2025-07-09: A Red and Silver Carpet Event
- Log: 2025-07-09
- Cast: Lilium Valerie, Akane Shinjo, Rikka Takarada, Miriallia Haw, Crowe Brust, Aurora Dusk, Lianne Moren, Flay Allster, Anya Alstreim, Minerva Ashton, Kira Yamato, Gauma
- Where: Euphemia Li Britannia Memorial Kineplex, Area 11, Britannian Union of Solar Energy
- OOC - IC Date: July Ninth, Universal Century 0100
- Summary: After several years in development hell, TARABAMAN: FIRST GENERATION is finally out! It's also terrible. Still, maybe someone might get some good news out of its red carpet event...
<Pose Tracker> Lilium Valerie has posed.
Around four years ago now, TARABAMAN: First Generation was initially announced.
Its production cycle has by all accounts been nothing short of tumultuous--but in the middle of June 0100, a final release trailer was aired.
And now, just a few short weeks later, it's finally time for the World Premiere. The Euphemia Li Britannia Memorial Kineplex is expected to be packed to the brim--but first, the red carpet! Or... Red and Silver carpet, in this case.
The lovingly embroidered carpet, patterned after the original Tarabaman's chest, has been rolled out onto the street below; and the public and press have crowded around both sides in anticipation a whole half hour ahead of the cast's arrival. There's a general air of excitement amongst some, and apprehension amongst others: First Generation's production cycle has been nothing if not tumultuous, after all. Still, even amongst the more sceptical, it's hard not to feel excited as the line of limousines rounds the street corner and prepares to deposit its passengers.
And deposit them it does! The first few offload the headline members of the cast--Carnelia ga Britannia, a minor royal serving as the suit actress of the mysterious Taraba from the end of the trailer. She's rumoured to have taken to the craft remarkably well, and to have in fact been a major force for getting the movie finished. As she moves up, accompanied by her Knight of Honor (A Ten named Brigitta Friedasdottir), she waves to her already-sizable cadre of adoring fans in a suitably regal manner. Next to walk the carpet is Asuka Satori, an Eleven making her cinematic debut as the film's protagonist, rumoured to be named 'Kougo Mikado'. Angel of Peace Lilium Valerie and her entourage (consisting of Ms. Arcfeldt and several women in various outfits, one of whom is wearing a motorcycle helmet and another a hat with a veil) follow behind, before various other lesser stars: Elena Ashpole, the Neo-Britannian actress said to be playing the captain of a reimagined Taraba V investigative team; Russel Johnson and Alexis Madison, playing two members of that team... The list goes on.
As the main body of the cast arrive by car, though, at least one member of the cast seems to have chosen an alternate method of transportation.
A helicopter soars low over the Area 11 sky, its downwash creating a brief gust of wind that might lift any veils that happen to be worn in the crowd, which of course will probably not cause anything of consequence to happen. It deposits a single passenger upon the carpet--Evan Chauncey, more commonly known by his stage name 'Evan vi Michigan'. Nobody has figured out if the royal family has the legal right to sue him for that yet.
Lilium, meanwhile, is giving her usual plastic smile, waving happily to the crowd. Behind her, a woman in a Gaia Sabers officer's dress uniform scans the crowd, while Ms. Arcfeldt smiles behind her sunglasses. The cast procession proceeds uneventfully, excited chatter from the Britannian press aside, and eventually Lilium comes to stand on a stage facing the crowd, flanked on either side by Satori and Carnelia.
"Thank you for coming out here, everyone!" She says, smiling happily and stretching her arms out towards the crowd. "I know you've all been waiting for this movie for a really long time--but it's done now! I hope you all enjoy it!"
The crowd, or at least a decent enough portion of it, cheers, and the gates of the Kineplex seem primed to open...
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Amid the entourage is a woman in a long purple dress with bright green laces; her head is clad in a wide-brimmed dark bluish-purple hat. On both of her hands are long, silky white gloves; while the ensemble is a touch overdesigned on color, the effect gives her a mysterious aura. Her affect seems impassive, with just a hint of broody melancholy, just barely visible across her (similarly just-barely-visible) lips.
Akane wishes she could enjoy this, but it's hard not to be disgusted. She's here watching a woman whose suffering she has been made complicit in perform the pantomime of celebrity. She's watching Britannians puppeting the corpse of something she cares about deeply based on a contract that predates an invasion. She's being veiled as a perpetual sick reminder of the fact that the world thinks that she and the people she cares most about are dead, all while they're being treated as potential tools for the gratification of a dying hegemony.
Three of the people near her are complicit in a conspiracy to victimize people that Akane still feels a sense of obligation toward. Two of them she even met before -- all the way back when Rikka nearly got spirited away for the crime of... treating herself to a spa day? And the third one has even worse vibes than either of the two of them. What's more, they've left the woman they abducted back at 'home' -- even if she were to imagine this carrion feast as genuine fun, as they must, they've evidently decided to leave their victim behind.
"... gross," she breathes, quietly.
Then it happens. She wasn't warned to expect a helicopter, and while she's far enough away from it that it doesn't do anything to her dress, it's enough to have her veil flutter for a few short seconds.
Two of those seconds are caught on camera.
She has no idea, of course, which means that the whole world sees Akane Shinjo's lilac hair -- Akane Shinjo's melancholy reddish-brown eyes -- Akane Shinjo's thumb rubbing across the empty space where an engagement ring ought to be.
'''''''''''
Sho Utsumi has struggled with Akane's death -- both in itself and in how to connect with Rikka about it. He's among the many who have offered condolences, but he's not sure how to broach the distinct feeling in his gut that Rikka's...
... well, he wouldn't say 'grasping at straws and about to go off the deep end' to her face. Whether he's said it to Keita while processing some gossip going through former class 1-E is a great question.
Next question!
Speaking of Utsumi and Keita, though, Utsumi's parked himself at the electronics shop Keita works at to watch the premiere event for Tarabaman: First Generation. ... For both of them this is a bit of a hatewatch, Utsumi a little more than Keita. Neither of them is crazy about the version of the lore rumored to be on display here; it compares unfavorably to Shin Tarabaman for being a similar project, and the more technological designs aren't Utsumi's speed. (Keita actually does kind of like them.)
The camera pans over the crowd. And then, for a split second --
-- a lilac-haired girl with reddish-brown eyes and a deep melancholia as she looks at Lilium Valerie. Her hand eventually comes up to her flapping veil, gently tugging it back into place. The camera doesn't linger on her -- indeed, quite the opposite, the instant someone realizes she's visible it cuts to another angle. But that purple and white dress...
Utsumi's gaze snaps to Keita. "Did you see that?!"
Keita sets down his technically-breaking-street-date copy of the special edition of Uchuusen for TMFG. "See what?"
"Rewind the stream! Go back!" Already his hands are moving to his phone. Putting it up to his ear, he waits for the pickup of the person he knows most needs to hear about this. "Come on, come on, pick up!"
Keita, of course, has his own phone call to make. His wife is probably going to want to hear this as soon as possible too; he excuses himself to go make that call.
The instant the ringing stops, Utsumi says, "Rikka! Get on the Tarabaman First Generation stream on MeTube and take it back a couple minutes! Uh -- hold on, I'll get the actual timestamp -- 48:05!"
He stays on the line, feeling a little bad for ever having doubted Rikka's courage.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Sho Utsumi's thoughts on Rikka's current state have probably not been helped when, following last week's battle, she immediately began digging into any records that they may have had on transport vessels entering and leaving Huffman Island airspace on that fateful day, as if looking for something she might have missed that could bring her closer. Her resulting mood could be described as something of a desperate fervor that might be difficult to watch.
She's still wrestling with her feeling that she's just trying to distract herself from reality. That this really is just... her refusing to process what happened. The feelings warring within are difficult to handle, at times, leading to high points and low points - and right now, lead her to be slumped across the couch of the Takarada-Shinjo residence's sitting room, not feeling like doing much of anything.
...And then, her phone rings. She doesn't even get a chance to answer before Utsumi's shouting in her ear.
"What...? Hello to you too, I guess..." Rikka replies. Tarabaman First Generation... She'd heard about it, of course. She doesn't really want to think about Tarabaman right now. Nothing she saw about First Generation really held her interest... But more than that, Tarabaman was something they watched together.
She massages her eyes - but, she's always trusted Utsumi's gut. She doesn't think he'd sound that urgent if it wasn't important - so she slides herself into a sitting position, pulling her laptop close as she starts to navigate toward the stream.
"48:05?" She repeats, sliding the bar backwards.
The deafening silence that follows is almost audible, as the footage is played back. Rikka practically slams the back arrow to rewind again - then again, and again, until finally she manages to pause at just the right moment.
Right in the timeframe when the wind blows the veil out of the face of a certain girl in a purple and white dress.
"...That's her." Rikka exhales outward, finally breaking the silence she'd held. She stares at the face on the screen. Her voice picks up quickly. The realisation, the joy and relief of actually seeing her, not just the vague sense that she might be alive... She really is alive. It's really her. She would recognise her anywhere. "That's her. It has to be. It has to be. That hair, those eyes, that face, that color scheme..."
Rikka takes a screenshot to preserve the moment, and then catches herself. She stares at the screen for a moment longer - and then there's a 'flumph' sound over the phone as Rikka deflates back against the couch. As she looks a bit closer - sees the look in her eyes, full of melancholy, she starts to draws conclusions she doesn't like.
"...Her hair." She repeats, concern creeping into her voice. "And who are those people she's with? Why hasn't she tried to contact us?"
<Pose Tracker> Miriallia Haw has posed.
"Please!" Miriallia claps her hands together for the man on the other side of her computer screen. "I just need a couple press passes for the premiere of that movie."
"I dunno, Haw... I have already have guys lined up for it." The gruff man on the computer screen replies. "What do you need access to an event like that, anyhow? Aren't you all... Covering the effects of war and all that?"
"Yeah, and this is related to that!" The brunette grabs some papers from the desk she's borrowing and shows them off. Pictures of Lilium Valerie's Orb concert can just barely be made out. "There's something weird with that Gaia Sabers idol. This might be the best chance we can interview her and see what's going on! This is relevant, I promise, Chief. Please!" This is her last hope, and the one who she doesn't have a favour to cash in on. If Terminal can get access...
"Again, Haw, I really appreciate the work you do for us. These pictures of the Freedom in action, they're incredible. But I just don't know if-" Miriallia suddenly gets an idea and rushes to cut him off.
"The Freedom!" She gasps. "If you can do this for me, I can get you an exclusive interview with the pilot of that machine!" Finally, it looks like he's considering it. Miri wastes no time in pouncing on it. "He's a good friend, he'll surely be willing!" She'll figure out how to break it to him later. At worst, she can put on that patented Miriallia charm!
"...Fine." "Yes!" Miriallia jumps up with a cheer. "I promise you won't regret this, Chief!"
"ONLY if that interview is completed before the event-" Unfortunately, his words are lost as Miriallia closes her computer and rushes to the bridge of the Archangel.
"Hey, guess who got special press passes for that Tarabaman movie in Area 11?! This gal.~" Her pride is brimming as she points her thumb to herself. "So, who wants to sneak into a event with a ton of Royals, Celebrities, and dangerous security at play with me?~"
/////////////////
Finally, the day of the premiere arrived. Miriallia dresses in a slick suit, originally meant for one of the original reporters assigned to the event, with her camera wrapped around her neck. Each of her crew has press passes on them. Miriallia keeps herself close to Flay. "Okay, please try to be careful everyone. We're relying on security really not wanting to cause a scene here. Let's not give them any reason to, yeah?" Miriallia says to the gathered group going undercover. "Plus, we're here on behalf of The Orb Post, which means we're borrowing their reputation. They're gonna be pissed with me if they get blowback from this." The Orb Post is typically seen as pretty trashy. "Just act like you belong, and everything will be fine." Please let everything be fine... Now on the day of, Miriallia's nerves are finally starting to kick in.
As the stars of the show filter past, Miriallia is quick on the camera, snapping as many photos as she can. It's certainly easier than trying to track the Freedom, she thinks. However, her camera lingers on Lilium Valerie the most, as if each photo could be the one to unlock the mystery. But even then, there's things that can't be caught as her focus is on center stage, the idol.
Miriallia hurriedly nudges Flay. "Hey, take pictures of her entourage. I got Lilium!"
<Pose Tracker> Crowe Brust has posed.
Lost in the crowds surrounding the cinema's extravagant entrance, a certain man from a certain group would have been paying quite the strict attention to pretty much everything a bystander wouldn't be: from the noticeable extra poshness of it all to the deliberate obstruction of a certain individual's identity as well as the density of the security detail - and most of all, the presence of a Gaia Sabers officer, smelled of government involvement to the ex-black ops man known as Crowe Brust; though then again, most people wouldn't really take his actions as anything beyond trying to guide a companion through the sea of people (because he was, somewhat)
with a quick little stand on the tippy-tops of his shoes, the droopy-eyed man would eye his coworker and gesture for her to come hither, just a few more lanes and they'd get a good look at what they came for "Over here! There's just a couple more people before the edge of the press lane!" he called out, a tone that screamed of complete apathy for the product veiled with the impetus of being in such a glamorous event - while still looking less than refined himself
The pair sent in from the Satellicon hadn't exactly come here uninvited, see they had quite the contacts still in that funky non-federal organization of theirs; and their handy dandy information broker got them a way in where most people would've cried and suffered at the public raffles. There was not as much of an interest in Tarabaman itself, as it was on the organizations surrounding it, the circumstances of its production, and the why-the-hell of the army's involvements.
"Will say, lass, we're neck deep in britannian grounds; if ya see either a mean looking soldier, or a questionably young woman in goth lolita getups: guard up, and remember the briefing" He finished off with a somewhat loaded reminder, hoping that his - technically - senior would be able to keep it cool.
no popcorn though, cinemas charged an arm and a leg for those, and he'd rather not have any than sneak it in.
<Pose Tracker> Aurora Dusk has posed.
Mixed in with the Lilium entourage is Aurora! She's wearing the metallic blue dress Arcfeldt picked out for her, with the insignia on the chest area. The... insignia taken right from a late-war Titans uniform. Is she allowed to wear that? Nobody's STOPPED her yet. She proceeds down the carpet, vaguely uncomfortable with the attention, but too well-trained to bolt from the procession. Besides being dereliction of duty, it would just attract more attention...
Speaking of duty! She's here as Lilium's bodyguard - a role she takes seriously. Aurora shifts her position within Lilium's entourage to be slightly closer to her. As she's her bodyguard, it makes sense for her to be nearby. From her vantage point, she has a clear view of Lilium's smile.
Lilium's frustratingly fake smile. Aurora's seen the genuine one beneath it before. She wishes she could see it again now. She doesn't quite know how to process these feelings, though. Lilium is like this because she's like Aurora now.
IS she? She's not exactly like her. They made her into an Idol, so she didn't get to keep her natural reactions to things. She can't quite put her finger on it, but something about that makes her skin crawl... She's glad she could keep hers. Somehow, she wants to squeeze Lilium's hand, but that would draw even more attention than clapping. The crowd is clapping, right? Aurora wishes she could clap too. She scratches her neck. Is it too hot, or is it just the glare from the camera?
Look at Chauncey, arriving in his helicopter. (Don't look at Akane's veil fluttering. Not in Aurora's peripheral vision.) ...Nobiliary particles are weird. Aurora's pretty sure he isn't supposed to use them, but she wouldn't know the legal side.
Anyway, she's determined to be there for Lilium, even if shadows naturally fear light.
It doesn't hurt that she likes Tarabaman enough to care about the premier itself. Even if some of the design choices the movie made are... questionable. She's here to support Lilium.
<Pose Tracker> Lianne Moren has posed.
Satellicon's newest Gundam pilot is feeling a complicated mix of emotions right now. On the one hand: holy shit that's Lilium *right there*, she'd pretty much assumed she would never even manage to see a concert livestreamed let alone the real person. Some of the few possessions left behind in her old apartment that she cares about are a pair of Lilium posters! Maybe she'd find a chance to get an autograph? On the other hand, she is by no stretch of the imagination trained as a covert operative; the only reason she's here is because she and Crowe are the least recognizable members by a country mile, neither having been around for even a month. And she's also never worn a dress in her life. So starstruck, but mixed with anxiety. But at least, she doesn't have to falsify enthusiasm for the event! This is the most people she's ever seen in one place and for a big movie! So she decides to focus on the cheer rather than the fear.
"I know, I know!" Lianne says. She raises an eyebrow to Crowe. "You should smile a bit! It's a party and all, ya know? Little weird to be all stonefaced. The earth sphere's biggest idol was right there!" Clearly part of the 'normal people' act. But still, she makes an effort to stay alert. It might be a propaganda movie, but the amount that the Gaia Sabers were pushing this was still suspect enough to bear investigating the event.
<Pose Tracker> Flay Allster has posed.
"Really? Tarabaman? I don't know... I've never really got the appeal of those monster movies." Flay gives Miriallia a bit of a skeptical look, when she breaks the big news - and returns to tapping away at her phone. Despite seeming completely uninterested, she decides to do a quick search of the movie - only to find a certain someone's name all over it. "...Wait. Hold on, Miri. They got Lilium Valerie as a special guest?" Her eyes widen, glancing back over to her friend. "There's definitely something weird about this..."
She wonders if it's even a good idea for her to go - it's right on the border of NUNE territory and Lilium being there means that the Gaia Sabers would potentially have a strong presence. To most people, this would be too dangerous to even consider - and it could really jeopordize Miriallia's career. At the same time, it's a perfect opportunity to get more intel about what's really going on there. "...It wouldn't be fair to make you go alone, right? I'll come with you... I feel like I need to see this with my own eyes." But THAT means trying not to stand out too much at a NUNE-based event... which is bound to be a challenge.
Flay's arrived in a rather short, strapped sleeveless black crop top and skirt, with some green undertones to it - it's rather showy compared to Miriallia's classy suited look, but it's still a step down from her usual, colourful style. It should be fine. Her hair is done up the usual way, but it looks somewhat shorter than it was during her time in the Gaia Sabers. Unless one is to look closely, she's more likely to scan as a typical, trend-chasing young woman who managed to score a lucky position at the Orb Post, than a deserter of the military.
"Why do I feel like that's directed towards me?" Flay sighs, at Miriallia's warning, as if she's never caused a scene in her life. "Don't worry! I'm risking a lot to be here, so causing trouble isn't exactly on my mind right now~" She winks. Truthfully, she's a lot more worried about this than she sounds, but it's not too hard to play in character about it. "I didn't know you could rock a suit so well, though, Miri..." The pre-show begins, as the stars walk down the red carpet... Miriallia says she has Lilium, so Flay follows her lead, her own camera eventually centering on the melancholy beauty in purple among her entourage - before she notices that Aurora is among them. Flay feels kind of uncomfortable to be spying on her former allies like this, but... "Is that supposed to be a Titans insignia? Weird..." She mutters.
<Pose Tracker> Anya Alstreim has posed.
A small red device snaps a photo of the entourage as they filter out of the limousine before disappearing beneath the sea of heads, and Anya gives the image a brief look, nearly dropping the device as she almost fails to dodge someone pushing past. She's vaguely aware of the identity of the veiled woman, though for once, she isn't quite here on Gaia Sabers business. She doesn't think much of the fact that the photo she snapped happened to be almost perfectly timed with a gust of wind.
Gino had slipped away from almost as soon as they had arrived, no doubt entranced by some woman who'd immediately caught his eye, and left Anya alone. She shuffles uncomfortably, though that discomfort was less due to the black, white, and maroon lolita dress she was wearing -- she was actually quite fond of it, as her go to for social events that weren't quite bumping elbows with nobility - and more the fact that she's currently struggling to get a good view over the crowd. She's actually been given a relatively good position, thanks to being a Knight of the Round, but then that 'honor' is also why she's putting in an appearance today at all.
She spots a couple of familiar faces in the entourage, some of her fellow Gaia Sabers, and after a brief look for Gino -- who is still nowhere to be found - she decides to shuffle a little bit closer to the direction the entourage is moving. She glances around, vaguely aware that there might be disruptive elements present today, but from her vantage point it's difficult to see, and she gives up quickly, thinking not too much of the loud and tall man whose yell cuts through the crowd briefly. Instead, she decides to visually track Lilium's path, and the Gaia Sabers uniform close behind, figuring that if anything interesting happens it'll be near them.
<Pose Tracker> Minerva Ashton has posed.
Minerva Ashton is not one for tokusatsu - not anymore, anyway. However, what she is one for is monitoring the progress of her patients, and with as big of an event this premiere is to both Lilium and Akane, it's only fitting that she attend. While the big speech happens, Minerva stands at the back of the entourage with her arms crossed, dressed in a very sharp black suit and tie, the soot flecks unusually washed out of her hair by the power of Britannian tailor witchcraft.
As the cast members roll in, Minerva puts her hands on her hips at the sight of the helicopter, unaware of the catastrophically bad leak that has just occurred. Britannian nobles. What pieces of work. Her face curls into a frown.
Still, she does have something she needs to be doing here tonight. Minerva walks over to Akane and places a hand on her shoulder casually, with a small smile.
"Are you doing alright, dear?"
Minerva finds herself drawn even more strongly to Akane now, at this point. She's shared something that she hadn't even really thought about in years with her, and that's the kind of emotional bond that leaves her feeling strange. She looks at Akane's hair for a second, noticing its pink hue - they definitely didn't give her hair dye, so this is definitely a result of Akane's anomalous nature. Could it be an emotional response? She shakes her head to clear that train of thought, turning back to Akane.
<Pose Tracker> Kira Yamato has posed.
The hardest part of going incognito for Kira Yamato is not overdoing it. He'd genuinely spent twenty minutes or so deciding whether or not to wear sunglasses, before ultimately deciding against. (It was the sort of thing Athrun would have done, he thinks.) He's not unrecognizable, but he's also not someone anyone is actively looking for, right now - unlike Flay.
If Flay had planned to do this herself, he probably would have let her. Same with Miriallia. Flay is plenty capable of taking care of herself; Miri wouldn't do anything too crazy on her own --
So here's Kira Yamato, in a sharp black suit with a crisp silvery-white tie, his pale blue boutonniere fluttering as a helicopter descends - and trying his best not to obviously gaze at the woman the Bretonnian entourage is doing their best to camouflage. Her face isn't one he immediately recognizes - everything he knows about the kaiju incidents a couple years ago are reports from after the fact - but without a doubt, the Gaia Sabers think she's worth supervising, so he--
Miri starts snapping photos, and Kira can't help but let his focus be drawn away. He's letting his friends focus the active information gathering, for now - His focus is on gauging whether they're drawing unwanted attention, and keeping things from escalating if they do. He kind of wishes Athrun was here - if it does get serious, Athrun is way more suited for combat. Kira will just have to be ready to cover a retreat. Flay comments on Miriallia's suit and Kira feels obligated to mutter out a, "You both look amazing, yeah..."
It's earnest, for what that's worth. He's just a little too nervous to really appreciate how cute they are right now.
<Pose Tracker> Gauma has posed.
A weird man who lives under a bridge and subsists on softshell crabs he caught with his hands probably does not have much reason to attend an event like this. UNLESS he had a JOB.
Like temporary employment, for instance, with a service company providing support for the event.
ANyway they couldn't stop him from putting on the eyeshadow to give himself a deep DEEP set eyes look (is it eyeshadow...is that just what his face looks like...) but a man with magenta hair stands with hands folded off to the side in preparation for, you know. Whatever comes up. Whatever may happen. He just...
Ever since that confrontation with Knight...he felt like he couldn't give up yet. This seemed like the kind of place he might see her. The connections felt right.
MEANWHILE:
Back at the Gaia Sabers headquarters, Meifeng Hau's visor beeps. "Administrator, I was monitoring the feeds of that event they all headed off to. I think the cameras caught the captive's face. Should I send a signal intercept order? We might make it if we act fast."
Meifeng is upside down on a couch in the rec room playing a mobile game on her DEVA softsuit. "Eh," she says, disinterested.
<Pose Tracker> Lilium Valerie has posed.
Lilium, incidentally dressed in a remarkably ornate black dress with silver thread, giving way to a deep red color as it passes down her legs. A translucent shawl falls down her back like a cape, and her face is framed by two little accessories designed like butterfly wings nestled under her bangs. A small tiara crosses her forehead instead of her usual hairpin, decorated with little stars, and her arms are held within detached sleeves that taper off to little cloth hooks around her ring fingers.
Her entourage, meanwhile, are dressed in similar extravagance--putting the Woman in a Full Dress Uniform (with her officer's sabre!), the woman in the motorcycle helmet, the woman in the Veil and Aurora aside, she's also flanked by two girls wearing suits with sunglasses (one with long hair, pants, and a green tie a little too big, and another with short hair, a more reasonable yellow tie, and a skirt), and a girl in her early teens wearing some form of extravagant gothic lolita outfit complete with parasol. She's scanning the crowd herself intermittently... her gaze settles on the Satellicon group for a moment, and she sniffs. She moves on, but lingered long enough for it to be noticed.
Still, though, what matters is the Cinema is open--and the cast and press can file in. The seating plan is typical of a Britannian movie theatre--Citizens and Honorary Britannians have priority for the middle rows, while the front seats too close to the screen and back seats too far are filled by Numbers. This notably places Ms. Satori quite far from the rest of the cast--something she clearly finds rather upsetting, but is used to. Foreign guests, on the other hand, may sit wherever there is space--with the press having similar priority to the middle rows as Britannians.
Lilium herself takes a seat next to Carnelia and her Knight of Honor, with the space next to her being reserved for one of her body-guards--Cherub-2 most likely, but Aurora could squeeze in if she was quick enough.
The lights in the theatre dim to a deep darkness, and the premiere can begin.
The trailers are largely uninteresting--Gaia Sabers recruitment advertisements, a documentary about the corruption of the Titans and their eventual failure to protect the earth, a spot on war bonds depicting Gilbert Durandal as a shadowy figure grasping the earth, and an In Memoriam for Princess Euphemia... the things you'd expect from a Britannian movie theatre.
A series of logos--Hi-TV, Angel's Orchard Incorporated and so on.
The next thing on screen is a simple image of Mt. Fuji, before quickly panning down to reveal the original Tarabaman--with a high-tech redesign that fans find... highly divisive, to say the least--locked in battle with Pyrilite. This is the first of a series of battles shown in a brief montage interspersed with newspapers and archive footage from the 0040s, going through several original Tarabaman Kaiju (Pyrilite, Chezall, and Nalgus, as seen in the trailer, but also Alien Zalano (subtitle: Space Musha) and of course the final Kaiju of the show, Ritten the Cosmic Dragon) before ending with a shot of Tarabaman triumphantly standing against the setting sun.
His a sombre arrangement of the original show's closing theme plays, the great hero waves goodbye to the peoples of the Earth sphere; taking off to fly back to his homeworld.
But on the way back, he encounters something--a strange shadowed fleet, with what looks like a Jupitris-class at the head... and standing atop it, Conquering King Darkstar. He, too, has been redesigned--in a manner that makes him look far more like one of the technological Tarabas the movie seems to be using for its characters.
"Well, well, well... what have we here?"
There's a brief exchange of dialogue, before a fight--which Tarabaman loses.
And loses badly.
He's sent flying back towards earth, Taraba Timer blinking out--and in a POV shot, falls towards Japan from high, high above the ground.
A moment before impact, the camera cuts--and then the title card appears.
TARABAMAN: FIRST GENERATION.
It lingers for a moment, before fading out and being replace by another shot of Mt. Fuji, captioned 'FOURTEEN YEARS LATER'.
The camera pans down to a small town this time, with another caption reading 'Universal Century 0058--Area 11'. Here the movie introduces Kougo Mikado, the expected protagonist, a young Eleven girl (note that the Union did not, historically, hold any of Japan in the 0050s) who sometimes suffers from strange headaches, but also a strange girl with piercing green eyes who she meets in town, seemingly having fallen from the sky--Lilium's character.
She doesn't give her name, and indeed seems to dodge the question of where she came from whenever she came up, but she reappears frequently as the movie shifts into a slow-paced depiction of events from Taraba V, with the occasional reference to the events of Space War 1 raging in the background.
Kougo comes to know the reimagined Taraba V cast, who tackle a brief montage of mysteries--The Neo-Stag Beetle Men, the Bird People, Kongonion, and the Flight to Nowhere are referenced, among others--occasionally interspersed with surreal encounters with the Mysterious Girl, as she comes to be known.
These scenes are characterised, primarily, by remarkably poor editing--some fans, largely Britannians, will come to staunchly defend this as deliberately evocative of the Tarabaman S cameos in V, but most consider this an obvious sign that the character was shoehorned into this part of the movie fairly late in production.
The content of the scenes themselves, however, is rather interesting; with the Mysterious Girl appearing as the tender of the bar the Team Captain is visiting, secreting a mysterious gas from her hands that cause flowers other members of the team are trying to grow to enter full bloom when they aren't looking, and most frequently accompanying Kougo to a variety of dubiously romantic locations.
They play surprisingly period-accurate games together in the arcade, walk together on the beach, and attend a stage play about the Great Hero Tarabaman who had saved earth fourteen years ago; which FIRST GENERATION of course takes as an opportunity to show off the few classic stageshow suits in Hi-TV's possession (and relentlessly make fun of them, in a move sure to go over great with longtime fans).
The editing on these sequences is even worse, with several abrupt cuts suspiciously timed to what were quite likely explicitly romantic moments at one point. These eventually culminate in the highly anticipated scene from the trailer, with the Mysterious Girl flashing her ring and her strange smile up on a hill as the two bear their hearts to each other. Of note in this sequence is that the matching ring Kougo is offered, based on several strange cuts in direct succession, was filmed as being offered by the Mysterious Girl on her knees, from a ring box.
The first half of the movie ends with Ashpole's character rushing to tell Kougo that the Zentradi fleet is approaching earth, and that Investigations Unit V was being mobilised as an emergency response.
The footage fades out, and a title card announces an intermission to the confusion of almost everyone in the audience but Dame Friedasdottir. Clearly the intent is for a brief recess in the movie for the first part of the social event, and a space just outside the theatre itself has been prepared with refreshments. There's several tables, lots of fancy food and silverware, catering and service staff--which apparently includes Gauma?--and all the fancy things one would expect from an event of this calibre.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane has been very quiet. The least rancid vibes at this whole event come from the heavy-set Zeonic man behind her. The fact that she recognizes him from a staredown at Saistone Spa and Esthetique's reception desk doesn't help, but then, everyone here is involved in that to at least some extent.
(She's so worn down -- and so frustrated at what she's watching -- that she doesn't even realize that this is one of the rare cases where she's more comfortable with a man than any of several women in the room.)
It is indeed him who leans over her shoulder slightly as they move. "You think it is gross? Helicopter?" he asks, discreetly. "I do not like it either."
Amun is wishing Operation Stardust had damaged Britannia as much as Britannia acts like it does.
Akane opens her mouth to speak, and then feels a hand on her shoulder from the other direction! She looks up at Minerva, and there's a brief deer-in-the-headlights expression on her face that's only visible this close. Any further and you'd just be seeing veil. "... yeah," Akane murmurs. She doesn't even manage a 'don't touch me,' even though she would very much like to. "It's just kind of a lot of people..."
Akane starts to move forward just a bit more -- and as a result, gets crowded together with E-1's lab crew. Camilla, like Akane, is an indoor cat -- she finds this Japanese summer heat and sun disagreeable, and taken the chance at poshness to bring a parasol along. It shrouds her, Chief Engineer Landry, and Akane; Amun shifts a bit further back, out of the parasol's coverage.
Akane folds her hands quietly in front of herself, turning her head down as she heads in for the premiere itself.
'''''''''''''''''''
Utsumi has followed Rikka down a fair few rabbit holes in her hope for Akane's safe return, though not all of them. Despite having become as close as he has with the rest of the Gridman Alliance and 3G, there are limits to what he, a normal person, can stomach... and to be honest, this desperation is indeed hard to watch.
It's not that he doesn't think that, if that's true, sorting through transport patterns on Huffman Island and South Britannia isn't the action with the most likely success profile. It's that doing that is starting to feel pointless, nearly a month out.
... but. Actually finding things? There's joy there, but some guilt, too, for the retroactive feeling of having been wrong to get exasperated.
As such, it takes Utsumi a little while to find his words. "... You gotta flip it around," he says, as concern starts to creep into Rikka's voice. "We know she'd want to. What would stop her? She could have lost her memory, or someone could be holding her against her will..."
... if it were anyone else, Utsumi might start screwing with them to lighten the mood (with a morbidity that only Akane would have actually found funny). He's done it a few times -- he used to do it to Gridman, and he's done it to Keita. But Rikka, here, now... that's the bridge too far, probably.
At least, from him.
"Wasn't that idol girl there when she went missing?" he asks instead, eyes tracking on his own end to Lilium herself.
"So... what do you want to do?" he asks, a little tentative.
/////////
Akane watches. She's not totally immune to this sort of thing -- even if the politics are quite frankly rancid, and Akane's increasingly trained eye can see the seams where things have been cut... well, there's a frustrating beauty to that, too, isn't there? When you see a work's fraying edges in that way, it's the future straining to fit into the present, and there's both optimism and heartbreak to be had there.
Still -- she's relieved when the intermission comes. She could really use a break from sorting out her feelings on this as she actually watches it. Again, she and the E-1 lab team shuffle out together. ... No parasol this time, at least.
<Pose Tracker> Miriallia Haw has posed.
A part of Miriallia was surprised that Flay didn't know all about Tabaraman. Isn't pop culture something she's into? (Though, Miri isn't into Tabaraman either.) But still, she grins with pride. "Exactly. It's a great chance to get access to her. We have to take this chance to figure out her deal. Plus, if we're really lucky, we can get you access to her."
Back at the theater, Miriallia admittedly gives Flay something of a Look, though she's not about to call out her friend for that. "Come on though, Flay. Wearing a crop top to this sort of event is a bit attention grabby though." She then pauses. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'm just starting to get nervous... You, uh. Look very nice too, Flay. And you too, Kira." She shakes her head, and slaps both of her cheeks. It's time to get your head in the game, Miriallia! "Thank you, both of you! Though, the chest is a little tight..." She readjusts her tie, loosing it a bit - it was not tailored with a woman in mind.
Back to business. Upon Flay's comment, Miriallia shifts towards the Titan's emblem. "Huh, that looks extremely late war?" She's seen it maybe once before, strange things people have as keepsakes. Finally, it's time for the crowds to filter in. Miriallia is careful to lead Flay and Kira properly to their middle row seats, snagging some barely within honor range, the tippest top and to the side. She grabs her notebook and a pen, still having to accomplish some more tasks as apart of The Orb Post.
She continually scribbles notes down, glancing up and down, up and down. Writing in the dark is going to ruin her eyes, one of these days. Until they're let out for...intermission? How long is this movie anyways??
The trio shuffle back out, where Miriallia is scanning the crowd for Lilium, or just anyone who would provide an interesting story for her. Her grabbing a glass of champagne surely doesn't go totally unnoticed. She needs something to keep the edge off, after all.
<Pose Tracker> Gauma has posed.
As the entourage enters, Gauma's brain finally clicks to a familiar visual of a woman in a broad hat, eyes down, mumbling forward under a protective parasol. He knows that stance, that posture, that poise that hat-
He locks up, stock still, and can't get himself moving until someone nudges him to get his ass to work. The help doesn't get to get poleaxed.
Gauma does not get to see much of the movie. This is the time when the Help gets to shine - moving tables, moving food and snacks and drinks in and out and around. He's dressed in the vest and white shirt that is emblematic of The Help in a setting like this, of course.
When people start emerging back out, though, he is no longer making ANY EFFORT AT ALL to act like a proper, upright and unseen waitstaff. He jerks left and right, standing up on his toes to push his already impressive height even higher. For the first time in weeks he isn't slocuhed. Who was that, who was that, who WAS that, that was...c'mon, that HAD to be...!
"There," he rasps out, and marches toward the E-1 Lab team with the kind of focus and purpose that probably doesn't look great emerging from a crowd.
<Pose Tracker> Crowe Brust has posed.
"What the hell is this-" Crowe called out momentarily as the movie just kinda, rolled through - burning through his eyes as the poor man of Chicago was stuck in a perpetual grimace, he may not be a movie editor - let alone a TV guy, but by GOD did that hurt to watch, and it wasn't just the editing: it was the pacing, the complete lack of the respect for the classic works - hell, he'd worn a replica of one of those old suits back in high school theater class! What even WAS the budget for this?! to have such a techy design and the gall to mess with the Peanut-budget goodness of the old stuff.
"If they tried shoving propaganda into this... they failed more than my old textbooks. How do you fail that hard-"
While they'd been outside, Lianne had told him to try and smile more, and probably subsequently told him to drop it entirely after the smile make him look like even more of a shithead; I mean, not a wrong assumption - Lilium wasn't exactly his cup of joe when Nekki Basara's voice was still widely available, and songstresses like Sheryl Nome carried a similar attitude for a similar demographic; But as it stood? This movie was ass. Like, "They absolutely destroyed the director's vision" sort of ass, the kind that feels genuinely painful to watch between smash cuts and unhinged pacing
"What is even so good or surprising that it warrants a full cast of famous people, their entourage and a whole security detail... is- is this just the budget?" Crowe was very directly thinking out loud, while others would've walked out during the interlude, the ex-soldier would simply remain on his seat, handing his companion the envelope with "operation allowance" they'd been given
"Get yourself some snacks, I think you're gonna need 'em if Lilium doesn't salvage the whole thing somehow."
A note to be made is that Crowe for once had dressed in a way that didn't make him look like a hobo, the slick grey suit Traia had helped pick out for him fit him quite nicely, and the long jacket/overcoat he'd been given let him remain comfortable in his usual style; quite a departure that let him blend right in with his fellow - old compatriots.
<Pose Tracker> Aurora Dusk has posed.
Aurora's eyes briefly pass over Lianne. Does she recognise her? No, she doesn't know what the Syken's pilot looks like. On the other hand... there is something about that direction, somehow. Easily dismissed as a passing fancy, though.
And then her eyes pass over Flay's party. Again, there's no indication she recognises her... But it might be worrying to see nonetheless.
Her eyes don't seem to want to spend too much time scanning the crowd. They're more comfortable slipping back to look at Lilium. This is normal behaviour for a bodyguard, of course. It's also normal behaviour for a bodyguard to sit next to the person she's guarding.
It's also normal for a bodyguard to like her dress, right?
Nearby, a blue-haired woman in a slightly more conspicuous bodyguard suit huffs when she sees Satori enter the Eleven section. "Typical. 'Thank you for acting in our movie, we couldn't have done it without you... now sit in the inferior seat you second class citizen.'" Ashcroft rolls her eyes. "Heritage Ministry kiss my ass. Next they're going to demand Number bunks in the barracks..."
Fortunately, the complaining doesn't last long before it's time for the movie start! Or... the pre-movie trailers. Ashcroft coughs into her hand when she sees the Titans documentary... but she doesn't comment.
"...Why does Tarabaman look tactical?" Aurora wonders. "Does this one need to carry spare ammo?"
"Hang on," Ashcroft starts. "We didn't own half of Japan back then. Is the Ministry now so sensitive they have to pretend every Area was always an Area?" Again, she rolls her eyes. If she wasn't so morally opposed to colony drops, she might have started wishing the same as Amun. Just a little bit.
The obvious cuts are... bittersweet. Something about it makes Aurora's heart ache... but something about imagining what was in them makes it ache, too.
She switches up to making a Face when the stageplay happens, though. "...I don't like this part," she says, tightening her fist. For Aurora, this is a strong reaction.
Aurora files out of the theatre with the rest of Lilium's entourage, briefly checking on E-1's party and Akane. E-1... It's not fair that she can't come. What did Landry say about it, again? She'll make sure to bring something back for her.
Aurora takes a moment to sidle up to Akane. "...what did you think?" She does not expect a positive response. Off to her side, Ashcroft folds her arms and leans against a convenient wall.
Aurora picks up on Gauma's approach. Raggedy man from the crowd, approaching with intent... she positions herself somewhere she can spear him with a throwing knife if necessary. Her hand twitches over one of the concealed knives she has for just that purpose.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
A part of her had wondered if Utsumi was just humoring her during all of those searches. But more and more Rikka has found she appreciates that much. She's felt isolated these past few weeks, and it's better than nothing at all.
Utsumi points out another angle - what would stop her from contacting them? A lost memory, or being held against her will...
Rikka frowns. She thinks back. E-1 - she wishes she knew her real name - spoke about her in the present tense... Maybe she didn't know she died. Or maybe she didn't know she was supposed to be dead - or didn't care in the moment.
"That... might be." Rikka starts hesitantly. She idly runs her thumb across Akane's ring as she goes through the possibilities in her head. ...She doesn't like any of them. "...I think you're right."
Utsumi asks what she wants to do.
...She knows what she wants to do. What she wants right now, more than anything, is to hop in the Mu Gundam and storm over there to take her back.
...But she knows that would be stupid and reckless. ...And delusional, and selfish, to think she'd actually get away with it without causing problems for Akane and everyone.
"...Let everyone know what we saw. We know where she is right now. We know who she's with. If we act too rashly, we might put her in danger. We can... figure out a plan. Track her down." Rikka says, exhaling. "But whatever happens, we're getting her back."
...She forces herself to keep watching the stream. Puts herself even through the First Generation's callousness and frankly atrocious - and at points - painful editing, all for the possibility of getting even just another, single glimpse of her.
<Pose Tracker> Lianne Moren has posed.
Lianne is mostly quiet during the movie, watching quite attentively even as Crowe balks (and occasionally shushing him, it's rude!). It's... okay, Lianne is a glass half full kind of girl and a Lillium fan, but even she can see that this isn't going great. And a lot of the stuff about the wars in the background sounds more like the TV talking heads than a movie. But hey! Some people really tried their hardest on this.
And she needs to ignore that pain in the back of her head somehow.
"So... that was interesting!" Lianne says cheerfully to Crowe as they step out for the intermission. "I, uh, haven't actually seen what this was based on, hehehe. I wonder how they got Lilium in there? It can't be easy changing the cast of a movie that's been in production so long. It was kinda jarring... cool effects though!" Not that Lianne really knows how movies work. She fairly competent with computers (from some of the many eclectic odd jobs), but movie editing isn't her wheelhouse.
She gratefully takes the cash from Crowe. "I'll make sure to get you something too! Or maybe a large thing to share while it's running?" She leans in a little bit - they're there together, it doesn't look that odd. "One of the guards was looking at us earlier." she whispers, barely audible even to Crowe. "So look chill." She'd felt eyes on her. She knows it. So anyways, snacks? Snacks.
<Pose Tracker> Minerva Ashton has posed.
Minerva recoils just for a split second as Akane makes her panicked expression. Minerva clenches just a fraction tighter for a second and then removes her hand.
"I. . . understand. The movie will be starting soon. I'll be at the bar, if you need a break," Minerva says to Akane, and then strolls off, lost in thought a bit. What is she feeling? She doesn't really know how to process it. Well, that's what alcohol is for, she supposes.
/ / / / / / / / / / / / /
By the time the intermission hits and the group filters into the room, Minerva is finishing her first martini at the Clovis Memorial Addon Bar (not its actual name). She's been quietly sitting at the bar, but as the floodgates open, she turns to the crowd.
Minerva waves at Akane from the bar as she exits, a casual wave - or what she thinks is a casual wave. She's clearly intoxicated - there's blush rising to her cheeks. Minerva swivels back to the bartender and orders another.
Minerva hasn't been to an event like this in at least a decade. Maybe she'll mingle a little, mix it up.
<Pose Tracker> Kira Yamato has posed.
Kira starts the movie out surprisingly chipper, if still a bit on edge. He hasn't watched a Tarabaman series properly since he was, what, nine? But the toys were occasionally popular with kids at the orphanage. It's not his objective, but the movie might still be interesting - and while the CGI is a little strong for his tastes, there is something charming about the attentiveness to mechanical design in the redesigns.
That smile fades fast, though. The leads are interesting enough, but... the world around them feels kind of careless, and he definitely frowns at the mean-spiritedness of the stageshow portion. It's technically sloppy, too. Having not followed the press for the movie, the subtext behind the cuts slides by him - but if anything, that just inspires a frustrated curiosity for him. If they're going to spend this much time on character drama, why is it so disjointed? The mind of the Ultimate Coordinator starts spinning out its own connective tissue, and Kira Yamato is halfway to discovering a prolific career as a fanfic author, when the intermission finally releases him from his torment.
It's not until he gets out into the open air that he realizes how tense being that close to a bunch of Gaia Sabers has made him. The vibe in that theater had not relieved any of the tension in the air, and if anything, his awareness had been buzzing the entire time - even if there was no clear evidence that anyone had been looking too closely at the 'Orb Post'. Gently, he reaches over to Flay. "So, what do you think?" This is a support operation for him - it's Miri and Flay who want to confront Lilium, if they get the chance. Not that he's not a little curious about her. Had Lacus's absence really left such a void in the world, for there to be this much effort to capture her audience?
It'd be nice if Lacus could be here. She could read situations like this better than he could. Maybe he'd bring it up the next time he got the chance. But having the real Lacus Clyne show up here is probably more than they could ever get away with.
<Pose Tracker> Flay Allster has posed.
Enjoying what's popular is one thing - and Tarbaman is indeed very popular, but Flay's never really been one to break gender stereotypes, and tokusatsu has always been seen as the playground for young men from a cultural standpoint - even if plenty of women have been inspired by it as well. Because of that, it just never interested Flay terribly much, though.
"You think so? It's not like I had a suit just sitting in my closet, and a fancy dress would be trying way too hard. A couple inches of skin isn't going to kill anyone, right?" Flay replies, when Miriallia points out her choice of outfit. She's about to get all defensive about it, but Miriallia cedes pretty quickly. "...I get it, though. Let's just not overthink it, okay? Thanks, by the way~" As for the suit being too tight, well, that's why she didn't want to wear one.
Kira deciding to tag along with them is a surprise, but it's a welcome one... it's probably for the best, in any case. The backup is nice, but it really does feel like they're going out as a group of friends for the first time in forever... "Thanks~! You're looking pretty sharp yourself, Kira." She takes the compliment easily, and returns it pretty genuinely. It's not as if she'd ever had the chance to see him dressed up like this after all - only ever the casual (belt-filled) outfits he tends to wear, and the Earth Federation uniform.
Miriallia at least seems to suggest Flay isn't onto nothing about the Titans. But before she can say anything more about it, she can see Aurora's gaze briefly turn. Flay tenses for a moment, mostly just using the camera to shield her face the best she can. That flash of red hair will definitely look familiar to the Cyber-Newtype, though. Conveniently for the Gaia Sabers, Aurora manages to keep Flay's attention from further capturing the veiled woman on camera.
Soon after, they get onto the actual movie. Flay wasn't that enthusiastic about this part, but she'll at least give it a shot. It's what they're here for after all. But as they watch and watch... Flay finds it very easy to lose her focus, the way the movie's shot is just disorienting.They eventually make it to intermission. "...I kind of don't get it?" Is Flay's comment on the movie. "I mean, what's the point supposed to be? It always cuts out whenever things start to get interesting..." She tries not to complain too much in polite company, but at least drinks and food are sure to get her in a better mood. "I guess... it's just a way for Lilium to reach a new audience?" Flay suggests at Kira's question. "There's plenty of people out who don't care about idols, but love movies like this. That... worries me at least."
<Pose Tracker> Anya Alstreim has posed.
At some point during the premiere, Gino reappears next to Anya. She isn't really sure when that happened. "Pretty awful, huh?" he asks, as if Anya has an eye for film. She doesn't, really. It doesn't look good to her, but she can't really tell if that's just because the special effects are hard to believe or she's struggling to follow along.
"It doesn't seem very good, no," she admits. "This was a waste of time." She thinks for a second. "Wait, 0058?" she mutters, as she flips out her phone again, performing a quick search. "That's... wrong. How did they get that wrong?"
The first part of the movie is agonizingly uninteresting to her, and despite Anya's best attempts to follow along, she finds herself amusing herself looking around the crowd instead. There are a handful of people who look like what Gino might have pointed out to her as 'characters,' if he hadn't already disappeared again, but for the most part she finds herself watching a trio of reporters who seem to be shuffling around the edge of the room watching for... something?
As she steps outside for the intermission, somewhere between hungry and bored, she shuffles past the reporters, accidentally bumping into one of them -- a redhead in a mildly out-of-place looking crop top, though Anya's own typical knight uniform wasn't terribly far -- and offering a quiet apology as she makes her way to one of the food stands. She can hear whispers of recognition as she browses the offerings, but she shuts them out. It's easy to forget, even for her, but people do occasionally recognize the Knights of the Round, and she supposes it makes her life easier that if any troublemakers are in the audience, they'll be that much less inclined to cause a stir.
<Pose Tracker> Lilium Valerie has posed.
The Entourage, after exiting the theatre for a moment, largely disperses across the hall. Cherub-5, the youngish girl in the gothic lolita dress, thinks she smells coordinator--and as a result, spends a decent ammount of time staring at Crowe and Lianne. One of them, surely...
Six, the one in the motorcycle helmet, sits down at the bar next to Minerva and is immediately passed some kind of drink with a straw, which she sticks up under her helmet after giving an affirmative nod.
Doctor Frankford, incidentally, is sitting on the opposite end of the bar from her colleague. The full ashtray in front of her indicates she's been here a while, but the drink in front of her is just ice on the rocks. She turns, somewhat lethargically, to face Akane in turn.
Cherub-2, still in her full regalia, leaves Lilium in Aurora's supervision for a moment to head to the same food stand that Anya--and seemingly Dame Friedasdottir--have moved to. She fills her plate with a few thin sandwiches, before bowing her head politely to the Knight of Honor and Knight of the Round--"Good day to you both."
Three and Four, the ones in the suits, position themselves between Lilium and the majority of the crowd... but don't block the view of her.
And Lilium herself, accompanied by Ms. Arcfeldt, rubs at her forehead... something hurts? Probably nothing.
She makes small talk with those who get close enough, "Oh, Thank you! I'll keep trying my hardest from now on, too!" "I'm sorry, but please direct questions like that to my management..." "Ehhhh... I can't, like... confirm or deny that I'll be there...", but something is odd.
Namely: She isn't eating or drinking. At all. Even her bodyguards seem to be partaking of the catering...
And her head still hurts. What's up with that?
Uuuurgh... was I supposed to take some meds or something..?
I don't know. It feels like it's interference from someone. It'll clear up when they leave, whoever it is... but it might get worse if they come any closer.
Uuuuuuu.... I don't want it to get wooooorse...
To the notably psychically-sensitive, Lilium feels like she's pouting on the inside despite her smile remaining.
Ms. Arcfeldt, meanwhile, has spotted something out of the ordinary, and is routing to intercept Gauma before the Help can inconvenience any guests. "Excuse me, serving boy--Are you busy, at present?" She asks, a smile somehow as fake as Lilium's upon her face. "I'm terribly sorry, but could you direct me to the vegetarian buffet..?"
Eventually, though, the intermission ends, and the cast and audience are sheparded back into the theatre.
The lights darken once again, and the second half of the movie starts to play.
The tone is immediately much darker, with lots of shots of Variable Fighters being prepared, distant battles raging beyond the sky, and such. The V-Defencer Squad, as they've been renamed, are shown taking on a war footing--and eventually, the news broadcasts about Minmay and the Macross show them in low orbit, ready for the Minmay Attack.
On the other side of the Earth, however, cities all around the pacific are being attacked by recognisable Taraba Kaiju--Super Nalgus, Dynomite for the Dynomite spotters (several times, in fact), Lecrall and Duoz, surprisingly what looks like a legally distinct Tenne, a distinctly non-hairy Chezall, an unusually phoenix-like Pyrilite... all sorts of familiar faces.
Various scenes of destruction occur, interspersed with Kougo staring pensively into space. There's something only she can do... but what is it?
The Mysterious Girl, meanwhile, has taken her usual MO of causing problems on purpose that always seem to solve people's issues in the end to the extreme--At its peak, she engineers a situation that causes Ashpole and the self-styled Vi Michigan's characters to physically come to blow in mobile weapons, but causes several tensions between them to boil over and finally allows the V-Defencers to work together without hesitation.
The B-Plot wrapped up, a few scenes of Darkstar conversing with the Zentradi invaders are interspersed with the Mysterious Girl running away from the group--Darkstar claims that some part of Tarabaman still lingers that must be destroyed before Earth 'can be made to heel', while the Mysterious Girl seems scared that her 'secret' will soon be uncovered.
ack in the Alien Fleet, Darkstar, holding what looks to be a fossil of a winged whale, before tossing it forwards and shooting it with a strange beam...
A heartfelt conversation between the Mysterious Girl and Kougo, meanwhile, reveals her true nature: Alien Zamiko, a subspecies of Alien Zamiki who, instead of engineering wars between humans for the sake of it, orchestrate petty interpersonal conflicts in order to bring about mutual understanding between humans, and with it: peace.
However, this conversation is interrupted by the deployment of Darkstar's Kaiju army to attack the V-Defencers, with a Winged Whale-themed Kaiju positioned at the head....
Kougo stares down at the ring in her hand, before turning her gaze back up towards the strange monster eclipsing the sun.
"The power is inside you, Kougo... it's been there all along. But..." Alien Zamiko's softly glowing green eyes shimmer faintly with tears. Since she revealed her identity a few moments ago, she's been transformed into her true form... which, put bluntly, looks like a Kaiju Girls design of Alien Zamiki. There will be various takes on this in the reviews and fan discourse about the movie; but more importantly she's extremely worried about Kougo. "...If you're not... strong enough, then... Then I could..."
She can't bring herself to finish the sentence. The Eleven (again, extremely ahistorical) shakes her head. "No. I'm done running from this." She clutches one hand into a fist. "If I have power--whatever that power is--then for the good of the nation and all humanity, I'll--!"
Her ring flashes, and suddenly she's floating in a strange alien void.
With her is... Tarabaman.
He stares down at her, arms crossed.
"HUMAN OF THIS WORLD. I HAVE WITNESSED YOUR TRIALS, YOUR STRUGGLES, YOUR TRIUMPHS."
His body starts glowing, and sparkles flow towards the woman. The strange shifting background behind her flashes with POV images of Tarabaman's fall to earth at the start of the movie, and then scenes that weren't shown before of a young Kougo finding a strange glowing object.
"I HAVE BEEN WITH YOU ALL ALONG. I HAVE STOOD BY YOUR SIDE, AS I ONCE DID FOR ALL MANKIND. BUT I HAVE GROWN WEAK SINCE MY DEFEAT."
Tarabaman is now faintly translucent, but a glow has enveloped the young woman in the void with him.
"I GIVE YOU NOW WHAT REMAINS OF MY LIGHT. YOUNG HERO, I BESEECH YOU--ALLOW NOT THIS WORLD TO FALL TO DARKNESS!"
"STRIKE DOWN THE INVADERS, AND STAND TRIUMPHANT! THIS IS MY FINAL PRAYER!"
Tarabaman vanishes entirely, and Kougo is left upon the cliffside once again. "...I'll... become... what I must!"
She pumps her fist in the air, and cries out:
"TAAAA-"
Storm clouds form overhead. Several of the Kaiju shift uncomfortably--this wasn't what they'd been told.
"-RAAAAAAA-"
Lightning strikes the ring, and in a sudden flash the ground behind her disappears. Kougo herself flickers between her own appearance, and that of a new Taraba Warrior!
"-BAAAAAAAA!!!!!"
Thunder strikes again as she rises to her full height, now standing at the foot of the cliff.
The camera cuts rapidly across several parts of her design. The technological seams. The crown-like protrusions on her head. The plated cloak falling down her back, and the skirt around her waist.
She reaches up to the sky, and with another flash of lightning a great axe appears in her hand.
"From the depths of obscurity, a new hero rises!"
"The repeller of invaders, the defender of our shores!"
"Tarabaman... ALWIN! Upon my honor, you shall fall this day!"
Alien Zamiko, down on the beach, cries tears of joy--her friend has overcome a great trial!
"If Kougo can do that... all that, then... then I... other than starting fights, other than playing with hearts..."
"There must be something... something I can do!"
A brief flash. Lynn Minmay on stage. The DYRL interpretation of her with black hair, notably.
Alien Zamiko, watching Tarabaman Alwin launch into battle with the various kaiju, launches into song. Specifically, that Lilium song from the trailer that hasn't gotten a full release yet!
"Blazing through the sky, a meteor strikes!"
"Cutting the figure of a hero"
"That blazing star everyone knows!"
Alwin is doing well in her fight so far, especially with Alien Zamiko's support, but the Winged Whale-type is keeping its distance...
"There's something only we can do"
"A darkness only we can fight" (LET'S GO!)
"Dry your tears, hold your heads high"
"To catch that shining RAY of HOPE!" (TARABA FIGHT!)
Alien Zamiko dries her eyes as Alwin cleaves a Dynomite clear in half with her axe. Outnumbered or not, she's putting up an admirable fight...
"When we're FACE TO FACE with the world's distortion"
"I know I can make it with you by my side"
(Love! Strength! Courage!)
A Super Nalgus is getting pretty solid hits in on Alwin, but she's powering through with a yell.
Alien Zamiko, meanwhile, reaches both arms up towards her from her perch with a soft smile.
"Your smile gives me all the strength I need"
"so why don't you draw your power from mine?"
(Pure! Alive! Faith!)
Alwin is starting to loose badly... but she's hanging on. The Winged Whale, though, has started to dive towards her--and she can't jump high enough to strike at it! It just knocked her axe out of her hand! What will Tarabaman Alwin do now? Can she make it?
The camera cuts to several locations all across Britannia and the Earth sphere--Minmay on the Macross, a character who seems to be a young Charles zi Britannia, the V-Defencers, soldiers on Huffman Island, the people of Area 11... and all of them have the same thing to say.
"TARABAMAN! DON'T GIVE UP!" "YOU CAN DO IT, TARABAMAN!" "FIGHT WITH HONOR, TARABAMAN!" "STRIKE THAT INVADER DOWN AND SEND IT BACK, TARABAMAAAAN!!!"
"WOOOOOAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
Alwin roars with determination, throwing herself back into her fruitless yet noble struggle!
"Your sword my shield, our souls on fire"
Something is entering the upper atmosphere. Alien Zamiko's eyes track it, welling with tears once again as it screams towards the melee.
"prayers fly to us up in the sky"
"we'll break through our limits, our powers combined!"
The strange energy sphere smashes past the Winged Whale Kaiju (which a nametag has introduced as 'Cordinaton: Space Mutant', incidentally) and strikes the ground next to Alwin... where it forms into a humanoid shape.
A Tarabaman's shape.
"We are the warriors of the FIRST GENERATION!"
The music cuts out to a faint instrumental for a time, giving the new arrival time to rise to his feet.
"From the western sky, a shooting star falls!"
"The warrior among warriors--the hero among heroes!"
The theatre audience, being largely Britannian, cannot hold themselves back from cheering as just who has arrived becomes clear--
"Call my name, and I shall arrive within seconds! Tarabaman.... S!"
The Double Tarabas launch into action, mopping up the remaining ground-bound kaiju with ease--Alwin's Taraba Timer has even outright stopped flashing! Alien Zamiko, meanwhile, returns to her song:
"My irreplaceable friend" (That flower that took root)
"you became my reason to fight"
"let's stick to our path" (NO HESITATION!)
"and cut through to the light!"
The army dispatched, S and Alwin focus their efforts on Cordinaton. Alwin, her axe recovered, leaps into the air, while S drags it down to let her strike at the root of one of its wings.
"Even if you stand alone"
"I'll always protect you"
(Riding on the light of our dreams)
S and Alwin nod to each other, before wordlessly leaping into the air and flying up to Darkstar's Jupitris out of orbit. There's a brief exchange, before the three come to blows!
And still, Zamiko sings...
"It'll never be easy, and it'll never be painless"
"But from now until eternity"
"Take my hand, and hold on tight"
The Double Tarabas really seem to be struggling against Darkstar at first--he kicks Alwin square in the chest in a way heavily reminiscent of that famous grainy photograph of Char Aznable's Zaku engaging the RX-78-2, and hits S with an out and out Dark Taraba Beam, but the pair quickly gain the upper hand... and by the next verse, they've forced Darkstar back into the atmosphere!
"I'll never ever ever"
"ever let go!"
(Let's go together, TARABA FIGHT!)
Darkstar manages to land on his feet--but he's knocked of balance by a Double Taraba Kick! And the hits keep coming, and coming and coming... they've got him on the ropes! Their Taraba Timers haven't started flashing at all, and his is already blinking super fast!
"When the time for us to face our fates comes"
"I'll swear justice upon this love I've embraced"
"we'll surely be able to make it through the darkness"
"We are the heroes of the FIRST GENERATION!"
as Alien Zamiko's song reaches its end, the Double Tarabas take up a triumphant pose before Darkstar explodes and they detransform. Kougo and Alien Zamiko run towards each other as if to embrace, but the camera cuts before they can--and instead the narrative moves swiftly along to S' human form dragging 'Darkstar' (much like in the original, a human who had defeated the original and usurped his Dark Light) out of the water. This version of Darkstar's host is a blonde man wearing a spacesuit who seems quite famous, based on Kougo's reaction to him... but she's not surprised. It's stated that he encountered the original Darkstar 'on his trip to Jupiter', and he's referred to a few times as an 'Artificial Mutant'. Make of that what you will.
As the Britannian military takes Legally Not George Glenn (Seriously, try and point out the similarities in a review and you will get hit with a slander suit) away to be incarcerated, Zamiko and Kougo share a tearful goodbye--apparently, now that her nature is known, she must return to her homeworld... but maybe Alwin can travel there someday. Someday.
The Alien girl departs, and, after throwing Kougo a transformation device resembling Alwin's axe, telling her "You carry his light well--don't bring dishonour to him, and you'll go far." S departs in turn.
The V-Defencers arrive at this point, having witnessed the whole thing--and the Captain tells Alwin that, for her efforts protecting the earth, she's being made an Honorary Britannian.
A large ceremony is held for her, and the camera pans up from Kougo's gaze up to the sky as, accepting her new role as Defender of the Union and Earth Sphere, she says a final "Thank you, Tarabaman... Thank you for never giving up." and the credits roll.
They're mostly innocuous, aside from revealing a large amount of funding for the project from the Gaia Sabers and several Blue Cosmos shell companies... but then the post-credits arrive.
A shadowed figure sits alone in a room, staring out their window.
"So... the Artificial Mutant failed, did he?"
A gloved hand sets down a phone, and the man in the chair leans forwards. "Well... he wasn't strong enough, then. Still, this 'Alwin' character... Very interesting. Very interesting indeed."
The lighting shifts, and the camera pans up... to the masked face of Captain Zeon. He smiles, and there's an abrupt cut to black.
Tarabaman Alwin will return... in Tarabaman NEXT MISSION.
The doors are opened after this, and the audience are allowed to mill back out into the freshly-restocked buffet area once again...
<Pose Tracker> Lianne Moren has posed.
Oh you can't just end a movie like that! Especially not one that took this long! ...Not that she especially feels an urge to watch another of these, it's a princple thing. Though she might see it if Lilium shows up in it. The song was really fun! Still, she'd enjoyed the experience so far. Except for the growing headache, that kinda sucked. "Well! We should probably try and mingle, huh?" Lianne says to Crowe cheerfully as they step out into the hall again.
As she steps out, she decides - for the mission, of course - to see if she can approach Lilium. Partly because she's a fan, yeah. Partly because she's... getting some kind of odd feeling off her. And she's been learning there's something to that kind of feeling lately. Not that she actually expects to get anywhere close, she's some random young woman, not a VIP. But even that might tell her something.
So after stopping for a moment to restock on snacks, she tries to see if she can't get eyes on her favorite idol. She'd barely seen her on the carpet - she's short and the crowds were thick.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane does not drink any alcohol over the course of the film, as much as she thinks she would really like to. This is a room full of vipers -- she needs to be extremely aware of everything they're doing, every glance at her.
Unfortunately, she doesn't get too much chance to decompress as the first half of the film ends. The intermission is at least a decent chance to digest. Aurora gets Akane's first comment, as she sidles up. With a strained smile, she says, "I think a lot of people put a lot of effort into making this, even if I'm not really sure why." In some ways, it's way more scathing than just saying it sucks would be.
And then -- someone starts approaching her. A tall man starts approaching her, no less; she visibly straightens up. Camilla Sumino speaks first, though. "I don't know what you could be thinking, but don't approach like that."
Akane -- as if she's the one in control here -- holds up a gloved hand. ... She recognizes Gauma, at least, now that he's up close. "... There's no need for that," she says, her voice remarkably delicate-sounding. "I'm sure he just wanted to get a good look at a sentimental old lady," she says, knowingly.
Her eyes track over to Minerva, who is... ah. Well, if she didn't have to be on her guard, this would be her response to this film, too.
'''''''''''''''
"Okay," Utsumi agrees, moving his fingers over to his laptop. She mentioned 'everyone,' so she's getting 'everyone.' Utsumi can do that much.
For a little while, he's mostly quiet. He has to send a lot of messages. He's not as connected within 3G, but Keita has that handled; Utsumi runs in a completely different 'same circle,' though.
After a few moments more, he adds, "How much can we do, if they're holding her somewhere that'll cause a problem if someone goes in guns blazing?" Utsumi has learned this much, at least. He doesn't want other people to get trampled underfoot.
'''''''''''''''''''
Akane doesn't get too much chance to decompress; she thinks about saying something discreetly to Minerva, but by the time she manages it it's time to head back in for the second half. She watches with no small amount of frustration as they fumble bag after bag on kaiju designs. A few of these might be nice if they weren't trying to have their cake and eat it too on legacy.
... Wait, not only are they playing it like Area 11 has always been part of Britannia -- are they serious about running with Evidence-01 as a monster? And then --
She didn't even catch this in the copyright-detective behavior online. The Captain Zeon cut catches even her off guard. She's gobsmacked by the entire thing, really.
When she comes back out, she concludes that, you know what? If they're going to guard her this closely, there's very little she could be allowed to do that would leave her vulnerable in a way that wasn't handled. She immediately moves to form up with Minerva, saying, "I think you have the right idea here." She holds up two fingers, requesting Yamaton 12-year. It's incredibly rare for Akane to drink, especially in mixed company, and one of the livestream crowd pans does catch her at the bar; she... really can't be doing well.
She gives Frankford a brief glance, and a shrug.
<Pose Tracker> Crowe Brust has posed.
Lianne was certainly a more positive outlooker than he could ever expect to be, at the very least that first half of the movie was questionably made, even if it had some arguably good setup somewhere in there; the promise to get something for him too was certainly a sweet one - something that did manage to momentarily prove Crowe had a heart under that stone face, expression lightly curving up into an almost youthful smile as he gave his comrade a solid answer
"Get something to share, the popcorn specially have a better spread of butter and salt on the bigger buckets" He spoke calmly even as a chill went up his spine due to being watched so intently, the return of his slightly stiff expression being followed up by a deep breath and a short adjustment of his shirt - the absence of the usual old-timey tie he tended to wear feeling almost empty as Crowe made the motion of approaching the bar, stopping midway before turning back towards Lianne "Just gotta keep it cool, I understand your idol is right there at a stone toss' worth of distance, but leave the meet & greet for the after party"
Crowe was being fairly sensible all things considered, getting up to the bar and primarily just ordering a quick shot of whiskey to quickly awaken the mind for a second; extending a careful nod of acknowledgement towards the woman at the bar - part of the initial entourage that'd come with Lilium and co if he recalled correctly - before returning just in time for the end of the interlude
[''''''''''''''''''''''''''']
The second part of the movie as it stood, was certainly a lot more... Well Structured one could try to say, the ideas a lot more clear and the action noticeably more developed; it certainly helped that they got a songstress in rising to blare out for the main theme in the critical moment where the new hero is fighting for her goddamn life. All in all a much better time than the first half, salvaging its rating from utter garbage to Decent Enough For Consumption; then again, Crowe's not a film critic and he's not gonna perform a career change now.
"I might still prefer Fire Bomber, but I think I more or less see why Lilium's on the rise, she's got that blare in her singin' - it's solid"
Crowe's thoughts as they got ushered out were noticeably more on the brighter side, perhaps it was the fact he had something that wasn't sugar water currently doing the rounds of his digestive system - or perhaps it was just the actual jump in quality, or maybe it was just the ambience as a whole getting him in a good mood; regardless, the man was feeling better, lightly waving Lianne good luck on her meeting of her idol as he just calmly watched from the corner between the buffet area and the bar - having made sure to use the spare cash to pay his previous drink, and order a new one; the night was young and there was quite a lot of interesting folks around
He'd of course noticed who the two Satellicon members were being watched by earlier, but at the very least - at the very least - it wasn't the subject of his worries, just someone with simillar fashion sense.
<Pose Tracker> Kira Yamato has posed.
"No, you're right, it's strange. The historical stuff is off-base, too -- that's easy to explain as just propaganda. But it's cut so aggressively, it feels like there's something it's trying to avoid saying --"
Kira Yamato's brain is locked in on the presentation of the Mysterious Girl, and her ambiguous position in the narrative - and something tumbles into place, but he hesitates to voice it. He tucks it away, remembering the 3G presence at the Freedom's last deployment, and the recent reports of a 3G casualty...
"I think you might be right. I'm not sure that's the whole story, exactly, but Tarabaman is really popular... It's really focused on the past, but always in a way where we're supposed to like the new, Britannian stuff better. Sure, the old shows are a little silly, but the kids like it..." Kira does frown over that. It seems pretty cold-hearted, the way the old suits and stories got treated. Anya brushing past the group brings Kira back to attention, moving to make sure Flay doesn't stumble too badly. "We should probably do our best to look like we're enjoying the party. If we're just huddled up here it's a little obvious, right?"
For his part, Kira skims over one of the tables of snacks - even if he's also scanning the crowd. Fortunately, things don't get too out of control before the theater opens back up, and he's able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Unfortunately, if the first half was low-key uncomfortable, this is outright tense. It's not, ultimately, surprising to him that a Britannian-sponsored film is so hostile towards Coordinators, but... There's something ugly about how blatant it is. He does, despite himself, find Lilium's character just a little bit charming - and the monster design pretty cute - but it's hard to really enjoy that in the context of everything else. He doesn't actually say anything about it, but if either of his Heliopolis friends look over, it's not hard to spot one of Kira's more crestfallen expressions even as the action ramps up. He thinks about the orphanage kids excitedly playing out scenes from their favorite shows, imagining themselves as heroes...
It's somehow much less charming to think of the children inspired to do the same by this.
By the time the movie is over, all Kira can do is heave a deep sigh into the warm air when he's finally let loose of that dark theater.
<Pose Tracker> Aurora Dusk has posed.
Aurora rubs her head. She doesn't think much of it... except there's some kind of presence in the crowd. A presence she's felt before. Presences? She can't tell like this.
There is one familiar thing she can pick out. That shock of red hair... Is that Flay? ...It's right on the border, but Flay ought to be smarter than this. It's not like she's the only person with hair like that, right? Aurora doesn't chase it up.
Unfortunately, Ashcroft WOULD chase it up. Fortunately, she's currently getting herself a stiff drink next to Minerva.
Aurora sits in her seat, alongside a freshly topped-up Ashcroft, and they resume watching the movie! Receptions are... mixed. It's an exciting spectacle, and Aurora relishes seeing Lilium on the big screen... but the nationalistic vibes are eye-watering, and the editing is extremely questionable. The fight scene with Lilium singing over it is absolutely hype, but Aurora sorely wishes that Lilium got to fight too. Wasn't she a proud soldier too, before becoming an idol?
"Look at this shit. She saves the world and that's good enough for her to earn citizenship in the country she was born in. What is this shit? Who came up with this?" A slightly emboldened Ashcroft waves a gloved hand and continues complaining about her specific political bugbear. "They don't even let the actress watch from the good seats."
Captain Zeon earns a "huh?" from both of them. "I thought the rights for that were in legal limbo?"
The movie ends, and the two join the rest of the entourage filing out.
Lianne tries to approach Lilium, and for some unconnected reason, the ringing in Aurora's head gets louder. Emily gives her a mildly concerned look. Aurora strides over to Lilium... then continues walking, just ahead of her. Something is pulling her towards the crowd.
While doing this, she happens to interpose herself between Lilium and Lianne.
Confident in Aurora's ability to handle herself, Emily makes her way to the bar, mostly undoing her suit jacket as she goes and stowing her sunglasses. The MIB look is snazzy, but she's not totally sure it suits her. She's more comfortable in dress uniforms.
She soon spots someone sitting at the bar, and decides to make her presence known. Crowe is... not quite ambushed, but her footsteps aren't as loud as you'd expect from her height, by an excessively tall woman in her late 30s dressed almost like an MIB. "You like Fire Bomber too?" she asks, swirling the ice in her drink as she takes a seat next to him. "How'd you find the movie?"
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka nods. She can hear Utsumi getting right on it. He's quiet, so she doesn't say anything further for now... But he does raise a good question.
How much can they do, if she's somewhere that would cause a problem?
"...We'll figure something out. That's why I want everyone to be able to put their heads together. If we go in with a plan, we can at least try to... mitigate that." Rikka replies. She knows how tenuous it can be... and she can understand his concerns, too, about people getting trampled underfoot. He can maybe hear how difficult it is for her to have that much restraint.
Rescuing Akane without anyone innocent getting hurt... It'll be difficult. But... they have to try. To trust in their courage - and hers, too.
Rikka continues to watch the stream - and frankly, it feels a little like self-punishment. But if she's reacting this much... she can only imagine what Akane is feel. It's almost cruel.
...And as the movie draws to a close and the livestream cuts to the party, she catches a sight of Akane at the bar.
At the bar.
...She can only imagine what it would take to push her there.
"Akane..." Rikka murmurs. She reaches out toward the screen - but stops herself, partway.
<Pose Tracker> Gauma has posed.
Gauma sees the guards step forward, but he carries on, just like back then. To see her. To part the veil and...
He recognizes the girl, now, when she speaks. He stops and watches for a few precious seconds, then straightens his tie. Those words...they break the spell, somewhat, and he finds himself in an entirely different pickle. He suddenly manages to turn from a man who looked about ready to throw hands with anyone in his path to a service smile. "I guess I was just struck by her fashion," he says with a laugh. Then, to Ms. Arcfeldt: "Sure, let me take you over there, ma'am."
He departs, safely guided away form whatever nonsense he was about to embark on.
THEN FURTHER EVENTS OCCUR. Gauma somehow does not get pulled out back and shot.
He is now at the side of the room staring holes in the walls. That girl...Is that moment what he came here for...he can tell they guard her closely, but they did back then, too. Is this even his problem?
The last one he feels stupid to have even thought.
<Pose Tracker> Lianne Moren has posed.
It's a pretty thick crowd between Lianne and Lilium, but she manages to snake through it smoothly enough. But it still kind of hurts. Bearable, but painful. She's distracted enough by the piercing pain behind her eyes that she damn near runs face first into one of the guards (which would have spilled the drink she was carrying, had she not reacted fast enough! But she saved it last second). She blinks a few times as she regains her footing, before processing that. And then stares at Aurora for a moment more.
[Something about her... seems familiar.] A quiet part of her brain tells her. But she has to ignore that for now, it always comes out when her head hurts. So don't ask who she is. ...Also that would be incredibly suspicious.
"Oh, I'm sorry! That was clumsy of me." she says instead. "Are you alright?"
<Pose Tracker> Crowe Brust has posed.
Crowe would be met with what could only be described as a woman practically as tall as him - if not taller - likely trained and capable of folding him like a beach chair, leaning onto the counter while swirling her drink and waiting for an answer on the most obvious attempt at a conversation hook known to man; and though he was more than aware of what he was getting into, it couldn't be said that mr. Brust here didn't have... thoughts on the film, it exacerbated most of what he disliked about his nation of origin, and celebrated what made him hate the military; regardless, he is anything if not decently honest so-
"Honestly? That was so almost so bad it hurt. After that second half it's simply Unsafe For Consumption"
he looked the woman up and down, expression unchanging from the unimpressed, cordial smile that'd taken the place of any and all sort of stonefaced focus; as far as things went, he was currently just at a social gathering where he could carefully tiptoe around truths with what he knew to do - being generally agreeable.
"And yes, I do like Fire Bomber, their songs got me through basic"
He momentarily paused for a second, taking a quick sip of his gin-tonic before lightly raising his head up towards the lady in a slightly more casual form of a point or a handwave
"What about you, miss; what ill wind dragged you over?"
<Pose Tracker> Flay Allster has posed.
"Ah...!" Flay almost loses her step, as a girl brushes right by her - though she just barely manages to catch her balance. She'd love to tell the girl to watch where she's going, but well... that would be making a scene. "No, it's fi-" She starts to say, and before she can finish her sentence, Anya is already out of earshot. It's only then she recognizes the outfit. They even have a Knight of Round in attendance...? "Geez. I guess she must been in a real hurry here." Flay sighs.
In quick order, they return to the horrors of the film. Getting at least something in her system, even if she didn't actually pick anything alcoholic, does help a little in focusing on the screen in front of her without resorting to her phone. She finds she has a bit more of a clear understanding of what's going on in the second half, at least. "It was like... they were almost building up to something interesting between the characters, right?" She nods, when Kira points out it was missing... something. Like Kira, a lot of her attention ended up on the Mysterious Girl, who always seemed to cause problems that made things work out in the end. "It didn't really pay off the way I was expecting it to, though..."
Kira's explanation of why this movie feels so off makes sense - it's a new version of a beloved series, that doesn't have any respect for the series at all. But the second half of the film takes it to another level. Even someone like Flay, who was raised on plenty of Britannian propaganda, can pick out just how blatantly it is pro-Britannia and anti-Coordinator in its messaging.
And more obviously, she can see just how upset Kira feels about it, even if he tries not to show it too much. Unfortunately, she's not actually sure how she can help him feel better, and falls into an awkward silence as the credits roll, unable to voice her own thoughts on the movie. "...Hey, are either of you still hungry? Why don't we take another look at the snack table?" She suggests, as a way to ease off what they just watched. Maybe they'll catch another glimpse of Lilium, too...
<Pose Tracker> Minerva Ashton has posed.
Minerva watched a near-finished cut of First Generation while working a few nights ago while she was bored. It didn't do anything for her. No disgust, no joy, just- nothing. Honestly, watching it she sincerely wondered why she ever had any interest in this.
So, that leads her to the bar, drinking in silence and solidarity with Frankford. Minerva goes through her second martini, and then starts on her third as Akane sits down.
"Hey, kid," Minerva says, raising her glass to Akane, her words slurred a bit.
"It's bad, right?" she asks, a lopsided smile on her face and a tired look in her eyes. She takes another swig.
/ / / / / / / / / / /
When Second got the panicked call from Utsumi, she signaled Knight right away. The two met up immediately, and Knight. . . Knight is pacing back and forth as every emotion he's ever felt runs through him at once.
She's alive. She's alive. She's alive. She's alive? She's alive. Someone- someone TOOK her.
"We're going to get her. Now," Knight says. They have a location and an ID. There's nothing that should be stopping them.
"Knight, wait- We don't know what kind of security they have, and there are tons of civilians. . ."
"To HELL with that! They have HER!" Knight's heart feels like a bonfire, raging out of control in emotion as he shouts.
"Knight, please- We'll. We'll get her back," Second tells him. She knows how important Akane is to Knight, but they can't be out of control like this - it can only end badly.
<Pose Tracker> Aurora Dusk has posed.
Aurora steps back, just as Lianne almost barges into her. Fortunately, Lianne's drink doesn't spill on her. It would've been inconvenient to have to change into another outfit... and Arcfeldt would bitch if Aurora had to switch to a suit and tie.
Something about Lianne seems familiar to Aurora, as a matter of fact. But she doesn't pay much attention to it. You never know where you've met people before... and her judgement about these things isn't always the best.
"I'm fine," she says quietly, while scanning Lianne for... she's not sure what she expects to find, but not everybody approaches bodyguards with good intentions in mind, and Lianne's vibes are Weird.
Over by the bar, Ashcroft is winding up for a swing! (And hopefully not a miss, but her track record isn't exactly perfect.) She looks expectantly at Crowe.
He answers, and she responds with a light laugh. "Honestly, same. I liked some parts, but the whole thing is..." she waves a gloved hand. "It's very thoroughly flawed. I mean, Area 11 in 0058? Who thought THAT gem up? The Ministry of... Heritage..." She drinks again. Probably not a good idea. "Heritage preservation ministry. I head they were whining about the Eleven seating too. 'Nooo, it's a Threat to our Cultural Identity to have the main actress sit with the rest of the cast!'" Emily adopts a high, whining tone for her imitation of her least-favourite organ of state.
"Oh, me?" She smiles. "I'm working security. It's how I heard the thing with the actress. What about you, handsome? Drinking alone?"
<Pose Tracker> Miriallia Haw has posed.
Once the movie is finally done, and Miriallia's notebook is filled with a scathing review that she's absolutely going to have to tone down when they get back to the Archangel, she is additionally a tiny bit tipsy. Turns out, multiple drinks may have not been the best idea. But still, she can't just turn and leave just yet. Even a little bit more could make this trip entirely worth it. "...Yeah, let's go to the snack table. Hopefully we'll be able to find some access there..." She murmers.
"It's going to be tough turning this review into anything acceptable to publish." Miriallia sighs as she raps the back of her fingers against her notebook. "That was... Uegh. I've never seen anything Tarabaman before, but even I can tell that it's not great. Good to have others thoughts on it though, might make my review a bit more...believable." Technically, she's supposed to be a fan here, to get a fan's perspective. "Though, I don't know how much I really absorbed. The editing was throwing me for a loop."
As Miriallia saddles up next to Kira this time, she gives him a pat on the back. "I'm sorry, Kira. That whole Coordinator aspect was really uncomfortable for me too." She sighs. "Something else I'm gonna have to self-censor on."
<Pose Tracker> Anya Alstreim has posed.
"Good day to you too," Anya nods in response to Cherub-2, and gives another nod to the Dame. "You two work with... Lady Valerie and Carnelia Ga Britannia, right?" she asks. She already knows the answer, obviously, but she at least understands what formalities are a good idea in situations like this. "How are you two liking the movie?" Neither of them are in it, but their charges certainly are, so she'd be surprised if they were anything other than affirmative.
After making sure to grab enough food for two, Anya squeezes her way back to her spot and settles in for the second half of the film. It takes a little bit to get going, but when the action picks up, Anya finds herself getting swept up in the mood of the movie, despite herself, before startling and immediately acting as if she had remained passive and uninterested when she hears a shuffling next to her.
"Pff," the voice says. "Laying it on a bit thick, aren't they? That Lilium has a nice singing voice, though." Anya offers the source of the sound some of the food she had retrieved, and it's taken readily. It's natural for a Britannian film to espouse Britannian ideals, though. She doesn't really see the problem - if anything, she finds Tarabaman Alwin striking, but she keeps that to herself.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" she asks instead.
Gino laughs. "Like you wouldn't believe. In fact, I bet I won't be heading back to base with you after the film."
Anya watches the title card go by. A lot of Britannian companies, as expected. "Good luck with that," she says uninterestedly.
As they step out, Anya makes her way back to the snack table, trying to spot Cherub-2 and Dame Friedasdottir again, and noting once again the presence of the reporter crew she bumped into on her way out the first time. She decides to approach, offering a hand to the redhead she bumped into. "Apologies for bumping into you earlier, I wasn't watching where I was going. I hope you're alright?"
<Pose Tracker> Crowe Brust has posed.
Crowe internally recoiled for a moment, not just at the general talk of Brittanian politics but the fact that this professional security woman just dropped - not just the easiest pickup line in the book, but also the second most common followup for it; and thus the ex-soldier couldn't help but simply answer in the driest tone possible, the light wavering of his grin being turned into a slightly akward smile - the mockery of the estate is more... respectable afterall.
"Though I did come with a companion, she's meeting her idol - and I don't think she's old enough to drink." he took one more small sip of his drink before continuing after a second "It's kinda fucked up right? Also can't say I'm quite drinking alone anymore, for better or worse."
the ever so casual tone he deflected with almost seemed rehearsed, the young man shrugging momentarily before taking off his own coat, placing it half-folded on the counter by his side; As it was, Crowe was very much just another civvie that made it into the premiere one way or another, and though being called handsome did have its little boost in self-steem - it coming from a security officer hired for the event did lessen the effect slightly
"Name's Crowe, by the way, kinda rude not to introduce oneself"
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"Yeah. We'll get there," Utsumi agrees. ... he wonders if he should say he's happy for Rikka; this is still a bad situation, just. Reversibly bad instead of irreversibly bad. It's a complicated thing. He briefly glances to Keita, who... is still on the phone with his wife, who he loves very much.
He glances back at the stream, and sees that big purple hat and veil at the bar. He's not quite as surprised as Rikka is, but he is surprised. "... Man, this sucks. If Gridman were here..." ... He misses Gridman a lot, in moments like these. The clarity was so nice to have, in that moment, even if Utsumi knows better than to cling to it.
"... Hey, I'm at Keita's shop. Do you want me to come over, or pick something up?" Sometimes clarity is in the small kindnesses, not the big ones.
///////////
Gauma backs off when he seemingly recognizes her, in turn. "I get that a lot," Akane says, as she parts from him. ... Maybe something will happen because of it. It's a small hope -- but it is a hope.
Besides -- she has the chance to get some Yamaton 12-year that doesn't have an immediate association with her dad. She accepts her drink and takes a quick swig. ... It's better than she even remembered, honestly, but it's bitter to drink it without her fiancee...
"It's really bad," she agrees with Minerva. "It's not that I don't wanna be here, but..." She laughs nervously, saying, "If I wasn't waiting to watch it with Rikka, I could have spent this time on the new season instead..."
Something gnaws at her gut. She's... gotta... do something. She can feel, in the vaguest sense, some sort of emotional energy converging on her location.
... Another drink. She can't really -- do anything about that.
<Pose Tracker> Lianne Moren has posed.
Lianne doesn't *seem* to be concealing any armaments. She has a modest dark blue (with some yellow accents) dress, and she does have a small handbag but that would have been searched earlier. The eyes though... she seems to be looking over Aurora just as much with those golden eyes. Despite the odd vibes, though, she smiles. "Good to hear! Sorry I wasn't looking where I was going, I was trying to get a good look at Lilium! I haven't managed it all night." She gestures vaguely around them towards all the notably-taller-than-her people.
Something clicks in Lianne's brain. Despite the fact this woman wasn't in a uniform, she carried herself like a soldier. Bodyguard, probably - and these days soldier on Earth basically means Gaia Sabers. Interesting entourage, even one as big as Lilium.
[Watch this one.] The voice said sharply.
"I'm a big fan. It cool to see her act!" she continues the conversation casually instead.
<Pose Tracker> Kira Yamato has posed.
Having his friends rally behind him does visibly pick up Kira's mood. He smiles a bit as Miri admits her review is going to have to be pruned back a lot to make it into public. She's always been so honest. And Flay is being kind in her own way, too. It probably is a good idea to try and shake out this bad mood. He nods. "Yeah. As long as we're here, we might as well try and enjoy something about tonight."
Admittedly, Kira's taste in snacks might be shocking in its own way...
<Pose Tracker> Lilium Valerie has posed.
Lilium, meanwhile, is happily signing posters, records, and Seraphpla boxes--the exact same signature every time, like it was printed on. She's really good at it, apparently...
Her headache is getting worse, though--maybe it has something to do with that girl who's advancing on Aurora?
Move to hide behind Aurora. Blush a little. Rub your forehead and pout. Any other reaction would be weird.
Ehhh...? If you say so?
She does so, wincing slightly at her slowly-worsening headache. She was definitely feeling... something from Lianne. Something that wasn't normal. From Lianne's perspective... if she's sensitive enough, she might percieve some slight ghosting over Lilium. A second copy of her with slightly paler skin and different eyes. "Oh, uhm... sorry, Can I, like, help you..?"
The Knight of Honor and the Major, meanwhile, both politely acknowledge Anya's presence.
"Quite. Although I don't think the lady Major is knighted, as such?" There's no smugness in this statement from the Dame--it's a simple fact, and one that Cherub-2 swiftly affirms. "That's right. Legally speaking, I'm just a regular soldier." she says, despite the sword on her hip.
"It's a fine enough movie. I don't really know much about Tarabaman..." Cherub-2 trails off... but The Knight of Honor, on the other hand, lights up.
"Oh! It was brilliant! Did you see that scene where Tarabaman Alwin strikes Cordinaton with her axe in midair? That wasn't CG! Her Highness Carnelia did that herself! It only took three takes, too!" She grins proudly--clearly she was at least somewhat involved with the production.
Carnelia Ga Britannia herself, incidentally, is talking with Ms. Ashpole and some members of the press about the Captain Zeon Stringer. "Hmh? The legal rights? I am sure they were secured. We wouldn't have been allowed to leave that shot in otherwise, after all--" She's cut off by a notification on Ashpole's phone, and Arcfeldt suddenly appearing behind her looking very pale.
"Lady Carnelia you need to call your lawyers right now call them right now we have a problem we can deal with it but you have to call your lawyers RIGHT NOW--"
...And so, Brigitta excuses herself from the conversation.
<Pose Tracker> Aurora Dusk has posed.
By-the-book they may be, but so far Emi isn't embarassing herself too bad. It could be way worse!
She hasn't even brought the collar out yet.
"Oh? You brought a kid?" This does not deter her in the slightest. "Or, just out of being a kid I guess. I'm watching one myself." Being drunk might be doing her Britannian accent a favor, tastes depending. It adds a smoky undertone reminiscent of a big cat to her voice... "Yeah, it's... you learn to deal with bullshit like that. Just gotta work around the..." She pauses to find the right word. "...douchebags."
If his casual tone is rehearsed, hers is... absolutely not. From the beginning, the decision to approach him was born from drunken spontaneity. Half spontaneous on her end, half prompted by his own coat-doffing, Emi shuffles the jacket off her shoulders, before realising there's no seat to catch it for her and barely catching it before it hits the floor. She slings it over her left shoulder and loosens her tie. Then, she rubs a gloved hand across her forehead. "I've been working like a dog. Gonna feel that in the morning..."
"My apologies." She smiles as charmingly as she can manage. A bit of teeth slips through that smile. "Emily." She almost offers her hand to shake, reflexively, but aborts midway through, turning it into a vague gesture. "You cut a good figure in that outfit, by the way."
Meanwhile, Aurora is having a grand old time with Lianne! Inspection doesn't appear to reveal concealed weapons... but it wouldn't reveal them for Aurora, either, so that doesn't prove her innocence. The dark blue and gold is an interesting choice... it matches Aurora a little too closely. Weird coincidence.
"Yeah, it's nice to see her in a movie." Aurora does not clarify that Lilium was the main thing the movie had going for it. "I hope you enjoyed it."
Lilium sidles up behind Aurora, hiding behind her. She's blushing, and rubbing her forehead, and pouting... Aurora turns to Lilium. "Are you okay?" She gives her a concerned look.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka nods. They'll get there. She has to believe that. This is... a better situation than they had just a few days ago, at least. They know she's alive and they have a good idea where she is...
For now, that's good enough.
Utsumi brings up Gridman, though... and Rikka cracks a fond, nostalgic smile.
"...Yeah." She replies. She's not sure how much he could help, because he'd run into the same problems they're finding themselves looking at...
...But it'd still be nice to have him around.
She goes quiet... but, she's surprised when he makes an offer. She hesitates. For a moment, she's inclined to tell him he doesn't have to do anything...
...But he asked. So...
"...Uh... you could bring some food or something over, if you want. Don't go out of your way, though." Rikka replies... and after a brief moment of hesitation, "...Thanks."
<Pose Tracker> Crowe Brust has posed.
Crowe here was ever so slightly embarrassed for a moment, the assumption of bringing a "kid" with him almost making it seem like he's Lianne's dad or some such shite, the akward chuckle that accompanied his settling in a bit more a lot less rehearsed; the spontaneous nature of it all made it noticeably more... tolerable than most other situations, but that might have just been the alcohol flowing through his blood after barely eating solid for a long while.
"Thanks, my boss helped me pick it out, bit tight around the neck, but I've worn worse"
he was noticeably just trying to keep things to casual conversation, as stunning as Emily might have probably seemed to most, Crowe didn't really have any interest whatsoever - though that was more of a general thing regarding women, not just the guard herself, she'd been decently polite so far afterall.
"Working like a dog is certainly something I can get behind; god bless my cousin for pulling me along, Lilium super fan - but I'm the driver" He paused momentarily before taking one more sip out of his glass, the noticeable melting of the ice slowly dulling the taste of the alcohol itself "Safe to say I ain't driving now though, at least I'm in responsible company, cheers"
he raised his glass momentarily in a light bit of manners, general politeness and enjoyment of the good drink
<Pose Tracker> Lianne Moren has posed.
"It had pretty good effects, and Lilium's song really added a ton!" Lianne says brightly. Best to stick to what she can say nice things about. "I liked-" Lianne abruptly cuts off as she sees Lilium herself slide up behind Aurora. Oh she's *right* there. If Lianne hadn't already clocked Aurora as a bodyguard Lilium would be close enough to ask for a handshake or something!
"O-Oh, hi! I was, j-just wondering, uh, autograph...?" She trails off, realizing that Lilium is wincing. "Oh gosh, are you alright...?"
No she's not. Of course she's not. People don't Feel Like That when they're okay. People don't give you a splitting headache when you look at them if they're okay. Lianne feels part of herself kind of slipping as she almost thinks she's seeing double, but she shakes it off. Focus up. Is this... something's weird. Seriously seriously weird. "I'm Lianne- I. Um. It's fine if you're too tired, today must have been a lot, it's just cool to actually meet you..." Lianne's rambling, but keeps her mind together enough to offer Lilium (or maybe more Aurora) the out.
<Pose Tracker> Aurora Dusk has posed.
"Cousin, huh?" Emi continues drinking. "I don't think I'm driving either." Maybe the drinking has something to do with that.
And on Aurora's end: she's mostly concerned with Lilium's health.
<Pose Tracker> Minerva Ashton has posed.
Minerva lifts her martini in a toast alongside Akane.
"To bad movies!" she says drunkenly.
Minerva finishes the rest of her glass and props her head up with her elbows on the bar. The bartender gives her an annoyed look, but definitely will get fired if he tells her to stop.
It's been a long night for both of them, and while neither of them really know the gears turning around them, there's a small feeling, just of learned intuition, that this is the last awkward, painful, human moment they'll share together.
It is more dramatic than robot love, that's for sure.
<Pose Tracker> Crowe Brust has posed.
Crowe would lean back for a moment to take a look at the situation over by Lianne and company, finishing his remaining gin in practically one sip and shaking around momentarily to keep himself awake before dropping in any payment he had yet to give the poor bartender and picking up his jacket
"'twas a pleasure, miss Emily; Please make sure she doesn't go too far off the mark, mr. bartender, thank you"
With that said, Crowe would carefully stagger his way out of the bar while putting his jacket on, approaching the gaggle of idol, bodyguards and Lianne before very carefully trying to call the attention of his comrade - the light alcoholic blush on the debtor's expression and slightly effusive gestures noticeably giving an excuse to detatch off and leg it if things had gotten uncomfortable; something which quickly stopped as he got within "the bodyguards are going to sock me in the face" range, in its stead being a quick wave
"I Hope Lianne here's not been causing you any trouble, madam Lilium; pa-pardon the slurring, just had a nice drink with yer coworker over there" He momentarily played the part of the slightly irresponsible older accompaniment if not just trying to make sure things didn't implode in on themselves, a simple out ready for any group to take and defuse things before they even had the chance to raise tensions
<Pose Tracker> Lilium Valerie has posed.
Lilium manages to force her headache back down. She flashes that smile again--she's fine!
Although now that Lianne isn't seeing a photo of it... it looks pretty different. Her almost-vacant eyes stare just past the strange girl on the other side of Aurora, a sense of curiosity in them.
This girl... something's off about her. Don't think too hard--she can probably tell.
Oooh, okay!
Audible only to Lilium, and maybe the particularly psychically-sensitive, is a faint sigh.
"It's great to meet you too, Lianne!" Lilium says, automatically. "I can keep going a little while longer, though~!" She flashes a v-sign, winking with one eye and giving a faint giggle. Practice. Rehearsed. Reflexive.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Utsumi offers Rikka a quick, "Be there soon," before signing off; he needs a little time to wrap things up on his own end. He's not exactly at a dead sprint to the Takarada-Shinjo household, here.
About an hour in, Rikka gets two texts. One is from Utsumi saying he's a little behind schedule, caught in traffic.
The other is from Marusan.
> I am so sorry. I get if you don't want to talk, though.
<Pose Tracker> Lianne Moren has posed.
Lianne nods a little too quickly, but that's proooobably excitement at meeting an idol. She does the v-sign back! "C-Congratulations on the movie!" She says. "I hope I get to see your next concert!" Time to take the opportunity Crowe is giving her for a smooth exit, because the nerves of actual-excitement and oh-that's-concerning are mixing in uncomfortable ways real fast. She kind of wishes the intel gathering part of the op was going a little worse, honestly...
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"Alright." Rikka replies with a nod. She stands up. ...It doesn't feel like there's that much more reason to continue staring at the screen, so she shuts her laptop for now. She stands up -
- and an hour later, she gets two texts. One from Utsumi... and one from Marusan. So he reached out to her, too...
She hesitates for a moment, staring at the text on the screen, but before long...
> It's alright. I can't blame you.
> I think I'd like that.
They're both hurting, but it doesn't have to stay that way.