Hibiki returned Itsuko's smile with her own. While Hibiki had a lot more learning and maturing to do, she knew she was on the right path. Now that the serious talk was done, it was time to get back to business. "Right! Let's see, last time I think I was at the Ebony Stryker Guild hall. I'm a rogue, so I think I can hide there pretty easily. And you have a really cool name! Mine's Smitten Kitten." Hibiki didn't actually know what Smitten Kitten meant. She thought it was something along the lines of "Hell Cat" since she thinks Smitten means Smite, so she's a cat who was smite from heaven. Or something along those lines.

"We can totally go hunting for those bad guys too! I'm sure they're on right now, but with all this big stuff going on I doubt they'll leave their city. But that's fine, we just have to make sure they don't bother anyone else." Hibiki also didn't want to admit it, but she was a bit scared of actually having to fight against the Sweepers. As much as she hated them, she couldn't deny that there were a lot of strong people there. But like she said, stuff like that didn't matter. Sure Hibiki was scared, but she was still going to fight them. Maybe she'll need to get a bit stronger first, but if they came to her she wasn't going to be running. "Let's see, we'll meet up in the guildhall, and then we can try and make our way to the Red Kingdom. They're the only ones who isn't part of the big war going on, so I think it'll be safe there. Once I get my Outlaw Declaration cleared up we can figure out what to do from there."

Hibiki went back to cleaning up Itsuko's room until it was mostly organized. Satisfied, Hibiki sat on Itsuko's couch and made herself comfortable. She wasn't sure how long she was going to play, but since Hibiki could sleepover at Itsuko's she wasn't too worried. Closing her eyes Hibiki logged into Deep Ground for once in quite a long time.

Welcome back, Smitten Kitten

@KoL

There was so much that Cassandra wanted to say, but she didn't know how to say it. She watched Eris as she talked. She pondered Eris's words, rolling them around in her mind, seeking to decipher their meaning. She let Eris talk until it seemed that she had finished. And then she was silent for a time. Finally, she spoke, her voice soft.

"The difference between you and Chiyo is you never took your anger out on people in this world. You were worth saving. You still are. Yet if you think Chiyo deserves that chance, then I'm with you"

She stopped again, and seemed to debate about what to say next. "And we both know that I couldn't have helped you if you didn't want it. I'm stubborn, but even then it was hard to break through. I care about you Eris. And maybe thats why you let me in. I can't like Chiyo. But I can put up with her, for you. But that doesn't mean I'm going to let her hurt people" she sighed and glanced away, troubled.

"Eris, I can understand it. I do understand it. I just don't want you to get hurt." Was Eris merely trying to placate her, to not make her worry? Yet Eris had never lied to her. So she hadn't merely chosen this course of action to protect her. "yet you should never assume that you haven't help me. I don't know where I'd be without you" she looked back to Eris, and managed a small smile.

Indeed, how was Yoshino able to manifest an iron grip? For someone who despised gaming, she certainly seemed like she had the hands for it. Leaving that to hang in the air, Yoshino noted how quick Asashi was in answering the question and stating their status to her. Well, well, she couldn’t really see why Retsu hated the boy so much. He seemed fine enough so far.

“Well then, I’m glad Yuuno is finding interests in smart, respectable young men,” she said coolly, adjusting her glasses all the same. “The union of a Blue Guild player and a Black Guild player…it’s almost ironic given the alliance we find ourselves in these days. But yes, you’re right. The Festival is much more important than two love birds in blossom. Carry on. By the way, I want you to contact your King about this Yuuno. She’s been ignoring my calls for the past two days.”

She finally let go of Yuuno’s shirt and crossed her arms to listen more intently for the plan at hand. Asashi was being vague about it though and it caught both cousin’s curiosity. The more the boy spoke, the more Yoshino raised her eye. Being bed ridden seemed to have become an outlet for Asashi’s inspiration and all for the better too.

“Both of us? Well, I suppose it won’t be anything too extraneous. Provided you tell us of course. And actually, I think your sister may have something to help this idea of yours as well,” the President said. Assuming Retsu was willing to reveal her little light show to the world.

Back in the school, Bel was all smiles as Alex helped her back up like the proper gentleman he was. So many things needed to happen because the Festival would be starting soon. Oh, it was going to be so much fun, she was barely able to breathe!

“Don’t worry about it Jukey. Thing is, you’ll be helping me fix a certain something for the festival, heh! Something to help out my new alliance buddy and her personal spokeswoman. Besides, you wouldn’t dare put anything over your little Blue Bel, would you? >:3”

With a wink and a grin, she scuttled off to who knew what else. But although her words seemed light-hearted, there was something ominous behind her tone. Whether Alex was going to outright question it couldn’t be known because time was moving all the same. The Festival was approaching without pause.

---

Asahi smiled. True, getting something done within a week wasn't going to be easy. But if it was going to be easy, then the Ivory Masks wouldn't have put so much work into it, would they? "Well, simply enough it's going to be a performance. Song, dance, all that. I know I don't really look it, but me and some guys, we used to do dance offs ya know? Singing might be a bit difficult, but if we drill we could get something done fast. I knew a few other folks who could hook us up with some sweet costumes too. Cosplay and more!" But when Yoshino mentioned Asahi's sister, he grew quiet. Asahi wasn't really looking forward to working with her, despite knowing how close she was to Yoshino. He suppose it made sense, the two girls hated Deep Ground. Asahi wasn't even sure if Retsu played. But what she does wasn't his business, and he frankly could care less. Now he just needed to let Yoshino know that.

"Ah, Retsu... Sorry, but I don't know if they'll work out. We're not on speaking terms right now." Or ever, really. They don't even live in the same house. But putting her aside, Asahi continued on. "Of course, getting guys to sing and dance is easy enough. But what would make this even more special is if you two, and even Bel, were involved in the performance. Ideally we'd get the actual Moon Rider as a part of the performance too, but well... We don't know who it is! Heh heh. Anyways, it is important that we at least get you involved, Tsugumi-san. You might've already known, but... A lot of the Sweepers are thinking of defecting. Or mutiny at least, since they don't believe that Moon Rider actually leads them. Even the actual leaders of the Sweepers are quiet for some reason."

Asahi had another coughing fit and required him to drink some more water. He was doing much more talking than he should be, and he was certain that if his doctor came in right now he'd tell the girls they needed to leave, which Asahi would hate. He had to wrap things up quickly before it gets worse though. "The Sweepers need someone to follow. Someone to believe, and idol or a king, doesn't matter. I'm doing my best to lead who I can, but compared to the likes of Moon Rider I'm a nobody. Even now, I'm sure only a handful of people know what happened to me. But you, you're the only one who represents the King and his interests. So if you participate, that would show everyone that the king cares. Maybe it's a bit silly, but better that the king is eccentric then uncaring, right?"

Asahi turned towards Yuuno, not wanting to leave her off to the side either. She had an important role that didn't just involve Asahi. "And Yuuno, I know this might be a lot for me to ask all of the sudden, but I'll need you too. I'm going to have my hands full just trying to rally the Ebony Strykers together, and I need someone who can do the same for the Cobalt Bruisers. Because this is a joint project, I can't just do this with my guys. I need help from your guild too, either for the performance, desk work, advertisement, and all that. Ivory Masks might have years of tradition backing their maid cafe, but they're still operating alone. I bet their alliance with the Fanged Rangers is only out of convenience, instead of any partnership. So we'll beat them with a big, flashy performance that shows off the new future between the Ebony Stykers and Cobalt Bruisers. Ah, and one more thing. We should see if we can't get the Scarlet Harleys to help us too."

That last bit might have been something of a surprise, considering that they were all competing to get the Ultimate Weapon belonging to the Red Guild. But Asahi had a ploy. "I don't know what talents any of the Red Guild guys have, but I'm sure they want their treasure back too. I figured... If they help us in the festival, we could give them the hint. They'll probably try to get the treasure on their own too, but if we make the best performance, I'm sure they'll see that it'll be more beneficial for them to work with us then against us. Ivory Masks and Fanged Rangers have declared war on all the other guilds, and that includes the Scarlet Harleys. If we show them that we'll willing to take them as our allies, then they won't be caught in the middle of two massive guild wars." This of course also hinted a bit to Asahi's own intention to do the same with the Cobalt Bruiser's treasure. He had no real idea what to do if the Ebony Strykers owned such things, so better to give them to their allies and make them stronger.

"So... How good are you two at singing and/or dancing?"

@TheWindel@KoL

With the habitual reloading of his pistol, nothing more than a slightly upgraded handgun for your average engagement, the enigmatic figure of Nyx disappeared from view with the activation of Vendetta before the conflict officially started. He decided to make use of the visual bait his hunting partner, Burning Blossom, was providing by clambering his way up the side of a conveniently placed building and swapping his gun out for a short sword. He squinted to gauge the distance to the nearest dragoon for a brief moment, then ejected from the side of the structure as the first shot was fired, the sword held over his head and aimed for the head of his cybernetic prey.

Following Emma's retrieval from the Newspaper Club, the pair had gone back to her house to initiate the grind the two had agreed on. Snacks and drinks had been taken from the cupboards and refrigerator respectively, a little groping from both parties had occurred, and the pair bolted up to the girl's bedroom. Not out of lust, no, but out of the excitement for their coming adventure. To many, grinding was painful and boring, something that had to be done to advance one's own abilities to the competitive level. But for Aaron, it was like a drug. Quite like an addict needs a fix of their drug of choice, the American needed to reach that next level, kill this boss, or acquire this drop. In the grand scheme, it didn't matter all that much because of the power upper-level players possessed, but it always helped to strive for that level. Emma had set herself up on her bed, and Aaron had taken the office chair by her desk before they both logged in.

Vendetta broke into a mass of burst damage when Nyx's sword made contact with the cyber dragoon's head, the tip piercing the metallic plating and forcing itself through the lizard's circuits, essentially killing the beast in one move as he took off the last fraction of its health with a ripping removal of the blade. The rogue's eyes lit up a bright orange as Euphoria activated and started to passively heal him, essentially protecting him from small amounts of damage he might pick up along the next few seconds. His cloak fluttered slightly as he hopped down from the falling carcass' neck and traded the sword for the gun once again, using his second action to barrel-stuff a second dragoon, aiming for the hideously obvious weak point within the lizard's mouth. His current 'accuracy by volume' tactic worked well, another metal beast falling to his hand and dropping delicious XP Crystals all around him. "We've got this one in the bag alr-" His haughtiness was interrupted with the aggro of a dissolution swapping to him and attacking him, a wide sweep of the tail sending the rogue flying into the same building he had jumped from moment ago. Most of the damage was mitigated thanks to Euphoria ticking after he fell from the newly formed crater, though he could still feel the impact. "We need some tanks..." He groaned as he stood back up, shaking out his avatar to make sure everything survived the attack.

@KoL

---

Aderyn pulled open the door to this famed coffee shop after a short walk the two shared, mostly making some form of idle conversation about events happening in the world. During this trip, she couldn't help but admire the features Masae displayed proudly. The two of them were the closest things to tech wizards in the entire school, but the taller girl seemed to own it better than her, probably because of the glasses she wore. She would never admit it until pressed, but she honestly thought the spectacles brought her eyes out very well, and quite frankly, made her look sexy. The Welsh girl blushed at the thought as she took a seat at a counter, making an attempt to hide her face by looking down at the counter. Truth be told, she had actual feelings for her roommate, but didn't wanna make things awkward by voicing this. Instead, when the blood receded from her face, she looked up at her friend from the seated position. "Y'know, I think you could stand to get back into Deep Ground... I'd be glad to help you out, give you a partner to work with, or something like that?" She tacked a soft smile onto the end of the request, genuinely hoping that she would agree to hop back into it with her.

@Flamelord

”Well, I wish your flowers the best of luck. It’s supposed to get chilly soon. Have a good day, miss!” Shiro parted himself with the countertop and gave the employee a wave of farewell complemented by his iconic, white-toothed smile. By passing through some loophole of reality they had yet to succumb to deterioration by all of the smoothies and sweets he intakes on a more than regular basis. It was a stretch to say he had a normal food pallet. Nevermind that, there were matters that needed to be tended to. Thankfully the situation hadn’t been exacerbated in the time that it took Shiro and Kosuke to look up what flowers bore the implicit meaning of prayers and getting well, and those that were commonly attributed to funerals. Even in a day and age where accelerated vegetation growth was a grace taken for granted, prices for flowers destined to shed their vibrant petals were still absurdly high. Perhaps it would have been more feasible to buy a bouquet of strawberry milk bottles, chock full of ones just like the very generic brand container he was currently sipping on. It sure as hell wasn’t on par with the godly pieces of art crafted in family restaurants, but the artificial flavoring had its own delectable characteristic. If one could even call it that.

Shiro casually paced his way over to his two comrades, who at this point were still just that. He went for the receptionist right away, so for all intents and purposes the two were complete strangers to one another. Basically the same state of affairs applied in game too. Reclined on the hard plastic chair was Jiro, who had been left on hand and foot for their arrival. Kosuke stood to his side, the bouquet of haphazardly picked flowers held firmly against him. Even after being fronted by this peculiar sight, Shiro couldn’t help but to ask himself one thing.

”Why the flip flop is everybody’s hair some eccentric shade of blue?! What is this, an anime?” He internally cried as he pinched at a few orange locks and pulled them down in front of his only operational eye. Even they appeared nondescript in face of the cerulean apocalypse that had seemed to covertly befall Japan. After a deep breath to clear his mind, the student cleared his throat to acquire their attention, ”Jiro AKA Phantom Regality, meet Kosuke AKA Rocket Lancer. Kosuke AKA Rocket Lancer, meet Jiro AKA Phantom Regality. Boom badda bing, pow, introductions are now in order!” With that, Shiro slipped the tiny gift box out of his jacket’s pocket to expose it to the elements. ”Akane and Ken should be arriving shortly, and maybe one other character… Well, since your message sounded pretty urgent, Jiro, I take it we should be on our way? Don’t want to keep the incapacitated in suspense more than we already have, that’d just be rude.” The boy nodded his head towards the elevator, the usual courageous grin stretched widely across his face, ”By the by, does Asahi have any other visitors at the moment?” The bunny stitched into his eye patch appeared a tad cautious.

Jiro nodded a greeting to Kosuke, the apparent newcomer that he had never met before, only having seen him blazing over the derelict buildings of the Faded City on a lance on a couple occasions. He stood and stretched out his arms, for he had just been sitting pretty close to still for the last half-hour, as Shiro asked if they should get going, followed by a request to know if anyone was seeing their friend at the time. "Yeah, we should probably head up right about now. As for guests, Yoshino and one other girl are up there seeing him as we speak." He glanced at the ever-expression neutral bunny that was stitched into his friend's eye patch and caught something of an uneasy feeling from it, choosing to step towards the elevator on the other side of the room. "Say, why do you have a bunny in that eye patch, again? Don't think I ever got the story behind that." He pushed the button to summon the elevator with his thumb, then dropped his hands into his pockets.

(Might edit to bring in Akane/Ken in a bit)

@Mega Birb@RoflsMazoy

Masae Kanegawa

The two of them soon arrived at the coffee shop that Aderyn had wanted to go to, the walk having been spent in casual conversation. Foremost was current events around the school as well as the world, with Masae relating her experience with whomever had gnarled up the programming for the sound booth. As techies they could both understand the difficulty involved, and the stupid things that some people did had to be savored while the moment lasted. It was the small things that could light up ones day.

She nodded to Aderyn gratefully as she stepped inside, following along the counter and sitting down. her gaze swept the coffee shop, taking it in and appreciating what she saw. She might not be an interior decorator, but this place was most certainly an easy sight on the eyes. It wasn't hard to tell why it was popular.

"I'll have some sparkling water," she said to the man working behind the counter for her order before turning to her roommate. Masae fell silent as Aderyn asked her about rejoining DGO, a topic that caused her to freeze for a moment. Deep Ground Online, the game that had defined so much of her life before moving to japan, and yet one that she had sworn off. Being killed at the first opportunity possible by about 98% of the remaining Sweeper population proved a strong incentive. And honestly, it felt like her life had been better since she had left, even if she knew that it meant swearing off any real advancement in society. Naturally, she hadn't actually told Aderyn any of this.

Her fingers drummed on the counter as she waited for her drink, even as she flashed her roommate an apologetic smile. "Sorry, but with the festival going on I'm pretty busy. Besides, isn't there supposed to be a war going on in DGO or something? I wouldn't want to distract you with having to watch me while that's going on."

@Mega Birb

"Please, don't say that, Cassandra. I'm not a saint. Before you knew me, I was a very different person." Eris began her reply to Cassandra's argument in her usual way. Really, sometimes Eris just wondered how Cassandra could have seen any good qualities on the rotten person that Eris used to be. Anyway, that was not the time to dwell on past, but instead, of trying to move forward. The very fact that Cassandra at least gave the benefit of doubt to Eris' plans was enough to smile genuinely while resting a hand over her chest.

"Nevertheless, let us forget these issues for the time being, Cassandra. It has been ages since the last time we have been alone, let's enjoy our time, shall we?" Eris said as she grabbed a bag of flour and put it over the table, besides a carton of milk and a pack of eggs. At least for a moment Eris looked like she was genuinely glad to be then and there, if only life could have been this peaceful from the beginning.


"Alright, Hibiki, I'll get to you in no time!" Itsuko replied after listening to Hibiki's instructions regarding her position and escape plans. She waited until Hibiki logged in the game and went to check if the door was really locked and nothing dangerous was out of order, like the gas or stuff like that. Huntress could come in at anytime though, since she was the only person aside from Itsuko that had a card key to Itsuko's apartment.

Once Itsuko had finished following all of the safety instructions she got from Huntress, she went back to the couch and sat right by Hibiki's side, getting a cover for the two of them in case they were to go sleep right that. "I guess it's all ok, now. It's time to the show." A confident grin was all too visible on Itsuko's face as she logged in on Deep Ground.

It was not too hard to figure why...

The Cyber Jungle, a vast stretch of ruins located between the frontiers of the territories of the Fanged Rangers and the Cobalt Bruisers. Like all of the rest of the Faded City, it was first and foremost composed of a recreation of the real world terrain where it was located —curiously, that was right between the Central Park and the Arts Museum— but this one was a bit special, being covered with digital plant life and lush greenery, almost as it it was a part of the Amazon jungle, or something like this. Many threats lay in the Cyber Jungle's depths, but also treasures from ancient civilizations, like those said to be hidden in the infamous Temple of the Serpent Lords.

"So, that's where I logged out for the last time, huh? It's been so long that I almost forgot, heh!" Said a certain rogue by the name of Rampaging Tiger as she opened her interface. "Well, that's not sooo far away from the Black City. I think Hibiki... oops, Smitten Kitten, will have to wait way less than she thinks." Rampaging Tiger said to herself, before uncovering a hidden hoverbike that she had rented from the Fanged Rangers a few days ago and setting on the road toward the Ebony Strykers home base.

---

@TheWindel, @Ryonara, @Lucius Cypher, @Caits.

Kanbaru hadn't the same concerns that Retsu had in regards to discovery, as there really shouldn't have been any need to worry. They had infiltrated the hired house cleaners, not a long standing and loyal cadre of maids, so these would not be the eagle eyed inquisitors looking to purge traitors form their midst that Retsu believed. She couldn't begrudge this paranoia in the Yakuza, Retsu's precarious position in DGO and reality liable to leave anyone leaping at shadows.

Then again, it isn't really paranoia when someone is actually out to get you... She thought while slamming closed the doors to the basement washing machine, loaded to capacity with laundry in need of the spin cycle. As was with everything else in this manor, the washing machine was state of the art and lacked the deep rumble of more economical models, but the lower noise of running water would still do well to muffle any noise that Kanbaru made down in the basement.

Much like her incognito counter part, the bluenette began the process of distributing buttons and listening devices throughout. This was made all the easier by the diminished attention that would be placed upon the storage areas, letting her plant the buttons among cupboards and boxes without fear of reprisal. A fuse box was brusquely opened and left with something a bit more potent then a button before moving on. Kanbaru drifted around with an ear quirked towards the stairwell while her eyes roamed for any places of interest which might benefit Retsu's pursuit.

"Hmm, now this is an odd place for a room." The bluenette remarked as she came upon a door at the back of the storage area where there should have been a wall of carefully stacked containers to conceal it, but had been left haphazardly scattered about. "Someone was in a hurry..."

Sending a sidelong glance to the stairwell and finding it empty, she crept towards the entrance and turned the knob. What she found inside was...an office. Perfectly innocuous from a cursory glance, completely lacking in any post it boards covered in newspaper clippings and red string, just a sturdy looking desk, a locked computer terminal, and the light fixture above. This was likely as good a place as any for what they were seeking, but the starkness of the confined quarters presented a challenge in positioned any camera that would not be immediately detected upon spending any length of time within. The best she could do was drop a button onto the floor before kicking it under the desk drawers in the hopes that Chiyo would be talking to herself or playing a video she doesn't trust over her chip.

From: Broker of Fortune
To: Dark Wraith

Grab a load of laundry and make your way to the basement soon. I've found an office Chiyo forgot to conceal and there's a locked computer I'm not even touching until you give it a look first.

Having informed her partner, Kanbaru did as she said and ignored the terminal in favor of rummaging through the drawers. Pulling out the right one, she found a ruffled journal filled with genuine ink and paper. Of course, in an increasingly digital world, the security of a physical medium could not be understated, but that still meant nothing if you let the infiltrator through your front door. As she spun the chair to face out the door and keep one eye to the washing machines and anyone approaching, she flicked the journal open and scanned ahead to the most recent entry in the hopes of finding something relevant to the present world around them.

Kanbaru stiffened and her brow furrowed as a sudden wave of nausea washed over her. "Wha...why did she...?"

Rather then words, all that met Kanbaru's gaze was a solitary eye stabbed into the paper.

@Lucius Cypher

---

The fake janitor and soda thief had been basking in each others exuberance when they were interrupted by an inquisitive Irish boy in search of his beverage. It did not take a Colored King to determine that what it was Angus desired was the very same drink which now pooled upon the floor.

"Sorry sir, but I'm horrifically color blind. Super Trash us probably right in saying it's green, but for all I know it's periwinkle and polka dots. " Rufus said without a shred of deceit in his voice, already pulling the mop from the bucket and idly swirling about the pool of orange soda till the mop water diluted the color to a ruddy brown. "I'd say if you really want to get an orange soda, go try the fast food restaurant on the other end of the mall. All their drinks are 46 cents cheaper then the food court has."

Now if you'll excuse me, the lady here was directing me towards an issue with the waste management on the premises that needs to be addressed rather quickly. Rufus said, returning the mop to the bucket and dropping down a 'Wet Floor' sign in its place. Giving Angus no time to question them any further or try and discover the madness of their union, he took Dana's unoccupied hand and pulled her along gaily with the janitors cart in tow. "Now that we've evaded the secret police, where was it you said we could find the richest of refuse?"

@TheWindel @Awesomoman64

Angus was dumbfounded by the pair as one claimed the bright neon orange liquid on the floor was actually green, while the other gave the excuse of being color blind and thus unable to corroborate with any story. ”Are you straight daft, woman? That looks nothing like green and probably tastes even less like it.” Angus argued pointing both his hands at the evidence on the floor that was quickly being destroyed by the janitor.

Instead of owning up at all the janitor simply told Angus where he could go to get another one for cheaper before excusing themselves and heading off. He had half a mind to follow them and continue pestering until they either fessed up or even offered to repay him. But after the other ordeal, he didn’t feel like starting yet another scene in the food court. Pinching the bridge of his nose he just shook his head and grumbled, ”Fine whatever. Guess I’ll just go fuck meself then.”

No friends or food to keep him tied there, Angus decided he’d had enough fun at the mall and headed back to his dorm.

@Lonewolf685@TheWindel

"You have a shocking misrepresentation of your own self. If that were true, Eris, you would have punched me instead of that mirror" Cassandra said "Or rather you would have punched me, because you'd already punched the Mirror before i came in. But instead you let me take you to the hospital, to get fixed up." But she was willing to let go, otherwise she suspected that they would be there the rest of the night, debating the whole thing. "Yet as I said. I'm willing to go with this, because if you see it as important, then it is." Yet it didn't mean that she wouldn't step in if she saw Chiyo attackign someone again, she wouldn't step it. She couldn't stand by and let that happen if she could do something. But perhaps she wouldn't be so...abrasive. For Eris's sake.

She let it go, as Eris had seemed happy, and now it seemed that Cassandra herself was making things hard, and she didn't want that at all. She nodded, "I always enjoying my time with you, Eris" She said quite truthfully, as she grabbed the flour, she suspected that as they tried to make crepes, they'd end up covered in the stuff, but what was the fun in cooking, if you didn't get a little messy?

Shiro tilted his head at the astounding news Jiro had just nonchalantly plopped on the table. For a moment he displayed earnest surprise, quickly followed by a smirk complemented by a quip, "Even the prez? Crap, does Asahi secretly live a double life as an idol on nekonekovideo?!" A sigh escaped the curved lips as he shrugged his shoulders, "Well, the guy did almost get blasted. Can understand the prez visiting, buuuuuut... you mentioned another gril?" The boy's eyes darted between the slightly perplexed gazes of his comrades, proceeded by a curt raising of his eyebrows, "What a smooth operator our leader is! Oh, as for the bunny, a friend of mine likened my demeanor to that of a bunny hyped up on caffeine." With it elucidated, one could easily bridge the connection between that... unique image and the guy's character. Nowhere as skittish as an ordinary rabbit, but a helluva lot faster with the way he carried himself. The white stitched design stood out against the rouge backdrop. Its borderline wicked smile. Keyword being borderline. "Now I would ask why you or Kosuke went with cyan instead of any other color, but explanations ought to be brought out overtime and have their own personal spotlights, otherwise they lose their poignancy. For all I know it could be due to some childhood PTSD associated with the color of the sky, and to combat that inner derision you made it a part of yourself! Or maybe a belle the class over who you were crushing hardcore on said she (kinda) liked the color! Or maybe this elevator is taking too bloody lo-!"

As if on cue, the elevator came to an abrupt haul and opened its doors in an contrasting lethargic manner. "Or maybe you have some childhood PTSD with a girl from a class over due to an incident that took place in an elevator. Alright, let's see the patient." Shiro machine-gunned through .50 caliber words completely devoid of commas and motioned for the two to follow, with Asahi's room number already burned into his memory. The student tried his best to keep his gaze locked down the hallway since privacy was a luxury all people were entitled to, but he couldn't help but to cast a few sideways glances into a couple of the rooms. If it wasn't obvious enough, even the notoriously easygoing Shiro Kawabata was susceptible to disconcertment. Hospitals being one of them. He stopped on a dime and after doing a double-take gave the door a quick knock, "Room service!" He announced to the individuals on the other side before gently sliding the door open.

"I would usually make an extravagant entrance, but I'm sure you're a bit pooped out right now. I'll save the experience for another time." The boy offered a courteous nod to Asahi's company while producing a petite gift from his uniform's pocket, "President Tsugumi. Spectacled Maiden." Shiro placed the primly wrapped box on the night table then returned his attention to the patient, "Rest of our posse will be here in a jiffy. Although now would be the perfect time to break into monologue, I'm sure you want to get down to business and discuss some super serious stuff. Hopefully a simple 'I'm glad you're making a fine recovery' will suffice." He crossed his arms and nodded at Asahi, "Also take it you'll introduce us to the girl I'm totally not internally shipping with you at this very moment?"

---

Not even a full minute had transpired when sets of footsteps quickly approached the room. In the blink of an eye the short statute of Akane Himura encompassed the superbly taller door frame. Behind her were Ken and Angelina, the former in far worse shape than the other two. Without even regarding her lackey's gasps for air the redhead paced her way into the hospital room. As she panned over the walls and their inhabitants one could notice that her usual electric atmosphere was completely absent. Her gaze rested on the patient, the matrix of this gathering. Crimson irises didn't narrow, nor did they give off any form affability. In all actuality they were solely embodied by undiluted respect. "Asahi. It's been a while." She gave her leader a nod for greeting and then shuffled in to Shiro's side, followed by the other two. Shiro gave Ken a look of solemn grievance at the boy's state and then smiled at Asahi, "Looks like the gang's all here!" He exclaimed with his arms stretched wide at both sides, "Ken, the door, if you wouldn't mind."
@Lucius Cypher@Mega Birb@KoL@TheWindel@RoflsMazoy@Kimiyosis

All Aderyn did with Masae's excuse was frown slightly, then delayed her response by ordering herself a complicated beverage in a language only the barista could understand fully. She turned back a moment later, looking up into her friend's eyes. "Masae, that war isn't a huge deal, really. It's just kings and notable members of each guild trying to off each other. I haven't really gotten involved, even through I'm, like, the best Berserker the Bruisers have." She paused again as both their drinks arrived, a sparkling water beside a dark, brown drink giving off an intoxicating scent. The Welsh girl took a deep breath, then sighed happily as she felt the smell of her coffee course through her body. "And I wouldn't mind taking a hit for my support, that's what the hard carry does." She smiled slightly and took a sip of her drink.

Masae listened quietly as Aderyn ordered her drink, waiting for the girl to address the excuse that she had made as to why she couldn't play DGO right now. Sadly it wasn't as effective as she had hoped that it would be, but she supposed it was to be expected given the sort of personality her roommate had. Her drink arriving gave a nice excuse as she took a sip of her water, enjoying the bubbly taste even as she took the opportunity to figure out how to address this next. It seemed she would need to be a bit more firm in explaining why.

"The best Berserker they have? Sounds like a good reason for them try and get you involved," she pointed out with a lofted eyebrow. "Besides, with all the stuff going on in real life and my other games, I don't really have the time for it." Not that she did any other real time consuming games, but she left that out. It wasn't like Aderyn would know that.

Aderyn scowled a bit and set down her cup, giving Masae a hard look while she tought of what to say next. It came to her after a short, awkward pause, in which just enough shifting occured to alert anyone close by to the tension. "All I'm saying is that you and I should hop on sometime and screw around for a little bit. Run an easy dungeon, kill some Outlaws... if you give it another shot, I'll make sure you have fun, alright?" She gave the Japanese native a classic puppy-dog stare, at least hoping that would have some effect on her adamant resolve. "Please? At least once?"

A feeling of relief swept through Masae as Aderyn seemed to give in, or at least was forced to think about the issue and try to deal with things besides the upcoming war in DGO. Eventually she did, and before Masae realized it she found herself under the pressure of a puppy stare, eyes wide and like they were boring into her, with a curled lip to go with it that made it seem like she was on the verge of tears. Masae tried to resist, but eventually her courage ran out and she sighed. "Alright," she ceded at last. "After the festival I suppose I can find some time to play DGO with you. Though I have no idea what my account looks like at this point. I think I've missed a bunch of major updates since I left the game." That at least gave her a window, and she could come up with some sort of excuse, or find a place where the Sweepers wouldn't immediately jump on her. It was better than nothing.

Aderyn's eyes lit up when she agreed to give Deep Ground another shot soon, her arms quickly closing around the girl and squeezing her, the Welsh girl's head ending up between her friend's breasts in a slightly awkward fashion. She realized this as Masae explained that she would find time after the festival, and withdrew her face from the momentary Heaven with a heavy blush. "Alright. I'll be sure to hold it to you, y'know." She smirked only slightly and sipped her coffee, her plan to pull her back into the digital world working perfectly.

The hug took Masae off guard, but she didn't resist it, eventually moving to slowly pat Aderyn on the back. She did catch the blush, but chose not to say anything about it and instead nodded. 'I'm sure you will," she replied with a burst of laughter before she took another sip of her drink. Well, she probably would when the time came. Until then she would just do the best that she could to prepare for it. "Still, here's hoping for a fun festival." She raised her glass for a toast, grinning at her roommate. What was the worst that could happen?

Aderyn smiled brightly and raised her cup as well, the porcelain edge of the mug clinking with the glass as the drinks made contact with one another. "To a fun festival!" She withdrew her cup and took a long, drawn out sip as the conversation turned to much less interesting chatter about daily life. From here on, the pair had little to do that was actually worth paying attention to.

@Flamelord

"I really want to punch you in the stomach right now, but that can wait." Kosuke said, pushing past Shiro.

Like damn, this guy could talk. Back when he was in game Kosuke was pretty sure he'd been zoning out most of what the guy said, but now that he was actually listening he really wanted to tell the guy to shut up. But unfortunately for him, most of what he was saying was at least doing stuff. There wasn't anything completely irrelevant, but he couldn't help but be annoyed.

[b]"Yo boss, I got you some milk." He said, tossing Asahi an orange juicebox. It landed lightly on his bed. "Oh wait, that was orange juice. And it was empty. Here's the strawberry milk."

He pulled out a pink box from his pocket... Which already had a straw in it. He threw it at Shiro and it bounced off his head. He reached into his other pocket and pulled out a purple box... and threw it at Shiro as well. He finally pulled out a pristine pink juice-box and threw it at Asahi, landing it right next to his hand.

"...Wait that's pink grapefruit. Whatever." He said.

---

@Lucius Cypher @Jedly

At long last, the fated arrival of Purple Crown’s Festival had. The school was in a high buzz with many attractions for student, staff, as well as those residing in the community. A flourish of positivity was in the air and the booths welcomed all those who were present with open arms and warm smiles.

But today marked a more important event that would greatly affect the living world as well as the world of Deep Ground Online. For today was not only the long adored festival, but also the one and only chance to win the Red Guild’s allegiance in the mass civil war. The White King’s declaration of war had not been banished and even now it resided in everyone’s minds as an unconscious backdrop.

Right now, Yoshino didn’t much care for those kinds of politics as simply running the festival was proving to be a logistical nightmare. The Student President was running about fixing this, directing that, making sure this was set up right, etc. It didn’t help that Maribel had decided to make herself as elusive as possible, making collaboration between Moon Rider and Titania all but impossible. So much for an alliance….

Though admittedly Yoshino had to wander if everything was alright with her Vice President. She had been acting strange lately and this was confirmed with a talk with Maribel’s younger sister. Still, that was something she could worry about after the festival was over. For now she had to find Yuuno and Asashi for this big role they supposedly had in mind.

The rest of the Guilds were no different in their busy schedules. Michael was wandering around, wondering where his Guild’s booth even was while Kenji, as always, was bossing people around to make his booth the biggest and most spectacular of them all. And then there was Chiyo, was surprisingly was all grins and smirks today, no doubt a sign of the confidence in her ability to win this competition.

Amidst the lingering chaos and excitement that was the festival were a certain shark-toothed trash dweller who stole things left and right, Huntress of all people who seemed to just be walking around and scanning the booths, and even Maribel’s younger sister. Was it coincidence that all these faces were showing up? Or was there perhaps something in motion that had drawn these lines of fate together in one dwelling?

---

"Well now, this should do it. Everything is as perfect as it can be." Those words were spoken by none other than Eris Reinhardt, more to herself than to anyone else. For Eris, it had been, in fact, a long effort through all the previous fortnight, from designing the uniforms for their main attraction, to managing the members of the sculpture club who were in charge of doing a papier mâché model for the "storefront" of said attraction, the traditional Ivory Mask café, aptly named Le Joli Soleil, renting all the decoration, apparel and utensils, selecting the ingredients for the dishes on their menu, choosing the proper background music as well as a myriad of other smaller things that were either handled directly by, or managed by Eris now that Chiyo had placed her as one of the Ivory Masks lieutenants.

Once everything was done, Eris rallied the part of the Guild that had been selected to work as the café's staff with a couple claps. "I would like to have your attention for a moment, everyone." Eris closed her eyes, taking a moment to let the speech she had written yesterday to come back to her memory. She... she could do it, Eris knew. She was born at a family with long standing military tradition, even if her relationship with her father wasn't the best one possible, Eris always held up to the relationship she had with her mother and sisters and all the history that came with her name.

Leading troops rallied under the banner of a mighty lord, fighting for a cause that's worthy dying for, that is what means to be a Reinhardt, at least that's what Eris believed deep within her heart. And, finally she had found a cause she wanted to fight, no matter hard it was going to be.

As soon as Eris had asserted her own beliefs, she finally spoke. "Before anything else, I want to thank you all for your efforts trough these previous weeks. I have personally seen how much of your hearts each of you put on this display of our Guild's elegance and leadership over not only Deep Ground, but over Purple Crown Academy as well. As you all know, this is not just a competition between students, this is the prelude to a war between Guilds on the battlefield of Deep Ground. Whoever achieves victory here will have a far greater chanceof securing a batter future for themselves and their families. Let us fight not from the shadows, using intrigue and subterfuge as our weapons, but face or fires with honor and dignity. Always remember that we are the Ivory Masks of the White King, we are Deep Ground Online's finest. I believe in you to keep doing your best. Now, how about we get ready to get our customers and give them an experience they will not forget so soon?" Eris dispersed the gathering, not before a short wave of cheers from her guildmates, with another clap of her hands. Soon enough stoves were lit, pots put to boil and the sweet fragrance of crêpes and freshly brewed coffee filled the hallways of the Purple Crown Academy. It was time for the guilds' showdown to begin.

---

^{@Flamelord, @Mega Birb, @Awesomoman64, @Lord of Evil, @Mimik, @Jedly, @Lonewolf685, @Kimiyosis, @RoflsMazoy, @TheWindel, @ReaptheMusic, @Lucius Cypher, @Ryonara, @Caits, @McFazzer.}

"Tommy man, lighten up!"
"No."
"Come on! You gotta try some!"
"I'm not even hungry."
"Alright, but you're missing out."
Thomas and Finn walked down the busy hallway, the latter's exuberance exasperating the former. Of all the festival foods that he could've picked, Finn had in his hand a plate of roasted squid.
"I don't even like seafood." Thomas said said. "And didn't I ask you to do the culture clubs?"
"Hey man, Japanese culture was built on the sea." Finn countered. "Food's plenty cultural anyway."

Thomas shot a displeased look towards Finn who responded with an innocent smile. Thomas rolled his eyes and turned away, scanning the hall as they walked. The school festival, the culmination of months of planning and preparation. Some put more work in than others, and it showed. Be it shoddy signs, awry costumes or students desperately carrying supplies, while every class and club tried to some degree, some did so more than others. But even the worst stall was forgiven today, because this was a day of merriment, a break from their humdrum lives. A break Thomas didn't particularly need.

"Hey Thomas, there's roasted corn over here!" Finn said, stopping to inspect one of the stands.
"Save it, Finn, I've got a job to do." Thomas asked.
"Come on man, don't you want to enjoy this?" Finn protested.
Truth be told, Finn hadn't gone to many school festivals. He went when he needed to participate but otherwise he didn't really go if he didn't have to. In recent years he'd gone due to his role in the declining newspaper paper club, but it's not like he didn't want to go with his friends, it's just that the only close "friend" he had at the time was Finn... Alright, so maybe he didn't want to go after all, but there were other issues, like how he was short on money at the time. And how he was short on money right now.

Thomas shuddered as he caught a glance at the prices in the nearby stalls. They ranged from worryingly cheap to quite a bit higher than was reasonable. It was regulated, of course, but what was affordable for the standard Purple Crown student was a notably higher than what Thomas had.
"I'd rather not dig into my pockets anymore than I have to." Thomas said.
"Don't give me that, I can pay for ya." Finn countered.
"The last thing I want to do is be in debt with you."
"Hey, that's harsh!" Finn said jokingly.
Thomas sighed wearily. He wasn't the type of guy who could stand exposure to Finn for that long.
"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" Thomas said. "I seem to recall giving you a job to do today."
"I am checking out culture, Tommy!" Finn said playfully. "I'm just going to check out the White Guild's display and I happened to meet you on the way."
Thomas couldn't exactly refute that. They walked on for a little longer, Finn voicing his observations and Thomas largely ignoring them, before they came to their destination. A large crowd was arrayed in front of them, surrounding one area of the floor in particular. The ivory mask's cafe.

"Woah, look at this crowd!" Finn said, peering over the crowd.
Thomas hummed discontentedly before walking back to a nearby unoccupied window, close to a support pillar and a trash bin.
"What a pain." He sighed.
"It's not too bad." Finn said, following him while biting into his roasted squid. "We just gotta wait a while."
Thomas had sent the meeting place to the rest of the crew he'd asked to come, and it was fairly close to the designated time. It was early, but that would be a good thing. He had no idea when the black guild's display would emerge so he wanted to get this out of the way as soon as possible. But speaking of invitations...
"...Finn." Thomas said.
"Yeah?" The boy asked as he chewed the squid.
"Why exactly are you still here?"
"Hey man, I told you." Finn said, finishing off the roasted squid. "I'm here to see the cafe, and I just happened to meet a friend on the way."
"Well I see plenty of your friends in the crowd," Thomas interjected, gesturing towards the crowd. "Why aren't you over there instead?"
"Well I don't see any of your friends over there, unless they have a mirror over there... Which they don't." Finn said, smiling mischievously.
He walked over and smacked Thomas's back in a sign of friendship.
"We're buddies, man. What'd you think friends were for anyway?" He said, grinning.
"I really can't deal with you sometimes." Thomas sighed, batting away Finn's arm.

And so they waited, killing time until the cafe opened.

@Ryonara@KoL (sort of)

Asahi was pleasantly surprised to see so many people in his room. His family coming by to wish him well was one thing, as well as the boys who hung out with him because of his family. Yoshino and Yuuno were very nice. But to see the rest of his boys like Shiro, Kosuke, and a whole bunch of others. They mostly seemed like Shiro’s friends really, but Asahi would take everyone he could get. There was a lot of work to do, and this gut shot wasn’t going to stop him.

”I’m glad you’re all here. That ought to save me time from explaining it every time. I’ll start from the beginning…”



Asahi was hard at working getting ready for the festival. He was discharged from the hospital two days after the initial visit, but even from his hospital bed he made sure to drill the others about the routine. There was going to be at least three performances, each about ten minutes long, with a three minute break between each performance. In all, roughly about 40 minutes. And in those forty minutes Asahi needed to awe the crowd. The first preformance mainly involved the Ebony Strykers, specifcally Asahi and his personal crew. It was a dance routine, relying solely on their skills and some gadgetry. The next performance was a collaboration between the Ebony Strykers and Cobalt Bruisers, with a song and dance number. Asahi of course will still be participating in it, but in this performance the Ebony Strykers would take a supportive role and let the Cobalt Bruisers take center stage. The last performance Asahi was most nervous about, because he had to work with Retsu for it. Again, it was another concert of sorts, but with Retsu providing “Special Effects”. She kept the information deliberately vague aside that she’ll be using some DGO avatars for the performance, and that Yoshino would be using her avatar to get involved. Asahi did his best to do everything he could for the third act, but this was down to whoever Retsu had selected.

At the festival, Asahi was at the Ebony Stryker’s room getting ready. He wouldn’t be in costume just yet, as he was the unoffical spokesperson for the Ebony Strykers. While Yoshino was Moon Rider’s mouth piece, she had her own hands full with simply running the festival, and could spare very little time for the guild. Indeed, as Asahi was getting his paperwork together it dawned on him that without Moon Rider’s direct leadership, with Yoshino not directly involving herself in the affairs of the Ebony Strykers in real life, Asahi has taken up the mantle of leadership, at least in appearances. He was now their “face”, and that’s not even mentioning his loyalties to the Sweepers. But that was just the thing: this was Asahi’s only real chance to change things. Without the Sweepers appointing a real leader (as far as he knows) and Moon Rider reclusiveness, the Ebony Stryker needs a figurehead to guide them, or at least direct them. And Asahi had become that person.

It was still a lot to take in. On one hand Asahi wanted this; he wanted to be the big man that everyone looked towards. But he also felt nervous and uncertain, not sure what to do with this new found power. Aside from make the best use of it of course. The performance wasn’t until sometime later anyways, so Asahi would be busy with other businesses he had here at the festival.

Indeed, while Asahi was mostly concerned about the concert, that didn’t mean he couldn’t spare some time and money for other events too. Namely, food stands. The Ivory Masks ran their maid cafe which no doubt many people would flock towards to try their sweets and such. However Asahi had his own plans to undermine their operations: no one would go and eat there if they’re already full. Using his connection with the Sweepers and coordinating with various Ebony Strykers not directly involved with the concert, Asahi arranged for various other food stands in the festival to serve the best quality festival snacks they could at affordable prices, with the intent of undercutting the Maid Cafe prices. Sure they might not have the same pompous atmosphere as a maid cafe, they they had good food and cute girls, which was essentially the same thing. Not to mention that each stall had it’s own theme instead of just maid, such as traditional tea shops, cosplay, foreign, and whatever other theme the individual stall owner decided. Asahi simply funded them with good food and equipment to do their jobs.

And of course there was still Deep Ground to worry about. While Asahi hasn’t gotten any reports yet, he was almost certain that some would use this opportunity to attempt to sow chaos in DGO. The tensions between the Ebony Stryker loyalists and Sweepers were still there, being held in check only by this festival. Indeed, this festival meant more to the Ebony Strykers than just getting a hint for the Red Guild’s treasure. It was suppose to help unify the two factions within the Strykers into a partnership. Asahi may not know who leads the Sweepers, and he barely knows Moon Rider, but for all intents and purposes Asahi was suppose to represent their unity. All the more reason he was nervous and needs to clean up his act.

Getting the paperwork done Asahi looked to the others. They were either chatting, trying on their outfits, or practicing their routine. Surely they were nervous too. Many would be performing for their first time. None of them had done anything like this for the Ebony Strykers, that’s for certain. Asahi had to look confident for them though, so he clapped their hands to get their attention. ”Okay everyone! It’s been a pretty hectic week for us. We’ve done a lot of training, and lot of prep work, not to mention all of that plus our personal obligations. I’ll try not to go on a tangent and get to the point: This is our debut. Yeah sure, if we win this competition we get the a hint to the Red Guild’s treasure and then we can try to grab that. But what we’re about to do is more than that. We’re doing this as ourselves, to show the world what the Ebony Strykers are capable of. Too many think that we’re just a ragtag group of misfits and assholes. They think that just because we had one fight with the Sweepers in our guild, that we’re going to fall apart. But those people are dumbass motherfuckers who don’t realize what it really means to be the Black Guild. We’re not just outlaws, or sweepers, normal folk or fucked up in the head. We’re the Ebony Strykers, and toughest, coolest, and the best DGO’s got to offer. Now let’s get out there and show them what we can do!”

---

As Retsu was bugging the mansion she received a message from Broker of Fortune. Seemed like she found something interesting. Fortunately Retsu was actually going to bring down some dirty linens for washing anyways, so taking a basketful she headed down to the washers were Kanbaru was at. Making her way down Retsu found Kanbaru, making her footsteps just loud enough for Kanbaru to notice. ”I have some linens that need to be cleaned. Is the wash available?” Retsu called out, still pretending to do some work. Once she scanned the room and ensured it was only Kanbaru there, Retsu went over to where the girl was. There she noticed that Kanbaru was looking at a book that for some reason, had a drawing of an eye in it. Retsu imagined that this was made to deter Yoshino, what with her aversion at eye contact. Was this once yoshino’s room or her book? Retsu wasn’t sure, but she had other things to deal with.

Retsu turned towards the computer. It was certainly an old one, not like the more advanced computers used nowadays. Fortunately, Retsu was no stranger to old timey hardware, however she also knew that she lacked the time or materials to actually get into the computer. So she’ll have to settle for the next best thing. Taking some tools out from her satchels Retsu deftly opened up the computer, attaching an extra device to the motherboard. This device would allow Retsu spy on this computer, letting her observe it’s activities the next time it’s turned on. With time she could even activate it remotely. However she can’t do much right now, as their time was almost up.

Once Retsu was done and put everything back she turned to Kanbaru. ”Our shift is almost done, let’s get our things and set up for the next girls.” Of course this was just Retsu’s way of saying that they have to go now. Retsu sent a message over to Kanbaru that essentially told her to leave everything back the way she found it, aside from the laundry which they need to do anyways. More maids would be coming soon while the ones that got here first are suppose to go work on another building, but Retsu and Kanbaru would be heading back to school instead. There they’ll get ready for their next plan.



Though Retsu intended more subterfuge, she was instead asked to help Asahi. Yoshino herself asked Retsu to lend her aid to her brother, which Retsu did without question. Sure she didn’t want to and figured that his entire plan was much more complicated than it needed to be, but it ultimately didn’t negatively affect Retsu’s plan in any way. She simply intended to spy on the festival and find out who knows the hint, and then interrogate them for it. She could still do this while helping Asahi, and in fact this could give her a reasonable alibi for herself.

As for how she intended to help, Retsu intended to make use of the holographic projectors that she had shown Yoshino. They weren’t exactly easy to come by, and Retsu needed some time to instal them, but by the time the festival rolled around everything was set up. Retsu would only need to operate the holographic projectors, which she had already linked up to herself. The only thing she had to worry about was the power supply, as holograms eat up a lot of energy. She had multiple generators running at the moment and she had to make sure none of them were in any way faulty or damaged, as even just one would severely limit the functionality of the holograms. More so if they get damaged during the final act. Again, Retsu cared very little about Asahi’s entire routine, and when asked to help she intends to take over the show during the final act. What she had in mind was much cooler. All she needed was Moon Rider.

For now, there was plenty of time before the performances. She was going to have a look around the festival, enjoy the sights, maybe even have a snack or two. After all, Retsu was just a normal girl. And sometimes she liked doing normal, girly things. And her first stop would be that maid cafe she’s heard so much about...

As Cassandra readied herself fo the day, she glanced over at a knock on her door, and stood perplexed as one of her older sisters, Jasmine, entered. While she tried to keep in contact with her family, Cassandra had not been as dilligent as she should have been, and having one of her siblings just drop by reminded her of that. "Hey, Jaz" She started to say, but immediately knew that her sister was angry.

Preparing herself for the onslaught of verbal insult, Cassandra sighed and bowed her head. Even now, she had to remember the dominance siblings could have over one another, and she had never been abe to defy them. "Don't hey me, I find out from Dad that you've moved out, and let your chores lapse, and leaving it all up to me while you flounce around with some gi-"

Cassandra looked up, angered. "So its taken you this long to realise I'm not home anymore? Its called wanting some independance, maybe if you didn't spend hours sitting on your butt chatting away, you'd have noticed I was there. And don't you dare, don't you Dare critise me for having one potential relationship when you have sometimes had three or four. If all you have come for its to yell at me, then you can just turn back around, and walk out my door. You're just angry you have to get your dolled up hands messed up. Get Out" She shoved her sister, towards the door, furious.

Alone once more, Cassandra closed her eyes tight, and tried to calm herself.

---

Sometime later, Cassandra walked with her bag over one shoulder, feeling a little out of place, with the whole festival, she kept her head down as she headed towards the Ivory mask cafe's. The last few days, Cassandra seemed to have taken a step back. She found herself, once again, self-conscious. She couldn't describe it, couldn't figure out why. It was easy to find her way there, the scent itself was alluring, and she felt Pride at Eris's ability to bring about the cafe, and as she stepped inside, the beauty it held. There were so many things that Cassandra wanted to do,

She looked around the cafe, and smied to herself.

This year's festival was a dud.

For the Red Guild, at least. Collectively, they had decided that a basketball tournament in the gymnasium would be a good idea, though the main problem was that Purple Crown didn't have many athletes. The sporty types that they did have, however, were all either baseball or soccer players, or wrestlers. In a way, the activity of choice fit those that represented the Harlies in the Academy, since most of the literal ten people there came from some area of North America. One of these Americans had been assigned to work an overzealous project which had all of three people sign up.

Aaron Fletcher, now thoroughly bored by the lack of a turnout, rested behind his station with his head resting on his left fist. In his right hand, he was browsing memes on his phone to kill the surplus time he had, occasionally getting a laugh out of a poorly captioned picture. On a slightly sadder note, due to the busy schedule of his parents and the distance between them, they wouldn't be able to fly out to see him this season, though he had no real way to resent them. He knew they tried their hardest at everything they did and they deserved every break they could get. So, no hard feelings, at least.

His thoughts were interrupted by the passing of the Red King himself, Michael Davis. "Hey Mike! Next festival, we can't think New York. We've had literally three people sign up all day." He picked up the clipboard on the table that had a mostly empty piece of paper on it, the only names on it being three randoms from throughout the schools. "Either that... or we offer some incentive. The winners of the tournament win our loyalty for the war. We're the only Guild with good PKers, and that's something everyone wants." He shrugged slightly and set the clipboard down again, hoping that a certain Irish girl would be by soon to give him some company in this lonely corner of the school. For the mean time, he twirled a pen between his fingers while he waited for a response. In a moment, the pen would fly from his fingers and launch down the hall, only to roll away into the main area, where the vast majority of the stands had been set up.

"Goddammit... we have more of those, at least. Ordered like, thirty of the things."

---

Jiro, being friend he was, leaned on the back wall of the hospital room as Asahi went on to explain everything that had happened. None of it really surprised him, truth be told, though some of the details had been glossed over for one reason or another. Quite the story, as a matter of fact.

"Y'know, something tells me you've seen worse days."



In the normally dark, musty room of Jiro Katsurou, things were taking a much brighter turn. The decorative carpet in the center of the room had been rolled up, shoved into a closet, and replaced with a large tatami mat, a low table had been set in the center of said rug, and five pillows surrounded it. One for himself, one for his father, and the other three for his sisters. They were all coming to visit in a little bit, and Jiro had spent most of the day preparing for this company. For the occasion, he had managed to dig out a tea pot and several cups from a box he had stuffed into the aforementioned closet, which were now in use. He looked up as the door to his dorm was rapped on three times, signalling what was likely his family's arrival. "Just a moment!" He filled up the teapot and slid it onto the stove, dropping a number of tea leaves in and turning up the heat before pulling the door open.

On the other side of the door was his entire immediate family, consisting of his father and three sisters. For the time being, he shifted back to his native Japanese tongue. Sure, they all spoke fluent English, but this was a special occasion. "Greetings, father." He bowed low to him and received a similar one in response, before turning to his siblings, whom exhumed a much more casual manner. "Akane, Hinata, Kazue, it's great to have you all here. Come in, come in, make yourselves at home!" He held the door open for his four guests as they entered, then let it shut when everyone was in.

"This is a very nice place you have here, younger brother. It's usually more of a mess, isn't it?" The vibrantly haired Akane smirked, never missing an opportunity to rib the sole son of the Katsurou family. She got a casual nod in response as she sat on one side of the table, resting on her knees. The others soon formed around her, Jiro choosing to stand for a moment.

"Jiro, you know why we've come, don't you?" The father, Naoki, spoke up as he sat. His knees cracked through the motion, betraying his age. "Oof... I'm not as dexterous as I used to be..." He laughed slightly to lighten the mood.

"Yes, you said you wanted to enjoy the festival this year. And that you'll be staying for it's duration." At that moment, a loud whistling was heard from the next room over, at which Jiro looked up. "If you'll excuse me for a moment." He disappeared into that room promptly, setting up a tray of tea.

"He seems bright today. And responsible... surprisingly." The second youngest of the bunch, Hinata, spoke up. She was considered the meek and quiet child of the family, the easy one if you will, as well as the only one without dyed hair in the current generation at the table. She was also the most into Deep Ground out of all of them, and was a bit of a legend back home in Ueda.

"Yeah. I won't complain though, it's nice to see him holding up tradition." The youngest of the family, Kazue, smiled a bit and brushed her hair out of her face. She was the golden child with hair just a little darker than Jiro's, the one that was most likely to end up carrying on the traditional values of the country. Someone in every generation needs to anyway, and she was majorly into the history of her homeland. Off the top of her head, she'd probably be able to list every emperor the nation has ever seen.

"That it is, daughter. That it is. And here he comes now." As if on cue, the son of the family came back to the main room with full tray of cups and a steaming teapot, which he carefully set down in the middle of the table before pouring everyone a glass. Naoki took his cup and sipped at the hot, delicious liquid within. He nodded and set it down as Jiro took his place on the other side of the table. "I'm glad to see you putting your mother's prized possessions to work. They've gathered enough dust back home."

"Yeah, I'm just glad you could all come out here. I know the festival doesn't stop anything outside our bubble here, but you all took the time out of your busy schedules to come see me." The blue haired boy chuckled to himself lightly, shaking his head and looking down with a grin. "It would've been a lot easier if I went home for the week. And cheaper, too."

"Nonsense, brother. Besides, that house was getting a little musty anyway, and we all needed a vacation."

"Akane, you really need to appreciate the heritage our home has. The servants of emperors have walked those halls!" The history buff of the group crossed her arms in a huff, staring down her tech-savvy sibling.

"Guys, I have one rule here: Don't fight. Beyond that, do what you want, just keep the peace is all I ask." Jiro gave them both a stern look, silencing the argument that was about to break out before it did. He then cracked a smile at them both, knowing that, collectively, they'd end up in some amount of mischief.

"Oh fine..." Kazue picked up her cup with both hands and sipped at it, savoring the heavy taste of the tea. "Mmm... you follow mom's recipe for this, don't you?" She got a simple nod in response, much to her delight.

"I'm envious she left it to you... with specific orders to tell no one else what's in it." Hinata habitually flattened out her skirt as she spoke, looking down as she did so.

Jiro couldn't help but smile then, as she was right. In their mother's will, it was specifically stated that Jiro would receive her family's recipe for herbal tea, since he was basically the cook in the family. Long story short, it was quite clear that they had suffered for the time being while he was at Purple Crown. "You just really want me to make a bunch of food for you guys to take home, don't you?"
"...Maybe." She cracked a grin and looked up at her brother, almost begging for something of his make. "You will cook for us, right?"

Jiro smirked visibly, flattered that someone actually took note of his talent. "Of course I will, it'd be rude of me not to." He happened to glance up at the clock on the wall, a sense of slight urgency overtaking him as he realized how late it really was. "I hate to cut this short, guys, but I have a performance I need to get to. Settle yourselves in, campus curfew is midnight. If you're back here later than that, don't worry. Just call or text me, I'll let you in." He stood up and walked to a coat rack, grabbing a white track coat and a cardboard box on his way out. The boy received numerous goodbyes and thank yous on the way out the door, and he soon was gunning for the dressing room of the Ebony Strykers.



Upon his arrival to his destination, Jiro noticed several others already there and getting ready for the coming performance. The only one he recognized, however, was Asahi Goroshi, whom looked like he was about to keel over in his opinion. "Nē, daijōbudesuka? Anata wa sore o kikku shiyou to shite iru yōdesu." He was confused for a moment when he didn't get a response, then face-palmed when he realized he was still speaking Japanese rather than English. "Sorry, family's visiting. Anyway, you look like you're about to die. Nervous?" He set the box down on the table beside him and opened it up, withdrawing a white and orange calf-length overcoat, some brown trousers, and host of other items. This, quite simply, was the outfit of Phantom Regality, brought into the real world. The only major inconsistency would be Jiro's blue hair versus the peach color normally owned by his avatar, which he had no intention to change for the time being.

---

Late in the morning, Aderyn Finch awoke, silently thanking the drama club's performance later that night for being her only commitment. A pair of arms pushed off the warm layers and revealed the thin frame of the Welsh girl. She slowly swung her legs over the edge of her mattress and into a pair of duck-themed novelty slippers and went about her first project of the day; getting a pot of coffee going. Being the girl she was, many would find it surprising that she would settle for bags of ground coffee in the mornings, and yet she did. She plugged in a coffee maker in the kitchen and pressed a brand new filter into the top, soon filling it with the bitter powder that would soon be her favorite drink. She filled up the side with some tap water and started the machine, now heading to the bathroom. Given the age of the contraption, it would likely wake the lump in the other bed in the room that was Masae Kanegawa.

While her coffee did it's thing, Aderyn decided it would be a good time to make use of the bathroom in their dormitory. She padded her way over to the door and pushed it open, lazily closing it behind her and accidentally leaving it open just a crack. In a moment, the water in the shower would be running to heat up while the Brit shed her pajamas, quickly missing their overworn feel. Despite this, she took a moment to examine herself in the mirror. All things considered, she was lucky in a cosmetic sense, given that acne had never taken it's toll on her. Her hair, while in an unkept bedhead right now, was usually straightened out on it's own. Regarding her chest, she was glad to be on the smaller side. She'd heard so many other girls complain about constant back pain because of a large bust, and that was enough to dissuade her from wanting any part of that. Not unlike most, she boasted a flat stomach despite her addiction to caffeine, quite lucky on that end. She turned to the side and examined her rear for a brief moment, nodding to herself that she at least had some level of appeal there, neither too big nor too small. Despite her case of Vrolik's Syndrome, she had developed rather attractive legs and was proud of them, all things considered. Done with her self-criticism, which turned out mostly positive in the end, she stepped into the shower and closed the door, the fogged glass leaving enough to the imagination where her privates would remain private. She could've sworn she heard the door to the bathroom creak as she entered the shower, though she shrugged it off for the moment. There were more pressing matters...

"Masae! Where'd you put my shampoo!?" If the coffee machine hadn't woken her up, that would.