Member
Bork Lazer
FernStone
Antlers
Estylwen
Atrophy
NoriWasHere
Little Bird
shylarah
AtomicEmperor
EpicRoleplay
Night had fallen.
The music played in the background… the chattering and laughter of the guests all mixed to form an incomprehensible mess that Yoko essentially attempted to ignore. She was leaning up against the window, her elbow on the windowsill, hand on the cheek, as she reflected on everything that happened. The fairy lights that Kari had strung up illuminated the room with a golden hue, and she could only sigh. The scent of freshly cooked food lingered in the air—spicy aromas of grilled meat and the sweet smell of baked goods, making Yoko’s stomach growl, though she felt too restless to eat. A long table by the far wall was laden with various dishes: buffalo wings, nachos, and an assortment of colorful snacks that Kari had likely spent hours preparing. Despite the cheerful atmosphere, tension tugged at Yoko…
She had Kari’s Wayfinder in her other hand and rocked it back and forth as she stared at it, only glancing over her shoulder to see their gracious host, Kari Wilson, floating around the room, entertaining all of her guests. Though now and then, Kari would glance Yoko’s way…
What am I even doing here? Yoko thought to herself. he mission, the artifacts, Goro—everything weighed heavily on her mind, refusing to be drowned out by the party’s cheerful noise. She felt a pang of guilt for not being able to relax, for letting her worries overshadow what was supposed to be a moment of reprieve. Kari wanted her to unwind, yet she just couldn’t…. Yet, all Yoko could think about was how Enzo made her look like a scrub! She balled her fist up, pounding it on the windowsill, before glancing over her shoulder at the scene… There weren’t many people here, but various faces from the Old Coven. The very people that Yoko was a terror towards back in the day… so she wasn’t in a rush to interact with them.
However, Yoko overlooked Kari, walking up to her… presenting a drink in a red cup. It had to be coke, but Yoko could smell the alcohol from here. Kari gave her a warm smile…
”Stop sitting by the window like a weirdo and join the party!” Kari laughed, raising the drink closer to Yoko’s face. ”I know you’re a lightweight, but its time to relax..”
”... I’m not a lightweight,” Yoko said.
”Yes you are,” Kari began. ”And you’re also killing the mood by sitting here in silence.”
”I’m fine.” Yoko said with a shrug.
”It’s okay to let go, even for a minute,” Kari began. ”You don’t have to carry everything on your own…”
Yoko wanted to believe Kari and be part of this world… but it was so hard to set aside her defeats and what was at stake. But Kari gently grabbed the Wayfinder from Yoko and slid it into her pocket as she grabbed her hand.
”Just try to enjoy tonight, okay? We’re all here for you. Whatever happens next, we’ll face it together.” Kari began and gently pulled her towards the party. Yoko sighed as she just silently agreed with a nod.
Kari led Yoko toward the center of the room, where the party's energy peaked. A few guests were gathered around, talking animatedly, while others danced to the music. Kari clapped her hands, signaling to the others to quiet down. The music was lowered, and conversations paused as everyone turned their attention to her.
”Alright everyone!” Kari shouted, her voice full of enthusiasm, ”Before we get carried away! I wanted to thank you all for coming out here tonight on such short notice! It means a lot to me!”
Kari raised her cup…
Not even Kenshiro was going to bring Kari’s mood down. Nursing an injury to his chest and arm, the recovering adventurer was dressed casually in some airy wide-legged pants, a loosely tied yukata hardly covering his chest. The bandages did most of the work, his arm resting in a simple cloth sling under the top.
The entire night, he’d been in the company of mostly friendly Sycamore members, people whom he had fond memories of. It was nice to catch up with the ones he’d not seen, and to see the ones he did…
Except for Yoko.
But he wasn’t going to ruin Kari’s night! Not over problems that they didn’t share. Smiling, he raised his cup as well.
"Usually you raise the glass and toast, don’t you Kiki?" Ken asked, having learned long ago that the previous versions of said nickname simply didn’t work in English.
”... I thought it was implied, Ken,” Kari shot him a catty smile.
Lynn raised her cup and flashed a soft smile across her face. She had dressed up more than normal for this event, wearing a white button up blouse overtop vivid blue pants and simple platform shoes. It had been ages since she last saw anyone from the coven days and she wanted to at least pretend life had not gone to shit in the years since. “It is good to see you all again.”
Aislin had situated herself beside Kenshiro, eyeing Kari and Yoko make their way to the epicenter of the party. Her eyes hovered a moment longer on Yoko, before she smiled, and raised her red cup. Her oversized black sweater hid the stuffed penguin hiding under her tank top, and she still had a few splotches of paint on her from her projects at the 317, but she was in a happy mood, and nothing could shatter that.
“Alright, Kariii! Say some good words for us!” Aislin said with a gleeful smile.
At last, Selena walked back into the room, wearing a red cardigan and gray pants. ”Kenshiro, why do you look like you’ve been fighting monsters?”
“Knowing the Ken I knew nine years ago he probably was,” Lila joked as he raised up her glass. She wore a simple black tank top and green and red plaid shorts with doc martinis that were laced up haphazardly. Lila looked over to Kari as she held up her glass and smiled. It truly was a delight to be invited back. Especially because the toxic elements of the coven were nowhere to be seen.
Ken, smiling widely, pointed a free finger at Lila.
”The work never ends!” he joked.
Kari glanced around the room - eyes lingering on Yoko for a moment - before she said with a wide smile. “... Alright everyone, it’s been a while since we’ve been in the same room like this, and I really can’t say how much- Hold on.” Kari paused as she quickly approached Yoko and shoved the cup into her hand, and then grabbed onto her forearm and raised it into the air.
Before pouring herself another glass and raising it into the air high like before! ”... Now where was I? Oh yeah! We’ve been through so much together, both good and bad. But, I’m glad we’re all still here. That we all have each other’s back no matter what”
Yoko kept her hand up, sighing as she briefly thought about Ella… Then Kari continued, ”I know it’s been ten whole years, the Old Coven ended on a sour note, and we all went our separate ways - but, let’s set all that aside for tonight. Let’s remember why we all keep pushing forward, the future we’re working for, and fuel the desire to keep on. And remember all the people we’ve lost just so we can stand here today.”
Kari raised her glass slightly higher - she was only 4’11, after all - and said, ” So let’s raise our glasses… Kari began, ”... To us, and the people who aren’t here but should be.”
”... Aren’t we already raising our glasses?” Yoko asked with a raised eyebrow.
”Be quiet, Yoko.”
Selena raised hers, silently. There were over a hundred of them once, of course many of them should’ve been here.
“To us.” Aislin said with a cheeky grin.
Lynn raised her glass an extra inch as she smirked.
Lila, from the other side of the room, did the same with a wide smile.
”Kanpai, my dear friends. Even you, Yoko.” Ken included, the last part muttered in Japanese for its target’s direct hearing.
”Well, that’s one way to ruin the mood,” Selena commented, knowing exactly what Kenshiro just said.
”So is bringing attention to it! Kind of crazy how that works.” Ken grinned, confident in his own joke and Yoko’s ability to take it up with him if she gave a shit. And then he knocked back the whole glass he was holding.
”Now let's get drunk and have some fun.”
”As if I want to be your friend, inbred,” Yoko hissed back in Japanese before glancing down at the cup. Drinking was not her forte… so she just downed it. Almost gagging because the drink tasted so horrible, she felt the drink burn in her throat and mouth but barely managed to keep the same facial expression - twisting her mouth and face up. However, she immediately felt a little buzzed… not that she would show that in front of the inbred and the rest of these people.
”I’d rather not be too drunk, thank you very much.”
“As long as we find some trinkets to keep the crows at bay I’ll get drunk with you Ken,” Lila smirked towards Ken and raised a drink.
Evelynn looked at her cup and thought to herself whether or not tonight was a socially drunk night or a lonely, balled up crying in bed kind of night. On one hand, Evelynn was enjoying the company of people like Ken, Lila, and even Yoko. The problem, or rather the lack of a problem, was with Kari. Their breakup a few years back had healed already, but there was still that pit of ‘what could have been’ that gnawed at her endlessly. “I never turn down a good night of drinking with good people.”
Kari looked around the room before her gaze landed on Yoko, and grinned.
”.Alright people, how about we make tonight memorable?” Kari began. ”How about a drinking game?”
” ... How original, Wilson,” Yoko rolled her eyes, stumbling slightly.
”Yes,” Kari laughed, pointing at Yoko. ”Every time you say something sarcastic or annoying; we all take a drink.”
”Good grief, Wilson,” Yoko facepalmed.
”Take a drink, everyone!” Kari laughed.
Aislin finished her own drink at the sound of that. "Always up for a challenge~!”
Ken playfully reached his arm around Kari, slipping his hand under her cup and stealing it.
”Oh, my Rose in Bloom, you’ll need to carry me if those are the rules!” he laughed, downing her drink as much as he could before she could take it back.
”Heeeeeeeeeey!” Kari laughed, hopping up to try and get her drink back. ”Giiiiiive it back!”
Tied around his waist was his Channeler, his headband inherited from his clan, and it made a gentle hum as he cast his magehand on the cup to swing the rest of the liquid up to her lips.
”Only because your pleading is so cute…”
Kari laughed as she downed the rest, and Yoko couldn’t help but roll her eyes… as she felt slightly nauseous from the drink. However, she kept her mouth shut or else Kari would poke fun at her.
Evelynn felt the sharp burning taste of vomit as it hit the back of her throat at the cute display taking place before her. It was too cute. Part of Evelynn wished that they would keep the PDA to a minimum, that either would realize that there were some people here who still dealt with the pain from a breakup from years past. Yet Evelynn knew that was unfair of her to expect. They broke up five years ago. Evelynn should be healed by this point, and she knew that Kari was. She needed to simply learn how to handle her feelings, and she knew this drinking game would help. Evelynn downed the entire drink in a few seconds before she smirked. “I think this drinking game is rigged.”
Kari briefly shot Lynn a worried look before shaking it off and turning up the music…
”... What are you all waiting for?!” Kari shouted, raising her cup. ”Let’s party!”
”... I need you to use, use, use, use, use, use your imagination!”
Kari loudly sang along with the music, as she was the party's heart. Her movements were loose and carefree, almost childlike, as she swayed to the rhythm of the music with the others. Her hair had become loose, her glasses slipped down her nose somewhat—to be pushed back up by a quick finger—and her dress swirled around her knees. The air of laughter created an intoxicating atmosphere.
Well, Yoko thought that it was overpowering. She was drifting away from the party, back to that windowsill where she was perfectly fine. Except, she was buzzed… wobbly in her movements. Yoko’s ego and pride wouldn’t let her falter now after one drink. Everyone here would see her as a pathetic lightweight! Though she looked out the window, somewhat swaying to the music, and-
Kari damn near crashed into the wall next to her; Yoko raised an eyebrow as she got up. Kari laughed as she grabbed Yoko by her arm.
”Yoko! Enough sulking!” Kari said as she pulled Yoko from the window. ”You have all day to do that after your hangover!”
”Wilson! I’m fine!” Yoko protested before Kari pushed her into the dance floor. She started dancing herself, but Yoko was stiff as a stick. ”... I can’t dance, Wilson.” Yoko said in a whisper.
”... No one cares, Yoko,” Kari said with a smile as she kept dancing. ”Cut loose! Use your imagination!”
”How do I-” Yoko cut herself off as she sighed, deciding to give it a shot. Yoko’s face was red as a beet as she raised her fists, swaying her shoulders, and doing an awkward jig where her feet barely left the ground… which looked pathetic next to Kari’s fluid movements. Yoko tried to dance to the beat...
Aislin eyed the mixed expressions of Yoko and Lynn, before she drew up a cheeky grin, and pulled on Evelynn's hand. “Heyyy, come dance with me! Come on!”
If Evelynn conceded, Aislin's smile would only grow, trying to shake off the tension she carried. With bravado, she present her and Lynn to Kari and Yoko, striking a pose with jazz hands.
“I dare you both to a dance off! Lynn and I will win~!” She said, as she shot a mischievous grin to Lynn, and started freestyling to the beat.
Lynn shot Aislin a smirk as she squeezed her hand in response. Lynn had spent countless nights out at the club, dancing and drinking, and dancing some more. While she was by no means a great dancer, she had rhythm and knew how to move her body to it very well. “I’m always down to dance!”
Ken was, if anything, athletic and used to timing and rhythm. Fighting and farming both had a certain step. Since he’d spent so much time here in America, he’d grown used to the local styles of dance; especially those that Kari related closely to. He’d even learned to swing dance about a year ago, accompanying her to a wedding she was invited to.
Now he was absolutely skanking to the beat, feet flying in and out without telekinetic assistance. He was simply that athletic, and he held his glass up in the air with one hand. His feet flashed out as the beat dropped, and he spun a full three-sixty as his headband glowed slightly to shear off his momentum to a perfect stop.
Then the moonwalk started.
”Yeahhh, Ken!” Aislin cheered on.
Selena finished off her drink, floating over Kenshiro and towards a trash can to deposit the empty red cup. ”I don’t dance, unfortunately.”
”Nonsense!” Kari said as she disengaged from Yoko and walked over to Selena. She gently pushed her towards the dance floor, saying, ”Yoko’s dancing and she looks like a balding forty-four year old teacher!”
”... Hey!” Yoko shouted, stopping.
”Fortunately, I am not Yoko,” Selena remarked with all the snark she could.
Seeing Kari doing her best to get the sad, repressed girls to actually live for once, Ken couldn’t help but laugh. Every single bit of Kari’s enthusiasm rubbed off on him when he was around her, and everything became a little less serious. A little more joyous.
Still glowing, his headband rang out in sonorous joy as he redirected the flow of his mage-hand to Selena’s back. Two subtle pressures, like someone’s hands, would slip onto her shoulders. Gently, they pushed and pulled at her upper torso to get her to start moving to the beat of the music.
”Bibiriiiii…” he chided, calling Selena a scaredy-cat.
”What-“ feeling the hands on her back made her react by turning around. Seeing the hands, she shot Kenshiro a look with a raised eyebrow. ”Good attempt. Alas.”
”Come oooooooooooooon!” Kari pouted. ”We just want you to have fun! You’re always so serious! So stiff!”
Lila chuckled to herself as she had thus far avoided attention for her lack of dance and party spirit. It’s not that she wasn’t having fun, instead it was that she did not quite know how to match up with the energy that every one seemed to have. Everyone, except Selena and Yoko. She hoped that a few more drinks would help.
Selena sighed. ”Alright, alright.” Selena relented, and her shoulders started to sway just a bit.
”Let’s dance!” Kari said before she went back to dancing.
Sometime later, the party was still going strong with half-eaten plates of food, empty bottles, discarded clothing, and decorations scattered about…
”... Okay, okay, I got this!” Kari slurred, as she held the spinner in one hand, squinting at it. ”Leeeeeeeeeeft hand… green!”
… Both Kari and Yoko were thoroughly drunk. Yoko was already on the mat, her face cherry-red from alcohol and laughter; she was wobbling on one foot.
”I got-” Yoko stopped to giggle. ”... I got this, Wilson!”
Yoko stretches her hand out toward a green circle… completely overshoots it, and lands on her ass. Kari laughed, falling onto her back and grabbing her stomach as she laughed out of control.
”You’re supposed to touch the circle with your hand silly!” Kari raised her left hand and pointed at itYour, barely containing laughter. ”Your hand! Your. HAND.”
Aislin did her best to hold in her laughter, teetering as she was in a pretzel shape on the Twister mat. She called out between her legs, wholly too drunk to care her butt was in the air.
“Yourrrr out, Yoko!” Aislin crowed.
”No I’m not- Ugh!” Yoko said as she tried climbing up, only to fall on her face again. ”Ugh! I don’t get your American games!”
Selena wasn’t very drunk. She stopped at two drinks, and spectated this silly game. It was amusing, admittedly.
”You look ridiculous,” she teased.
“I don’t know,” Lynn spoke in a slurred tone. She had a wide smile across her face as she nursed her current drink. Her white blouse was stained, with a few noticeable drops of red wine splattered across the front. Lynn did not remember if it was her drink, or someone else’s that caused it, but she cared not. “She looks like she’s having fun, real fun, so much fun. I like fun.”
Ken loved Kari’s cooking. He liked it almost as much as he liked his own cooking; but in a completely different way. The kind of way that he simply had no control over. So, while most of the group was busy trying to turn themselves sweaty with this strange form of directed wrestling, he was getting sweaty eating incredibly spicy chicken wings.
”W-well, why not-? Why not join? ‘S not like they’ve, y’know, packed it uh-up…” he half-heartedly chided Lynn, smiling vaguely.
“Because- because someone stained my.. stained my shirt, and I worry I’ll stain it some,” Lynn started to laugh as she placed a hand over one of her eyes. “I don’t know if I could even move like that right now,” Lynn paused as she walked over next to Ken, “can I have a wing?”
”Only if you…- Ah, Hell…” he held up the plate to her. ”I won’t make you fight me. The wings are free.”
“You sir are a gentleman,” Lynn paused as she turned to the group, “I don’t need to know..to know the future to know I would lose that fight,” Lynn joked as she grabbed a wing and sat down next to Ken. All negative thoughts about conversing with her ex's new partner fell from her mind. Kari did well finding her next love and Lynn was happy for her. She took one bite and instantly the heat hit her but she remembered this heat well. She missed it. She took another bite without stress and then another.
”Kari!? Did you… Did you use the pepper thingies I brought home for you?-” he turned his head out toward the center to ask, looking back at Lynn.
”I… I bring her home stuff! Things, trinkets, but… Sometimes I have a chance to visit a market in other dimensions. Find cool food.” he grinned up.
Kari wrapped her arms around Ken’s shoulders, getting on her tippy toes as she lovingly stared him in the eyes…
”... Baby, of course,” Kari tried to lovingly say but slurred. She pressed her lips against his.
Of course, his lips were covered in spicy sauce. He happily kissed her back, not caring about the pain she was causing as she leaned directly into his wounded arm.
”That’s why you’re the best! My Boo.” he smiled to himself, fond of the phrase he’d only recently come to know.
Aislin, at that moment, fell on her ass. “I'm the winnerrr, ya bitches- *hic*.”
Her eyes glanced over at Ken and Kari from the floor, and had a sloppy grin on her face. “Ah, young love~! Could write for decades on it.”
Lynn blinked three times in quick succession before she grabbed her drink and downed it in full in an instant. Her mind was devoid of emotion but it felt like the right thing to do at that moment. “So,” Lynn paused as she put the drink down, “how’d you two find your way toget-together?”
”... Questions of the ages if you ask me!” Yoko loudly said, stumbling over to the bottles to pour herself another glass. Yoko wasn’t even thinking, just poured herself a red cup full of cherry vodka.
”Oh hush you!” Kari loudly said, turning around to face Yoko. ”Me and Ken are going to get married and have LOTS of blasian babies!” Kari lovingly looked Ken in the eyes.
Yoko gagged. Aislin aww'ed.
”W-when I first came back, I… I had wanted to see Kari anyway. I had a little crush on her during the Bad Days Before. So, when I was forced to come here to St. Portwell, it was only natural. I asked her to help me in my quest to avenge my family. There was a point where I thought I would die, and so… I confessed my feelings.”
He smiled warmly at Kari, doing his best to wipe the sticky sauce off his face.
”And then I lived! When I came back, she… Well… Here we are, y’know?” he paused. ”And I can’t wait to be done my duty, so I- So we can really get married. And have our Ninja clan.” he waggled his eyebrows.
Lynn regretted the question immediately. She questioned her decision to come to this party, to ask these questions, and to pretend like all the wounds of Lynn’s own mistakes were fully healed. She smiled, all the same, and raised her glass up to imitate Kari’s toast from earlier. “I’m glad that you both found each other all the same. We all suffered,” Lynn paused to take another big drink, “so much before. It’s good that some-some of us found happiness.”. Lynn smiled a genuine smile as she finished her drink. “Has anyone seen Lila, my friend Lila? I thought she was right with hic with us?”
Kari frowned at Lynn. While Yoko tried to chug the vodka but choked some of it up.
”… I’ll find her,” Kari tried to dramatically say, but slurred. She pressed her fingers against both sides of her temples, taking a step away from Ken.
Aislin, in that moment, stared long and hard at Lynn from the floor, before she drunkenly swayed to her feet, clearly on a mission. She stumbled to the kitchen, where she grabbed a delicacy. Hidden in the back of the liquor stash was a small bottle of moonshine, with a home-made latch cap and everything. She took two fresh cups, poured a little poison in each, and reached Lynn’s side. One of the red cups was pressed in Lynn's hands, while another took away her empty cup.
Aislin smiled, pain flickering in her eyes. “Hey, I know a real good way to forget the shit, eh? Try a little moonshine.”
Ailsin nodded to the cup with a mischievous grin, before she tilted her head. “And if you want a quick dopamine hit, make all that… bullshit just evaporate like a cloud… Well, I can help with that too~.”
And Aislin procured a small joint from her hoodie pocket, winking at Lynn.
“Oh, oh my dear,” Lynn held up her hand saying no to the joint. “I appreciate it though, you are you’re the best.”
Ailsin just laughed and pocketed the joint, gesturing again to the moonshine, leaning a bit of Lynn as she grinned. ”I'm just teasing you. Take a swig, you'll feel better. Here, we can even peel these off at the same time. Ready? One, two-”
And Aislin poured her bit of moonshine down the hatch.
Multiple Selenas walked out from Kari’s kitchen, all cloned from the Greymoon Cloak she had put back on. They each had water bottles in hand. ”If you’re about to get even more drunk, drink water instead. Your heads will thank you tomorrow.”
“Gatorade sounds amazing, Selena do we have any Gatorade? I want my head to thank me tomorrow,” Lynn laughed as she put the cup of moonshine down. Maybe next time.
“Awww, Lynnnn!” Ailsin teased again, before she sighed. “Ah, might be a water time anyway…”
”We? I don’t live here,” One of the Selenas said.
”... Why are you asking her?!” Kari snorted. ”Yes, there’s some Gatorade in the fridge! Only blue and red, though.”
Yoko stumbled towards Selena… tripping over Kari’s sofa and landing facedown on the floor. Kari immediately ran over and knelt… and Kari’s Wayfinder fell out of her pocket.
”... Yoko, are you okay?!” Kari asked.
Yoko weakly raised a thumb.
Lynn reached down and grabbed the device, clearly puzzled by what she held. It could be any number of things, was it a compass? Was it edible? Lynn was too drunk to even try and decipher what it was. “Kari, Kari what is this? You dropped this.”
Ailsin drunkenly chortled. “It's a magic eight ball.”
She seemed to be hit by a wild idea, before she glanced at Lynn. “Hey, heyyyy Lynn, try giving it a shake. Maybe it'll tell us something good!”
The wayfinder magically floated upwards and out of Lynn’s hand, and into the original Selena. ”This,” She explained. ”Is a delicate artifact that should not be rolled around on the floor like old quarters. Yoko.”
”... Delicate? That fucking thing?” Kari laughed. ”Goro made that thing so tough it could probably take a punch from that meathead George!”
Kari spun around like a drunken ballerina, swiping the Wayfinder from Selena, and back towards Lynn. She held it in both hands like a excited kid,
”This is my Wayfinder! Goro made it for me! Basically, you press this…”
Kari hit the central gem and the map of the All-Verse deployed. There were many kanji symbols nearby that denoted all the people that Kari was close to.
”... And it finds all the people you care about!”
”I can attest to that thing’s toughness. I knocked it against a stone so hard it split into rocks. Y’know, stone… Rocks… One’s bigger.”
Of course, he’d had his fill of alcohol. Except while the others went to find lighter beverages, he’d found the half-empty tequila.
”I… I like this stuff.” he laughed.
Water bottles began magically floating around the room to all the drunken dumbasses. ”Kenshiro, if you finish that before finishing the water, I’m going to launch you through a window,” Selena said to him, casually.
Ken’s face twisted into a mocking scowl.
”Kenshiro、その残りを飲んでから、ハンバーガーのためにグリルをオンにしてください!!! (Kenshiro, drink the rest of that and then turn the grill on for a hamburger!!!)” his snide, learned American sarcasm oozing from between his teeth, trying to spin-kick the floating water bottle out of the air and falling over with a giggle.
“That,” Lynn paused as she reached out for the device but stopped, and pulled her hands back. Aislin was watching as well, drunken amazement in her eyes.
“Kari, that’s really really cool.”. Lynn took a step to the side, pulling out her phone as she did, as her eyes remained locked on the Wayfinder. She opened up a note pad titled ‘Things for Sober meee’ and typed in a quick description of the wayfinder. “It’s like a portable Kari.”
”I asked Goro to make it in case I’m not available!” Kari shouted, as she pressed the gem again and the map faded. Then handed it to Lynn.
”Try it!”
“Oh okay,” Lynn paused as she pressed the gem, following the same steps that Kari had showed. It opened up, and the number of symbols that were shown on the map were fewer and further in between. “Does it show me the way itself or should I have a map on hand just in case?”
Kari smiled. Pointing at one of the Kanji symbols.
”... Tap it.”
Lynn did as instructed and tapped it. Immediately the detailed holographic map in front of her changed, and soon the terrain and other notable features were visible. She could see the subject was close by, elevated, and in a tree. Lynn’s vision was blurred and it was hard to make out the details, however, she knew this was Lynn from the wayfinder. “She’s out in a tree, feeding her crows no doubt.”
Kari clapped her hands together.
”Excellent, let’s get back to-” Kari looked towards Yoko.
Yoko was still facedown on the floor.
Kari knelt around Yoko’s legs and then looked up.
”... Someone help me get her into the guest room, please?!”
”No!... M-my sweet Girl… She… Hatanaka Honor is at stake! L-let the bitch sleep!” Ken slurred from his own floor-bound position. With what magic he could muster, he was able to at least float himself up into the air, even if he was half-limp.
”S-see?!”
Lynn waited a second to see if anyone would step up to help Kari with this situation and, after a few more moments, Lynn raised a hand. “I can help Kari, I may be- maybe drunk but I can help carry a drunk friend.” Lynn paused as she looked down at Yoko and back to Kari and gave her a thumbs up.
Selena shook her head. ”There are four of me, and I’m not sure any of them can be bothered.”
”Oh, babe, don’t be like tha!!” Kari rolled her eyes at Kenshiro, before she nodded at Lynn and grabbed Yoko’s legs.
”... Okay, three, two, one…” With one exertion of strength, Kari lifted Yoko by the legs, and she said to Lynn, ”Let’s get her out of here before she throws up all over my furniture!”
… Yoko’s head was spinning.
After all that drinking (a total of two drinks!), Yoko was peacefully resting in the guest room… The sunshine hit her face from between the cracks of the blinds and curtains, seemingly perfectly adjusted to hit her directly in the eyes. It was like a flashbang as Yoko squinted. She could smell Kari cooking in the other room. Bacon, eggs… something else, but Yoko was too tired to give a hoot.
She groaned, pulling the blanket over her head to block out the light, but it was useless. The combination of sunlight and the mouthwatering scent wafting through the air made her awake, even if her body still refused to move. Her head was pounding slightly, a dull reminder of the night before. Two drinks—how had two drinks done this to her?
Though, she wasn’t alone in this bed. There was someone else posted up against her as if she was cuddling… With Yoko being the little spoon. Yoko scooted forward a bit to look and see who she was cuddling with…
It was Selena.
”... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Yoko loudly screamed.
Selena had been sound asleep. Very sound asleep, in fact. She last recalled Kari suggesting she sleep here to avoid going anywhere while inebriated, which Selena agreed to. But now she was shocked away by the scream of Yoko, which forced her awake so damn violently that Selena was suddenly stuck to the ceiling thanks to her Moonstep spell.
Her thoughts were racing like crazy, as she stammered away.
”What- What happened? Yoko?! Kari?!”
And then when she was finally fully awake, not three seconds later she looked down and saw she was floating.
And Yoko wasn’t in any danger.
”…Yoko?”
“Well, well, the two lovebirds are awake.” Aislin chortled softly, standing in the doorway, chewing on a bit of cucumber. She had a killer hangover, apparent from the wincing smile on her face.
”Lovebirds?!” Yoko hopped out the bed. ”I-”
”Thank you, Aislin!” Kari shouted from the other room. ”I thought they were getting murdered in there!”
“...I'm helping Kari with breakfast. Ya'll interested in hashbrowns? Pancakes?” Aislin said.
Yoko huffed.
”... You know what? Hashbrowns sounds nice.”
Aislin's smile widened. ”Hashbrowns it is.”
Yoko ran a hand through her messy hair - that quickly went to her mouth as she coughed up stomach bile - as she walked into the kitchen. Where Kari was over the stove wearing a white tank top and some blue pajama pants - no socks or shoes. She turned towards Yoko and smiled…
”... Rise and shine, lightweight!” Kari laughed. ”It was an AMAZING party…”
She narrowed her eyes at Yoko as she dropped the bomb, ”... If only you didn't pass out after two drinks.”
Yoko’s pride was at stake.
”... It was way more than just two!”
”Nuh-uh.”
”Yes it was!”
”Nuh-uh.”
”Yes it was!”
”Nuh-uh.”
”Yes it was!”
”Nuh-uh.”
”Yes it was!”
Aislin had moved back to her bowl of shredded potatoes, spluttering out a laugh.
”Stop, both of you.” Selena walked in, a bit more put together now. ”It was two. You are small, Yoko.”
”Size doesn't have anything to do with it!” Kari snorted.
Yoko’s face went beet red.
”I have drunk way more than that before! I am no lightweight!”
Kari raised two fingers.
“Are we sure it wasn’t two drinks of that moonshine,” Lynn said as walked into the room. She may have worn the same blue pants as the night before but her white button up blouse was missing. Instead she walked into the room with her black soft bra that had a colorful array of dragons printed on it. “I believe you Yoko. Promise. Promise. Has anyone seen my shirt?”
”I added it to my collection!” Kari creepily laughed, before rolling her eyes. ”I accidentally used it to wipe some of Yoko’s vomit and its in the wash. My bad.”
“It might be bound for the trash,” Lynn joked back.
She gave Lynn a playful smile, ”It wasn’t even that kind of party! Why were you stripping?!”
“I honestly do not remember,” Lynn paused as she grabbed another Gatorade, “oh sweet relief I love you so,” Lynn paused as she sat down in a chair, “last memories were taking Yoko to bed and then I woke up like this. I think I got hot?” Lynn
“Don't ask me, I blacked out shortly after our dear little Yoko was put to bed.” Aislin whistled low, before she took her bowl over to the stove and pulled out a pan. “Kari, got some room for me?”
Before she threw a grin at Lynn, “The look suits you, though.”
Kenshiro hadn't slept, opting to sweat the alcohol out with some vigorous exercising. Since around five in the morning, he'd been sprinting and kicking, climbing trees nearby, anything to get himself active and keep himself awake.
Truthfully, he didn't like the idea of sleeping around Yoko. She was far worse than any cursed talisman to him, and all he could really do was make sure Kari stayed safe.
His shirtless form, hands scuffed from his time outside and streaked in dirt all over, came through the sliding doors leading to the back yard.
”Party People riiiiise! Good morning, good morning, and good morning my precious princess…” Ken pretty quickly let his focus fall upon Kari, moving to her and wrapping a sweaty arm around her waist.
”Should I get the tomago pan? Make a few egg rolls for the table?”
Yoko immediately threw up some bile.
Kari scoffed at Yoko, before turning to Ken. ”Baaaabe! These are my clean pajamas!” Kari scolded before kissing him on the cheek.
“Ken, my man, you need a shower. Hey Kari, why don't you let me take care of things here, and join him?” Aislin teased lightly, a mischievous look in her eye as she started frying hashbrowns.
“Thanks,” Lynn paused as she smirked at Aislin, trying to ignore the pda in front of her.
”Don't mention it~.” Aislin purred with that easy smile of hers.
Without the shirt Lynn was noticeably thin. She was on the cusp of being too thin. This was something that Lynn heard most of her life, and she was always smaller in that regard, but she did crave food today more than normal and Lynn knew her body reflected this. “Did I ever find Lila last night” Lynn said as she pressed her back into the top of the chair and leaned back until the satisfying crack was heard.
“Yes,” Lila responded as she entered the room, “You came out and talked to me. It was cold being that drunk and outside,” Lila coughed as she rubbed her arms. Around her were fifteen crows which was usually unremarkable however she had started the party yesterday with just seven. “I need something to give them so they go away for a bit,” Lila asked the group for help as she found a chair and sat down. She rotated her neck trying to stretch out the tightness that sleeping in a tree brought.
”I can help with that.” Selena reached her hands out and started drawing glowing lines in the air, in the shape of a cube. ”Just a moment.”
Lynn’s eyes flashed green for just a moment before they returned to normal. “A magic show for breakfast I see,” Lynn grinned as she took another drink of her Gatorade.
Lila looked up. She was curious to see what Selena would create in the moment.
The glowing lines became a glowing hypercube, Selena’s Tesseract. She reached her hand into it and pulled out a container of some fancy snacks that cost a few hundred dollars to get shipped to the US. It looked like chocolate but it was in some language other than English.
”Feed them this.”
“I appreciate the help, but crows actually can’t have chocolate. If that’s chocolate, I can’t read that,” Lila paused as she laughed a coarse laugh, “do you have any fruits or seeds, or nuts? They really like nuts,” Lila paused as she looked at her murder. She smiled as she looked at them individually.
Selena reached in and pulled out a container of roasted nuts, that seemed to feel warm. ”Would these be more appealing?”
“Yes! Much more their speed. Thank you,” Lila paused as she looked at her crows before reaching over and grabbing the container, opening it, and grabbing a handful of nuts before holding out her hand, “there is an offering in my hands. Please take it and go outside for a few hours.” As Lila finished her statement the crows swarmed her hand. They grabbed at the roasted nuts with expert precision and soon they flew as a swarm to the nearest open window with a flurry of caws. Lila looked over to Kari, “What are you cooking? Smells good.”
”Oh! You know, hashbrowns, bacon, french toast,” Kari smiled. ”Want something in particular? I don’t mind making it?”
“Kari, love, you could make me a bowl of cereal and it’d somehow taste amazing. I don’t need anything more than what you’re cooking.” Lila chuckled as she pressed a hand to her temple. She was very hungover and the pounding headache was her indication that today was going to be long. She grabbed a water and chugged it within a few seconds.
”Am I the only one in this house who isn’t nursing a terrible headache?” Selena asked as she used her Psychometry spell to pull plates from the cabinets and help out with breakfast.
“Who isn't? Girl, I am a hundred shades of jealous over here.” Aislin said dryly, scooping up crispy hashbrowns with a spatula and placing them on a serving tray.
”Me: I am simply built differently. I find that not sleeping after drinking alcohol minimizes the risk! But, I do… I'll shower. Leave me some of the fried potato!”
“We got ketchup, right Kari?” Aislin looked over with a smirk.
”Of course, we got everything,” Kari said with a smile.
”I am perfectly-” Yoko gagged, coughing up some bile.
”... You were saying?” Kari gave Yoko a catty smile.
”OOOOOOOOOOOH-” Yoko shouted, before she relented.
”Now, let’s get rid of that hangover for you, Yoko,” Kari said with a warm smile. ”You have to go train so you don’t get your ass kicked for a fiftieth time in a row.”
Then she turned towards Selena, and gave her the biggest, shit-eating grin, ”... But, we both know you’re going to just cuddle with your new girlfriend.” Then winked at her.
”My what?”
“You have a new girlfriend? Since when?”
Aislin's tinkling laughter could be heard as she fetched the ketchup from the fridge and brought the hashbrowns to the table.
”…No?”
”Oh you should have seen it!” Kari said, grinning like a fool as she looked at Selena. ”You looked so cute cuddling Yoko! Can I take a picture next time?!”
”Which one of you had the idea to leave Yoko in the same bed as me, now that we’re bringing this up?”
”I know how lonely Yoko always is. I suggested we move her to a place where she felt safe and secure: Her lover's arms.” Ken replied with an incredibly smug expression on his face.
”Go make love to your mother, Inbred,” Yoko hissed at Kenshiro in Japanese. Before turning to Selena, and pulling out the swift scroll, ”Let’s go, we have important work to do!”
Selena nodded. ”Where? What other leads do you have that we can pursue? Where is the next artifact?”
”We are going to train before we tackle the next artifact!” Yoko shouted.
”I’m still looking for your help,” Kari said, ”I’ll let you know.”
”Alright, alright, don’t shout.” Selena walked over to Yoko. ”Let’s go… The party was enjoyable, everyone.”
”And everyone enjoyed having you,” Kari said, ”You are invited to the next party!” She winked at Selena, before giving Ken a kiss in the cheek.
Tired of this, Yoko unwrapped the Swift Scroll, recited the chant. A purple wind came, and carried them all the way back to Japan.
