Festival of Peace [Ueitawa Sequel Side Event]

    The girl released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Not that she expected him to be rude or anything, but it was a relief that Kahn didn't seem bothered by her sudden appearance. For a moment, she thought he'd rather not talk to her, considering the only reason they ever spoke to each other before was because of all that nonsense last year. "Ah, nothing really. School, I suppose. How have you been?" Destiny's smile grew just a bit wider as her tensed shoulders finally began to relax. Of course, the moment she felt a hand at her side, she stiffened again, shocked at the touch.

    Turning her head to look at the brunette, Destiny blinked once, then dropped her gaze to the hand at her side. The shock wore away after a moment, allowing the girl to actually listen to what was being said to her. Her clothes? ...Oh. A soft smile spread across her face at the compliment. Before she could do more than shake the hand the woman offered, a boy in the group interjected. Destiny's smile grew brighter as she turned to the boy and shook her head lightly. "My family made this for me, actually. But thank you very much; I'm sure my mother would be pleased to hear you say that." Her mother always did take pride in anything she made, especially clothes. If she were here, there was no doubt in the girl's mind that she'd be puffing out her chest with pride right about now.  

    Destiny's ears perked when someone nearby called the time. Was it really that late? Commuting from home to the festival must've taken more time than she realized. With everyone pausing to stare up at the sky and do a countdown, the girl took the opportunity to crane her neck and try to spot her sister. If Kari was distracted by the fireworks, Destiny would have enough time to run over and reunite with her.

    All at once, everything fell silent.

    For a second, the blonde thought the glow was caused by a firework or lights. But there was no crackle in the sky, and the lamps around her didn't seem to change colors. They were still shining with a soft yellow light, not a red one. The uneasiness bubbling up inside of her turned into a knot of anxiety as she looked upwards with a confused frown, catching sight of the oddly colored moon. // What in the world-? //

    "Ah-!" A cry of surprise fell from her lips as the ground beneath her feet shook. Immediately she lashed out for some kind of support, her hands connecting with the brunette woman's arm and refusing to let go until the tremors ceased. Even then she took a second to make sure everything was (relatively) back to normal before she stood up straight and glanced around. This wasn't normal. This wasn't normal at all. Thoughts of  Limbo and personas and shadows suddenly cluttered her mind. Was something like that happening again? Was everything they tried to do last year, all of their hard work, already unraveling?

    Destiny didn't have much time to think on the subject. The small purse she'd been carrying started to buzz; a quick peek inside proved it was because of her cell. Who could be calling--texting?--now? Whoever it was, she wasn't quite sure she wanted to know. Almost out of morbid curiosity the blonde pulled the flip phone from her purse and glanced over the front of it, biting her lip anxiously while she studied the small display screen.

Kahn smiled as Daiki explained that they should try to keep in touch, but he chuckled when what he assumed to be Daiki's younger sister placed a hand over his mouth. Clearly trying to make him get to the point, which the older sibling did. The red head would respond, "That's a good plan there my friend. Life tries to spilt us up, but friends can be a good shoulder to lean on." A support group was always good to have as friends only want to do the best for you, and want to help you through your struggles. When Tome brought the blue haired men closer into the group, Kahn only smiled, "See we're a friendly bunch of people make yourself at home here." Might as well get friendly with the new guy, Kahn was always open to meeting new people and making new friends. When Destiny asked what was going on with him, "Pretty much the same working more on getting stronger. Granted, you can't see the results through this." He said gesturing to his kimono. Speaking of which everyone began to compliment his dress he expected the blonde to blush, but was rather confident. A welcome change to be honest, when Daiki asked how he found all these girls.

The red head smiled cockily, "What's the matter? A little jealous, perhaps if we hang out my luck will rub off on you. Though I think she might be smitten with another, but I'm not sure." He would say with a chuckle when suddenly everything went silent. The crowds around him stopped moving. He looked around, this was like a red zone, but everything didn't change colors like he was expecting. Then he looked up and saw the red moon, he silently cursed. No they should have been done with this! What the hell is going on now!? Didn't the innocent deserve to get a break!? Suddenly his phone was vibrating, and he looked irritated as he opened it up. Who on earth was calling, and what was going on now!?

“I’m already offering to hang out with you more. You don’t need to keep convincing me.” He would say to Kahn, “But darn, the cute ones are always taken.” He would look at Tomoe as he said that. Yeah. She probably had her heart set on someone else too. He always came in too late to get the girl. Oh well, didn’t stop him from having some fun flirting. Besides, he still had a chance there. Beautiful women had a fifty-fifty split on being taken. He would look at the blue haired boy, but was unsure what to say, “Hello, Akuma. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

He would nod at Tomoe, “It is very lovely.” So someone had made it for her, “I knew it.” He could see it when someone sewed or not. Her hands looked too fair to know a needle. But it was nice to hear that she was always the intended wearer of the outfit. Clothing always looked better when it was made for a specific person. That’s why he made both of his sister’s most important outfits by hand, “Well, she is a very excellent seamstress. You look adorable.” He would wince his face just a little bit as he felt someone pinch him. He looked to his side to see Kaede was looking off to the side and eating more food, “Was that really necessary?” “Yes, it was.” She would answer without hesitation and with a pout. She really was a possessive one. He would pat her head with a smile, [color=#336633] “No one is more adorable than you.” He would then feel Hana pull at his hair lightly, “Okay. Between you two, I can’t win. This isn’t fair.” It didn’t sound like he was actually complaining, but joking with both of them. They seemed to be in on it too.

A vice would fill the air, announcing that it was almost midnight. Was it really so late already? Time passed by quickly. He would need to get ready to head home soon, or his parents would kill him for keeping the girls out so late. Daiki’s face would light up as the voice began to count down from five. Kaede joined in as he directed to Hana what to do. His sisters had been waiting for this all night. Seeing them enjoying themselves warmed his heart. Kaede was even counting down as if it were a song and Hana was clapping since she was still not the best with numbers. Although, she was clapping much faster than the voice was counting down.

Then everything just stopped.

The moon and sky turned red and he heard his sisters stop counting down. He picked Hana off of his shoulders and held her in front of his face. She seemed to be as frozen as the rest or the world. Her and Kaede both. A look of pure panic crossed his face as he bent down to look at both of his younger sisters side by side, “Kaede, Hana, don’t do this. The gods aren’t this cruel, are they? Come on girls. This can’t be happening.” He was completely lost. He had no idea what to do now. His precious little sisters both seemed to be frozen in time. That was even clearer as an Earthquake hit them. His immediate reaction was to wrap himself around both of them to protect them from the shaking ground, but they seemed to be okay. In fact, they didn’t even move an inch. It was like time was only moving for the five of those gathered here and everyone else was unaffected. His poor sisters. His heart was breaking just looking at them. He almost didn’t notice when his phone began to ring. With some hesitation, he reached down to pick it up. He didn’t say anything, but just waited for whoever it was to start speaking.

    The blonde pursed her lips at the voice, confusion and worry causing her brow to knit. Who was this? She hadn't been expecting to recognize the voice, but the fact that whoever this was seemed to know what had been going on when Limbo was seeping into this world was highly unnerving. Overcome by the sudden urge to throw her phone far away, Destiny pursed her lips and instead used both hands to grip onto the device. She knew the peace they worked so hard for was only temporary, but she hadn't expected it to be this short. It just wasn't fair. It wasn't right. Why did all of this have to happen now, at possibly one of the worst times?

    When the call (could she call it that?) ended, she glanced up, blue eyes darting from person to person. The brunette woman, Tomoe-san, and the polite young man seemed shaken. The blue-haired boy didn't seem fazed at all. Destiny almost envied him for being able to stay so calm in all of this. Even Kahn didn't look that composed; he looked ready to yell at someone or do something much worse, almost like he had that night at the shrine. While a shiver raced down her back at the memory, she listened to the blue-nette's question, taking a moment to consider it. Were they really going to that tower? She didn't like the thought of being called there by a person who they didn't know. What if this was a trap or a ploy or something awful was waiting there for them instead? ...But if it would finish what they'd tried to do last year, shouldn't they try...?

    Torn between her two options, the blonde looked to Kahn. He'd been their leader the handful of times she'd ever done anything supernatural related, and for the most part, she trusted him. It just seemed right to hear his opinion first before she made her final decision.

Kahn simply chuckled at Daiki's response, "I know just poking fun at you, that's all. No harm in that, is there?" As they discussed Destiny's kimono, the red head nodded. He wasn't much of fashion designer or follower. He wore what he looked good and fit him to be honest. AKA the typical guy method of picking out clothing, "will it fit? Yes? I'll take it." Easy and simple! He didn't have skill of sewing nor did he follow all of the trends of fashion. That was quite a feminine thing, he could say that a girl looked good in clothing, but he couldn't really say more than that. Granted, Daiki could, but he lived to impress girls with his womanizing ways.

However, as things began to turn to the supernatural he would look at those who could still move. Well from experience he knew that meant one of two things, they either had potential or they had supernatural abilities. Then there was that phone call from a mysterious stranger who told them that they would be able to finish what they started, but they would be seeing familiar faces. That made him far less than thrilled. Who, Aburai, the Smiling Mask, Brahama or phantoms of the past. Dammit, too many questions, but Kahn knew what to do. Akuma would ask what they were going to do, and the red haired young man noticed that Destiny was waiting for him to say something. He looked down thinking about something, before looking up and looking toward every single person able to move."Alright I understand things just got a little weird for all of us, and some of us may not know what is going on. What I can tell you is that all those murders, disappearances, and red zones that caused the quarantine were solved with a temporary fix. Everyone you know, love, and care about are still in danger. I know that is probably the last thing you want to hear right now, but it is necessary that you all know what is at stake. I don't like beating around the bush, thus I want to be up-front with it." He knew some of them already knew that it was a temporary fix. Kahn's green eyes looked down at Tomoe, "I understand some of you are really confused, but I can explain on the way. If you have a question I will answer it to the best of my ability, for now we need to get to that tower. If there is a way to put an end to what Ueitawa, and ensure it doesn't reappear again then I'll do it. I think you all can at least agree with me on that point." Hopefully that would inspire most of them to work alongside him at the very least. After all they all had something worth fighting for, right? Siblings, lovers, friends? Hopefully Kahn would be able to correct what mistakes he made.

As the voice began speaking, Daiki would look at the phone in his hand with confusion. He had no idea what the hell he was talking about. What had who fought for? Was this call really even for him? Somehow, he was even more lost than he was before. It was like everyone knew what was happening except him. Not that that was too unusual, but this was not the time for it to be happening. As soon as the line went silent, he would hang up the phone and put it back away. It looked like everyone else had gotten the same phone call. Part of him was wondering just how many of them had gotten that strange call. Part of him was questioning if he should trust a mysterious voice that knew his phone number so easily. The other part was wondering if it was a wise idea to leave his sisters here while he went on what could be a wild-goose-chase.

He was nearly blocking everything else out. Well, the words and noise were getting in, he just barely understood it all. So, Kahn had an idea what was going on, and it was related to those strange events from last year. He was hoping that was all over, but apparently not. He had actually felt some relief when Tezcatlipoca had disappeared. It wasn’t as if he knew the cat long enough to build a deep bond with him. Kaede had actually been more upset because she couldn’t play with the kitty anymore. If only she were moving. She would love to see him again, if only because she insisted that he was a god that was sent to stand by Daiki’s side. Of course, he had learned better, but he let her keep her dreams. Besides, it was such an unusual circumstance that correcting her served no purpose. And, now, she was standing there, frozen like the rest of them. He was a screw up of a big brother.

He only came back to reality (as unusual of a reality as it was) when he felt Tomoe drape over him and kiss his cheek. He’d look up to her with a small, joking smile, “You know, you shouldn’t kiss random men you’ve just met. You never know who they are or what you’re getting yourself into.” Despite him getting kissed by a real woman, he wasn’t flirting with her. This wasn’t exactly the time or place for that. He should have done it earlier while he had the chance. It was too late for that now. Maybe later. He would stand up as she gave a lecture to the others. She didn’t have to convince him. The moment his sisters got dragged into this, he would walk to hell and back. Actually, it looked like that may really be the case, “Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m on the lady’s side. We may as well see what awaits us. I mean, we got an invitation and everything. It would be rude not to show up promptly. Plus, I feel I know owe them a little something. What do you think the best gift to bring to this kind of party would be?” He’d look back at his sisters and feel his eyes beginning to burn. He had to get them fixed, “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m heading to the meeting spot. Don’t dally now.” Not that he expected them too. Still, you never knew. He would excuse himself from the group with a bow and make his own way to the place where the next event would unfold.

{EXIT}

    {OOC: I'm just going to keep this really, really short...}

    Destiny couldn't say she was pleased. They were charging into something they had absolutely no clue about. Who was to say going to this tower was a good idea? But if Kahn and everyone else was going, what good would it do to turn tail and run now? It wasn't like she could do anything here. And who was to say that if she went home everything would be okay there? It was a much better idea to try and help this group of people as much as she could, no matter how small her contribution might be.

    The blonde nodded lightly at the brunette woman's encouraging words, forcing a small smile on her face. "I'll meet you there." Considering that both the Yachiru corp. building and her home were in the same part of Ueitawa, it shouldn't take long at all to change into something that was easier to move in. With a brief wave to the others, Destiny took off, hurrying as fast as she could to her house. This time, would everything go back to normal for good? Or was this just another temporary fix? She prayed it was the former.

Kahn was surrised when Tomoe seemed to know what he was talking about, how on earth could she possibly know? The only people here who should have a clue about what is happening should be Destiny and himself, but when Tomoe mentioned the man in the blue room he would nod. She must have meant Igor, granted she could have been a bit more descriptive, but whatever it was less that he had to explain. "Alright, well that's less that I have to explain, and that means we can get there sooner." He would say looking at the others, and then considering what they were going into. A trap perhaps, but it wasn't like they had a choice. Granted, he wasn't one to leave things unfinished, thus he wasn't going to let this chance slip by if he could help it. As everyone else seemed to be moving to the meeting place, he would nod "I'll meet you all there. Stay safe, and don't do anything too risky!" He said as he left, fortunately he brought his duffel bag full of clothes so he could change into something more combat effective. Once he was done he would move to the meeting place, it was time to finish what he had started a year ago.

(Exit)