"Damn, that was awesome!" Saki cheered, pumping a fist in the air.

"The crowd seemed to love it!" Junko agreed with a beaming smile.

"And the weather was perfect for an outdoor show for once," Ai added in as they headed for the bath.

They'd just finished up a show in Takeo to the roaring cheers of their fans. Back home after a long van ride, they were all itching for a shower. Keeping the makeup on for so long didn't really bother them, but there was nothing like being in your own skin, no matter how decayed it was.

"The T-shirt signing went pretty well for a first time," Sakura said as everyone stripped down. "Everyone was really respectful of the rules."

"Damn right they were," Saki snickered. "If any of'em broke the rules, I'm sure Squirt's dad woulda put'em right in their place."

Mister Go had traveled all the way to see them. Thankfully, he was off work that day anyway. Lily grinned just thinking about her dad tossing some lousy rulebreaker out of the concert area.

"Yeah," she giggled. "He can be pretty strict when he wants to be."

"I can imagine," Yugiri laughed. "He seems more the relaxed type, but considering you remind him so much of, well, you, I would not fault him for reprimanding someone who made you unhappy."

The others laughed as they all headed in to shower. As usual, Yugiri began her shower first and Lily slipped onto her stool beside her. Everyone chatted about the show, the things that went well and some of the things they could improve on.

Midway through her shower, Lily pulled her head from under the water and turned her back to Yugiri. That was the courtesan's cue that it was okay to wash her hair. Lathering her hands, Yugiri went about her task just the same as she usually did.

"I think your star was very useful today," she said conversationally. "It drew the sunlight and helped us all shine brighter."

"You think so?" Lily asked.

"Yes. And it's fitting, too, as you are one of the stars of the show."

Lily gasped. "Maybe we should get everyone stars!"

Yugiri laughed as she took Lady Lily's showerhead to rinse the shampoo. "But then how would the fans know which one shines brightest? I think the star draws attention to you just fine."

Lily hummed in thought as Yugiri massaged the conditioner in. "Yeah, you're right. The others will just have to depend on me to keep being the shining star, huh?"

They dissolved into laughter as Yugiri finished, rinsing Lily's hair before turning back to her own shower. Once the two of them finished washing, they grabbed their towels and made their way over to the bath.

Lily's steps were slower than usual. She'd made up her mind. This time, she was getting in. She'd never be able to do it if she just kept doing it alone at night. The bath was about bonding with the others, but sitting on the edge still made her feel 'apart' from them. This time, she'd get all the way in no matter what. She could do it.

Yugiri noticed the air shift and wondered if her friend would be okay. Ever since the first time Lady Lily had gone out by herself at night, Yugiri and Lady Sakura had tried to be less restrictive in their behavior and more supportive of her efforts. Both still feared making her uncomfortable, but they wouldn't let their own fears get in the way of Lady Lily's progress. If things didn't go well this time, Yugiri would be right beside her to steady her.

As they approached the bath, Yugiri stepped in first. She felt her reflexes were swift enough that she would catch Lady Lily if she started to fall. And Lady Sakura was nearby as well, having taken a little longer with her shower. Lady Ai and Lady Junko had lowered their voices as well, so Yugiri knew they would be ready to help if necessary. All of them were hoping for the best, but knew to prepare for the worst just in case.

Lily took a deep breath and gently dipped her feet into the tub like usual. This time, though, she pulled together her memories of being in the bath alone to help her. With shaky hands, she let her towel drop to the side of the tub and slipped all the way into the water.

Her body immediately tensed.

The room went quiet, even Saki and Tae had paused in their roughhousing, waiting for the verdict. Lily took a few more deep breaths and gently relaxed back against the wall of the tub. It was clear she was still tense, but she didn't seem to be spiraling into a panic, so that was a good sign.

Saki and Tae grinned and went back to their game while the others also relaxed now that the worst part was over. Yugiri moved closer slowly until she was a few inches from Lady Lily, a little further than they had been in her small tub. Lily smiled up at her and the older woman returned it.

"Great job, Lily," Sakura said softly, walking up. "We're proud of you."

Lily moved the water about with her hands. "It'll still take a little while before I'm used to getting in with everyone here, but… I'm glad I can finally join everyone."

"We're glad, too," Ai said, she and Junko wading closer. All of them kept reasonable distance as they settled in a circle together. "Now, we can get more input from you about the dances. Junko has some problems with Atsukunare, but I think the moves are too fast to change."

"I think so, too," Lily said. "Remember how long it took us to learn them?"

"And we were still messing up a little at Saga Rock," Sakura agreed. "I don't think changing them would be a good idea."

"You all gang up on me now that Lily's here," Junko pouted, making a mock angry face at them. "It was only a suggestion."

They all laughed and Yugiri relaxed back against the bath wall. Lady Lily seemed to be relaxing a bit more as well. She didn't cover herself whenever someone drew nearer, and she didn't seem as tense now that she was part of the conversation. Making it into the big tub really had been something she'd wanted to do, and it showed in how happy she was now.

A large splash of water cut off Yugiri's thoughts and she looked over to find that the spray had hit Lady Lily and Lady Sakura while Lady Ai and Lady Junko had been unfortunate enough to be submerged in it. Yugiri blinked and turned her gaze to where Lady Saki and Lady Tae were still going about their games.

"Hey!" Lily huffed, sending a splash in their direction, still getting Junko caught in the crossfire. "Watch it! We're trying to have a conversation over here!"

"Oh yeah?" Saki sneered. "Sounds to me like you can't handle a little water!" She splashed at Lily for emphasis. Once again, the water skipped over Yugiri, but Junko was smart enough to have moved by this point.

Lily puffed her cheeks out in a pout and waded closer so she had a better chance of splashing Saki. Yugiri watched her go carefully, but Lady Lily didn't seem bothered by the movement. It likely had to do with her not having to fully stand in order to get to Lady Saki. Yugiri relaxed back and watched the two engage in a splash war. Lady Tae joined Lady Lily's side, leaving Lady Saki at a disadvantage.

"I think someone's enjoying her first day in the big tub," Sakura chuckled, settling beside Yugiri.

"I would say so," Yugiri agreed. "I truly am proud of how far she's come."

"We're dead," Sakura pointed out, bumping her shoulder against her friend's. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that there's nowhere else to go but up. That applies to Lily, too."

"Indeed."

Yugiri leaned to the side as another spray came their way, laughing at the disgruntled expression Lady Sakura gave the playing trio. "I think I'm starting to regret it already," the pink-haired woman muttered.

"Only up, remember?" Yugiri laughed.

Her laughter only increased when Sakura tackled her into the water as retaliation for letting her get splashed.

And there ya go! Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed the ride!

Remember, sneak peeks and updates are available on my tumblr, gothalbinoangel-fanfiction. Where you can also ask questions. I just opened up commissions, too!