A Chance to Cheer Up

Whoa whoa whooooooa! This was AWESOME! The DJ cheered as she ran alongside the moving circus, stopping to watch the knife thrower again. Jeez he was cool! This whole thing was amazing! The DJ had never seen anything like this at all... She had traveled all over America and nothing even came close to this! She was ecstatic! She was lucky she was in Penecia when she was! And even luckier she dressed so radically for this event. The coincidence was cliche to say the least, but 'ey! Who cared about cliches when there was a flipping moving circus!


This was truly amazing... It left the DJ speechless as she watched the show pass by. She couldn't help but bounce on her toes and dance around. A few lonely people would eventually be dragged into a dance with the eccentric DJ as she spun them around and made them smile. Her glee was impossible to miss as she continued moving forward, gawking at every little thing with a child like awe. Who's have guessed these islands could get even more raddical!?

Nothing could break her glee right now! Calvin said he had heard word and came over to view this fiasco of awesomeness and the DJ had killed her phone's battery hours ago. She was alone and surrounded with cheering and happy people. She loved this, it was her essence... Not to mention the inspiration she was feeling right now! The songs and ideas came pouring into her head as she imagined the turntables right in front of her. It was safe to say this was a night would not be forgotten by the eccentric DJ.


And with that cheer, the DJ mixed into the crowd of people, bouncing here and there as she did. She'd bring more people into one of her strange waltzes of sorts before leaving them with a smile. She even stopped once to pop a few bubbles with a group of kids, though her face plant probably made the children laugh more than the bubbles... But hey! Who cared! This was an amazing event! Laughter, joy, glee, happiness! These things where everywhere! Who'd want to delve into sorrow here?

Why was Oki here again? On Penecia Island that is. Sure Dani lived here, but Oki had no reason to visit the boy again and as far as the being was concerned it had other things to worry about than randomly going to an island for the heck of it. It didn’t have that leisure anymore when it had angels and other monsters to deal with. Ever since it’s little adventure with Hyde to Andromeda, the old being was on edge even more than before. When it wasn’t worried about Helen or the angels, then it was worried about people in mask randomly popping up to stab it in the back.

Needless to say life was stressful and maybe that is why Oki was here now on a different island at random. Maybe it was simply looking for a distraction from it all…some form of escape it knew it would not find…

Hmmm?

Oki paused in its random walking as it saw people milling towards a certain point on the island. Curious and glad for a distraction from its running thoughts, the being jogged across the street and joined the crowds as they continued to move forward until finally they merged into a big pool that was cheering and laughing at a show being performed. With bubbles and other things in the air, Oki looked around the noisy area intrigued. It had never been to whatever this was and it had to admit that the energy that hung in the air had a way of sucking away worry, leaving only a happy feeling within. Even Oki with all its worries was sucked into this atmosphere as it moved between people to get a better view at the performers and those that were participating in the acts from the crowd.

The feats performed were amazing and made Oki almost want to jump in the middle of them; however, the being restrained itself as it stayed in the center of the crowds to be sure not to be tempted to climb onto anything as the show moved on. As Oki moved through the sea of smiling faces, a moving blur of something familiar caught its eyes.

That odd dresswear and interestingly colored hair. Yup. Oki knew who that was as it grinned and moved through the crowds towards the dancing girl. As she waltz with a guy who quickly passed her off to a lady who spun her about before passing her to another, Oki positioned itself, so that when the next person passed the girl off, it would be the one to catch her.

A gloved hand easily took hers, performing a short waltz with the girl before ending it in a dip that the being took a moment to rise up from as it looked at the familiar face of DJ with a grin as it continued to hold her in its arms with no issues.

“ ’ello poppet. Having fun?” Oki asked and then held her for a while longer just to see what she would do. Oki wondered as it did this, if Hyde or Dani would be upset for this play? Would it have mattered? Not really? After all, this place was full of fun no? So why not play games here and there?


Meanwhile as the fun continued, the sound of an approaching storm could be heard in the distance; however, it would appear very few noticed it as the festivities went on. In the shadows of this grand party, a shadowy figure watched the moving crowds through the black glass of the deer skull mask it wore over its face. No one noticed this person, who stayed in the back dressed in a trench, the horns upon its mask adorned with beads and small feathers. This being…it did not like this. This joy and happiness. This was not productive to the goals which it had vowed its life to. There needed to be chaos and fear…only then would people succumb and submit to the ones that could care for them the most. The gods they had forgotten about.

The lost lambs needed to be taught a lesson. Relearn their place in the world and this messenger would be the one to set everything in place. The announcement had been made and now it was time to sway the crowds. One island at a time…yes….yes…the lie would end and the truth would come out. It would start here….the cleansing of the world.  The faithful would survive and the unfaithful would be tossed the wolves and death. Yes. The world would be cleansed soon just like the mother Goddess wanted.

With its goal in mind, the masked figure sunk further into the background waiting for the perfect moment to strike and start the ball rolling on the cleansing.

Dance dance! Step step... Then pass, then swaaaaay~! Then jump that way! Woooo~! Then sway sway, dance dance, don't trip over that kid... Then pass~! Oh this was so flipping fun! She wasn't part of the acts, but the energy the DJ had seemed to bubble to the people she dragged into her dances... So much so people where starting to share her! Who'd have guessed? Maybe the DJ'd join a circus in the future! She could be that dancing girl who barely wears anything... Eh, on second thought... She'd prefer to just do this~. After all... Wasn't it enough she was dancing on platformed boots?

Though, the DJ was passed on to someone who really knew how to dance! Woosh~! And theeen a dip. Whoa... That made the DJ's head spin! Who'd have guessed someone could make her head turn? Eh heh... Weird thought... Maybe she was getting a bit to drunk off the atmosphere... Oh well! No time like the present and nonsense li- WHA!? THE OKI!?

"Aaaah! The Oki!" the DJ squealed, going to hug it tightly. The DJ was exceedingly happy to see a friend here! She'd wish Dan Dan was here... But beggars couldn't be choosers, man! I mean... Duh. "Oh oh! The DJ's so happy to see you! Isn't this so freakin' radical!?" she said as she spun about, her now blue striped hair spinning and sparkling in the light. It was different colors last time the Oki saw it... But she changed her color often to say the least. Ah! But then lightning! The DJ yelped and flailed her arms wildly for a moment, blinking as the thunder ended.

"'Ey... C'mon now! No time for cryin, sky!" she said, waving a fist up at the sky. After the DJ's grade A scolding, she turned back to the Oki, a grin across her face. "The Oki! We gotta make these people dance, aight? I ain't the show tonight, but that don't mean we can't help these people smile even more! Are ya with me!?" she said with a clap, already dashing into the crowd and beginning her wild waltzes with another group of people. She was a flurry of fluid movements and bright colors. She'd share her joy to everyone here! That was the DJ's plan! Woooo!

Oki continued to hold DJ letting her regain her bearings and fully focus on it. When she did, she let out a shout of excitement before unexpectedly hugging it. A bit startled by the action, it took a moment for Oki to recover from the sudden hug and then relaxing return the gesture back. It never thought that someone outside of Hyde would be so happy to see it, but it had been proven wrong right here. As the other released the being it couldn’t help, but grin at the energetic girl.

“It is a pleasure to see you too, DJ,” Oki respond back before nodding at the other’s question as it looked around at the festivities once more. “It is quite something,” Oki said as it leveled its eyes with the other still feeling drunk with the happiness….that was until the thunder sounded and the lightning flashed across the skies. As DJ yelped and flailed, Oki looked up at the skies with a light frown. It couldn’t rain. That would ruin the fun….and it really needed the fun here.

When DJ scolded the sky and told it not rain, Oki found itself nodding in agreement as it unconsciously spoke out loud.

“That’s right, there is still more fun to be had,” the being said as green eyes glanced once more at the sky moodily. Sure it was being selfish and childish, but who could blame it after what it had been through? Everyone needed a break right?

Before Oki could answer that question mentally, its eyes snapped back to DJ as she looked at it with a grin. As she spoke, the ancient being smiled and nodded before proceeding to follow her; however, as it took a few steps forward, Persephone's whispering caused it to stop in its tracks as it looked around.

There was something here that made her stir, but what? Green eyes narrowed as the crowds flowed around it. Most people here seemed normal, but something was off. Oki continued to examine the people until the whispering in its head became a light chuckle as its eyes locked onto a strangely dressed man skipping through the crowds. He seemed to be having fun like everyone else, but there something still very odd about the guy, but what exactly it was Oki couldn’t tell. The sky above got stranger causing Oki to look up before making a decision. Blending into the crowd, it would try to get closer to the stranger to see exactly what was up. It had no idea that the one that it had decided to trail was also the target of another present in the crowd. All Oki knew was that it needed to get up close the stranger to finally silence the soft laughter of Persephone who was clearly interested in the stranger….

While all the festivities continued to go on the hidden masked man continue to move in the shadows as he followed the circus about. He was waiting, waiting, waiting and then….

A woman in a red coat jumped onto a stand and began shouting to the crowds. As the wind blew her curly golden locks.

“Fair people! You must cease this fun! It will draw demons to us! Return to your homes and bow your heads! Pray to the gods for forgiveness for this sin!” the woman was yelling, but the people in the crowd hardly paid her any mind. She was surely a crazy person, so why listen to what she said? Still, the woman would not give up as she continued to repeat her message, practically begging others to listen to her. She would continue to do this until a single gunshot carried loud and clear over the sounds of festivities and the coming storm. As the lady began to fall, her mouth opened and closed as her hands went to her throat blood pouring from it as she toppled off her stand and hit the ground...dead.

People around her gasped and murmured until a man in the crowd looked up and pointing began to yell in fearful tones.

“She was right! It's a d-demon! A demon!” and then whimpering he began to run. And who could blame him? The figure in the long jacket wearing the skull mask with horns with a gun held up certainly did look like a demon as the heaven above flashed and rumbled angrily. People on the end this figure was on would begin to scream and then run as the demon moved forward, training his gun on legs and arms as he let off one round after another aiming to punish as many as he could with injuries before his deed was done. After all, the messenger had sung and now he was her hand. The hand that would spread the sickness to bring all back home in the end.

Dance dance! Step step! Twirl twirl! The DJ had rejoined her dancing with the populace, blissfully waltzing with the many people she came in contact with. She moved fluidly between people, passing people off to other dancers and being passed herself. She was an unstoppable force of joy and happiness! It wouldn't have been hard for some to mistake her for part of an act, after all, she was dressed oddly and was dancing with people on her own accord! What crazy person would do that if not for a circus member? Well... The DJ for starters.

Everything was so fun! It was obvious that when the woman had jumped up that the DJ never heard her nor noticed her. Her dancing continued on past Oki and the silverette's pursuit of the oddly dressed man. She was oblivious in her glee. That was... Until a gun shot rang out and people started screaming and whimpering. The one she was dancing with stopped and ran in a seemingly random direction, leaving the DJ alone within the churning crowd. She was scared... A-And where was the Oki!? She didn't know what to do, but she had to stay c-calm? The DJ slowly moved through the crowd, calling out Oki's name as she did so. She had to find him... Or her... Now wasn't the time to think about this!

Oki was trailing the strange guy when all hell decided to break lose. It started with a woman shouting about demons. She seemed to be trying to start up something with all this peace around, but since people weren’t really reacting and her threat level seemed low, Oki had ignored her; however, the loud sound that followed shortly after was not to be ignored. That sharp crack and echo…that was a sound Oki knew. That was a gun!

Turning in the direction of the sound as its body went numb, Oki began to make its way through the now panicked crowds as one person weighed on its mind – DJ. The one it was trailing no longer mattered as that one person stuck clearly in the being’s mind. It had to find her and know that she was okay. Only then could it handle the rest of this logically. It had wandered away from her, but it didn’t think it had gone that far, but the sea of pushing people made it seem like an eternity of hard swimming to finally find a space to look around for her. As Oki paused winded from the fight with the people it looked around the chaotic sea frantically. Where was –

There!

It heard its name being called from somewhere within that madness and without hesitation began to fight its way towards the sound calling out.

“DJ, I am coming! Stay there!”

Oki continued to push its way to the girl feeling relieved and tensed. When it finally reached the girl, it grabbed her arms in firm yet still gentle way. Kind of like an older sibling concerned and relieved at the same time.

“DJ, thank goodness. You’re not hurt are you?” Oki asked and then found itself looking up as more shots wrung out. People were getting hit at random now. Damn! This was getting bad. They had to go and like now. The being looked to DJ and was about to tell her that they need to run, but before it could flee from one problem a total different problem came literally up from the ground.

As the strange being rose from that bloody hole, Oki turned white as a sheet as the one thing that it prayed would not come crashing the party made itself known. The being had heard about what happened on another island where the supernatural had come to it in the form of a woman that came to spread chaos. It remembered it conversation with Deva. Remembered her mentioning the Primordial called Thesis and another trying to wake up the creator. This guy before them.... This was the other Deva had mentioned and as it was Oki could not leave this one alone. Unlike a gunman this was something that had to be confronted like or not. The only problem was DJ. It couldn’t leave her either.

Plan B. Protect DJ and try to stop this at the same time. Right. Oki took DJ’s hand in its own (if she allowed it) as it focused on the bigger problem at hand.

“DJ, we are going closer to that guy, but I need you to hide somewhere before we reach him. I promise, I’ll find you once this is over, got it?” Oki said in serious tones as it looked to DJ sternly. It would give her a moment to make her choice, but whether she rebelled or ran her own way, Oki would begin to make its way to the one called Ananke to do what it could to aid the other that had seemed to jump into action with supernatural powers at her back. As the being moved the tattoo on its back began to tingle letting it know that Persephone was active; however, it wouldn’t release the beast until it was closer to the threat in the mess.

What a nightmare this was turning out to be.