@Dynamo Frokane

"Its called practice." Kaga piped up, "Maybe if you did some more of it your'd have better timing."

Combo after combo landed onto Nick's character with the red qipao girl of Kaga dodging and blocking like a bird. Looking at the time, Kaga snapped back into reality and promptly hopped off the machine, letting Kwon-Koba mercilessly get revenge for loosing so many times. Throwing his jacket over his shoulder, Kaga walked out, leaving a some money behind next to Nick's hand, "Thanks for the fun, go buy yourself a nice drink or something."

And with that, Kaga made his way out of the arcade and disappeared into the night, retiring to his apartment. Probably to faff about until 4 in the morning one way or another. Christ knows what went on in that room. Most likely involved game consoles, energy drinks and a whole pile of messiness.

((A collab between @Haeo and @Verdaux))

Ahead of Vern, a lamp flashed on a bus stop as the deep hum of an engine registered in his ears. Wet concrete applauded the arrival of a shuttle as it rolled to a stop.

And there she was, as texted : 5'5, a thinner 120 lbs, but not stick-skinny. Hair the color of rich mocha, and eyes as soft as jade. Most importantly, though, was the fact that her wispy body was...admittedly a little too finely lined by her soaking-wet clothes. Heaven forbid she would ever take off her gray cardigan; her t-shirt wasn't stained in blood anymore, but there were other warm colors to worry about. And...well, maybe tonight wasn't the best of nights to wear cotton spandex, was it?

Well, the kitchen was burning hot.

"Yo!" she called out, "you're the new neighbor, right?"

Shuttles still run at this hour? Convenience itself dwells within the shining city. And, before Vern's distracted eyes descended the very picture... of a waif. Her clothes were soaked through, in fairly exposing ways, and she was a little too thin for her frame. He assumed that she didn't work outside, having that outfit, but still. Vern's own coat was waterproof and warm with a high collar and it came down to his knees. He took it off as he began to approach her. His first impulse was protective, if a little aloof. He saw far more than he expected to be able to see at a public meeting but didn't dwell on it. His head was still wrapped up in business and the young lady in front of him could easily become very ill if she didn't warm up and dry off soon.

"I assume so. I didn't get any info on my phone yet but it isn't very reliable on that score so if one was sent it'll probably be a bit before..." His pocket buzzed just as he swept the coat over her shoulders. His look turned to a grimace of ironic amusement. "And, that will probably be the text telling me who to look for." He pulled it out, flipped it open, confirmed that that was indeed the flavor of the evening's irony, and put it back in the pocket of his pants with a sigh. "I'm Vern Smith." He held his hand out. "And your name is?"

"Sabine D'aramitz," she replies as she crosses her hands to grasp each side of his coat.

"The landlady wanted me to show you around, but I figured that all it takes for anyone to get around these days is with a GPS. Thanks, by the way."

She then pulled the collar over her mouth, and took a deep breath trying in an attempt her warmth. With the cold night air came Vern's tepid scent, something she hadn't really planned on getting a whiff of.

Vern was actually surprised by two things that pulled his head the rest of the way out of business matters and into the present. First was the sound of the young lady's name. It tickled his memory and made him smell something subtle, maybe a flower, for a brief moment. The other was her mention of a landlady. Vern had only spoken with a man and he hadn't mentioned a wife, though that didn't mean that much.

"Anyways, I had to go by the hospital, and then a kiosk to get your ticket and...well, my other ticket, so...here you go! Should be enough until you can at least afford a scooter or a car."

A still-warm bus pass was fished out from her leggings to give to Vern. While a bit...personal, for most, Sabine didn't seem to have any ill intentions. In fact, she was on her tippy-toes trying to see the commotion with Amity and the others.

"Huh...an idol fan...or the big one herself...?"

"Ms. D'aramitz, it's a pleasure to meet you." Realizing the informality of their meeting, he blinked and loosened his shoulders as his eyes lost the sense of distance they had before and really focused on Sabine's eyes. They were lovely. They were also pretty enough to distract his more primal interests before they raised his blood pressure. "And, please call me Vern. It gets awkward using honorifics while yelling at a noisy neighbor." He smiled quietly as he finished the mild joke. In fact, almost everything about him was quiet and relaxed now that he was paying full attention. But his eyes never really moved from her face while she was talking and he didn't have to look to take the warm bus pass between his left ring finger and middle finger, holding it there easily.

@lovely complex@Rekaigan@Daxam

Though, he did turn to follow her gaze for a moment when she commented on the group on the grass. It looked like their shenanigans had escalated. "I don't know" He said, taking the opportunity to disinterestedly answer Ms. D'aramitz's question. "But she wears pink hair with pride and pushes men around without thinking about it. So, probably either an idol or an imitating diva. Fan girls aren't usually that confident in city parks at night."

The breeze was chilly but keeping your muscles relaxed has the added benefit of keeping you from shivering. Still, the damp was getting through his shirt. It wasn't white but it was starting to cling to his biceps and his sides, two of the places where his muscle definition actually tended to show. Basically, he was getting mildly uncomfortable but his new neighbor was likely going to be catching a bad chill soon. Still, with how close the building was to the park it would probably be the most convenient place for them to go to warm up and he didn't know any of the particulars about her rental arrangement. He also didn't feel comfortable offering to let her come into his apartment when he didn't even have a place to sit. He might have to reprioritize furniture... and a ride.

"Huh...maybe.," she simply responds, before making her way to the duo-turned-trio.

"Wait...is that Zac?!"

Without warning, she breaks off into a little jog, abandoning Vern with his coat still on her. So much for that...

Zac had simply intended to ask how to get back to his apartment complex, but the young, pink-haired girl had rattled off a series of paranoid, questions, followed by the girl mentioning a guy a distance away and not trusting him, before suggesting that the three of them should walk together. He was about to comment on that, saying it was a good idea, when she pointed out sirens.

Turning around, he doesn't see them directly, but notices the glare of emergency lights reflecting off of the walls and windows of buildings as the vehicles they belong to rush to some unknown destination. Weird, he thinks. I think I heard some police sirens in there. I thought this place was supposed to be rather peaceful? At least, it has been since I got here.

Shrugging, he answers the vibrantly-colored girl, "Beats me. But we'll probably hear about it in the news tomorrow, given how often the police seem to be called around here."

He turns back to Amity and Kazuma, the request for directions on his tongue, only to notice a very familiar face making her way toward him at a light jog. Realizing who it was, he grins and calls, "Oh, hey, Sabine! Glad to see you seem to be doing better." He then notices the guy standing a ways behind her and asks, "Who's your friend?"

@Rekaigan@lovely complex@Verdaux@Haeo

Alban had just poured them a glass of wine and taken a swig of his when those words came out of Shizuka's mouth. His eyes seemed to expand twice their size in horror, and he immediately started choking on the wine that hadn't yet met his stomach, coughing up a storm. He balled up a fist and beat on his chest until the coughing ceased. "W-W-Wife?!" the blond man stammered out, still in shock. He quickly held up both of his hands, staring at each of his ring fingers. Fortunately, there was no ring there. "O merci, mon Dieu!" (Oh thank you, God!) he triumphantly spoke, clasping his hands together in praise.

Breathing out and relaxing, Alban let out a nervous laugh, reaching back and scratching his head. "Sorry, I don't have a wife, Shizuka. The only women in my life are my daughter and my mother. Lucille was..." he pauses for a moment, considering how to phrase his words. "She was a surprise. Her mother, well... She wants nothing to do with either of us. She went back to her parent's estate in Seoul, I think..." Al's expression took on a more serious appearance when he got onto the topic of Lucille's mother. He couldn't forgive her for abandoning her daughter and responsibility as a mother. There was a certain malice for that woman lingering there in his heart for every time his daughter cried out for her mother, only to have no one there to take that place.

Al suddenly raised up the menu, taking a large gulp of wine and thumbing through the entrees. "Soooo... do you see anything that catches your fancy? I would suggest the boeuf bourguignon or the frog legs. I dont know if the frog legs are as good as my mother's though. She's from Louisiana in the United States, so she was practically raised on them." he cheerily stated, bringing back his smile and diverting the conversation away from heavy topics. The blond definitely didn't want to turn a fun night into a depressing one.
@Stern Algorithm

"I-I'm sorry, I simply assumed..." Shizuka apologized, "I'm sorry for bringing it up. You've done a fine job raising Lucille on your own..." She tried to reassure him and comfort him somehow but wasn't sure if she was doing it right. Seeing that Alban didn't want to dwell on the subject, Shizuka tried to match his cheery mood.

"Frogs?" Shizuka asked in surprise. It wasn't unheard of, but it was definitely something that was more iconically French. "Yes, I think I'll try the frog legs," Shizuka said, the dish having piqued her curiosity, "Even if they don't turn out to be as good as your mother's," she added with a bit of humor. Shizuka knew very little about Lousiana's culture and French influence but she remembered Alban saying this restaurant reminded him of home. "You're mother's American? Do they eat frogs in America? Are you American or French?"

@Daxam@Haeo@Verdaux@lovely complex

Kazu's face went a sight shade of pink as the girl, he now knew as 'Amie', started to repeat his short form name over and over. Saying it was cute. He wasn't sure what to make of it, since this had never happened before. But as with most things, it was best to take it into stride.

Kazu watched silently (As if he could do anything else) as the pink haired girl got up and started to interrogate the new arrival. He wondered what spurred such a flurry of paranoia. Perhaps she was a criminal? Only people that are weary of cops are criminals after all. However, criminal or not, Amie seemed pretty.. harmless. Probably a runaway?

"We should all walk together! I wouldn't mind learning this area myself."

Something unexpected and slight expected at the same time, not that he minded too much. Kazu slowly got up from the damp grass, his t-shirt and jeans were slightly wet on the back. He brushed his clothes with his hands, even though there probably wasn't much dirt of them to begin with. Instinctual, habitual. His grey shirt was pretty loose fit, not showing off much of his physique, it was more comfortable that way. A chilling breeze passed over him, it felt quite nice. He didn't mind the cold that much, in fact he quite liked it that way. He looked in the direction of the sirens that passed the park, it didn't pique much of an interest as he felt that it was a common thing to hear anywhere. He then noticed two more people within vision.

There's.. more people than I thought there would be.. He felt a little uncomfortable about this situation. First he laid down on the grass by himself. A pink haired hurricane tripped onto him. Some dude is asking for directions. That dude knows this woman who was now approaching them. And then there was another guy standing a little further away. Sure they could all be very friendly, but he didn't like crowds.

Not to say that this was much of a crowd, it was more like he just didn't know any of them, he's never met so many people in such a small time frame, neither did he have that many friends outside of the dojo. He scratched his head in thought, thinking of something to break off.

He quickly tapped on his phone before approaching Amie, showing her the text "Perhaps we should go somewhere else? They seem to know each other, I wouldn't want to interrupt them."..With my strange presence. He felt like adding. Maybe she'd catch on that he was feeling uncomfortable. Maybe not. In hindsight, Amie will probably think that he's anti-social. However, that's not the case at all. He just didn't know how to talk to multiple people with a phone.

Before Al could get to answering her questions, the waiter came back over to their table. "What can I get you two for dinner?" he asked, patiently waiting for their orders. "I think she decided on the frog legs and I... Hm... I'll have the Baked Camembert." Al responded. With a bow, the waiter went back to deliver their order. The blond's attention fell back onto Shizuka. As his indigo eyes lingered on her form, he realized how the candle light really made her stand out.

"My mother is Cajun, a uh... French descendant? She's from Lafayette, Louisiana, so she has a very funny accent. Dad thinks it's sexy though." Al joked, cracking a grin. "I've only been to Louisiana once, but it's not really a pleasant place. It's very close to swampland so there's tons of mosquitoes, and the water tastes like sewage. As for the food... Kinda spicy, but very good. The Cajuns eat frog legs pretty often, but the actual Americans don't. They think it's really strange. I guess, it's like... how some Americans see sushi as gross." he explained to her, trying to relate it to her own culture.

As for his own nationality, Alban had to pause for a moment and think about it. He took another drink of wine, his glass now empty, before filling his cup up again and describing his heritage. "I am actually a Japanese-American-French citizen. Meaning I was born in France to an American mother and a French father, who then moved to Japan and became Japanese citizens. So I could theoretically live in any of these countries without needing a visa or green card. It's... a little complex."

Al opened his mouth to ask Shizuka some questions about herself, but he was stopped by the sudden sound of a piano playing. In the corner of the room, a very elegant seeming, raven haired Frenchman was warming himself, gliding his across the keys. The man cleared his throat and gestured a long hand towards Al and the Japanese girl before him. "Pour le couple ici ce soir." (For the couple here tonight.) the performer said in solid French before beginning to play a very familiar song. Immediately, the blond turned scarlet and his nerves seemed shot for a split second. He hadn't expected that to happen at all. This hadn't meant to come off as a date, but the feeling in the air was definitely more romantic than what he envisioned.

The alcohol in his system helped him keep the conversation going. "So, Shizuka, tell me more about yourself. What's your family like? What do you do other than work and go to school?" As he said that, he leaned in, all ears while the music danced in the background.
@Stern Algorithm

@Delta44 Yutaro smiled when he saw that Ryoki was actually interested in hearing him talk business. He typically avoided revealing that side of himself until he really got to know somebody. In fact, that was part of the reason he broke up with his ex; she knew how to have fun, and that was about it. Ryoki, though, had a big ol' brain behind that pretty face. Breaking out into the music industry wasn't easy, especially when what you did wasn't mainstream, but Ryoki seemed to have the wits and ambition to make it happen. Yutaro was happy to do anything he could to help her.

"The Boss is always looking for new entertainment, and I'm sure he'd jump at the chance to work out a profitable deal with one of his employees. But..." He punctuated the word strongly, about to give some very important advice. "Make sure you're fully prepared with your pitch before you even mention it to him. If he brushes you off because you're not prepared, it'll be hard to get a second chance with him. If you've got CDs, bring them. If you've got videos, bring them. Also, get together all the data you have on viewer traffic and revenue. When you bring it up to him, he may interview you on the spot, or he may be busy and schedule it for another time, but either way be prepared to impress him in five minutes or less." Then he gave her a pat on the shoulder and smiled. "But don't worry, as long as you're confident I'm sure he'll say yes. And, of course, you've got me to vouch for you."

That was when Ryoki's phone went off, which was stored in a rather intimate area. Yutaro wasn't sure if she was blushing from embarrassment or from stimulation, but it made him raise his eyebrow none the less. Then...

"Oh, uh, just pretend you didn't see a phone just now, please. You're not supposed to bring phones into work, but my sister has been getting a little spooked lately, so I'm keeping my phone on me. If you keep quiet... then I'll let you take out my phone after work~. Deal?"

WHEW! Hot under the collar didn't even begin to describe what he felt. If his milk joke had knocked her up against the ropes, that line knocked Yutaro flat on his ass. No man with any appreciation of female beauty could help blushing from that, and Yutaro certainly appreciated her beauty. If he had a tail it would be wagging now, revealing that he wanted to jump at the offer. However, the tiny bit of experience that remained inside his head screamed, "It's a trap!" He knew this game and he knew there was a catch. Just like when girls promised you "some sugar," only to put some in your coffee when you called in their debt. After work, Ryoki wouldn't be wearing a bunny suit, and he'd have fallen for her tease like a common fool.

After a moment's hesitation, Yutaro recovered, putting on a charming smile. It took ever ounce of his willpower, but he tore his eyes away from the breasts that were so masterfully put on display, and looked Ryoki in the eyes. "How about instead of letting me take your phone out, you let me take you out."

Before Ryoki could answer, though, a girl came running behind the blackjack table.@lovely complex Apparently she was... hiding? "Excuse me miss, but you can't just..." Then he recognized her. She was tonight's attraction, and the arbiter of his hundred-dollar destiny. "Oh, Miss Bellrose!" He looked around and saw that the only people was she was escaping were her own security guards. Since she had helped him out, even if it was inadvertently, he decided not to call security and let her get away with it. However, when she started talking about making people lose money, he had to try to calm her down. "Hey, don't say it like that. We gotta stay positive or we lose customers." Fortunately, the girl was off before she could scare away any players.

Yutaro let out a sigh and turned back to Ryoki. "Geez talk about a mood killer." He laughed, trying to make the best of a ridiculous situation with truly awful timing. "But the offer still stands. I know a nice Italian place that I'd like to take you to. Tomorrow night, or if not, whenever you're free. What do you say?" He smiled, hoping the little pop star hadn't ruined his chances at a romantic night out with a beautiful woman who didn't yawn when he mentioned business.

Before Al could get to answering her questions, the waiter came back over to their table. "What can I get you two for dinner?" he asked, patiently waiting for their orders. "I think she decided on the frog legs and I... Hm... I'll have the Baked Camembert." Al responded. With a bow, the waiter went back to deliver their order. The blond's attention fell back onto Shizuka. As his indigo eyes lingered on her form, he realized how the candle light really made her stand out.

"My mother is Cajun, a uh... French descendant? She's from Lafayette, Louisiana, so she has a very funny accent. Dad thinks it's sexy though." Al joked, cracking a grin. "I've only been to Louisiana once, but it's not really a pleasant place. It's very close to swampland so there's tons of mosquitoes, and the water tastes like sewage. As for the food... Kinda spicy, but very good. The Cajuns eat frog legs pretty often, but the actual Americans don't. They think it's really strange. I guess, it's like... how some Americans see sushi as gross." he explained to her, trying to relate it to her own culture.

As for his own nationality, Alban had to pause for a moment and think about it. He took another drink of wine, his glass now empty, before filling his cup up again and describing his heritage. "I am actually a Japanese-American-French citizen. Meaning I was born in France to an American mother and a French father, who then moved to Japan and became Japanese citizens. So I could theoretically live in any of these countries without needing a visa or green card. It's... a little complex."

Al opened his mouth to ask Shizuka some questions about herself, but he was stopped by the sudden sound of a piano playing. In the corner of the room, a very elegant seeming, raven haired Frenchman was warming himself, gliding his across the keys. The man cleared his throat and gestured a long hand towards Al and the Japanese girl before him. "Pour le couple ici ce soir." (For the couple here tonight.) the performer said in solid French before beginning to play a very familiar song. Immediately, the blond turned scarlet and his nerves seemed shot for a split second. He hadn't expected that to happen at all. This hadn't meant to come off as a date, but the feeling in the air was definitely more romantic than what he envisioned.

The alcohol in his system helped him keep the conversation going. "So, Shizuka, tell me more about yourself. What's your family like? What do you do other than work and go to school?" As he said that, he leaned in, all ears while the music danced in the background.

Shizuka listened intently as Alban described Lousiana. "You can get a lot of mosquitoes in the Japanese countryside," Shizuka added, "Probably because of all the rice fields." When Alban mentioned how American's thought frog legs and sushi were gross, she replied, "I think it comes from a culture of plenty. I think only civilizations that have truly suffered can really appreciate just how much of the natural world is edible, and how much of nature's bounty can be found in seemingly unlikely places. I hope that doesn't sound weird."

After Alban described his 'nationality', Shizuka said, "Having lived in three different countries sounds like quite the life experience. I've only ever lived in Japan, and even then, just a small part of it. Still, it's amazing how much our nation has to offer in spite of its small landmass." But then the pianist approached and said something in French before playing a lovely tune. Confused, Shizuka turned to Alban, "What did he say?" She was pretty happy to be immersed in a different culture, and awaited Alban's translation.

In response to Alban's question about herself, Shizuka said, "Me? Oh, I'm not nearly as interesting. I'm just an average person, I do what I'm supposed to... My parents live in a smaller town out in the country. I'm an only child. Other than work and school, I usually read, I spend a lot of time buying groceries and cooking for my roommate and myself. I also recently picked up a new hobb..." Shizuka fell silent. She wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about Wizardry: The Collective to a recent acquaintance. She was afraid it would make her seem juvenile. "Wh-what about you? What do you do for work? What do you do for fun? Do you go to school?" SHizuka asked, turning it around.

Alban was pleasantly surprised at how insightful Shizuka was when it came to America's abhorrence to foods they did not understand. She was clearly a very intelligent woman. When asked to translate the pianist's words, he seemed frozen for a second and a nervous laugh came out of his mouth. "Uh... He said this is a song dedicated to us." Alban answered, trying to infer the man thought they were a couple without actually saying it. It was slightly awkward, but he didn't feel it was detrimental to the overall atmosphere.

"So you're saying the woman in front of me is completely average?" he asked, a teasing tone glinting in his voice as Shizuka finished talking about herself. "Now let me list off the things I know about you so far: You're an only child from Japan's countryside, who knows how to cook and take care of herself. From what I can tell, you're a very caring person, intelligent, and you have a great sense of observation. I get the feeling you like to explore your horizons as well, but maybe I'm wrong on that. On top of this, you're studying to be a veterinarian while working as a waitress and a teacher assistant for Dr. Matsuoka in Biology." Alban was grinning as he listed off what he knew about Shizuka, just from meeting her today. "Oh, and you like tea." he added with a triumphant expression and a raised finger. "I think you're just being modest. You're very interesting. The fact that my eyes see you and my ears hear you should be proof enough."

A sip of wine later and Al began to uncover details about himself. "I am the Assistant Head Custodian for Shine Aquarium. Basically, I'm a glorified janitor." he laughed, not ashamed of his job. It wasn't too bad, so long as the crowds weren't too big. "I usually work from 4am to 2pm, but sometimes my shift gets switched around. I am a Dentistry major at Shine Academy and I go to school on my days off." Alban paused for a moment to reveal his pristine, marble white teeth. "I'm kind of a hygiene freak, I guess. As for what I do for fun, I usually jam out to metal or play games, but more like card games or board games with Lucille. I actually used to play Wizardry a lot. I just have a big box of cards in my closet... I probably should sell them since some of those cards are extremely rare. But... Yeah, I'm a geek!" he gleefully exclaimed, unafraid to talk about his hobbies.

About now, the music had died down and their server had come with their plates. The smells that came up got his stomach to rumble, and Alban realized he had gotten so caught up in talking to Shizuka that he had forgotten how hungry he was. At the same time, he registered that he was having an truly good time with her.
@Stern Algorithm

Nick was losing handily to Kaga but he was smiling, this girl really had some skills and playing against her was an absolute joy. Nick couldn't believe that such a bad day was now seeming like a distant memory. He was back in his element, playing fun video games with pretty girls, and he couldn't feel better, even if he wasnt freezing cold and soaking wet. But the mysterious raven haired gamer girl threw her jacket over him. Nick noticed it wasnt a particularly girly coat, but it looked cool all the same. After trouncing him she made a snark about him needing more training and vanished from the arcade. Nick was amazed by how fast she moved and after snapping out of his daze of admiration he ran outside after her but she was nowhere to be seen....

But....how am I going to get your coat back to you...? damn....

Nick decided to hang on to the coat till he saw her again and pulled one of the sleeves on and was surprised to see how well it fit him, this was definitely a man's coat, which was convenient but a little peculiar....maybe her gaming hobby made her a bit of a tomboy? Who knows? All that mattered is he had an excuse to see her again, Nick couldn't stop grinning to himself. As he put his hands in the pockets and skipped home....then he felt something....

It was her Lancom Arcade Membership Card....it had her ranking, platinum of course. And her photo and her.....Phone Number On the Back! Nick felt like Christmas came early, and now he had a new goal. To take this lady to the New Years Ball!
@ClocktowerEchos
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

YAOWZA IVE BEEN AWAY FOR A FEW DAYS BUT NOW I'M BACK! Its 4pm on New Years Eve!Hope you all had a lovely Christmas! I was able to try out some excellent Turkey and Roast Beef! Maybe the Tiny Snowflake could take some pointers, they wont be able to keep that business afloat on their sexy waitresses alone! Speaking of Sexy, I hope you guys have been paying attention to your mail because the famed Jacques Jonai Is visiting our humble shine city to host the very first NEW YEARS EVE MASQUERADE BALL which is tonight! But you already knew that right? well did you also know that the dazzling Amity Bellerose will be there as a celebrity guest? Read the fine print folks!

Now its time for Weston's Suggestions I hope you movie lovers haven't missed out on the new Aoi Iwata movie, Milky Hearts 3? I loved it! That beautiful lady, never seems to disappoint, I might have to watch 'Lady Moonlight' again on blu-ray and cry! haha!So I wish you all an awesome lead up to the end of the year with this song that I picked just for you.... Signing Out!

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Everything in this post takes place between late Sunday night and early morning on December 31st

---

It's late at night when Nori next opens her eyes, blinking up at the ceiling to try
and peer through the darkness. Kyle had gone to bed after their make out session, leaving her alone and bundled up under the blankets on the couch. Tiredly, the blonde reaches out a hand and feels around on the coffee table for her cellphone. When she finally managed to find it, Nori pulls it over so she can see it as she unlocks the home screen.

It's 2:13am and there are no new messages from Detective Holland.

Nori opens a new message and starts to type, 'Are you okay?', before erasing it and instead putting, 'How goes the stake out?'. Her finger hovers over the send button but she deletes the whole thing instead, still concerned that sending him a text might compromise him. 'Please let me know you're alright,' she thinks blearily, staring down at the screen and willing Olivier to send her a message.

She falls back asleep with her phone still clutched in her hand, but the text message never comes.

---

When Nori makes it back to her apartment the next morning, it is still smoldering and surrounded by yellow tape and police officers and no one is listening to her.

"Wait, wait, please, there was somebody in there!" She pleads as Officer Saiko stands in front of the charred remains of the door to bar her passage.

"There wasn't anyone in there Miss Haywood, we searched the whole flat. You're just in shock," the ginger informs her, his tone slightly kinder than it was yesterday.

"No, you don't understand, Oliv--"

"I'm telling you, there wasn't anyone in there," he interrupts her gently, placing both hands on either of her shoulders and trying to get her to look at him. "I went on one of the sweeps myself and it was completely empty, I promise."

Hesitantly, he reached out, and placing a hand on Nori's shoulder, tried to offer the girl some solace.

"I'll protect you, Mrs. Haywood. Nothing bad is going to happen; I promise."

Nori flinches, visibly recoiling from both the memory and the police officer. He lets her go, nodding towards an emergency responder who brings a pink shock blanket over and carefully arranges it around the girl's shoulders. "Now," Officer Saiko continues, fishing his notebook and pen out of the breast pocket of his uniform. "Let's have another look at that picture of yours, hmm?"

---

Nori texts Kyle to let him know what happened before buying a train ticket. Then she goes home.

---

She's been back on the farm for two days before she finally tells her mum and dad about her apartment catching fire, purposefully leaving out the disappearance of Detective Holland and that it may have been set by the Weatherman. Nori calls Olivier's phone every night, but it always goes straight to voicemail and she never leaves a message.

There is a knock at her bedroom door before her mother comes in, her silvering hair pulled up into a messy bun as she sits next to her daughter on the bed. "Hey cupcake," her mum says, nudging Nori's shoulder with her own. "Aren't you gonna come have some supper?"

"No thanks," The younger girl answers, giving her mum a watery smile. "I'm not very hungry right now."

"Hm," the woman hums, raising an eyebrow at her daughter and giving her a pointed look that says, 'I know better', but she lets it slide. "Your father and I were talking, and we've decided to sell Penelope so you can have enough money for a deposit on a new place."

"Mum, you can't sell the cow, she's the only one you've got!"

"We're a wheat farm, sugar, we don't really need a cow. Plus, the old bird tries to bite me every time I go to milk her. I mean, I get it, I'd be ornery too if someone was trying to yank on my ti--"

"Focus, mum,"

"Right," the elder Haywood coughs, before continuing, "We want to do this for you, Nori. Your father and I weren't able to send you to college, but we can at least do this much. Please," her mum asks, reaching out and covering Nori's hand. "Let us help you."

"Okay," the blonde relents, her eyes growing a little hot as she looks back up at the older woman. "Thanks, mum."

"Anytime, dumpling. Anytime."

---

Later that night, Nori stares at her phone and whispers, "I hope you're okay."

The phone remains silent.

---

Nori is standing at the platform of the station with two duffle bags stuffed full of new clothes as he dad frets with the green scarf he'd just bought her, making sure it was laying just right for maximum warmth. "You'll call if you need anything, won't you?" He asks, smoothing down her hair with his small, calloused hands.

"Yes dad, I'll call if I need you," she reassures, giving him a lop sided grin as he runs his thumb over the tattoo that adorns her left cheek and scowls.

"I don't know why you did this to your beautiful face."

"The boys like it," she teased, laughing as he scowled further. "They think it makes me look sexy."

"Smart ass," he shoots back, running a hand over his haggard face before dropping it at his side. "You're not doing drugs, are you? I know there is a lot of temptation in the big city, but you have to stay strong. And don't let those hippies tell you that weed is okay, it's a gateway drug!"

"Nothing stronger than alcohol, dad, I swear."

"That's my girl," he says before pulling her into a bear hug and dropping a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, pumpkin."

"I love you too, dad," she answers and there is a lump in her throat, but she just swallows it down.

---

When she gets back in the first thing she does is visit Detective Holland's office, but the door is locked and the lights are all out. Nori knocks three times just to be sure, but no one answers.

---

It's late at night on December 30th and Nori is standing in the kitchen area of her new apartment. It's a tiny little bedsit in a shadier part of the city, but it's more affordable than her old place in Shine Junction and it's not like she has a lot of stuff anymore, anyways. At least she doesn't have to share the bathroom with her neighbor, which is a blessing in this building. Nori only has to take two steps before she's standing next to her new bed and she pulls out her linens to set about making it up.

When she's finished the the task, she runs her hand over the patchwork quilt her mother had made her for Christmas, her fingers trailing over the golden stitching. It's made up of scraps of red material in all different shades and sizes and Nori thinks that it's beautiful. The blonde turns out the lights and crawls into bed, burrowing under the blanket.

She pulls her phone out and hesitantly starts a message to Detective Holland, her thumb hovering over the send button for a split second before she mashes it down.

Please don't be dead.

Then she turns over and tries not to think about it anymore.

---

The next morning the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and there are still no new messages from Oliver.

---
@BeastofDestiny @Bozo

Amaya was able to get her Biology essay turned in, as well as survive her remaining finals tests. Many were brutal, but she chose not to worry about them until school started up again. Others were simple because the professors were about as ready for break as the students. Also, who wants to grade papers over winter break? When break began, the blonde spent quite a bit of time working, and all other available times hanging out with her friends. Rachel helped host one of the most anticipated Christmas sorority parties of the year. It was so red and green in the house that one student even puked up the colors. Not a pretty sight.

Once Christmas actually rolled around, Amaya went home to her family. As an only child she was spoiled, but had enough cousins to fill in the gap. She had many first cousins on her mom's side, and since they lived close, they were basically siblings. Seeing everyone again after so long was wonderful. The college student was so busy during school, with work and her studies, that she didn't have a lot of time to spend with family. However, she was able to tell many good stories while the holiday passed. Her younger cousins were enraptured by the stories she told, and were very clingy over the week she spent at her parent's house.

However, she had to return to Shine City. Many of her friends were still there and she needed to return to work. New Years Eve came up quick, despite the young girl's wishes. It wasn't that she didn't like the start of the New Year, it was that the holiday was a reminder that the new semester was coming up soon as well. Shine City was nearly buzzing with excitement as a grand party was going to be held that night. Amaya's roommate, Rachel, had an extensive web of connections and was able to get two tickets to the much anticipated party. Unfortunately, Amaya herself, had to work rather late that night. Instead of making her friend miss most of the party (including the most exciting part), the busy female told her friend to take Devin, a mutual friend of theirs (Who also works at the gym). The two have lately been hanging out a lot more since school ended. It may have been because they were both staying in Shine City for Christmas, but perhaps it might be something else.

---

New Years Eve, 6:00 PM

The night was extremely busy. Many waiters and waitresses bustled about as many couples and groups ate their last dinner of 20XX. Amaya was no exception. There were many people to be served, and the blonde still had to smile and do her job. Her hair was disheveled in it's bun, and her kimono was not as clean as it was before this shift. Unfortunately, a sick child had gotten rid of their dinner the same way it went in. Stress was high and of course the fact that all the while she was going to miss one of the most exciting parties in the history of Shine City was building up. Taking a quick break in the back, Amaya leaned her head against the wall. She basically wanted to cry, but with all the makeup she had on, she resisted. The customers came first, and she was sure the customers would not enjoy ruined makeup. However, the waitress took a couple deep breaths to get her head back together before heading back into the fray.

(A collaboration by BeastofDestiny, @Narcotic Dollie, and @lovely complex)



Kyle sat in the backseat of a BMW, quietly checking his phone and tapping his finger tentatively on the arm rest, it was just after 4 pm. Putting his phone away he looked out the window, his mind contemplative as he reflected the last couple of weeks. He was at work, on his lunch break when he got the text from Nori and rushed out the building to find her apartment a smoldering wreck. He wanted to find her, talk to her, but she had already left by then and when Kyle tried to contact her she replied with wanting some space and needing some time with her family. As much as he wanted to find her, he didn't exactly have a right to refuse her request and she's already gone through with it anyway, what was he to do.

'Alright, but if you ever need someone to talk to...' He had texted her, the word was out, but he had a feeling she didn't want to, so he'd wait. Over the course of her absence he went about his daily life, but Nori was never far from his mind, he couldn't imagine what she was going through to have lost everything like that and to have her disappear so suddenly... He texted her a couple of times here and there, especially to wish her a Happy Christmas, to which she reciprocated a response, but most of their conversations were brief, mostly pleasantries. Suffice it to say, Kyle was more than a little worried and he didn't stay sober often, ripping hit after hit to ease his mind and twisting stomach. Even now his anxiety urged him to just smoke just a little, but he'd held strong, he didn't want weed to interfere with his first night of seeing Nori since her return, not like their first 'date'.

As they pulled up, Kyle signalled Luke that this was the place and the car pulled to a stop, Nori was already waiting for them on the front steps of her new building. He opened the car door and greeted her with a warm smile, "Hey you, welcome back!" He retreated to the other side to allow Nori to enter the car, when she was in she pulled the door close and Luke began to drive off. "Nori, this is Luke, Luke, Nori." The driver and practical big brother raised his hand and said, "Yo," before falling silent again and focusing on the driving.

"I'm glad you decided to come out tonight, I hear things like these parties are usually a lot of fun, I know Amity's pretty excited about wanting to get us all fancied up," he shakes his head, "I swear with her sometimes, I feel like one of those Ben and Carly dolls."

His face was focused ahead, more pleasantries...truthfully he wanted to talk to her about the fire, her leaving so suddenly, how she was doing, if she needed help. But he stayed the questions, tonight was a night meant for fun, he wanted to remain optimistically hopeful that she was fine as sunshine, but there was a gut feeling that never left him since the day she left. Their ride was mostly quiet to the mansion and when they arrived, they were greeted with magnificent estate, another staple in the Bellerose legacy. Were there not already a party happening at Town Hall, he was sure Amity would have thrown one at her manse, it was certainly big enough to hold such an event. The two stepped out of the vehicle and Luke ushered them along and up the stairs to the Bellerose estate.

"Hey you, welcome back!"

Nori looks up from checking her phone for new messages to see Kyle getting out of a black B&W, a smile stretched across his handsome face that caused the blonde's stomach to do a nervous flip. 'I'm not ready for this,' she thinks immediately, but the blonde pushes the thought down and gives the American a small wave as she walked over, sliding in and closing the door behind her. "Nori, this is Luke, Luke, Nori." Kyle introduced once she got the door closed.

"Yo," the long haired man calls, checking to make sure he was clear before pulling away from the curb.

"Thanks for picking me up," Nori says to the redhead and his sea green eyes meet hers in the rear view before he gives her a small nod and flicks them back to focus on the road.

"I'm glad you decided to come out tonight, I hear things like these parties are usually a lot of fun, I know Amity's pretty excited about wanting to get us all fancied up. I swear with her sometimes, I feel like one of those Ben and Carly dolls."

"I'm really excited to meet her," Nori admitted, smoothing out the skirt on her plain white dress. "It's really sweet of her to loan me an outfit," she continues, flicking her eyes up to look at Kyle...

...what!?

"What did you do to your hair, cowboy!?" Nori exclaims, forgetting for a moment to be nervous and unbuckling her seatbelt, crawling across the back seat so she's right up next to the other man. "Is this real?" she asks, but instead of waiting for an answer she reaches up and buries her fingers into his now much darker locks, giving them a sharp tug. "Oh my God, it is!" She laughs, pulling her hand free and grinning. "It looks good on you, Kyle. I like the brown better, but you're still sexy like this."

There is still a heavy, awkward atmosphere in the car and Nori doesn't really know what to do about it, so she scoots back over to her seat and puts her hands in her lap, bundling the fabric of her skirt as she clenches her fingers anxiously. The rest of the ride is quiet and after a few more minutes they pull up to the enormous and well manicured Bellerose Estate.

'I'm gonna make a complete idiot of myself,' the blonde thinks as she gets out of the car and takes in the grander of this place. "C'mon," Luke tells them, nodding his chin towards the stairs. "Let's not keep her waiting, yeah?" It's strange, Nori thinks, because while this ginger man isn't that much taller than her, he has a really big, looming sort of presence that makes him seem larger than he really is.

They make it into the mansion and Nori stares down at her black flats, noting how beat up they look against the gleaming marble floors. 'I stick out like a sore thumb,' she thinks, before shaking the negative thought away and chancing a glance towards Kyle. "Fancy," she says lamely, giving him another small smile.

---



---


The young pink-hared idol swayed around her bedroom slowly, making a twirl here and there, enjoying some good calm music before Kyle and his lady friend arrived.

And that I'll fight my corner,
Maybe tonight I'll call ya,
After my blood turns into alcohol,
No, I just wanna hold ya.

Making her way to her unreasonably large walk-in closet, she looked at all the dresses she set aside for Nori based on how Kyle described her. At the center were stairs that led to a locked door filled with secrets. Based on what Kyle told Amity, Nori was an inch taller than her so the little idol had high hopes that her clothes would fit his girly friend. Worse case, they'd just go shopping. Renee glided into the closet and smiled, "Your outfit is ready in my bedroom. When Ms. Haywood is done bathing, she can come into the makeup room."

"YEPP! I already prepared the bath for her and she can use my blue bathrobe! She's gonna smell like lilies!" The idol had prepared a bath for both Kyle and Nori. Kyle would be in Liam's bathroom, she put essential oils so his body could relax. They called this "aromatherapy". Nori, on the other hand, would be in her's, with the whole spa shebang treatment! She was going to pamper her friend and make his lady feel welcomed!

"Very excellent choice in fragrance, Amity. Liam has left mimosas for them upstairs. Rupert will bring macaroons and other hand-snacks when they are both settled. If you need me, I'll be in the makeup room." The assistant dismissed herself and as if right on cue, she heard the front door open from downstairs. Running out of the closet, out of her bedroom, and down the hall, she yelled, "KYLEEEEE!" and unfortunately commenced in falling on her face. She muttered, "I'm okay..."

Quickly picking herself up, she brushed off her skirt and fixed her hair, and then she scurried down the stairs. Pouncing on Kyle, Amity's face was extremely giddy. Luke dismissed himself, allowing the childhood friends to have their moment. She then turned to Nori and glomped her too, "You're prettier in person! Kyle's told me things about you." Letting go of her, she stuck out her tongue and made the peace sign, "I'M AMITY! Welcome to... I think this is my third...or fourth... maybe fifth home? I know I have a place to stay in France, Thailand, and Germany... EITHER WAY! Welcome, welcome, welcome! Please, please, throw your coats on that bench right there." She pointed to a white cushioned bench by the door and added, "The maid lady will hang it up. We have things to do!" Immediately after her hyper-active spew, she clapped her hands twice and two maids came to retrieve Nori and bring her to Amity's bathroom, "Don't worry! They want to spoil you! The one to the left is Emilia and to your right, that's Iris."

The head butler, Rupert, with a stern but calm look on his face and a straight posture, approached Kyle, "Mr. Parker, pleasure to see you again. You will be bathing in Liam's bathroom. It may take some time getting Ms. Haywood ready. Once you are done, mind you, everything is laid out on Liam's bed, you can meet the girls either in the makeup room or Amity's bedroom. There will be cologne on the nightstand and if you'd like me to do your hair, simply ring this bell. If not, everything you need will be in that room." The butler handed Kyle a tiny bell and then waited to lead him upstairs to Liam's room.



The interior of the mansion was exactly what Kyle expected it to be, just as damn impressive as the front lawn. By comparison to such a pristine looking environment, he was still very much out of place, having worn a shirt, flannel and jeans as casual wear to his friend's estate. It wasn't his first time in one of Amity's houses, but this was the first time he had been to this one, despite its proximity to Shine City, his friend was never able to use it, at least until now.

"Fancy," his head turned towards the singular word Nori spoke, a small smile planted on her face. Kyle recognized that look and he couldn't help but return the smile, "Don't worry, I had the same reaction when I first came to Amie's house, and trust me I looked a lot scruffier then."

Luke snorted, "You should've seen me when I first started working for the Bellerose's, damn near shat bricks I was so blown away."

'For fuck's sake, Luke' he thought, shaking his head at the man's brutal honesty and vulgarity. It wasn't long before he heard his name being called out from the top of the stairs, it seemed that Amity had finally acknowledged their presence and was about to--- Before he could even blink she was already at the top of the stairs and fell flat on her face. 'Oh, Amie...' He took a deep breath and positioned one of his legs so that it was slightly behind him, his body lowered just a little too, "You uh...might want to brace yourself Nori." On cue, his friend came flying down the stairs after straightening herself out before slamming straight into Kyle to embrace him. He had learned long ago that Amity was a human wrecking ball that destroyed everything between point A and point B, and Kyle had been subjected to, more than once he could admit, being thrown flat on his ass by the diminutive idol.

Afterwards Amity threw herself at Nori, his lady friend had gotten the idea and maintained her upright stance. After introductions the DJ was ushered off, truthfully, Kyle wanted to just say, 'be gentle with her', but instead when she turned his way he simply smiled, gave a little wave and told her to have a good time. Rupert, the butler, then came to escort Kyle to his room so he could get ready for the evening.

"...There will be cologne on the nightstand and if you'd like me to do your hair, simply ring this bell. If not, everything you need will be in that room."

Kyle accepted the bell and his brow furrowed slightly, "I don't think that'll be necessary, plus I think I've had my hair messed with...a little too much lately." He pulls at a few locks of his now black hair for emphasis.

"As you wish Master Parker, but do keep it if your mind changes," the man bows slightly before extending his arm in a follow me gesture, "This way, if you would."

Kyle nodded and followed the butler to Liam's room, depositing his coat on the fore-mentioned bench. Despite the mansion's impressive size, Liam's room wasn't too far off room from the main hall, Rupert having opened the door and closed it shut behind Kyle as soon as he entered. It was a neat, tidy space, and spotless, cleaned to perfection; were Liam to have a scent, it was most definitely masked in the amount of cleanliness he imposed upon his lifestyle...unless his natural body musk was pine sol or something... Everything was exactly where the butler had said, cologne on the desk, clothing on the bed, a bathroom was located behind a door adjoining the bedroom, already prepped and ready for him to take. There was a drink on the table and he took a sip, recognizing the fruity taste of a classic Mimosa before setting it down and getting ready for a night to remember. He discarded his clothing next to the nice looking suit and slacks, down to his undergarments before he made his way into the restroom.

It was much larger than his apartment's, or even the one at his family's house back in the States, again to be expected. The water had already been drawn and had a nice scent emitting from it, one foot in, then the other, and slowly Kyle lowered himself in, allowing his body to get accustomed before fully sinking into the tub. The water steadied itself about chest level, his arms pulled back in a relaxing position as he allowed his body to just melt away in the water. He had already positioned his phone before hand to be nearby and within reach, his arm stretched from the tub down to where it was positioned and he began flipping through his social media outlets. He had finally gotten the mobile device back, dead of course, the morning Nori had left, charged it up at work, saw her text and of course didn't see everything Amie had been doing on it until well into the night. While he wasn't too keen on having photos with...embarrassing comments uploaded to his social media pages, he was fairly impressed with some of the shots she had taken, his face turning a heated shade when he remembered the 'bunny bubble butt' picture. @Delta44

Suddenly, Nori had an armful of a very pink haired songstress and if Kyle had not warned her she may have actually fallen over. "You're prettier in person! Kyle's told me things about you." The smaller girl chirped and Nori flushed a little, wrapping an arm around Amity and giving her a quick squeeze in return.

"Thanks, sweetheart, you're not bad yourself," the blonde replies as Amity disentangles herself from the hug and begins a rapid fire introduction, speaking so swiftly that Nori had trouble keeping up. The starlet clapped her hands and two maids seemed to materialize out of midair and shepherded the DJ up the stairs.

"Not to worry miss, we'll get you all scrubbed up in no time!" Says the taller of the two, Iris, as she leads them through a lavish bedroom and into an even more opulent bathroom.

"Go ahead and strip down," instructed Emilia, the shorter one. The two maids both had the same short bob haircut and great big Bambi eyes. They almost looked liked they were sisters, which Nori thought odd.

"U-um, in front of both of you?"

"Are you shy? Oh she's shy, Emilia, isn't that precious?"

"Hush Iris, you'll scare her. Go on miss, you get in the tub and we'll come back in when you're under the bubbles."

"Right," Nori says, swallowing as the two girls leave her in peace. Quickly, Nori rolls down her tights and pulls off her clothes, stepping into the tub just as the door swings open. "JESUS!" the blonde cries, diving down into the bath as quickly as possible, submerging herself until only her head was poking up over the water.

"It's alright miss, you haven't got anything to be ashamed of. I'd kill to have abs like that! Now, give me your hand," instructs Iris, perching on the ledge of the marble incased tub and holding her hand out expectantly. Nori complies and the maid inspects her fingernails, clicking her tongue disapprovingly. "Just as I thought, you haven't been pampering yourself enough, dear," Iris scolds softly, flashing a meaningful look towards Emilia. "We'll have to take her down to beauty base one."

"Did you just make a Hungry Games reference?" Nori asks, obviously taken aback.

"Oh, well read. I like you!" Iris gushes as she pulls out an emery board and starts filing away at her fingernails.

"Miss Haywood," Emilia calls, drawing Nori's attention to where she was seated at the other end of the tub. "Lift your leg please, I need to start the sheering process."

"Sheerin--OH! You mean shaving. No, you don't have to worry about that, I shaved this morning," Nori reassures, shooting the other maid a nervous grin.

"I'm sure you did, miss," replies Emilia as she flipped open a straight razor with practiced ease, "But I'm a professional. Now, hand it here, miss."

'Sweet mother of God!!'

---

An hour later, scrubbed clean and hairless in places that she had never been before, Nori was lead into the makeup room. "Miss Bellerose will be with you shortly, dear," Iris informs, pressing a mimosa and a red velvet macaroon into the florist's hands. "She's been picking out dresses for you all morning. She's so excited to be meeting one of Kyle's lady friends," the maid confides, patting Nori on the shoulder. "Now you just call if you need anything, alright dear?"

---

The next week was filled with end of semester exams and work as usual. He didn't study at all for his exams, yet he managed to do fairly decent anyway. Al had lived his entire scholarly life on the edge, and the only class he remembered really cramming for was Chemistry in High School. All the while, he did keep in contact with Shizuka, texting her every now and then. He also did contact Liam, Amity's manager, and explained that the idol had expressed a want to set up some kind of play date with his daughter and promised extravagant gifts to her. Al made a comment about how the promises were a bit crazy, which Liam agreed, but didn't revoke the privileges. The two surprisingly got along very well over the phone, although Liam did seem constantly frustrated with Amity's actions. Nonetheless, he scheduled their date for some time in the next week.

On Christmas, he visited his parents with Lucille. His daughter had a very good Christmas, hauling in more dolls and books to indulge her fantasy. Al, on the other hand, was mostly gifted money from parents and family abroad. Later that night, he managed to call Shizuka and wish her a Merry Christmas. Overall, it was a rather typical holiday.

---

Alban was watching some show about the history of the Mongol Empire in the kitchen while his mother, Marceline, hummed a Top 100 song, brewing up a cup of coffee for herself. Knowing his mother, this was probably her 7th cup today. She was an absolute coffee fiend. Growing up, all the friends he had crushed on her, considering she was a phenomenally beautiful woman. She was often described as a MILF, much to Al's chagrin. In the living room adjacent to the kitchen, you could hear the squeals of Lucille, playing with her new dolls. Sitting on the floor, cross legged was Al's father, Abel, participating in whatever imaginative adventure the little girl was going on. His father, unlike his mother, was generally very quiet and seemed very cold and distant. However, this far from the case. Abel was one of the sweetest and funniest men around, yet he just didn't like to talk on account of his accent. Both of Lucille's grandparents loved her very much, and they wanted nothing but the best for her. Ultimately, this was about how Al planned his New Year's Eve to be: a quiet get together with his family


"Soooooooo... How's yer girlfriend, baby?" his mom perked up, speaking her Southern accented English and pouring about 4 tablespoons of sugar into her coffee. Her son nervously laughed and shook his head. "You know she's not my girlfriend, mom. We're just friends." he responded. A questioning glare crossed his mother's face while she sipped on her coffee. "But cha like her, don't you? I bet you'd like to spend tonight with her, right?" his mother's twangy voice interrogated the poor guy. A crimson blush floated onto the blonde man's face and his indigo eyes met the equally blue eyes of the middle-aged woman. He said nothing though, which led the bespectacled Marceline to smiling a big grin.

"I don't know if yer papa told you already, but I won two tickets to that... ball thing y'all are having tonight at the city hall." Al already knew where this was going. "But mom, it's 4 in the afternoon and that starts at 8... It's kind of late to be asking her now." he retorted, hoping she would stand down. His mother laughed bawdily. "But YOU already asked her earlier, baby. Maybe you should check your phone more often." she mischievously inquired. Alban's soul seemed to crash into the void as he fumbled to take his phone from his pocket. Lo and behold, somehow his mother had accessed his phone and texted Shizuka on her own accord.

'Would a pretty little thing like you like to come to the ball tonight with me? I've got two tickets for a great time! <3333'

The text didn't even sound like Al. He was so embarrassed right now. "Zis weehl be good fair you, son. You névair go oot." the heavily French accented English of his father came from the other room. "I already bought an outfit for you anyway!" With that his mother bolted from the kitchen, only to come back with a package. Alban was forced from his chair and pushed into the bathroom, the package slipped into his hands. "You're not coming out until you changeeee~!"

Sighing in defeat, Alban quickly sent Shizuka an apology before changing.

'Oh man, I am SO sorry! My mom got into my phone... If you would like to go to the New Years Eve ball with me, my mom did give me tickets so the offer stands. If you have other plans or something, I totally understand!'

Ripping into the package, he found a rather elaborate costume inside. It seemed like it was straight out the 17th century, almost authentic. Surprisingly, as he put the regal outfit together, he found it was quite comfortable, although it wasn't exactly his style. The last part to the suit was a mask, which required him to put contacts in. Finished at last, he revealed himself to his family.

"Oooooh my god! Abel, we have such a handsome son! Baby, yer going to drive all the women crazy tonight!" was his mother's response, gasping at what she thought was a wonderful fit for her little boy.

"Daddy, you look like a clown!" Lucille laughed at him, clapping her cute little hands together.

"Are you Napuleon? Have you come to savé le whirld from ze British, mon son?" his dad jested.

Three totally different opinions came from his family, so he wasn't exactly sure how to feel. Almost immediately though, his mother came up to him with her car keys. "Okay, go get 'em, tiger!" She was pulling her son out the front door now. "Bye, daddy! Tell Shizuzu to come play dolls with meee!" It seemed like even Lucille had been part of this charade. He was on the front porch, staring at his mother.

"Oh! Before I forget!" The woman grabbed a bag next to the door. "Don't forget to wear protection! We don't need anymore grandbabies... yet!" She handed him a paper bag full of condoms, the two tickets also inside. "But mom-" her son started before he was cut off by his mother. "No buts, baby! Have a good time! We love you!" Confusingly, he heard the door lock multiple times so he couldn't get back in. Wearing an extravagant outfit with car keys in one hand and a bag of rubbers in the other, Al couldn't remember the last time he felt so humiliated. On top of that, he still had hours before the ball even began.

Pondering what to do with his time, he strode over to his mother's vehicle, got in, and fired the engine. Her car was nothing special, but it was a brand new Toyota Camry that had all sorts of crazy features. Tossing the bag in the backseats, he sat there for a moment, considering what to do.
@Stern Algorithm @lovely complex

December 25th, 10:00 AM

Christmas. The time of year where friends and families got together to celebrate the birth of Christ and the spirit of gift giving. Suzy sat perched on her couch while drinking a fresh, hot cup of tea. It had been a long time since she had celebrated Christmas with her family. She sighed heavily and stared out her window looking over Shine City.

Moving here had seemed like a nice break from Soul, away from the constant memory of her family. It didn’t matter where she hid or where she moved to, Christmas would always tear down the iron wall of her locked up memories. She supposed that was what she deserved after ignoring her parent’s wishes. It had been her choice, and she chose her passion over her family. Shrugging it off, Suzy took another sip of her tea. Despite the fact that it was Christmas, there was a lot of work to do before New Years.

Suzy had been invited to photograph a masquerade ball hosted by someone of the name Jacques Jonai. It was actually a great opportunity to start her collection for work and possibly converse with the city’s elite. Connections were everything in her profession and if she wanted the best pictures, she needed the best people. Plus, anything that gave her the excuse to go shopping was worth participating in. She’d already booked an appointment at a spa and planned on visiting Shine Junction for the perfect dress the next day.

Hundreds of dresses sat within her closet, all of which would be useless for the ball. One dress in particular, a beautiful white dress with a golden, regal pattern covering the top, was a dress she had kept forever, waiting for the right time. No matter how pretty it was, if she wanted any chance of taking pictures at the ball, she couldn’t wear it.

After finishing her drink, Suzy quickly washed all of the dishes and straightened anything she might have tampered with. It was better to clean up everything right away than let it turn into a disaster later. People who simply left things around and waited until the last minute drove Suzy insane. Order and perfection were everything. It was the reason she had gotten as far as she did in such a short amount of time. If people weren’t so lazy, the world would be a much better place. Shaking her head, Suzy strolled to her office, where she spent the rest of the day researching and writing for her blog.

---

New Year’s Eve

Suzy stared into her closet mirror, examining her body from head to toe. A smile crept up her face. Choosing to go with a simple laced white dress proved to be an amazing decision. Touched with pink, cherry lipstick, a light pink eyeshadow, and the typical mascara and eyeliner, she looked absolutely stunning. While she may be coming for work, Suzy had no doubt she would capture the eyes of some in the room. Perhaps she’d even have the chance to dance. Thanks to her parent’s political status, Suzy had been forced to attend several balls and had even been given lessons for dancing. While she was by no means a professional dancer, she had worked hard to learn the craft and could dance fairly well. Work would come first though, of course.

Only one thing was missing from her look-a mask. It had been pure luck that she had found the perfect one to go with her dress. Suzy tied the white mask around her head, careful not to smudge any of her carefully applied makeup. Taking one last glance in the mirror, Suzy gave the final approval to leave. She grabbed her well-loved camera, her purse containing the ticket to enter the ball, and headed out the door. It was still fairly early before the party actually started but Suzy wanted to scout the area, find out where the best lit areas were and what scenery she could play with. Suzy climbed into her car and drove off to what would hopefully be a memorable night.

21st December

---

23rd December
7:00pm

---

New Year's Eve
Pre-ball.

Shou mulled over the tickets in his hands, tracing the still-elegant writing with his forefinger. He sat in his room, illuminated only by the orange lamp in a corner, and pondered. The pros and cons of going to an event like that. He would have taken Oliver. He didn't have a woman in his life but his old best friend had seemed like a great idea. But now...

It took him time. Ten, twenty, thirty minutes.
An hour.

He finally made his mind up. Alex wouldn't have wanted him to mull over this...would she?
No...

He stood up from where he was hunched over on his bed in a bathrobe, and flung open the doors to his wardrobe.

New Year, new start.

@Dynamo Frokane

Kaga danced down the street and towards his home, today had been fun and she had definitely gotten he fix for good ol' arcade fighting game, noobs the lot of them. Kaga chuckled, he hadn't had this much fun in a long time. He was amazed however that that Nic fellow decided to keep on playing even after so many loses, guess some people are just masochists.

With his home in sight, Kaga whipped out a set of keys and wisked through the lobby and up the elevator to the apartment, number 213. It took him this long to realize that his jacket was missing but he shrugged, ain't like he had anything valuable in there, his phone and his wallet were safely tucked away in his pants. Plopping over onto his bed, he sighed as a book found its way into his hands, might as well kill some time with this.

25th December: 1:00 PM
Akane sat at her piano bench with a melancholic expression. Slowly, she scrolled through her phone, simply looking through numerous social media websites as was typical for her. She had time off and little to do. Exams passed quickly and easily for Akane. No doubt she aced all of her test and no doubt she would have even if she hadn't wasted so much time studying. Another Christmas and New Years in Shine City would be spent alone. Akane had always tried to contact her brother, but he was quite the busybody. The two of them were never close to their parents, so Akane didn't bother calling them. "I guess I will just mail him his present again." Akane said with dejection in her voice. No one was around to hear her of course.

But Akane wasn't one to show any sort of sadnes, of course. She would just act as if she didn't have a care in the world and life would be fine. Speaking of her brother, Akane and he had been invited to the big Shine City New Year's party being held. Partying was never her style, but she was without her brother or parents for the holidays and had little to do. She started to seriously contemplate the invite. After all, her brother might appear as well and they could finally see each other again, but other than he, Akane would likely know little to no one there even despite the mass size of attendees.

On the other hand, she could skip the party and spend New Year's with the eleven cats she planned on purchasing. Cats never left you and they were great company! Akane's eyes continued to scan the invitation. Black and white? Her eyes slowly flicked down to the red scarf that was wrapped tightly around her neck. She had held it ever so closely. After all it was a present from her brother. She wasn't a fan of the black and white idea at all, but her brother would likely tell her to just take the thing off more often and go interact with others. With a sigh, Akane shook her head a bit. Such was something she could decide later.

---

29th December: 11:00 AM
Still no certain decision had come to Akane. She could easily throw together an outfit. With the fortune she was granted by her family, she could wear whatever she liked. As she thought about it, Akane came to the realization that the invitation must have come from a family friend or someone that knew she was relatively wealthy, especially for a student. Akane didn't particularly care how she got the invitation, but it was rather interesting someone knew about her lineage if her inference was correct.

I suppose I have nothing better to do. The young girl shrugged her shoulders as she strolled over to her closet. It took only a few moments to realize that there was nothing to suit her particular desire, so Akane instead moved to her bedroom to gather some cash. She had gone shopping all to often since she arrived in Shine City and she knew exactly where she would go to browse. Last minute? Yes, but that didn't matter. She didn't plan on being too picky with her dress. After all, it's not like her future 12 cats would be there.

With a flip of her scarf around her neck, Akane headed out towards Shine Junction. Once there, she spent quite a bit of time window shopping before actually going into any of her favorite stores. After all, it was the most wonderful time of the year: Shopping time.

Pain was a peculiar thing. It could be sudden and sharp, much like getting stabbed through the heart. It didn't last, but the feeling still lingered, causing one to get a sort of phantom pain, where just remembering the moment would be unbearable. Yet, sometimes it persisted, gnawing away at the body and mind until it fractured the spirit alongside it. That was the worst kind. An agony with no remedy, no cure. There was no solace to be had in what happened to him. He couldn't find it, no matter how deep he searched within himself. Probably never will. He shouldn't be so lucky.

He wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy.

The goddamned pain of being burned alive.

He found himself gradually opening his eyes, waning light coming in through the shutters of his bedroom. The entire world seemed dim, and, staring out into the world with blurred vision, collapsing in on itself. It was disorienting, unfamiliar, alien, and largely absurd. He didn't like it. It made him feel uncomfortable.

A bad dream, he thought of it as. The flames roaring all around him as the blaze lapped hungrily at his heels. Diving through the window, shards of broken glass digging into his skin as he slammed against the asphalt. By God, he could still hear himself screaming as the fire scorched his skin, peeling it back as if digging into his flesh and bones.

He sat up from his bed, repressing the urge to whimper and cry at the pain of moving with singed skin.

It was sheer luck he managed to stumble back to his apartment without going into shock. He could recall that numbness that overcame him as he drugged himself with morphine and wrapped his body in gauze and medical tape. The effects had long worn off, of course, if the bloodied bandages were any indication.

Slowly, he began to stand, stumbling over to his desk and reaching for his beeping phone.

Strange how it still remained intact. He didn't remember bringing it.

All the messages flashed up on the screen, stinging his eyes and causing them to water.

Twenty messages from some girl named Haywood.

Who was that?

Why was it December 31st?

How long was he out for?

"Fuck." He rasped out, dropping his phone back onto his desk.

His mind ached.

Who the hell is Oliver?

His name was De...

Dee?

Must've been it.

He couldn't remember.

He would have to find answers.

A quick glance back at his phone.

------

Text from Oliver

to

Mrs. Haywood

Who is this?