Sɐɯdlǝs (DNP ^_^)

[M4RCK3TTe]

➲ Posted: SAME DATE
TYPE OF POST: OPENING

CAUGHT IN A STREET FIGHT » » » YOU NEED A L I F E L I N E
DON'T YOU DARE LOOK BACK _💛_ JUST KEEP YOUR EYES ON ME _💛_ SHUT UP AND DANCE WITH ME
↳ GO ON ❤ AND USE ME ⭐ { I'LL BE YOUR BRUCE LEE 👊 ]



Slender fingers wrapped themselves around glowing rainbow light. Click. Click. Her dark green eyes scanned the table displayed on the screen in front of them, its bright lights shone rather ominously onto her face. Indeed, the money had been deposited into the account and the corners of her mouth stretched into a satisfied grin. Click. Click.
"…aaaannnd uploading~!" The triumphant 'tap' of a keyboard's key could be heard in the silent early morning.



ʟᴏʟᴏʟᴏʟᴏʟᴏʟᴏʟᴏʟ TIME SKIP ʟᴏʟᴏʟᴏʟᴏʟᴏʟᴏʟᴏʟ


A little less than five hours of sleep later and Kei was awake once again. The smell of chai and burnt toast filled the air. The sound of the plonk the sozu in the artificial pond outside made alternated with the sound of pages turning, their harmonious beat punctuated by the occasional sssshk of a highlighter pen being dragged across a piece of paper. With a highlighter in one hand, her chin in her other, and funky music blasting from her earphones, Kei was focused. Her eyes framed by thick black rimmed glasses scanned the words in the 2 inch thick book on the table. She had a test next week and she was going to ace it.

Time was something she could not waste. She had a goal. Or at least she thought she did. Kei wasn’t so sure anymore. Medicine was interesting and all, but her passion had cooled somewhat. She wasn’t quite as enthusiastic as she was two years ago, or even one year ago, or perhaps even half a year ago. Being the Kazehaya clan’s main doctor would be cool and they’d probably let her still do her hacking on the side but it was going to take three more years for her to finish her degree. Was she doing this for herself? Or was she just playing into the hands of her own vengefulness? Either way, now that she had started it she was going to finish it.

“It’s been an hour, Kei! Time for a break!” said her phone in the form of a chirpy “Blik!” Capping her highlighter, she placed it on the fold of her book so she wouldn’t lose her page when she returned. Rising from her seat, she grabbed her phone and gave it a swipe.
“Awww…nobody wants me.” she pouted, noting the lack of missed calls and messages on her phone. Raising her arms, she stretched as she strolled over to the patio and started half-heartedly twisting herself into a number of yoga positions. It was a mighty fine day. Almost too fine of a day to be indoors.

It had been a few months since she moved into one of the many rooms of the Kazehaya main residence. As she was expected to work even more closely with the new heir, the clan elders had decided that she should move in. In a moment of spontaneity, Kei agreed. Packing was a hassle but at least when she moved in there was little for her to get used to. She had been there before many times and its furnishings and architecture were similar to those of her own house. With tatami mats and shoji screens, there was only one word for it – traditional, just like the clan that lived in it. She hated their rigidity, their rules, their “stuffiness”. However, thoughts of whether she was more likely to meet some a**-a**-ins whilst staying there kept her appetite for what they’d call “troublemaking” quelled.

Sadly, there hadn’t been any such excitement for her to experience, yet. For now there was peace. Something she too enjoyed once in a while.



UNDER THE STREET LIGHTSxxxxxxxxx ❝ I◝ LL WAIT A L I F E T I M E !!!
IF YOU TELL ME I’M WRONG _💛_ I DON’T WANNA BE RIGHT _💛_ IF YOU TELL ME I’M WRONG
• • • JUST LIKE 🎬 THE MOVIES ⭐ I'LL BE YOUR BRUCE LEE 💦

[ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ]⊹⊰⋮ kazehaya main residence, her room ||
[ ｗｉｔｈ]⊹⊰⋮ nobody ||
(っ*Д*)っ♥{ ooc ▷ NGL I have no idea what I want to do with her lol. On another note, I wanted to listed to some of Kei's tunes while writing and got tricked by my own profile. If you wanna hear Kei's theme songs, you click the heart <3.}
BLAH = #FF55A3 THOUGHTS = #E68FAC

[M4RCK3TTe]

➲ Posted: SAME DATE
TYPE OF POST: OPENING

A steady beat rang loud in the air, her heels clicking as she walked through the corridors of the great castle at Five Crowns, her pace measured. Gaze levelled, she was careful not to meet
the eyes of anyone who passed her by simply out of nervousness. Despite its furnishings being comparably as lavish as ones she had seen in Eido, there was just something about its regal air
that she could never quite get used to. Even their maids and servants carried an aura of importance which made her feel terribly out of place and like she should be the one serving them.
Alas, she had a duty to carry out.

The agenda of the day? Basically, whether to hold a party or not. Hisae never really had a head for politics –not because she didn’t have the intelligence for it but rather because she never
bothered to learn. To her every Court was the same, just as long as they were willing to spend some moolah and keep her in the black. But nonetheless she thought round table diplomacy was
good- No, it was the best way to get things done. Any way to avoid needless fighting, bloodshed and the possibility of cutting short her own life was much preferred…But was a gala really the way
to go about it? Hisae had her doubts. What if they drowned whatever concerns they had in alcohol and merriment just to forget everything they had agreed to the next morning? Then they would be
back to square one and all the resources spent would've been for naught. Not to mention that she would also have to spend money, hard earned money, on a piece of cloth (known to most as a
dress) instead of something more useful like food. But what did her opinion matter?

Hisae came to a halt and whirled around. This was the second time she had seen this painting. Perhaps her nerves were getting the best of her. Hisae didn’t understand why she so nervous in the
first place but cursed the atmosphere of Five Crowns all the same. A breath in and out and her calm was restored along with her sense of direction.
“Perhaps I should try the main hall?” The thought drifted into her mind as she continued to search for those from her Court whom she knew had gathered in Five Crowns.

Tadao - perhaps the only person she respected (and with whom she could hold a proper conversation with) in her party. In her opinion following Tadao’s recommendation, whatever it may
be, would be the most intelligent thing to do but unfortunately, it would be the Crown who had the last word.

Elias – the Crown of Eido, a.k.a. her boss and someone she wouldn’t have wanted to have anything to do with if she had the choice. Her only consolation was that he was quite easy on the eyes. Though,
whatever minuscule pleasure she did derive from looking at him usually evaporated as soon as he opened his mouth.

Charlese. Hisae had no idea what she could've done to offend her but their relationship started off on the wrong foot and has not improved since their first meeting. On the upside, it hadn’t
deteriorated either. Despite being rather miffed that she was being disliked for some unknown reason she thought that it might be for the better that they stayed this way. After all, they were
competing against each other for the position of First Sword.

Finally reaching the main hall, her eyes were immediately drawn to the figure of Eido’s former Sword. Hisae felt a wave of relief wash over her as she made her way towards the familiar face.
"Good morning, Tadao. Have you seen Elias or Charlese?"

LOCATION ⋮ five crowns
WITH ⋮ tadao
OOC ⋮ ouob
BLAH = #B39EB5 THOUGHTS = #739AC5

[M4RCK3TTe]

➲ Posted: SAME DATE
TYPE OF POST: OPENING

She had drawn the short end of the stick (again) after she had been assigned night shifts for the second year in a row. They were exhausting but at least she wasn’t put in the emergency department like last year. After a hot shower, Yuzuki was feeling slightly less tired but also slightly woozy as she had spent a little too long under the hot running water. With a warm cup of coffee milk in one hand and a towel around her shoulders to stop her still slightly damp hair from wetting her pyjama top, she settled down by her desk to review notes for tomorrow's class. With her legs tucked under her, she swayed from side to side on her swivel chair, leisurely skimming through her notes.

A few minutes passed and she was starting to nod off. It was coffee milk time. Just as her hand wrapped round the cup’s handle, something shiny poking out from her bag caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. Fully turning her attention to the shiny object, she found that it was a beautiful bronze hairpin with what looked like pieces of jade in the shape of some sort of berry. She couldn’t remember ever buying such a hairpin. Did one of the other nurses accidentally place it there? Wanting to get a closer look at the hairpin without getting out of her seat, Yuzuki leant forward and reached down for the hairpin. However, she should’ve known better as she had fallen out of her chair many times before performing such an action. Unsurprisingly, she soon tumbled onto the floor.

Clutching the hairpin in one hand, Yuzuki fully expected to hit her head on the leg of her desk, but the pain never came. Opening her eyes, she slowly rose to her feet. Why was it so dark? Had there suddenly been a power outage in the second it took for her to fall to the ground? Like a rabbit in the headlights (or alternatively an espurr on any regular day), she stared ahead of her, eyes wide as she took in her surroundings. There were trees all around and her carpeted floor had disappeared. She definitely wasn't in her room anymore.
“Th-th-this is just a dream, right? W-wow, I fell asleep fast! I must have been really tired!...That or I did hit my head and I’m now in a coma.” Taking a deep breath, Yuzuki decided to venture forward. Surely nothing bad could come out of walking around in her pyjamas at night in the middle of a deserted forest, right? After all, this was just a dream, right?

If anything, Yuzuki was confused. Why was her dream was so creepy? She was sure she hadn’t been watching or reading anything in the horror genre lately.
“It’s only just a dream. Just a dream~. Like that song! Ba ba ba, only just a dream~. Da ba da ba da ba ba something… ‘bout… a basement...” she mumbled, thinking that singing would help to calm her nerves. But instead her hushed off-key singing spooked her out even more and the most timely crunch of a fallen twig which snapped under her foot made her yelp out something unintelligible in terror. Clasping her free hand over her mouth, she decided to find somewhere to settle down, calm her nerves and just wait for her dream to end.

Spotting a comforting looking tree, which by Yuzuki-standards meant a “fluffier” one that had less visible branches and more leaves, she crouched down and leant against its trunk, expecting to get at least a couple of minutes to herself. She glanced down at the hairpin still in her hand and decided to pin it to the collar of her pyjama top so she wouldn't accidentally drop it. No sooner after the hairpin was fastened, did the sound of footsteps reach her ears. Her breath hitched and her body stiffened.
“Ok. Yuzuki. It’s Oh. Kay. You can’t have the same dream twice and nothing can top that one with the huge tarantulas. They were like skyscrapers.” Having gathered up a few specks of courage, she gingerly turned to see who or what it could be when she was greeted with A FIST. A soundless scream left her mouth as it barely missed her cheek. Instantly, she sprung up like a piece of toast and made a run for it.

She was so awake, if being awake in dreams was a thing. Startled, confused and a little hurt all at once, Yuzuki wondered what she had done to deserve this. Then again dreams were always weird. As she ran, she took a quick glance back at her attacker. What’s this about ghosts? But first, who was he? And why was he in a suit!?! Her mother always told her to beware of guys in suits because they could be debt collectors, yakuzas or lawyers. But that was besides the point. She had never seen this man before in her life. Yuzuki recalled reading somewhere that dreams were manifestations of wishes of the unconscious mind and lately her parents had been worried about her currently non-existent love life. Could her subconscious be sending her a message that this was the kind of guy she wanted? Or needed? He was a little more violent than she had thought he would be and Yuzuki felt like she learned something new about herself – but whether that new thing was a good or not, she wasn’t quite sure.

If anything, bustling around the hospital wards had made her quite the speedy runner and she was making some headway. Things were going too well. Way too well. Just as she completed the thought, her feet caught on themselves and she fell to the ground. She knew it was bound to happen, it was just a matter of time. Flipping over onto her back, she turned to see that he had already managed to catch up with her.
“I-I-I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I don’t know what I’ve done but I’m sorry!! Please don’t kill me!” she pleaded, holding up her hands as if she were a criminal surrendering.
“I swear I’m not a ghost! What can I do to make you believe me?”


[ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ]⊹⊰⋮ apartment >>> 1905 || xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx [ ｗｉｔｈ]⊹⊰⋮ alone >>> dream attacker guy (Hiro) ||
[ｏｏｃ]⊹⊰⋮ ... ||
BLAH= #FFA07A THOUGHTS = #e19d98

[M4RCK3TTe]

➲ Posted: SAME DATE
TYPE OF POST: OPENING

“Hm. Yes. “Fun”.” Noelle swallowed down a scoff as she listened to Dr. Sinclair. With one arm across her stomach and the other holding up a glass of whisky,
she leant against the wall closest to the door. Trying not to glare or break her smile, she glanced wistfully into her glass as if remembering something. Noelle was bitter.
“Whose harebrained idea was this?” If she had to take a guess, it would be the President or someone related to that dolt. It wasn't that she didn't like karaoeking.
She liked it. But only when she was at it with friends, not the co-workers whom she had just met a week ago and whom she’d probably have nothing to do with
after the Project ended, nor the people who supposedly need so much help falling in love that they've been referred to a hospital. She one-shotted the rest of her
whisky. Why did she have to be here? She could've been doing something much more productive with her time like finishing up her first weekly progress
summary or getting some well-deserved rest. Did this count as overtime? Her gaze drifted to the buffet table. At least there was food.
 
Depositing her empty glass by the bar table, she sauntered to food and heaped up a plate of assorted pastas; cheesy pasta bake, spaghetti bolognaise,
pasta salad. Noelle couldn’t see the point of her attendance. She thought she was here simply as an observer and, if things were not picking up, an a**-kicker
(not a literal one though). So far, the first week was going to plan. Nobody expected anyone to fall in love at first sight and it didn’t happen- though it
would've made her job a heck of a lot easier if they miraculously did. The best case scenario didn’t eventuate but neither did the worst.
 
Returning to her previous spot by the door, she shoved a forkful of pasta into her mouth as if she had a personal vendetta against the innocent pastas.
“When can I leave?” The first song hadn’t even started and she had already had her first glass of whisky. She wondered how many more she would have to drink
to make it through the night. Without any inclination of participating in Karaoke Night, it seemed that eating, drinking and people watching would be her only sources
of amusement. Luckily for her, she had a great view of the room and everyone in it from where she was standing. Dr. Sinclair had struck up a conversation
with Reyes. Noelle’s impression of him was that he liked to keep things professional and so it was unexpected that he would start up a conversation. Part of her
was curious as to what they were talking about but the more dominant part of her brain told her that she was not close enough to hear, was no expert at lip
reading and should not budge from her spot if she wanted to avoid human interaction. And so she didn't.

By another wall, Ms. Franco was by herself seated at the back of the room, as usual. For the sake of the Project and her patience, she hoped that someone on the
team, perhaps Dr Brooks or Ms Aishton, would be able to do something about her introverted-ness and help her find love...or something. Elsewhere, Mr. Kudrov
looked like he was chatting up Ms. Hudson. On any other day, she would’ve pitied Ms. Hudson who seemed like she was content in her seat. But, given the nature
of the Project and her current position, she saw this interaction as nothing short of positive. Somewhere else, Mr. Wilmott invited the other Noel up for a song.
She hadn’t picked him to be the type to be so pro-active or to like singing and yet here he was volunteering to sing the first song. Perhaps the Project was having an
effect on people after all?

LOCATION ⋮ Entertainment Center
WITH ⋮ everyone and no one
OOC ⋮ whoo! my first post :3 Hope I spelled everyone's names right. The only reason why Reye and Noel's names don’t have a prefix is cause I don’t know their last name orz
BLAH = #E66771 THOUGHTS = #DDADAF

[M4RCK3TTe]

➲ Posted: SAME DATE
TYPE OF POST: NORMAL

Her mouth gaped wide open as the shinto priest flew towards them. Yuzuki felt just a little faint as she watched helplessly as it raised its staff at her. Shell-shocked, she couldn’t react as dream-guy pulled her back onto her feet. Yuzuki continued to stay rooted to her spot as the battle between dream-guy and the priest ensued. In a punch the priest was gone and in her mind, that moment transformed dream-guy from some random dude who tried to punch her into her hero. Of course dream-guy would win. This was her dream right? But her elation was cut short at the appearance of the phantom clerics. Her dream had just turned into a nightmare.
 
Before she had time to freeze in panic again, she felt his hand wrap around hers and she was running, again. “Why me!?!” It wasn’t the first time that she had found herself running today but Yuzuki lamented her bad luck all the same before realising that it was just the norm for her. But just the norm rarely happened in dreams and that was what made the dream feel just that little bit too real.

Where were they running to? Yuzuki hoped she’d wake up soon or that dream-guy would lead her into a magical land of rainbows, ponies and edible houses or somewhere, anywhere but more dark forest or scariness. But no, they were headed for a creepy temple. Climbing up the well-worn temple stairs, she was thankful for his help as she probably would've tripped on those stairs and subsequently mauled by the phantom clerics had dream-guy not been there. Yuzuki held her breath as dream-guy held her close in hiding. Her brain nearly short-circuited.
"So close! So close! Too close! It's just a dream but still! We're moving a little too fast here!" Those definitely were the doki's in her chest. But she wasn't sure whether they were caused by the running they had done earlier, entering the creepy temple or being held close to this handsome beau. But one thing was for sure, the adrenaline was definitely coursing through her and her cheeks felt hot.
 
As they entered the temple, she stayed close by his side. It seemed that they were safe for now but the eerie atmosphere in the temple kept her on edge.
"Hanae. Hanae, Yuzuki. Um, what is-" she began to say, her voice trailed off into silence as her saviour looked her up and down. She had so many questions for him. Who was he? Why were those holy people after them? What was this Dark Hour? But not wanting to risk getting punched again, she remained silent and let dream-guy continue his inspection. Cutting through the silence, a noise came from the shrine and Yuzuki jolted. She looked to dream-guy and studied his expression. So, they weren't alone. And that was probably a bad thing.
 
As dream-guy handed her an old fashioned flashlight, Yuzuki stood still, thoroughly confused as she took the flashlight from him. "...1899? Like the song? Springsteen? Madonna? Nirvana? No, that was 1985. But, why!?!" Still, she turned it on and pointed it ahead, illuminating the altar. The sight of the old dolls, neatly lined up and staring at her with their vacant eyes almost made her want to bolt. The faint memory of a movie she had accidentally turned on when she was 10 which gave her nightmares for 3 nights in a row surfaced. She hadn’t seen such dolls for a while and had long forgotten her fear of them…until now. As dream-guy stepped closer to investigate it, she followed close behind, one hand gripping the flashlight and the other clutching the edge of his jacket. Peeking just over his shoulder, she wondered what he found so intriguing about the row of dolls. They were creepy and probably cursed.
 
She turned to him upon hearing his question and she opened her mouth to answer when a beautiful looking lady came out from the passage beside dream-guy. Yuzuki gasped. Her grip on his jacket tightened. It was a person! She was so pretty! But her pale hair and skin made her look ethereal. Was she a ghost like the shinto priest? Maybe she was a good ghost? But even if not, they would be fine right? If she was bad then dream-guy could vanquish her right? But what if she was just another random person like dream-guy? Even though Yuzuki was pretty certain she was in a dream, she wasn't about to let dream-guy start punching another person. This time she was going to be a hero and save his reputation. Feeling a bit more courageous having someone on her side who she was sure could take care of things if it went awry, she decided to talk it out first.
"Uh-uh-um. Excuse me? Are you alright?" No sooner after the words left her lips, the very faint noise of someone shouting in the distance reached her ears. “Thee? Oh no! Have those ancient priest people found us?!?” Yuzuki shuffled a little closer to him.
“D-did you hear that? Please tell me you didn’t hear that.”


[ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ]⊹⊰⋮ 1905 forest >>> doll temple || xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx [ ｗｉｔｈ]⊹⊰⋮ dream-guy(Hiro) >>> + pretty ghost(?) lady (Yayoi) ||
[ｏｏｃ]⊹⊰⋮ orz sorry its so long! ||
BLAH= #FFA07A THOUGHTS = #e19d98

[M4RCK3TTe]

➲ Posted: SAME DATE
TYPE OF POST: OPENING

Thank god for image stabilisation technology, camera straps and tripods. She had been crouched down, hopping along and taking photos of the tiny flowers and tiny plants which lined the small bit of nature just outside the dorm room for the past half an hour with her macro lens. Kiyomi didn't know the names of any of the flowers, but they were cute nonetheless and thus deserved to be remembered permanently.

Lowering her camera, she smiled looking back at the photos she had taken. Today was a good day. As she continued to admire her photos, her eyes drifted to the bandage around her right wrist. It had been a month since school started and she moved into the dorms at Gakugei. She almost felt like she needed to hold a solo party to congratulate herself for making it through. There were more chances to meet him but he has yet to appear. Or perhaps he already did. She wondered if the light from her soulmark would shine through the layers of bandages if she happened to meet him and shuddered at the thought. "No, no, no, no! You're doing it again! Positive Kiyomi! Think positively! Ok!?!" Kiyomi yearned to change. To be brave. To take that one little step towards facing reality. She uninstalled all the otome games from her phone and laptop. Kiyomi thought that counted for something. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to look at her soulmark. It was still too large of a jump to take.

Rising to her feet, she walked around, searching for a new subject to photograph. Last week she had tried to take a photo of the silhouette the tree’s leaves made against the sky but ended up dropping the camera on her face. She wasn’t going to be trying that again any time soon. As Kiyomi continued her quest for the perfect subject, she heard a familiar voice calling out but she couldn’t quite place its owner. Her place slowed as a rare sight came into view. A cat holding a sandwich in its mouth. Her eyes sparkled as she made eye contact with the feline. It was adorable! For the sake of her own personal collection of photos she had to get it on digital film.

Fishing out the best zoom lens that she had on her, Kiyomi lost no time in getting it attached to her camera. Squatting down, she looked a bit like a duck as she waddled after the cat, firing away burst shots as she tried to capture its every minuscule move. As the voice she had hear a little earlier grew louder and closer, she turned in its direction. The owner of the voice filled her camera lens.
“Ah, it’s Ryoku-sensei.” her thought punctuated by the click of her camera. English wasn’t her best subject but Kiyomi felt some sense of comradery when she met her as her wrist was also wrapped up. Letting her camera hang from the strap around her neck, she took out her phone. From experience, she knew one thing. Her phone charm’s bell was irresistible to cats.

A few rings and she had the cat’s full attention. It looked at the small metal bell as if entranced by it and then dropped its stolen property. Swiftly, she swooped it up with her left hand and held out the sandwich to the teacher.
“Is this yours, Ryoku-sensei?” she asked, her attention partly taken by the cat with whom she continued to play with, dangling the bell above it.She felt that it was such a pity that pets weren't allowed in the dorms.

LOCATION ⋮ campus
WITH ⋮ ryoku-sensei
OOC ⋮ :3
BLAH = #E66771 THOUGHTS = #DDADAF

[M4RCK3TTe]

➲ Posted: SAME DATE
TYPE OF POST: NORMAL

Yuzuki swallowed as the ethereal lady turned around to answer her. Attention so focused on how the lady would react, she did not notice that a kunai had almost cut dream-guy. Yuzuki breathed a sigh of relief at the ethereal lady’s non-hostile reaction.
"Oh…if she- Kamiya-san is dream-gu- Genji-san's friend then I guess she's a good person! Perhaps I can relax a little." At that thought, her shoulders started to sag and untense themselves as the two engaged in casual chatter. What kind of organisation did Kamiya-san and Genji-san belong to? They both sounded so serious and business like? Why were they here? Perhaps both were versed in ghost-busting? It seemed like a logical conclusion. But the sound of a sharp thwak cut through her musings She glanced down to see a dagger right next to her foot. She laughed nervously. "Well…I was never a lucky one but I think that's the last of my personal luck used up for the evening." She looked up again as Genji-san moved to shield her and she felt her sense of safety restored.

Following Genji-san’s lead, Yuzuki wondered where her wild dream would lead her next.



A group of six people had now amassed. All the men seemed to be acquainted to one another. Yuzuki wondered how active her imagination must be for her head to come up with so many different people whom, as far as she could remember, had neither come from the books she read nor movies she watched and whom had pre-established relationships. Not to mention she had also conjured up a cat for Genji-san. Yuzuki wished that she could've lucid-dreamed up her own cat for some comfort.

As the joyful reunion between cat and man happened, Yuzuki participated in the group introductions. Having the company of more people made her feel much less on edge. But her feelings of safety were shaken when a deep, gruff voice interrupted the pleasantries.
"I-I-It's the SHOGUN!?!" Though alarmed, Yuzuki wasn't quite as frightened. Still, she shuffled just a fraction closer to Kamiya-san, whom she had formed a rather quick attachment to as she was the first female whom she had seen in this dream (and also the first person whom she had interacted with who did not act hostilely at the sight of her).

Yuzuki wondered how Genji-san knew how long it would be til this nightmare ended but accepted his words as fact nonetheless. Nodding at his instructions, she took his cat in her arms. Having only just met Dorothy, Yuzuki was certain about one thing - the only thing she was certain about in this rather vivid dream. She was going to protect her even if it costed her life.

"Come back safely!" she shouted after him. Watching as he entered the fray, she belatedly realised that she should've probably blessed his coat or something. It was something Yuzuki never told anyone about but she had the ability to bestow a certain amount of luck on people. She discovered it by accident. Her brother had a multiple-choice math quiz which he hadn't studied for and she gave him a pencil which she unknowingly imbued with 25% more luck. Answering a fifth of the questions using his own knowledge and guessing the rest, he managed to score 70% on his test. Though that pencil worked for only that one test, it would not be the last time Yuzuki would use her powers to help her family with one thing or another. But, she discovered very early on that her powers could not be used on herself. Yuzuki wondered if her ability would work in her dreams.

As Genji-san had given her his precious cat to take care of, staying put was her only option. Besides, it wasn’t as if she knew how to fend off spirits. Turning to the black-haired lady, she opened her mouth to give her two cents but before she could, the Shogun lunged at her. Luckily, the man whom Genji-san had called Jyuzou was there to deflect his blade.
“Are you alright?! ” Yuzuki ran over to her side and held out the feline. Dorothy was not her cat, but she wondered if letting black-haired lady have a pat or two to help alleviate some of the tension after the shogun's failed attack was allowed.
“P-perhaps we should stay close to each other? And here where we can see the guys and where they can see us too. Y’know, just in case Shogun-sama wanted to have another swing at one of us.” she suggested to the girls.

[ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ]⊹⊰⋮ 1905 doll temple >>> shogun battleground || xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx [ ｗｉｔｈ]⊹⊰⋮ Hiro, Yayoi, Aoi, Hinata, Kiko, Jyuzou, Dorothy ||
[ｏｏｃ]⊹⊰⋮ ouob ||
BLAH= #FFA07A THOUGHTS = #e19d98

[M4RCK3TTe]

"Great. Just. Great." Sapphire blue eyes flitted upwards to locate source of the voice that had broken the serenity that she had just started to enjoy.
She wondered what had made him decide that she was the person he wanted to talk to. Did she look like she was in need of company?
"Evening, Mr. ... Bainbridge." she coolly said turning to look at him with a hint of a smile. Technically, she was off duty. Such times were supposed to
be a chance to let her hair down a bit, leave thoughts of work behind and maybe get to know the people she was going to be living with for the next couple
of months on a more personal level – for the sake of more accurate reporting of course. But since only their first week had passed, Noelle thought that it’d
be better to continue to maintain some sense of professionalism. At least for a little while longer.
 
"Hm. I guess. Well, there’s nothing much else for me to do and I don't think I'll be standing on that stage tonight." she mulled thoughtfully as
she moved her gaze from the man standing by her and back to her food. Berilo Bainbridge. One of those weirdos who actually volunteered to be in the Project. She
wondered what on earth could've spurred him to make such a senseless decision. Weren't there enough fish in the ocean for him to choose from? Oh. Wait. She
wasn't really one to talk, having been single since her time on Earth had begun.
 
Noelle often felt like she was an outsider. She was supposed to work with the staff, yet also supposed to be observing them. She wondered if the Project participants and her
fellow “colleagues” thought of her as some invigilator overlooking a test. Still, the majority of them had been nothing but friendly, or at the very least cordial.
"Depends on what you consider interesting." she breathed out in a half chuckle. If she remembered correctly, she recalled reading on his file that
he was an artist and jumped at the chance to change the topic away from herself.
 
"…Uh…Found any muses here yet?" She asked as she stabbed her fork into one of the last remaining fusilli on her plate.
"I'm sure you'll be able to find one sooner or later. There seem to be plenty of colourful characters here." Lifting her fork to her mouth, she
continued to eat. Her food was already cold and not even pasta salad. Still, there was nothing she could do about it and she chewed it with some discontent. 
"Not gonna get anything to eat? The stuff you get tonight's probably going to be better than anything we're going to have for the rest of our stay here."
As she finished her sentence, she also finished the last of her pasta assortment.  
"Also. It's not good to be drinking on an empty stomach. Unless, you want an excuse to see the Doc, that is."

LOCATION ⋮ Entertainment Center
WITH ⋮ everyone and Berilo Bainbridge
OOC ⋮ :3
BLAH = #E66771 THOUGHTS = #DDADAF

[M4RCK3TTe]

🎼 • • • ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ's ᴀ....... s ᴛ ᴇ ʀ ᴇ ᴏ ♬
xxxxxxxx↳ ɪᴛ ʙᴇᴀᴛs ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ sᴏ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴ ᴄʟᴏsᴇ ₒ ₒ ₒ 🎧
{ ʜᴇᴀʀ ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs ɪɴ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ɴø‿ᴏ´¯¯`ᴛᴇ ]


Erika always found that the days went so painfully slowly in Northcrest. Even though she was no stranger to the place, leaving her hustle bustle Tokyoite lifestyle for a small country town was a culture shock. There was never really seemed to be much to do. Especially when she had to adjust from jam packed schedules and nights where she barely got enough sleep to having close to nothing to do at all. At first, it was liberating to have so much time to do things she couldn’t when she was working her tush off. She could freely walk around the shopping centre, catch up on the mobile games she never had time for, spend some time composing songs, play with Sage. But then the novelty of it all soon wore off.
 
Today was no exception and she dredged through the day, completing what was left of her university homework and compiling notes for the weeks ahead. University and the occasional outing with Anise seemed to be the only things keeping her brain from going to mush. Belatedly, she remembered that it was the day of the Summer Festival, which she was only reminded of after hearing the kids next door loudly announce their departure to the event in their annoyingly shrill voices. As haughty as she was, she believed that no one could ever be too old for such things. She missed the festivals in Japan. Mostly the food - the yakisoba, the takoyaki, the kakigori, the goldfish shaped red-bean filled buns, the choco-bananas, the goldfish you could scoop from a kiddy pool, the yukatas, the funny masks you could buy. Ah, scrap that, it was everything.
 
She had never been to their Summer Festival before as she had only visited during the winter and so with that excuse she shut her books. Her hair meticulously styled into a low messy bun, she donned a baseball cap and sunglasses, recreating a look similar to one she had sported during her first arrival a few months back and which she now reserved for the summer.
 
The first thing that caught her attention from the festival entrance were not the food stalls nor the petting zoos but the hum of some song playing. She made her way to the source of it. On the stage, a local band was playing some song that she had never heard before. Was it an original? Or a remixed cover? "Do they call that music?" she scoffed, turning on her heel to spend her time complaining about something else. Admittedly, the band weren’t that bad but she was still feeling salty about the sudden halt of her own musical career. Next on her hit list were the carnival rides, something that they didn’t have at festivals back in Sunrise Land.
 
But a quick glance later and they were also quickly dismissed as well. Erika crinkled her nose at the sight of the rickety old machines. She questioned whether they were safe, wondering how long they had been used and whether proper maintenance was carried out. Besides, she was alone. Riding one alone would make her look even lonelier which would do more damage to her already questionable reputation in town. And no, she did not feel lonely at all.
 
Feeling peckish, she made her way to the food stalls. Again, she found herself rejecting a lot of what she saw. Why was everything so grease laden? Not that she ever gave a damn about calories but they were just covered so much oil that they looked unappetizing. By the time she found something vaguely appetizing her hunger had been dulled by the afterimage and smell of the oily foods she had rejected. So she settled with cotton candy. It was hardly going to be filling but it was light and its sweetness, predictable. So there she was, slowly sauntering away from the food stalls with a ball of white sweet cloud larger than her head and wider than her body. As she picked at the ginormous saccharine delight, she decided that once she had worked her way through it that her next destination would be the petting zoo. Her only hope was that it would not be as disappointing as everything else had seemed.

[ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ]⊹⊰⋮ Home > Summer Festival ||
[ ｗｉｔｈ]⊹⊰⋮ No one ||
[ｏｏｃ]⊹⊰⋮ >w< ||
BLAH = #E68FAC THOUGHTS = #E68FAC

[M4RCK3TTe]

The sharp ringing of her alarm clock roused her from her short nap. Reaching out from under the covers, Yuzuki fumbled around her nightstand and accidentally swatted the clock across the room. Feeling defeated, she knocked her head against her pillow. She felt like she had been running around all night. As she yawned, a stray cat hair floated from her pyjama top and lodged itself at the back of her throat sending her into a coughing fit.

The details of last night's battle were a jumble in her head, some were fuzzy and others were remembered with startling clarity. Though the shogun was strong, as the number of people increased, the battle seemed to end quickly. The guy with the fluffy black hair took a hit to the abdomen but then the lady who had earlier introduced herself as Kizami went to his side and as if by magic, his wounds seemed to disappear! It was as if she was a fairy! A healing fairy! Moments later the green-haired man who had earlier almost impaled her foot with his dagger, landed the killing blow on the Shogun. After that, she could hazily remember that there was some small talk amongst the group but couldn’t quite recall what was said. The next clearest memory she had was the feeling of cold concrete beneath her feet and a rush of relief at the sight of modern buildings. The forest was gone. Oh the joy! She wanted to hug the lamppost but still had Dorothy in her arms and settled for cuddling the feline just that little bit harder.

Yuzuki thought that nothing would surprise her by now but was proven wrong when a fancy car pulled up and she was offered a ride back. As she entered the car, she nodded in greeting to the elderly gentleman in the driver’s seat and wondered if he was a relative. They travelled in silence, save for Genji-san’s conversation with the driver. Though she had so many questions to ask, Yuzuki was too tired and dumbfounded at the events that had just unfolded to say anything. As she continued to pet Dorothy, her eyes remained glassy as they stared out the car window.

As the car came to a halt, Yuzuki snapped out of her reverie and immediately, she recognised where they were. Todai-Ji’s basement parking lot. Not having a car, she never had any reason to be there but by some fluke, she once accidentally pressed the wrong button in the elevator and found herself there. She turned to face Genji-san as he spoke to her and smiled airily, nodding slowly at his words before loosening her hold on the cat, letting Dorothy return to her owner. Yuzuki could remember feeling a pang of disappointment as the white feline hopped into Genji-san's arms. Was it because she was sad to let go of the cat so soon? Or was it…

The door closed before she could say anything and the car started to drive away. Her eyes remained trained on the spot until man and cat were out of view. As the car drove out of the carpark, she continued to sit there in a slight daze. The elderly driver looked at her from the rear view mirror. “-ae-san? Hanae-san? Where-?” His voice snapped her out of her daze and luckily they hadn’t driven that far from the building.
“AH! Here! Here’s fine! Thank you!” The car stopped by the road just across from the apartment building.
“Thank you, Makoto-san. Have a nice evening…or morning…er, day?”
“You too, Hanae-san.”

The rest of her night - walking back to her apartment, entering the lift, getting out of the lift, somehow getting into her apartment without her keys - was a blur.

Emerging from the bathroom, she picked up her phone and was pleasantly surprised to see that she had a message. It was an invitation to a meeting at Toda-ji's penthouse. Her finger hovered over the onscreen keyboard but just as she managed to finish typing out a reply, her phone promptly konked out. Yuzuki stared at it apologetically, she had forgotten to put it on charge last night. Turning on her laptop, she continued onto the next step of her morning routine. Checking her horoscope.
[ 𝟙𝟘. 𝑷𝑰𝑺𝑪𝑰𝑬𝑺 : 𝑻𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚❜𝒔 𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒚 𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒎 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒐！]
She crinkled her nose as she fastened a red watch to her wrist. She didn't own any perfume and was clueless about it. She always wanted to try finding one but felt awkward standing around whilst a store attendant watched her. But, for the sake of her horoscope she was going to buy some today. Grabbing a marker, she started to write “Perfu- ” on the back of her hand when the time showing on her watch time entered her vision. Oh, no. She was going to be late.

Rushing into the lobby, she was determined to make it to her lecture on time when a familiar figure caught her eye. As she got closer, a soft "ah." escaped her lips as she recognised who it was. It was Genji-san. The man of from her dreams. Instantly upon that realisation, she was struck by an urge to approach him.
"AH! Dream-guy!" Yuzuki almost sprinted over with a strange enthusiasm.
"I mean, Genji-san! It's you! I saw you in my dream last night!" she smiled as she stood next to him. They had only met not long ago but why was she so happy to see him again? She had no clue but decided not to question the feeling. Their reunion was cut short when she felt the presence of someone else and her eyes drifted from him to see who it was. It was his giant of a bodyguard. Having been through last night's ordeal, she thought she would be a bit less skittish but alas, she was still startled by him and realising that he probably heard what she said became rather embarrassed. With a rigid bow Yuzuki quickly scurried out the lobby door. Albeit lately, it finally dawned on her that last night was no dream.



Yuzuki felt like she was going to be late, again. And she didn’t even get to buy her perfume. Even though she wasn't on night shift today, she stayed back at the hospital to help out a friend who wasn’t so good with kids with her rounds. To make matters worse, she had broken her phone. After charging it up, she meant to send a reply to the meeting invitation but her friend – that same friend who dragged her off to entertain the kiddies – saw her foolishly grinning at the screen and couldn’t resist the urge to try to grab the phone from her to see who she could be texting. In the friendly tousle, she dropped the phone into the head nurse’s scalding hot cup of coffee.

By the time she finished apologising, it was peak hour and the streets were full of people. Still, it would be rude of her to show up to a meeting empty handed and so Yuzuki stopped by a patisserie near the hospital where she dawdled some more as she tried to decide what to buy. In the end, she purchased a strawberry shortcake and some assorted cookies before boarding a train back to the apartment. Sandwiched in the crowded train, questions gathered in her head bout the previous night. Speaking of which, she wasn’t able to be of any help and the more she thought about it, the more she became frustrated by her own uselessness.

Finally making it back to the apartment, she ascended to the 28th floor. Taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell.
“Um, excuse me? I’m Hanae, Hanae Yuzuki. Uh, I was there at the Shogun fight last night?” A feeling of dread suddenly weighed down upon her. She started wondering if she should’ve left out the part about the Shogun. There was no way she could’ve gotten the wrong apartment but she had been wrong about many things many times before. “Ahh…hurry up and open the door, or answer me or something!!!”

[ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ]⊹⊰⋮ Outside the penthouse || xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx [ ｗｉｔｈ]⊹⊰⋮ Alone? ||
[ｏｏｃ]⊹⊰⋮ I MADE IT. THE WEEK ISN'T OVER. ||
BLAH= #FFA07A THOUGHTS = #e19d98

[M4RCK3TTe]

Like a starving dog who had just found a bone after days of wandering, Sasha possessively held
onto her bag with an iron grip. She had almost given in to the soothingly natural way the staff
member had asked her to hand over her bag as if she were her mother asking her to put on
a coat, as if it were that routine of her to do so. Going along with it, she had allowed this woman’s
grubby hands to clasp around her bag before the last strand of rationality in her pushed the panic
button. “Oh, sure random lady who I've just met. Here, feel free to take everything I own. NOT!
What on earth was I about to do?” And with that thought, she didn’t let go. Now as both parties held
firmly onto the bag, Sasha was locked in a stalemate of a mental showdown of sorts with that
unfortunate staff member. They hadn't broken eye contact for the past 5 minutes.
"Miss? Please? I’ll just be sending your bags to your train cabin," the woman pleaded putting
on her best customer service smile as she tugged lightly on the bag.
"Lady. You will have to pry this bag from my cold, dead body," she replied bluntly, returning
that same plasticky smile and pulling the bag ever so slightly closer.

As people started to make hushed comments as they passed by, small beads of sweat started to
form on the staff member's perfectly contoured face as she shifted her gaze away from the
indignant would-be passenger to see if there was another staff member who could give her a hand.
Sasha had won this mental battle. People could talk all they wanted - what did she care? What
more did she have to lose? She was a homeless person. A hobo. And hobos often got into fights.
As things stood, it looked like neither party was going to budge and Sasha wondered if she was
going to have to bite the lady in order to get her to let go. Her most prized possessions, her life,
was in that bag. Why should she trust her with it? The whole situation was weird. What was she
even doing here? How did they know her name? Who was the lady in white? By now, she thought
she would have stopped questioning the absurdity of it all.

Just a day ago she was living it rough on the street, fleecing money off people with her unreliable
gemstone divinations, sleeping in one of the many small “rooms” of a capsule hotel for a pricey $30
a night, bludging free internet from shopping centres and eating burgers and fries at McLonald's for
breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was far from the reality she wanted or expected she'd be living. She
had just that itsy, bitsy, teeny, tiny, eeny, weeny, little bit more to go. Just one more exam before
they could give her that piece of paper called a “degree” i.e. a ticket to a secure job and steady
career progression. But, noooooooo, her father had to go and get himself involved in a cult and her
mother had to go overseas to find some shaman to help bring him back. And those cultists?
Whoever dares mention them in front of her had better prepare themselves for an earful. Sasha
had contemplated setting their “temple” on fire and going to jail for it because – free meals, amirite?
But her life wasn’t over over yet. It was just on a temporary hiatus, a slump that she just didn't
know how to move on from.

Sasha had been walking back to her post from McLonand's when the fateful encounter with the
lady in white occurred. Honestly, she thought the graceful figure was a ghost and nearly punched
the poor woman. In a better mood after eating, she gave a rare apology before being handed the
envelope. Reading the note inside made her feel just that tiny bit more hopeful. “Yes, wee note from
a stranger. There is still so much adventure to witness in this beautiful world, not so sure about the
beautiful people though.” So on the designated day, she decided to go to the train station.
She didn't know where the train was going or whether the ticket was legit, but it didn't matter.
What more did she have to lose? This decision was going to change her life forever - she just
didn't know it yet.

The two were soon joined another staff member who came bearing gifts.
“Miss. Here is a bag of clothes and necessities. You’ll find that the clothes are of your size.
And here’s a food voucher. Feel free to partake in some refreshments before you embark
on your journey. And, please, believe us when we say you’ll see your belongings again.”
Sasha looked at the bag the second staff member was holding out, the food voucher and then
back at her own bag before giving the first staff member one final look of annoyance.
“Fine. But let me get my wallet and phone out first.” Digging into her bag, she fished out her
two belongings and attempted to stuff them into her jean pockets. Alas, her jeans did not have
functional pockets and so she settle for putting them into the bag of items Staff Member No. 2 had
given her before reluctantly shoving her own bag back at the staff members who quickly took it
from her.
“Now, please make your way to the ticket booth. Have a safe journey ” The duo rushed away
before Sasha could say or do anything more. Her eyes lingered on them until they were out of
view.

Without further ado, she headed to the ticket booth where she was greeted by a stoic man.
"Did the lady in white send you?” he asked. At that question, the corner of her mouth twitched
and curled into a peevish smirk.
"No, the president did.." She had already been asked this by Staff Member No. 1 when she first
arrived. Why was this man asking her again? If they knew her name, shouldn’t they already know
who sent her? The man adjusted his glasses before continuing on.
"May I see your ticket?" Without another word, Sasha took it out of her coat pocket and handed it
to him. The man gave it a coloured stamp before returning it to her and beginning his emotionless
spiel about the facilities of the station. Looking down at the ticket, she held just a glimmer of an
expectation that the man had just stamped the train’s destination on the ticket. To her (mild)
disappointment, he hadn’t. She had signed up to board this magical mystery train, of course she
was headed for Destination Unknown. Instead, there was a pink stamp with the name “Eon Riho”
on it. “That’s not my name…” Sasha wondered if it was payback for her sass.
"There are also showers and bathrooms on the other side. The train is set to arrive at 12
pm. Your roommate may have already arrived.” At the word “roommate” she felt like she had
just been thrown from a moving car onto a road and then rolled over by a bus.
“W-wait. Stop. Roommate? I-”
“Please browse and use the building’s amenities at your leisure. Welcome to your new
life.” With her mouth hanging open aghast, Sasha slammed her hand against the counter. Harshly,
she exhaled before grabbing a map of the station from a pile on the counter.
“Fine. You … have a nice life, sir.” Turning away with ticket and map in hand, she started walking
away. Oh great. Now not only was she going to be headed somewhere unknown, she was also
going to be shacking up with some stranger. Just, great. Her fingers tightened around the station
map. She was here now and she wasn’t about to back out of it. But as she got further away from
the ticket counter, the stoic man’s final words started to sink in. “New life? Mate, it's a train ride."
She looked back once again and shot him a quizzical look. She thought his words were rather
melodramatic but she decided not to question it as just as she had decided not to question the
numerous other things that were odd. Like what kind of name was "Crystal Haven"? Not one she
expected of a train station, that's for sure. It sounded more like a jewellery store or a boutique that
sold the kind of paraphernalia her mother used to divine fortunes. But hey, who was she to
comment? She was just a hobo.

With her presence made known to the station officials, there was nothing else to do but while the
time away. First on her to-do-list was to have a good shower without worrying about whether
someone would start shouting at her about how much water she was wasting - a few
environmentally conscious guests at the capsule hotel she was staying at were obnoxiously
intrusive as they would start knocking on the shower door if she stayed there for more than 5
minutes. The bathroom was marvellously clean - in fact, it wouldn’t have looked out of place in a
fancy hotel. After a week without a comfortable long wash, the freedom to use all the hot water she
wanted was like a blessing from the heavens. For a while, she just stood there soaking in the glory
that was free water, surrounded by the fragrance of flowers and the cheap perfume that was
occasionally sprayed on stationary (which was what she thought the shampoo and soap they had
given her smelled like). But all good things had to come to an end and her sense of punctuality told
her that she should get out before she falls asleep in the warm embrace of the water and steam
around her or risk losing track of time and missing the train. To her delight, as she changed into the
clothes provided, she found that they had given her jeans with functional pockets. The calming
shower and pleasant surprise brought her into a better mood and she placed her wallet in her right
pocket. Dressed with a towel around her neck to catch the droplets from her still damp hair, she
neatly folded her own clothes and put them into the bag that had held her new garments.

Next, she directed her attention to that one measly food voucher and wondered what the
most expensive thing she could buy with it was. Despite her avaricious thought which would’ve
probably led her to get steak of some sort, she was craving some carbohydrates, or something a
bit more homely. As she leisurely strolled towards the cafeteria, she spotted a few people who also
had white bags that looked like the one she had been given by the station staff. There was a man
with chestnut brown hair who passed her by as she re-entered the station’s central gathering area.
As she reached the food vendors, there was a tall man with hair colour similar to her own who
looked rather lost, confused, and as if he were searching for something, or someone. Despite
feeling some sort of connection with him as they had similar hair colours, she decided against
asking whether he needed any help. He was a grown man. He should be able to find lost and found
or one of those ever so friendly station staff members to help him out. Whilst she was trying to
decide what to eat she spotted a third man with the same white bag. Somehow he looked vaguely
familiar; like he could be someone famous, an actor, or a model or something. But not being the
type to keep up with the entertainment news, Sasha decided not to waste energy trying to figure
out who he was. It seemed to be a bit of stretch to just assume that these three men were also
boarding the same train just because they were carrying identical bags. Perhaps the bags were in
fashion? Maybe they were all part of some weird club? Still, the thought that they could be fellow
passengers crossed her mind.

Soon, she had bought herself a piping hot, creamy baked macaroni and cheese that came in a
medium sized oven dish. Settling at a table, she was so ready to partake in some of that gooey
cheesy goodness. She scooped up some of the pasta onto her fork and blew on it to try to cool it
down to an edible temperature. The anticipation bubbled up within her as the delectable smell of her
meal wafted in the air. As Sasha moved her fork closer to her mouth, she couldn’t help but
overhear a conversation about a table or two behind her. Though she couldn’t exactly make out
what was being said, it sounded like some guy was trying to console his kid. Without missing a
beat, she started her meal. What was happening behind her was none of her business.


[𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧]⊰ Train station ||
[𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡]⊰ nobody ||
[𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬]⊰ everyone who has posted before me ||
[𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠]⊰ clothesclothesclothes ||
(っ*Д*)っ♥{ ooc ▷ Hope my first post was alright! I was watching this sometime between writing bits of this post and decided yeah, Sasha would like that. The video made me so hungry orz. I want to try making it one day ouob
tl;dr Sasha arrives and gets herself some mac and cheese.}
BLAH = #B452CD THOUGHTS = #CDB5CD

[M4RCK3TTe]

Forget Crystal Haven. Sasha was now in Cheese Haven, Mac and Cheese Haven.
Despite having lightly scalded her tongue a few times in her impatience to devour the
cheesy pasta in front of her, for once in a little less than two weeks, she was enjoying
herself again.

As she continued her delectable meal, she could hear the hum of voices engaged in
conversation around her and the dull beats of many footsteps. It was a food court so the
sound of people walking around trying to find something to eat or a table to eat at wasn't
uncommon. With that in mind, she did not worry about them, even when she noticed that
the sound of footsteps seemed to be heading in her direction. Not thinking that anyone
would have the need or want to speak to her, Sasha didn't bother to look and continued
with her meal. Perhaps it was just someone random who, out of all the places they
could walk, chose to walk right towards her. When the sound stopped right next to her,
Sasha continued to chew the food still inside her mouth as she turned to her side to see
who it could be. Fork still in hand, she gave the red haired stranger a quick look up and
down without a word, wondering what on earth he could want with her. Instantly, she
spotted the familiar white bag he was carrying. Was he part of the white bag club too?
And why did all the dudes with these bags look so dashing? Were they models or
something? Or was she just too used to looking at homeless people that any guy whose
looks were above average could be deemed "model" quality? Were these bags the “in”
thing now? Was she recruited to go to some model’s convention?

The stranger gave her a kindly smile which she did not return. Instead, her expression
remained unchanging, seemingly unperturbed by his presence, as she suppressed her ire
by shovelling another forkful of pasta into her mouth. Sasha never took kindly to random
people who wanted to talk with her, be they a man or woman. Further, in her oh so
long less than two week's experience of homelessness, encounters with men were
usually one of two types. They were either a pick up or a stick up. Either way, Sasha was
ready with her fork.

As he began to speak, she raised an eyebrow at his question, unimpressed as she
chewed her food. "Are those eyes just decorations, tomato top? If you used them a bit
more, perhaps you would've found what you were looking for without bothering me."
However, this time with her edge blunted slightly by the glorious food in front of her and in
her belly, she did not retort with such biting remarks. The makers of her pasta delight
were not too far from where she was- it was just a couple of tables away diagonally from
where she was sitting, but its sign and storefront were covered by one of the columns
holding up the building. So, she could see how its existence could’ve been overlooked.

"Well, obviously you're going to have to fetch it yourself. I'm not treating you to any."
she dully replied when the man finished speaking. At least what the stranger was asking
wasn’t anything intrusive and she couldn’t fault him for wanting to know where such a
delicacy could be bought. With a laboured sigh, she decided to answer the stranger's
question despite her annoyance that he had interrupted her date with the marvellous Mr.
Macaroni.
"Behind that pole. Pasta Masta." she answered as she pointed her fork in the
direction of the establishment, the corner of her lip quirked up slightly as she felt a little
embarrassed to say such a cheesy name out loud.

"Now, " she started, pausing for a split second to draw in a breath, "do you have any
more blindingly obvious questions to ask, or may I finish the rest of my meal before
it gets too cold for me to enjoy?" She had only a quarter of the dish to go and
what was left was exactly at the right temperature for her to simply wolf down. Without
waiting for his answer she returned her attention to her food and resumed her meal
without a care for what affect her manner of eating was having on her reputation.


[𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧]⊰ Train station ||
[𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡]⊰ Noel ||
[𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬]⊰ noone ||
[𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠]⊰ clothesclothesclothes ||
(っ*Д*)っ♥{ ooc ▷ ouob}
BLAH = #B452CD THOUGHTS = #CDB5CD

[M4RCK3TTe]

🎼 • • • ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ's ᴀ....... s ᴛ ᴇ ʀ ᴇ ᴏ ♬
xxxxxxxx↳ ɪᴛ ʙᴇᴀᴛs ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ sᴏ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴ ᴄʟᴏsᴇ ₒ ₒ ₒ 🎧
{ ʜᴇᴀʀ ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs ɪɴ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ɴø‿ᴏ´¯¯`ᴛᴇ ]


Plodding along in the sweltering sun, Erika wasn't making the happiest of faces. Why, just why did the petting zoo have to be so far? Was she even heading the right way? To make matters worse, her fingers were sticky from picking at the sweet treat and she pressed her thumb and forefinger together before pulling them apart several times as if to make the point more poignant. Just as Erika considered giving up and heading home, she heard a cheerful voice call out her name. Instantly, she recognised it and swiftly turned to its owner, a rare genuine smile spreading quickly across her lips.
"Oh, Anise. Thank god. I thought I was going to die from boredom." As much as the usually prickly Erika was usually not too keen on talking to people, anytime was a good time to see Anise, the one of the few, if not only, rare friend that she had.

"Uh, y-yeah. I guess." she answered, tentatively taking the chicken skewer she had been offered. Erika wished to return the gift by offering up something herself but handing her the paper stick with just a few wisps of cotton candy left seemed hardly adequate. She started on the chicken skewer as she continued to listen to her friend talk. What she said next made her speechless. This year’s food was an improvement? An improvement? Really? She could hardly believe her ears but decided to control her expression, focus on her skewer and keep her real opinion to herself so as not to spoil her best friend's mood. But, to be fair, the chicken skewer wasn’t bad.

"To the-" she began before Anise’s very enthusiastic “Spiral fried potato!” cut her off. Before she could put in another word, she saw her very spirited friend rushing off to buy more sustenance. Erika let out a soft chuckle as she finished the last of her cotton candy as she waited. Before long, her friend returned with a deep fried swirl of garlicy, cheesy potato.
"Ha, ha, s’all good. I was going to go to the petting zoo. I heard alpacas are cute."

Erika pondered her friend's next question. How was she doing? She wasn't quite sure herself. Erika was stuck in a sort of limbo. She was enrolled in a university course but it wasn't really what she wanted to be doing. Sneaking a glance over at her friend, she thought she had better say something before an awkward silence was created or she accidentally created the impression that her friend had said something wrong.
"…Eh, I'm getting by." was the answer she decided on giving before finishing the last bit of the chicken skewer, throwing her sticks into one of the bins they passed as they made their way towards the petting zoo.
"And, how are things with you? Got any new tunes in the making?" she started as they arrived at the entrance of the petting zoo. Unsurprisingly, there were many children around, too many for her liking. Some were petting the creatures and others feeding them with what appeared to be food pellets. As she took a step towards the paddock holding the animals, her phone started to ring.
“Ah, sorry, I have to check this.” she sighed as she took her phone out of her pocket. Clicking her tongue, she frowned at the message on the screen.
“Ugh. Apparently my manager’s in town. Unfortunately, I’ve gotta go see what he wants. I’ll catch you later.” with a smile and a wave, Erika reluctantly left the company of her friend and headed for the café where her manager was waiting.

[ｌｏｃａｔｉｏｎ]⊹⊰⋮ Summer Festival > Away ||
[ ｗｉｔｈ]⊹⊰⋮ Anise > No one ||
[ｏｏｃ]⊹⊰⋮ >w< ||
BLAH = #E68FAC THOUGHTS = #E68FAC

[M4RCK3TTe]

The loud click clack of Louboutins against a polished floor could be heard coming from
the arrivals gate at Narita airport as Narumi Sohma arrived back in Japan, sleep deprived
and ready to punch someone's lights out. With much reluctance, she had flown back after
attending her parents' show at Paris Fashion Week. She thought she’d be able to feign
ignorance, pretend that she’d forgotten and get to miss this whole engagement thing. But
her parents weren’t so naïve. To ensure her return back to Japan, they had flown her
luggage over a day ago and so here she was, by herself as her parents were still taking
care of business back in Paris. Perhaps if she hadn't accidentally missed the first flight
that was booked for her, (and the one that was bought for her after), she would've had
enough time to get some rest.
 
Head to toe in black and completely draped in designer clothes, she looked like she was
about to head to some rich man's funeral. From her handbag, she took out her
sunglasses and put them on. She was still indoors, but what did it matter? Her view of her
future was just as dark as the one through her shades. The life she built was about to go
down the gurgler if she didn’t do something about her impending engagement. She had a
life?!? And it was going well?!? And now she suddenly had a fiancé?!? How dare
they! Oh, she was going to make them regret it. Her ire simmered a couple of hours later
that day but she hadn’t given up on fighting her so-called “fate"…somehow.
 
As Narumi walked out of the arrival gate, she spotted two tall women in a business suits,
one holding up a sign which read "SOHMA NARUMI" in large, bold letters. The person in
question scoffed at the sight. “Damn. Really, now? They look like they could bundle me
up and chuck me into the car.” She had expected that someone would be there to stop
her from bolting as the elders knew her penchant for antics a little too well. But she still
had a faint hope that there wouldn’t be. Alas, she was disappointed.
"Excuse me, Miss Sohma? Are you Mis Sohma, Narumi?" She looked up at the
woman in business attire and gave her a cursory smile.
"No s**t, Sherlock. You have A+ observation skills." Narumi mumbled with a
defeated sigh. The women obviously knew who she was. She was the first and only
person whom they had approached to ask that question and Narumi wondered why they
even bothered asking in the first place.
“We are here to take you to the Sohma Estate.”
"Well, who could've known. I thought you were going to take me to the moon.
Please. Lead the way."
 
TIME SKIP

The ride to the estate was silent and uneventful as Narumi gazed the familiar scenery
passing her by. Strategically, she had been placed between the two women so she didn't
have the option of bolting when the car stopped at the red lights. Almost too quickly, they
arrived at the estate. The sight of it was enough to make her sigh again. Slamming the
car door shut, Narumi glanced back at the two women who had picked her up from the
airport and had also gotten out of the car. It appeared that they were there to ensure that
she made it into the estate.
“There’s nowhere for me to run. You can leave me now and go get paid or something."
As she made her way to the banquet hall, she passed a few Sohma elders lingering in the
corridors. Oh how she wished she could let them have a piece of her mind. What held her
back was just the tiny grain of restraint which was what her father had said to her as her
parents saw her off. "Naru, I know you don’t have positive feelings towards them but
please be … polite to the elders. And, try not to look like you want to smite them. Please,
smile." So, she did. It was a brilliant smile which made them shiver ever so slightly. They
knew she wasn't happy to be here and so seeing her smile like that worried them.
They wondered what devious scheme she had planned. In reality, there was none. But
knowing that they were just that little bit intimidated was enough to satisfy her for the
moment.

Narumi strode into the room, passing Saluki who had just run out with something in his
hands. She wondered what he was holding and tried to get a peek as they crossed paths
but he moved away too quickly for her to see. Her curiosity wasn't strong enough for her
to follow him. From her spot, she took a look around the room; Mami was standing over to
the side with Chiyoko, Hatchin was close to one of the other entrances to the banquet
hall, and Keiko and Saiga were sitting at the banquet table already and Michiko had just
joined them. If she had to choose someone to greet, her pick would be Chiyoko whom
she thought of as another older sister. But the fatigue from having sat through a nearly 12
hour flight was finally getting to her and she opted to go find a seat to rest in.

She took a glance over at the banquet table and glared at placeholders disapprovingly.
So they were also dictating where she'd be sitting for her final meal, huh? As she
searched for her own seat, her brows furrowed in annoyance when she found it. What
was that? In her chair? The chair assigned to her? She hated the feeling of
sitting in a warm seat and "Move b***h, get out of the way!" was her immediate
thought. Unimpressed, she stormed over. It seemed that Saiga was already being yelled
at by someone about something, so he surely wouldn't mind if someone joined in,
right?
"Oi. Get your a** out of my seat." Narumi snarled, delivering a swift kick to one of
the chair's back legs, intending to push the chair out from under the man. She lowered
her handbag from her shoulder and held it by its strap in her right hand. She was so
ready to start whacking him with it if he didn't comply.
“Ah, hello, Keiko, Michiko. It’s nice to see you both again on this fine day.”

LOCATION ⋮ Banquet Hall
WITH ⋮ everyone, interacting with Keiko, Michiko and Saiga
WEARING ⋮ clothesclothesclothes
OOC ⋮ Hope my first post was ok! I shall get back to plots later today! >w<
BLAH = #E66771 THOUGHTS = #DDADAF

[M4RCK3TTe]

"Do us proud, Cherisse Florentia." A stout, bearded man stood imposingly at the
entrance to his house as the young woman in front of him nodded.
"Y-yes, father." With a curtsey and much trepidation in her heart, Cherisse Florentia
boarded the carriage that awaited her, helped up by the family's ever faithful butler,
Amadeus. As her view of the estate’s gates was replaced by forest, Cherisse's nerves
started to settle and a feeling of anticipation replaced ones of apprehension. They
travelled two towns away, stopping for a day before it continued towards the Kingdom of Day.

As it made its way through thick forest, the carriage came to a halt as the sight of another
which remained stationary to the side of the well-trodden dirt path. Outside of it stood two
people. A man, her lover whom her father would’ve never approved of, and a woman in
an identical dress who had an appearance similar to her own, albeit the latter’s features
were a bit sharper and the heels of her shoes were just a little higher. Cherisse almost
tumbled out of the carriage and leapt into the arms of her lover before turning to the
woman.
"Oh, Miss Celestia, how can I ever thank you?" she asked as Celestia handed her
the cloak she was wearing.
"Don't worry your pretty little head about it, Lady Cherisse. I'm being paid, remember?
You just go and have fun with your man and, uh, hope that your little escapade isn't cut
short by the fault of yours truly." she gave her a playful wink before she stepped
up into the carriage.

As the carriage pulled away, Celestia stuck her head out of the window and gave the
happy couple a final wave before sitting back down in her seat, the Florentia butler giving
her a disapproving look.
“Remember, Miss Amici. Whilst you are competing in this tourney you are representing
the Florentia family. Do not do anything that would be considered unbefitting of our young
Lady.” He sternly cautioned as the woman who sat across from him promptly rolled her
eyes.
“The Duchess doesn’t care how I act, just as long as I get myself in
the top ten. Remember, Amadeus?” The butler adjusted his monocle and
sighed. He couldn’t say she was wrong. The Duchess had been most accommodating
and even had provided her with clothes and jewellery worth more than her family's entire
fortune to wear during the competition. The only thing she wanted was to give her
daughter time with the man she loved.
“You should really take a holiday or something. You have too many
wrinkles on your forehead. More specifically, here.” She said tapping the space
between her eyebrows with a finger as the man frowned, the creases lining the part of his
face that she was referring to deepening. Satisfied with his reaction, Celestia smirked as
she leant against the side of the carriage, her arm against the window frame and chin in
her hand. The two were silent for remainder of the journey.

As the carriage arrived at the Castle of Day, the side door opened and the bright light
from outside flooded in.
"Right. Chin up, head high. You, are now Lady Cherisse Aeternis
Florentia." Celestia whispered to herself, taking the arm of her butler as she
stepped down from the carriage with as much elegance as she could muster.



Celestia fiddled with the clasp of her watch, tracing its intricate embossing with her fingers
over and over. Unexpectedly, the nerves were starting to get to her. It wasn't her first time
to an event like this. She had accompanied countless noble women as their bodyguard
and so the pomp of it all did not intimidate her. However, usually she was wearing clothes
indistinguishable from other hired guards and a mask that covered the upper half of her
face. Now that she was actually there as a guest, she felt a little out of place.

Knowing that candidates could be eliminated at the whim of any of the royals, her game
plan was to stay as inconspicuous as possible and to follow the three instructions she had
set out for herself. One, hold her tongue, but only for the royals - any hussy that tries
to get smart with her can go to hell. Two, try to avoid dancing with anyone lest she wished
to step on their foot because she was bound to. Three, remember to respond to her
name. Celestia grabbed a glass of some drink before sidling to the side of the gardens,
near some hedges. Her cover, Lady Cherisse Aeternis Florentia, was more known for
being a recluse than anything else. Apparently, some years ago a few spoiled brats had
singled her out at an official ball after she caught the eye of the some rich boy they were
eyeing and she hadn't attended one since. In any case, it made sense for her to be
hovering in fringes of the welcome party instead of interacting with her fellow competitors
or the royals for that matter.

Bringing the glass to her nose, she took sniff of it before taking a sip. It was nicer than it
smelled; sweet, fruity and alcoholic but nothing she couldn’t handle. As she enjoyed her
drink, she surveyed the sea of competitors spread out in the gardens in front of her. There
were so many and she wondered how they were going to filter them down, what trials she
would have to go through. She narrowed her eyes as if she was glaring as she scanned
the crowd, trying to identify where the royals were so she could move to avoid them.
However the task was proving to be rather difficult. She could name Cherisse's third
cousin twice removed and tell you how she hadn't seen her in years but heard how her
family's orange farm was doing well. But all she knew about the royals was the colour of
their hair, their genders and their names. Perhaps a little presumptuously, Celestia had
presumed that they would exude some regal charisma that would allow her to
immediately identify them. But, she couldn't be more wrong.

LOCATION ⋮ Gardens
WITH ⋮ everyone and no one
OOC ⋮ Hope my first post was ok! >w< Please let me know if my text colour is too bright so I can adjust it if need be!
BLAH = #FCC200 THOUGHTS = #88D8C0