As the team walked through ACE, Rio's mind kept wandering back into the past. She re-played that battle in her head over and over, thinking on how the team did in it. She was insanely critical of herself, which is why she was so quick to lash out earlier. It's embarrassing that it came down to the wire last year for her and she refused to let this happen again. Still, the more she thought about it, the better the fight actually went. Yes, their teamwork was paltry... but she had some talented co-pilots, much to her chagrin. Their fast reactions, their adaptability... it left her jealous. She [i]wasn't[/i] that good. Maybe she'll be left behind, unable to catch up...

Her mood didn't better when they reached the pilot's lounge. It had only been a few minutes since they left the hangar and already someone threw shade at their team- more specifically at her and Atlas. Still, they were right. She [i]did[/i] lose to Atlas. Despite Union being a high-end GEAR, she just couldn't keep up with his speed. So, she stayed quiet. As much as she wanted to bite back, she couldn't. All the woman could give the retreating figure of Kawakami was a glare. She'll prove to him and everyone else she was worth her mettle. She wasn't going to drag her team down.

[color=ed1c24]"Alright well let's get going."[/color]

Bill's voice snapped Rio out of her daydreaming. She followed him to one of the round, white tables that were scattered everywhere in the lounge and took a seat. Subconsciously she reached for her ponytail with her right hand and started to stroke it a little bit, thinking. Atlas brought up what they needed to do tomorrow- and he was right. It would be important to think about what to do- mainly for the team.

The only problem was, she wasn't exactly the most free of birds.

[color=94ffad]"As much as I'd like to work on our teamwork, I'm afraid training is out of the question for me. As soon as classes end, I need to leave campus and head home. My father is awfully... insistent that I attend his next meeting."[/color]

...A meeting? That reminds the mint-haired woman. She took out her tablet and typed a few things in, looking up some of the notes she's taken earlier in the day. That's right... sponsors. She remembered Hayakawa off-handedly bringing them up, but it's still a slight worry. Some teams already have sponsorships set up before the rankings even hit.

[color=94ffad]"Atlas... have you thought about sponsorship at all?"[/color]

With only two days until qualifiers, it was probably for the best if they started thinking about this. Having a sponsor would mean keeping their GEARs up-to-date and repaired, especially since they do not have a mechanic from what Rio could gather. If they really couldn't find anything, she might be able to strike up something with Hamasaki Manufacturing, but that would leave an especially sour taste in her mouth. She would loathe to leech off her family's wealth- she was above that! It's the entire reason she enrolled in ACE to begin with...