2024-05-24: Reunion Tour

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<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        After guiding Alto and Ruri to where Ranka's doing her signings, Sheryl slipped her shades back on and hurried off into the crowd to try to find a familiar face. Being dressed up to avoid recognition--a baseball cap through which her long hair has been brushed up into a bun, dark sunglasses, a sleeveless shirt with a splash of rainbow colors on front, a red cord necklace tucked behind it (a certain omamori charm and her iconic drop earring both hang from it out of sight), a tight black supportive top underneath, cut-off jean shorts, thigh-high black stockings, and brown heeled ankle boots--means that she has to swim through it.
        
        Still, it's better than being mobbed, as she would be if she were openly herself; that means she'll still move faster than she otherwise would. There's no guarantee that blue-haired girl will still be where she saw her last. There's no guarantee that blue-haired girl is Lan to begin with. But after what Ranka said before performing Hello!, Sheryl's got to try. She'd thought that Lan and Moid had survived--but what if Ranka was right? Things were so hectic afterwards, with both of them ending up in the hospital after collapsing, and then Sheryl deciding to get a head start on reviving her career, that she never followed up on it. By the time it occurred to her, well... even with Grace's help, she couldn't track them down.
        
        Now, though--now that the chance is right in front of her, Sheryl will stop at nothing to seize it if she can.
        
        She's not the only one who's made her way over to the signing area, though, even if she has the clout to actually force a couple of friends in. There's a time or two more where she spots that patch of pale blue hair in the crowd, apparently also hoping for a glimpse of Ranka based on where it shows up. There's another girl moving around with her too--just one, though. There might have been a third girl who'd been sitting behind Lan, but she's already left, and Sheryl didn't catch sight of her during the concert. Knowing Muginami was there too might have changed the calculus. However, tonight it's about Lan. She's also moving around, so once Sheryl catches up, she pushes past one more concertgoer, and--
        
        "Lan!"

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kyouno has posed.

Madoka was an insistent girl. The type of girl who saw something wrong, that could be corrected immediately, and she was going to go for it come hell or high water. Her tug on Lan's wrist is steady, careful. Pulling her along towards the direction of the stage, moving against the flow of concertgoers in an attempt to try and push towards Ranka's signing and-

"No visitors allowed."
"Huh!?"

The insistence that she had to see Ranka. That this girl had to see Ranka. To be rejected again and again, turned away, the threat of being ejected forcefully being the thing to finally force her to stop being the bullish force trying to seek Ranka. With the guards being so tactically offputting...

...She was trying to find a vent. Something that, in the middle of it all, was stopped by the sound of a name. Lan. Head flicking up in notice, eyes widening in recognition of someone, anyone else knowing that name. "La- Wait..."

"...Who are you?"

<Pose Tracker> Laffinty Fin E Ld Si has posed.

Lan was so flummoxed she couldn't put her thoughts together. Ranka thought she was dead? Ranka was telling apparently MOST OF HER CONCERTS she was dead?? She had to - to talk to Moid? Moid handles these things for her! But Ranka was here now! Locking up, breath short and sharp, maybe she would have just slunk away home and let the matter lie for now.

But Madoka was here, and took her hand. "Madoka," Lan croaked out then, finding her voice and her eyes returning to the present.

They were off with no more words, bulling through the crowd. Madoka doesn't need people to part for her. Madoka can carve her own path, for both of them. Lan only has to hold on.

The guards, of course, are paid professionals and having none of two girls with wild claims. They don't know the meaning of the emblem of Le Garite on her vest, the meaning of the Lagrange flower in her hair, the authority of Novumundus on her ID. Madoka never lets her sit long enough to steep in the mounting impossibility, until they find themselves rushing once more around the venue. Lan recognizes that Madoka's face has shifted to thinking deeply, even if Lan is only just getting her feet on the ground enough to start to process what she might be thinking about. "They have every entrance covered...of course they would," Lan says. And by now, they'll have told each other about the two teen troublemakers...

But, she hears a voice, and turns.

Lan isn't the girl in a royal gown that Sheryl and Ranka knew, now. She still has the Lagrange flower pinned to her hair, still has the short half-bang and the tied-up braid; but those thigh-high stockings now are matched to the kind of military leotard and vest combo that aren't so uncommon on Earth's special forces. Both shoulders have patches; one, the emblem of Le Garite, which Sheryl will have seen elsewhere among the Zuvorg; the other, an Earth-designed patch for a group named Novumundus. Her pale skin is nearly luminous in the auditorium lights, and her violet eyes have a certain frazzled width to them.

She says, "Sheryl!" with surprise. "You're here!"

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        Sheryl stops in front of Lan, and a relieved smile breaks across her face. It is her! It's been a year or two, so she's grown up a bit, but she's still very recognizably herself--that pale hair and skin, those lavender eyes, even that hairstyle and hair pin. Sure, she's not in a gown, but Sheryl is well acquainted with clothing changes... and one thing that's also the same is the emblem of Le Garite, which she does indeed recognize. There's no way this could be anyone but Lan.
        
        Before she can say anything else, though, the brunette who's leading Lan by the hand asks her who she is. Sheryl's smile turns coquettish. She pulls down her shades and winks at the two of them.
        
        "Here to save the day," she agrees. "Come with me!"
        
        She'll promptly grab Lan's other hand and pull her to one of the backstage entrances. (Madoka presumably trails along too; Sheryl isn't paying her much mind at the moment.) This time, the guards let them in. Sheryl's got her own credentials, and who's going to turn away the Galactic Fairy--especially when it's her manager running tonight's show?
        
        (This action will have Consequences.)
        
        Once the three of them are backstage--not at Ranka's signing stage, not while she's in the middle of working and Sheryl already flexed to bring Alto and Ruri over, but the next best thing for the moment--she hooks her shades onto her top, then unbuckles the back of her cap and pulls it off. "Whew," she breathes, releasing her long, strawberry blonde hair from its bun and shaking out her curls. Then she pulls up her omamori necklace out of her top, unhooks her earring from the charm, and attaches it to her right earlobe. The violet fold crystal glints in the lights as she smiles at Lan and Madoka. With that on, there's no question of who she is.
        
        "We meet again, Lan. In all the chaos of the fold jump and the battle with the Vajra, I lost track of you and Moid." Her blue eyes soften. "I'm so glad you're okay after all." A pause as she gives Madoka a curious look. "Who's your friend?"

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kyouno has posed.

...Wait a minute. Even for someone who doesn't particuarly glance at the front pages for the news, the wink strikes a chord. Wait a minute. Wait wait wait wait a minute. Wait a minute, she could recognize that wink anywhere; the sort of trademark tease that once adorned TV ads, magazines, voice suddenly clicking into place as-

Her gaze whipped from Sheryl (ohmygod it was THAT Sheryl!?) to Lan, a look of surprised shock crossing her face as she, somehow, was swept up in the idol's own flow. Decorum and the self-imposed reasoning to stay at least mildly quiet while being the caboose in the hand-train, stepping along backstage (One hard glare at a guard included).

The teenage could only look in mildly dumb awe as the obvious hint made themselves known into full-blossomed confirmation. Wait. Huh. What?

"Ah...That's a relief, I thought it was someone who wanted her for other reasons." A genuine smile towards Lan, beaming brightly. The bright flutter of her jersey over comparatively light clothes, pack bulging with accessories and other memorabilia for the classmates back at school. Still...Sheryl Nome...!

"Kyouno Madoka. Good to meet you." She skips the decorum of a handshake, jerking her head towards Lan. "...I don't know much of what happened on Gallia IV, but she's alive. Moid, too." 

<Pose Tracker> Laffinty Fin E Ld Si has posed.

Sheryl's immediate smooth switch to teasing earns her a relieved smile from Lan. "It's fine, Madoka," Lan says, rather than loudly exposit about the secret celebrity in front of them. Then she's whisked away, middle link in the chain!

Getting past the guards this time is a breeze that they don't even have to participate in, and soon, they're backstage. Not with Ranka, of course, that's...gosh, that's been an entire second stage to this...can they do it somehow, or...

Lan's ruminations are cut short, as Sheryl lets her hair down and fishes out her jewelry, revealing herself with all the celebrity glamour Lan knows her for. "Yes," Lan says. "Moid and I escaped to one of the Earth ships before the planet was lost. We've been here since."

Sheryl's earnest expression makes uptight Lan loosen, herself, the soft smile she often reserves for Madoka coming free. "Everything's been so chaotic. I can't believe I never thought to..." ...she shakes her head. She nods her head in Madoka's direction. "This is my comrade," 'doushi', the same word Madoka called her when they met, "Madoka. We met just recently, and, uhm." ... is there more. she looks briefly frazzled again. "....thank goodness you're alright," she finally settles on, for Sheryl. "Moid and I have been working with an Earth group, Novumundus, that's been studying a group of Vox discovered on Earth."

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        Even if Sheryl has dressed up specifically to not be recognized, there's always a certain thrill when she pulls off the disguise in front of someone who does end up recognizing her. Madoka gets a grin when they're finally backstage and thus somewhere private, and then a laugh when she ends up taking it all in stride. Sheryl likes that sort of person.
        
        "Nope! Only the purest and most virtuous of reasons here," she jokes, winking again at the two--though Madoka would have known already that there was nothing to worry about, thanks to Lan. "Good meeting you too, Madoka!" She doesn't introduce herself. She knows Madoka knows who she is already. Her expression does pinch a bit when Madoka makes it clear she knows what happened, but since it's clear she doesn't know the details, she looks from her back to Lan.
        
        "So that's what happened... I thought so, but I ended up in the hospital after we returned. By the time I tried looking you and Moid up, I couldn't find you. Then when Ranka introduced Hello! like she did..." Sheryl shakes her head. "But then I happened to spot you in the audience. I wasn't sure it was you or not, though." She pauses. "You might've heard, but Ranka was in the hospital afterwards too. Considering she was kidnapped by the Vajra, I think she just... didn't know. And it's not like it's an easy topic to discuss..." Her eyelashes sink in the memory. "So no one thought to say anything." A beat, as Lan offers her own laments; then she shakes her head, determination lighting her blue eyes back up. "Don't blame yourself, Lan! This is an easy fix! After all, you are alive. Once Ranka's done with her work, she'll come back here, and we'll be waiting for her!"
        
        She smiles with dazzling confidence. It melts with sympathy as Lan looks frazzled again. "Your 'comrade,' huh?" It's an interesting term. "I'm glad you've made a good friend, Lan. It must have been incredibly difficult for you and Moid to settle down here." Earth is no Galaxy, but ending up anywhere with no family is always hard. At least they had each other, but... Moid is Moid, after all.
        
        Though it sounds like they both have an organization taking care of them. Sheryl hasn't heard of Novumundus before, but... a group of Vox, huh. She gives them both a small frown. "Is that something you're in on together?"

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kyouno has posed.

Madoka could only offer a smile at first, allowing those two to finally reunite. A planet blowing up is a big deal no matter the circumstances, and she couldn't offer anything that'd help. Besides...these two didn't seem to be on bad terms at all. Thank god for that.

She does take the time to watch Sheryl pull her Trademark(?) Disguise Pull, making sure to sear the fact that an idol celebrity was in front of her. The beaming smile never faded.

"The time after something happens is always blurry, Lan. Don't fret too much about it." Said with the gravitas of experience, a hand resting on Lan's shoulder. Matching gazes with the reassurance that she's there, nodding to herself. "She asked me to help with piloting the Vox, and it resonated with me, so I had to. You know, since they're going so close to Kamogawa and all." ...Another glance over at Lan. The curious question: How much does Sheryl know?

"...You all went through a lot with the expedition, didn't you?" A slow narrowing of the eyes, picking at the sentences. Nothing conclusive, but...'Vajra' is not a word to say lightly. So no one thought to say anything.

So no one thought to reach out to each other. She can't blame anyone for that.

"The Vox? Ah, yes, Lan's on one, I'm on the other, the third's unused...I don't think any of this is technically classified, considering NERV is open about what they have, more or less." A tap of her own chin. "Novumundus is pretty good about things, other than the food."

Really, it's just the memories of seeing Moid's...'Special Sundae'.

<Pose Tracker> Laffinty Fin E Ld Si has posed.

"I wish I could have focused on the song again...I was in shock the whole time," Lan says, earnestly. Her expression is tight with obvious anxiety. "But..."

Sheryl reminds her this is now an easy fix. She recovers herself some, hand rising up to pat Madoka's hand on her shoulder. "Yes," she says. "Soon, we can hear it again with brighter hearts, Ranka included."

"Yes," Lan said. "I guess...I was circumspect about it before, wasn't I? I was part of a group from the Zuvorg Federation responding to the Gallia fleet's expedition...from a certain standpoint, I was the leader. But since most of my duties were ceremonial, the military leaders took to their own council, and I was mostly at loose ends to spend with Princess Yurikano, Sheryl, and Ranka. It was nice. Until..."

The eruption of light and crackling earth...Lan's eyes cast down.

She shakes her head, a moment later. "Moid found Novumundus soon after we arrived. I don't know how, but...you already know he was keen on studying the Vox. He must have detected them somehow. Novumundus had been slowly collecting Vox cores for centuries, apparently...I didn't know that many cores even still existed in the galaxy. So, he facilitated their construction into pilotable machines."

A brief flash of worry and doubt across her face, and a furtive glance at Madoka's nonchalant confirmation.

Madoka doesn't know. The thought and the pain attached to it is plain enough on her face.

"Vox Lympha," she affirms, quietly, eyes on the floor. "...for now, it's research."

A moment passes, and she thinks to look up at Sheryl. "Have you...been alright? You seem well."

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        It's not trademarked, but it may as well be! It's a simple look, but it's worked for Sheryl so far.
        
        "I know Ranka will be thrilled to sing it for you again," Sheryl reassures Lan. She winks and grins. "Who knows? Maybe she'll invite you to tour with her! ...Just kidding~"
        
        A little levity to break up what's otherwise a very heavy topic. Several heavy topics, really. She blinks widely at Madoka's talk about resonating and the like--she remembers talking about the subject with Lan and Yurikano before, but quite frankly she remembers much more about the Thousand-Year Problem. She thought the Voxes were supposed to be a legend. Weren't they? Well, obviously not, if they've found and are piloting several of them. Apparently there's things Sheryl doesn't know--along with things Madoka doesn't know.
        
        She thus nods once at Madoka's question, glancing at Lan as she offers a more detailed explanation. Her eyelashes likewise droop as Lan drops her gaze. So she doesn't remark on that. Instead, she reassures Madoka, "Don't worry, I can keep my mouth shut. Parting these lips costs a hefty price, you know~!" Another wink. "Just kiddiiiing. <3"
        
        So Moid found Novumundus and helped them out with the Voxes. "That sounds like him," Sheryl remarks. "I had no idea there were Vox cores on this planet. I'd never even heard about them until you and Yurikano explained them to me. Then again, I haven't lived around Earth that long either." She frowns in concern. "Are you two... okay, piloting those things?"
        
        Given what she does remember... it seems dangerous at best.
        
        The counter-question gets a light smile and a wave of the hand. "Of course! I'm always doing amazing!" she lies. "A mutual friend of ours asked me to help her see Ranka, so I came with her in disguise." She winks. "It's been a lot of fun! I've never been to a concert as a normal girl before! Ranka's really got her holograms down, doesn't she?"

<Pose Tracker> Madoka Kyouno has posed.

"Exactly. No one can blame you for learning someone considered you dead for a while. But she cared for you enough to remember your name, right~? And...Princess Yurikano." Enunciated as if it was the first time she ever heard that name. (It was.)

Still...She allows the momentary dip in mood to pass by. The destruction of Gallia IV...Ah, these two have been through some things, haven't they?

"Somehow, I think your lips need much more than money. It'd be bad if an idol spilled secrets, right?" A cheeky grin right back at Sheryl, fist against hand. "But, they already know where we are. We aren't exactly hidden!"

Piloting the Vox? "Me? I'm fine, I'm perfectly fine. It seemed to respond to me, and it works perfectly, so...what else can I do? Lan asked me out of the blue to do it, and how could I say no to someone needing help?" A tap of her own chin. "If I said no, that'd go against everything I keep the Jersey Club going for. And it worked, I'm still here!" A self-assured nod!

"Vox Aura! Midori~!" Cheerfully volunteering that information, keeping her hand on Lan's shoulder. Her warm exuburance in the face of two people who seem to be dealing with their own demons. She doesn't know the siotuations, but that won't stop her from trying to tug on those emotional strands to bring them back up.

"Eh? Never as a normal girl!? Wow, idols really are different...Mhm, mhm! I was wondering about the holograms! I thought I saw a few old tricks, but it really was captivating! Her, her voice, how she danced...That last song was really nice, too."

<Pose Tracker> Laffinty Fin E Ld Si has posed.

Lan has never been one to burst out laughing, and in the situation, the best she can afford Sheryl is a small smile at the tease about going touring. "This is already my tour," she says, earnestly. With Madoka with her, she can generate more strength, her expression turning focused and controlled. "I no longer have the option to do nothing on the back lines." Even if...acting requires using the Vox.

Her hand quivers against Madoka's, briefly, before she pulls it back. "He detected them quickly. We had been searching for them for some time, so it's only natural he had a list of possibilities." Are they OK, Sheryl asks...

She glances to Madoka, as the brunette cheerfully declares her confidence, and how she came to pilot Vox Aura. 'Midori.' She turns back to Sheryl, nodding. "I believe so," she affirms. "Nothing unexpected has happened so far. I've been improving my relationship with Vox Lympha, too."

Of course, that Sheryl hasn't gotten to see the product from outside isn't a huge surprise, and she nods earnestly, eyes still with that hawk-like focus as her gaze casts toward where the stage was earlier. "I'm still quite impressed by the scale of the spectacle. It's a remarkable show of what people can achieve working in unison."

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        "Of course. We made that song together, after all," Sheryl says of Ranka and remembering Lan's name. She smiles at Lan. "Which reminds me--I released Sailor recently on my latest EP, Evening Star. Pick it up and give it a listen if you haven't already, Lan." For Madoka's sake, she adds, "That's a song about Earth that I wrote as an olive branch for Lan and everyone while we were on Gallia IV. It was just a first draft back then, but still."
        
        Madoka grins right back, and Sheryl laughs. "You're a sharp one! That's exactly right. <3" It helps that it's Voxes aren't actually a secret anymore, either, apparently. Still, the devil's in the details. It's reassuring that the Voxes aren't a problem, either. Sheryl looks from Madoka to Lan. "You really have a great new friend, Lan! Lucky you~," she lilts. "...But seriously, that's good to hear. If you two have it under control, then I won't worry about it!"
        
        Vox Aura--Midori--and Vox Lympha. And they 'respond' to them too? That's unusual. (It's less unusual than Sheryl thinks, really.) She decides to take it in stride, though, and grins. "That's the spirit! It's always better to take control and do something yourself," she tells Lan firmly. "But if you thought that was impressive, you definitely have to come to my next concert! The one I put on at the military academy had to be smaller scale since I didn't have all of my staff." She smiles when Madoka says how she liked that last song that they all worked on together. "Ranka will be delighted to hear that--oh! Brera!"
        
        The conversation is thus interrupted by the silent approach of a certain handsome cyborg man with the extreme cleavage. Brera removes his shades as he approaches, and doesn't return Sheryl's smile. That's normal for him, though. He stops nearby, gives a long look to Lan and Madoka, and looks back at Sheryl. "Sheryl. These people can't be back here."
        
        "Oh, don't worry, they're with me," she says, waving a hand. "Besides which--look! It's Princess Laffinty! Lan, Brera, you remember each other, right?" She steps to one side to let them get a better look at each other.
        
        And Brera does look at her. But his stony lack of expression doesn't change. "It's my duty to protect Ranka. I must escort you off the premises for safety reasons."
        
        "Brera, Lan's not going to hurt her! Be reasonable!" Sheryl leans in closer to Brera and lowers her voice. "Ranka thought she was dead. If you stop those two from reuniting, you're going to break her heart."
        
        Something flickers in Brera's red eyes and the corners of his lips--chagrin? Regret? Concern? Whatever it is, it's gone an instant later for an even flatter, glassier look than before. "This is my mission. Even if Princess Laffinty can be trusted..." He turns a pointed stare at Madoka. "...this one isn't accounted for. I can't take risks with Ranka's safety." He stares back at Sheryl. "Not even at your say-so."
        
        Sheryl frowns, folds her arms, and stares back. Unfortunately, as previously stated, Brera is a cyborg and literally does not need to blink. For all her considerable willpower, Sheryl inevitably loses this staring contest.
        
        "Oh, fine! Brera, you've always been too stubborn for your own good. But I suppose that's what makes you a good bodyguard," she declares. "Lan, Madoka, how about this? Let's exchange phone numbers, and we'll set up something for later. Ranka might well be busy with signings for the rest of the night anyway--" She flashes Lan a knowing look. "--and I'm sure you two will want plenty of time to talk about things. So let's catch her when she's not going to be tired after work!"
        
        It might ultimately need to be between just Lan and Ranka, but Sheryl is willing to put her ego aside for this. She already has once this evening.

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