Hitting the town; Kadokawa Style. [EVENT]

Lili's WC: 417 Event WC: 417 / 4000 Tag: @Shen Kadokawa

Unbeknownst to the young Rune Knight Officer, he, much like his sister, had chosen this particular day and this particular festival as an occasion to unwind from the stress and struggles of his job. Being a Rune Knight was not an easy task, not in the least, at least according to what Shen had imagined the job to be like in the beginning, but, at the end of the day, it was a fulfilling task. Though the young man didn't exactly feel like he was making a particularly big difference in the world at large, that didn't exactly matter much at all. As long as he could help people, it was worth it. Not to mention the fact that, with the assistance of functioning magic, though it was not the greatest, strongest, or otherwise most impressive, it was sufficient. Still, it was a demanding job, and while the ever-dulling effects of routine slowly did its best to counter exhaustion, Shen needed a bit of time to recharge his batteries, too. And drinks, of course. While the young man preferred to drink by himself, or in the company of a few close friends, not that he had any, the opportunity to have some exotic alcohol was something that he just couldn't pass up, and even though he didn't particularly like the loud dance music and booming bass that echoed around one in a club, or more applicable to this scenario, a rave setting, parties were nonetheless something he enjoyed. If he could forego the socializing, that was.

And so it was that Shen had found his way down from the HQ into downtown Crocus, in silent, and very much non-vocal awe beholding the transformation of familiar streets into a cyberpunk paradise of flashing neon colors, bright lights, and eccentric people who very much enthusiastically partook in the transformation from a normal town to a single massive rave. The entirety of Crocus echoed with heavy drums and thundering bass. Shen, unlike most people here, wasn't entirely dressed appropriately for this event, wearing a simple black shirt and jeans of matching color, not meaning to or not wanting to stand out too much, as always. The lit cigarette in his mouth was tipped with the glow of an orange light that flared slightly with the occasional breath he drew. He knew it was a bad habit, but he couldn't quite shake it. It helped with his nervousness, and given the size of the crow around him, he needed something to calm him.

Still, it didn't take long for him to through the cig, though before he could start another one, he'd already found what he had been looking for after not much of a walk. It wasn't hard to find, after all. All over town pop-up bars had sprung up in stands and tents, just one of those places beckoning the young Rune Knight to come closer and have a try of the local merchandise. A temptation Shen was glad to give in to, given the fact that he had come here for this explicit purpose. He took a seat at one of the bar stools, a bartender who, for all intents and purposes, seemed to be delighted to take part in the theme of today's celebrations, he was wearing a full body-suit in neon yellow colors, complete with a helmet that displayed a digital smiley face in place of his actual face, as well as a voice-modifier that turned his every word into an autotuned, robotic song. It was odd, to say the least, but nonetheless unique, even Shen had to admit this much. "Hello, what are you drinking?", the robotic noises blared from beneath the helmet, causing a small smirk to light up the Rune Knight's expression. "I-I'll take whatever you're recommending". Not long after, Shen would stare down into a glass that was equally eccentric and colorful compared to its surroundings, glowing, bright red liquid that seemed to emanate smoke swirling inside of the container. The bartender, artistically waving his hand over the glass, cast a spell, and without much delay, the glass before the young man would light up with flame that, after a brief flash of fire, would vanish once more, leaving Shen in understandable awe. With the display done, Shen eagerly took a sip, an arguably amazing fruit flavor filling his mouth. This drink was delicious, but ... perhaps the fiery display had burnt away all the alcohol. At least, Shen missed the bit of, well, "bite" that some of the more alcoholic drinks offered. "U-uh, excuse me?", Shen would turn to the bartender once more, a sheepish smile on his face. "D-do you have something a little, uh ...  stronger?". The bartender shrugged, immediately beginning to mix another drink. If only Shen had known what he was getting into.

It didn't take long for Shen to get, for the lack of more flowery words, absolutely toasted. A few very strong drinks later, the young Rune Knight was merrily stumbling through the streets of Crocus on a self-imposed adventure, on search for the next excessive bar that served equally crazy drinks. What he found, though, was not a bar, but rather a familiar face. "Liliiiiiith!", the young man exclaimed loudly as soon as he spotted her, happily stepping towards his sister with wide-open arms. "Is'so good to see you. What are youuu doing heeere?". His confidence in his jumpy step seemed, however, misplaced, and so the man would almost stumble and fall as he got close, catching himself at the last minute before breaking out into a fit of giggles. "I'm fiiiiiine, everything's fiiiiine, hehehe". With the young man now standing straight once again, he would turn his attention towards Lili once again, and before he knew it, he had moved towards her once more in an attempt to, very much uncharacteristically for him, hug his sister.

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Word Count: 980
Thread Word Count Total: 1,397 / 4,000

Lili's WC: 649 Event WC: 2,046  / 4000 Tag: @Shen Kadokawa

The young Rune Knight officer, in more than just good spirit, ignored Lilith's words of obvious disgust, his excessive drunken amusement with the situation at hand quickly released in a burst of billowing laughter. "Hurr durr, yur so gross get off me", Shen would mimic her with a mischievous and underlying chuckle, turning away from the girl in a theatrical manner, all while still trying to keep his balance. "Yu are always so meeeeen to me. Here I thought that we are the bes' of frens", he would reply sarcastically, entertaining himself with his own drunken stupor that manifested in a continuation of his giggling and laughing. Shen wouldn't pay much attention to Lili's obvious irritation with his state and the fact that he seemed to be bothering her, his drunken brain telling him that getting on her nerves as much as humanly possible would be a great way to get back at her for all the times that she had picked on him before and return the favor in kind, a broad and overtly brainless grin spreading among the young man's face, an expression that was all too seldomly finding its way onto Shen's face these days. It didn't matter, tonight was meant for having fun. Oh, and what fun he would have. The off-duty Rune Knight officer would do absolute best to embody the annoying little brother stereotype and be a little shit, thus replying to her inquiry with a singsong of "Ahhh, y'know, like, one ... or two ... or fifteen ... I didn' reaaaally count, hehe".

That'd be sure to piss her off. If Lili was here, that meant that she'd come here to party, as she, of course, tended to do, but Shen had other plans. As soon as his sister pulled out her iLac, Shen's grin would only widen, drunken steps carrying him away from her and back into a nearby gathering of people. If he could force her to keep an eye on him then that was already a form of payback, but if she would be forced to actively look after him and make sure he didn't do anything stupid as well, that would just be the icing on the cake, wouldn't it? Well, that was the plan, at least. Shen's drunk feet didn't necessarily agree with him on this matter, and so he would stumble through a small crowd that had formed off to the side on the curb of the street that had been practically turned into a festival ground by this event, flashing lights, neon colors, and roaring base continuing to flare up all around. Before the young man knew it, he found himself in the midst of a circle of people, who all seemed to cheer and roar in excitement. Shen had no idea what was going on, looking around in intoxicated confusion only to spot the two girls a second later, standing on the opposite side of the circle. Or was it one girl and he was seeing double? He could've sworn he wasn't that drunk, but there was definitely two of them, and they looked the exact same. Oh, wait, no, these two moved independently of one another ... he thought. They were twins! Shen's mouth quickly changed into an o shape, the accompanying "Ohhhh!" following up the expression without much delay.

Still, just as he had spotted them, they, too, had spotted him, both of them immediately assuming some kind of position, striking a pose before beginning to move in a rhythmic fashion, fast, almost too fast for Shen's drunken brain to make sense of it, but their movements were mesmerizing, especially to the intoxicated young man, who simply stared as every heavy thud of the music caused another swift and sporadic move from the two, who, after a short set of moves, stopped, looking over to Shen expectingly. The confusion returned for a second before he realized what exactly he had stumbled into. This was some kind of street dance-off! That was bad. Well, not that he was against dancing, it was just that ... Shen couldn't dance, at all. Still, the alcohol gave instilled him with confidence and gave him the exact opposite expression, the young man swiftly reacting to the perceived challenge. His body, though, once more didn't exactly follow him, arms flailing wildly from side to side in a jerky and almost comedic way, the crowd taking it for what it was worth, billowing laughter echoing at Shen from all sides, who reciprocated the laughter with a chuckle as he lost his balance, tripping and landing on his back, the chuckle turning into laughter. Well, that had been fun. Someone rushed over to help him up, Shen accepting the gesture with a grin. Oh! That reminded him, though, he had originally gone on this small excursion to annoy Lili, which left him wondering where she was. It didn't really matter, he'd simply shout and she was bound to hear him. Well, maybe. "Liliiiiii! Did yu see me deeeens? Is' a lot of fun, yu shoul' try it sometime, hehe".

---

Word Count: 848
Thread Word Count Total: 2,894 / 4,000

Lili's WC: 606 Event WC: 3,500 / 4000 Tag: @Shen Kadokawa
Event Notes: Drink, Dance Off - 2 Stamps | Rolling for Paint Drumming

Shen didn't exactly notice that his sister had found him before he could find her, and that, additionally, she had recorded the entire "performance" on her iLac. Even if he'd known, he wouldn't have cared. He'd vowed to, well, delete his LacBook account anyway after some initial negative impressions, making the choice to avoid this section of digital space as much as he could. Sober Shen was very much still intent on perpetuating his old tactics of avoidance and acceptance, but drunk Shen ... well, the young man could care a lot less about all these imagined problems in an imaginary space. With the absence of his usual anxiety and worries, which appeared as if they had been replaced with a newfound enjoyment of all things he encountered, as well as a hefty load of intoxicated, if clumsy, confidence.

Anyway, he was ripped from a few distracting thoughts as a hand wrapped around his wrist, pulling the young man towards the figure that had emerged from the crowd around him, Shen turning his head to find himself break out into a grin once more. "Oooo, dere u are!", he would giggle at his sister, though, he would swiftly find himself tilting his head as she insisted that they, in her words, "got out of there". "Awww wat? But t'night's barely started ...". Why was Lilith always so obsessed with spoiling his fun? It wasn't like he could unwind often, and now that he was having fun, for once in his life, she was once again trying to ruin it. A brief, though very much quiet stint of inward anger would wash over Shen in an initial emotional response, though the same emotion would quickly transform as the grin in his face returned. If she was determined to ruin this night for him, well, he would simply intensify his own efforts to return the favor. With not inconsiderable dexterity, Shen would end up winding his hand from her grasp before, with a surprising swiftness, dashing off back into the crowd one more time, undoubtedly to the great annoyance of his sister. Not like he cared. Well, he did, but in a mess of drunken emotions, his childish impressions would dictate his logical responses, not his intellect. And this same drunken stupor told him that this was very much a good idea to try and annoy Lili. Something that would, without question, come back to haunt him in the future, something the young man lacked the foresight to realize in his state.

Determined, Shen would maneuver through the partying crowd, briefly distracted by his thoughts until they were, in a sudden burst of booming sound, washed away by the onset of thunderous music, his head instinctively swerving into the direction the echoing roar of drums. The banging of the instrument was supported by digitally generated background noises and a catchy beat, and as Shen spotted the source of the noise, he could barely contain his excitement at the sight, his eyes lighting up with fascination where his sober self would've been aversed at best. The station that had been set up on one street corner was, undoubtedly, the origin of the music, curious onlookers, ravers, and overall a mesmerized crowd surrounded a set of drums where participants regularly stepped forward and began playing the instrument, though, with a twist. With each strike, with each bang of the drums neon colors in the form of paint would burst forth from the drum, each one producing a different hue, coating the surrounding area and the crowd in a spray of colorful dots and glowing streaks with each resonating thud. It was immediately captivating, and the young man knew that this was the exact kind of thing that his inebriated self would love to try.

He would find his way over to the set of drums, slipping through the partying crowd before reaching it just as the previous occupants had finished their turn, an eccentrically dressed man, covered head to toe in sprinkles of definitely somewhat magical glowing paint, handing him two drumsticks with a grin before joining the crowd, which now cheered for the new attempt, Shen's attempt, at a party-goer playing the drums, the blare of rave music on the background ever-continuing all the while. Shen was, even in this state, somewhat intimidated to be performing in front of this many people, but if he wanted to try the paint drumming ... then it couldn't be helped, right?

Tapping the drumsticks gently against outside of the instrument, the microphone at his side picked up the light wooden tick-tock before finally, the young man would slam them down in tune with the music, the stage erupting into colors as the paint burst from the drums, Shen following this up with more rhythmic taps that increased in speed, intensity, almost as if in trance drumming away while colors, hues, and glows exploded around him. This came to him surprisingly easy, way easier than dancing, it seemed, the crowd cheering while the music, backed up by the heavy thunder of drums continued to echo around them. One had to admit that the performance the young man put on, despite his obviously intoxicated state, was not bad at all. One might even say that the young Rune Knight recruit was somewhat talented at picking up the rhythm and sounding the instrument before him, which still expelled colorful paint all around, to the beat of the music. It was anything but difficult to lose oneself in the motions, the song, the resounding booms of every strike that produced even louder resonance from the speakers. In simple terms, Shen was enjoying himself.

Though as it was the case most of the time, whenever Shen had fun, fate would find a way to ruin that, the thundering roar of music and drums suddenly stopping after an "Oi! Watch out, mate!" would sound out from off to the side, a young man, probably similar in age to Shen, stumbling from the crowd towards the drums, missing a step, however, and crashing into the set of instruments, knocking them over and spilling the contents of paint all over the stage, the music abruptly stopping, a resounding "Aww" going through the crowd. Shen, however, found himself pushed back, though steadied himself quickly, finding his shoes and part of his pants were now covered in more than just a light sprinkle of paint, instinctively barking an obviously angered and very un-Shen-like "Ey, pay attention to where you're going!" at the guy who'd put a definite stop to his enjoyment of tonight's Neon Festival, forcing his body and mind into a state of at least some sobriety that extinguished his excitement and sent his previous confidence into a spiral of obvious anger, his brows inching closer together. "Huh? Who the fuck are you?", the young man, who, upon closer inspection, was about the same height as Shen, but was built a little heavier than him, not a difficult feat, responded in quite the ineloquent and obviously aggressive manner, evidently annoyed that the young Rune Knight, who seemed in no position to do so, had just told him off. "Staff Sergeant Kadokawa, Rune Knights. I wanna suggest you get out of here and sober up. You clearly had enough", Shen replied coldly, now himself annoyed that he had to be subjected not only to a sudden stop to his fun just as he'd gotten into it, but also the drunken swearing of some street goon, pulling out his badge and flashing it to the man, who broke out into amused laughter. "A baby like you, a Rune Knight? I'm gonna piss myself laughing. Don't fuck with me, kid". Normally, Shen would have backed down, perhaps intimidated by such a threat. At least, in a private scenario, but ... he had introduced himself as a Rune Knight, and he would no doubt be expected to act like one.

"What if I will?", he asked sarcastically, depositing his badge in one of his pockets again and taking a step forward, his eyes firmly locked on those of the other. The drunk wouldn't pass the chance up. "You're about to find out". With this, the man would throw back his arm before bringing it around for a wide swing. Shen had seen this coming, anyone would've, really, and while the young Rune Knight wasn't as adept at using magic as some of his fellows, at least as of yet, he was still capable in his own right. With a brief surge of magic throughout his body, he moved swiftly, once again displaying impressive agility as he sidestepped the punch, his hand wrapping around the other's arm and twisting it, the drunk sinking to the ground with an audible yelp. "Ow, ow! Come on man, let go!". Shen, though, would look at the drunk festivalgoer as sternly as he possibly could before letting him go, sending the guy stumbling to his feet with a "Last warning. It's time for you to leave. The man wouldn't have to be told twice, scurrying off into the crowd with newfound haste, taking not a single moment to look back.

Shen sighed, his shoulders sinking down. He hated acting like this, it went against every fiber of his being, but it was part of the job. He hoped that he'd learn how to effectively wield this persona when he had to, it wasn't perfect, of course, but the alcohol had helped. Speaking of alcohol, though, his intoxication had begun to wear off, and instead of inebriated stupor and drunken excitement, the young man now felt somewhat nauseous and definitely tired. Distraught with the fact that, once again, the universe seemed to have it out for him, he would lower himself to the ground before sitting down on the paint-covered stage, the crowd beginning to disperse and move on to other locations, perhaps in search of more music, more alcohol, and more party. Shen, though, was done for tonight, muttering a soft, and admittedly somewhat sad "Man, I wanna go home" under his breath.

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Word Count: 1,680
Thread Word Count Total: 5,180 / 4,000 ( Event WC fulfilled - 1,180 words excess)

END OF THREAD

Lili's WC: 973 Event WC: 6,153 / 4000 [ Remaining 2153 handed in as C Rank freeform] Tag: @Shen Kadokawa
Event Notes: Drink, Dance Off, Paint Drumming - 3 Stamps