Author's Note: Aloha, my friends! I'm back! Don't worry, I'm still alive. Thanatos hasn't made me his midnight snack yet! lol XD

Forgive me for the five-month hiatus, but Autumn is usually a busy season for me. And I was also doing NaNoWriMo. That, and I was waiting for people to leave behind reviews with questions that they would like to ask certain characters. But none came. :'(

I decided to give you guys (and me) more time by posting this chapter, which will open the panel discussion. Hopefully, there'll be some questions after this. If not, then I'm going to have to make up my own - which will be difficult and will take me longer to write the future chapters. But I'll do what I can.

I hope that your Autumn has been very fun and productive and that you've enjoyed this past Thanksgiving (if you're an American).

Enjoy reading and I hope that you enjoy this new chapter! ^_^

Endless Ocean Fanfiction Panel Discussion

Chapter 2: The Opening

In the convention hall, people were chatting and laughing amongst themselves while they waited for the convention managers to come up to announce the next event. They had just done a talent show, an Endless Ocean skit, and an Endless Ocean fan art contest.

Their conversations were interrupted when a female voice came over the PA system. "Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention, please. The highlight of our convention—a panel discussion featuring our star guests—will now commence. Please give it up for the members of the L&L Diving Service!"

Cheers and applause erupted from the audience as the sound system played tropical island-themed music, blowing from the speakers like a fanfare.

First to come up was Jean-Eric, who waved dutifully to the audience, but looked like he would much rather be back in his boat. He walked towards the long folding table that was set up for them, and took his seat on the chair next to the host of the convention.

Next came his granddaughter Oceana, who seemed to be bubbling with excitement from being with Endless Ocean fans. She waved both her hands cheerfully at the crowd who cheered louder in reply. A few of the bolder boys even wolf whistled at her, much to her embarrassment and Jean-Eric's irritation. She eventually walked over to the table and sat in the seat next to her grandfather.

Following Oceana was Gaston Gray, known affectionately as GG by everyone including himself. He came in his usual gregarious, boisterous swagger, kissing and waving at the audience as the masses cheered crazily for the popular American diver.

"GG is in dah house!" he said, posing for the masses. "Come on, now! Come on!" he shouted in encouragingly, gesturing for them with both hands to escalate the cheers. "Let me hear some noise all up in this place!" the audience reacted accordingly.

Many fangirls were swooning and jumping excitedly. GG interacted with the fans in the front, even signed some autographs for a few excited fangirls' up front who shouted, "I love you!" towards him afterwards. He winked at them, before moving on to some other fans and giving them high fives. Finally, after tearing him away from his enthusiastic fans with the help of the convention host, he sat down next to Oceana, the latter giving him an amused look.

After GG was Dr. Hayako Sakurai, who, unlike the flamboyant American, walking up to the stage calmly. Cheers and claps resounded once more, the loudest coming from the nerds of the audience. Hayako turned towards the crowd and bowed to them from the waist in the traditional Japanese custom before walking towards the table like the others. She seemed used to the crowds and the noise, though when you've been doing lectures for years like she has, it's not a surprise. She sat down next to GG—much to the American salvager's pleasure.

One of the convention managers, a male, rosed up from his seat next to Jean-Eric to speak. He was dressed in a ship captain's outfit (not the Navy kind; the Merchant Marine kind) complete with a captain's hat. He checked his clipboard that he had in one hand, while testing the small clip-on microphone clamped on his shirt.

After giving the thumbs up to the technician, he spoke. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman, boys and girls! On behalf of our special guests and of the staff of the convention, we would like to thank you for coming to our first-ever Endless Ocean Fandom Convention, and welcome you to this Panel Discussion. Without your enthusiastic response to our invitation, this convention would not have become reality. Thank you."

Cheers and applause erupted from the audience and the star guests, showing their excitement in being there. The host signaled for silence.

"I would also like to convey our heartfelt thanks," he continued, "to our star guests, the members of the L&L Diving Service, for taking the time out of their busy schedules to come almost half-way across the world to this convention here in the United States. Without them, we never would've been able to set up this Fan Fiction Discussion Panel. So give it up for the L&L Diving Service!"

The crowd once again clapped and cheered as the members of the L&L Diving Service nodded and waved and smiled their appreciation of the thanks.

When the noise died down, the host resumed. "And lastly, but not least, I would like to thank the staff—those working in front and especially behind-the-scenes—who worked their fins off to get this convention off the ground. Without them and those who planned it, the mere idea of setting up this convention would've been shipwrecked past saving. So thank you, fellow shipmates, for scrapping together this convention into ship-shape!"

The audience, and the host, and the star guests all clapped and cheered for the staff surrounding them—both in front and behind-the-scenes with the technical stuff. Many of them were shyly and awkwardly acknowledging the thanks, while many others were soaking it up and gave the crowd thumbs up.

When the group quieted down, the convention manager spoke. "Now, I know that many of you have questions that you'd like to ask the panel, so we'll get started right away. But first, we'll have each of our "stowaways" stand up and give a few prepared remarks, and then we'll take questions from the floor. Mr. Louvier?"

Jean-Eric rose from his seat, looking at the expectant crowd uncomfortably.

"Um. . . hello," he said tentatively in a slight French accent, wincing as his voice boomed from the microphone. Cheers and claps of encouragement answered him. He straightened a little. "Forgive me, but I have little experience with these techno-thingofagummies. I usually give the talking duty to the others; they seem to get a bigger kick out of it than I do." That got a chuckle from the crowd. Someone from the audience shouted his sympathy, earning another laugh.

"Anyway," he continued, "it's a privilege to meet all of you, and I'm touched with the enthusiastic response from you, the audience, coming down here to bond over Endless Ocean—regardless if you have played the Wii game or not, or if you're just here for the ocean theme. It's the support from you young whipper-snappers that have made this convention a reality, and has made our hike to the United States worthwhile. Erm. . . thank you." The audience cheered and applauded loudly as Jean-Eric sat down, relieved to be done talking.

Oceana then left her seat to speak. "Hello, everyone!" she shouted cheerfully, a wide smile on her face, and waving to the crowd. They answered back enthusiastically. "My name is Océane, but for those who don't speak French—which is probably most of you—you can just call me Oceana.

"I have to say that the entire fan-fiction thing has been fun to read. In fact, it's given me the itch to write a couple Endless Ocean stories myself." At her grandfather's cough, she quickly added, "Though with business booming on Nine-Ball Island, and diving missions to swim, I'll be too busy to really be on the internet. Not to mention that our wifi's a bit spotty over there anyway; it comes and goes. The only quality wifi connection over there is on the Mainland, sooo…" she paused and a light blush was on her face as she realized that she was rambling, and moved on to a different topic.

"Anyway, I know that we've been through this already, but I just wanted to thank everyone for coming to this—especially those who traveled far to get here both stateside and internationally. We wouldn't be here without your support. I can't wait to hear what questions you'll have at our panel." the crowd applauded and whistled as Oceana sat down.

As the moderator nodded to GG, the broad African-American stood up with his microphone, much to the applause of the audience. He bowed dramatically, in his element.

GG being GG, he had to milk it for all it was worth. "Good afternoon, Americaaaaaa!"

The guests roared back a reply and GG was pumped up. "Whoo! Come on, now! Come on! What is up, my dudes? How's my favorite crowd today?" the audience cheered in answer to his question.

GG wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "Aw man! I'll tell you what ya'll, I am so pumped to be back in the US and A! I mean, I almost cried when I was served my steak and potatoes at that BBQ joint near here. I hadn't had such a luxury since I left for Ciceros Strait three years ago." he paused, wide-eyed in disbelief. "Man! Has it already been that long? It's felt like a decade since I stepped stateside. Anywho, when I saw that steak, I just stared at it for ten minutes so that I could admire it; it was almost too good to eat, you feel me?"

He was rewarded with the response he was looking for when the crowd laughed and nodded, shouting their affirmations.

GG shook his head. "Poor waitress was worried that I wasn't pleased with the steak and asked if there was anything wrong with it." another low chuckle from the crowd. "I told her that nothing was wrong with it; I was just admiring the chef's workmanship on that there steak. I'll tell you what, she about beamed like the sun—though she was giving me odd looks as I was explaining it to her."

Laughs erupted from the crowd.

"I tell you what," GG continued, "I'm sure glad to be back in the States and talking with my fellow countrymen." That earned a cheer from the American-majority in the audience. "You cannot believe th—"

A cough caught his attention, and looked to his right. The moderator gave GG an apologetic look. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Gray, but you have just over two minutes before Dr. Sakurai has the floor. Try to keep on topic, please."

GG sighed. "Sorry, man. Now, where was I? Oh, yeah!" his voice became sincere and heartfelt as he addressed the audience. "I just wanted to say that I have nothing but respect for the legit handful of Endless Ocean writers that have written fan-fiction for the fandom in the past two years. Respect, my dudes. Seriously, you've got guts writing stories and poems that not many people will read for a fandom that only a few people are in. With nothing to show for it but the fulfillment of showing their love for the game—and maybe a few hearts, follows, and, if they're lucky, reviews. I just have to salute the writers for their selfless giving to us fans in probably one of the smallest gaming communities in the fandom. Without you, this fandom wouldn't have any fan-fiction today—the few that we have, anyway. So . . . thank you."

The crowd cheered wildly for GG as he sat down, suspiciously rubbing his eyes. But that was probably just sand in his eye that he was rubbing off.

Dr. Hayako Sakurai then took stage, again being applauded by the audience. She bowed to them in the traditional Japanese greeting. "I am honored to be here," she began with a smile, adjusting her glasses. She spoke as a person who was used to speaking before a large audience. "It is so wonderful to meet people who love the ocean and its creatures as much as we do, and help us try to make this world a better place than we left it.

"It is my hope that we will one day raise enough funding to explore more of the oceans, the seas and the rivers that exist in our planet, unearth more submerged underwater ruins and shipwrecks, discover new species of fish and underwater wildlife, and much, much more. The oceans of the world are our last unexplored wilderness frontier; why waste so much money on space explorations when the money could be wiser spent on explorations on a galaxy that's literally in our own backyard? It is the vision of L&L Diving Service to use this convention as a catalyst and a stepping stone—"

"More like a stepping sandstone," interrupted GG, cackling. "Am I right?"

Groans and boos resounded from the crowd at the dark-skinned salvager's pun, along with a few scattered laughs.

GG was indignant. "Oh, come on! That was a good pun!"

The host was less than amused. "Mr. Gray—"

"It's 'GG', man! 'GG' just rolls off the tongue. 'Mr. Gray' makes me feel like an old man in a nursing home."

"Oi!" yelled Jean-Eric indignantly.

"GG," amended the moderator. "Dr. Sakurai has the floor, so please shut your lobster trap and let her talk!" That got several laughs from the audience.

GG saw Hayako's annoyed frown, and he rose his hands defensively. "Okay, okay, girl! I won't talk again. Scout's honor!"

Hayako gave a longsuffering sigh and continued. "As I was saying, this will be a milestone"—she gave GG another look, daring him to make another pun—"in making people aware of this and to motivate them to invest more in their oceans—and to preserve the fragile ecosystems in them.

"So, on behalf of the L&L Diving Service, we wish to thank the hosts for having us here, and for being generous enough to pay for the airfare for us to get here. We also want to thank all of you here and watching online for the generous donations that you have given us to help support us and expand our business and cause. You've truly been a blessing. Thank you." She bowed again in thanks as the audience whooped and cheered and applauded her as she sat back down.

The moderator then stood up and motioned for silence. "Alright. Thank you, everyone. Now that is done, we can now move on to the Q&A session. Now—who has a question they'd like to ask our panel?"

Author's Note: To Reviewers: If you send me some questions that you'd like the panel to answer, not only might your suggestion end up in the story, but I'll also be able to get these chapters written faster, which also means more content for you to read. Please make sure to keep them kid-friendly. I don't mind any sensitive topics, so long as they're not going to get too graphic. I would like to keep this story in the T rating if I can. For example, if you want to ask GG and Hayako why they're not together yet, you may do so.

I'm super surprised that I wrote around 2,500 words for this chapter. I was expecting it to be only around 1,000. I'm not complaining! lol XD

Tell me what you think? Liked it? Hated it? Neutral? What did you like? Did I have our peeps in character? Let me know! ^_^

Happy Swimming!

- Noctus Fury