2023-10-28: The Song of a Distant Foreign Land
- Log: 2023-10-28 The Song of a Distant Foreign Land
- Cast: Sheryl Nome, Ruri Hoshino, Franziska Edelweiss, Maya Jintek, Rin Naujakaite, Yurikano de Metrio Lu, Alto Saotome, Rita Bernal, Riika Sheder, Ranka Lee, Laffinty Fin E Ld Si, Hikaru Amano, Sagiri Sakurai, Trevor Teach
- Where: Gallia IV - Military Academy
- OOC - IC Date: October 28, UC 0097 (2023)
- Summary: The Galactic Fairy performs a special concert at Gallia IV.
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
The trouble with arranging a concert on a planet with no actual venue specifically for concerts is fairly obvious. This hardly stops the Galactic Fairy, though. Even without her super-manager Grace to help out, Sheryl was able to negotiate with the military academy--with, of course, the help of some of the crew of the Macross Quarter--to use their facilities. The auditorium is set up as the main venue with the stage where Sheryl will actually appear, with several hangars set up with simulcast screens and hologram projectors so those who can't be in the main hall can still enjoy the show more or less live.
https://i.imgur.com/kBtVc28.png
The military academy itself is on the other side of the planet from the various ships of the Earth-sent expedition, but there's transportation. It's actually a beautiful location, with the ocean in front, a forest in back, and mountains on either side. People arrive by ferry or by flight, and can exchange tickets for their seats. The docks for both the ferries and aerial craft are a straight shot to the main academy building, so it's easy to find one's seat in the auditorium; hangar seating is a little trickier to find, but there are signs, lights, and personnel set up to guide people as necessary.
The vibe in the air is a mixture of excitement and curiosity: the former contributed by Earth-ship concertgoers who know well who Sheryl Nome is, and curiosity by the rest, who've heard of the "song princess" but have yet to see or hear her.
Inside, the auditorium is spacious, but it also looks a bit different from normal for those used to it. The windows have been blackened out to maintain the integrity of the indoor lighting, which will be important later. The stage has been adjusted to be rounder in back, and a runway stage has been erected to cut through the middle of the room. Hologram projectors are set up on the sides of the stage to supplement Sheryl's performance, something that she's been giving her all on ever since she decided she'd do one on Gallia IV. LED strips string around the auditorium, scrolling messages in a variety of languages for audience members to please be patient and that the show will be starting soon. Additional, temporary seating has been set up on the walls. Because it's Sheryl Nome, and the Galactic Fairy accepts nothing less than perfection, the seating is perfectly stable and comfortable thanks to various technical crews. (Sheryl was QUITE particular about it.)
For a Sheryl Nome concert, it's somewhat more subdued than usual. Sure, there are colored searchlights cutting through the perpetually twilit sky around the main building, and landing lights sparkle in gold and pink, and hologram posters of Sheryl line the walls both inside and out, but there's no merch for sale. There are at least a limited number of glowsticks to wave during the concert, available in a rainbow of colors, but because they are limited, they're only available to those with auditorium seats.
Good thing named characters all get to have auditorium seats if they want!
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
A concert in an auditorium... it's almost like a real teenage production!
Sheryl doesn't have her super-manager with her to help out, but Sheryl does have the might of several ships behind her -- including the Nadesico. And her holographic programming is today being supported by one Ruri Hoshino, who sits in a booth surrounded by computers and equipment as she prepares to make sure all Sheryl's special effects go off without a hitch. She's studied the cues, and she's quick on a keyboard -- she'll squash any bugs before they impact the concert.
She doesn't mind not sitting in the auditorium -- she has an important job to do, here, and she's happy that Sheryl trusted her with something so important to her. Besides, she can still hear the music very well while she's working!
(She's wearing a Sheryl shirt over her Nergal uniform, her pink-and-blue 3SA tie peeking out underneath it. In her pale twin-tails, all tied up with green Haro hair-ties, is seated a strange alien flower which Rita and Trevor brought back from their explorations.)
<Pose Tracker> Franziska Edelweiss has posed.
"I am beginning to think you two are not serious about your internships." The good Frau Doktor has her arms crossed in her seat as her two interns sit to each side of her. She very much wanted to be anywhere but here at the moment, having no ear for this...popular music. It is all noise to her.
"Doctor, when am I ever going to have a chance to see Sheryl live?" Adeya Jacobs, Intern #1, seemed to be a big fan of this "Sheryl" trollop, Edelweiss noted.
"She might get Ranka up for a duet!" Desmond Abernathy, Intern #2, often spoke about this "Ranka." Another media-manufactured doll for the masses to project on, most likely.
"Unfortunately, I am responsible for your well-being, which means I am forced to accompany you at all times," the Doctor complains, already pushing earplugs into her ears. At the very least, she figured, staying in large crowds would disincentivize another confrontation with the golden suit.
Trevor Teach teleports in.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Jintek has posed.
Maya was literally bouncing with excitement and glee at getting to attend a Sheryl performance. When Sheryl was in Orb, she'd been unable to secure tickets to the concert, and had been quite despondent about missing her chance. But now... now she was watching an extra special performance that hardly ANYONE would be able to see! Naturally, she was all the way up the front, wearing a Sheryl T-shirt and even a Sheryl headband. Naturally, she also had glow sticks. Crew on the Nadesico who had the misfortune of being near her room might have heard her rehearsing for this very moment, with shouts and weirds lights in the cracks of her door.
One thing she'd also prepared was an extra Ranka headband, should there be a surprise duet or her serving as an opening act. Maya. Was. Ready. "LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONCERT SHERYYYYYYYL~!" Maya yelled out at the top of her lungs just in case she could be heard in the back.
<Pose Tracker> Rin Naujakaite has posed.
In a previous life, RIN NAUJAKAITE might have been working back of the house too. And some part of her is no doubt the sort that would be jealous of Ruri-Ruri to get to see all those cool cables and wires. But that part is gone, left behind on distant Earth.
Because this Rin Mei is the one who has a *job prospect*. (Even if, so far, it was escort/photography support for VTX. Hey, you gotta start somewhere, and drone operations counts.)
Rin has arrived with her colleagues - for they remain bunked together - even if there is more of a separation now, with Louis and Samantha keeping slight distance from the redhead. Which is why Rin is able to engage separately with the minions as she plops down in her seat.
"You know," Rin tells Desmond, "I've been a supporter of Ranka from the start, and I think she's going to fly as high as Sheryl, ultimately; she's just a little ways behind her. You know? A tree is only so tall at a certain time, and you can't blame them for not being exactly level. I bet you're right, though."
Samantha hands Rin her one (1) stores-issued glowstick, and then grumps, "Did you do the drone oversight holo projection or whatever?"
Rin holds onto her glowstick, letting it remain uncracked now. "Newp," she replies. "I'm putting that in the hands of the Nadesico people (I think?)"
During the wait, though, all three of them end up looking at the perpetually twilit sky of the alien world, at different points.
<Pose Tracker> Yurikano de Metrio Lu has posed.
THere's little reason not to attend, and Yurikano was certainly not one to turn down a free invitation from an idol, galactic fairy from Earth or not. The strangest twists and turns of life and duty, and the small accomodations that the Academy had to provide. Granted, nothing was without pushback, but she didn't have much actual say other than approval and Guiding Things Along wherever she could. A concert was a concert, after all!
That's why she made sure to seat herself in the auditorium early, already equipped with a glowstick (that she's absentmindedly clicking on and off every so often, inspecting it with a casual eye). She's even mumbling to herself, making sure everything's fine with the world before she loses herself to the music. "Mmh, Array's slowly getting there, Kirius is gettin himself together...Izo is...well, he'll be fine." All three were released to their own devices tonight! Lucky them. They're probably sat together elsewhere in the stadium, mumbling about the aches and pains of training.
Still! Her eye can't help but drift about the auditorium, idly tugging on the seat every so often. There's a mental note: Give Sheryl props for being so stringent about tolerances. There's many a person who'd freeball shoddy construction.
POT: Hikaru Amano is now set observer.
<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.
It's been a WHILE since Alto has been to one of Sheryl's concerts where he didn't have a job to do there, whether it was stunt flying or security work. The former isn't really feasible in this situation. As for the latter, the whole of SMS is currently responsible for security of everyone on the expedition and SOMEONE had decided NOT to put Alto on duty for the time of the concert. Thus giving him this opportunity.
Elsewhere, Ram Hoa gives the camera a thumbs up with a sign above her head reading 'Have fun watching your girlfriend!'
Alto sits in a seat within the auditorium, arms crossed as he waits for the concert to begin. He's simply wearing his usual SMS pilot's uniform, which thankfully isn't so format that it'll stand out in the crowd. A shout from near the front draws his attention (was that Maya?) and Alto sighs in mild amusement and some awe for Sheryl's popularity, "Even on a mostly uninhabited planet in the middle of deep space, she still manages to bring out so many people to see her." He wouldn't be surprised if some of the audience here aren't even from the expedition or the academy and only just arrived on the planet after rumours of a Sheryl concert go out.
<Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
E X C I T E M E N T.
For any with hearts open to the wonder of Possibility, the emotion of excitement practically floods the room. It's potent enough to almost be cloying, like an overly-expensive fragrance. And the center of this psychic disturbance?
Rita Bernal, sitting front and center. She arrived hours ago, testing out several different seats in the auditorium. Nothing like this has ever happened to Rita before, so she doesn't know the best seats. It's better to experiment and find out. In the end, the excitement of being close to Sheryl while she sings was too tempting to turn down, even though there are better seats higher up.
In the corner of the auditorium, a large circular machine is unobtrusive. A long, long cord stretches down the hall and out to the hangar -- but it miraculously seems to avoid being tripped on or unplugged. Sometimes the universe is kind.
Rita herself is dressed in a navy miniskirt and a somewhat daring black top. It's an echo of Sheryl's first outfit of a previous concert -- Rita didn't want to exactly copy her, but what better way to show her excitement? Of course, her feet are bare as ever, and her long golden hair lays free, floating in an illusory breeze.
"Trevor. Trevor!" Rita squeaks, her image occasionally going blurry from the sheer force of psychic thrill passing from the Phenex to the hard-light projector. She, of course, took a glowstick -- how thoughtful is Sheryl to have brought merch along to a distant planet?? -- which is currently floating next to Rita's shoulder. In her excitement, Rita has fallen back on her psychic abilities, rather than holding it normally.
"I never thought -- !" Rita brings both hands to her face in happiness. "I was so happy when Leina found a way for me to see Sheryl back then. I never! It would've been enough. It was already more than I ever dreamed of. But now.."
She laughs, bright and sweet. It's going to be a toss-up if Rita manages to not float out of her seat before the music starts!
<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.
Honestly? Riika doesn't know what to think about this whole 'there are aliens, and an alien school, and also space princesses' thing.
But at least they're friendly! She likes friendly. Maybe her dreams of people coming together to work for a brighter future are a little closer than they seemed. Does she think maybe they can make some sort of education agreement? You bet she does - though she's not exactly authorized to offer anything like that.
Still, the least she can do is show up to an enjoyable event and meet people. So here she is!
Riika Sheder has a problem at these events: about half the time, she can't see anything, lost in a sea of other people's shoulders and the backs of their heads. As a result she showed up early to get a good seat that had a clear line of view, but also happens to leave her pretty centrally located. For instance, she's close enough that she can speak to Rin and her crew: "It's good to see you here!" Seriously; it means they're fitting in, and if the three of them are still sitting close together those bridges can't have been un-mended permanently.
<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
Ranka Lee is of course here, even if the vibe was different from the first time she saw a Sheryl concert with stars in her eyes. She was just as much a fan as before - but now she was an idol too.
At these affairs her mind just naturally noticed all the details that she didn't before with a new appreciation. Of choreography, visual effects.
She even couldn't help but sing to herself as she walked down the hallways from the side entrance she was being escorted in for security purposes, finding herself swept up in the emotions of seeing a coming Sheryl concert.
"Baby, how do you want to drive?"
"I've got the handle 'n' I'm waiting on standby..."
"Y' want my heart & want my love?"
"No!? Oh, just gimme a-!"
"What are you doing?" Spoke a masculine monotone behind her, as Ranka's hair leapt up, and she tentatively answered, "Singing?"
Brera Sterne noted to her, "That isn't the correct way to the auditorium." He was not motioning to it, but to the side of him was a clearly marked sign, down another hallway.
"Aha..." Rubbing the back of her head, "... I just got so excited that my head was in the clouds? I was... a million miles away."
"Remain here. You are expected. It would be difficult to protect you elsewhere."
There was, an awkward moment as Ranka tried to figure out how to respond to that, before she turned down another hallway in an attempt at course correction, "Don't worry! I'm not going anywhere!"
Brera uncrossed his arms, and stepped forward long enough to put a hand on her shoulder, gently turning her, "You are again traveling in the wrong direction."
There was a subtle change in his ordinarily emotionless tone, "Silly girl."
Both hands moved over her mouth, embarrassed, but covering a smile.
-=-=-
EVENTUALLY they made it to the auditorium, Alto might notice she's late... Brera doesn't take a seat, but takes a position upon the side which allows him to best watch her.
Ranka herself is wearing a pink dress with a sweetheart neckline, a bow over the bust, and frilly armlets.
There is also a necklace familiar to Alto around her neck.
There are flowers braided into her hair, with a subtly different style. Apparently they're all really leaning into the Space Princess thing - but it's also good PR to appear in such outfits.
Indeed, it adds more to the question of what Edelweiss asks, the rumor that she might. Her appearance like she's dressed to perform has that 'will they' 'won't they' vibe to it.
In a way, whatever the answer is, it raises the anticipation further, doesn't it?
Ranka gives an attempt at dignified waving to each of her fans, including Maya, blinking at the boldness of wearing a Ranka headband at a Sheryl concert.
She's not sure what she thinks about that, but she smiles at her anyway, at least she's cheering towards Sheryl?
And then, in a gesture that feels part theatrics, she takes a Sheryl official merch glowstick out of her purse, giving it a small wave.
As she plops down not too far from Alto and Rin.
"Of course she does." Ranka says to Alto with a smile, "Only Sheryl could put together something like this so quickly on a planet like this."
Brera's eyes are fastened to Alto in this moment. It's definitely fine. Definitely, probably fine.
(He's watching you Mister.)
<Pose Tracker> Laffinty Fin E Ld Si has posed.
"So this...is the entertainment of Earth..."
Laffinty Fin E Ld Si is dressed for a show, with a flowing gown that reaches to her ankles. Her permanent assistant Moid flanks her as she comes close to the front. She is, of course, One Of The Most Politically Important People On the Planet and so she gets to sit wherever she pleases. She's been told close is good for things like this? She wouldn't know.
She ends up near Yurikano, of course. "It's remarkable work they're doing," she says, thoughtlessly, to the older girl. Then, a second later, she flinches and murmurs, "Ah, it's, nice to see you...Princess." It's been so long since they had time to speak...
Moid is present and you can't do anything about that.
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Amano has posed.
Upon the Nadesico's arrival on a distant planet, a deal was struck between two crew members - Hikaru would come to a Sheryl Nome concert sometime, and Maya would sit down and watch Gekiganger 3 with her. And well, the perfect opportunity was found when Sheryl announced that she was doing a concert HERE, on Gallia IV! It might not be a huge one, but if anything's solidifying Sheryl's title of the Galactic Fairy, it's this! There's aliens, and princesses, and alien princesses.
And of course, another fairy, their very own Ruri-chan is helping out, so there's two people Hikaru came to cheer on tonight.
She arrives with Maya, glowstick in hand - promising not to treat it like it's a laser sword or something. She's waiting pretty eagerly for the show to start - Sheryl might just be able to count another fan by the time the show's over.
<Pose Tracker> Sagiri Sakurai has posed.
Rami Amasaki is having a busy day.
That's been every day for Rami Amasaki since arriving on Gallia IV, really: the on-the-cusp-of-20-year-old rookie of VTX Union has an awful tendency towards overwork to begin with, and the feverish desire to make a good impression with her (first!) clients has just caused her to double down on bad workaholic tendencies.
But it's been especially true since the run-in with the Zuvorg and their allies. Ever since then, Rami has been largely keeping to herself with her work, and largely sticking to the Nadesico, specifically the holding bay for the Tyranado. Suffice to say, she hasn't heard too much about the comings and goings outside of work.
Today is no different: Rami is currently hunched over a terminal connected to the Tyranado, running a diagnostic check on the machine's Quark Drive. She's done this so many times now that she's frankly lost count; it's also patently unnecessary. But diagnostics aren't why she's here, or why she's checking on the Quark Drive -- or why her brow always furrows into a knot of uncertainty as she reads through the same exact data she's read through countless times by now.
"You can't stay cooped up in here forever, Rami."
Rami closes her eyes and exhales. Besides her, Hirosuke Amasaki stands, arms folded over his chest as he peers at his would-be daughter behind tinted shades.
"I try not to interfere in your life too much," continues the old Section Chief, his voice set to that typical calm of his, "but at this point, sitting here and fretting isn't going to do you any good."
"... I know that," Rami says around a frown. Her eyes open, fixated on modeling arrays for the Quark Drive. "But..." She searches for the words for a long time, before she just slumps.
"... You know what the Quark Drive means to me. I already had a lot of misgivings about it being installed in a weapon like the Tyranado to begin with." Shoulders hunch as her hands fold tightly against each other. "But it'd be so much worse if the Zuvorg found out about it. I just -- my father entrusted me with the Drive, I just can't risk it falling into the hands of people who are only going to see it as a tool of war, and..."
"Rami..." Hirosuke begins, and ultimately scratches the back of his head, unsure of what to say.
"Still cooped up here, huh?"
Hirosuke and Rami blink in perfect sync. Rami turns her head slowly. And then she practically jumps out of her seat at the sight of Sagiri Sakurai, just blithely standing there behind them, looking perfectly bemused as her co-pilot all but topples out of her chair.
"M-m-m-m-ma'am?! When did you get here!?"
"Eh? Just a sec ago," is Sagiri's answer, pastel green eyes wide and guileless. "Why? I didn't interrupt any family bonding time, did I? Were you giving her the Talk, Chief?"
Hirosuke just laughs in good-natured dismissal; Rami sputters out a, "NO! I already had the T -- that's none of your business anyway, ma'am! We were just talking! Standard-issue talking!"
"Great," Sagiri declares, which is about when she reaches forward, gently grabs Rami by the arm, and then just sort of -- drags her out of her chair, toward the exit. "I got something I want you to see."
"Wh-wh-hey! Wait!" Rami flails, but lack of sleep makes her easy prey for the chestnut-haired test pilot. "I'm busy!!"
"Nope. You're coming with me; boss' orders. Hey, Chief! I'm borrowing the Carriax!"
"Alright, take care you two."
"DAD! Do something!!"
"This is for your own good, Rami. I'll keep an eye on the Tyranado for you."
"Noooooooooooooooooooooo--"
AN HOUR OR SO OF FLYING AND GROUSING LATER
"Oh, wow."
This is Rami Amasaki's first cogent thought as she wanders into the military academy's auditorium. Her grey-brown eyes are wide with sheer surprise as she tries to absorb everything she's seeing here. The set up, the lights, the signs...
"... Is this... a concert?" she wonders, with shellshocked obliviousness. "H-how? There's no way they could have put this together in such a short amount of time--!"
"Because they've been working on it for a while now," is the off-handed comment of Special Section 3 Manager Sagiri Sakurai as she guides Rami through the throngs of people. "You just haven't noticed because you've been holing up inside the Nadesico for so long. Is that any way for a fan of the Galactic Fairy to act, rookie dearest?"
"Hey!" Rami begins, cheek-puffed and indignant. "I've been very busy! I just -- this is a Sheryl concert?!"
Sagiri just flashes her subordinate a cheeky, teasing grin. "Yep. And I got us the best seats in the house," she insists, and then looks aside. "(Or the best seats I could find, my kingdom for a ticket scalper--) Anyway! Here."
Sagiri scoots into their seats, not too far from the heart of the action; settling in just behind Alto, Ranka, Rin and their various entourages, Sagiri kicks up, hands looping behind the back of her head as she watches Rami settling in with wide-eyed wonder and twinkling joy.
"A Galactic Fairy concert... my first concert...!" Rami murmurs, and all the worries that were plaguing her just seem to melt away. Sagiri smiles.
"See?" she asks. "Work's important, but you should never forget what you're working for, Rami. I wanted you to know, no matter what's troubling you--" For a moment, Rami wonders just what Sagiri knows, but the thought is a glimmer easily washed away by what Sagiri has to say:
"... even all the way out here, you can find a little slice of happiness."
And to Sagiri, that's what matters.
<Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed.
Trevor is genuinely unsure what is more miraculous: That there just happened to be an almost-appropriate venue for holding a Sheryl Nome concert on an alien world, or that the aliens were totally fine with these strange guests commandeering a Military Academy's auditorium for an idol concert. Like, he's happy they're friendly, but also! It's kind of weird! This isn't how this sort of thing usually goes, is it??
Frankly though: From what Trevor has seen of concerts, they're maybe a little loud for him? Maybe it's just a matter of living in a metal coffin separating him from the endless void of space, with only the quiet humm of machines and the clunk-clunk-clunk of the technology responsible for keeping you alive steadily creaking towards inoperability for company on most days. In the evenings, there were certainly raucous parties, and a lot of moonshine drinking, but concerts...
Something about being around this many people, with this much sound and stimulation, just tickles the amygdala.
Does Trevor Teach, gregarious pirate prince of Vesta and now the Ra Mari II... secretly harbor introverted tendencies underneath his shining personality!?
Maybe!!
Or maybe it's just that he's spent so much time alone with Rita among the serene, beautiful places of this mysterious world for the past few weeks that those tendencies are a little more pronounced than usual.
Or MAYBE it's just that the last huge concert he was at was run by one Asciel Colette-- and in THAT one, things got so crazy that people actually started MAKING THEMSELVES VOMIT and JUST MAYBE the vibes of that place and time are strongly associated with 'the concert experience.'
But even so, he is here. He is here because Rita super wanted to come, and because Ruri is in the tech booth giving her absolute all to make sure everyone can enjoy this concert the way Sheryl built it so meticulously to be. "You're really excited about this, huh?" Trevor chuckles as Rita's hard-light projection almost somersaults in the air over her seat. Which, you know, MIGHT BE A PROBLEM given that she's wearing a miniskirt. But hey, he's not going to tell her to not be as happy as a clam. "It looks like dreams really do come true. Well, I'm personally just happy you've got a way to actually talk to her. It was heartbreaking seeing you so crestfallen that first meeting...!"
He is-- not festooned with Far Too Many Glowsticks this time. This is entirely because there are only a limited number of them available, and Trevor has no reason to pirate Sheryl's glowsticks. It'd be rude. He did grab one, though. Instead, he's wearing a light, button-down shirt-- which is only half buttoned-down, and only half tucked into his pants, because a distressed look is always fashionable. And showing off the upper half of his torso is always daring. There are, of course, sparkly things dangling from around his neck and wrists, as is only right and correct. Altogether, it's something comfortable and breathable in a place that is almost certainly going to be a literal hotbed very soon.
"Heck of a venue, though. They really picked a beautiful spot to build this place..." Thinking of it... This is the first time he's been in a school. Is this what it'd normally be like for students...? Hm.
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
Soon after everyone is seated, the lights go dark. A new message scrolls on the LED strips through the audience, and an announcer speaks it aloud:
"In the beginning was the song. Stars in heaven play a beautiful melody, bringing hearts together across the galaxy.
"UC 0059: Lynn Minmay.
"UC 0091: Sharon Apple.
"UC 0094: Fire Bomber.
"And now..."
The announcer goes quiet, but at the center of the stage, an image of a massive golden heart, a delicate fairy-like wing on its right (from the audience's perspective), materializes in midair. It spins once, then hovers where it is.
From nowhere and everywhere, Sheryl Nome shouts:
"LISTEN TO MY SONG!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v1gLutfIxE (One in a Billion -May'n Ver.-)
The massive golden heart BURSTS apart into a shimmering mist that overtakes the audience hall. It's lightly warm, and wind instruments build up with strings and percussion to a crescendo as that champagne-colored fog rolls outwards. At its heart, a dark silhouette emerges, one arm outstretched as it strides forward at an easygoing pace. Sheryl breaks through the fog with a brilliant smile, her body shimmering with light as her long blonde curls billow in her wake. The light too pulls away from her, leaving her in costume:
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/macross/images/f/f2/UtaSherylPose.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20190513095920
A diamond hair ornament rakes through her hair just over and behind her bangs, glittering under the lights. Her usual drop earring dangles from her right ear, and her lips are painted pink. A black blouse covers most of her chest--it's open right at the cleavage with a dark gray ruff--and a bright blue ribbon ties at her neck, bringing a splash of color to the darkness. A star pendant hangs from her neck, dangling right at her cleavage, and her sleeves poof a bit at her shoulders and tighten just above her elbows. Several multicolored bangles decorate her right wrist. High-waisted short-shorts, pinstriped gray with black lace opening up her hips to view, belt twice over her torso, a trio of buttons leading down to a very low-set front pocket. A veil-like bow lined in gold bursts from her back, hanging from her lower belt and dangling down her long legs. Her legs are draped in champagne-colored thigh-high stockings, lined in gold and brown at the top and dipping down into high-heeled black ankle boots.
Sheryl herself gazes up at the audience with clear blue eyes and a broad smile as she walks down the runway stage, that one arm still held out as if in greeting, the other holding her iconic golden microphone to her lips as she sings. The melody is slow but strong, triumphant and dignified, and as that fog spreads, the concert backdrop melts into a bright blue sky, a golden sun streaming down visible bars of light, thanks to the power of holograms. What remains of the fog transforms into little golden butterflies, which flutter upwards as Sheryl drops the title and the music shifts into high tempo with an electric guitar:
"In this wide world
"I happened to meet you
"With odds at a level you could call miraculous
"A resounding fanfare is sure to begin
"So let's seize hold of our delicious lives: one in a billion!"
As the guitar riff ripples through the air, Sheryl sweeps to one side, her long legs shimmying together, then shakes her hips and twirls. One hand thrusts up into the air, a single finger extended as if to point to a special someone, or maybe just to the heavens, or maybe just to represent the number 'one.' She brings it down to tap her cheek and winks, her smile bright and excited. Swinging back and forth, she reaches out, then steps forward into her own hand as she rests it on her chest. Around her, she seems to pull reality itself into a new scenario as the sunlight shifts onto a building that some would find suspiciously similar to Mihoshi Academy. Inside, casual-mode Sheryl runs through school halls in joyful anticipation, a large bow in her hair and a pink jacket over a white shirt and jean shorts, her taiyaki phone hanging from her hip. Her heeled sneakers pound the tiles of the school, light glinting off the crystal on her drop earring, before she jumps and grabs onto the arm of a male classmate whose uniform is legally distinct from the Mihoshi Academy uniform.
"I might just have met someone
"Who feels like they changed my fate
"Without erasing my memories of what I dislike
"Among what I've warded off 'til now."
Sheryl tugs on this classmate's arm with a broad grin, and he--or rather, 'he,' for when he turns it's clear Sheryl is modeling him too, 'his' hair approximating a short cut with layers over a French braid, bangs spiked and parted to one side--scowls at her in grumpy exasperation. Pink Jacket Sheryl puffs her cheeks out at Male Friend Sheryl and glares back in mock annoyance. That annoyance soon melts away as a female classmate steps up, a Sheryl in a legally-distinct-from-Mihoshi-Academy girls' uniform, hair looped up on the sides and pinned at the back to approximate a certain puppy-ears style, huge round glasses making her blue eyes extra-wide and innocent-looking. Pink Jacket Sheryl reaches out to Female Friend Sheryl and pulls her and Male Friend Sheryl along by the hand. The three of them race through the audience. In their wake, countless stars like the pendant Sheryl was originally wearing spin outwards. Sheryl in the black blouse leaps up through one, breaking the illusion as she pumps a fist once, twice, then twirls around and spreads her arms towards her audience.
"What's normal to me might just be
"An outrageous surprise to you?!
"So play around with the differences
"Fu(sion)! Mix(ture)! So wonderful!"
Countless Sheryls in countless different costumes, from her iconic purple corset dress to the crimson gown in her Diamond Crevasse music video to the Black and White Bunnies to the halter dress she wore at her birthday concert last year to a sleepy Sheryl in a simple spaghetti-strap top and pajama shorts to Sheryl in a long-trained blue dress with a flower crown and far, far more, pan around, chasing boys, leading girls, dancing and singing, looking flirty, looking sleepy, gazing wistfully into the distance, holding stacks of flight books and trying not to drop them. At their heart, Sheryl bounds back and forth with her ankles locked together, bringing her further down the catwalk stage until she catches herself, spins, and stomps a foot down on a suddenly-materializing personal star platform as she raises a single finger and thrusts it out at the audience.
"In every single timeline,
"Letting moments pass one by as they pile up
"Means never experiencing them again (one in a billion)!"
The star-shaped platform lifts her up and soars all through the auditorium as Sheryl seems to sing to every individual listener, the trick of the holograms making it seem as though her eyes are always on you--yes, you. She continues to hold her hand out as she sails by, hair sweeping past as she and her stage trail stardust. Her outstretched hand closes around a doorknob, and around Sheryl, a massive door materializes, then opens. Sheryl strides through, her costume changing from the grey pinstripes to the pink jacket as she passes the threshhold. She reaches out with both hands this time, eyes squinting shut as she smiles, and she seems to pull you--yes, you--forward with her into sunny blue skies.
"'Til yesterday, you were a stranger
"But now that I happened to meet you
"The door to a new world will open
"A resounding fanfare is sure to begin
"So let's seize hold of our delicious lives: one in a billion!"
Orange and pink flower petals sweep past, and the scenery settles on Pink Jacket Sheryl, strolling down a park path with her two companions from earlier. As she opens her eyes, she looks up at Male Friend Sheryl with a fond smile, then leans into his shoulder.
"The necessary ingredients
"For life are encounters and discoveries!"
At the same time, Pink Jacket Sheryl grabs the hand of Female Friend Sheryl and swivels around to look her in the eye, lips moving as if saying the lyrics directly to her. Her smile knowing, she winks and sets her other hand over her classmate's. They spin together as around them the sunny park path whirls into flowers. A vision of Male Friend Sheryl leaps up, looking cranky and surprised, legs slipping up from underneath 'him'; a second vision of Female Friend Sheryl leaps up with legs tucked back, eyes wide behind her glasses and lips in an O; and then Pinstripes Sheryl rises up from between them in a twirl, one finger pointing to the heavens as she grins and sparkles.
"It's such a waste to be okay
"With a tomorrow that's the same as today
"Search for your 'firsts'
"No (change)! No (chance)!
"Let's head on out!"
Surrounded by countless flashing cameras, Sheryl Nome in dark shades, a slinky black dress that hugs her curves and shimmers in the spotlight, a black clutch purse in one hand with golden straps that match several thin necklaces and braceless, and a black feather boa draped along her arms strides in high heels down the catwalk, twirling at the end and tossing her hair as if for a fancy show--except that she reaches up and tips down her shades to wink and stick her tongue playfully out at the audience.
"In our short lifetimes,
"Just how many miracles
"Can we encounter? (One in a billion!)"
That same glitzy star Sheryl sits at the window of a penthouse suite, heels dangling from her feet as she stares out at a city at night, glittering with countless distant, lonely lights. Her reflection in the window is initially listless as she stares out at it, before a smile livens her expression and she reaches down into her clutch purse. When she pulls out into her hand, she joyfully tosses a glittering seven-colored dust around in a sweeping circle. The dark night sky at her back immediately brightens into a brilliant blue streaked with a rainbow. Within the penthouse and then out in the city, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling brighten one by one and two by two and ten by ten and hundreds by hundreds. Sheryl tosses off her heels and races out into them, laughing as she spins around. Around her, the glitzy black gown tears away back into the pinstripes and blouse.
"I'm so used to this scenery
"So I'll add the spice called 'you'
"Just a few sprinkles and look! 1-2-3, wonderful magic!
"All through town, chandeliers will glitter bright
"So let's seize hold of our best lives: one in a billion!"
Electric guitar overtakes the melody in a fast-paced rock solo that speeds up until it reaches a key change, followed and backed up the whole while by bass and drums. Sheryl shimmies and stomps along the stage, arms forming a circle and then pumping up and down as she snaps her ankles together and bounces back and forth. As the guitar solo ends and the melody gentles, Sheryl half-turns to face the audience and bring her microphone up to her smiling lips. Sparkles drift lazily around her, softening the auditorium walls, until the beat picks up and tiny fairy Sheryls in tiny pink-and-gold dresses erupt from the sparkles in massive waves, exponentionally more and more along the five last beats of her line.
"In every single timeline,
"Letting moments pass one by as they pile up
"Means never experiencing them again (one in a billion)!"
Each of the pixie Sheryls flutter around on the same butterfly wings as the butterflies from the start of the number, laughing and playing and dancing in midair as they fill the air. A few of them reach out to some select audience members: pixie Sheryl #1 sweeps up around Alto's face and kisses him on the cheek before tittering and zooming off; pixie Sheryl #2 lands on Ranka's shoulder and kicks her feet as she rocks her head before diving backwards and vanishing from view; pixie Sheryl #3 hovers in front of Laffinty and boops her on the nose, then twirls, winks over her shoulder, and flutters up and away; and pixie Sheryl #4 drapes herself atop Yurikano's head, resting her chin on her hands and looking down at Yurikano, then smiling with eyes shut and dissolving into golden dust.
"'Til yesterday, you were a stranger
"But now that I happened to meet you
"The door to a new world will open!"
The cloud of little fairies rises up into the skies, leaving behind the true Sheryl in her pinstripes outfit on the stage. She reaches up an outstretched hand, but not in yearning or as though to grab something she's lost. Rather, she sparkles, literally, in excitement, and her hand fades over the hologram sun to grasp hold and pull it down close to her open-cleavage chest.
"A resounding fanfare is sure to begin
"So let's seize hold of our delicious lives: one in a billion!"
As that light suffuses into Sheryl and radiate out from her, the rock melody riffs. She raises her chin and smiles up at a pair of constellations left in the now-dark sky, one of a vaguely-formed girl friend in a poofy dress, the other of a vaguely-formed boy friend in a flight suit. Bringing her long fingers to her lips, Sheryl blows a kiss and sends up a pair of hearts, which float heavenwards into the constellations. Together, they glitter bright, then fade out with the music.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
The message on the LED, of course, is programmed, and Ruri makes sure it plays at the right time. So too with the image of that golden heart, and the manner in which it spins. The timing has been programmed in, of course -- Ruri's just monitoring to make sure no error messages come up.
(One error message does appear, but she's quick enough on the draw that by the time that golden heart is due to BURST into sparkling mist, it does so with the correct temperature change to make things feel warmer as the light settles down onto the crowd. Ruri really is an incredibly quick typist, and incredibly quick at thinking, too.)
All those costumes -- all these effects -- Ruri makes sure they all come across without a hitch. (Sheryl is believing in her, after all. And so are Hikaru and Trevor and Rin! Well, Rin might be more jealous than believing, but close enough.) It would be a difficult job for one person, except that the one person who volunteered is Ruri, and she has a secret weapon: she's having a conversation with the electronics, and they're able to tell her with plenty of warning when something is wrong. One, two, three tracks of her mind are devoted to making sure that the effects begin and end where they're meant to, all the way to that cloud of little fairies...
... and another is appreciating the music. One in a billion, huh...? Ruri's expression is gentle and warm, hearing that.
<Pose Tracker> Franziska Edelweiss has posed.
Edelweiss winces as Adeya's fangirl shrieks hit her even through the earplugs. If only she could be this enthusiastic when it's time to do her rounds...All these fancy lights and effects...she squints as they glare in her well-worn eyeglasses, nearly blinding her. If this Sheryl was such a good singer, why did she require such pomp and circumstance in performing? Should her voice not do all the talking, so to say?
Ah, such an irony, she thinks to herself, that the genius who would guide mankind to its future is so above them already...
Stifling a cackle, she attempts to stuff the earplugs deeper in to block out more sound. She did not need to be going deaf while there was work to be done.
<Pose Tracker> Rin Naujakaite has posed.
Rin is one seat behind and half a seat to the right of Riika. Miracle of miracles, she was NOT put behind a bunch of towering Britannians. Rin looks at her and says cheerfully, "Hey! Can you believe all of this? I guess we're lucky we had Sheryl WITH us, given that -- oh snap, there they are!"
The group gawps at the alien princesses, momentarily. (Louis tries to be all cool about sneaking his phone out to take some pictures. At this level of zoom they're not great, but they're *his*. A new level of royal gossip!)
Samantha pauses for a moment as she sees a girl in the seats ahead of them -- flicker? She squints at her. ("Don't ogle at the aliens, they might take offense and do a KK strike," Rin advises her. This leads to an elbow.)
And then a golden heart appears before them.
The heart...
BURSTS! Light and song rings outwards, as does Sheryl in her glorious costume. Rin (wearing a tank top and light jacket) and Samantha (wearing a T-shirt from the Britannian radio-astronomy tourism site in New Mexico) both gawp, feeling a certain degree of awe. A blue sky comes to this realm that may not have seen light in aeons, and the performance pours out over them, glorious, sparkling, spectacular; a feast for the eyes and ears alike.
But towards the end --
Rin's vision persists sharper than some, and so she has much longer, subjectively, to consider those constellations.
"Hm," she says, as she cracks her glowstick. As the chemicals begin to illuminate, she raises it above her head to wave!!
<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.
Of course it takes very little for Alto to notice Ranka arriving, even amongst this crowd. Especially with what she's dressed in. She sits down near him and comments on Sheryl's skills. He nods along in faintly in agreement as he gets a closer look at Ranka. Is it the interior concert lighting or is there some red in Alto's cheeks?
Should he say something? He should probably say something...
... Why does it feel like the back of his head is on fire?
At that moment, the auditorium's lighting changes as Sheryl begins to make her appearance. So Alto decides to simply settle for smiling at Ranka and saying, "You're always such a hard worker. I'm sure you could do something like this too."
The song starts up and to begin with, seems pretty normal. By which it means it is exciting and catchy and totally Sheryl. But then the 'school' scenario starts up and Alto does get a particularly nostalgic feeling. Briefly causing him to think about how long it's been since he graduated from Mihoshi... Not that long really, yet at the same time it feels like far longer.
And then some more figures show up and join Sheryl. Highly FAMILIAR figures, in more ways then one! Alto stares, watching intently, the scene playing out making him think back to those days when he, Sheryl and Ranka were all attending school together... Was it those days that were the miracles?
And of course then Sheryl in a slinky black dress shows up and Alto goes a little red, instinctively glancing away and scratching at his cheek. It doesn't help when one of the Sheryl pixies floats over to give him a kiss on the cheek, causing him to sink down in his chair a little. Damnit, does she have to tease him like that!?
Finally (regretfully?) the song ends, giving Alto a brief respite and moment to recover as he lets out a mild sigh of relief.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Jintek has posed.
"KYAAAAAAAAA~! SHERYYYYYL~!" As soon as the heart EXPLODED, Maya was on her feet cheering and waving her glowsticks like a loon. There's listening to her song, of course, and watching recordings of concerts, and then there's LISTENING to her song, right in front of her! Sheryl looked incredible as always, and she was super impressed with all the special effects going on. It wasn't like this concert had had a year of planning, or even a month, and it was still super amazing.
As expected of the Galactic Fairy.
Even though she wasn't part of a huge group of Sheryl wotas, Maya had been practising. She didn't know the song list, but she was ready! In time with the chorus, she went into a simple, yet rehearsed pattern, encouraging Hikaru to follow along. The fairies that went into the audience, however, were a surprise, as they flew to the princesses and Ranka, and also... Alto, it looked like? A pang of envy went through her for a moment, but Maya knew that was unfair as she suppressed it. It would be nice to have been visited by a fairy, but the REAL fairy was on stage right now. As the song wrapped up, she yelled out again. "WE LOVE YOU SHERYL!!!!" This was the best adventure she'd ever been on. She should leave the solar system more often.
<Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
Somewhere in her heart, Rita knows Trevor is here for her, and for Ruri, more than he's here for himself. It makes her feel all the more happy, knowing he cares enough to reach outside his comfort zone. Rita is determined -- this is going to be an amazing night for both of them!
Blessedly, Trevor's worries over Rita's mini-skirt are unnecessary. Existing as a Miracle means one is guarded from any accidental slips, unfortunate angles, or wardrobe malfunctions. It's amazing, really!
"You're right." Rita beams. "Dreams, wishes... I didn't think they were real. But they are! I've gotten to talk to Sheryl, now I get to hear her sing. From so close up!"
Of course, Trevor's carefully-disheveled outfit is appreciated by Rita as well. She's half-surprised he didn't come wearing his hat, this being a fancy occasion and all. Scooting closer to him, Rita moves the arm-rest bar out of the way to lean her hard-light form against his side. Trevor really seems to like jewelry... Rita should remember to wear some, next time.
"We didn't come this far when we were exploring." Rita's eyes stay on the stage, waiting eagerly. "But you're right. It's really nice here. It doesn't feel scary at all. Maybe this planet is a kinder one than the Earth."
Then: the lights go out. Rita gasps, fumbling to grab her glowstick in both hands. Words appear. Names go by the screen, names Rita Bernal doesn't recognize or really care about. Until..!
Sheryl's voice! Rita squeaks in excitement, sitting up straight and shaking her glowstick back and forth in front of her.
"She's so beautiful!" Rita breathes, taking in the idol's outfit. "Wow..."
Rita sits, mesmerized, as Sheryl approaches. Golden butterflies form out of the fog, fluttering around Sheryl, and the music begins!
Of course, if Sheryl is dancing, Rita will dance as well. The Newtype spirit bobs her head back and forth in her seat, waving her arms. It's a series of movements born from more enthusiasm than skill, but no one can deny that Rita is giving this her all. As new figures appear, Rita watches in wonder, gasping again as Sheryl shatters one of them.
It's almost as though Rita's voice is stuck. She watches, expression alight with joy, but she doesn't quite manage to cheer, or yell. It's more than a little strange, compared to the reactions of the crowd around her.
Green eyes land on Pink Jacket Sheryl in particular. It's so fashionable... Rita had a jacket, once, but who knows where it wound up. She wouldn't want it back anyway -- if she has her way, she'll never see that Titans' blue color again.
Pixies soar out to the crowd, and Rita laughs in delight, tracing their path with outstretched hands. "Amazing... It's a miracle, right here!"
Does she know they're holograms..? It's impossible to be sure. In any case, Rita is enchanted by the first song, bobbing her glowstick in time with the rhythm.
<Pose Tracker> Yurikano de Metrio Lu has posed.
"Nice to you see you too, Lan~" There's a pointed nod towards Lan, and one especially sharp one towards Moid; Che, she can't talk freely with him around. But regardless, she keeps that warm smile, settling back down into the seat proper. "Really, I can't thank them enough for this concert...Good excuse to relax before the next few weeks."
She can't talk about private matters. Not in an auditorium, not with Moid around. But that was irrelevant in the long run; There were more chances, more times, and more importantly...There was a concert!
It's an opportunity. An opportunity to relax, an opportunity to listen, and most importantly: An opportunity to learn. As soon as those lights dim, she's already gazing towards center stage. To feel the quiver of anticipation, to subsume into the excitement and cheer...
To feel her heart alight with the explosion of warmth through the mist.
One in a billion, huh. To find herself cheering with her screams joining thje others, to watch and accept the show in front of her. A school academy, a chance meeting, a record of things so far away, yet entirely understandable and relatable. School. Penthouse. The beat of hope and wonderment, the lyrics of optimism. It's hard to not get swept up.
Not that she was trying to stay still, with her glowstick joining the rest, mouthing out the chorus by the third go-around.
<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
Ranka blinks, seeing Alto looking at her, and there's a subtle flush on her cheeks after a moment, as she looks down.
A curve of a smile, does she look pleased? She definitely does...
"Maybe. She's doing this without Grace tonight. I'm not sure I'm experienced enough that I could do that without Elmo."
Ranka does glance at him out of the corner of a single red eye, "But maybe... I'll give it a try."
It perhaps speaks well to the twin influences of Alto and Sheryl that even uncertain of her ability to do something, that she's still willing to try.
The presence of the alien princesses is still nerve wracking - part of her is still worried about them all being representatives of Earth, but she has no doubt that Sheryl can win them all over without a problem.
Music doing so is the ideal of the Macross Colonies, isn't it?
A glance behind her, and a smile as Rami notes this is her first concert, "Enjoy it." Ranka says softly, "My first Sheryl concert was life-changing." A toothy smile, "Literally."
There's all sorts of implications to that.
The lights go dark, and there's a smile at the message, but in subtle contrast, her thumbnails are gripping her skirts. It's not that she's upset by it, it's just a reminder of how future aspirations. To one day know she belongs on a scroll like that.
And when Sheryl's shout splits the auditorium, Ranka raises her glowstick, and waves it in a cheer-!
Ranka blinks, and lurches forward in her seat at the effects, finding herself focused in on Sheryl's costume, the effects highlighting and emphasizing-
She suddenly and very immediately straightens up, mindful as she looks sideways at Alto, shifting in her seat, as she looks back up the moment Sheryl starts singing.
Her hands flying up to her mouth at the sudden sweeping dance move catches her perhaps a glimpse of thigh and hip in the slit sides of the hem.
Soon enough however, she's tapping her foot to the beat, still waving her glow stick. With the lights down low, right now she wasn't the Super Dimension Cinderella.
She was just any other Sheryl fan, and there was something magical about that. The black and white bunnies cause her to cock her head, as she considers the idea...
... it says a lot about Sheryl doesn't it? It's like it's selling her to people who don't know her very well...
Ranka finds herself looking between Pink Jacket - Male Friend Sheryl - and Female Friend Sheryl, biting her lip...
Her mouth makes an O, as the pixie Sheryl's appear, and Ranka sits straighter in her chair. Her mind thinks about her kiss with Alto - underwater.
Surely he just thinks it was acting.
As the pixie comes closer and closer, Ranka can't help but close her eyes...
Only for her to remember it's a hologram, and snapped out of the daydream, she looks sideways at her shoulder.
Two fingertips at her lip, even as it dives off of her.
Part of her just melts in her seat afterwards, with a sigh that's half contented, half disappointed in ways she can't articulate it.
In the aftermath however, she glances sideways at Alto, and her hand slowly moves onto the arm rest.
It's perhaps not an obvious invitation... the plausible deniability of it still remains. Yet the hand is there, waiting...
... just in case he were to take it into his.
<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.
"No, it was a surprise to me too!" Riika is still working through her thoughts on the situation, but it's nice that they did not immediately get into a shooting war. She's going to have to bring lots of messages back - for the Three Ships, some for people she knows in the PLANTs.
Just because she doesn't want to go back and work for ZAFT, after what happened, doesn't mean she has anything against her homeland, after all.
The concert starts, and Riika isn't so rude as to talk through music. Plus, she's not sure she *can*; whatever she thinks about Sheryl's songs (and she likes some of them a lot more than others, if she's being honest) they're certainly good at putting on a show, and also at drowning out everything around them. The crowd doesn't hurt either.
Riika shifts her gaze a couple times toward the people she *knows* are not with the expedition. How does she know that? She cheated; when you're technical support you can find out when people are coming in from outside versus coming in from inside, and though she's not Sheryl's technical support (that's Ruri) she has been involved with some security in this expedition.
Mind, she doesn't interrupt them. And won't. But she does want to at least get a look at them. They do look so human, even more than the Zentredi!
<Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed.
Trevor couldn't possibly wear his hat here! It'd be very rude to put something that extravagant on his head during a concert. Whoever would have the misfortune to be standing behind him would be COMPLETELY blocked from seeing the stage!
Unless they're, like, gigantic or something. But Trevor is pretty sure this auditorium couldn't handle a Zentraedi audience.
"Hopes, dreams. It's a shame we had to come all the way across the galaxy for them, but I'm not complaining," they go where they have to. But someday they'll have to go home, won't they...? Trevor... has seen too much of the world to think that paradise can last forever. That's why he has to hold so greedily to these dreamlike moments; to treasure them as best he can.
His jewelry is made up of 'treasure,' too. Trevor's kind of like a magpie; he collects shiny things and keeps them because sparkly objects entertain his eyes. And, of course, because pirates are meant to collect treasure, aren't they?
...The concert starts. A holographic phantasmagoria unfolds amidst a bubbly song about meetings, about a special someone, about seizing that moment whenever it comes. The concert is stunning, of course. The fact that Sheryl could get all of this set up in such a short time is nothing short of incredible. But at some point in the middle of it all, Trevor's gaze drifted off to watch Rita nearly lose herself in the magic of the performance.
He smiles gently, "Yeah, it is pretty miraculous, isn't it?"
<Pose Tracker> Laffinty Fin E Ld Si has posed.
Lan's serious face lifts up into a quiet smile when Yurikano speaks to her. "Yes, it's quite a showing for them to put on a spectacle this far out. I'm sure the students don't see much like this, either." Or Lan herself, for that matter. "It'll be good for them."
Moid smiles placidly at Yurikano. "Princess of De Metrio," he dips his head. "It is good to see you in fair spirits."
Then he silently hands Lan a single glow stick, which she fiddles with like an object she's never seen before (she has not).
The lights dim, and Lan can only watch. Of course, Le Garite has entertainments of its own - it's hardly the militaristic culturelessness of some races out there! But they don't have much like THIS, either! "Earth's culture has really come so far...!" she says, mostly for Moid, as Sheryl's first song kicks off. Dancing, and lights, and holograms used so creatively - it's a lot for a sharp-eyed young girl to take in, and the serious-faced princess fades into a starry-eyed girl, smiling widely as the song continues, even giggling as Sheryl's pixie boops her on the nose.
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
In the momentary darkness, all is still. The only light are the glowsticks in the audience. An electric guitar riff cuts through the silence as two dozen lines of green lasers rise up from the back in opposing directions, criss-crossing through the audience. The drum line kicks in, and bright lights flash from the stage, clearing the green lasers, just before the runway stage's outline comes alive with landing lights--not just on the runway itself, but floating in a perpendicular line near the end, forming a cross.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRO4o9XW0D8 (Northern Cross)
At the base stage, Sheryl appears in backlight at the top of a terraced platform, setting her blonde hair aglow and her front in shadow as she holds her arms aloft, forming her own body into a cross. She wears a long-sleeved, puff-shouldered, midnight blue blouse, over which she wears a black vest that hugs her chest with white lace. A golden pendant hangs a couple inches under a bow tied at her throat. Off her shoulders hangs a black drape, a bow affixed mid-back, with a violet underside; it tapers into two long points that trail to her legs. A dark blue headband peeks out from above her blonde bangs, while her lips and nails are painted a similar hue. Her navel is bare, and her hips would be too if not for the lines of a brown thong and black short-shorts so tight and low-riding that one might believe they were sewn on. Her midnight blue stockings rise to mid-thigh before giving way to pale ruffles, and strappy black platform heels buckle in place over them.
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/macross/images/3/37/SherylUta36.png/revision/latest?cb=20210722133508
Sheryl flips her hair, her golden microphone in her other hand, as fans cheer and wave their glowsticks to the beat. A spotlight from high overhead casts away the backlight, illuminating and following her as she strides down the terracing, down the runway stage, to the crux of the now cross-formed stage. As soon as she makes it there, she snap her free hand up high and brings her microphone to her lips as a bell tones.
"I can no longer remember the start of my journey
"Before I realized it, I was already here
"As the seasons wear away,
"Those who sense the invisible infrared rays become lost."
Spotlights in all directions flash, violet and white, as the green lasers briefly cut through the audience again, then burn and smolder into red. Pumping her right heel up and down to the rhythm, Sheryl draws her hand down over her face, then sweeps it away. She winks as she sings, sending stars of light bursting from her lashes. The tempo of her singing increases with a rising fervor until she sweeps her free arm up and outward to the audience.
"I will probably lose them,
"These feelings that I risk my life for
"I loved as if I were fighting to survive
"I spent all my time building my dream
"I wanted to land on that star
"I wanted to fly in your sky!"
Sheryl wheels her arm up and around, then slides it down her undulating hips as she snakes into several pelvic thrusts. She draws her fist up against her other arm and sweeps it back and forth to the rhythm. As she sings of destiny, she then cuts the air before her with her fingertips, tracing faint lines of light, left to right, up to down, left to right, up to down, forming the afterimage of crosses before her until she points straight up at a vast, sprawling image of the constellations lazily spinning around a vast, sparkling central star. That same star shines down on her as her spotlight. Beneath it, Sheryl sweeps her arm around and pumps her fist until at last she brings it down to extend to her beloved fans.
"Wouldn't someone please caress my empty contours?
"Pushed on by the beating in my chest, these words of love rolled out of my mouth
"But no one answers them, and I don't know what to do
"Chosen by destiny, the Northern Star is burning bright
"Though it snatched you away from me into the sooty darkness,
"You continued to smile so gracefully. I loved that part of you."
During the instrumental, the spotlights over Sheryl darken, ceding illumination to the powerful backlight. Sheryl thrusts out her chest and tosses her head back as she raises her arms to once again form herself into a cross. The shadows cast by the backlight caress her silhouette--her empty contours. The backlight fades to give way to a maroon spotlight, lasers glittering from it and drawing lines along the walls, undulating but never crossing line of sight. Sheryl spins and shuffles, sparks of white light following her heels as she dances.
The lights shift once she starts to sing again, lasers fading, now three pale spotlights converging on her from different directions. Sheryl sweeps a hand to her side as she rotates her hips, then arches backwards and swings her arm up. She crooks her hand down to her face, winking a new spray of holo-stars, then runs her fingers through her hair.
"If you're gone, then there's no meaning left to life
"I don't care if everyone has disappeared
"If my love has gone, then I have no more use for my heart
"This world too can just disappear."
Sheryl strides back towards the stage in brisk, proud steps that follow the beat, one arm extended--and once there, she swivels around and strides forward again, as if to form that cross in two separate halves as she sings. When she reaches the crux again, she snaps herself to one side and spins, her glimmering hair following her. For a heartbeat or two, the lights all die, leaving the room in near-darkness--
"I was always in pain
"I'd risk my life for that first time we met
"I dreamt as if I were struggling to breathe
"I reached my hands out blindly
"I wanted to listen to your heartbeat
"I wanted to build a rainbow with you..."
And when they come alive again, there's a line of ghostly afterimages of Sheryl all up and down and left and right on the cross stage. When Sheryl slides a hand down her midsection and grinds her hips into several forward thrusts, her duplicates echo her as her back-up dancers, four behind her, two in front of her, and one on either side, for a total of eight pale copies. They trace the air with crosses of light with her, pointing up to the brilliant and majestic star projected above, until she sweeps her hand down to reach out to the audience.
"Wouldn't someone please embrace me tightly with daybreak's sentimentality?
"Tears of love that scatter as they are repelled by orbits of dreams will do
"Their painful flow is just fine for me
"Called back by destiny, the Northern Star is crying
"If I have to survive in this labyrinth anyway,
"Then I want to die loving you to my last breath!"
Sheryl and her afterimages dance frenetically, all nine of them in perfect sync. The basic lines of the original Sheryl's outfit begin to manifest on their empty contours, but they remain shadows in her wake all the same as she shines brightly at the center while the spotlights pulse. Her vocals resume, and they drop to their knees and freeze in poses, shifting to a new one each line.
"And so it begins
"The finale I'll risk my life for
"I loved as if I were fighting to survive
"I kicked on dreams until they were crumpled
"I wanted to end on that star
"I wanted to bloom in your sky!"
The choreography of the chorus repeats, Sheryl caressing herself and marking a cross in the air, and her eight copies now all mimicking her dance. She gives her impassioned pleas to whomever might be listening, the only one with full color in a crowd of fairies. As her back-ups dance with her, one by one, the green lasers rise and slice through them, agony on their expressions as they dissolve, 'slain.' Ultimately, only Sheryl herself remains. Even so, left all alone, she pours her heart and soul into her song and dance.
"Wouldn't someone please caress my empty contours?
"The motions of time have erased the words of love that could not be saved
"So please, give me your answer one more time!
"Chosen by destiny, the Northern Star is burning bright
"Though it snatched you away from me into the sooty darkness,
"You continued to smile so gracefully. I loved that part of you."
Stepping from side to side, Sheryl points out into the audience, one, two, three in a row, as if choosing those to receive her message--then sweeps her hand out and slowly stretches it outwards to the crowds, a tender smile on her dark lips.
"Though it snatched you away from me into the sooty darkness,
"You continued to smile so gracefully. I loved that part of you..."
She may dance alone now, but she still dances to the very end--presenting herself on the invisible cross, light shining out from behind her, as if to leave her mark on the galaxy itself.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Keeping the bugs out, here, is second nature. (And Ruri had better be natured to it; Riika's watching! Of course she wants to impress the SFX artists in the audience.) Ruri wonders, as she listens to the song -- at the same time as her fingers fly across the keyboard -- whether their visitors will appreciate that they all look up to the same sky. She hopes they will. If they listen to Sheryl's song...
<Pose Tracker> Franziska Edelweiss has posed.
She's had enough. Edelweiss steps out of her seat, scooching past the rest of her row to get some relief outside of the auditorium. "Pardon, pardon, out of the way..."
Making her way to the back, she sees a piece of equipment in the corner. Some...speaker or something, surely. The cord going through the hallway was not particularly safe, but she supposed they were out of jurisdiction of any safety boards, and power had to be used wherever it could. At least it wasn't as loud back here...
<Pose Tracker> Yurikano de Metrio Lu has posed.
So this was the culture of Earth, the blue planet left behind. To imagine there were things like this, to think that the outreach could have them grace the stars again. Was it time to go back? Quesitons inher mind that faded as quickly as they came, choosing to file those turbulent thoughts away for another day.
It's hard to not get swept up. A pilot's eye that sees how everything moves, how the eye is forced this way and that...And yet, the gaze glimmers with appreciation and a glowstick hitting the latent beat of the music perfectly. Ah, to find someone to love so...It certainly is a pipe dream, considering the current circumstances. One, a planet away, another, completely subsumed in his own duties.
So all she could do was to accept the screams of Sheryl as her own, to hold her glowstick up high, and swear that she was one of those that receieved her message in full.
<Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
"We'll take them home with us." Rita promises Trevor, softly. "The Phenex has plenty of room. I'm sure Isadore wouldn't mind carrying a few, either."
Reaching out, Rita finds Trevor's hand with her own and twines their fingers together. Her eyes shimmer with excitement and hope -- emotions still so new to the Firebird. It's an intoxicating mix, and Rita fully intends on indulging in it further.
"I really like the happy songs." Rita says, in the break between songs. "The sad ones make my heart feel heavy. But these happy ones are perfect for dancing! Oh, Trevor. Do you think it'd be allowed if we danced together, just a little? There's a little space between the seats and the stage..."
Rita looks hopeful, but a little shy. She doesn't want to ruin the concert.
Sheryl's next song waits in the wings, letting the soft light of the glowsticks illuminate the room. The silence is broken by a drumline -- (Rita startles, only for a moment, before adjusting) and green lasers.
"How does she change clothes so quickly?" Rita asks, eyes wide with excitement once again at the sight of Sheryl's new look. The sound of a bell reminds Rita to wave her glowstick, and she happily mirrors the movements of the other fans around her.
The tempo accelerates, faster and faster. Rita dances in her seat again, reaching out to Sheryl as the idol sweeps her arm outward. Despite the fast-pace of the song, Sheryl sings about being in pain. Rita's glowstick slows, concern beginning to eclipse the excitement on her face.
These lyrics are so sad. Rita glances to Trevor, leaning in to ask him: "This is just a story, right? Sheryl isn't really hurting?"
But as Sheryl dances, her afterimages dissolve with terrible expressions. Rita goes still, looking down at her glowstick. Is it right to cheer along to someone expressing pain? Even if the song was up-beat and fast, for Sheryl to perform with such emotion, she must've been hurt before.
"I'm sorry," Rita murmurs, looking up at Sheryl's dancing figure. "I hope the pain has faded."
<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.
Alto is still recovering from the last song. Plus with the darkened auditorium and dazzling lights, and Ranka's movements being so subtle, he doesn't notice her hand at first. And then he is distracted by the start of the next song, a familiar tune. One he's more comfortable with, enough that he starts nodding along to the tempo. Could this be one of his favourites, perhaps? It is Classic Sheryl after all.
As the central star begins to shine, the so called North Star, Alto briefly ruminates on the history of that star in particular. A guiding light for ancient navigators. Even pilots have used it when their instruments have malfunctioned, allowing them to get their bearings and find their path...
Alto stares at Sheryl, bathed in the spotlight of that 'star'...
He then turns his head, sneaking a glance at Ranka...
Damnit! His path is so confusing!!!!
That's when Alto notices Ranka's hand on the arm rest. He looks at it, his head swirling with thoughts. Should he? Shouldn't he? His own hand slowly rises, inching closer... Pausing...
Fool! Don't hesitate, be a man, Alto!
Alto reaches out, gently wrapping his hand around Ranka's.
Good. Now, don't look away, don't look away. Commit to it!
Alto smiles at Ranka.
<Pose Tracker> Rin Naujakaite has posed.
"I think it was a surprise to everybody," Rin tells Riika before the songs begin, "but I wish they'd known more about the sunny side of the street."
POP MUSIC DOESN'T STOP. In the darkness, Rin raises her violet glow stick like a sign of victory before the music and the lasers kick onwards. She finds herself screaming as Sherly appears in a shimmer of light and revelation, her outfit entirely different.
(Rin notices this, but doesn't know she's noticed it.)
SCREAM! SCREAM! She's bouncing up and down when Edelweiss pushes past, and Edelweiss leaving is enough for her to turn her head and watch her go -- but even her terrible gene-enhanced eyes can only watch them so far, with the huge throbbing pulse of the music still washing over them all.
<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
The melody kicks in again, and Ranka instantly recognizes it. Northern Cross hasn't been out so long, that she doesn't remember when it was debuted. There's something still so fresh and exciting about it.
She can already feel herself getting hype from the swell of the music, and the appearance of Sheryl's costume...
Which... a hand is hovering in front of her mouth once more, her canine like incisors chewing on her front lip.
With the hair flip marking the leadup to the song, Ranka smiles as she finds herself mouthing the opening lyrics in time with Sheryl.
The choreography - God, there's something so sexy about it. 'She really plays to her strengths' Ranka thinks, even knowing it's a sharp contrast to her own.
Each filling a different niche within the world of Macross Idols.
The yearning - it's felt so acutely within the song, even with the energy, and Ranka gets the acute feeling like the more she hears Sheryl sing, the more she understands her feelings.
As if something was conveyed in song even beyond what she can sense...
... her eyes follow the dance of the nine Sheryls, chewing her lip again at the self caress, even as they dissolve, slain.
And in the end... she's alone on the invisible cross.
And Ranka sighs soflty, blinking back her eyes at the thought of... something within it as she considers the moment where she stretched out their hand towards them.
And that's when she feels a touch upon her hand. At first Ranka just freezes, as if unexpected after so much time, and then there's this...
... soft blush, as she looks out of the corner of her eye, imperceptible in the dark...
... she thinks of the warmth of the hand, there's something about it that just makes her feel so safe. Perhaps she's remembering the time he caught her, just as she'd been ejected from the Colony.
The time he'd saved her, the many times he's saved her.
Several moments pass, Ranka's hand hasn't moved, and then...
Her fingers curl around his. And if he looks, there's this, discreet smile - that at least for this moment, is only for him.
<Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed.
They can take them home with them, those hopes and dreams. Rita reaches for his hand, Trevor holds on tight. Hard light, soft skin, it doesn't matter, he welcomes it nonetheless. That's right, they can bring them home-- along with the memories, and the many little 'souveniers' they've taken from this world besides.
"I certainly don't think Sheryl would mind if we did," he answers with a smile. "Did you want to for this next--"
But, the next song is not one of the Happy ones. Instead of a bubbly, uplifting tune, this one is... Raw, emotional. Somehow, it feels more... genuine than the last. It's not one for dancing to, and Rita seems to recognize that too. The emotions in this song...
Are painful. There is suffering there. Trevor swings his glow stick right along with Rita, keeping pace with the tune, but when she asks that question, he slows as well and shakes his head slowly. "...Every story that means anything has an element of truth behind it. I can hear the pain too, but this song is about resilience, too." He pauses, watching Rita contemplate his glowstick. What's going through her head... He thinks he has a decent idea. "I think we can keep on cheering for the Sheryl that's fighting to overcome her pain," Trevor squeezes her hand gently, "Without cheering for her to hurt. Right?"
<Pose Tracker> Laffinty Fin E Ld Si has posed.
Yes, a long journey...as princess of Le Garite, Lan's journey here is not merely one of diplomacy, is it? One of 'them' is here...a quest her brother the King has asked of her. A need to save their people. She watches Sheryl's dance, words resounding in her eyes. It's a driving beat and a thrilling melody, but...
She can't imagine finding someone to drive her like that...
Moid smiles, unruffled. "Quite the piece, my lady," he comments, meaninglessly. "Isn't it grand that the people of Earth can strive for such trivialities again?" he says, meaningfully.
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OzkS9GMT3Cs (Liebe ~ Illusory Light)
https:'cdn.discordapp.comattachments3214950839859281931167803318018506814sheryl_27.jpg
In between songs, there's another brief moment of darkness, textured faintly by movement. Before long, a moody, somber piano melody begins to play, its pace nonetheless somehow hurried--almost harried. A single silvery spotlight casts a circle on the stage, revealing that it's Sheryl playing it, seated at a grand piano. The light makes her hair too look silver; a baby blue lace headband with a viridian daisy on its right adorns her head, separating her bangs from the rest of her long locks. It matches the choker around her neck and the soft braces at her wrist. A teal robe drapes down her back and just past her elbows, framing a baby blue strapless, layered dress that folds over her chest, around her curves, and ends where her hips meet her thighs. It ties together just under her bust, and dark ribbons trail from there, reaching dark pantyhose. Pale blue ankle strap heels caress her feet, and a silver pendant necklace completes her look. As she plays and sings, little lights rise and float around her like fireflies.
"If I were to lose you, then the world would surely
"End up parting with, woahh, all of its light
"Even so, if playing out our roles means we must part,
"Then I'm satisfied with this."
Trailing like ribbons through the auditorium, the LED strips come alive with images of dark seas lapping on empty white beaches. Mercilessly, relentlessly, they shift by like the flow of sand in an hourglass, long enough to admire, but gone all too soon. Lifting her chin, Sheryl's gaze is sweetly wretched, as if seeing a loved one so close and yet too far too touch. An invisible wind somehow picks up, brushing her hair back, and then blowing it forward, ripping the piano from her fingertips as her eyes fly wide in shock--clearly part of a hologram show. Even so, Sheryl's eyes pinch as if she were on the verge of tears, and she reaches up and out to the audience as her voice lilts up several notes.
"On that day, I was a shell, and
"You who washed ashore were the sand
"Oooh, you embraced me as if to protect me!"
Singing as if she were crying out in pain, so emotional and yet with a voice so clear, Sheryl clutches her shoulders and shakes her head. On the LED screens, images of the starry heavens replace the seas and sand, spaceships crossing in the night yet never meeting. Behind them, blurring them away, the stars spin into curved strings of light that halo around. In the air around Sheryl herself, some of the firefly-like lights that have been gently drifting until now likewise spin and halo around her, while the rest multiply and scatter outwards from her like galactic stardust. Sheryl reaches her hands out, first to her sides, then upwards as if she might grasp something in the air above her; she rises on the tips of her toes, as if that little bit might be enough, then floats up and soars, body glowing with pale light.
"I will not weep, I will never weep
"Nor will I ever chase after your back
"Or ever stare at you; I feel no sorrow
"For I will not forget your scent
"Love will not weep, love will not sleep, love will not die
"For I want to believe
"I want to live ferociously, I want to be strong
"I will lose nothing, for I will not forget..."
Yet taking flight is still not enough; the distant blue star she reached for gutters out, and she hovers, robe billowing around her as she stares mournfully at the hope now out of reach. The light dims, but doesn't go out, as she sinks gently onto an island beach--a very familiar one for those who've seen Bird Human. Her fingers dig into the soft sand as she sinks to her knees and hangs her head in seeming defeat, platinum hair streaming over her shoulders. Then, slowly, she shakes her head and lifts her chin anew, hands layered over her chest. On the screens, images of a deeply shadowed jungle pass by as rain wets the leaves and sends all manner of small animals running into the brush.
"Just by having you there, by having you with me, I was always set at ease
"Why were your heat and laughter so very kind?
"If, when life ends, a soul is freed
"From its body and journeys for eternity, then
"When love ends, the soul of love is freed
"Oooh, and shall surely journey for eternity, too..."
Sheryl steps into the crashing waves and beyond, until the water comes just short of touching the hem of her dress. Her robe floats around her, turning her into a half-moon on the ocean as she gazes up to the glittering stares. She reaches out a hand, but instead of trying to grasp something out of reach, she sweeps it to one side as if in refusal. She half-turns to one side, eyebrows furrowed as she sings, her expression now of willful rejection. Soon, she looks up, her gaze fierce even as her song remains melancholy.
"I will not weep, I will never weep
"Nor will I ever chase after your back
"Nor I will ever gaze at you; I feel no sorrow
"And I will not forget your scent
"Love will not weep, love will not sleep, love will not die
"For I want to believe
"I want to live ferociously, I want to be strong
"I will lose nothing, for I will not forget
"I won't forget..."
Sheryl sinks abruptly into the ocean, the sandy shore gone, as instrumentals of crystalline bells, piano, and guitar play. Bubbles, seaweed, and darkness rise up around her as if to swallow her up, but she arches her back and curls herself around, the pale glow stubbornly clinging to her and her raiments. She sinks head-first, down, down, all the way down, and clasps her hands together below her chin as if in prayer, blue eyes shut. She whisper-sings a few echoed lines as the somber melody plays until at last she reaches the bottom of the sea. Her hands press against the sand there, bubbles trailing from her lips as she gazes at it longingly; then she floats up and back until she stands upright. The sand comes with her, rising up and forming an orb between her soft hands. That orb gains texture and color until it is the Earth Globe. Cradled between Sheryl's arms, they float in infinite blackness... but Sheryl smiles over it, then raises her voice as if in defiance:
"I do not
"Need any warmth anymore
"Because I can warm myself up
"I will not let myself be hurt, nor will I dream
"I will fear nothing, for I will not forget."
The planet between her hands shimmers away into feathers of light that float up, away, and past her. Gently, Sheryl lands on the runway stage, her hair and clothes settling around her. Sheryl lets those feathers go; after all, in her actual hands, there's already nothing there. At her back, they briefly come together as wings, but come apart again just as soon. Without seeming to notice, Sheryl reaches one hand up for a last time as the spotlight over her thins more and more until it's only a thread of light. Then, slowly, gently, a single feather drifts down onto her palm, the last thing lit up. She closes her fingers over it just as all goes dark:
"Love will not weep, love will not sleep, love will not die
"And I will not forget."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Images of the sea light up the auditorium, followed by images of space -- and both of these, Ruri supposes as she facilitates the transition, are oceans. (She thinks of whales, swimming through the sky.)
She thinks of Bird Human, as well, as she transitions to those images of the beach. The sand was warm, then. But soon the sand is gone, replaced by seaweed and darkness -- and the way that seaweed brushes against Sheryl is more deceptive an animation than it looks. To seem as if it's flowing against her, all those motions are specifically programmed, and have to be precisely pointed at, to make sure the program understands where Sheryl is on the stage. That it drifts up around her so effortlessly is a testament to the effort put in back-stage.
At the same time... Ruri can't help but be moved by the song she's hearing, even as she types so quickly to keep everything in check. It's only when those last bars fade and Ruri dims the lights that she has a moment to reach up to her own cheek -- and realise she was tearing up.
"...?" She wonders, to herself, as she looks at her fingertips -- and wipes them off so that she can keep programming.
(The sound of something splashing in water, rushing down the way.)
<Pose Tracker> Franziska Edelweiss has posed.
After a few minutes of relative solace, the Doctor figures she might as well go back in to wrangle her interns. In the dark of the auditorium, her foot catches on the cord that she had just noticed, yanking on it ever so slightly as she falls to the floor, her glasses flying off her face!
"Scheisse!" She crawls on the floor, feeling around for her glasses before someone can step on them. "Why does it need to be so dark for some harlot to sing?!"
<Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
Rita raises her face to listen to Trevor, her expression unreadable for long moments. She hasn't slipped into that faux-Goddess smile in the face of a negative emotion -- a sign of the trust she has in the handsome pirate.
But Trevor knows exactly what to say. A glimmer of that hopeful light returns to Rita's eyes, and she smiles faintly.
"Yes." Though she can't feel Trevor's warmth through her hardlight body, Rita squeezes his hand in return. "The fact that Sheryl can share her experiences with everyone this way is proof of her strength. And that--!"
Rita takes a breath (or at least goes through the motions) and raises her glowstick high above her head. It takes a moment, but her voice rings out, sweet and loud: "Keep going, Sheryl! I believe in you!"
By chance, or perhaps by design, Rita calls out in the space between songs. She looks comfortable with having, perhaps, drawn attention to herself. It was simply what had to happen.
The next song begins! Rita waits eagerly. It seems this one is a sad song too, but the Newtype Spirit's expression doesn't fade. Trevor's words stay with her. Each sad song is Sheryl turning her experiences into strength. That's something Rita can understand and respect.
Solemnly, Rita waves her glowstick back and forth in time with the harried notes of the song. The ocean rises, causing Rita to stiffen slightly. But it's just pretend. They're all playing together. No actual water is rising around them. At most, she scoots a bit closer to Trevor, reassuring himself with his calm.
The end of the song is beautiful, especially to Rita. Sheryl reignites her inner fire and vows to remember. The Firebird nods, smiling gently. Yes. This is the way things are. Pain is only a temporary emotion. Love and memory endure.
In the midst of the calm, warm moments before Sheryl's next song, Rita's image seems to... glitch. Her eyes widen as her hard-light body pixelates and blips out of sight -- returning moments later, thankfully.
"Someone pulled on the cord." Rita murmurs, frowning. "I'll be right back, Trevor."
With that, the hard-light avatar goes still, life leaving its eyes. Rita's spirit, visible to those open to such things, floats out of the image and over to the projector. It only takes a moment to find the culprit. Of course. It's the Scientist again.
Rita, in time to hear Edelweiss insult Sheryl, frowns further.
With a twitch of her fingers, the Newtype Spirit scoots Edelweiss' glasses into her hands. What a kind act!
...if not for the fact that Rita psychically unwinds one of the little screws holding the lenses to the glasses' arms. When Edelweiss puts on her glasses, nothing will seem wrong. But perhaps, in some critical future moment, that screw is going to come loose. And Edelweiss' glasses will fall to pieces right off her face.
Satisfied, Rita floats back over to her avatar, settling into it once more. She smiles at Trevor, a glint of mischief in her eyes.
<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.
As the next song starts up, Alto's reactions are a little more subdued than the previous two. Perhaps it's because this song itself is a bit more sombre and slow...
... Or perhaps it's because he's a little distracted by the feeling of Ranka's hand in his own.
But as the song continues, Alto's focus is pulled more and more to the stage. He's heard fans argue that Sheryl isn't suited to these types of songs. That she's better of with the more energetic, pulse thumping ones that get your blood pumping.
They're so wrong.
It always feels to Alto like it's songs like this one that Sheryl really puts her heart into. Opens herself up for all to see. They're so... Beautiful.
Alto's hand squeezes Ranka's just a little bit tighter, his eyes tranfixed on Sheryl's performance.
<Pose Tracker> Rin Naujakaite has posed.
As the concert continues on coruscating light - dark seas on white beaches - Rin is swept away, too far and too fast to take notice of the shenanigans going on mere yards from her. It's all a miraculous thing - all the more miraculous, perhaps, for where it is and HOW it was brought about, but all the other elements -- Sheryl at the spear-tip and everyone else coming up behind her --
Is it really any less miraculous when it happens at home?
<Pose Tracker> Yurikano de Metrio Lu has posed.
Oh, she's playing the piano. Another thing that the Galactic Fairy can do. By this point, Yurikano is yet another fan of Sheryl Nome, giving the cheer at yet another song, basking in the warm atmosphere of connecting, relating, innately blossoming as the lyrics scratch at her heart...
And quieting back down to listen to the Galactic Fairy's next song. The minute notes of fashion, of how many costumes had to go in, the sheer, absolute technicalities and logistics that have to go into this...She could appreciate it. To bask in the beauty of the moment, that glowstick raised in support.
The voice carries across. Love. A song about love. Love will not weep. Sleep. Or die.
There's a somber smile on her face, barely holding back a sniffle. Love's complicated.
<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
The darkness is perfect, for holding hands isn't it? Noone can see it...
... Brera Sterne however has shifted his vision to Infrared, and he sees very well the spot where their hands meet. How the heat builds into a point greater that glows brighter than the heat of a hand by itself.
He cannot stop looking at that point of contact. He's definitely not smiling. Ever has he felt that Alto Saotome was an unworthy match for Ranka Lee.
"How dare he touch her."
Brera says in his normal tone, lost within the opening lyrics of Sheryl's song.
Oblivious to Brera's feelings - she's always had a hard time reading him, Ranka is swept up not just in the song, but in the feeling of his hand.
The feelings of this somber song, they always get to her, and she squeeze Alto's hand all the tighter for it, as if feeling Sheryl's sadness vicariously.
It's so affecting, seeing, feeling Sheryl this way, even moreso than ever, and as feathers of light shimmer, Ranka closes her eyes, and...
... thinks about how Alto had to put himself out there by responding to their invitation, and so she should... return the favor.
So Alto may be surprised, perhaps not, when not long after he squeezes her hand more tightly he feels the brush of Ranka's hair against his upper arm. As she leans her head against him... resting it there.
Brera meanwhile has a new spot where heat is bleeding together, against Ranka's head and Alto's upper arm, becoming a far brighter spot.
It has become a genuine struggle for him not to pull a knife.
<Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed.
That mask that Rita wears too often, the one that she puts on to avoid allowing others to see that the goddess of possibility... Is actually just an ordinary girl who has been expected to carry the weight of the world. It's a lot like the grin he used to wear too often, the merciless and cock-sure pirate that was out to seize all he desired in the world. The one whose only real commitment was to the coin he was promised at the end of the day.
It feels like it's been a long time since that was all that he was. And maybe Rita, too, will feel like the 'goddess' is something that dwells mostly in her past, someday.
"That's right," Trevor nods, smiling warmly, "She's the kind of person who can pick herself up and turn pain into power. Nothing wrong with cheering for that."
Those are the songs that grab him. This one, and the next one too. The bubbly, feel-good ones have their place and their admirers, he's certain, but they're definitely not his speed. Maybe it's the Newtype in him, but feeling the honesty in Sheryl's more heartfelt songs is much more satisfying.
He chuckles shamelessly but warmly at Rita's outburst-- she never would have done anything like that a few months ago. If they have all eyes on them, that's fine. He's not here for everyone else.
The next song begins. The sea rises all around them, swirling amidst lyrics of defiant, invincible love. He lets his eyes lift toward the rippling waves, catching light and setting it to dance across the audience. It's a sight he's only seen a couple times before, but it's amazing every time he does.
And then, the end comes. Darkness swallows light, but with the promise that love will never die...
And then Rita goes 'fzzt' and Trevor's eyes widen in concern and surprise. "Rita--" No, he can still 'feel' her. And a moment later, she's back again. But.
Someone's messing with the projector. "Right, take your time."
Rita slips away, leaving her avatar standing there, quiet and lifeless. Trevor thinks for a moment. If he had a pen, he could...
No, but that'd be mean. Would it be too mean? Hmm. Yeah, probably. Best not to. Instead, he plucks a silvery chain from his neck... and lays it over Rita's.
When she returns, he's clicking at his phone, and double-takes at that glimmer in her eyes. "Huh... Someone's looking proud of herself." Beat. He leans in, conspiratorially, "You got 'em good, huh...?"
<Pose Tracker> Laffinty Fin E Ld Si has posed.
"She's so talented," Lan finds herself tittering. Wow, after all that, the piano, too...this is slower, a more thoughtful piece, she thinks. But...
She finds her hands clasped before her, around the glow stick, but little to speak but sparkles in her eyes.
Light shines down on Balance T. Moid. Like many, they are not the lights that moved his soul long ago, and his smile does nothing.
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
Shouts of adoration and support in between the numbers, like Maya's cheers and Rita's shouts of support, get a quick smile and a wink into the crowds from Sheryl before lights dim for the transitions. (How does she change costumes that quick? That's the magic of a hologram suit.) More subtle expressions of burgeoning fandom, like Yurikano's sniffles and Lan's eye-sparkles, might not be as noticeable, but they bolster Sheryl just as much.
Which is good, because there's something else going on that would be demoralizing if Sheryl let herself acknowledge it. If she thinks something about Alto and Ranka holding hands, of Ranka leaning her head on his shoulder--and rest assured she does--she's far too professional to let it show. Alto's attention is locked on her during her songs, at least, and for now, she'll take it.
He and Ranka are both safe for now anyway. Brera can glare lasers all he wants, but even Sheryl won't forgive him if he disrupts her concert. Franziska is quite lucky Rita dealt with her on her own.
The concert goes on for several more numbers, as concerts generally do. Sheryl may have been on hiatus for the past half-year, but she brings the same liveliness and finesse to her performances--the freshness of her fashion, the sensuality of her dances, the earnestness of her emotion. Fun and flirty songs like Sagittarius * 9PM Don't Be Late, intense songs like Eternity, fierce songs like Lion, sexual songs like Pink Monsoon, yearning songs like Diamond Crevasse: she performs them all to the utmost of her considerable ability.
She's Sheryl Nome, after all.
All good things must come to an end, though. Eventually, the concert winds down. It's not quite over yet, though. After the last number on the schedule, the concert lights stay in place, and Sheryl of course hasn't bid her fans goodnight yet. Indeed, after a few minutes of silence, the auditorium brightens a bit to reveal Sheryl on the main stage, smiling out to the audience from the stage with her microphone in hand. Her cheeks, lips, and nails are dusted pale pink. The grand piano from before is back, right next to and behind her.
Her outfit now is simpler than previous looks, but no less glamorous: a pure white spaghetti strap dress with a lacy plunging neckline caresses her curves, its primary hem ending at the top of her thighs. Its secondary hem is for a long, shimmering veil that drapes down from her bust all the way to her ankles, its color shifting subtly from greenish towards the top to violet towards the bottom. It brushes against strappy, pale yellow block heels. Her voluminous blonde hair is partially tied to one side, somehow simultaneously bound and free. Several gold bracelets adorn her right wrist; a crystal pendant hands from a golden necklace; and, as always, her iconic drop earring hangs from her right earlobe. Unlike other costumes for the night, she's actually wearing it, thus the longer-than-usual transition.
https:'cdn.discordapp.comattachments3214950839859281931167811219797835786sheryl_22.jpg
"Thank you all for coming tonight!" Sheryl calls into her mic. With her free hand, she raises fingertips to her lips and blows the audience a kiss. "I'm excited to welcome new fans to the fold--all my more experienced fans, make sure to give them a warm welcome too, all right? <3"
She winks, smirking, and waits for the cheers and callbacks to die down. Her expression settles into something softer--a more mature mood without necessarily being flirty or sexual. "When the expedition fleet came here, none of us expected to find there were already people, so it really is exciting for all of us to meet all of you. So, to close out this concert, I have a special offering just for you all who've come to see me tonight." She reaches out to trace the contours of the grand piano. "This is a song I've been working on since arriving here on Gallia IV. It isn't yet complete; consider it a sneak peek--an experience you get to have before anyone else." She sets her microphone on a stand set up atop the piano and seats herself gracefully at the bench, tucking the veil train underneath her. Back straight, fingers poised over the keys, she smiles back at the audience. "The Earth is far away from us now, but for those of us who've lived there, it remains in our hearts. Let us share that with you who've never been but, perhaps, one day will. Please listen to Sailor."
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HMOT7rI_O90 (Sailor)
The audience hall dims, and the stage lights focus soft white beams on Sheryl. No holograms, this time; it's just her and her piano as she plays. It's a soothing, delicate melody, yearning and hopeful. Sheryl rocks gently as if on a boat as she plays, eyelashes fluttering shut as she croons into the mic:
"Let's go by boat while you lead the way
"We rock on our course, for you're a beautiful sailor..."
The stage curtains behind Sheryl slowly part, revealing a large screen. It broadcasts an image of the Earth in space: a blue marble streaked with green, brown, and white. Complementary images scroll along the LEDs of the space around Earth--the Moon here, Mars there, a scattering of stars every which where.
"Every time you say you adore me
"I fall in love, however painful it might grow
"Don't tell me where we're headed
"Not if we can't erase the suffering."
The images shift to Earth from its surface at a sandy beach, waves lapping on the shore as the Sun sinks towards a distant horizon. There, boats sail by, tiny triangles on the ocean's surface.
"Like the waves, I pulled you close, and then
"We listened to a foreign land's song in the distance."
Various images of the Earth's environments flash by on the main screen and the LEDs: ancient forests, bees nestling on flowers, waterfalls flowing into rivers, amber waves of grain, soft mounds of sand in the desert, majestic floes of glacier ice, fields of purple flowers swaying in the breeze, a lake spread out at the foot of a foggy mountain, a cliff overlooking a valley dotted with livestock, lightning flashing in thunderheads, and more, until at last they all fade back into waves lapping on the ocean shore as the Sun gently sets.
"Shall we cast away our heavy baggage?
"Or shall we sink with what we can't cast away?
"I could never, so for as long as I live,
"I'll row through this big, blue planet."
Slowly, slowly, that shot pans out, drawing back and away from the sea. There's more than waves and sand here; there's also tall grass, and among that grass, bright and colorful flowers. Blue and orange and green brush together tenderly in the foreground, and in the growing distance, the blue ocean never stops ebbing and flowing. Sheryl sings her last line, then brings her piano to a gentle close.
"I'll row through this big, blue planet..."
~ * ~
The concert officially ends after that. Getting home won't be hard; the ferries are still there, as are the aircraft. It might be a bit of a journey, just as much as arriving had been... but surely the beautiful memories have made it worthwhile.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Ruri frowns, as some power fluctuates. A cord's been pulled, somewhere. But she's not about to let that stop her -- she re-routes the power to compensate. Luckily, none of their equipment was unplugged, so it's a simple matter of smoothing over the power fluctuation.
Really, everything seems to have gone remarkably smoothly..!
(She hopes Rin and Riika noticed...)
<Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
Trevor laughs warmly at Rita's shouted encouragement, and she sticks her tongue out at him in response. She can't hold the faux-expression for long, though, breaking into a giggle seconds later.
If everyone is staring at them because of Rita, then let them stare. She doesn't mind. You get pretty used to attention when your body is a massive, glittering, gold Gundam.
Trevor is right, though -- months ago, Rita never would've allowed herself to 'interfere' in such a visible way. It's a small sign of large change. And, perhaps, a sign of things to come.
Before Trevor can worry over Rita's technical difficulties too much, she's back! And something is changed. It takes her a moment to figure it out. Rita looks over herself, checking her arms and legs. Nothing different there... Oh!
Reaching down, Rita touches the silver necklace. Her eyes light up -- filled with something warmer than just happiness at an unexpected gift. Silver chains have touched Rita's life from the very start of her path. Having returned Jona's necklace to its rightful place, she's been missing the familiar 'weight' it held. Now...
"Thank you, Trevor." Rita smiles so widely her eyes squish closed. "I love it. I promise, I'll keep it safe!" But, it seems the handsome pirate has noticed her triumphant look... Rita snickers. "Yes. It was that Scientist again. I unwound her glasses, they'll fall apart sometime soon. Possibility will choose when to strike."
Rita looks very, very proud. This, too, is a change -- the Rita of a few months ago may have just burned the Scientist to ash and been done with it. The Firebird's wish to become a Human Being grows more realized with each action.
Sheryl returns with a few of Rita's favorite happy songs. This inspires the Newtype Spirit to stand from her seat and dance, waving her arms in front of her enthusiastically. Her glowstick orbits around Rita's shoulders placidly, shining all the while.
Lion and Eternity encourage Rita to return to her seat, and Pink Monsoon... Rita doesn't quite know what to make of it. At one point, she watches from between her fingers, flushed pink. Diamond Crevasse encourages her to lean against Trevor, expression gentle.
Rita doesn't want it to end. Every moment is precious.
Sheryl presents one last song -- a new song -- and Rita listens with eyes wide. As the melody winds around them all, she strokes her finger back and forth across Trevor's hand to the beat. This is a romantic song, and about a sailor... Rita can't help but think it's written just for Trevor.
The Earth is displayed before them. Images reflect in Rita's green eyes. So many things she's never seen. Sheryl's presentation of the Earth is a thing of such great beauty. Would Rita be able to muster this grace, if she were to put forth her own thoughts of her native planet?
For every image of the glittering ocean, memory rises in Rita's heart. A dead beach, with the sea stretching out into eternity before her, twisted and drowned buildings dotting the horizon.
This, too, is the truth of the Earth. It isn't a place worth saving. But.
Green eyes slowly shift over to Trevor's face. Rita's free hand reaches up to touch her new silver necklace, feeling both it, and its predecessor, in her illusory state.
But it's the place they love. And that makes it worth protecting. Not just for the future of humanity -- but for the present of those at Rita's side.
As the concert finally comes to an end, Rita can't help but sniffle. Digital tears gather in her eyes.
"I don't want it to end!" She cries, with faux-drama.
It ends, all the same. As the crowd clears, Rita draws her projector to herself, neatly gathering the cable as she goes. After a few moments of silence, she looks to Trevor again.
"Would you like to ride back in the Phenex?"
It's a gift that's been offered to very, very few. What could be more of an act of love and trust? Inviting someone into the housing of her very soul.
Rita's voice is soft. She will accept whatever Trevor chooses.
<Pose Tracker> Yurikano de Metrio Lu has posed.
So many songs. So many points to alight on. Yurikano can't help but innately sparkle, watching a Fairy cast her magic on the auditorium and beyond. So this, this is what Earth's been up to recently. After so long, after 20,000 years of silence and agony that she was aware of.
It's beautiful. To think about the big, blue planet in the stars, so far away. So that's what it looks like. So that's what's around it. So that's the origin of everything.
'I want to go there one day.'
Even as a princess, even as the rebellion rages on, even as she deals with her own struggles here, there is something etched into Yurikano's heart.
She'll get home safe and sound. A bit of a dreamier sleep than the past few days of fitfulness and soreness.
<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.
As focused on the song as he is, Alto doesn't fail to notice a shifting to his side and a sudden light pressure against his arm. He slowly turns his head just enough to glance that way and see Ranka resting against him. He tries to play it cool, like it's nothing...
... While being rather stiff as a board. But as he gets used to the feeling (it's nice~) he relaxes a bit more again.
Though part of him does wonder that, despite the fact he's not a Newtype, he's getting a weird sensation like his life is in danger...
It's probably just his imagination.
Sheryl's final song comes along and Alto continues to watch, once more amazed at Sheryl's abilities as she plays the piano while singing. Assuming she's actually playing it and not faking... No, that's not Sheryl's style.
Alto closes his eyes, listening to Sheryl's voice. The melody of they keys under her control. The feeling of Ranka's head against his arm. Despite all that's happened, they can still have wonderful days like this... He hopes they'll last forever.