2022-09-08: Diamond Crevasse

• Log: 2022-09-08 Diamond Crevasse
• Cast: Sheryl Nome, Grace O'Connor, Lina Lombardi, Alto Saotome, Milly Ashford, Ranka Lee, Rikka Takarada, Emilia Eschonbach
• Where: Nuovo Venezia, Italy (AEU)
• OOC - IC Date: September 8, 0096 (2022)
• Summary: After finishing filming for the upcoming music video for Diamond Crevasse, Sheryl and several of her fans have a fine dinner and lively conversation.

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<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        About a month ago, Sheryl Nome announced a contest among her fans to join her for the filming of the music video of Diamond Crevasse. One online purchase of her new song, Glittering Summer, merited one entry into said contest--as long as one put one's info in, of course. There were a few barriers like that to prevent cheating, like permission from one's guardian in the case of a minor winning. But certain minors weren't ever going to get permission from their official guardian, so a few loopholes were taken advantage of...
        
        Now the five winners have been flown out to Nuovo Venezia in Italy. The name means Neo Venice, and it isn't called Neo Venice because it isn't a Neo Colony in space but an artificial Earthside island, specifically a reconstruction of the ancient waterborne city. The romance of it was perfect for a music video in Sheryl's opinion, so while it didn't make the cut for the tour, she's had her sights set on it for a while for something--and that something is now.
        
        There isn't any space for extras wandering around in the background--it's Sheryl, a child actress, and a trained cat--but Rikka, Lina, Emilia, and Milly are all welcome to watch and chat amongst themselves as the filming goes on. (But not Rena, despite being one of the contest winners; something came up and she wasn't able to make it. She'll get a special prize instead to make up for it.) Sheryl's bodyguards are present too, as well as a certain Nergal intern, and naturally Sheryl's manager is around organizing everything. When the filming is all done on the last day (scenes of gondolas on the river, scenes in a massive church, scenes in and over the city and scenes of Sheryl playing the piano all abound, as well as a scene of a perfectly-flung paper airplane), it's at last time for everyone to head over to a certain local restaurant, which has been reserved in its entirety for Sheryl, her crew and her guests. (Sadly, the child actress isn't here, it being past her bedtime. Sheryl will share some quality time with her later.)
        
        It's an elegant yet understated place, too. Fine enough to require nice dress, but not so uptight that it requires tuxedos, it's lit with candles and lamps to create an intimate glow. While the entire restaurant is reserved for the crew to everyone has a chance to eat, Sheryl and her guests, conveniently including one of her bodyguards and that one certain intern (Rena not being able to show means Ranka gets to have her seat), are set up in a private outdoor back room so they can dine under the stars. Bread and olive oil have already been served, everyone's main order has been taken, and everyone's got a glass of something bubbly yet non-alcoholic in hand--unless of course they chose to order a different kind of drink. Sheryl herself, dressed in a silken sleeveless red dress not unlike the glittering gown she'd worn in the music video, laughs at some joke someone just made.
        
        "Still, a Fairy's work is never done," she says, flipping a manicured hand through her long strawberry blonde curls. Her iconic crystal drop earring sways and glitters in the torchlight. "After this, I'm heading back to Japan to judge a certain other contest." She flashes Milly in particular a knowing smile. "Right~?"

<Pose Tracker> Grace O'Connor has posed.

    Naturally when one references Sheryl's manager, they mean Grace. She is after all the only manager that the Galactic Fairy has ever been known to have. And while it might seem like it would be necessary for more individuals to come on board to help manage the schedule and needs of such a luminescent star! Luckily for Sheryl though, Grace is a VERY talented woman in her own regard. Honestly at times it seems like she can be in two places at once...

    ... perhaps it's best to not overthink that last bit.

    During the filming Grace was the one most present with those guests that could make it to the behind the films experience of the shooting. Thus her role is to play hostess while still spinning the various plates required for her managerial duties. If any of the group had a burning desire, whether that be food or drink, or perhaps even some (non-trade secret) questions regarding how certain effects are achieved, Grace would politely answer all of them.

    That said there is one thing which she is entirely silent upon: The story behind the video that is accompanying the song. To that she will give a knowing smile, but respond gently that the inspiration behind Sheryl's creations are for her to decide to share or not and leave it at that.

    Once the filming is finished, it is time to move everyone to the local restaurant. Now less hostess and more a herder of cats, Grace still shows a preternatural level of unflappable... well... grace. The entire restaurant was reserved (no expenses needed to be spared!) and the entire crew is getting to enjoy some of Nuovo Venezia's fine cuisine. Sheryl's manager leads the group through the crowded restaurant, and allows the maitre d'hotel to open up the entrance to the outdoor back room.

    Once the guests are seated, Grace will take her position standing behind Sheryl at the end of the table. She was the one who made the reservations of course, and while there was a brief discussion (and possibly some light protest), it was ultimately her choice to not take part in the meal. Nor is she even wearing anything special for this occassion - just her typical dark green business dress. After all... this event is all about Sheryl and making her appear as resplendant as possible before the contest winners. This is meant to be a night to remember...

...and who wants to be distracted by some random old manager?

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

Two weeks ago, after the attack on Luna II...

"TRAITOR! DIRTY TRAITOR!" Alina Pride pounded her wrench against the frame of Lina's Variable Fighter with each word. Perhaps it wasn't in Lina's best interest to break the news while her technician was fixing her unit up after her last scuffle. The pilot grabbed at Alina's arm and tried to hold her back as best she could.

"Ally, calm down! It wasn't like I was TRYING to win the contest! I only sent in one postcard!"

"I SENT IN TWENTY FIVE!" The mousy technician screeched, echoing through the hangar, but her body relaxing. "First you get to see Sheryl in concert, NOW you get to meet her in person! It's not fair!"

"If you remember, there was a kaiju attack at that concert, so I don't consider that a win." After making sure Alina was no longer a threat to herself, her jet, or others, she gently pat the shorter woman's shoulders. "Look, I'll get you an autograph, okay? 'Sides, I know you already have plans that night."

"I would have cancelled...but alright, Lina. Geez..."

And so it was that Lina found herself in Nuovo Venezia, face to face with a spherewide celebrity. The island was only a couple of hours out from the Tuscany area where she grew up, so she wasn't entirely unfamiliar with the area, something that definitely helped the nerves. Flying full speed into a battlefield is one thing, but meeting a pop star? That definitely takes the right stuff. For the filming of the music video, she's dressed in her usual casual garb, hands in her jacket pockets as she looks around at the equipment as much as allowed.

"Wow, pretty keen." Lina had never really had a girl's childhood dream of being a world famous starlet, her gaze had always been cast towards the shadow of her father, but for just a second, she entertained the thought of being a movie star or something and softly chuckles to herself.

At the restaurant later that night, Lina had changed into her usual black-tie attire, a not-too-fancy, frankly-kinda-cheap, but-does-the-job red suit and her hair tied back. While non-alcoholic champagne was offered, Lina was in Italy and had a brand to uphold! She had asked the restaurant if they had a bottle of Lombardi Custom, knowing that the wine wasn't too common outside of Tuscany, but luckily they had a bottle of 0080 in their cellar. Lina gladly paid a little bit extra to get a glass of the red and was currently giving it a soft swirl, taking extra care to appear like she knew exactly what she was doing with the wine, even if she knew a bit less than a winery heiress probably should.

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        It's unusual for a bodyguard to be actively participating as a guest in his client's dinner party. Usually they're expected to just stand off to the side, possibly even out of sight. Perhaps this is yet another display of the generosity of the Galactic Fairy. Or perhaps Sheryl has a special connection to this particular bodyguard. No, no, it's obviously the first one.

        Regardless, Alto probably would have preferred to be the out-of-sight bodyguard. As the alternative is needing to dress up in a nice dark blue jacket and tie affair. And sit at a table with Sheryl and a bunch of her female fans and chatting for what will likely be a few hours.

        Unfortunately, Alto's spine is not quite as strong enough as Grace's when it comes to rejecting Sheryl's 'requests'.

        So it is that after watching over Sheryl and the group as they moved about the city doing shoots-Alto has to admit that they looked pretty good. The final product will likely turn out great, especially that scene with the paper airplane-Alto is now dressed up and seated at the dinner table, listening to Sheryl talk about an a certain other contest. One which Alto is well aware of.

        Alto does briefly speak up, "Sorry again that I won't be able to make that. SMS has me tasked on something else around that time. Can't be helped." Funny, he doesn't sound sorry.

<Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.

The flight is uneventful, in exactly the way Milly likes it; she's a little surprised to find how many of the winners she knows, though. (Part of her is happy to have a little extra time to spend with Emilia... or at least to avoid throwing her in the Chaos Blonde Shark Tank fully alone.)

She's delighted to see the production process; part of her has always been curious how filming actually goes, since she's heard that the Macross Fleets are extremely efficient when it comes to cultural productions. In spite of herself, she's taking notes.

By the time they get to dinner, Milly -- clad in a deep purple dress of a style popular in mainland Britannia -- gestures back at Sheryl with a breadstick. It's a little rude, but she's a Britannian abroad, that's how it works. "Yep! That's pretty soon, actually. We're just two days out now~" She takes a bite of breadstick and spends a little time thinking about that, glancing over to the wine. She should probably set a good example, even though there's actually nothing stopping her from getting a glass of something a little more adult...

When Alto mentions he can't make that, Milly gives him a once-over and notes, "Hm. I'm not sure whether to be unhappy about that, or glad we've got a fair competition."

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.

The visuals of the set during the filming are something that kept Ranka spellbound... the child actress in particular. There were moments when during filming, Ranka just looked a bit overwhelmed, and had to excuse herself. Though she always came back smiling.

However those who were looking might notice some tell tale signs that she was...

If anyone asked about it though, she'd just say she always gets this way during Diamond Crevasse. Is that really all it was though?

At the local restaurant, Ranka is wearing the dress, the one the Ashford girls might know as the 'Three Nyan-Nyan Paycheck' dress from Never have I ever. Though it's one she's worn regularly enough for Sheryl events. The pink nearly sleeveless dress with the V neck, a tasteful bow, accented with both black and white. Black hose, and a pair of darker pink flats. She has on a matching pink beret with a bow as well.

Honestly she didn't expect a seat at the table, but with a last minute cancellation, who would refuse??? Certainly not her!

"Oh I'm looking forward to that! I can't wait to see what you're like as a judge Sheryl." That causes a thought though, as she looks around the table, perhaps Emilia in particular, "Is anyone here participating in the contest?"

Alto though? Ranka gives him a guileless look as he suggests the SMS has assigned him to something and he can't make it, seemingly believing him 100% and thinking he's being unfairly picked on, again, "Is my brother being overbearing after that incident on Frontier? I could try talking to him..."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka was going to purchase Glittering Summer no matter what, but the fact that there was a contest involved to join Sheryl for filming guaranteed that she did so right away. She didn't think she'd win, but she'd be lying if she had said she didn't experience a sort of nervous excitement in the back of her mind in the days leading up to the announcement of the contest winners.

But... she won! It was enough to steal her breath away and force her to sit down for a moment. Fortunately, it was easy enough to get permission from her mom - and she even helped her pick out some outfits for the occasion, since she didn't quite have anything suitable for a more upscale location.

The flight was nice... and watching the filming was quite enlightening. It's really quite incredible to see everything that goes into the production. But with that done, it's time for dinner. ...It's a little intimidating, almost - she's not really used to places like this unless it's with her class. ...Still, there are people she knows here.

Today's outfit is a nice, white and black dress with splashes of orange(similar in color to the scrunchie with a bird in flight she always wears around her wrist) around the elbows and near the bottom of the skirt with matching heels. For her drink, she has a nice tea - a fancier variety than what she's used, taking advantage of the situation. Bubbly beverages have never quite sat well with her.

"I'm impressed you can find time to do everything." Rikka comments, as Sheryl points out that her work is never done. A certain other contest, though... Rikka knows exactly what that means. She looks toward Milly, then. "Two days left already, huh..."

It's not that she isn't prepared or looking forward to it... there's just always a bit of nervousness. Especially since this is her first time signing up for something like that. Ranka asks if anyone here is participating, though, so Rikka raises a hand.

"I am." She confirms. "I'm a little nervous, but I'm kind of looking forward to it..."

...She looks over to Alto, then, as Milly comments and follows suit in giving him a quick look-over. She hates to say it, but Milly is probably right... if he were to give it his all, she's not sure anyone could beat him.

<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.

        ABOUT A MONTH AGO

        Emilia had stayed up watching that talk show and then to purchase Glittering Summer as soon as possible. The competition details gave her pause. She would never, ever get Grandfather's permission. ...But she could say she did, right? After all... It's not like she was going to win.

        NOW

        Emilia had still been utterly shocked to find out she had won when she arrived- but it was a good break from the work for GUTS. Being on set, too, was an interesting experience. Seeing her favourite Sheryl song performed- or sometimes even mimed- in bits and out of order was. Odd. But it was also breathtaking and exhausting and fascinatng and unique. It would be fair to say Emilia was enraptured. Something about the child actresses costuming, though...

        She would also be occasionally distracted worrying about Ranka, but she often does in these situations.

        What had been the biggest surprise was Grace providing a dress- they'd looked at a few before she found one that she thought suited. So it is that Emilia arrives in a newly-delivered off-the-shoulder Robin's Egg Blue dress that just reaches her knees and hugs close except for its skirt, and a very light cream shawl over her shoulders. Her locket is around her neck as always, sitting just below the cut of the dress.

        Emmy is, of course, nervous. How could she not be? Her soda (with a straw she's not risking spilling it with *this* dress) sits barely touch. Sheryl brings up the contest, and it's talk of the table. And Ranka's eyes feel like they're boring into her. Emmy raises her hand slightly. "I-I am, too." She looks to Rikka, thoughtfully. She'll be strong. And Alto... Hm. He certainly has the looks for it. "U-um, please don't h-hesitate to a-ask if you n-need anything for it," she says to Rikka. "I-I'll be helping with m-makeup b-between my rounds, and th-the clubs w-wardrobe is open." She looks away again. She sheels she's said too much already. Quietly, she picks up her drink and sips through the straw.

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        There was indeed a brief disagreement (hardly an argument!) about whether Grace would join the table or not... but when Grace insisted, Sheryl relented and let her watch over the proceedings. This is an event for the fans. Ranka taking up an empty seat is already one thing, and it's stretching it even more to have Alto, who's supposed to be here as one of her bodyguards, sitting at the table. There was no convincing Brera at all; he's no doubt stalking the interior and perimeter of the restaurant as they speak. (Maybe he'll pass by a couple times in the background.)
        
        Still, it's fine. They're all here to have a good time. Sheryl doesn't say anything about the story behind the music video, at least during the recording, and she doesn't say anything when Ranka has to excuse herself a few times. Even Sheryl Nome knows how to be discreet. For now, she smiles at Rikka as she comments on her finding the time for everything.
        
        "I have Grace to thank for that," she replies, nodding over her shoulder at her manager. "When it comes to her work, she's a real Wonder Woman!" Sheryl privately suspects that Grace might have rigged the contest a bit--it kind of stretches the imagination to have four out of the five winners be people she knows--but she's been discreet on that point, too. She hardly minds, after all. "Oh, and I've actually been wondering, Rikka--that boy you were with the other day at the beach, the redhead... Was that your boyfriend?"
        
        She rolls her eyes when Alto speaks up to say he won't be able to make that other contest, then smirks. "I don't remember saying I was expecting you there. Did you have that particular contest on the mind for some reason, Alto~?" She giggles and adds, "Just kidding! As a contact worker, naturally you've got your own things going on."
        
        That said, she grins mischievously as Milly comments on Alto's considerable looks. "Right~? It wouldn't be fair to the other participants. Maybe if he were judging instead of me!" She turns that grin to Ranka as she comments on that. "I'll be sure to make the wait worth it."
        
        Then Ranka, precious girl that she is, assumes that Alto would want to go. Sheryl laughs again, this time with a bit of a (playfully) wicked air. "Ooh, Ranka coming to the rescue? Maybe you should've joined up, Ranka, if you're going to play the prince!"
        
        (At least she didn't call Alto a 'princess.' For all her teasing, after the recent conversation they had, Sheryl's more careful to tread lightly on that particular nickname.)
        
        Sheryl then looks in interest over at Emilia as she stammers that she'll be helping with the make-up as well as competing. That's pretty generous of spirit in her opinion, to help her competitors out. But it looks like she feels self-conscious about it, so Sheryl opts not to point it out. Instead, she focuses on something else she's been curious about: specifically, Lina's bottle of red and the glass of it she's swirling.
        
        So, re-crossing her legs and leaning forward to rest her chin on one hand, she remarks, "Say, Lina, I noticed that bottle you ordered had your name on it, literally. Is that a coincidence, or do you have some interesting stories to tell the table?"

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

Lina perks up and glances over at Sheryl, taking a sip from her glass and placing it down with a smirk. "Oh, I don't know about interesting stories, but you're correct, this is my name. The Custom comes from a winery over in Tuscany that's been in my family for a few generations. It used to be a lot more common, but the One Year War drove a lot of the wine industry into the colonies, and our groves were in rough shape for a good while. It's coming back, but right now it's incredibly hard to find outside of Italy. We still only have so many vines growing." Lina found it funny that she was having dinner with a big idol and the topic of conversation had started with herself.

"If you wanted to visit the grove sometime, I'm sure my uncle would be pleased to host you. But I'm rambling a bit, I'm sure we didn't all buy your single to hear a fighter pilot talk about wine."

<Pose Tracker> Grace O'Connor has posed.

    Most assuredly, Brera is a good boy and is doing good boy things. Such things include: Skulking, stalking, scowling, and occasionally squashing (bugs usually, but Grace isn't too picky on that point). It's especially helpful for her that he is not stuck in this room. That way he can serve as her eyes and ears, allowing her to maintain a closer eyes on the going-ons of the environs and the events going on inside. Not that she's expecting much to be happening... but Grace has had a life full of things not going quite the way she expects.

    It's perhaps for the reason that she was paying attention to what was going outside of the room... that she acts shocked with what happens inside of it. Grace blinks as Sheryl gestures to her, and calls her out as a real Wonder Woman. She can only give an uncomfortable half smile - the look of a woman not used to sharing the spotlight with her protege, even in rather secluded events like this one. "Ah... Sheryl is too kind. Really... my job was more just to make sure there wasn't any cheating going on in the contest. Sheryl DOES have some... enthusiastic fans. And more than a few that seem to know their way around a database!" Grace blinks again suddenly, as if suddenly realizing she might be going on too long, and then looking a bit abashed finishes by saying: "Anyway, I just hope you're all able to enjoy tonight's celebration."

    Once again she attempts to slide back into the background. When Emilia arrives wearing the new dress she helped her buy. She had an expense account and several tailoring services retained just for this sort of happenstance, after all. Not everyone who enters has the sort of access to quality garments! And it wouldn't do for one of the contest winners to have to sit out the dinner, one of the mainline attractions of the prize, due to a technicality like that. It was bad enough that Rena was not able to make it, after all.

    Approaching Emilia after she takes her seat, Grace leans over her and asks politely. "Is the dress to your liking, Emilia? Please do not hesitate to speak up if anything is too tight or too loose. After all, since it's going home with you, it wouldn't do for it to be poorly tailored, hmm?"

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        Alto gives Milly a bit of a stare in return for the 'fair competition' remark, not looking amused. But otherwise says nothing about it. He'd probably never hear the end of it if he was rude to one of Sheryl's guests at an event like this.

        But as Ranka proceeds to suggest that maybe she should talk to her brother about it, Alto quickly raises his hands, "No, no, it's fine! Just part of the job. There's no need for you to get involved or anything." The last thing he needs is Ranka speaking to the Major about him. Alto already notices the occasional disapproving stare whenever Major Lee is reminded of the connection Alto has to Ranka. Plus there's always the possibility that she'd succeed too...

        As Rikka speaks up about being one of those participating and being nervous about it, Alto takes a moment to glance over her in return. Then tries to offer some casual reassurement with, "I think you'll do fine. It's just a matter of choosing the right theme to fit your frame."

        Sheryl also gets a stare similar to Milly. He doesn't take the bait though, instead turning the conversation around a bit to ask, "I assume you're also going to be dressing up for it, even if you're not participating?"

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.

Emilia's dress causes Ranka to give her a look of wonder, as if trying to figure out if it was her own doing, Milly's or -

"You always do. You've never disappointed." Ranka's eyes veritably sparkle with delight as Sheryl says she'll make the wait worth it, before giving Grace a small wave as she responds to Sheryl's praise. Ranka seems delighted that Rikka AND Emilia are both participating, "Wow! I'll definitely be cheering you both on."

-Grace's appearance confirms who is responsible for it. And Ranka smiles and mouths her way a 'Thank you.' -thanking her for taking care of her friend.

Alto's reaction gives Ranka this curious look at first like 'Are you sure?'

However, Sheryl's remark at first makes her flush with pleasure before she begins to look baffled, 'Prince?' She mouths. Then looks sidelong at Emilia, like she doesn't get it. Slowly, she takes out her Salamander phone, and squishes into it below the level of the table. As the holo screen for GUTs events comes up.

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Ranka's hair abruptly leaps as she comes across the Cross-dressing part of the event, as she turns red. And realizes the gaffe she just made given the big favor Alto just did her.

(Poor girl has been so focused on her upcoming school concert she's barely checked into the other events.)

"Um! Ah. Yes. Yes. Alto is right, I shouldn't... try to interfere too much in this." As she visibly shrinks in her seat. "It is his job after all, he's... a hard worker."

She feels like she just wants to RUN AND HIDE right now.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Emilia says that she'll be participating too, so Rikka looks her way. She seems a little nervous... and so, Rikka offers her an encouraging smile.

"Oh, you too? Let's both do our best, then, okay?" Rikka replies. "...And, thanks - I might take you up on that, actually."

She's a little surprised that Alto has some advice for her but she listens appreciatively, nodding along as she does.

"That's good to keep in mind, actually... Thanks." She replies gratefully. She has a few ideas already, but that'll help her narrow it all down. Ranka says she'll be cheering her and Emilia on, so she sends her a smile. "Thanks!"

Sheryl comments that she has Grace to thank for finding time, and so Rikka looks her way. Was that the manager Akane told her about, the one that scored her those passes...?

"I imagine... she must be really good at her job." Rikka comments. And when Grace says she hopes they'll be able to enjoy tonight's celebration, Rikka nods. "I will, and... thanks for arranging everything."

And then, Sheryl has a question for her. It's unexpected, but Rikka doesn't seem embarrassed by it or anything.

"Oh, you mean Hibiki? I didn't realise it might've looked that way..." Rikka replies, then shakes her head. "Yuta's a great guy, and pretty reliable... but, we're just friends."

She looks briefly interested, then, as Sheryl asks Lina about the wine. An heiress and a pilot, huh? That's interesting. ...Rikka hopes this isn't boring for her, stuck here with a bunch of teenagers.

<Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.

Milly notes the stare in response. She notes the reaction and resolves to use it as effectively as possible. (Effectively for what? What indeed.)

Sheryl spotting the wine before Milly does embarrasses her a bit -- she's used to being observant, but then, sometimes she does miss things. She turns to face Lina a little more directly, and says, "I might be interested in a trip like that, actually! I'm not an expert on wine or anything, but I should probably learn."

Her eyes widen briefly as she hears that the dress is going home with Emilia, though, and she gets a touch distracted. "That's very generous of you," Milly says, though she doesn't dwell on it too much... That draws her attention a little more directly to Emilia. Helping with makeup? Her makeup was always on point, at least -- it gets her thinking a little more, but not about anything particular just yet.

Taking a drink of her soda, Milly glances to Ranka, then to Alto, then to Ranka again. ... Hm, something there...?

-- No, it's relationship talk! Milly raises an eyebrow at Rikka, saying, "It can get a little ambiguous at these big events, especially when it's between schools like this. Most of us don't know the dynamics at other schools."

<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.

        Emilia is very glad she has put down her drink when she says the dress is going home with her. "It's l-l-lovely, th-thank you. The m-measurements are p-perfect." Her hand touches her locket instinctively- as she often does when she's worried. Grace is being awfully nice to her right now but she still remembers what she was like to Ranka at the concert.

        Emmy does notice Milly's attention on her, and she blushes a little before looking down. She picks up her soda again to take a sip, before looking at Ranka who is sinking in her chair. Emmy knows what it is to not want to be observed. She takes what is for her, a risky move.

        "S-s-some Ashford students th-think they can just... Win with m-m-money. I d-d-d-don't know all the critera, b-but. I w-w-want everyone to have as m-m-much confidence as p-possible going in. A-and if I can l-limit an unfair advantage. I will."

        It's so rare Emmy takes a stand like this, especially openly in unknown company. Partially uninvited. And ever so subtly, she gives a tiny smile to Ranka. She'll draw aggro this time.

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        "Hmmm... So it's a rarity right now, huh? Here's hoping your family's vineyards recover," Sheryl says to Lina with sympathy. The offer to have her visit the grove gets a laugh, though. "I wish I had the time for it! But I have to leave tomorrow and I don't know when I'll be back in the region again. Still..." She looks over her shoulder again. "Grace, make sure to order a few bottles before we go, all right? I'm sure it'll be a treat to taste once I'm old enough--and it'll be a nice reminder, too."
        
        So Grace was trying to prevent cheating, hm? Sheryl keeps a smirk off her face. She's not sure how much she believes that, but she'll let that be the story. Instead, she says, "There you go, being modest again, Grace! Give yourself a little credit once in a while. After all, you're the manager of the Sheryl Nome!" (Maybe she can take pride in her work enough for the both of them.)
        
        It's a good thing that Alto isn't rude to one of her guests. Sheryl can let his scowly little glare slide, but he is reflecting on her right now. It's why she doesn't push that particular matter too hard, instead smiling back at his question. "Was there ever any doubt? I'm going to be performing a song for the opening, and it would be boring to not dress up."
        
        She puffs up as Ranka declares she's never disappointed, but when she expresses her confusion... and then pulls up her Salamander... and then blushes as her hair leaps... Sheryl leans her chin back on her hand, smiling. "You're adorable," she informs her with deep, rich, fond amusement. (And maybe that'll be enough to cut whatever tension might arise between Ranka and Alto for her gaffe. Sometimes you just have to laugh your way through.)
        
        Being a judge for the pageant in two days, Sheryl doesn't ask after those who will be competing, at least on that particular matter. She expects she'll see what Rikka and Emilia have got when they take to the stage. Instead, she gives thoughtful consideration to what Emilia says about wanting to make sure everyone has a fair chance at winning and to limit unfair advantages where she can. "Good for you," she says with an approving nod. "You seem like a shrinking violet at first, but you've actually got a lot of conviction, don't you?" Her smile widens. "I look forward to seeing how you bring that to the stage."
        
        Meanwhile, Rikka casually dismisses the idea that Yuta might be her boyfriend. That makes her feelings on that count quite clear. Poor Yuta, Sheryl reflects as she takes a long sip of her drink. Milly suggests it's just a matter of not knowing the dynamics of other schools, and that's true enough, but...
        
        "Hmm... What about Akane?" she wonders as she sets her champagne flute down, deliberately leaving what she means by that vague. How Rikka reacts will be revealing in its own right.

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

As the rest of the table discusses some contest or another, Lina takes another deep sip of her wine. Sounds like some kind of school function. She couldn't help but feel a bit awkward, being the only one at the table who wasn't familiar with everyone else and also being the oldest person there. It wasn't weird for a 27 year old to like Sheryl Nome!

Lina listens in on the conversation, only barely following along. A pageant, huh? She let her mind wander to similar things she had done in her childhood, from high school proms to sneaking out after curfew at the military academy. None of that was that long ago, but it felt like an eternity away.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka listens as Emilia explains her reasoning, how she wants everyone to have as much confidence as possible and even the playing field. That gets a lot of respect from Rikka.

"I like that. If that's the case, I'll definitely have to do my best." Rikka says with a nod. She didn't think about the possibility of people being able to try and win with money. It would be nice to be able to rub their faces in it...

...But at the same time, it feels like going into it with that kind of mindset would be bad for her performance. That's not why she wanted to enter the pageant in the first place, after all - it wasn't even about winning, really.

"That's true, I guess I didn't think about that..." Rikka admits, as Milly points out that most people don't know the relationship dynamics at other schools. It's something she's still not used to having to think about. ...And, that's when Sheryl Nome, her favorite celebrity, asks the most terrifying question she could have asked at this very moment(well, perhaps not the most terrifying - Sheryl is quite clever, after all).

In contrast to her casual reaction to the question about Yuta, when Sheryl brings up Akane, Rikka kind of freezes for a moment. If she were drinking at the time, she undoubtedly would have sputtered on it. It's enough of a shock that she doesn't even think to question what brought Sheryl to asking about Akane specifically.

"I-I don't know what you mean..." Rikka replies, not quite able to meet Sheryl's eyes and most likely fooling approximately no one.

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.

Unfortunately for Emilia she believes fully that Grace and Emilia are getting along. Even if she notices Emilia feels nervous, nervous enough that she's grasping the locket? Maybe she's just being self conscious? That's something she can relate to.

More gratefully though is that she seems to understand that Emilia is drawing attention, as she breathes a sigh of relief, even as Sheryl says... 'You're adorable.' With such rich amusement.

And Ranka turns just, even redder, as a hand is raised to hide her mouth, "Aha... Sheryl..."

Because she's smiling, so big. As embarrassed as she is, just the thought Sheryl enjoys just - who she is, takes the edge off of it in another way.

After a moment though she responds to Emilia's resolution, "That's very admirable. I think... I think that people who go into the contest thinking they can impress Sheryl with... how much they spent on it are going to fall flat, at least."

The question to Rikka though gets her attention instantly, because... she mostly knows Akane as just the girl from the concert who talked to Grace? Ranka gives Rikka a look of wonder, wondering if there's something to Sheryl's intuition there.

<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.

        Emmy does look a bit embarrassed by Sheryl's comments. "I-I..." She pauses. "S-S-Sometimes." Those convictions are hard to speak. But she's getting better. Stronger. "It... t-took me a while. T-to find m-my voice." She looks around the table. "Some friends... helped me find it." What are the odds-

        Emilia pauses. What *are* the odds? If she knew sales of Glittering Summer, even assuming only 80% entered... It's too big to work out in her head. She'll save it for later.

        Emmy looks down. "Britannians th-think... Some b-bad things." She doesn't want to expound, or bring up her Grandfather. Instead, Emmy sees that big smile on Ranka's face. Of course. Emilia could never compete, huh? She sags ever so slightly, and goes to her drink.

        "I hope the people of the PLANTs don't have to think about it." She still has an ideal of space that isn't there. And then Rikka has her moment of emotion. Emmy wonders if... Quietly she leans over to say something quietly to Rikka.

        "G-g-good luck."

It's at least earnest.

<Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.

Emilia's impassioned words get a smile from Milly. She's getting a little bolder -- has a few more convictions... it's nice to see. Another sign among several that it was worth it to stay behind for the moment -- even if she wasn't exactly aiming at helping people as her primary reason to stay behind.

Then Sheryl deploys some secret knowledge of Rikka that she has. Milly... takes a moment to consider the sputter it prompts, and a mischievous look spreads across her face in short order -- though she doesn't press too hard, she thinks she has a couple of conclusions to draw.

She notices Lina's silence, though, and decides to give her another little nudge, while Emmy says something to Rikka. "How'd you get into Sheryl?" she asks, idly.

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        Nothing wrong with being a 27-year-old fan of Sheryl Nome, but it's understandable that one might feel out of place when everyone else at the table is a teenager. Even Grace isn't actually at the table, even more so when she goes off to speak to the maitre d' about getting a couple bottles of Lombardi wine wrapped to go for a couple of years from now. Still, if Lina wants to sit back and listen, she's free to--while Milly's free to try again to strike up a conversation with her.
        
        "Hmmmm..." Sheryl's tone is knowing as she smiles cat-like at Rikka's sudden stammering at the mention of Akane. However, rather than tease her, she instead loftily says, "Well, if you say so."
        
        So Rikka feels the same way about Akane... That poor girl. Both of them, she thinks, taking another sip of her bubbly. ...Maybe it's that sympathy that stays her claws, not that she wants to shred a nice girl like Rikka anyway. Sheryl knows well, as she glances Alto's way, what it's like to not be able to just say how you feel.
        
        But at least Ranka's feeling a bit better about herself. There's always something so uplifting about how much that girl admires her, in her pleased embarrassment, in her so-broad smile.
        
        She chuckles a bit as Ranka weighs in on how Sheryl wouldn't be impressed by just a price tag and takes another sip, but doesn't weigh in. Instead, as she sets her glass down, she focuses back on Emilia. "You're a lot like Ranka, aren't you?" she comments. "It's no wonder you two are such good friends." Her friendly smile fades at the mention of Britannians. "So I've noticed," she says with diplomatic neutrality. (Sheryl is, after all, a colony girl--and she knows keenly well what it's like to live in a society that cares nothing for the weak and helpless within it.)
        
        She smiles again at the mention of the PLANTs, but... well, Sheryl hasn't gotten as much of a chance as she'd like to spend time there. She's been meaning to do a concert on the Moon, but maybe it'd be a good idea to talk to Grace about doing a proper tour of the space colonies.
        
        A waiter will then come by to top off everyone's side waters if needed and tell them dinner will be out shortly.

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

Lina snaps out of her haze, looking over at Milly and finishing off her glass. "Well, my technician was already a big fan of hers, and she asked me a while back to pick her up some merch from her last tour. And well, I guess between hearing Universal Bunny all the time in the hangar and actually seeing her live, I kinda became a fan myself. She actually nearly had a fit when I won this contest over her." She idly scratches her cheek and lets out a half-exhale, half-chuckle. "Honestly feels kinda weird, everyone here being a teenager except me, heh."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

A cat-like smile from Sheryl, a mischievous look from Milly, and a look of wonder from Ranka... It's clear to Rikka that she's already been figured out but thankfully, the reactions seem at least mostly positive, if ominous. And, thankfully, no one presses her on it, either.

...It's for the best - it's kind of a heavy topic to bring up at an event that's meant to be a celebration. And Emilia, sitting next to her, leans over with an earnest wish of support.

"...Thanks." Rikka replies, offering her a nod and a slight smile. She's probably going to need it.

But thankfully, it sounds like dinner will be arriving soon.

"Oh, nice, I'm looking forward to this..." Rikka says, perking up. The rest of the night seems like it'll prove to be just as exciting!