2023-11-08: A Sparkle of Princesses
- Log: 2023-11-08 A Sparkle of Princesses
- Cast: Sheryl Nome, Ranka Lee, Yurikano de Metrio Lu, Laffinty Fin E Ld Si, Izo, Kirius, and Array (NPCed by Yurika Misumaru)
- Where: The Nadesico, Gallia IV
- OOC - IC Date: November 8, 2023 (UC 0098)
- Summary: Several princesses, of blood and of song, gather to get to know each other better.
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
The eternal twilight of Gallia IV makes for a dramatic backdrop for a personal suite. While this trip isn't about Sheryl, Sheryl does travel in style, and she has some roomy personal space available for herself on the Nadesico. It even has a panorama window view! (Part of the view might actually be a hologram.)
The inside is spacious: there's a main room for entertaining guests, a bathroom, and a private bedroom. The window spans from the living room to the bedroom so both can enjoy that view, though of course one can't see into the bedroom. The living room has a pair of couches; a coffee table; a couple of plush chairs; a wall TV with built-in stereo system; shelving for movies and music discs and various other musical and writing goods, some of which are set on the coffee table; various posters of Sheryl and Sheryl's inspirations, such as Fire Bomber and Sharon Apple; a wall piano; a light-up mini-fridge stocked with lots of refreshing drinks; and lighting that can be turned cool or warm depending on the time of day. The bathroom is spacious, including a shower stall, toilet, mirror and sink, sleekly cleaned and polished.
What's the bedroom itself like, you ask? Hmm... Wouldn't you like to know~?
Sheryl is entertaining a guest now, as it happens. Ranka is a close friend of hers, and with both of them on this mission, it's easier to find the time to hang out. Sheryl's seated on one of the couches; Ranka might be across from her or next to her, depending on her own preferences.
Sheryl herself is dressed in a common casual outfit of hers: a blue dress that tucks up at the top of her thighs and crinkles around her legs, short in front and longer in back. Up top, it drapes over a white puff-sleeved high-necked blouse, and below, over a white petticoat skirt. A matching blue beret tops her strawberry blonde locks, while a pink bow ties at her throat; a couple of round pins latch onto its left side. White gloves drape up almost to her elbows, a thick gold bangle circling her left wrist, while soft tan platform-heeled boots reach just under her knees. Naturally, she has her iconic drop earring too, which sways at her right earlobe. It has a certain weight it didn't used to... but for now, Sheryl leaves it be, smiling at Ranka as they chat.
"I've invited Laffinty and Yurikano over, actually!" she's in the middle of saying. "Laffinty in particular seems like she could really use a chance to relax and have some fun. She always looks so serious--" She leans in conspiratorially close, raising one hand as if they might actually have to worry about someone listening in. "And that aide of hers looks so sketchy!" She smiles mischievously and winks. "He ought to take some lessons from Grace on personal presentation, honestly!"
She sits back upright with a giggle. "And if it hits... you are our other songstress! I thought it'd be fun to have you join us~."
A knock tap-taps at the door then. A couple of seconds later, Brera opens the door. He knows Sheryl and Ranka are decent; he scanned the room on the way over. He technically does not have permission for this. He just won't mention that part. "The Princesses and their entourage have arrived," he announces, his affect flat as ever, his red eyes hidden behind mirrored panorama shades.
"Ooh, perfect timing! Thank you, Brera~!" Sheryl calls, waving jauntily to him and whomever might be behind him. "Come right in!"
<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
Ranka herself, in contrast is in her old St. Maria's Uniform with blue bow, red trimmed sailor collar and skirt, which is how Sheryl and her originally met. It is perhaps strange to anyone who knows her well, since she doesn't go to school there anymore.
Perhaps the hint is the tiny pad in her pocket...
Ranka was all smiles, the moment she mentions that she invited the pair over though, her hair leaps, "Wait you have!? Right now?"
Both hands briefly move over her mouth as she takes a moment to consider how best to present herself for the pair of Space Princesses.
Yet the moment that Sheryl keeps going on about Lafinnity she looks thoughtful, "Yeah I've never met anyone quite like her. I can only imagine how much she carries on shoulders."
As she mentions the sketchiness of her aide, Ranka balls up her hands nodding emphatically in agreement, "I could never trust a guy like that." Ranka leans in to whisper, "I feel like he's always looking at me even though I've never seen his eyes?" A beat, "Creepy."
Ranka smiles at her, and drawls out quietly, "Wellll... I suppose." Ranka is still getting used to the idea she's a celebrity idol now. Her hand moves to her pocket, "... I was working on something as a result of... our experiences here."
She flips through her pad to the end of it, "Maybe they'd enjoy talking shop on it? But... just knowing there was a school here too, so far away from where we came from, with people our age having similar struggles..."
A tiny smile, "It was a little inspirational, actually."
As Sheryl calls to Brera, Ranka immediately sits up straighter and greets them as they arrive, "It's good see you both again! How are you enjoying the Nadesico so far? Can I get either of you anything, something to drink maybe...?"
... Oh no the spirit of hospitality made her forget she's not the Nadesico's intern anymore.
<Pose Tracker> Yurikano de Metrio Lu has posed.
Yurikano was never one to not entertain the notion of other guests. Invitations and official meetings of royal importance were something that she was always basically required to attend; even without any sort of power in her position, the mere appearance of her was a statement in of itself. That, and the Zuvorg Council loved having the hanger-ons just to implicitly show their power by seating arrangements...But enough about that!
Still, to accept the invitation...Red tape was peeled in the background, schedules understood, the sort of protective understanding that Yurikano herself had to go through (even if she couldn't imagine what Lan's own process was) to be able to step onto the Nadesico. A pilot's eye wandering about, taking in the sights of the ship while led along by Brera. The same usual outfit, dressed prim and proper but still agile enough, if need be. (Whether its a uniform or not is left to the crew's discretion.)
It's not like she needed much of an excuse to be amicable to the on-board crew. A wave here, an eyebrow there, and just being the social butterfly she is before being led into the suite proper. No interplanetary incidents today!
"Yo~ Good concert, Sheryl~ Good to see you too, Ranka~" A light wave towards the two, nodding towards Lan before she took her seat proper. "The Nadesico is...Bigger than expected, honestly~? That's what you need for a long voyage, but the crew looks to be in pretty good shape." A low whistle as she brushed her hair back. "I'll take a juice. Any flavor."
<Pose Tracker> Yurika Misumaru has posed.
Yurikano and Lan, as Literal Princesses, have obvious standing to be dignitaries of their respective nations to the Nadesico. They have a damn good reason to be here.
Yurikano's juniors at the academy - a little less so! They wouldn't be, since they have their own training regimens - and two of them could barely care either way. But - the moment Yurikano said she was going to the Nadesico...
"You absolutely must take us. We'll be forever in your debt."
Aaaand that's how following Yurikano along, raising their hand at Brera's security check -
"Seriously, man? 'In your debt?' Don't say that kinda crap on our behalf..." Izo Sofiro Karia Los, the brash and hot-headed one, has his arms folded behind his head, clicking his tongue at the security, staring off boredly in the distance, trying to be anywhere but here.
"Whatever she asks you to do, I'm not paying. You dragged us into this, you're in our debt too." Array Danon Ci isn't even giving as much of a care as Izo - he's firmly absorbed in playing a rail shooter on his handheld, eyes glued unfailingly to the screen.
...It's the third member of their troupe that has the most determination in his eyes. A hand at his heart, his breathing a little too steady. His posture a little too formal and practiced. His poise is impeccably formal, as befits the most diligent warriors of Le Garite, upholding all of their traditions in etiquette - but for what? Why here?
Stepping with militant diligence, that clear-eyed blue haired student steps right past the last check, and stares directly into Sheryl's eyes. "...The Galactic Fairy, Sheryl Nome. ...I came all this way to pay my respects. ...My name is Kirius. Kirius Rakus Lestrine Ha. ...You are nothing more than an inspiration to all of us, and a warrior poet must pay his respects. ...Eternity and Infinity, especially, moved me to my very soul on a most fateful day. That passionate plea to embrace goodbyes, to embrace affections - the hope, after the despondence of the first song, into the accepting care of the second - never did a more beautiful song fall from even the most practiced lyres of Le Garite. I am honored. One day, I will return the pure feelings in your song to my planet."
...Kirius is just a little bit twitchy saying that. It's clear he's rehearsed this to himself over and over. Stuck in a formal, hand at his chest posture, he's unmoving until further notice-
"...Uuuuuuh, I'll have a juice too. Oy, Yurikano. Laffinty. ...You two following this guy with all this? Tch. I'm sure idols don't wanna hear too much overly flowery praise..." Izo, embarrassed on both his and Array's behalf, sips his juice placidly and parks his posture leaning against a table, giving a little more of an analytical look to Ranka. "...Er. I swear I saw you at that concert, but are you an idol? Just kinda assumed given you were pals with Sheryl here..."
<Pose Tracker> Laffinty Fin E Ld Si has posed.
It is very important that Laffinty be here. It was made very clear that she is in some critical ways essentially at the head of the charge, the highest ranking person involved here in the Polyhedron intervention. Nonetheless, nobody seemed particularly worried when she told Moid she'd attend a meeting with Sheryl. Indeed, even he himself saw fit to let her explore the ship unaccompanied: "The crew of the vessel have demonstrated well enough intent, and you'll be with the gentlemen from De Metrio. I should like to take in a few sights on behalf of the King."
'a few sights' may include doing things to their dinner service that should by rights cause a war all on its own.
Lan arrives in the 'travel' clothes she's adopted - a concealing cloak that ends about her waist, and under it, a sleeveless leotard paired with a white thigh-high stocking of sorts. When she enters, she foists the cloak off on Array, because he looks the most like someone who does anything asked of him if you do it expectantly.
"Yes," she agrees, serious-faced. Her pale lavender eyes cut around the room with a curious interest, but she returns back to Sheryl and Ranka soon, nodding. "It's a remarkable vessel."
Ah. refreshments. "Water is fine, please."
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
"Of course! When else but now?" Sheryl replies with her usual brazen confidence. "That's when you'd be here!"
...She probably could have stood to tell Ranka that sooner, but then, it's clear from her own ensemble that she isn't intending for this to be a super-formal affair. She knows what it's like to be so far removed from normal society that you have trouble making friends; she'd like Laffinty to experience a bit of that normalcy too. ...you know. With a pair of ultra-popular songstresses and a fellow princess. Totally normal.
"She reminds me a little of Ruri, the way she acts... but Ruri has a lot of friends that she can relax around, too," Sheryl remarks, pressing a finger to her chin. "Maybe Laffinty has someone like that already, but you never know."
Ranka agrees that Moid is hella creepy. Sheryl nods decisively, eyes sparkling. But gossiping about fox-eyed creeps isn't that interesting compared to music, and when Ranka says she's been working on a new something, Sheryl leans in with interest. "Ohh? Let me see!"
She's right about there being a school here of all places being inspirational. Sheryl didn't get much time to look around, having been focused on her concert, but she did at least get a basic tour.
The knock comes at the door then, and Sheryl calls her guests in while Ranka offers to get them something to drink. Sheryl shoots her an amused look, but lets her do so if she wants. And, in fact: "I'll have a sparkling water, Ranka." Yurikano's praise gets her a grin. "Of course! Sheryl Nome never disappoints," she boasts, flipping her hair. To her and Lan both, she adds, "The Nadesico's a fine ship, and her crew is a lot of fun. They've done transportation for me lots of times."
So many times that, well, she has her own quarters. No doubt Grace worked out the details ages ago.
But that's a separate matter, especially as Yurikano's underlings walk in after Brera's security check. Two of them seem to not care at all about whose presence they're in, but the third... the instant Sheryl happens to glance his way, Kirius is staring straight into her eyes, ramrod-straight, and waxing poetic about what a huge fan of hers she is. Sheryl isn't expecting it specifically, but she's frequently stopped by fans, and so she smiles for him. It isn't faked, any more than his rehearsed words are; she genuinely enjoys hearing about how her art has moved others' hearts, and this one has a lot of specific things to say.
"You have excellent taste," she praises him once he's done, tapping one gloved finger on her cheek. "If you do, I'll look forward to touring on your planet one day." Izo might be embarrassed on his behalf, but: "Oh, it's fine, as long as he means it," she adds to him, shooting a wink to Lan.
"So what did you think of the concert, Laffinty?" she asks, getting right to the point. "You said before you didn't have a lot of preferences about music. Has that changed?"
<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
"... It's hard to say, Ruri was a lot more closed off when I met her but, we bonded over music...?"
Ranka immediately rises to meet Yurikano's request, even as her juniors start to speak. She gives a glance towards Sheryl as if to ask if it's okay, before moving to the mini fridge.
She's halfway there when Kirius approaches Sheryl.
Her hair leaps on both sides, "So passionate...!" She gives Sheryl a fond smile, "That's Sheryl alright. Her songs have touched so many where we're from in a similar way."
Ranka then busies herself with the fridge, grabbing a water for Lan, then another juice for Izo and pouring it. She's just straightened up when Izo asks her question...!
She blinks those big red puppy dog eyes in a state of dissonance between her actions and her current position, the consummate once waitress, once intern with two glasses of juice, a water and a sparkling water balanced in her hands.
Izo seems more confused than anything, but there is a touch of a challenge in that, isn't there? That she belongs in the same room as Sheryl, whether she's an idol at all.
And so, Ranka begins to sing, an ethereal, yearning melody even in the acoustics of this room without the benefit of the melody playing, as she approaches Lan.
"For your fragile heart, I'll give you one of my many names
"Hold it dear, for it calls me to your side
"So in return could I request just one of your few words
"One that doesn't convey 'good-bye'?"
In that same moment, she hands Lan her water, before turning to Yurikano, on the approach with her juice.
"The light forms particles, then shines out in waves
"You take the form of a bird, then soar into space."
There's a slight flourish in her turn, before she steps towards Izo, smiling at him as she holds out his juice.
"There we were, always together
"That day when all life was in harmony
"Your smile bound my soul in chains, and at the same time, set it free."
Then, turning a 180 so that her back is to him, as if displaying the mood of traveling further away, she heads towards Sheryl last of all, as their hostess, her voice becoming more and more mournful in it's conveyance of the feelings of the song.
"How I wish we could still be together
"But no matter how I voiced my longing to the air
"It would not reach you, now so far from me
"Shall I go, all alone, on an azure journey?"
Do her eyes linger momentarily on Lan in that moment? It's hard to say. At the end of that verse, she turns, cants her head at Izo, the smile still on her face, "I'm Ranka Lee, they call me the Super Dimension Cinderella back where we came from. I just debuted earlier this year, so I'm not as experienced as Sheryl."
Her smile brightens in that moment, becoming more toothy in those tiny fangs showing, "But I do hope that while I'm here you'll find something to enjoy in my music, just like you have hers."
<Pose Tracker> Yurikano de Metrio Lu has posed.
She doesn't try to interrupt Kirius's own spiel towards SHeryl. Only a knowing smile as she leaned back on the couch, streeeetching and watching the happy show. Izo's dragged along, Array is also dragged along, and hell, she wasn't going to say no to such an easy request. MIght be nice to get them out of their comfort zone.
"I kinda get it, though not as flowery..." Izo's question is easily answered. "If I had to say, her songs-" A gesture and a nod at Sheryl. "- have the person in them. It's no wonder Kirius's a fan now! Maybe you should try for an autograph next concert." A goal for the future!
"Transportation...Just planetside, or elsewhere?" A genuine question of wonderment; Just how far has humanity gone in the many years away?
Though, she's wisely staying silent at Ranka's sudden song. Watching with a curious eye, twinkling as the princess listened. Oh, its good, its good...
"Galactic Fairy and Super Dimension Cinderella...Somehow, theatrical naming seems to be in humanity's blood!"
<Pose Tracker> Laffinty Fin E Ld Si has posed.
Lan is a tough girl to read, serious-minded with an inevitably peculiar outlook. Still...
She looks to Sheryl's question first. "...'Lan' is fine," she says. Nobody actually calls her Laffinty unless they want her to sit up straighter.
Izo's question gets her to look at him, then at Kirius, then at Sheryl. "...it was a good concert," she agrees, seriously. "We mostly don't have such spectacle to performances I've been to on Le Garite."
"I enjoyed the music," she says, matter of factly, without much else to it.
But then, it's Ranka singing, and Lan watches her with a curious thoughtfulness. It takes her a few moments before a small, fragile smile crosses her face, nodding. She's a serious girl, after all. "I see. That was talented." ...what else is there to say, really... she fiddles with her water, but looks up when Yurikano puts her own thought in. "Indeed," she agrees.
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
Sheryl only smiles in satisfaction, a faint but distinct 'ufu~' on her breath, as Yurikano follows up on Izo and Kirius'. She makes no remark, promise, or offer on an autograph; Kirius will have to display the nerve to ask for it himself. Instead, she looks thoughtfully at Laffinty--or rather... "Lan, then," she replies, smiling. "And you can just call me Sheryl." Not that Lan has really given her much direct address so far, but still.
"All over the Earth and its surrounding colonies, all the way to its Moon," Sheryl clarifies to Yurikano of transportation. "I'd like to tour farther than that sometime--and technically, I am!" She winks at Yurikano and the boys. "I started going to school to learn to fly, though, and my first year, I split that between my work as a songstress. Not a good idea." She shrugs in a what-can-you-do? sort of way. "So this year, I'm actually on hiatus so I can focus on school. This whole trip? Actually was supposed to be a field trip to rake in some flight hours." She grins wryly. "But in the end, what I am is a singer."
She's put genuine effort into learning to fly, to the point that she's surprised Grace and Alto and others multiple times... and while she does enjoy flying, she can't say the same about combat. Singing really is what suits Sheryl best. After her recent concert, she feels that more than ever. That doesn't necessarily mean she has to give up on flying, though--just look at Fire Bomber. Regardless, it's something she'll have to discuss with her scholastic advisor when she gets back.
Singing might suit her best, but Sheryl Nome is no quitter. She'll make some use of her flight schooling, one way or another.
Ranka's own position gets pulled into question; in response, even as she serves everyone their requested drinks, Ranka breaks into smooth, yearning song. Sheryl quiets to listen too, shutting her eyes to better take in the sound. She lifts her hand to accept her bottled water as Ranka approaches, opening one eye to wink at her as her lips tug up into a deeper smile. To prove you're a songstress with unhesitating song... She really did spot a diamond in the rough when she met Ranka two years ago.
But the point, right now, is what Lan got out of the recent concert--out of music in general. She seems rather subdued about it, but then, she sees subdued about things in general. It's hard for Sheryl to tell if she's not that into it, or if this is just how she is.
"Hmmm... Then would you like to try your hand at making your own music?" she suggests. "The spectacle is fun, and absolutely one of my selling points, but the real heart of music comes from the passion you pour into creating it. Lyrics that convey what's in your heart, melodies that stirs other people's souls, and the vocals that bind them both together for an unforgettable experience." Her smile grows as she briefly, knowingly catches Yurikano and Ranka's eyes. "What kind of experience would you like to create, Lan?"
The first one a simple yes or no question; the second, far more complex. Still, that initial question is a gateway. They have the materials they need to make it happen right here. If Lan's just being polite and not actually that interested, or if she means it but she doesn't actually want to make music, then they can all shrug it off and move on from there. However, if she is interested in constructing a song, then they can get to work right this instant... while Lan figures out the answer to the second question.
Even if Lan just ends up providing a general inspiration while Sheryl and Ranka (and, perhaps, Yurikano) work out the song and lyrics, surely it'll still be worthwhile--a first step on a path to an even greater experience sometime in the future.
<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
As Sheryl talks to Yurikano about transportation, Ranka gives a small shrug as she adds, "Weirdly I don't even really consider the Earthsphere my home. The Macross fleets? They were once... all over, before they got recalled."
She doesn't even truly know where she was born, perhaps here? She's not sure...
"This is the only trip outside of our solar system for years."
A smile as they respond, to Yurikano she replies on the theatrical naming, "It's sort of a reference, to an old fairy tale and to another idol that's very important to our history."
There's this, shy shrug, "I'm definitely not up on her level yet, but if they're calling me that - then -" She balls up her fists, "-I'll try my best to make it there!"
And indeed, as Lan gives her subdued response, Ranka nods, "Thank you. It was really Sheryl who found me long ago... encouraged me because I had talent." She smiles at her, "I wouldn't have realized otherwise... that my music could reach other people."
Perhaps there's an implication there, soft, and light, as Sheryl suggests they try their hand at making music.
Catching her eye, there's a smile, as she tries to take on an encouraging tone, as if to coax her to putting herself out there, perhaps understanding how difficult it might be, "Inspiration often comes from unlikely things. So... even if you're not sure, think of something that... calls to you. Some image from every day life, or a memory."
And indeed, she settles back and waits to see how Lan responds but...
<Pose Tracker> Yurikano de Metrio Lu has posed.
There's only a smile while watching Kirius's own reaction, the upright, proud, Extremely In Line With Royal Procedure Man merely nod at Sheryl's response. The boys have already settled into the back, rowdy people as they were. As it turns out, minor threats of Multi-day training regimens are good for keeping people in line, even if Izo's grumbling away and Array is already lost in his rail shooter.
"Earth and moon..." Her recollection matches up with general knowledge, nodding in pure affirmation. Listening, raising an eyebrow, her body language completely relaxed in the company of two idols, a princess with higher standing and her fox-evoking companion, and three boys who were dragged along for life experiences. "Some sort of field trip it turned out to be." Gut feelings were never wrong. "I wish we had more about the Vajra, but what's been given to you is all we really know, so far as my position is concerned." A tap on her own chin. "But, singing and school? Sounds haaaaard..." Says the Princess abroad. Privilege!? "Though, if you're going to school, you're going for something, right? Like what, like what? Something singing related, I bet. Musical postsecondary? Or just striking it out after you get your service in?" A simple question to Sheryl.
"So you've all spread outwards even further. Mhm, mhm. So that means...I wonder if we have any other records. Probably not, before you get your hopes up." Still, to not consider Earth your home, and coming from Earth...The politician side of her works out that it's probably, most certainly much more complicated than first conceptialized.
It's tenuous logic, but the similar sort of 'teach children into specialization' ideaology should still apply! Mostly.
"Oooh, old fairy tales...Cinderella, Cinderella...I can't say I've heard of that one before. Maybe there's something similar? Fairy, fairy..." Muttering to herself before shaking her head.
A simple sip of her juice. There's nothing she has to say, or can say for a question that only Lan could answer. There's a shrug towards Moid; What can you do in this sort of situation? To just be the support and help guide someone along for an artistic venture or two.
Her fingers drum along the glass, a steady rhythm, a steady beat. Array jumps for joy. He's beaten another level, even as Izo grumbles while watching. Kirius...is doing his best to both be present and invisible.
<Pose Tracker> Laffinty Fin E Ld Si has posed.
"I see," Lan says, quietly, as Sheryl reflects on how she got to this point. Although Sheryl's rather cavalier about it, something strikes a cord for Lan, the pale girl's eyes darting away to think. "In the end...it's tough to get away from where you come from," she murmurs, some weighty thought in the back of her head.
Moid is pleased to be thought of but is out in the cafeteria making the cooks regret their life decisions right now. Yurikano AND all of her goons are here! Nothing could possibly go wrong!
The question catches Lan by surprise, not least because it requires thinking about her beyond an object that walks when psychically pressured. She blinks at Sheryl like she got asked to run through the base naked. "I," she says, a little startled. "Uhm."
Her eyes turn down. "Fairy tale," she murmurs, answering Ranka's question with a surprisingly glum mood.
"Uhm. I think...I'm fine listening," is her final answer. The thought is too strange to get much traction for the princess.
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
"I've gotten fond of the Earthsphere over the past couple years, but I'm a lot the same way," Sheryl says, glancing at Ranka. "But I can't go back to my home right now."
The Frontier has been a wonderful home-away-from-home, and the Earth has been very welcoming too, but Sheryl's home is Galaxy... for better or worse.
While her expression darkens as she thinks of that, Yurikano brings up the Vajra. "...That's the other reason I came along," she says, eyebrows furrowed, smile gone. "I won't forgive the Vajra for what they've done." She affects a little shrug, sweeping one gloved hand to the side. "...So if that info you gave us was all you had, it's fine. It's better than nothing."
She shakes her head then and reasserts a smile for the others. "Lynn Minmay--the Legendary Songstress," Sheryl adds in, on the reference to another idol. "She was mentioned in the concert's opener, you might remember. "She stopped the Zentraedi War with her song alone."
This is not actually true--the Zentraedi War was stopped with Minmay's song, and a whole lot of raw firepower that tore through the Zentraedi ships while they were paralyzed from culture shock--but that's how the legend is sold, thanks to the movie based on those events.
Her mood lifts back up further when Ranka credits Sheryl for where she is now. She's quite pleased with herself for having discovered Ranka, and that remains true despite any other more complicated feelings she might have for her. Likewise, she'll let Ranka handle any explanations of fairies and fairy tale princesses. Who knows? Maybe both of them will discover Lan, right here and now!
...Lan is a princess herself, though, so. It's not really quite the same.
Yurikano's take on being a singer and a student gets a theatrical sigh. "It is! Don't you dare ask Alto about how I've been doing. He was an ace in the pilot program too until he graduated last year, and he's seen all sorts of embarrassing moments of mine." Which, to some, might as well be an invitation to seek him out for that hot, hot tea. Is Yurikano one of those kinds of people? They'll just have to see.
What is she planning to do with that schooling, though? Sheryl maintains her smile, but her eyes lid. She takes a moment to drink deep of her bottled water, then twists the cap back on. "I mentioned before I had a grudge against the Vajra. Originally, I wanted to take them out--learn to fight and wipe them out. They destroyed my home ship, after all," she says with a steely matter-of-factness. A slight smile softens her features as Lan weighs in on home. ...She gets it. Sheryl can only speculate on what kind of complicated feelings Lan must have about her own homeland, especially as a princess rather than a pauper, but... it feels like she gets it.
Consequently, she lowers her gaze. "...But it turns out I don't have the killer instinct for fighting. I got caught up in a warzone earlier this year. Alto got me out of there alive, but it was a close thing." She unfolds and refolds her legs, raising her chin. "So I'm thinking now maybe something closer to Fire Bomber--ah, that's another famous music group in Macross history. Their leader, Basara, was famous for going out into active battlefields in a VF and interrupting the fighting with his song." Sheryl slides on a wry smile. "So I might just take cues from him and Minmay both."
Lan stares at her, thoroughly startled by the invitation. Sheryl tilts her head and raises her eyebrows at her in a silent 'well?' Lan decides to just listen; Sheryl nods in acceptance. Maybe it was too much, too soon after all.
But--
"Then you can hang out while we work on something. Be grateful! I hardly ever do this kind of service for my fans," Sheryl teases, winking as she raises a finger to her lips. She looks over to Ranka as she rises to her feet and sets the water bottle on the coffee table. "What do you say, Ranka? Are you in the mood of a collab?"
She'll cross over to the wall piano either way, pulling up the wooden cover to practice a flourishing scales. She shoots a grin to Yurikano then. "What kind of song would you like to hear, Yurikano? Think carefully! You might not ever get this chance again!"
As for Kirius and the others, Brera maintains a stony vigil over both the three of them and any potential threats that may approach from outside. Brera is a diligant young man.
<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
Ranka nods in agreement with Sheryl about the Vajra, "They're... terrifying, and as we found out, they killed..." That word for some reason is difficult for her, she has to stutter out another, "... killed a lot of people here."
She can understand why Sheryl wouldn't forgive them for that. And indeed, there's a quiet... "Sheryl..." As she speaks about how to learn to fight, and wipe them all out. Her fingertips perhaps play at her skirt some as she comprehends that.
As Yurikano talks about other records. Ranka gives her a look of perhaps some intensity, "If you could look anyway, we'd appreciate it. People from Earth were here before... and it's important to both of us to find out everything we can about that."
Yet as she shifts to focus on Cinderella and old fairy tales...
"It's a story about a girl coming from humble beginnings and- through diligence, a good heart, and the help from a guardian fairy."
She perhaps looks Sheryl out of her eye at that moment, "Attracts the eye of a Prince, and marries to become her Kingdom's Princess. I'm sure you have stories like that where you come from!"
She is perhaps NOT Cinderella in certain senses, she's definitely not married, or a Princess BUT - the rest? She can at least UNDERSTAND why people applied the title to her...
Lan's answer though...? Ranka blinks, and thinks about it, is Lan answering because... it's a genuine answer, is it a subject she has a troubled history with? Or...
"Well I have a song like that, I can share later. But right now... we're here to talk about writing, creating!"
She does NOT spill the secret when Sheryl says she hardly ever does this, though she has to hide her mouth in her hands and has a small snerk at her wink.
Dropping her hands, she says, "Absolutely." As she steps up to the piano
There's a smile, as she then follows up on Sheryl's question to Yurikano with... "Your wish... will be our command!" As she adds a sort of fairy tale flourish and her Kira pose... to the idea of them singing whatever song she'd like to hear.
<Pose Tracker> Yurikano de Metrio Lu has posed.
Both of them...The reasons quickly click in her head, silently taking another small sip of juice. That explains a bit. That explains more than a bit for both of them. That explains the feelings behind the concerts, though not so arrogant as to presume she learned someone completely. But a new facet of an idol, of a person behind the showmanship...Something to be treasured, in a sense.
"Of course, I'll make sure to twist what gears I can in some people I know. There's a few lazy people back home, they need to be stared at a bit for them to work." A second look wouldn't hurt, especially with the additional information at hand. Macross Fleets and Vajra movements. Anything could help. Sheryl's own intonations are easy to discern, sweeping it aside in her mind. Ranka's plea only reinforces that notion; People have their own battles, but it'd be remiss of oneself to not help however possible.
"With the power of song alone?" It's a farfetched thing to think about...Wait, maybe not that farfetched. Her eyes flicker towards Lan for a second, closing her eyes and sighing. "...Possible." She's taking it at face value!? "Emotions do have a proper way of entrancing people."
Though, Alto? Him, knowing the life and times of Sheryl Nome, Galactic Fairy? "Heeeeeeh." Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeh. "Yes, yes, if you insist." Oh she's totally gonna try and get some scalding tea by the quartload-
Something that she files for later. A destruction of a home, huh. A desecration, and declaration. "...Your homes, huh." Both of them. The brunette merely smiles forlornly, flicking her gaze to Lan once more. "So you're going to try the complete diplomacy route. I'm glad that some things never change, no matter how many years apart our separate diasporas have been disconnected." Strange, how people can keep vying for peace. Human instinct, maybe.
But back on the topic of Cinderellas! "Ah! That sort of thing, Ranka!? ...Does that mean you're married to a Prince? Should we be calling Dizelmine here?" Ah, royal processes were annoying, but decorum was decorum...!
...But there's only a nod towards Lan's answer. There's nothing she could do in this moment, trapped in the rigors of decorum and having to be acquiescent to the realities of royal hierarchy. What she says, goes, and that was that. "...Then." Then there's nothing to it, then.
Then she'll just have to brighten herself up a bit for that. "Eh? Me?" Oh, that's a sudden crosshair change. "What sort of song, what sort..." It takes her a minute as her gaze turns from Lan, to Ranka and her fairy tale pose, to the grand piano, to Sheryl and the practice that sounded throughout the room, before gazing upwards.
"A song...About remembering the good times with the company I enjoy." The answer slips out absentmindedly. "It's a long road ahead, and no one's real certain about what's going to happen next, if Lan can forgive me for that small bit of interal talk reveal. So if nothing else, before we have to go do our royal duties in full, and you all back Earthside...I want a song to remember these amicable relations."
<Pose Tracker> Laffinty Fin E Ld Si has posed.
The destruction of their homes. Her eyes flick to Yurikano, meeting her gaze, before uncomfortably darting away. "I see," she says, quiet. She's a thoughtful girl, but what exactly she's thinking about is hard to judge. She changes topics, backing up a moment. "We knew that the Zentradi had grown less aggressive, but...I didn't know it was for a reason like that. Amazing...is that the power of music?" It's not a genuine question. Just...a thought, bubbling in her heart. She nods to Yurikano. "Yes."
She smiles, pretty and earnest if restrained at Sheryl's tease about not offering such service often. "Then, thank you," she says.
Diplomacy, Yurikano muses. That makes Lan's face scrunch a little in worry again, for some reason. Yurikano even hints at the depth of the problems facing them, and she nods. "That sounds...nice," she says, slowly. Her eyes cast out the holographic panorama, thinking as the waves churn in the distance, and...
She suddenly shoots to her feet, padding urgently over to where she left her cloak, which is to say, with Array. She rifles through its pockets (it has though) while ignoring Array like the coat rack he is.
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
Sheryl gives Ranka a grim nod as she weighs in too about the Vajra. She does brighten when Yurikano agrees to accept Ranka's request to take another look into the records about the Vajra, though. "Really? Then I'll keep my expectations high!" So no pressure.
"That's what they say! The movie about that war shows a lot of VF fighters too, but the real star is Minmay," Sheryl says matter-of-factly. Still, the question does get her to think about it, especially alongside her own experiences so far, and she admits, "I'm sure there were fighters out there too protecting her until she could sing her song." She nods firmly to Lan, adding, "The power of music is matchless and marvelous!" Her smile turns wry as she adds, "But it can be a bit of a glass cannon."
Ranka tells the story of Cinderella... but maybe not the parts of it that Sheryl would assume were the reason why she's nicknamed after her. She does shoot her a brief glance as she instead focuses on how the guardian fairy got her to the prince.
She doesn't say anything. But it's clear they're both thinking it.
But the moment passes, and Sheryl sits herself at the piano as Ranka enthusiasically poses for Yurikano. "I mean it!" she adds in belatedly of Yurikano NOT getting that tea, but there's a tease of a smile at the edges of her lips that might imply she knew what she was doing when she brought it up. She does tilt her head at the mention of diplomacy; this isn't the first time that Yurikano's implied some kind of contact between their cultures before even the Elysion and the 117th Research Fleet, but... she doesn't call her out on it, for now. They're about to create music together.
"Hmmm... That sounds good to me," she decides, smiling. She shoots a wink at Lan, too; she might be too shy to join in, but she really does seem happy to listen. ...until that implication of their own problems, then, complete with getting up to rifle through her cloak, but Sheryl decides to pretend she didn't notice anything off. If they want a memory of good times, then... she rests her fingers on the ivories and improvises a simple yet upbeat tune.
"Like that?" she asks over her shoulder. Once she confirms the vibe is good, she starts over from the beginning with flourish and depth, a steady beat with an indefatigable cheer.
The kind of song that suits Ranka's voice.
So Sheryl's improvising the melody--how will Ranka do improvising the vocals?
<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
Ranka bobs her head and smiles as Yurikano answers to her request, "I'd be grateful, thank you very much, your- Yurikano." She has to correct herself, quickly.
But unfortunately Yurikano asks, "Eh!? No-!" Both palms out she waves them, "I'm not married at all! It's a title more for the sorta humble beginnings to idol on stage- feel! And to honor Lynn Minnmay."
She can't hide her face in her hands right now, "Was just, telling the fairy tale version."
Ranka DEFINITELy knows how it sounded to Sheryl and it wasn't her intention, she realized it midway through.
Still, the invocation of the movie perhaps tells the story there. "She had a song called, 'Cinderella' and went from... being a Waitress at the same restaurant chain I worked at to being on stage."
She tries to give Lan an encouraging smile, but it's clear she has her own struggles, one's that Ranka isn't privy to.
Indeed, though, as Yurikano makes her request, Ranka bobs her head, "I like that idea too. Alright!"
And indeed, she takes position, waiting for Sheryl to play the keys and... puts up her pointer fingers on both hands, starting to wave it back and forth.
"Shalala - Hello! Hello!
"Try! I won't ever forget!
"Don't cry! Put a smile on your face right now!
"My friend!"
The vocals are entirely improvised, but she tries to match the melody for the upbeat nature of the parting song, at least doing a single verse to match Yurikano's request.
<Pose Tracker> Yurikano de Metrio Lu has posed.
Ah, the pressure of high expectations...! Don't worry, she can handle it. "Leave it to me. I'll get something out of them yet." There's zero reason to not do something like this! Whether it'll get results...Ahaha, optimism is the key thing here!
"So a central force to protect her, and Minmay sings to settle it all down..." It's quite the thought. To have emotions influence to such a degree to stop wars, to follow along on her and Fire Bomber's footsteps. There's a furrow in her brow, thinking to herself for a few about such things before nodding and brightening up once more.
Ooooh. Oh! Not an actual princess. "Oooh, the rags to riches side of things. A waitress to being on stage..." The easier assumption to make, not the entire 'get hitched to a prince' side! Though, with the glances...Everyone has their own problems in love, huh?
She can't exactly piece together the thought of ascending so high. Moving from the lowest tier of hierarchy to someplace so far up that it seemed insalliable...For someone born with a silver spoon in their mouth, however caged, it was barely comprehensible.
The simple tune forces the lightest of jolts. Sitting up that bit more. There's something there, the instinctual melody born of heart and soul and- No, nothing so poetic. It just hits. "...Keep going." She's listening.
Ranka's improvised vocals only seal the deal. Something is there. A something that's formless, intangible, and indescribable, but there.
"...Something's there. I like it already!"
<Pose Tracker> Laffinty Fin E Ld Si has posed.
When Lan returns, it's with...a travel book. More like a wildlife brochure, honestly?
She listens, for a bit, looking to Yurikano as much as the musicians. She puts her hand on her book. She sways a little along with the tune, her expression softening. Something...
"There was something," she admits, quietly. Not quite confiding just in Yurikano, she isn't cutting Sheryl and Ranka out, but she's not particularly expecting them to interrupt themselves, either, "that I saw...Moid helped me get this from one of the crew here," she says, and filps it open.
It is, indeed, basically a wildlife guide, particularly of the oceans. "It's incredible just how much Earth has recovered...apparently they've had to work hard to keep things running, but..."
She opens to a particular page, with a large creature on it, a whale all in black but with particular white spots below the eyes and on the belly. An orca, the killer whale.
Her eyes sparkle anyway. "Isn't it cute??"
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
Sheryl smirks when Ranka tries to walk back the misunderstanding about her having married a prince. "Oh, I don't know. You're cute enough to be a princess," she teases. She sneaks a wink at Yurikano and Lan. "Right~?" They're also princesses, so they should know! Even if they don't know about the parallels between Ranka and Minmay.
She nods in approval as Yurikano not only doesn't succumb to pressure, but rises to meet the challenge. "Good!" ...speaking of princesses, one would think that Sheryl's the princess here with how she's acting. But then, she did say it before, didn't she? She's a 'song princess.' It seems like Yurikano follows along on the history (such as it is) that Sheryl and Ranka represent, too. It might be tougher for her to follow a rags-to-riches story, but she at least knows the concept, too.
Then it's time for piano, and Ranka opens with some scatting and sing-song greetings, maybe to bring her into the mood. Sheryl's piano-playing trills, then settles into an upbeat march to harmonize with Ranka as she goes on to create the melody. Yurikano's already hooked, and Sheryl grins over to her. Lan returns with a brochure, one full of aquatic life, and one that has Lan lit up.
"Ooh, that's an orca! They're really striking animals, aren't they? They're from the ocean!" Sheryl says with a bright matter-of-factness as she continues to play, occasionally sprinkling in more improvisations. "It is very cute..." She winks, grin widening. "But I think you're even cuter, Lan. <3"
<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
"Exactly!" She tells Yurikano, unaware that she caught the love triangle going on. Indeed she had noticed Lan's departure, and her return.
Indeed Ranka smiles at Sheryl as at their improvised melody and lyrics.
"Oh you think?" She replies to Yurikano, pleased as punch, smiling so hard that she dimples, "I'll keep at it then- I was thinking of putting together a concert of my own. Maybe... if we finish it."
There wouldn't be too much time, but if she did finish it? She could always debut it for the royalty... before they depart.
Then it would truly be fitting right?
Lan though brings the book, and Ranka's hands come together, her hair raising in delight, "They're adorable!" Ranka smiles, understanding perhaps, Lan's fixation.
"I'm really into Salamanders myself."
As she takes out her floppy phone from her bag, and presents it. The squishy floppy green amphibian.
Ranka looks at it, and then at the pair-
"They don't quite look like that." She explains hurriedly, "This is just, a cute mascot - representation."
Sheryl however flirts with Lan, and Ranka laughs, "Oh." Is she laughing a bit much? She's perhaps blushing as she tells both the Princesses, "That's Sheryl alright!"
As if, that explains everything about her flirtatiousness.
<Pose Tracker> Yurikano de Metrio Lu has posed.
Yurikano is a princess. Yes. Really. Believe it.
The movements of a princess higher than her own ranking is something to take note; She's keeping an eye on the door, as nonchalant as her gaze was. She's still listening, the power of royalty expected to absorb so much and still maintain composure.
"You will? I'd love to hear the final version of it. Something that you thought up...Cinderella Girl~" A wink towards Ranka. There's the own set of high expectations sloughed right back!
But she scoots in, looking at the new animal... "It...I can see it. I definitely can." Squinting. Scrutinizing. Tilting it around in her head. Big. Something in the water. Earth. The place where they all came from, the natural shores, the deep blue sea, the innate beauty... "It's cute!" That was the surface conclusion on much deeper shifts in the soul.
Still, that, and the salamander(?) that Ranka showed... "Just as biodiverse as anything here, isn't it? It feels like, uuuuh. One of those things where it's obvious that there's so much we haven't seen, but there's still loooots to go around!"
Wisely allowing the flirting to pass by. Moid, don't come in. It's girls talk time.
<Pose Tracker> Laffinty Fin E Ld Si has posed.
She has a certificate and everything. Probably a crown somewhere, too. She's also dressing a hell of a lot more like a princess than Lan, who walks around in a vest, leotard, and boots like a weirdo.
Lan does like the music, even if she disrupted things a little. "Yes," she says, serious and interested. "I heard Earth's oceans had suffered terribly in the last few decades...how unfortunate..." She nods to Yurikano's comment on the biodiversity. "Yes. It's really remarkable, considering the stories."
She looks up at Ranka's floppy phone, blinks twice, then back up at her, and breaks out into a smile again. "It's very cute!" she agrees. She's very self-serious, and often short on words, but she's not a complete emotional dud the way certain other ghastly pale girls in the white-violet spectrum frequently are.
And then Sheryl flirts with her and she goes from white-blue pale to red like a tomato. "Wh! Uhm! Th, that seems unlikely!"
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
Lan turns beet-red, and Sheryl laughs gaily. "I think it seems extremely likely! But don't worry, I'm just kidding," she adds with another saucy wink.
Yurikano looks forward to the completion of that song, while Ranka muses on putting on a concert of her own while they're all still here. "You should," she says, turning on the piano bench to lean her elbow on the edge of the keyboard and her chin on her hand. "I'll help you with the music composition, but let's see you write the lyrics yourself~."
And, with that challenge issued, they can move on to the other thing that matters here: Earth's oceans, its struggles in recent decades, and how cute the animals in them nonetheless are. (As long as you don't go too deep.)
...If there's anything else that could use discussion, it'll just have to wait for another time.