridman leading them in a quick set of movements to match the vocal track of the song. They swirl across the dance floor in a wide arc, Gridman too into the moment to apologize for anyone he gets in the way of. Another twirl for Rikka, this one terminating in a slight back-bend, with Gridman's hand beneath her back to help support her.

Looking closely into her eyes, Gridman tilts his head, a silent question. They're in tune enough that he trusts her to understand what he means. Is she okay with him doing something a little crazy?

Being the only male-aligned student in Tsutsujidai High's dance club means Gridman has gotten very, very good at most kinds of partner dancing, but especially lifts. Though he's short, his body is lithe and strong. And should Rikka consent...

Gridman twirls her in close again, then brings both his hands to her waist. With almost-unnatural ease, he lifts Rikka above his head. For a few seconds, she flies, lifted on the strength of her bond with the Giant of Light. Strong hands catch her when she begins to fall, and Gridman places her carefully back down on her feet.

As the song comes to a close, he moves just behind Rikka, guiding her through one more series of steps, with one arm extended. The final notes play, and Gridman twirls himself to Rikka front again, taking her hand for one last dramatic pose.

It's over. He breathes heavily, exhilaration far outweighing exhaustion.

"Thank you." Gridman whispers to Rikka, leaning in to peck her cheek. "You're amazing, Rikka. You'll always be my very best friend."

Surely, their dance has garnered attention. Should it be enough, Gridman will whisper "Take a bow!" to Rikka, as he sweeps into one himself. Once he stands again, he's laughing -- clearly not taking himself too seriously, despite the show he just put on!

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.

She also absolutely returns Gridman's High Five.

"Hm? A flower crown?" Even if he wasn't addressing her, Ranka smiles and declares, "If you really have extra sure!"

She tries to pick something yellow of what he has, in order to match her swimsuit's bottom.

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        Stare all you like at Sheryl's ankles, Rin. She doesn't mind. <3
        
        She also smiles indulgently--and maybe a little mysteriously--in between shimmies and getting high-fived at Rin and Cascade's continued conversation specifically on sacrificing for her fans. Giving up flats, huh... If there's any secret here, it's that Grace had her start wearing heels not long after she picked her up off the streets as a child. If you're going to reform your leg muscles, you have to start early. Every ballet dancer knows that well.
        
        Sheryl doesn't think of it like that, even after Rin put it in exactly those words, but it really is a sacrifice for her fans, huh.
        
        As the song Planet Dance wraps up, she flips her hair, sparkling in the Mediterranean breeze. "You picked the perfect opportunity! I can't wait to go for a dip in the pool, myself, but I just had to dance first," she tells Ranka. But then Gridman offers to give her a flower crown, and she utters an 'oh!' as he runs off and returns with a pair. "Oh, how sweet of you!" she says, delighted. She picks the crown of lilacs and sets it on her strawberry blonde tresses, openly pleased. She winks to Gridman, then saunters off the dance floor to get that drink.
        
        Which is not to say the music stops, far from it. There will be plenty of pop and rock-and-roll music to dance to for those still getting their groove on.
        
        Meanwhile, the buffet table is under a partially closed-in awning to help protect it from wind and to give folks some shade, and there are plenty of things to drink. Including ice water. Sheryl, looking to get rehydrated, goes for that first, and so ends up next to Chloe as she gets a glass.
        
        She glances at her, and recognizing her from the edge of the dance floor, she gives her an ironic little smile. "Having fun?"

<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.

        "I-It's a b-big event, right?" Emmy responds, looking around at the crowd. "Sheryl really. D-Doesn't do things by h-half, huh?" Shari perking up at her presence seems to be buoying Emmy a little.

        "I could i-i-introduce you to a f-few people, if you l-like?" She offers, quietly. "N-no pressure, th-though.""

        Emmy looks over at the crowded dancefloor, then at the pool. "Th-the pool is p-probably a l-little calmer right now."

        When asked how she's going, Emmy gives a small shrug. "Okay, I th-think? I'm. A l-little worn out, b-but you don't get opportunities like th-this all the time."

        The compliment on her swimsuit gets a small smile. "Th-thanks. I l-l-like it better than my old one." This one at least she had say in. "Your l-look really suits you, Shari."

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

Akane Shinjo... has been in the bathroom for a while now. This seemed like a good idea at first, but it's about the limit of what she can handle in terms of number of people, and maybe even a bit past that. (She also forgot to get her medication sorted before arriving, and she still kind of hates being seen deal with a bunch of pills.)

As a result, she's missed Planet Dance. This is fine -- it's a number that's a bit too high energy for her anyway. It's okay not to be part of every single moment.

... but it'd be remiss to let this slip by, too. Sheryl is her friend, after all -- a dear friend who not only saved her life, but helped her save another one.

Now, of course, it's time to get a glass of punch -- which puts her near both Sheryl and Chloe as she returns. "Oh hey," she starts, nodding to Sheryl. Then, with a glance to Chloe: "Who's your friend?"

<Pose Tracker> Rin Starking has posed.

Rin makes an 'ooooooo' as Ranka admits to being LOADED. "You're just not in the market yet, huh? I see how it is. You know, my father once said boats are an excellent investment, but I *think* he may have been being a smarty-pants about it."

Flower crowns come up. "C"mon, Cascade," Rin nudges her stoic roommate, approaching forwards to get herself one. As she crouches down slightly, suitable for crowning, she asks Gridman with a big grin, "So how are you enjoying the summer? It's been hectic, huh!"

Rin has no idea.

Rin doesn't return to the dance floor, though, after her coronation. The astute (probably Cascade or Ranka, perhaps others) might notice she is in fact propping up a railing with her hip in a way that suggests fatigue she isn't quite letting on.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

"Alouette!" Rikka greets with a wave - Namiko, cheering on Gridman, gets one too! - and then a laugh. "Thanks. You look great, too."

The flower crowns have caught Alouette and Sheryl's notice, and Rikka grins.

"They're cute, right?" She replies. Gridman explains how Borr made them, and Rikka nods. She really has to admire their taste - they came out excellently.

And as the dancing continues, Gridman calls out to Rikka. That determination in his eyes and that grin on his face... they're unmistakable. Rikka grins back.

"Sure." She replies, accepting his hand. She is, as it turns out, an excellent dance partner - she matches his steps and, noticing how in the moment he is, she's careful to subtly guide the two of them away from large packs of students to ensure they don't crash into anyone.

Rikka twirls with a slight back-bend, and meets his eyes. She'd be able to tell what he meant even if she wasn't a Newtype - such is the strength of the bond of friendship, of camaraderie, that they've forged. There's a quick, subtle nod - and when he twirls her in close, hands to her waist, she's lifted in the air. There's no fear or surprise in the way she carries herself. She soars though the air on her bond - and meets ground again without even a stumble. There's one last series of steps, which she matches - and she performs a complementary dramatic pose, as well.

"...You're welcome." Rikka replies, offering Gridman a smile. His very best friend, huh... She'll hold that title close to her heart.

And, of course, when he suggests she take a bow, she sweeps into one of her own - and his laughing ends up making her start laughing, too.

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"Yeah!!" Shari says. "Still can't believe it's Sheryl Nome," she admits. "But I see her right over there, it's totally her. Being super cool."

But Emilia offers to introduce her, "Really? I'd appreciate that, if you don't mind. But only if it's no trouble, OK?"

The pool is probably calmer, and calm is nice, but... Emmy is a little worn out but okay. "That's true," Shari admits. "I guess some things are worth being a little tired for, right?"

Then she smiles back. "Great," she says of liking it betterr, and then--"Yeah? Makes it worth the effort to hear somebody thinks so!"

She's having a good day. No horrible whispers! Yet. At least not more than the usual little bit. She glances back to the dancefloor... "Ha, I don't even whoever has to follow that act," she admits. "Flower crowns and everything..."

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

"Hehehe," Alouette giggles as she's taken and... guided into a graceful pirouette! She makes the absolute most of the moment, and strikes a pose much like she would when driving Final Fusion. Before twisting her hand around Sho's waist, fluidly switching dancer's positions in an instant. "Now it's your turn~" She grins, as she playfully spins her around. She's fast - but not too fast for the pilot of Neo-Getter 2, of course.

The other star of the dance floor waves their way, along with Rikka, and Alouette beams.

"I can definitely see their expert handiwork in there." She nods, gazing at the flower crowns Borr put together. Seems Sheryl's putting it on track to make them a thing, even... and Gridman reveals he has many more. She accepts a bright blue and white patterned one, to match with her swimsuit. "Merci, Gridman! I'll have to stop by and give Borr my thanks too~"

She watches in awe as Gridman and Rikka take command of the dance floor, seeing how perfectly attuned they are, as the strength of their bond lets Rikka soar. "Wow, that was impressive...!" She comments with a big grin, as they take their bow. Whether Gridman stays or has to leave, it's a moment she'll never forget.

As for Chloe... "I think I've met her a few times on anti-Angel operations." Alouette does not dislike her, and in fact respects her dedication to each and every mission. But she does remind her of how she used to be herself, so... "I'm just worried she might feel out of place is all. She seems kind of.. solitary today." She answers, eyes orienting on the buffet. Thankfully, she came with a companion and people seem to be encouraging her... At around the same time, Akane emerges! "Bonjour, Mademoiselle Chloe, and welcome back, Akane!" Alouette waves towards them both.

She doesn't end up approaching the buffet, though, as the pool catches her attention next. "The dancefloor's been fun... you want to take a swim next?" Alouette asks, brushing down her swimsuit.

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

Namiko catches the flung flower crown with her trademark enormous smile, She's donned it by the next time she's in shot, waving to Rikka excitedly. But...

She hangs back, lingering by her chair, while the duo dances. She knows she can trust Gridman with Rikka. She knows she can trust the two of them with anything.

...she finds herself tugging at her crown with a little grin. Borr, huh...

<Pose Tracker> Chloe has posed.

        Chloe is nursing her glass of water like it's the most interesting thing here, when Sheryl comes up. She looks at the woman, showing no obvious recognition in her eyes, as she replies, "I'm not sure. I don't really understand the point of this event..." Her voice doesn't have any hints of criticism behind it, suggesting she's not calling the party pointless, but that she actually doesn't understand.

        This one is probably just a liiiiittle sheltered.

        Chloe looks at Sheryl for a moment, before saying matter-of-factly, "You're Sheryl Nome." Apparently there is some recognition after all!

        As the two are joined by Akane, Chloe looks at her too before introducing herself, "Warrant officer, first class, Chloe. Augmented Shibuya Military Academy." Pause, before somewhat awkwardly, "It recently joined the GUTS group." As Alouette sends a greeting her way, Chloe nods her head back in response.

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        "They are!" Sheryl enthuses at Rikka. When she puts her flower crown on, she poses, leaning over to show off her cleavage as she slides a hand down her thigh, and winks. Then she giggles and stands up straight, and with a wave, it's off to the buffet she goes.
        
        As for Planet Dance, there'll be other moments, and other songs. No need to worry. When Akane approaches to get a glass of punch, Sheryl favors her with a bright smile. "Oh, Akane! I missed you before--Rikka and Gridman are out there dancing, if you want to join them," she says, nodding outside at the dance floor on the other end of the bow.She takes a moment to admire that lift and their poses, even, as she takes a sip. "They've improved," she remarks with approval.
        
        Chloe meanwhile says that she doesn't understand the point of this party, and Sheryl raises an eyebrow at her. "Oh. So you're that girl's bodyguard, huh?" she guesses. After all, 'I don't understand the point of this event' is something Brera would, and in fact did earlier while securing the perimeter before the yacht took off, say. She smirks at the acknowledgement. "Of course I am!"
        
        Who is her friend? Sheryl only shrugs at Akane, then gestures at Chloe as she introduces herself. "We only happened to meet just now."

<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.

"That's right," Cascade says - she's not THAT surprised to be recognized, but she does feel a little bit of lingering embarrassment from her behaviour then. "Ah - thank you. I'm sorry it wasn't the best answer, perhaps - not that the answer was bad, but the way it was put."

Having said her bit to Ranka, Cascade doesn't want to keep bothering her; she certainly didn't intend to monopolize her, and so when Rin nudges her she tags along with her, another smile for Ranka as she goes.

Flower crowns go around! Cascade remains uncrowned (by choice even if one's offered to her; she doesn't like things on her head aside from, apparently, her headphones) but they are nice to see. She momentarily wonders if there's a history behind them she doesn't know, and once again deliberately refrains from using the Internet to check. Even though, this time, she really wants to.

"Too much dancing?" she asks Rin, afterwards, though she's keeping half an ear out for Chloe - Cascade has sharp ears and she's getting at least part of it. A Coordinator from Augmented Shibuya? That one she WILL have to look up.

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.

The way it was put? Ranka takes a moment to process what Cascade says, then smiles and tells her, "It was your answer. That's what was important."

Before she gives Sheryl a cheery answer, "Don't blame you! You kinda want to get the body moving first anyway before taking a dip right?"

That way it feels even more refreshing. In the end, Ranka picks a yellow chain of friendship flowers.

"Thank you so much!"

Before doing a pivot, putting a foot down, and doing the Kira pose with her fingers held to her face, winking at him.

"It really helps the whole outfit sparkle!"

Before she then giggles, "Gosh I really enjoy doing that!"

She then waves a hand at Rin, "Ah! It's-I mean-" Ranka seems befuddled on how to answer that for a moment then interjects, "I live in space!"

So does Sheryl though, but still she seems to be taken aback by the idea that she'd be yacht buying so soon after her debut.

<Pose Tracker> Rin Starking has posed.

"So that just makes the boat even more indulgent," Rin answers Ranka, a little wanly. She looks towards Cascade then, with a guilty smile. "I guess," she says: "Maybe it's the sun or something?" Despite this, of course, she slathered on her share of Pure Shield, for obvious reasons. (And it was readily available! Weird!) At the mention of Augmented Shibuya, though, Rin cranes her head to look around Cascade towards Chloe in curiosity.

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

So how are you enjoying the summer?

Gridman looks surprised. He blinks those otherworldly golden eyes -- once, then twice.

"You know," He says, a smile starting to form, as he crowns Rin. "It's been the best summer of my life."

A slight pause, and then: "I hope yours has been great too!"

"It'll go right to their head." Gridman laughs, to Alouette. "And thank you so much. No dance is any good without the right partner, so it's all thanks to Rikka!"

Sheryl shows off a little, and Gridman blushes as red as his hair, locking his gaze to the pop-star's face. W--wow. That's a sight he won't forget any time soon, Hyper World or not.

Rikka and Gridman laugh together. It's a perfect end to their dance, especially as Gridman notices Akane waiting by the refreshments. "Hey, look, Akane's back!" He smiles to Rikka. "Let's go check on her."

"Hey, Akane!" Gridman calls, waving to her once he's nearby. "Any good refreshments around here? Dancing always makes me so hungry."

It's a full buffet! "Nice." Gridman says to himself, grabbing some of the sweeter desserts. He's going all out tonight, after all! Long moments are spent with the Hyper Agent scarfing down every cookie in sight, before he notices the punch in Akane's hand, and gets some for himself.

"These are the fancy cookies." Gridman says, once his mouth is clear. "I wish I could live on them!"

What else is there to do? He wants to do everything tonight. Dancing was fun, and he's certainly going to do more later. The ocean, dark and distant, looks exciting, but... Maybe that'd be a bit much. Alouette and her partner are headed toward the pool... Gridman hasn't tried that yet!

"I'm gonna go swim. Would you hold my flowers for a minute?" Gridman asks, of Akane and Rikka. "Come join me if you want!"

And with that, he's off! Not quite running (that would be rude), but moving quickly toward the water. Gridman hasn't been in a pool since his physical therapy. He looks into the water, testing it with one toe. Hmm.

Glancing around, the Hyper Agent notices a diving board. As he watches, someone jumps off it, crashing into the water below. That looks exciting. Gridman strolls over to it, humming, and stands in line. Finally, he steps up to the ladder, and... realizes he isn't sure what comes next.

A few students seemed to draw their arms and legs in tight before they hit the water, making a terrific splash. Maybe that's the normal thing? Resolved, Gridman climbs the ladder. He bounces on his heels at the end, then takes a running start down the diving board, leaps--!

And crashes down into the water. The splash from Gridman's cannonball is respectable to say the least, but it's a little shocking to have the water impact against his body so harshly. He comes up for air with a startled expression, hurriedly making his way to one side of the pool to catch his breath.

Yeah, it's a good thing he didn't test his luck with the ocean...

<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.

Hmm, Cascade thinks.

"Well, if you need to take a break, there is some shade by the buffet," Cascade points out, which is true. "Over by..." Pause. "The cookie-eater."

Gridman looks like he's having a lot of fun. Especially when, some minutes later, he crashes into the pool loud enough to make her startle. For some reason even Cascade doesn't know, she feels slightly jealous. She can't let loose like that.

Even if she kind of wants to.

<Pose Tracker> Sho Tachibana has posed.

Sho beams and takes her turn twirling for Alouette, before watching Gridman lift Rikka, just as impressed as her own partner. "Wow." She grins, applauding the two as they take their bows.

Gridman has flower crowns for almost everyone, huh... Surprised, Sho picks out a garland to match Alouette's, smiling. "Thanks," she says to him with an earnest smile. "Got one I can give to Go and Gai?"

She thinks it'll be funny to present the, uh, crudest member of her team with one.

As for Chloe... Sho also catches the 'I don't see the point of these events' and looks to Alouette with an expression of concern. "... Now I wish Gai were here," she comments wryly. "He'd know exactly the thing to say. You want to go talk to her?"

"... Augmented Shibuya?" Her brow furrows. "I don't know that school. I assume it's in 'original flavour' Tokyo..." She grins a little at her own joke, to Alouette, as they head towards the pool - only for Gridman to rush ahead of them with a mighty cannonball!

Soaked, Sho lets out a melodramatic sigh. "Well, I guess that settles that." She unbuttons her blouse, flinging it over a chair to dry off, and looks back to Alouette as she slips her sandals off. "Shall we?" With that, she nimbly hops into the pool, ponytail streaming out behind her.

<Pose Tracker> Chloe has posed.

        "That is one of my duties, yes." Pause. "Though, she prefers I think of her more as a friend." Chloe clearly doesn't seem against the idea! Nor does she seem surprised that Sheryl guessed. It's not exactly a secret or anything.

        Chloe does go on to explain her apparent lack of experience in matters such as yacht parties, "There's not a lot of opportunity for events like this, at the Academy. Though since Coco has been travelling more lately, I've found myself drawn into them more and more."

        Speaking of Coco, she has been continuing to enjoy her time poolside. Right up until-

        SPLASH!

        It's a bit of a surprise to Coco as water from the cannonball breaches the pool edge and hits her. She couldn't see it coming after all. It doesn't seem to be a problem though as she giggles, before complementing Gridman, "That sounded like an impressive dive."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka notices Alouette and Sho on the dance floor too - and once both their dances conclude, Rikka offers them both a smile.

"Thanks." Rikka says with a grin. "You two were pretty great, too. You're both so well-matched."

It's only now that she gets a chance to return Namiko's excited wave, offering her a grin as she spots her flower crown.

She laughs, then, giving Gridman a playful nudge with her elbow.

"Hey, give yourself some credit. It's thanks to you, too." She replies. She spots Akane in the crowd, too, having emerged from the bathroom. Rikka sends a smile her way - and, as Gridman makes his way toward her, Rikka follows suit.

"Hey, Akane. How're you doing?" She asks. ...For herself, she only gets a glass of punch. The refreshments look good, but if she isn't careful she could seriously get out of control...

"Sure, I've got your flowers." Rikka replies with a nod toward Gridman. She follows him over to the pool - but rather than dive right in she sits at the edge next to Namiko's seat, dipping her toes into the water. She laughs fondly.

"I don't know how he still has that much energy after all that..." She comments. ...Well, she can hazard a guess why.

<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.

        Emilia giggles a bit at Shari's reaction to Sheryl. "Sh-she's a pretty c-cool person." As Shari tells her she'd like some introductions, Emmy nods. "S-Sure, it's no p-problem!"

        Seeing Rin coming off the dancefloor, Emmy gives a wave her way. "W-Well, w-why don't we get st-started?" She gestures for Shari to follow, as she walks towards Rin. "Rin, d-d-do you have a s-second?" Even if the tiredness is obvious up close, Emmy smiles. "Th-this is Shari, she's a-another student at Ashford. Shari, th-this is Rin, sh-she's part of the Virtual Worlds c-club. Sh-Shari doesn't kn-know a l-lot of p-people here, so, um, I th-thought I'd help her f-fix that."

        As she wades a bit closer to the party as a whole, Emmy waves to Ranka, Sheryl, Alouette and Sho. The people she knows. Other potential introductions for Shari.

        Emmy smiles, as Shari comments on the tough act to follow. "Th-that's Gridman. I only m-met him r-recently, but he really goes a-all out. Y-you should h-have seen him in l-last year's pageant."

<Pose Tracker> LiSA has posed.

Lisa DOES get up to get a flower crown. There is no good reason to pass on a flower crown, and she tries to find a good pink one that goes with her sarong, gently placing it upon her head. The smile she gives Gridman is all that she says though, with a quiet thanks. Lisa is being quite quiet, if you will.

That done, she retreats to her chair again, watching everyone bounce from place to place, her gaze drifting to figures she knows, waving at Cascade and Emilia briefly.

Then Gridman does EPIC GRIDMAN CANNONBALL! and Lisa has a moment of rare surprise, her physics book getting flung behind her as she gets wet.

<Pose Tracker> Rin Starking has posed.

(A moment ago, when Rin received her crown - "Awesome," she tells Gridman. "Don't forget it, alright~? In Area 11 they're really superstitious about that!")

BUt now - "Yeah," Rin answers Cascade. "Good call." And then there's that other kid, the one everyone's calling Gridman -- weird last name, Rin thinks, but that's all she takes it for -- as she slouches towards the buffet. She DOES look pretty awful and rather suddenly, too.

But then!! An Emilia!! Rin looks at her a little sleepily, and then at Shari. "Oh," she says, with some effort. "Hey there. Are you a -- hey, look, I think I need to eat something, hold on."

Rin picks up several of the good cookies and then opens her mouth... to put *all* of one into her mouth. She bites down emphatically even as Gridman takes a leap, and her chewing involves some effort. Her eyes shut behind the dark lenses of her prescription sunglasses. Chew... chew... and swallow with some effort...

Those must be good cookies because Rin seems to have immediately grown a full centimeter from improved posture. "Oh maaaan did you get these in Africa or Greece or wherever we were at?" Rin says, with some crumbs, before she stuffs the second one into her mouth and walks over to select some horrible nuclear-orange soda that would probably make you a Cyber Newtype if you drank four in a row to wash it down with.

"WHOOH," Rin declares. "Sorry, Shari, I was just having a moment. Welcome to the ship!! How's it going?!"

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"Hey Alouette," Akane says, giving a little wave. "Sorry for missing the first big dance number. Emergency." She doesn't want to make a huge deal of it; when you gotta go... and they can leave it at that. "Good to see you, though!"

The formal introduction catches Akane a little off guard -- rank first? Sure, she's an operator herself now, but that doesn't... well, she'll roll with it. "Uh -- Akane Shinjo. If we're talking work stuff, I'm with 3G Blue's Intelligence division. And, uh, Montserrat, but I used to go to Tsutsujidai." Talk about a world traveler...

She looks off toward Rikka and Gridman with a smile. It's very clear that they're doing their best to embrace what'll probably be their last chance at this kind of thing... or at least, Gridman's last chance. It's good for them to get this kinda stuff in, she thinks. "I'll give them a bit," Akane answers Sheryl, after a few seconds. She scoots in a little closer to Sheryl, elaborating, "We're third years, right? This is everyone's last chance at this kinda thing. Just seven months left, right?" She doesn't want to underline that it's specifically very much Gridman's last chance at this thing, for discretion's sake... but she's thinking about it.

Gridman asks after the refreshments, and Akane calls, "It all seems pretty good!" ... It's been a long time since she had enthusiasm for food and drink like this... even when she first got out of Tsutsujidai and was eating so much, it was out of newfound hunger, not desire. She fusses a little with her swim skirt, answering Rikka more directly: "I'm okay. I just needed a bit to get my head around, you know, all this."

She lets Rikka get Gridman's flowers, then watches him take to the water. "Oh jeez. He's just going for it," she murmurs, before making her way over to the edge of the pool. "Hey, are you okay?" she asks, a little worried.

<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.

Does *everyone* eat all the cookies at once? Cascade thinks, after Rin goes for it. Maybe it's a thing.

Perhaps thinking it *is* a thing, Cascade begins to assemble a sandwich out of cookies. Well, it's only three (two 'edge' ones that she uses sugar cookies for, one fancier one for the center) so it's not exactly huge, but it's probably more cookie than one should put in their mouth at once.

And then -

She takes a bite out of them. The stack nearly falls apart and she gets a shower of crumbs down her front from the sugar cookies. This was, she has found out immediately, a mistake. Her mouth feels gummed up from the sugar cookie and she can't even taste the centerpiece very well.

"Mph," she says, unhelpfully, rather than saying what she actually means. She raises her free hand that isn't holding a badly crumbling cookie stack to indicate some kind of greeting toward Emilia and Shari.

She is not entirely living up to the team name they came up with recently right now, that's for sure.

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"You know her! What am I saying, of course you do!" She's been around doing things, anyway; Shari's just never quite managed to go talk to her. Wouldn't it be embarrassing if she went up to her and talked about a tattoo on her butt or something?

"Sure," Shari says, and waves to Rin once she's there. "Ooh, cool club. Am... I..." Pause.

She watches her eat the cookies. She watches her drink the horrible orange. She watches, suddenly damp from a cannonball, as Rin suddenly seems to be so uch better than she was a moment ago.

"W-wow," she says illuminatingly. "That's--I mean, super fine! Everybody has moments!"

Despite being here in a swimsuit and a pool, Shari's makeup is still immaculate. And that's good because she ooks pretty surprised still.

"I mean!" she says, and straightens, "I'm great! Super great! How're you?"

She beams at Emilia. This is going great! Even when--

Cascade... "Those have got to be some great cookies," Shari comments as she waves back at Cascade, and reaaaches out--for just the one. Just one!

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        Ranka has the right of it. Sheryl of course did stretches before the party began, but that's just part of her daily ritual. Actually getting a work-out in is important, and what better way to do that than dance? ...and later swim?
        
        Though right now Gridman's beating her to the punch, hurrying over to the buffet to stuff his face full of sweets, then heading right over to the pool to cannonball in. Sheryl watches with a laugh, tossing her hair back with one hand. She smiles at Chloe, and laughs again, if quieter this time, when she says the person she's protecting would rather she call her a friend.
        
        "You really are a lot like Brera," she says. "That's one of my bodyguards." (Or he was--he'll be Ranka's bodyguard soon.) "I'm guessing you're not the social type in general, though, because neither is he, so I'll skip the offer to introduce you two."
        
        She catches sight of Emilia waving to her, and Sheryl raises an arm over her head to wave back at her and Shari. When Akane scoots in closer and reminds her that a lot of those present are third years who'll be graduating in a little over half a year, her smile turns a little wistful. It soon brightens, though. "That includes you too, you know! You'd better not forget to have fun yourself, Akane!"
        
        She smiles over at Rikka as she joins them--but she'll let her and Akane have a moment of their own. She does still ask, "Are you two going to hit the pool too? I'm planning on going in just a minute, myself."
        

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

Namiko slips her glasses down as Rikka pads over, and grins at her friend while watching Gridman take to the pool. "He's having the time of his life," Namiko says, cheeks perked up in her kitty grin. "Probably literally, I guess. You find energy to have fun when you need to, ya know?"

"...He really is the guy who saved us, huh," Namiko muses, and chuckles. "Kinda guy who never slows down, I guess."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

"Yeah, I get it... It's a lot." Rikka replies with a nod toward Akane as she explains that she's okay. She nods toward Sheryl, then.

"I probably will in a bit, I just need a moment to catch my breath." She replies. And catch her breath she does. She is concerned for Gridman - but with others already moving to help him, she'd rather not crowd him. Instead she tilts her head back a bit, smiling toward Namiko.

"Yeah, you're right." She agrees with a nod - and then chuckles fondly. "...He really is. That's what kept us going this whole time."

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

"Thank you Gridman, and Rikka~" Alouette smiles as she and Sho receive compliments in turn. "But that goes for you too, you know!" She lightly chides Gridman. "Partner effort... so you both get equal credit." She concludes.

When Akane notices her, Alouette waves off lightly at Akane's apology. "It's no problem, right? There's still plenty of party left to go, and we'll all make sure you don't miss a second of it." She smiles - as subsequently, Gridman and friends decide to take to the pool.

Emmy comes closer, with a friend, who's unfamiliar to Alouette. "Emilia!" She waves, greeting her. "And you're... Shari? It's nice to meet you... I don't think I've seen you come down to any of the events before. I'm Alouette from Jindai."

"Military Academy, huh..." Alouette considers, at Chloe's formal introduction. "I didn't even know GUTS had those in their roster... but it's good to meet you regardless." She extends a hand forward, briefly interrupted by a short snort-giggle at Sho's little joke. "I'm Alouette! I go to Jindai High with Sho, and like Akane, I'm with 3G Blue. Mobile operations." She's sure Chloe knows the latter, but it's fine.

Even if Gai Daido isn't here, she still tries to make an effort to include Chloe on the fun. "Hey, you have a swimsuit, right? Why don't you join us in the water? Looks like your friend is waiting by the pool... I'm sure she'd love to watch you! After all, the best way to figure out a point is to try it yourself..."

With that, they head over, as Gridman DIVE BOMBS with a loud splash, the impact of which gets her soaked before she could even get in the pool. "Yep, that's Gridman alright... hope he stuck the landing okay." She joins the chorus of comments as she brushes her wet hair out of her face. Sounds like he is doing just fine, though, he's the unstoppable Gridman after all!

It matters very little though because they're jumping in anyways! She watches Sho jump in, ponytail flowing, graceful as well, a jaguar. She herself is less graceful in the water, so she stumbles in just a little bit, making a cool thumbs-up on the landing before balancing herself out, the patterned curls of her hair flowing down into a mane.

Sheryl's coming in right behind her, but maybe it's okay that she looks like kind of a mess even in front of the superstar idol. It's what this party is all about - having fun above all else.

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

"Sure thing, Sho!" Gridman offers her one blue flower crown and one green. "I want to see pictures of them both wearing the crowns, okay?"

Gridman grins in a teasing sort of way. He hasn't forgotten his almost-spat with Go. Giving the man a hand-grown, handcrafted flower crown in a color matching his pilot's suit is pretty good revenge.

"Thanks, Rikka." Gridman smiles at her, trusting her with his crown. By the time she and Akane have caught up with Gridman, he's holding to the side of the pool, eyes wide with shock.

"I uh--" Gridman looks up at Akane. "I didn't think the water would be so hard! It hurt a little, and kinda freaked me out. I'm alright, just." Gridman shakes his head. "Whuh."

With that, he climbs out of the pool, and notices... The destruction his cannonball has caused. Red faced, the Hyper Agent bows deeply. "I'm so sorry, everyone!" He calls. "I didn't know it would make a splash like that! Um -- please let me replace your book, miss! And anything else I ruined!"

That last part is directed toward LiSA. Gridman, even if he doesn't enjoy school, still has a healthy respect for books.

"I guess there's a reason I don't have a water form." Gridman jokes to Akane and Rikka, still embarrassed.

<Pose Tracker> Rin Starking has posed.

Rin eyeballs Cascade's cookie sandwich but doesn't correct it. To Shari, she says, "I'm amazing. Yeah, I'm just half hummingbird on my mom's side," Rin continues, "and sometimes I go POW, sugar crash...!" Akane walks in and Rin glances, notarizes, and moves back to Shari.

("You should probably hit that with a bottle of water," Rin advises Cascade.)

"So did you want to get in the pool? This ship's using sail - we're going to be on it for a while, way longer than an insular ferry or anything. Heck, we could just sail in big circles and enjoy it if it's going to be THIS beautiful...!"

"I think I'm going to jump in the pool too," Rin says. Looking at Emilia, Shari and Cascade, she asks, "Could I ask one of you Threefold Beauties and Newfound Talent to hold my flowers here?" Rin raises one hand as if to guide loose her garland.

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

"Glad you found him," Namiko says, partly in a sort of broad friendship sense and partly joking about Rikka literally finding him in a heap at the start of it all. "That streak of his is really special. I kinda admire it, you know? I remember back when that...I guess it was an Angel, after all? Was noodling around in Tsutsujidai, he went from total awe to ready to scrap in a heartbeat." She grins a bit. "Turns out he's kinda cool."

Namiko rolls over like a cat including hanging her head off the edge of her beach chair. "Awww, you're fine, bud," she soothes Gridman. Pool's about gettin' wet!"

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.

Ranka waves back towards Emilia and starts to walk over, when a spray from the pool causes her to gasp and shield her face with a light squeal.

She doesn't actually seem overly upset though, as she just laughs after, and keeps moving onwards.

Once she arrives Emilia's way she smiles, "Hey Emmy, good to see you! Who's your friend?"

Shari might recognize Ranka from... numerous places, mostly ads these days even if she's never seen her face to face.

Whereas Ranka gives Shari this, unusual searching look - as if there's something...

... she snaps out of it, "Hm! Sorry, spaced out! Mind is, miles away. Thinking about my schedule tomorrow!"

She then licks her lips and says, "Hey Emilia, if you've got a moment later, something I need to tell you about. Nothing - bad I promise! Just, something you should know."

<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.

        Emmy nods. "Sheryl's a f-friend." Emmy says, blushing slightly. It's a little weird to say, given that Sheryl was once someone Emmy found equal parts intimidating and inspiring, an untouchable idol whose music had changed her life. Things have changed, and she's finally not nervous.

        You know, apart from the risk of Sheryl's bodyguard pointing out that Emmy shot him once, but that doesn't seem to have happened.

        She does shield her face as the cannonball happens- but, well... it's a good thing they're wearing swimsuits.

        As Cascade waves, Emilia waves back. "Th-that's Cascade." Emmy whispers to Shari. "Sh-she's from Ashford too. Sh-She's nice."

        Alouette says hi, and Emmy smiles brightly. "Hi Alouette! H-Having fun?"

        As Rin asks for someone to hold the flower crown, Emmy extends a hand to take it- just as Ranka approaches. "Ranka!" With her other hand, she moves to hug the other girl. "This is Sh-Shari, she's a friend from school. Shari, this is Ranka, sh-she's um. She's o-one of my b-best and o-oldest friends."

        She *does* blink as Ranka says she has something to tell her. "O-oh, sure! N-no problem," she says, wondering what it could be. "U-um, we c-can probably f-find a quiet spot."

<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.

At least Cascade doesn't seem in any danger of choking, though she does cough the once.

She manages to swallow, and then agrees, slightly raspy, "Water. Yes." She ducks aside, retrieving a bottle of water. Half of it goes down her throat pretty quickly, and a splash of it down her front to dislodge all the crumbs -

"That's *cold*," she says afterwards, having found the primary issue with pulling a bottle out of a cooler. Now juggling the cookiestack and the bottle, she tries to eat just one of them out of her hand.

Clearing her throat in an attempt to regain some dignity: "They are fairly good." Unfortunately she has no hands currently free to accept flowers, and does not. Instead, she follows up on Emilia's introduction: "Yes, I'm Cascade Vermilion; it's nice to meet you. I'm Rin's roommate... we also do play games together, though I'm not the expert she is."

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

Nom. Shari eats the cookie. It's good, but it doesn't pump her up like Popeye's Spinach or anything. But Rin explains, and Shari goes, "Ohhhh, yeah, that super makes sense."

She kinda does want to get in the pool. "I think so," Shari says, though she doesn't mvoe to do so just yet. "But I'll hang a few first."

Sheryl's a friend, and that's Cascade, and this is Alouette, and Emilia will take the flower crown, and Ranka--

"Oh, wow," Shari answers, and someone might expect she's about to comment on how Ranka is famous... but instead she says, "Well, anybody who's that good a friend is probably cool with me!" she says, smiling. "But, yeah--I'm Shari. You're..." Pause. She was going to mention after that about the famous part, but...

"Oh. Oh, okay," Shari answers. "That's fine." Something to talk about... Shari has a funny feeling. Still...

"Likewise, nice to meet you!" she says to Cascade. "The cookies are really good, huh?" she asks. "Games... that's pretty cool. I play a lot of games." She considers, a moment. "...But I'm gonna give Emilia and Ranka a sec, I think, and check out the pool. If you wanna come too, you can tell me what kind of games!"

Then she smiles at Emilia. "Thanks. I appreciate the introductions. We can meet back up in a few, maybe?"

<Pose Tracker> Chloe has posed.

        Chloe definitely seems like the work-first kind of person as she nods in reply to Akane's introduction. Her response to Alouette is a little more active, actually shaking the offered hand. She explains, "Well... The Academy's inclusion was more of an afterthought after the city's highschool was added. There aren't many of us at the Academy. But Coco insisted we have the same opportunity to participate as well... And Miss Nunnally didn't see any problem with it."

        Sheryl's comparison of her bodyguard to Chloe actually seems to spark some mild interest in Chloe's expression. Chloe muses, "Maybe the job better lends itself to certain mindsets?" We won't get to see any side by side comparisons though as Sheryl correctly identifies Chloe as not particularly social. Though whether that's because of choice, or lack of experience, is hard to say!

        Regardless though, people seem to be gravitating towards the pool and swimming. Maybe there's a schedule she's not aware of? Alouette's offer of inclusion does get Chloe considering, before she nods in acceptance, "Sure. Swimming is a good form of exercise."

        Sure enough, Chloe leaves her exciting drink of water behind to head towards the pool. A quick dive in and, as many might be able to predict, she's soon starting to do laps in the pool.

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        "Take your time. It's why I came over here," Sheryl tells Rikka with sympathy. To Chloe, she shrugs a bit. "Could be." It wouldn't surprise her, anyway. She heads off to the pool with Akane after that, though.
        
        (And fortunately for Emilia, Brera, on top of being stoic, also knows how to be discreet. ...though it's also possible he kept that one unsaid thanks to Grace.)
        
        She laughs at Alouette's less-than-elegant entry into the water, and sure enough, she heads to the diving board to head in after her--with a quick pit stop to leave her flower crown with a student lounging at a table nearby. (Maybe it's someone's lucky day? Gemini seems like she's not doing much, and LiSA might want to take some time to dry off after getting soaked.)
        
        Jump, jump, jump, and then she arcs into a dive, arms stretched out in front of her. Sheryl's not a perfect swimmer, but she does make sure to make it look good. She ascends a moment later, whipping her wet hair back, cupping her hands in the water, and splashing Alouette playfully.
        
        "Got you~!" she lilts.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka laughs at Namiko's joke.

"Yeah, me too..." She agrees, then listens as she continues - the way she admires that streak of his, and the angel in Tsutsujidai.

"He can be kind of a dork... but he really is cool." She agrees with a fond smirk.

Rikka winces, then, just a little as Gridman emerges, mentioning that he was surprised at how hard the water was. ...Yeah, that's something that takes most people by surprise, Rikka figures. Media's portrayal of water as a soft landing sure doesn't help. But if even he can still joke about it, then that's a good sign.

"Yeah, maybe..." She admits with a small laugh, then holds out his flower crown for him to take back. "Ready for this?"

<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.

"I think GUTS has been pretty great for people," Akane affirms to Chloe, at the explanation of how the military academy got involved. "I've definitely had some pretty neat opportunities now that I'm not just sleeping through them."

Akane nibbles at a sugar cookie she discreetly got, and gives a nod back to Sheryl. "Yeah... it really snuck up on me. I have some plans for after graduation, though." She's a little weirded out by that, sometimes, when she really thinks about it; before she knew it, she was older, and before she knew it, she was moving forward.

She gives Gridman a slightly awkward smile, then explains, "I think we covered surface tension, like, right before you transferred in." It's a discreet metaphor for what really happened with Gridman; it might draw a few eyes from people who remember first year very well, but still...

She glances back toward Rikka and Namiko, but lets them talk for a bit. Then, to Gridman, she adds, "Maybe next time," at the mention of a water form. (She thinks there'll be a next time -- even if it's when she's old and grey.)

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.

Ranka accepts Emilia's hug with good grace, before standing on her tip toes within it to wave to Shari, "It's very nice to meet you!" She tells Shari, as if absolutely nothing just happened... at all.

"Emilia's known me since just after I started working towards becoming an idol! I was doing karaoke in the park - that's how we met. Though I attended Mihoshi, so GUTS events feel like home!"

She explains all that to her, before Emilia offers that they can find a private spot, and Ranka tells Shari, "I'll only steal her for a minute!"

Once they're off to the side, Ranka gestures Emilia to bend over and she cups a hand, whispering, "So - when your cousin came on to give her speech - who you are? It kinda slipped out to Sheryl and Alto, because I was just so surprised. They know, and I'm sorry about that."

She does smile her way, "They did agree to keep it a secret, and promised to support you, but it's only right that I tell you rather than try to hide it."

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

Having fun? "Oh, absolutely!" Alouette answers Emilia, with a smile on her face. "I think I definitely needed something like this, honestly," she admits. It's definitely been a whole lot for her in the past couple weeks... "We probably all did, really." But some of those events made an impact no matter who you are.

There's a curious look as Emmy disappears privately with Ranka... but those two are friends, she remembers.

Alouette also nods at Chloe and Akane's comments about GUTS. "I think... it's definitely made a positive impact on my life, too." She agrees - even if a year ago, she might not have cared nearly as much. "So I hope the tradition continues even after we all graduate."

"It's a good form of exercise... and it's a lot of fun, too!" she affirms, watching Chloe swim all those laps, as she keeps finding her own footing in the water and then --

Sploosh! It catches her by total surprise, as she doubles back and sees the culprit, none other than Sheryl Nome. "A-ahaha, you really did get me..."

Giggling, her own hand reaches forth in the water as she prepares her counterassault! "If you're dishing it out, you better be willing to take it~" She warns, as she splashes water flying back, just as playfully. She's sure Sheryl has nothing to worry about, though - she could even make getting splashed in the face look good.

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

Gridman gives Namiko a grateful smile. "Thanks, Namiko. I feel bad, but at least it was only around the pool, right?"

"Oh! Thank you, Rikka." Gridman takes back his flower crown, settling it against his wet hair. "Surface tension, huh?" His smile fades just a bit, but he nods to Akane. "Yeah. Maybe next time."

For a moment, he tries to imagine what a water-based Neon Genesis Junior High Student would be like. Gridman snorts out a little laugh. No way he wants to splinter his soul again.

"Or I could just learn how to swim. Something else to add to the to-do list."

<Pose Tracker> Sho Tachibana has posed.

Alouette joins Sho in the pool, earning a fond smile at her relative lack of grace compared to the Getter pilot. "You'll get there," Sho says, firmly, before -

They're splashed! Or, well, the Sheryl Nome (Sho still has some amazement that a Major Pop Idol is actually in her peer group) splashes Alouette, but they're close enough that Sho's caught in some of the splash as well. She is, of course, already soaked thanks to Gridman, but, well.

It's the principle of the thing.

Green eyes meet Alouette's blue, and a catlike grin sneaks across Sho's face as her girlfriend goes on the counter-offensive before she takes a deep breath and goes under the water, swimming around to position herself behind Sheryl.

Pincer attack! Sho surfaces quickly with a sweeping splash of her own - a splash big enough to maybe catch someone else unawares in the zone.

<Pose Tracker> Rin Starking has posed.

"Yeah!" Rin enthuses about games. "I play all kinds of stuff. Lately, though, I just kind of log into the Pitforge client and link up to the server we have on campus. That was pretty funny, we had to squabble to get the server together..."

"Have you ever played Pitforge?" Rin asks Shari as she walks over to where Sam Crowley is getting her own Game on and puts the flower crown on Sam's head. After this, back towards the water. She walks forwards. "I've been thinking about what's going to happen to that server when us game heroes graduate this year... I mean, a lot of people use it, you know? Technically, anyone on campus can log in and do whatever build project they want - it's in creative mode -"

At this point Rin falls into the pool. (Fall? No, it's sort of a controlled toppled forwards. Wait she didn't take off her glasses--!!)

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        "I wasn't attending from the start, but it's gone by really fast for me too," Sheryl says with a wistful little smile. "It's been a really fun experience so far. Even the studying."
        
        Sheryl's no bookworm, but given that she attends Mihoshi Academy to learn something she wants to learn, it's been a good experience, even when it's hard and frustrating.
        
        "Anyway, good luck on your post-graduation plans. I'll see you in a bit," Sheryl adds, winking to Akane before jumping into the pool.
        
        Unwise to splash a girl when her athletic girlfriend is right there in the pool too--but when Alouette splashes her back, and Sho dives to swim around and up behind her to pincer-splash, she sputters and raises an arm.
        
        "Doubling up is cheating, you two!!" she protests, but she's laughing at the same time, so clearly she doesn't mind that much. She'll just have to spin herself in the water, arms scooping the surface of the pool, to get them both back at the same time!!
        
        ...Who else is in the water right now?

<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.

"Certainly," Cascade says, because she doesn't have anywhere to be. She doesn't intend to actually get in the water, at least not immediately, but she can come along to poolside.

"I like to try a number of them... Rin has gotten me on some kinds of fighting and tactical games; I hadn't played many electronic games at all until I came to Ashford." Technically true, which is the best sort of 'true'.

But as she walks, she keeps an eye - and an ear - out for anything out of the ordinary. She doesn't look over at Emilia or Ranka since they were going to give them a minute, but she files some of that away, adding to her dossier, taking something else away -

"Rin, your glasses!" Not that Cascade is worried about *Rin*, but those glasses are presumably delicate and also presumably expensive.

<Pose Tracker> LiSA has posed.

Lisa looks at her book after Gridman apologies, flips through it...

Then lifts it into the air, ala Zelda. "It's dry! You're good!" Giant thumbs up. She's just existing in the glow of idols, don't mind her.

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

"That's right!" Namiko giggles at Gridman's reply. "I've seen you knock around way crazier stuff than a diving board~ Teach it what for!"

who is are we teaching, namiko, he is chilling out. namiko does not care for these trivialities and sips her juice. She grins at Rikka. "That's what makes him so powerful!" she declares.

<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.

        Shari and Rin seem to be getting on okay, and others seem to be picking up steam on introducing themselves. "I-I'm glad. I b-bet it's been h-hectic for you. W-With... everything." She knows Alouette has a job like Sho's.

        "Oh? S-Sure, no problem." Shari feeling confident enough to hit the pool is a good sign. "H-Have fun!" Besides, if she knows Rin, she'll keep an eye out for her.

        She follows Ranka to the side, and bends over so that she can hear the whispering. Her eyes, however, do widen. "Wh-when Mineva...?" She whispers, quiet enough that she doesn't think she'll be overheard.

        So... Sheryl and Alto know too, huh. Her face is... rather expressionless. It's nice to know they'll support her, but... "I-It's okay. It... p-probably won't. M-m-matter soon." There's definite disappointment in Emilia's voice, but not with Ranka. "Th-thanks. For t-telling me." She whispers back. That tiredness seems to have gotten... much more obvious all of a sudden.

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"Oh yeah?" Shari asks. "Totally! I mean, not a lot, but I'm familiar with it anyway. I've been so busy with stuff lately I haven't had a lot of chance to play in a while..." Thanks YULIANA. "Oh wow, your own server and everything. Hmm..." It's in creative mode...

And Cascade comes along! "Oh, I've played a lot. I used to move a lot so I'd get used to doing stuff I could do by myself." And then suddenly--

"Man," Shari says. "She really did want in the pool, huh." Shari thinks about it. "Well, I might as well, too. Off I go!"

Shari steps in, splash!!! Now SHARI is in the pool!

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.

Ranka bobs her head into a nod at Emilia, but then- she can feel the disappointment.

She gets the sense it's not her way.

But all the same the way her vibe just changes?

Ranka asks her quietly, "Are you okay? All of that couldn't have been easy on you."

There's some hesitation, then, "He didn't do anything after that... happened right?"

<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.

It's actually a nice feeling, being so inexperienced at something, being able to "get somewhere" with practice, so she grins at Sho's encouragement. "Especially with you showing me the ropes~"

And while there's no way she thinks she can beat Sheryl in a straight water fight, she has back-up! Her counterassault turns into a pincer attack, as Sheryl protests the unfairness of the situation.

"Ah, but who said anything about fair?" Alouette laughs right along with Sheryl, because no matter how unfair it was, it certainly was cool. "Nice one!" She goes for an aquatic high five for Sho, when --

Sheryl doesn't give up! Her spinning strike definitely catches Alouette off-guard as the water splashes right into her already wet hair. Lifting up a hand to defend herself doesn't do a thing, because it just gets splashed too. At this point, that corner just becomes all-out-war between herself and Sho, and Galactic Fairy Sheryl Nome, as she splashes out again.

Unfortunately, Shari has some hell of a timing getting in right when the pool's a war zone. But as long as she's willing to accept some colatoral damage, it's all good!

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

As the party continues, Gridman stays more to the side. Taking it easy with Akane and Rikka is the perfect end to the evening. More flower crowns are distributed, until none remain.

The stars rise, along with the moon. People are starting to trickle out. Gridman, as Akane and Rikka get ready to leave, walks to the edge of the ship. He leans on the railing, looking out over the ocean.

It's been a good day. The best day he could've asked for. A smile tugs at his lips.

"It looks like my summer vacation is over."
Gridman has paged Sheryl Nome with, 'there we go, that's my last'

<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.

        Is she okay? "...N-Not really." Emmy admits, quietly. She hadn't been told that any of this was happening. Laplace's Box, the fighting with the Sleeves- the decision for Zeon to disappear.

        She shakes her head at Ranka's question. "H-He's been l-leaving me alone l-l-lately." She hadn't even thought how he might lash out after that speech.

        "Let's... t-talk about it l-later, okay? Today's supposed to be f-f-fun." She stands up again, looking to Ranka. "Let's... h-hit the pool m-maybe?" She puts a slightly forced smile on her face. "It's o-our last h-h-hurrah before going back to school, r-right?"