"Rei wasn't scolding you or anything. She even said it was not a bad thing to remind others to be careful. She just tried to reassure you that you don't need to be so worried," commented Yumeko, partially confused and partially amused by Mikoto's reaction.
Still excitedly wondering about the sweets of Novacstar, Yoko ran up to Ririka. "Are you looking forward to seeing Novacstar too, Makiri-sama?" She asked. "Do you know anything about the sweets there? Are you ready for new adventures? What sorts of souvenirs are you planning to buy? Are you ready to show another planet who the brightest flower is?"
"Ooh souvenirs!" Yoko said excitedly. "I wonder what sorts of sweets they have here! Do they have ice cream? What are their best flavours? Can't wait to see everything!"
Yumeko laughed at Rei's response about the tour guards. "True, the tour guards around the galaxy probably have the 'warn everyone about the 00 craziness' group chat."
"You get it Ellie-chan! I call it adventures you call it experiences but in the end our spirits are the same and we both appreciate the power of excitement!" Yoko proclaimed excitedly.
"Whatever that means," Hotaru said amused by the younger members' antics.
"Sure," Yumeko replied to Rei and smiled. Her worries were ridiculous after all. No matter how detached from reality some of the members seemed she was sure her earlier anxiety was just overreacting. And a part of her felt guilty for even thinking that way about her fellow members. "Just feeling a bit sorry for the tour guide who will have to deal with all these loud personalities," she joked.
"Yep, I am sure even this unreasonably strict planet will make an exception for magical rules. Especially for the great magus Nelle-Nelle," said Hotaru amused by the extent of Kagome's imagination or dellusion or whatever was going on in that girl's head.
"They better not get in the way of Nelle-Nelle-sensei's magic!" Yoko said firmly. Then in a secnd she switched to cheerful owerflowed with excitement mood. "Because it's time for adventure! Time for excitement! Yay, yay, yay, yay, yay!" She started dancing and jumping around.
Yumeko let out a quiet nervous sigh. As intrested as she was in seeing Novacstar, she couldn't help but be worried. Novacstar's policies were quite strict - it was a surprise 00's concert was even happening there. There was no room for careless behaviour. Now, she knew that most of the members were relatively reasonable - even the crazier ones should know to follow the protocols. But some members such as Kagome and Yoko perhaps worried her a little. Especially Kagome. She could easily picture her unusual beliefs and worldview causing trouble, especially when the girl genuinely seemed to believe her magical rules were beyond all other authority. Hopefully things would stay under control.
"Yay! We are here, we are here!" Yoko exclaimed, almost getting on her seat to late in the excitement. Despite being a much less experienced member, Yoko wasn't particualrly bothered by the rough landing she excitedly pointed out "What do you mean worse than a rollercoaster? It's just as good if not better! I love this! The landing is like an amusment park ride! It's so so so so cool!"
Hotaru and Yumeko had no particular reaction to the turbulence, both being fairly used to interstellar travel already.
When they finally landed Yoko was out of her seat as soon as possible. "So exciting, so exciting! A new planet, a new planet! Can't wait, can't wait!" she started yelling out.
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Yumeko replied to Zuumin's statement of wondering what was going to happen. "Novacstar definetely does seem like an intriguing planet."
"You didn't personally appoint me, but I believe I'm well qualified for the job," Hotaru said simply.
"True... We are lucky to have this chance. But we aren't merely entertainment machines. Sometimes fixing problems is more difficult. I'm not saying I don't get your point though," Yumeko commented.
Yoko was still not particularly interested. "So how much longer until we get to Novacstar? It feels like we've been travelling for months... Not that travelling isn't exciting but adventures await!"
"Exactly! It's time for adventures!" Yoko exclaimed excitedly, also completely oblivious to the deep conversations happening in the room. "I can't wait to see what we find there! Hopefully it's something fun and exciting."
"Well said," Yumeko agreed with Reina. "It's true that even if we are idols we are still humans - and most of the ones, at least the respectful ones should understand that." She was observing Tomoko and Kaoru with curiousity. That was an interesting duo. She never so Tomoko speak as openly before and Kaoru was much more encouraging and less self-centred than it would usually be expected of her.
Hotaru nodded. "Agree, agree. Though in my role as a 'Samuikaze Ran kindness translator', I would like to say that she was just trying to help and give advice but she is bad with people so it came of as harsh and rude."
"It refers to mistakes that occur - usually to an error of speech one makes though it can also be mishearing something or something similar. Basically, it means that this error occurred because of a sub-conscious thoughts or desires," Yumeko explained.
"Something like that. I don't really know the details, it's just a term I've heard used before," Hotaru added. "But in Samui's case it would mean that her misspeaking and saying it's an understatement instead of overstatement shows she actually sees herself as a huge romance novel fan, she is just trying to hide it out of embarrasment." She looked and Ran and smile michieviously. "Though honestly, don't see why you are so adamant on it. This group is a definition of craziness and unusualness. Being into romance novels is among the more normal hobbies."
Hotaru grinned. "Yeah that. Thank you for additional information, Reina," she said. "And yep, as Ririka said and as I've suspected for years, Ran is one of the cutest people hidden behind her ice facade that could easily be mistaken for Koristar's surface."
Yumeko smiled in amusement at Hotaru's comparison but didn't comment.
"Any planet can be fun if we decide to make it fun! And exactly, no one can stop exciting magic quests!" Yoko exclaimed excitedly.
Hotaru once again grinned widely. "You said understatement first! Was that a freduian slip or whatever that psychology thing is called?"
"You are worrying about us too muchMiko-chan!" Yoko said excitedly. "We'd know what we are doing. Besides, if we are allowed to explore during our free time, the quest looking for magic should be allowed to! And Nelle-Nelle-sensei is a powerful magus, she'd know what to do in cases of trouble."
"Yeah, I think Ririka got the gist of it," Hotaru agreed with the explanation the other girl provided to Ella about conspiracy theories. "As for the malfunction theory - maybe it also refers to the fact that Rin's eyes are green rather than brown? Small detail but some extreme fans care about such things as well."
"It would be great if we could go now..." Yoko agreed thinking how happy she will be whenever she gets to go home again. She's been gone for less than a year but she did miss it, as much as being a part of 00 and being near Makiri-sama was fun. "But I guess everyone is right. Maybe we could try and investigate if there is magic on Novacstar instead? Didn't Taka-chan mention we'll have some free time to look around the planet before the performance? We may have a chance to do it then!"
Hotaru was then distracted from the conspiracy theory question as she heard Ran's talk about the novel. She grinned in excitement. "Oh come on, no need to be shy about it. I'm pretty sure the fact that Samuikaze Ran adores romance novels is a public secret in 00 by now. Nothing wrong about it. It's such a cute contrast with your serious, distant and cold personality."
(Accidentally sent twice, don't know how to delete so editing the second message)
Hotaru laughed, either oblivious to or purposefully ignoring the tension between the cousins. "Oh right, I've read about that part too. It's hiliarious what sort of theories people come up with and how they try to find evidence supporting it everywhere they can. It's quite entertaining to learn about it."
Yumeko said nothing but met Tomorin's eyes trying to give her a comforting and understanding look without speaking our loud on what her friend was likely upset about.
Hotaru immediately defended herself. "Oh come on, you can't use that against me. it was over 3 years ago. Not to mention that Rin and Tomoko do look pretty much the same with exception for their eye colour. Well at least they did until Tomoko cut her hair a few months ago. The Itano similairites are such a well known fact. Some fans even came up with conspiracy theories that they are all mass produced in a lab - honesty I don't blame them. That family is something."
"I hope so, that would be great!" Yoko said excitedly. "Hm... I would have to ask them. I told them I've been learning about magic from you and they never said they didn't believe me. They didn't say the believe me either but I would like to believe it's a good sign they haven't tried to convince me it is not real."
"It's not justified at all," Hotaru firmly disagreed. "It's just an idea that came about because all of my best friends happen to be smart quiet observers and I'm the odd one out in that regard." She grinned. "Of course being underestimated comes with its advantages."
"I actually don't know if there are any," Yoko replied honestly. "I've never met them personally but I'm sure they must be there." She paused and then suddenly became very excited. "Next time I go there I have to go look for them! We should go together one day Nelle-Nelle-sensei, you are so knowledgable on magic! It would be such an exciting adventure!"
"Of course you'll put it that way," said Hotaru, as usually amused by Ran's reaction. "Though I'll have you know, I'm much more observant than people give me credit for."
Yumeko smiled but decided not to comment on Hotaru's statement.
"Exactly! Sternstar is amazing! The one and only. The star of stars. The best fashion. The happiest place in the universe. It's exciting, exicting, happy, happy, happy, yes, exciting, so, so, so, so much, amazing!" Yoko couldn't contain her excitment, immediately forgetting the conversation that led to it. "Home, home, home! The only thing missing there is Makiri-sama. Otherwise it's my favourite place in the whole world. Though well, Akibastar comes close, because Makiri-sama, Ellie-chan, Nelle-Nelle-sensei and everyone else in 00 is there. Actually, I can't decide which of the two I like the best. They are both such wonderful homes! Well, Akibastar was a new experience, but I haven't been to Sternstar in so long so I really think of it as a special place... Well they are both my number 1 happiest place in the universe, yes, yes, yes. That's how it is."
"Absolutely," Hotaru agreed. She turned to Ran remembering what the girl said earlier. "What surprises me though is how you describe the difference between Mikoto and yourself. For someone indifferent you sure seem to be paying a lot of attention."
Yoko blinked in confusion. "Is that so?" she asked. "On Sternstar it's completely normal. Most people use -chan for each other. Other suffixes are rare."
Hotaru laughed. "I so agree with you on that one, Ririka," she said. "The more people to join in the fun the better. Besides it is fun to learn more about our newest cute kouhai, the girls of the 155th generation."
"As long as it doesn't make them uncomfortable," Yumeko pointed out as she observed the situation.
"I'm not sure what is going on but people are excited? Then it's fun fun fun yeah!" Yoko exclaimed excitedly. "Still don't get why it's such a big deal to call someone -chan though. Isn't that the most normal thing to do?"
Yoko seemed genuinely confused by Mikoto's question. "Isn't it normal to add -chan after the name?" she asked.
Hearing Reina as exclamaitation about Mikoto, Hotaru grinned widely. "Oh absolutely," she said. "She is cute, sort of in the Samuikaze Ran way, I would say. A cutie hidden under a facade. Though the facades aren't the same, what you see inside..." she observed Mikoto. "Similar, similar. Just adorable. The intriguing tsundere type."
Yoko giggled. "I guess she is cute when she is not grumpy or rude. That's why Miko-chan suits her so well."
Yumeko watched amused though a part of her felt bad for Mikoto.
"Hm... So Miko-chan is actually cute when she is not being mean to Ellie-chan?" Yoko asked curiously, laughing at Mikoto's reaction. "Thought that might be the case but it's nice to see that Rein-chan was able to prove it."
Meanwhile Hotaru laughed hearing what Ran said. "Divorce and wedding? I am so used to you being serious I forget you actually have a sense of humour, Ran."