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Dana giggled as Aiya playfully ruffled her hair. [color=Gold]“Sweet!”[/color] she cheered a moment later, when the heiress agreed to begin a search for aquatic armaments, the energetic Norban following close behind. [color=Gold]“Great idea, Penny!”[/color] Dana told her friend with a big grin when the Siscian suggested recruiting any Water Elementum users for their “team” in the impending water war. Indeed, the sunny sharpshooter could barely contain her excitement, and her golden eyes seemed to gleam even brighter when Aiya presented her with a massive water gun that was almost as big as she was. [color=Gold]“Oh, wow! Thanks!”[/color] she told the heiress. [color=Gold]“Y’know, this thing kinda looks like the prototype polyphasic plasma particle projector Professor Pinnacle let Alexis use in episode twenty-three!”[/color] Unfortunately, it was also the [i]only[/i] water gun on the ship, and so, Dana was forced to abandon her plans for an all-out water war and switch to a series of water-based pranks instead.

Darting from one line-of-sight-obstructing piece of cover to another, the sunny sharpshooter snapped off a series of quick blasts, before ducking out of sight. However, it didn’t take long for the others to deduce the source of these attacks, and no sooner had Dana accepted a challenge to hit the surprisingly agile Priya, then the grinning gunslinger found herself being lifted into the air and thrown overboard. [color=Gold]“Woah!”[/color] she yelped, before splashing into the water below. When she reached the surface a moment later, she saw who had been responsible for her unplanned soaking, and her auric eyes lit up. [color=Gold]“Nice one, Noah!”[/color] she called up to the big cadet with a giggle. [color=Gold]“I never knew you could be so sneaky!”[/color]

“Hey!” Priya called as she vaulted over the ship’s railing. “Let’s have a chicken fight!”

[color=Gold]“Yeah!”[/color] Dana agreed with an enthusiastic grin as she raised two fists in the air. [color=Gold]“Come on, Noah! Let’s show ‘em what we can do!”[/color]

Giving a nod, Noah and another cadet promptly jumped into the water, and lifted Dana and Priya onto their shoulders. There followed a series of hard-fought and incredibly entertaining (at least, if the wildly cheering crowd was anything to go by) battles, with Dana gaining the slightest of leads over the spirited Priya, thanks to a few small, but well-timed Light Elementum distractions. It was only once the informal competition was over that Dana realized she had forgotten all about Penny. The thought of having abandoned her socially awkward roommate to what the bespectacled girl could very well view as a living nightmare caused Dana’s jubilant spirits to rapidly dampen. Immediately setting out to search for her, the concerned Norban soon found her roommate amongst the crowd gathered around the dance pad upon which Nicole looked to be giving the performance of a lifetime. Weaving her way through the cheering mass of cadets and fellow Ars Magi, Dana had just reached Penny’s side when Nicole gave her a boisterous shout out. [color=Gold]“Whoo! Show ‘em what ya got, Nicole!”[/color] the sunny sharpshooter called back with a wink, while giving the red-head two finger pistols of her own.

As Dana continued to watch, Nicole did just that, defeating every other guest who foolishly dared to challenge her dominance of the dance pad, and when the heady Hastan asked one of the audience members to pick the next song, the grinning gunslinger’s smile grew even wider. [color=Gold]“I’ve got just the thing!”[/color] she told her team leader as she grabbed a music player from her bag and plugged it into the sound system. [color=Gold]“This one’s a [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-khUgwjbydI]personal favorite![/url]”[/color]

Eventually, Aiya herself took to the floor in a bid to challenge Nicole’s seemingly unassailable supremacy. As it happened, the two ladies turned out to be evenly matched, providing a stunning performance against the backdrop of the setting sun that delighted Dana and the rest of the various onlookers. Once the inconclusive contest finally drew to a close, the energetic Norban pulled Noah aside to watch the last fading embers of the brilliant sunset. It was just as the magentas and neon pinks had begun to fade into deep, dark lavenders and purples that Aiya requested their presence below deck. After sharing a puzzled look, the incongruous pair made their way down into the bowels of the yacht, until they reached a small cabin, within which they found Penny, Nicole, and a handful of officer cadets waiting for them. 

[color=Gold]“Well this sure is cozy,”[/color] Dana noted with a grin as she made herself comfortable next to Noah on one of the cushioned couches. [color=Gold]“So, is this like one of those ‘after parties’?”[/color] she inquired of their host. [color=Gold]“Cause, y’know, with how awesome everythin’ else has been, I was kinda hopin’ ya might have arranged a fireworks show for us, too!”[/color]

As it soon became apparent, Aiya had a fireworks show of a [i]different[/i] sort in mind, and it didn’t take long for the heiress to begin retrieving expensive-looking bottles from an ornate wooden cabinet. Now, Dana had never tried alcohol before, but the irrepressible Norban was always up for something new, and this party [i]was[/i] a special occasion, after all, so when Aiya offered her a glass, she cheerfully accepted. [color=Gold]“You can count on us!”[/color] Dana reassured their host with a playful salute, when she and Penny were instructed to keep Nicole safe. [color=Gold]“Your girlfriend’s got the best team in Nova Lux watchin’ her back!”[/color] she added with a confident smile. [color=Gold]“Right, Penny?!”[/color] she asked her by-this-point-probably-quite-overwhelmed roommate. Aiya then called for a toast, before inquiring if anyone was up for a little game…

[color=Gold]“Spin the bottle?”[/color] Dana echoed with a slight frown, while the hints of a blush began to color her cheeks. She’d heard of the game, of course, but never played it, and to be perfectly honest, she was a little unsure if she really [i]wanted[/i] to. There was definitely at least [i]one[/i] person in their group that she wouldn’t mind sharing a kiss with, but there were also quite a few others with whom it would be very awkward, to say the least. Then again, if they could just get away with kissing on the cheek, maybe it would’t be so bad after all… [color=Gold]“Uh, what rules were ya thinkin’ of usin’?”[/color]